Hi, I'm Antonio. I'm a podcast producer with a track record of delivering high-quality content and driving engagement. I have produced dozens of shows with topics ranging from transgender activism to mixed martial arts.
I have hands-on experience with virtually every aspect of podcast production, from video editing and sound mixing to research, scripting, guest booking, and workflow optimization. I believe every podcast needs to know why it exists, and reinforce that purpose with every decision it makes.
Before you ask: no, I did not go backpacking across Europe in an attempt to gain further insight into the human condition. You will not find on this website a Substack full of punchy commentary about whatever's trending on Twitter.
I did, however, brave New Jersey Transit buses en route to Port Authority for the privilege of making bagel baskets.
That's because I started out my career in television, where the only thing I was really qualified for was handling schmear. I was in the first batch of interns who worked at The Daily Show with its new host, Trevor Noah. My first job out of college was as a production assistant at The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. I will never forget seeing the football I sprinted to Modell's to get for a last-minute sketch wind up on television hours later. But alas -- even Eli's Bagels could not convince the suits at Comedy Central to keep the show going.
After that show was canceled, I worked on the production side of several others that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was yelled at by one of R. Kelly's close friends, and worked directly with the journalist who broke the story about his crimes, for an unreleased BuzzFeed News documentary. I asked Ocean City Police for an appearance release after they pulled our production car over during a shoot for Car vs. America. I kept Katie Nolan hydrated while she beat Jeff Gordon in Mario Kart. I pitched and researched an episode about “SWAT-ters” that wound up airing for a documentary series called Follow This on Netflix.
Every day, after I would leave each of those jobs, I'd kill time on my two hour commute by listening to podcasts like This American Life, Heavyweight, and Hidden Brain. It blew my mind how a story told with audio could be more impactful than anything I had seen or helped make for television.
So, I pivoted to the lucrative world of podcasting. After years of researching editing tricks for social clips, learning the ins and outs of Pro Tools, and getting comfortable trusting my creative instincts, I got my first podcast podcast producer job at UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra. That is where I actually learned what it took to run a show and crank out content. Making a mistake in front of a professional comedian and former MMA champion will encourage you to avoid others. But I also learned how genuine chemistry can carry a show.
Since that first role, I've been able to add more shows to my portfolio. Becoming a Fighter with Megan Olivi, a nonfiction narrative series about the lives of UFC fighters before their big break, was my first pitched podcast idea that became a reality. Dear Schuyler, hosted by Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender D1 male athlete, broadened my perspectives on how gender influences the world around us. Every podcast I have worked on has changed the way I view the subject it covered, and has forced me to challenge my assumptions about the world around us. Getting listeners to do the same is what drives every decision I make for those shows, just like those podcasts I listened to on my commute had done for me.
I'm grateful I get to do this for a living, and for the unconventional path that brought me here.