Local High School student interns were given a project assignment by Fort Thomas Coffee business owner, Christine Smalley, to design and turn the smallest Fort Thomas Connect business conference room into a podcast room. These students received high school and college credit in the field of entrepreneurship for their work with Mrs. Smalley. Knowing podcasters have been known to record in their closets for better sound, the thought was to offer a professional and unintimidating space for local podcasters to invite their guests and record.

The students recorded the inaugural podcast with Mrs. Smalley sharing their experience working for Fort Thomas Coffee. Feeling like celebrities on microphones and having the best time ever, a new entrepreneurial idea was born. What if this experience wasn’t just for podcasters, but for the every day person.

As a mom, Christine has kept a journal of notable events her family has experienced together to pass down through the generations. How wonderful would it be, she thought, to have an audio journal capturing the voices and perspectives of everyone in the family. “Maybe we’re not cool enough to have professional podcast that others want to listen to, but an audio family journal that we, our children, and grandchildren could enjoy listening to for years to come would be a true treasure.”

In her family’s first practice run of a sound journal, the results were beyond what was expected. It was their most favorite night! They somehow loved each other even more. They took a break from everything and remembered who they were as a family and felt purpose, gratitude, and hope for the future.

Now, they want everyone to capture a moment of reflection and remembrance individually, with friends, or family to see what surprising results arise.