Hi! Tell us about yourself
I’m Courtney Reimer (pronounced “Rhymer;” I missed my calling as the fourth Beastie Boy) in my work life.

I’m Courtney Basner to my family, with whom I’ve lived in South Orange since 2013, when I was filled to the brim with my second baby, Wynnie.

She is now (as of September 2024) a middle schooler at SOMS, along with her older sister, Bea. They’re in 6th and 7th grade, respectively.

Their dad, my husband Dave Basner, is something of a local celebrity for his legendary posts on Swap Meet SOMa. 

I’m thrilled to have entered my “fuck it fifties” earlier this year. (I hope swearing is permitted for Bigwigs!) 10/10, highly recommend embracing the joys of aging.

Tell us about your business!

Depending on the neediness level of my velcro dog, Ruby Ruffles, Sounds Great is geographically located in my living room or home office in South Orange, but I serve clients all over the country (and, if a certain prospect comes through, potentially internationally, too).

Sounds Great is young (my independent business ownership literally and poetically began on Independence Day) and evolving in terms of the kind of support I offer to aspiring podcasters, but I am a “one stop shop” for brands, businesses, and creators looking to launch, sustain, or revamp their shows. 

That means I can help you with everything from your podcast concept and format to on-mic coaching and production to developing strategies to achieve your podcast goals. Most often, those goals tend to fall into the categories of increasing brand awareness, culture-building for corporations leveraging podcasts for internal comms,  building an “owned channel” to amplify your thought leadership, and creating a show-don’t-tell space for showcasing your wares to potential clients.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up just outside Seattle in Kirkland, WA during the heyday of Grunge and its ilk. My high school, Lake Washington, has since been affectionately dubbed “Rock and Roll High School” for the vast number of influential musicians it spawned. Fun fact: I was in a band called Born Naked with Carrie Brownstein (of Sleater Kinney and Portlandia fame). My talent was virtually nonexistent, so I was more of a cheerleader and kazoo player than a true bandmember, but it didn’t stop her from giving me a shoutout in Bob Boilen’s book, Your Song Changed My Life.

How did you find yourself doing this work?

Audio has been a throughline of my life predating my professional work in audio at places like Spotify, Audible, and MTV Radio. I was a music journalist raised by music-obsessed parents (one of whom worked for the Seattle Symphony), who always had the car radio tuned to the NPR affiliate. Growing up with the soothing voices of public radio hosts in my ear during rainy commutes gave me a deep appreciation for auditory transmission of information, stories, wit, and wisdom. 

I derive great joy and fulfillment from helping podcasters use their voices to convey what they uniquely have to offer the world. 

What excites you the most about what you do?

To me, a “podcast” is just a container for whatever someone decides to fill it with. Like a blank sheet of paper that becomes a love letter or a thought-provoking essay, a podcast can be pretty much whatever the creator decides to make it. An episode can be everything from a conveyor of personal stories and incisive ideas to a mechanism for capturing a standup comedy routine to  share it with a worldwide audience. 

The possibilities of audio feel truly infinite, and the ways in which my clients aspire to leverage the medium for their novel ideas routinely blows my mind.

What is it about you that makes you so good at what you do?

At Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, I learned how powerful a tool curiosity can be. My curiosity is what helps me continue to innovate on behalf of my clients, and enables me to draw the best out of them—be it the way they show up on the mic, in an interview, or the words they use to tell their stories. 

Curiosity is my strong suit–and also what sometimes carries me down the rabbit hole of a micro-obsession such as which font is best for podcast cover art. Either way, it’s something I tap daily to the benefit of my clients.

What have you learned about yourself since becoming an entrepreneur?

Other than the fact that I wasn’t cut out to do all of the jobs of business (my kingdom for my own Operations and Finance departments), it’s the novelty of meeting new clients and conceiving new ideas every day that keeps me energized and eager to keep iterating on my successes (and yes, occasional failures). I feed off of the constant newness and opportunities to evolve. Now I just need to learn the art of time management and how to establish healthy boundaries around my work hours!

And just for fun…

What's your superpower in your business?

It’s almost a cliche at this point to refer to ADHD as a superpower, but for me it’s how I can manage to keep all of the plates spinning for my diverse client portfolio.

Describe your business journey in three emojis.

🚮💡⚡

What legacy do you hope to leave through your business?

I hope to instill in my two daughters the understanding that a profession doesn’t have to be dictated by a corporation or a boss. It can be something they define and build for themselves.

Best biz book/podcast you’d recommend

It’s a little embarrassing and I used to roll my eyes at my mom, who was a one-of-a-kind entrepreneurial realtor and would listen to business development books like this, but I’m kind of obsessed with Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling.

As a lifelong creative weirdo, it’s wild that books like this are currently dominating my Audible library (see also: Alan Weiss’ Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice), but I suppose they’re fueling my autodidactic MBA.

A quote you live by

“Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera.” – Doris Day