CYLS 190: Africa X Podcasting - Pioneering the Kenyan Podcast Journeys with Dan Aceda & Doris Onyango

Create Your Life Series

Episode Summary

In this episode host Kevin Y. Brown is joined by Dan Aceda and Doris Onyango of SemaBOX. SemaBOX is a podcasting studio that began as a podcasting incubator. In the past year there have been over 600 episodes produced through SemaBOX. Dan and Doris provide a wealth of knowledge and resources centered around the history and culture of podcasting in Africa. Please join Kevin in learning more about these two amazing individuals and how they have been able to influence and advance the podcasting industry in Africa.

About Our Guests

Dan Aceda is a Kenyan musician and entrepreneur. He is one of the founders of SemaBOX.

Doris Onyango is the program lead at DADA Podcast Incubator and a recording engineer at SemaBOX. She also doubles in other areas such as program management, communication, administration, and events management.

Kevin Y. Brown

Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin leads Afripods’ multi-country strategy and product vision.

Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…

Insights From the Episode

• Insights into SemaBOX
• Insights into the DADA Podcast Incubator
• Strategies for using SemaBOX and DADA for podcasters
• Strategies to work seamlessly with partners
• Secrets to navigating challenges with difficult clients or people you work with
• Insights on how mentorship can help your success
• Strategies to stay motivated when starting out
• Secrets to dealing with negative feedback
• Secrets to goal setting and making personal growth
• Strategies to overcoming challenges
• Secrets to making your business run smoothly

Quotes from the show

• “We are very open. We are pretty genre agnostic. We are gonna support you no matter what your content vision is.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190
• “The Dada Podcast Incubator is to position women storytellers in Africa.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190
• “You all are doing good work in order to give voices to people who need to be heard from their perspective.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, #190
• “I think that’s the biggest challenge of the media landscape. In this part of the world, the person with the biggest microphone tends to win. So in this part of the world it’s politicians.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190
• “It feels like podcasting is like you’re just shouting out into the ether, but there is someone out there who’s listening.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190
• “There’s you the person, and there’s you the job. Take yourself out of the job and just look at the job.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190
• “Podcasting as a space is very brand new, if someone says they are an expert in podcasting, they’re lying. In this ecosystem of ours it’s brand new.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190
• “It’s okay to make a mistake and go through the learning. But it’s really important that the person you’re working with is willing to allow you room to learn.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190
• “Forget perfection. Get better every day.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190

Resources Mentioned

• https://semabox.net/

• Fikradhaxaliye Podcast

Favorite Book

• Animal Farm by George Orwell -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190
• Shoe Dog: By the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190

Favorite Quote

• “You cannot buy a dog and bite yourself.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190
• “In the end, you will win. If you are not winning, it is not the end.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190

3 Keys to create your best life

Doris

• Try, try, try, and try again.
• Find your family.
• Do what you can with what you have.

Dan

• Forget perfection.
• Get better every day.
• Have no fear.

Stay Connected

Create Your Life Series

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Kevin Y. Brown

Website: www.kevinybrown.com

Instagram: kevinybrown

Twitter: kevinybrown

Facebook: kevinybrown

SemaBOX

Twitter: semabox

Instagram: semabox

Facebook: semabox

Website: https://semabox.net/

Doris Onyango

Twitter: dorisonyango

Dan Aceda

Twitter: danaceda

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)