Where does one even begin? As the news comes in today of Todd Cochrane’s passing, you’ll get to read and hear what a kind, amazing human he truly was.

I met Todd at the Ignite the Sound conference in Saudi Arabia in 2022 after following him for many years. We landed up taking the bus back from the conference to the hotel both days at 9 p.m., and chatted with him about things both podcasting and non-podcasting. The second evening, he told me to reach out if there was anything he or BluBrry could do to help. Almost instinctively, I asked him something that had been on my mind a few times leading into that week.

Todd didn’t even hesitate: “Are you making any money today? Even if it’s not profitable?” “I am, but…”

“Then stay independent. Keep at it. There is nothing better than being independent.“

I reached out to him more than once since that conference, he always replied the same day. At my request, he recorded a video on Podcasting 2.0 and Value4Value for the Dubai PodFest 2023, which landed up getting cut on the day and only aired on YouTube—he never once asked for an update. If it helped the podcast community, he just did it. He was the fiercest advocate for RSS, including on what is now his last appearance on the New Media Show episode last week.

I’ve replayed that conversation so many times since the conference, at a few different junctures and moments where I’ve doubted myself again. His response has always helped ground me.

It’s not often you get to meet someone you really admire online. It’s less often that a single interaction with someone has a profound impact on the work you do. I’ve had the honour of both with Todd Cochrane.

Rest in Peace Todd.