We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Benjamin Carroll. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Benjamin below.

Benjamin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

By the time we see most professionals, whether they are in the creative space or business world, we see them at the point they are most refined at their craft. At least refined enough to enter the stage. It’s very unusual we see others in their failures. The journey is often so long and tough to watch that we don’t find the enjoyment of watching failure. People only want to see success and the understanding of how they got to this point is so often misunderstood. When I first developed the idea of my production company, to create high-quality audiobooks with immersive sound effects for children, I had no earthly idea how to actually make the audio product. No equipment. No prior experience in any audio production. Full time job with a wife and three kids. But the determination to learn how to create the audiobooks was built upon the foundation of WHY I was learning it. I wanted to create a better entertainment product for my children. For all kids. To enrich the next generation.
In the beginning, releasing self-written, self-recorded, self-produced audiobooks, the quality wasn’t great. There was no one listening. That’s the nature of the podcast business. In the first episodes, you are making content for no one. But this time gives you the opportunity to find your voice. Refine your skills to be ready when it is your turn. The important thing is you get a little better everyday. You keep pushing day after day after day.
After a few months, after every week, putting in the effort to build the DayDreaming Kids Podcast, my production skills began to get better. Then the authors began allowing me to record their books. I was begging people “Please let me record your story for the podcast.” So the writing became better. The sound effects were better. Then, the professional narrators came on board. Now the narration was sooooo much better. Slowly but surely, after countless hours spanning over a couple years of work, the product began to truly become alive. It doesn’t take a couple days, weeks, or months, to learn a craft. It’s an endless pursuit spanning years and a lifetime. Through it all, the WHY is what holds you together. It’s what held me together. To create something no one was creating for people who deserved a product better.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After earning my degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech, I spent the initial eight years of my career to manufacturing world. However, with the birth of my third child and the publication of my debut children’s book, “For Those Who Dream,” I found myself increasingly captivated by the world my kids were growing up in and apprehensive about the trajectory of children’s entertainment. This concern coincided with my introduction to the Kids/Family Podcast market. Drawing from my firsthand experience in self-publishing a children’s book, I began to dream up an idea combining Kids/Family podcasts, children’s literature, and sound effects. This dream gave rise to the DayDreaming Kids Podcast—our stories podcast where we narrate children’s book with immersive sound effects and professional narrators. We work with authors and publishers worldwide, showcasing their books through our podcast platform to our global audience.
Our listeners, including both children and parents, enjoy a lively and enriching online space that guarantees both entertainment and trust for their kids.
For authors and publishers in the self-publishing and independent publishing space, our unique blend of podcasting and production fosters an environment tailored for exposure. Through our podcast, their books come alive and receive unparalleled global exposure. Through our Within The Margin podcast, we offer author interviews that connect with our listeners’ parents, providing insight into the entertainers of their children. Additionally, our DayDreaming 2024 Catalog assists parents, librarians, and schools in discovering the books featured in our episodes for the benefit of the children they cater to.
I take immense pride in crafting an environment that addresses the needs of children, parents, and authors equally, aiming to propel the children’s book industry into the future. My objective was to create a nurturing space that is accessible, granting families worldwide access to high-quality audio entertainment.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Creating environments to showcase upcoming and high-quality creatives and choosing to financially supporting these environments. Rather than supporting independent artists when they are your friend, choose to partner with environments that support independent creatives regularly rather than spend money on companies who take ownership of another person’s creation. This will allow artists to remain independent while allowing them to make a living off their creativity, keeping it their own.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Making it in podcasting is completely about resilience. When you are a one-man production crew, seeing low download numbers in the beginning is incredibly discouraging. Day-after-day of low downloads. I remember when getting 25 downloads in a day was a big day. But you just keep going, keep producing. Keep practicing your craft 2+ hrs a day. After a day comprising of a complete workday, working out, raising your 3 kids, and finding time with your wife, when the lights turn out and everyone is sleeping, you crack open the computer and continue to work. Day after day for months. Never truly knowing when this doldrum will ever end.

As the days go by, more people are attracted by what you are building. You will forever be grateful to those who stood by your side in the beginning days because they believed in you when no one else did. Or they believed you were insane and they didn’t have the heart to tell you. Sharing in the belief of a better future. This encourages you to keep grinding and keep pushing even on the days you begin to doubt yourself. Continue to find new and better ways to broadcast your message. It is then you realize your daily downloads surpass your old monthly numbers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daydreamingpodcast.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daydreamingpodcast/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carroll-06352679/

Image Credits
Written permission to use Yoto image to promote our presence on their site with that imagery. All other logos and images are property of the ABW Carroll Publishing, LLC, who owns the rights to DayDreaming Kids Podcast and For Those Who Dream.