It’s been almost 25 years since Justin Timberlake and NSYNC thrilled a sold out Pepsi Center in Albany, New York, belting out hits like “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “It’s Gonna Be Me” to the delight of thousands of screaming fans.
Elizabeth Paige Fierman was one of those fans.
It was the summer between seventh and eighth grade, and Elizabeth was there with her best friend and their moms.
“We coordinated outfits, jewelry, makeup and screamed our hearts out, singing at the top of our lungs from the very last row in the arena,” Elizabeth said. “Knowing every word and singing it along with people who obviously had a similar connection to the music — or, let’s be honest, JC Chasez — was really comforting.”
Today, Elizabeth is the live events lead for The Ringer, a sports and pop culture podcast network founded by Bill Simmons and acquired by Spotify. Her focus is on translating the platform’s diverse content portfolio into the live space to engage with avid fans and listeners. She manages everything from calendar development and venue selection to event promotion and content brainstorms.
No two events are the same, but there are two constants. The first is trying to emulate what she felt that night with NSYNC.
“That type of environment where people come together to bond over a joyful shared experience and common interest is what I try to create with podcast events in my current role,” she said.
The second constant is a reliance on storytelling to help create memories for attendees.
“You’re creating an experience — one with a beginning, a middle and an end — where you take attendees on a journey,” she said. “From the time I script a ticketing announcement to the time people leave the venue and listen to the podcast days later, recounting memories they’ve made, it’s all part of the event experience.”
Making events look easy
Elizabeth began producing podcast live events in 2016 while working at ESPN. While at the Worldwide Leader in Sports, she led the network’s audio event strategy and production across the portfolio of podcast, radio, and simulcast properties. She also oversaw event sponsorship integration and led ESPN Audio’s social strategy.
In 2022 she shifted to The Ringer, where she launched the company’s live event business to showcase its collection of sports and pop culture podcasts like The Rewatchables and The Ryen Russillo Podcast.
Producing large-scale and small-scale live shows is a complex process that requires lots of moving parts behind the scenes.
“I always say that if I’m doing my job well, I look like a duck — calm on the surface but paddling like hell underneath,” Elizabeth said. “When things look easy and effortless, it’s because a lot of work went into making them look that way.”
Building compelling experiences
The key to making those things look easy is the same thing that makes for effective storytelling: effective communication.
Elizabeth likes to think of herself as the hub of a wheel, and all of the stakeholders she works with are individual spokes.
“I might not know how to record on a camera or edit a podcast, but I know enough about how to connect each of them with the right contacts or give them the appropriate context to enable them to do their jobs well,” she said. “Between venues, vendors, hosts, producers, staff and crew, I spend the majority of my days communicating — and over communicating — every detail.”
Elizabeth prides herself on anticipating questions or challenges and then tackling them before they arise.
It’s what makes her a compelling storyteller, and what makes her events memorable for all involved.
“In creating an experience for others, I try to go through so many scenarios and how they’d play out to ensure I’m prepared for any one of them,” she said. “Much like writing a story, in this case, I’m mapping out the skeleton of a choose-your-own adventure and making sure every possible path is interesting and enjoyable.”
3 storytelling lessons for you
1) Preparation is key
Elizabeth tries to anticipate questions or challenges so she can resolve them before they become an issue. Before you can create or share a story, you need to know where it’s going, what you want it to include, who it’s being delivered to, and what reaction you want from your audience.
2) Try to be a duck
Elizabeth displays a sense of calm, even when there is chaos going on behind the scenes. To be an effective storyteller, you can’t let information you know that the audience doesn’t get in the way of your story. Focus on conveying what matters most to your audience.
3) Be memorable
With every event Elizabeth creates, her goal is to create experiences that become lasting memories for participants. As a storyteller, you want people to remember your story. You want them to remember your delivery and how they felt. Put simply, you want them to remember you.