Hello Stranger

“Hello Stranger,” is a passion project from a small group of creatives at Airbnb who noticed a lack of authentic storytelling in travel podcasts. We envisioned a different kind of show that could transport listeners to a place through its people and the relationships that have developed there. For this pilot project, we experimented with immersive audio, narration styles, and the types of stories we documented. 

I worked with a creative director and producer to craft the concept, secure funding for the project, onboard production partners, and create three pilot episodes we recorded in Japan, Italy, and Northern California.

Episode 1: The ninja mansion experiment

When Michiko’s husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she found comfort by opening up her family’s “Ninja Mansion” to the world. I traveled with our partner to the tiny hamlet of Shimosagiri to document the story.

Episode 2: Paradise Lost

This is the story of a lifelong friendship formed in the aftermath of the devastating 2018 Paradise Fire. Melissa and Cinde met through Airbnb’s Open Homes program, which connects people fleeing disasters and conflict with free places to stay.

Episode 3: In search of her cookbook

Our feature episode follows the journey of a woman searching for her mother’s long-lost cookbook. Seeking recipes, she finds family. (Unable to share audio under rights agreement.)

Team: Michael Smith, Yara Khakbaz, Harrison Watkins, Aaron Davidoff, Dillon Petrillo, Brendan Francis Newnam (partner), SoundMadePublic (partner)