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Approach and Bio

With a background in English literature and creative writing, I honed my reporting skills through years of hands-on experience, collaborating with talented journalists. My initial foray into podcasting centered on writing for audio, but I soon learned the production side in order to create my first podcast, You At Home. While it was a valuable learning experience, it lacked key storytelling elements—particularly stakes. Since then I have been fortunate to collaborate with many talented producers and writers and have honed my voice through a variety of projects. During my work on The Opportunist, I interviewed hundreds of true crime victims and strived to craft episodes that both honored their stories and took listeners on a journey. I love the sweet spot in which storytelling and reporting intersect, ensuring that each narrative is truthful while emphasizing the thematic elements, stakes, and characters that bring a story to life. After all, a great story is only as compelling as the way it's told.

I am a podcast producer, writer and host based in Los Angeles. With nine years of experience, I’ve crafted and overseen successful podcasts across various genres, including nonfiction storytelling, true crime, scripted fiction, comedy, news, and interviews. Notably, I developed, produced and hosted The Opportunist, a true crime narrative podcast from Kast Media. I’m passionate about both the development and the ongoing production of creative, engaging, and ambitious podcasts. I find particular joy working with other creatives to bring a shared vision to life.

Press

Host Hannah Smith unfurls each story with an eye for detail, and it's the attention to these details that often causes things to fall apart for the scammer.

- Mashable

The Opportunist is a scam podcast that emulates the format of our favorite storytelling podcasts. If you tuned out for a moment, you might believe you were listening to This American Life. This is thanks to the production and scripting, as well as Hannah Smith’s
compelling narration. It’s this juxtaposition between style and content that makes The Opportunist a winner. The show tells true stories of ordinary people who do terrible things because they have the opportunity.

- Podcast Review

Extremely well-produced and executed to near perfection, Smith has mastered the art
of storytelling.

- Pod Sauce

From Listeners

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