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LLSC — The Blood Cancer Experience
The engagement: Full-service bilingual (EN/FR) podcast production for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.
The challenge
A nonprofit serving cancer survivors and their families needed a podcast that could handle deeply sensitive subject matter with real care — and do it on a nonprofit budget, in both English and French. Their previous podcast producers hadn't delivered on any of those fronts.
What I did
Structured a flexible engagement model around LLSC's funding reality. Sourced and directed a professional bilingual interviewer with the empathy required for the subject matter. Ran full production in both languages and built the show as a sponsor-ready property from day one.
The results
Attracted sponsors — podcast became a funding source, not just a cost centre
Guests began sharing episodes with their own families and networks (something that didn't happen with previous producers)
True bilingual production recognized as a rare differentiator in the Canadian market
Client quote
"You solved all the pain points for podcasts — absolutely everything… I can't stress enough how important the relationship skills. Our people get back to us and say, 'Wow, she made it so easy. She made me so comfortable.' Nobody used to share their interviews before with our other podcast producers."
— Heather Angus-Lee, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada
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UHN — Your Complex Brain
The engagement: Concept development and creative direction for a branded podcast from North America's largest brain research centre.
The challenge
University Health Network needed a podcast that could speak to two audiences at once: patients and caregivers looking for hope and clarity, and researchers and clinicians looking for credibility. Most science podcasts pick a lane. UHN needed both lanes to work.
What I did
Developed the show concept and creative direction around a "science mixed with heart" storytelling formula — an editorial approach that let real patient stories anchor rigorous research content. Built the format, voice guidelines, and episode architecture that the production team now executes against.
The results
#1 Science Podcast in Canada on Apple Podcasts
Won People's Choice — Best Science Podcast 2024
Became UHN's flagship audience-facing content property
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SHI International — Innovation Heroes
The engagement: Full-service B2B podcast production and paid promotion. 70+ episodes. 7 seasons. #1 on Apple Tech Chart USA (Nov. 2025)
The challenge
SHI has access to world-class technology leaders — the kind of guests most B2B podcasts would kill to book. But the internal team didn't have the bandwidth to turn that access into a great show. They needed a production partner who could handle everything except the interview itself, and a promotion strategy that matched the quality of the guest list.
What I did
Took over full production — strategy, booking, recording coordination, editing, social assets, and distribution. Built a promotion engine around the show, including a paid campaign through MowPod and a repurposing system that turns each episode into multiple social video assets for LinkedIn.
The results
#1 on Apple's USA Technology Chart
1,000% listener increase from the MowPod promotion campaign
20,000 downloads in two days during that push
Podcast-derived social videos get 3–4x more engagement on LinkedIn than SHI's static content
50–60 hours saved per season for the host
Client quote
"Pilgrim does the heavy lifting… so I can focus on interviewing our guests. The team saves me 50–60 hours a season."
— Ed McNamara, Director of Communications & Marketing, SHI International
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The Catalyst by Softchoice - A narrative podcast experiment for B2B audio
The engagement: Full-service B2B podcast production. Seven seasons. 101 episodes. Ongoing.
The challenge
Softchoice had a long-running podcast with solid numbers, but the format was showing its age. Traditional Q&A episodes were starting to blur together — both for listeners and for the executive team who had to keep championing the show internally. The question wasn't "should we keep going?" It was "how do we make this worth doing again?"
What I did
Ran a PACT strategy workshop to redefine the show's purpose and audience from scratch, then led a format overhaul from standard interview to documentary-style narrative production. This meant rebuilding the editorial process end-to-end — story selection, guest prep, scripting, sound design, and the promotion engine around it.
The results
+200K all-time downloads across 101 episodes
73.7% average completion rate in Season 7 — up from 63.1% historical average (a 17% lift after the format shift)
Best single-episode completion: 79.2% ("The School's Broken Episode")
Podcast became Softchoice's most engaging social content channel
Now functions as a top ABM sales asset, not just a brand-marketing piece
Client quote
"Working with Pilgrim has been a game-changer. Their full-service support and strategic insight have not only enhanced our content quality but also our brand's reach and impact."
— Angela Cope, Director of Demand Generation, Softchoice
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