12/19/2025
Today, we celebrate the retirement of someone who has meant a great deal to this company and to every person who’s ever sat behind a microphone at Speakeasy.
Johnnie Schmidt was already retired when Rob gave him a call. The original plan was simple: come help us for a year while we got our podcast operations off the ground. That one year turned into nearly five.
What we got wasn’t just an engineer. We got a mentor. A comedian. And someone who brought laughter to every single recording. Johnnie showed up early, stayed late, and treated every client with the same respect and care. Whether it was someone’s first time behind the mic or their hundredth, they left feeling better because Johnnie was in the room.
He didn’t just run equipment. He created space. He helped people feel comfortable being themselves, and in doing that, made every episode better.
Before he joined us, Johnnie was Rob’s boss. And around here, he’s been a quiet leader from day one. The kind of teammate who makes your whole organization better.
Everyone who knows Johnnie loves him. That’s not something we’re saying to be polite. It’s just true.
Johnnie, thank you for the years you gave us. Thank you for setting the tone, for building something lasting, and for making this place better.
Enjoy retirement. You’ve earned it all over again. From all of us at Wayne Media, thank you, Johnnie, for the impact you have had on all of us. Speakeasy will not be the same without you.
