Reposted from Facebook: @geeknews Goodbye, old friend. On Monday, I lost a dear friend, mentor, and boss — Todd Cochrane. His passing was sudden and unexpected. Just a couple of weeks ago, we were in Dallas, eating barbecue, hunting bourbon, and working the Blubrry booth at Podcast Movement. I always looked forward to those trips with Todd — my chance to get some one-on-one time. We’d “hold court” at the hotel bar, swapping stories and opinions (Todd always had both) with podcasting friends and industry insiders. It felt more like a family reunion than work. The news hit me hard. First came the shock, then the calls — reaching out to friends and colleagues before they heard it through social media. I first met Todd back in the early days of podcasting at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo. There I was with Father Roderick and Trucker Tom (sounds like the start of a joke: a priest, a trucker, and me walk into a party…), when this clean-cut Navy guy handed me a beer and said, “Welcome to the Blubrry party.” That guy was Todd. Not long after, in 2009, Blubrry needed tech support help. I applied, got the gig, and worked tickets at night while still working at a printing plant. Eventually, I became the lead support guy, then more, and here I am today — all thanks to that Navy guy at a party in California. I’ve lost a friend most of all, and a boss (though he hated when I called him that. I did it anyway). The podcasting world has lost a pioneer and tireless advocate for indie podcasters. I’ll miss the backchannel comments in Zoom meetings (usually with some colorful “sailor talk”), and I’ll miss the adventures we shared in Vegas, LA, New York, and wherever else we were "working". Rest easy, Todd. You’ll be deeply missed. 📷