Beep: the Foley library is ready!
Last MaxFunDrive, we promised our community that if we hit our goals, we’d create a Foley library for everyone to use. And we did! We’ve got a variety of sounds in there—from Janet Varney falling down a well to Manolo Moreno saying ‘no’ to Justin McElroy’s Haunted Doll Watch intro. Oh, and John Hodgman’s Chewbacca, of course. If you use the library for any of your projects, share them with us so we can enjoy the cool stuff you made!
This is one of the great things about being worker-owned: we’re free to keep doing goofy stuff that we think people will love. We aren’t beholden to investors who’d demand that we monetize the sound of a “bong rip, huge.” There’s just us—a bunch of enthusiastic weirdos whose job is to make the world a little more inclusive, kind, and fun. We’re so grateful to members who allow us to do that. And we’re so, so grateful our hosts are always game for it!
Hosts and audience members on why the co-op matters
MaxFun becoming a co-op obviously matters a lot to the folks who work here. But we thought that the fact that we will remain independent, values-driven, and focused on inclusion and equity would also matter to our partner shows and audience. We’re so happy to know that it does!
Eight of the hosts on our network were kind enough to share their thoughts about MaxFun becoming a worker-owned co-op. You can read the full post here, but here are a few highlights.
Andrew Reich
Dead Pilots Society
“I just spent 148 days striking and picketing big greedy corporations who employ me in my main job as a television writer. That makes me especially happy to be a part of Maximum Fun, making a show as part of a worker-owned co-operative. It just feels good!”
Tom Lum
Let’s Learn Everything!
“It’s just so, so nice to know that when we pour our heart into our creative work, it isn’t going into an algorithmic machine owned by a fickle CEO who can decide one day they want to “pivot to AI”. It’s going to a team of people who listen to the shows, care about the creators, and do amazing work, and who own the network themselves.”
Dan McCoy
The Flop House
“It feels good to know that everyone in the company benefits from the company’s success, and that the workers have an active, positive reason to be personally engaged in the work they do.”
We also think that this is a big deal for our audience, and we’re grateful to hear from folks who agree:
“I was so over the moon excited when I learned MaxFun was going co-op. I’ve been a listener for over 10 years, and it’s hard to express so much MaxFun has meant to me. I’m so proud of the worker-owners and excited for the future.” – Alexandra B.
“It means when I support my favorite shows I’m not just supporting a few people. Instead I can feel good knowing I’m supporting everyone involved in the process.” – Eric W.
“I feel like my membership supports the people over profit. It’s awesome.” – Joe J.
“I love the way you’ve communicated your transition to worker-ownership. I help run a small, community-owned tool library in Baltimore, Maryland and we’re exploring a similar model. Wishing you all the joy and liberation that comes from collectivizing!” – Leanna F.
Meetup Day is Thursday!
Our shows and network draw in a certain kind of person (read: cool and kind). Preserving our values is a major reason we became a co-op, and gathering as a community of people who share those values is one of the most rewarding things we do.
So, you want to meet some of these cool and kind people?
Well, Meetup Day is Thursday! If you want to go to a meetup but there isn’t one in your city, arranging one is super simple: just pick a venue that can accommodate a small group of people—a restaurant, coffee shop, park, library, anywhere—and email C.N. at cn@maximumfun.org so we can get it on the website. For the current list of meetups (or for more info on how to host one), head over to our meetups page.
ICYMI
Last week, some worker-owners did an AMA over on Reddit and a livestream Q&A on YouTube (in which you can meet several dogs)! If you missed those, you can still check them out!
We’ve got lots of great limited-time member-exclusive merch for sale! If you wanna support the co-op (and look good doing it), this is a great way to do so. Once Co-Optober is over, the merch will be gone for good, so grab it while you can!
MaxFun monthly members can get to the store through their membership dashboard:
Get a Magic Link to your dashboard
Not a member yet? Join here!
Thanks for reading! Next week, we’ll be highlighting other creative co-ops and learning about their experiences. Hope to see some of you at Meetup Day!
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