Snoqualmie Joe

A dear friend of mine hosts the Snoqualmie Joe Podcast in the village of Snoqualmie, about thirty miles east of Seattle. Snoqualmie Joe drives a bus for a living. Five nights a week, he provides a valuable service to the residents of King County. During his spare time, he produces thirty podcasts a year. His topics range from griping about dog poo to caring for the safety of children riding scooters to politics to the development of a casino.

Last fall, during the November elections, Snoqualmie Joe hosted shows with most of the candidates running for offices in Snoqualmie. In the week prior to the election, three hundred people downloaded his shows. On election day, nine hundred people voted. It is entirely possible that Snoqualmie Joe influenced the decisions of up to a third of all active voters in Snoqualmie.

Recently, Snoqualmie Joe talked about a controversial road development linking new and established neighborhoods, and the public's negative reaction to comments made by the Mayor. Two weeks later, the Mayor called Snoqualmie Joe, asking for an opportunity to communicate with the residents of Snoqualmie via Snoqualmie Joe's podcast.

Snoqualmie Joe will probably never become famous, or earn millions of dollars, or even make a living doing his hobby. Snoqualmie Joe will educate the public. He will provide an invaluable public service. He will directly influence this November's the elections, on a local level.

Every one of us has the ability to achieve our potential, using the tools God gave us. Snoqualmie Joe translated his authentic, genuine, real, hilarious, honest, and unique personality into the relatively new field of podcasting, and in the process, became an invaluable part of the fabric of Snoqualmie.