Jordan Geary: Lessons from Sesame Workshop and an Emmy-Award Winning Producer

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Sep 26, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Emmy Award-winning producer Jordan Geary shares insights from his work at Sesame Workshop. He reveals how vulnerable moments captivate young audiences and the power of real-life embarrassments in character development. Jordan discusses the importance of perseverance after setbacks and urges creatives to embrace honesty in storytelling. He also emphasizes treating kids like grown-ups to create smarter content and simplifies pitching strategies that resonate deeply with listeners. Tune in for invaluable storytelling wisdom!

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INSIGHT

Vulnerability Is The Secret Sauce

Human, vulnerable moments are the core glue that makes stories connect with audiences.
Jordan Geary says showing sloppy, imperfect characters hooks viewers more than preaching lessons.

ADVICE

Mine Real Embarrassing Moments

Do collect writers' real embarrassing moments and failures to inform character traits.
Jordan uses those answers to ensure characters feel like people you know.

ANECDOTE

From Music To Emmy By Saying 'Screw It'

Jordan recounts how a college lecture shattered his plan to work in music and forced him to pivot toward kids TV.
He leveraged his music skills into niche TV jobs until he reached Sesame Workshop and won an Emmy.

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It's one thing for a solopreneur with a microphone to tell you to trust your own lived experiences to differentiate, resonate, and tell stronger stories. But what happens when there are millions of dollars at stake and millions of viewers consuming your work?

Meet Jordan Geary, an Emmy Award-winning producer and storytelling expert. As the Senior Creative Producer of Current Series at Sesame Workshop, he helped shape iconic live-action and animated shows, including Ghostwriter and Helpsters for Apple TV+, Sesame Street Mecha Builders and Bea’s Block for HBO Max, and over 300 Sesame Studios shorts for YouTube.

In this episode, we hear and discuss a personal story of his, and you'll also hear:

How Sesame Workshop ensures their stories connect (it actually involves ONE specific kind of moment they intentionally include each time)
The questions you can ask yourself to resonate more consistently
The 1 thing Jordan previously believed about storytelling which his career experiences have forced him to rethink

Learn more about Jordan's work at jordangeary.com or follow him on Instagram.

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ABOUT ME

Hello! I'm Jay Acunzo. I help experts and service providers clarify their ideas and create sustainable momentum. Together, we turn your expertise into a distinct premise, clear message, owned IP, and signature speeches. Stop chasing attention. Become the one others seek.

You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. It's time to stop chasing attention and become the one others seek.

Work with me 1:1, book me to speak, or explore free resources at jayacunzo.com

Now here's a technique called "laddering down your message" which I use with clients and my own message to the world. You can understand me in three simple phrases, in order. Try crafting your own!

Don't market more. Matter more. (<-- what we want; a moment to align with you)
Think resonance over reach. (<-- what we need, i.e. the premise I'm asserting)
Don't be the best. Be their favorite. (<-- what we hope, aka our aspirational outcome)

That's called "laddering your message," and it's something I help clients do as part of my 1:1 advisory process.

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