Blake Cadwell is the founder and CEO of Soundly, an online marketplace that streamlines the process of searching for and comparing hearing products by offering “clear and simple pricing and access to the most robust, consumer-friendly network of licensed audiologists.” As a teen, Blake began to experience hearing loss, a hereditary trait that he’d already witnessed in his mother and brother. In his twenties, while living in New York and working for a creative agency, Blake carried on without the assistance of hearing aids, relying on reading lips and context to understand conversation. When the pandemic began, and with it the use of masks and Zoom, Blake was unable to rely on reading lips alone to communicate. Prompted to search for hearing aids, Blake quickly realized, like most aspects of US healthcare, even finding reliable, easy-to-understand information was a hurdle.

This led to him starting a blog, Soundly, to both review the products he was finding and destigmatize the experience of hearing loss through writing. Then, using his prior agency and PR background, Blake created the Soundly marketplace and brand in an effort to make buying hearing products more accessible and to shift our cultural perspective around hearing impairment and products — a type of assisted technology that Blake says should be compared to eyeglasses, smartwatches, Siri and other devices that we live with day to day.

Now, the Soundly site offers an online hearing test, as an educational tool, to help people easily measure their hearing at home.

Here’s Blake in his own words:

"I’m a dad, long distance runner and business nerd. I spent the first 10 years of my career making ads and campaigns for brands like Disney, Sonos, Gatorade and Southwest Airlines. Now I’m building a hearing health marketplace at soundly.com."

Describe your ideal listening environment.

The Majestic is a basement jazz bar in Kansas City. For me, everything else tries to live up to the Majestic on a cold night.

What are your favorite sounds?

The sound a really heavy stone makes when you throw it in a lake?

Which sound do you most like making?

Humming for my daughter while she goes to sleep is soothing for both of us. Humming is very underappreciated.

Who do you like to talk to most?

My wife. I learn things from her every day and talking to her makes me feel less stressed.

What does it sound like in your head?

It’s very active there. I recite a lot of things in my head. Conversations, emails, essays I want to write, made up speeches.

What was the first thing you heard today?

The vibration of my alarm watch.

What sounds do you hear right now?

It’s quiet in my office, so I’m mostly hearing the air conditioning.

On what occasion do you become loud?

I say something loud at the start of a work meeting so that people around me will raise their volume. It’s a trick I learned years ago to manage my hearing loss. 

On what occasion did you most recently whisper?

Last night while my daughter was asleep.

Are you a good listener?

Yes.

What podcast do you listen to the most?

I listen to almost every episode of How I Built This.

Describe your ideal soundscape?

I love the sound of the ocean, seagulls, voices of people I love. Throw some faint jazz sounds in the mix (maybe a party happening a quarter mile down the beach).

What do you consider to be the most frightening sound?

Screams I guess??

What do you consider the most overrated sound?

Big bass sounds. I’ve heard that people like the way they physically feel when the bass notes shake them internally. Not sure if this is true but I don’t share the sentiment.

Whose speaking or singing voice do you most admire?

Ram Dass has a very soothing speaking voice.

Who is your hero of music or audio?

Let’s go with Sam Levine. I had a CD from him as a kid and I still enjoy his work today.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you possess?

I’m an above average whistler.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you secretly possess?

I can change the volume of my surroundings (see answer #20)

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you most desire?

I’d love to be really good at guitar.

What is the most extravagant / furthest length you have gone for sound?

I wear hearing aids that cost $7,000.

What is your most vivid sound memory?

Talking to my grandfather on the phone as he recovered from a stroke. My siblings and I talked to him for two hours every day so that he could re-learn how to speak.

Which of your possessions do you most associate with a sound?

I got a djembe when I was 11.

Which extinct sound do you most wish you could hear?

My knowledge of extinct animals is coming up short here but have you seen The Museum of Endangered Sounds?

What advice did you regret not listening to?

My mom once told me not to start drinking coffee and now I can’t stop drinking it.

Describe silence in ten words.

1. Morning.

1. Running.

1. Open.

1. Start.

1. Knowing.

1. Truth.

1. Breath.

1. Foam.

1. Look.

1. Feel.

When did you feel unheard?

I most often feel unheard when I fail to actually communicate. Let things stay in my head.

Describe a sound that troubles you.

Mechanical car sounds.

What will it sound like on the “other side”?

The ocean, I hope!

When and where were you happiest, and what did it sound like?

Big Sur is my favorite place in the world. Lot’s of birds, wind, waves.

What was the best thing you heard this week?

I like to draft stressful emails in JazzKeys. Not sure that’s the “best” sound but it’s nice.