Company Timeline

• 1985: At age 22, Tami Simon started Sounds True with a dream, a tape recorder, and a $50,000 inheritance she received upon the death of her father. Though she had no business experience and only a vague idea of what she wanted the company to be, Tami had her guiding principle strongly in place: to “disseminate spiritual wisdom.”
              In the early days, Tami began by recording conferences and interviews with teachers like Ram Dass and Stephen Levine. She broadcasted portions of these recordings on a radio show that she hosted on Boulder County Public Radio, and then made the cassettes of the entire recordings available for purchase. She also began to connect with the Boulder music scene by offering cassette duplication service to local artists.

• 1988: Tami Simon joined forces with direct marketing catalog expert Devon Christensen. Over the next years, they developed the Sounds True catalog—which would become the primary engine for connecting the company directly to customers in the decade to come. Tami concentrated on editing the conference recordings for better quality, while Devon, who became a 20% owner through sweat equity, solidified the identity of the packaging and direct mail catalog. One of Devon’s most important contributions was the introduction of Sounds True’s 100% Lifetime Guarantee, which is still in place today—and states that any Sounds True product may be returned at any time for a full refund or exchange, no questions asked.

• 1990: Sounds True published its first breakout audio title: Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. This program was unusual in that it began as an original audio program, and later became a best-selling book. This was the first program that put Sounds True “on the map” for a larger audience.
              This title also marked a shift away from conference recordings to audio programs recorded in a studio setting. Tami realized that in the studio, an author could speak directly with the listener, creating a more intimate experience than recording a lecture given to a large audience. This approach also allowed Sounds True to design and craft the audio learning experience with the listener in mind. This led to the evolution of Sound True’s signature style—unscripted recordings that capture the charisma, energetic transmission and “living wisdom” of the teacher.
              Also this year, Tami brings the first dog to the Sounds True offices. This set a precedent that would be cherished by dog-owning employees and their four-legged companions for years to come.

• 1991: Sounds True developed its first bookstore-friendly packaging for audio programs and expanded into bookstores, marking the company’s first foray from catalog-only sales into retail distribution.

• 1993: Sounds True created its first Audio Learning Courses—Soul Life with Thomas Moore and The Present Moment with Thich Naht Hahn. This new format, featuring longer audio teaching sessions for more in-depth learning, was meant to provide the equivalent teaching of a college course or a continuing education class.
  
  
• 1995: Tami moved her home from one Boulder apartment to another, and in the process of the move, she threw two boxes of old cassette teaching programs into the dumpster.  At this moment, she became convinced that someone else could have benefited from these cassettes and that Sounds True needed to find a way to make recycling of old audio programs easy for its customers.
              From this inspiration arose Sounds True’s prison library project, which has become one of the company’s most unusual and successful donation programs. Since then, Sounds True has received countless letters from prisoners who have been exposed to authentic spiritual teachings for the first time through this program and are moved to make positive changes in their lives. Today, Sounds True’s donation project also includes libraries, low-income hospices, and more.
              In 1995, Sounds True also appeared on Inc. magazine’s list of the nation’s 500 fastest-growing privately-held companies. The company is selected for this list again in 1996.

• 1996: Sounds True released Energy Anatomy with Caroline Myss. This was the first Audio Learning Course to sell over 100,000 copies, and has become one of the best selling titles in Sounds True’s history.
              In this year, Sounds True also makes its first venture into publishing music with traditional Celtic songs from Nóirín Ní Riain and the Tibetan flute music of Nawang Khechog.
              At this point in the company’s history, Sounds True became strongly focused on the importance of spiritual practice, and getting people to actually engage in regular spiritual practice in whatever way possible. In the service of this idea, Sounds True releases its first video, Meditation for Beginners with Jack Kornfield, and its first correspondence course, Insight Meditation with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein.

• 1997: Sounds True had outgrown its offices, and decided to design and construct its first new building in the Colorado Tech Center in Louisville. This office is 13,100 square feet and features its own digital recording studio.

• 1999: Sounds True introduced an ESOP plan—a program that gives ownership to long-term employees of the company.
              Also this year, Sounds True embarked upon a partnership with the Andrew Weil Newsletter, and publishes Breathing with Dr. Andrew Weil. This program remains Sounds True’s all-time best-seller. 

• 2002: After 14 years, Devon Christensen left the company, selling his 20% ownership share to be redistributed in the company’s ESOP plan.

• 2003: The first Sounds True listening stations arrived in retail stores, including booksellers, spas, and gift shops. This project began with 50 listening stations—by 2006, there were over 700 in stores like Wild Oats, Whole Foods, and independent bookstores.

• 2004: Sounds True launched its book division with a line of Integrated book/CDs. These titles combine the written word and audio instruction on CD for an enhanced learning experience. The flagship authors for this project were Stephen LaBerge with Lucid Dreaming, Sandra Ingermann with Shamanic Journeying, and Jack Kornfied with Meditation for Beginners.

• 2005: Sounds True entered the world of conventional book publishing with the release of David Deida’s Way of the Superior Man and the publication of the company’s first original hardcover books, Gangaji’s The Diamond In Your Pocket and Angeles Arrien’s The Second Half of Life.
              Also, Sounds True launched The Open Door. This project provides radio stations with “wisdom clips for the inner life”—short audio segments from leading teachers offered free to broadcasters, to be played whenever they like without cost. The goal of The Open Door is to give listeners a chance to “turn their minds” with sudden, distilled moments of spiritual wisdom.
              In July of 2005, Sounds True completes construction of its new 15,000 square foot warehouse building, adjacent to its corporate offices.