I’m super excited to introduce you to another young creator for another interview post. If you haven’t seen my previous interview posts, be sure to check them out! Today, I am super excited to share Carmen Applegate’s email interview with you.  She is the host of her own podcast: The Girly Girl Podcast.

I reached out to her on Instagram DM asking if she’d be willing to answer some questions about being a young podcast host. She happily agreed and so here we are. 

Carmen is 17 years old. She hosts the popular podcast show called The Girly Girl Podcast. I will let her tell you more.

Tell me about yourself: Name, Age, what you do About your podcast, and how just the story of how you got to where you are today)

Hey, y’all! I’m Carmen Applegate, a 17 year old teen podcaster from Kentucky. I absolutely love reading fantasy books on my Kindle, playing with my dog Tilly, watching historical fiction series on Netflix, and hiking. I just finished my junior year of highschool and can confidently say that I’m not ready to be a senior!

 I host The Girly Girl Podcast, which is a teen advice podcast that I started in August 2020. When starting out my podcast, I knew that I wanted it to be more than a hobby, so I spent countless hours researching everything I needed to know about podcasting, social media, and more. I 100% didn’t know pretty much anything when I started, but I believe in the power of learning along the way– which is exactly what I did.  Social media– TikTok and Instagram more specifically– have given me the opportunity to grow my podcast much quicker. I believe that anyone with a small business, blog, youtube channel, etc needs to be taking advantage of social media. 

When did you start doing podcasting?

I started my podcast in August 2020! I originally had a blog, but didn’t really like it. Considering I hated writing, it wasn’t a good fit. Over the summer, I had been discovering podcasts that I became obsessed with like Call Me Candid. 

This podcast inspired me to start one as well! I thought to myself “how hard can it be” and then just started. I had no preparation before– which is honestly so funny–, but I’m here to say that you don’t need to do months of research. Just start and learn along the way! It makes the process a lot more enjoyable. In fact, over 6 months into podcasting and I still learn something new everyday. 

How did you come up with your podcast- The Girly Girl Podcast?

When starting my podcast, I knew that I wanted the name to relate to my ideal audience or at least something they could relate to. I created a document with at least 10 different names using keywords: Gen Z, advice, teens, and girls. After narrowing down my search, I finally landed on The Girly Girl Podcast. I thought it was such a cute name and was so proud of myself haha! 

What is your favorite podcast episode you have recorded?

There are definitely a few that come to mind, but I would say that my all time favorite episodes have been:

I love most of the episodes I record, but these three were the most fun for me! It’s super hard to choose.

Can you describe/outline your typical day?

I usually wake up fairly early in the morning since I am more productive. For school days, I skip breakfast and then go to school. After school, I do homework, and respond to messages. Responding to DMs, emails, and comments takes up most of my time, but I love chatting with the people who listen to my podcast! My days aren’t that interesting, which is a bit of a let down (for you and me haha), but that’s okay! 

What do you do to manage your time? Any specific programs/ apps you recommend?

I usually don’t struggle with time management, but when I do it’s because I don’t know where to start or get distracted on TikTok. To manage my time, I put my phone out of sight and write to-do lists. These methods also help me stay organized and more on task.  I personally don’t use any apps, but I have heard about apps that set timers for study time and breaks.

What motivates you?

I motivate myself. Since I’m a junior, I don’t really have anyone telling me what I should be doing or how to do it. At this point, I’m considered an adult. 

Where do you get inspiration for episodes?

I like to ask my listeners what episodes they want to see by asking them what they’ve been struggling with. My topic ideas also relate to what I’ve been going through during the week or what a friend has been going through. I also get lots of DMs with requests and try to do as many as I can! I believe that listener input is so valuable, so if someone is telling you to make a certain piece of content, do it. 

How do you define success?

For me, success is not defined on numbers but the impact your work has on people. My goal is never to reach a certain number of followers, rather it is to make an impact in someone’s life.

Would you consider yourself successful?

I wouldn’t consider myself to be “successful” exactly, but I would say that I have made an impact. It’s hard to determine your own success when you can easily compare yourself to people who are doing better or who have more followers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of how far I have come, but I wouldn’t consider myself to be a leading podcast or expert in my field. There’s always room for improvement and I’d rather be constantly improving than staying stagnant because I think I’m “successful” enough.

What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful in starting The Girly Girl Podcast?

Social media! It has allowed me to reach so many people and helped me grow a little community. It’s great!

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful podcaster (podcast host)?

To do well at podcasting you need to be disciplined enough to keep yourself on a schedule, be willing to learn along the way, and do it for the right reasons. Success in podcasting relies heavily on consistency since it allows your podcast to be a part of a listener’s routine. 

Learning along the way is a necessity because you will never know everything, but that’s the fun of it! Learn to enjoy doing your own research and spending time finding the information you need. 

Lastly, you should be doing a podcast for the right reasons. If you’re wanting to start a podcast to make money, then just stop right there. Starting for a wholesome reason is so important because it’ll help keep you going when you’re feeling burnout or losing motivation. 

What key activities would you recommend new podcast hosts to invest their time in?

New podcasters need to spend time learning about the field through YouTube and Google. I can’t recommend it enough. You shouldn’t be relying on existing podcasters to fuel your entire knowledge base; you need to go out and find it. If you’re just starting out, you should focus on consistency and how you can keep up your podcast during stressful times or when feeling burnout. I believe that consistency is key and you need it if you want to succeed. 

What struggles did you encounter in your life and how have they helped you get to where you are now?

I have been very privileged in life considering that I have not had to deal with many hardships. The biggest thing I have struggled with was mental health. During my sophomore year I felt like I was pushed out of my friend group and didn’t have a purpose in life. I began spending my days in bed, watching Netflix. It wasn’t until the spring of sophomore year– when covid hit– that I started focusing on myself. 

I started doing what I loved again and found activities to do when I was feeling down. By picking my life back up, I was able to focus my attention on new passion projects. This, in a way, led me to starting a podcast. 

Have you ever been teased or made fun of at school because of your podcast?

I have not. Most people at my school don’t know about my podcast and the ones who do don’t care. 

What inspired you to start a podcast especially at a young age?

I was inspired to start my podcast because I saw some of my favorite youtubers as well. I didn’t think it could be very hard and was honestly bored. 

What is your goal/dream/vision for your podcast?

I’m literally the worst person when it comes to setting goals. I truly have no exact goal for where I was my podcast to be. My main goal has always been to make sure that I always love what I’m doing and that what I’m doing has an impact. 

Advice for people who want to start a podcast?

If you want to start a podcast, you need to do your own research. Literally just google “how to start a podcast” and you’ll be good to go. 

Are you ever scared of putting your episodes out there?

Honestly, no. I’m pretty sure that I’ve actually never worried about this. 

How has starting The Girly Girl Podcast benefited you?

Starting a podcast has allowed me to make so many new friends. I’ve met people from all over the country with similar interests to me. I’m even a part of a book club with a bunch of other teen podcasters!

Have you learned any new skills from podcasting? If so, what are they?

Obviously, I’ve learned how to record, edit and produce episodes, but I have also learned how to grow on social media. This was one of the most fun and rewarding challenges about starting a podcast. I love creating posts and figuring out what works well. 

What are your long-term career goals?

I’m not someone who plans out their future or who has a 5-year plan. As of right now, I’m planning on majoring in business-marketing in college. I would love to have my own business, but we’ll see how that goes.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

The best decision I made was investing in myself. Once I started focusing more on my needs rather than others, I became so much more successful. It has also allowed me to learn what works best for myself and my overall health. I believe that taking care of yourself should always be your number one priority.

Someone you admire and why?

As someone interested in business, I greatly admire my aunt. She is a boss lady lawyer who owns her own firm and is famous in her field. I admire her work ethic and how strong she is. Everyday, I try to channel her in myself, and hopefully one day it’ll work. 

Where to find Carmen & Where to listen to The Girly Girl Podcast

• Instagram

• Tiktok
• Pinterest @thegirlygirlpodcast.
• If you are interested in listening to The Girly Girl Podcast or Youtube.
• The podcast is available on any podcast streaming platform, so just search for it! You can also send me emails at thegirlygirlpodcast@gmail.com. 

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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Thank you so much to Carmen for being so incredibly nice when I reached out to her on Instagram! She put so much thought into her answers and I really appreciate it! If you haven’t checked out The Girly Girl Podcast then I think you know what you should do now! Oh and be sure to follow Carmen on her journey on the socials she mentioned above!

If you haven’t read last weeks post, please go check it out! It is all about my podcast! Until next week!