It started almost like any other podcast starts. Two friends sitting around, talking about life, when they joke about starting a podcast.
For Camille Stewart and Gabriella Ziccarelli, two friends who met through their legal work representing tech firms, that half-joking conversation is just a part of the story behind launching their new podcast, "Hustle Over Entitlement."
"She and I are both kids of immigrants, and so, for us, we didn't have an example to look to of how to break into the legal world or how to break into any of these industries because our families own their own businesses and they're working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet," Ziccarelli said in an interview.
"We realized that, just like we benefited from each other, there might be folks, whether they be high school students or people who are 10 years into their career, who need a dose of inspiration and want to hear a story of someone who is brave."
Launching in early October, Stewart and Ziccarelli interview guests each week who have switched careers or who have taken risks to find a career that works for them. The first season was recorded over several weekends, and Ziccarelli says they have enough content to follow season one through to at least early January. Each episode of "Hustle Over Entitlement" is about 30 minutes long.
Each episode aims to dig further into someone's story. It won't just be a straightforward chat about the guest's resume and professional qualifications. Instead, the interviews dig past what's found on someone's LinkedIn. Ziccarelli said they start with a few primer questions before the interview even starts so the two hosts can get a sense of what inspires their guest. Each episode is also storyboarded before the episode even happens: They know what questions they want to hit and where to take the interview so they are hearing about someone's passions and struggles.
"Sometimes you have to go beyond what most of the other podcasts or sites do, in terms of interviewing, and get to know the person," Ziccarelli said. "We get into some really fun topics that way."
Season 1 is a wrap! We can’t wait to roll these episodes out to you this fall! pic.twitter.com/HJ7kzJIlSf
— HustleOvrEntitlement (@iHustleForIt) October 16, 2017
Of course, as two tech attorneys, starting a podcast came with a few learning curves. Stewart is a cyber, technology and intellectual property attorney who founded legal consultancy and startup incubator MarqueLaw. Ziccarelli is also a board member at SEED SPOT. The two don't have professional audio experience; if anything, Ziccarelli has been interviewed on a few radio shows and podcasts, but that's it.
So, they had to teach themselves the audio ropes as they went, which comes with its fair share of obstacles.
"People got really excited and they were like 'I'm on a podcast, let me go get a really cool mic,' but we didn't tell them to make sure that your volume isn't too loud," Ziccarelli said. "That was a real joy opening up a really good interview and realizing that we sounded like we were in a cave. That was just one [interview], thank goodness. We learned that quickly."
The duo drew inspiration from some of their favorite hip-hop artists for the marketing and branding of the show. They're using dark colors with a bright "splash," as Ziccarelli puts it. "It mimics the theme of the podcast — taking that a really sharp pivot from what you're doing now," she said.
For now, the bulk of their season one interviews are complete; however, Stewart and Ziccarelli are always on the lookout for new guests to feature. Maybe one day they'll host a live show or sell merchandise. But first, they're focusing on the day-to-day of the show, finding new guests and the impact they have on their audience.
"The hope is that everyone who listens to this podcast will walk away and say 'OK, these are the qualities I need to work on or the abilities I need to have within myself to be able to work on that pivot or be brave," Ziccarelli said.
