EP7: The Rebrand - The Authentic Society

Episode Summary: EP7 – "The Rebrand"

Release Date: January 13, 2025

Podcast: The Authentic Society
Host: Jamie

1. Introduction: Embracing Authenticity

In the seventh episode of The Authentic Society, host Jamie takes a heartfelt approach to discuss the significant changes and rebranding of her podcast. Opening with a candid admission of her nervousness and desire to maintain authenticity, Jamie sets the tone for an episode centered around honesty and genuine self-expression.

“I am going to try to be as organic, genuine, real, and as authentic as I can be for this episode.”
— Jamie [00:02]

2. From Teaching to Podcasting: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Jamie shares her transition from a three-year teaching career—marked by unhappiness and uncertainty—into the world of podcasting and marketing. This shift was driven by her need to reclaim her creative side, which she felt had been stifled during her time in education.

“I was completely miserable, and I didn't really know the direction I wanted my life to go.”
— Jamie [00:02]

3. The Birth of “Somewhat Basic”: Initial Ventures

Launching her first podcast, Somewhat Basic, with friend Kylie, Jamie found joy in discussing topics like fashion, pop culture, and reality TV. This collaborative effort served as a creative outlet and a learning platform, allowing Jamie to explore her passion for podcasting.

“We both like to talk about fashion and pop culture and reality tv. So we were like, let's start a podcast. And that was what we did.”
— Jamie [00:02]

4. Meeting Madison: Building Friendships Through Podcasting

Through Somewhat Basic, Jamie interviewed various guests, including personalities from Tiger King and TikTok stars. One notable interview was with Madison, which blossomed into a meaningful friendship. Their shared interests in marketing and podcasting laid the foundation for future collaborations.

“And I interviewed Madison, and that's how I got to know her. We lived in the same area, and I was the first podcast she ever came on, which was huge.”
— Jamie [00:02]

5. The Decision to Rebrand: Seeking Deeper Connection

By July 2024, Jamie felt that Somewhat Basic no longer aligned with her aspirations. She envisioned a podcast that delved deeper into authentic conversations, moving away from superficial topics to address real-life challenges and experiences.

“When it came to podcasting, I wanted to do something more real and had more depth.”
— Jamie [10:45]

6. Introducing "The Authentic Society": A Vision for Genuine Community

The Authentic Society was born out of Jamie’s desire to create a platform where authenticity prevails, even if it makes people uncomfortable. She recognized the pervasive superficiality of social media and aimed to foster a community where women could share their stories without judgment.

“The vision was to be so authentic, it makes people uncomfortable because I think our world with social media is so saturated and so fake.”
— Jamie [10:50]

7. Navigating the Departure of Madison: Upholding Integrity

A pivotal moment in the episode is Jamie’s discussion about Madison’s departure from the podcast. Contrary to fan speculation, Jamie emphasizes that the split was amicable, rooted in differing visions rather than drama or conflict. She underscores her commitment to not undermine other women for personal gain.

“I do not want my success to be based off putting another woman down. If that's how I have to get success, then I don't want it.”
— Jamie [15:20]

8. Building a Supportive Community: Emphasizing Positivity and Honesty

Jamie envisions The Authentic Society as a sanctuary for honest, judgment-free women. She aims to share her own experiences, including family trauma and personal growth, while inviting listeners to contribute their stories, thereby creating a collaborative and supportive environment.

“I want to create a community based off women that want to be here and enjoy listening to me.”
— Jamie [18:30]

9. Future Plans: Expanding Content and Engaging with Listeners

Looking ahead, Jamie outlines her plans to incorporate vlogs, share personal anecdotes, and feature guest interviews. She expresses enthusiasm for connecting with listeners on a deeper level and acknowledges the challenges of being a solo host while maintaining her authentic voice.

“I want to start having guests... I want to start really basing a lot of my guests on womanhood that can share their perspectives and be authentic and be vulnerable.”
— Jamie [22:15]

10. Embracing Vulnerability and Personal Growth

A significant theme of the episode is Jamie’s journey toward embracing vulnerability. She reflects on her past misconceptions about vulnerability as weakness and shares her ongoing efforts to present her true self, flaws and all, to foster genuine connections with her audience.

“Having to rewire my brain that being vulnerable and showing how you feel is not a weakness.”
— Jamie [27:45]

11. Handling Criticism and Focusing on Genuine Support

Jamie candidly addresses the backlash and hate comments she has received following the rebrand and Madison’s departure. She emphasizes that her self-worth is defined by those who genuinely support her, rather than by anonymous critics.

“I put my value into people who do know me and love me and how I love myself.”
— Jamie [25:50]

12. Conclusion: Commitment to Authenticity and Community Building

In closing, Jamie reaffirms her dedication to keeping the podcast real and building a meaningful community. She invites listeners to engage with her by sharing their thoughts and assures them that The Authentic Society will remain a space for honest and heartfelt conversations.

“I promise you that I will give you my all and I will try the best I can be to be as authentic as possible.”
— Jamie [35:10]

Key Takeaways:

Authenticity Over Popularity: Jamie prioritizes genuine connections over chasing large audience numbers, valuing quality over quantity.
Empowering Women: The podcast aims to create a supportive environment for women to share their stories without fear of judgment.
Personal Growth: Embracing vulnerability and self-acceptance are central themes, highlighting Jamie’s personal evolution.
Community Engagement: Future episodes will feature guest interviews and listener contributions, fostering a collaborative community.

Notable Quotes:

“I am a girl's girl. And I do not want my success to be based off putting another woman down.”
— Jamie [15:35]
“There is no drama. We ended things on really good terms.”
— Jamie [19:10]
“If you had five strangers following you around all the time, curious about what you had to say and wanting to chat with you, you would feel great about yourself.”
— Jamie [32:00]

Final Thoughts:

EP7, "The Rebrand," serves as a pivotal episode for The Authentic Society, marking Jamie’s commitment to fostering an authentic and supportive community. Through personal anecdotes and transparent discussions about challenges and changes, Jamie invites listeners to join her on a journey of self-discovery and genuine connection.

Transcript

Jamie (0:02)

Hi, guys. Welcome back to the Authentic Society. I'm Jamie. You're now only host. Yeah. So where to start? I am going to try to be as organic, genuine, real, and as authentic as I can be for this episode. I've sat down to record this several times, and I either feel like I'm rambling or I'm not giving you enough information. It's. It's hard to find it in between. But if you are here to figure out what the hell I'm doing, well, join the club. And hopefully by the end of this episode, we both have more clarity. Because I wouldn't be Be. I wouldn't be being honest if I didn't tell you I was nervous or scared or really confused by what the hell I'm doing. I have a little liquid courage. Just cracked open a white claw. And I think the best way to have this podcast is to treat it like we're having a girl chat. I want to treat it like I'm sitting down talking to one of my girlfriends about reinventing a podcast that I had a vision for. So, yeah, let's get into it. I. Before we get into it, I think it's important to have some backstory on how we got to where we are. So, June 2023, I was fresh out of teaching. I had taught for three years, and I was completely miserable, and I didn't really know the direction I wanted my life to go. I knew I didn't want to teach, and I kind of wanted to get into marketing, but I also wanted to start a podcast. And I started somewhat basic, my first podcast with my friend Kylie. And that podcast was really about us having fun. We both like to talk about fashion and pop culture and reality tv. So we were like, let's start a podcast. And that's what we did. And it was such a fun and creative outlet for me after being in teaching and feeling like all my creative mind had been shoved away. And I was a shell of a person, and I learned a lot through that podcast, and I had a lot of fun. We interviewed guests like Tiger King and TikTok, personalities and authors and actresses and actors. And I interviewed Madison, and that's how I got to know her. We lived in the same area, and I was the first podcast she ever came on, which was huge. And we became friends. You know, I had just entered the marketing world again. I. We talked a lot about podcasting and marketing, and we became friends. So About July of 2024 last year, I realized somewhat basic wasn't the route I wanted to continue taking. When it came to podcasting, I wanted to do something more real and had more depth. And so I created the vision for the authentic society. And really that vision was to be so authentic, it makes people uncomfortable because I think our world with social media is so saturated and so fake. And I'm so. I'm guilty of that as well. Putting out things on the Internet to make them look better than they really are. And I find myself gravitating towards podcasts or creators that are just putting it out there for better or for worse. I think so many people are afraid to say what they truly feel, and I think we need more authenticity in this world. And that's what I wanted to bring. And I know that sounds so big because how can one girl bring a community of women that can relate and be genuine and share their stories and not feel judgment? That feels impossible some days, but I knew I wanted to try. So the authentic society was born and I came up with all sorts of things I wanted to discuss and talk about. And really they revolved about around being a 28 year old woman, married, working, trying to figure life out. And so when I approached Madison about the authentic society, I really was like, I'm ready. I'm ready to lay it all out there for my life. I'm ready to tell people, for better or for worse, this is who I am. I am. And I want to find women on the Internet that relate and I can build a community and I can do something I love while I do it, which is podcasting. And so I got her on board. And, you know, we kind of created this vision together of where we wanted things to go. And ultimately, sometimes visions can be different. I've been asked all morning, all week, why, why did you. And why did Madison leave? What's the tea? What's the drama? And I don't want to leave you guys hanging because I'm blunt and I could do so many things with this podcast and leave people for clickbait and get you to tune in. But I'm going to tell you something about myself. I am a girl's girl. And I do not want my success to be based off putting another woman down. If that's how I have to get success, then I don't want it. I want nothing to do with putting another woman down just to get followers or numbers. That is not who I am. That's not how I want to grow this podcast. And you won't see that. Madison and I are very different, but we're still friends. And I know that's not what you guys wanted to hear. I know you wanted me to come on here and spill tea, but I'm not gonna, you know, sugarcoat it, and I'm not gonna dance around it. We're friends. I respect Madison a ton, and we just wanted different things. And I think when two mature adult women can sit down and have a conversation and say, we want different things, that doesn't mean anybody needs to be angry. That doesn't mean there needs to be drama. That just means we want different things. I'm going to support her on all of her future endeavors. I can't wait to see Tayta Farms in person one day. And I know that she's excited to see where I can take this because she does genuinely love the idea and concept for the Authentic Society. And I would be a fraud to sit here and build a fan base or audience on spilling tea to pit women against each other. And I don't want to do that. For one, because there is no drama. We ended things on really good terms. And for two, that's just not who I am. I know a lot of followers came to the Authentic Society because of Madison and the tea she wanted to spill or didn't want to spill. And because of her being on TV in the TV show, I get people will leave because that's no longer going to happen. And that's okay. I my decision with keeping the Authentic Society, I had to learn that it was okay that people were going to leave and that some people aren't going to like me. My value is not put into people who don't know me. And I've had an unbelievable amount of hate comments in the last week. And lucky for them, I don't put my value into people that don't know me. I put my value into people who do know me and love me and, and how I love myself and who I think I am and who I can tolerate in the mirror. And I completely understand if this podcast, you listen to this episode and you go unfollow. I get that. I know people are going to do that, and I completely understand. I want to create a community based off women that want to be here and enjoy listening to me. And if you don't, you know, that's all right. I, you know, I, I, I get it. So with that being said, I have gotten a lot of get to know. I've gotten to know some of you guys online, and some of you are so genuine and honest and relatable. And really, when I was Thinking about what I wanted for the Authentic Society this year. It's that I want a community of women that are honest, judgment, free, and we can share stories and we can have fun and because life is so damn serious that I want to have a podcast. Podcast that, yeah, it's authentic, but it's authentic about everything, even the funny things in life and the embarrassing things. I still have so much I can share, you know, about why I love teaching or friendship breakups or work environments or whatever it may be. I know I bring value and I can bring something to the table, you know, yes, I'm loud, maybe I'm a little immature, you know, okay. But I'm fine and I'm authentic and that's really what I want to bring. The things I want for this podcast still remain so true, even with Madison departing. And that's what I want to hold on to. I know that this podcast could be a flop and no one at the end of the day has to care or Will might not care. But what I'm not okay with is not trying or giving my all to something that I am passionate about just because I care what people say. And if I gave up the Authentic Society just because Madison didn't want to do it anymore, then I would be essentially saying I'm giving something up I love and I want to do because I know people aren't going to like me. Okay, why didn't try? And I can live with people not liking me. I can't live with not trying to give something my all when I know I still have it in me. So with all that being said, the things what, what do I want to make this podcast? Yeah. So good question, Jamie. I'll answer it. I know I want to share all the stories. I have an immense amount of family trauma and shit. I want to also start doing vlogs when I travel. I like to travel and I would like to start doing some vlog styling podcasts. I. I want to share stories and I also want to get a lot of you guys, the viewers in on this podcast. There are so many of you that I have connected with that I would love to get viewer write ins on your experiences and things that you've gone through. Because honestly, the people that have been so positive, I know I'm surrounded by amazing group of women that there are so many people that are just so positive and kind and those are the people I want to attract. Non judgmental women who have been through things that want to share their perspective and we can do it in A safe, fun place. That's what I want. I've also been asked if I'm going to have a host. For right now, it will just be me. The occasional sighting of my dog, but really just me. And not to say that there won't ever be a host again or co host, because I do like having co host. I think sometimes podcasts work better when you have somebody to banter to. But for right now, just me is gonna have to be enough. I also got the question a lot if I was gonna start having guests. Yes, I want to start having guests. I love having guests. I love meeting new people and talking to them and getting to hear their experiences, and I want to bring that into the authentic society. I want to start really basing a lot of my guests on womanhood that can share their perspectives and be authentic and be vulnerable. So, yes, there will be guests in 2025. I already have some fun ideas. Some fun. Some people I want to get on a guest, some people I've been talking to. So I'm excited for that. And I think that will be. That's kind of my niche because for somewhat basic, I loved getting guests. It was like the ultimate high to get to talk to somebody that I never thought I would get to talk to and them sharing about their lives and, you know, letting their fan base hear from them. So guess yes, 2025 host, just me. Also, I know that I can't wrap all the things I want for this podcast and answer all of your questions in one video. I kind of kept putting this video off and this podcast off because I kept wanting to make sure what I'm saying is I'm very clear about what I'm saying, but I also want to do it while it was still fresh because I don't want to filter a lot anymore, and I want to be as authentic as I can be. So sitting down and doing this, I know I'm going to miss some questions. I know I'm not going to be able to answer everything. I know the tea is not going to be being spilled like you want it to, But I knew I needed to come on here and get back into this as quickly as possible because I know if I just sit, sit on things, then I know myself and I'll overthink it and I'll wallow, and I don't want to do that. I want to be excited about 2025. Was this on my 2025 bingo card? No. Are a lot of things that happened throughout the years are no. Do I want to turn lemons and make them lemonade? Yes. Do I know that I'm putting myself in a vulnerable position to get hate? Yes. But I also know that I'm putting myself in a vulnerable position to if I can help or connect with one woman that wants to be here, then that's amazing. I think the Internet can be a scary, dark place, but it also, I've connected with so many people and that brings me just true joy. And when I really think about why I want a podcast, it's because I want to connect with people and, and I want to talk to people and relate to them and then relate to me. And I think that's the most beautiful thing about womanhood and being authentic. So for this year and for this podcast, I really want to lean into being vulnerable, which is really tough for me. I used to think that vulnerability was a sign of weakness. And if you showed any type of emotion besides being happy or angry, you were weak. And so if you were sad or you cried, then you were a weak person. And that's kind of how I grew up thinking. And so having to rewire my brain that being vulnerable and showing how you feel is not a weakness. It is hard and it is uncomfortable. But also with that vulnerability, you do feel a weight off your chest. I know if I share it with the world and say, hey, I'm imperfect, I already know all these things about me. They can't be used against me. You can't hurt me with something I already know about myself and I've already accepted and I'm already learning to love it about myself. Yes, I talk over people. Yes, I'm loud, I'm working on those things. But also, I love my flaws. And even if I don't love my flaws, I'm going to figure out how to fucking love them, because I'm stuck with me. Also, I really want to lean in with this podcast and being content. If I have five viewers a week that want to listen in and be here and are happy to be here, then I'm going to be so content with that. Because five people, yes, number wise, on the Internet, that doesn't seem that big. Five people. But if you had five strangers following you around all the time, curious about what you had to say and wanting to chat with you, you would feel great about yourself. And so instead of looking and valuing myself in numbers, I'm going to be content with what I do have. And I really do have to start learning with that. In every aspect of my life, I always like to plan for the future or what ifs. But your life isn't about the what ifs or a future. It is about living in the right now. Because I know I am living things right now that I used to pray for. And for that, I need to start learning how to be content with the right now. And you know, if you've ever seen that tick tock meme where it's like, oh, only 500 people watch your TikTok, but then you put 500 people in the room, that's what contentness feels like, is that you have to adjust your perspective. And that's what I need to do with this podcast. I have to adjust my perspective and be content that I could have five listeners or 500 listeners. And whichever way this goes, I'm going to be lucky because I know those five listeners or those 500 listeners are going to be badass, awesome, great women or men. And I'm going to love that and be excited for that. And I this might have been a curveball, and I wasn't expecting this to go like this exactly now, but I know that it's what's meant to be. And so I'm going to figure it out. Because I'm me and I fig. I've always figured it out. 10 times out of 10, I'm standing here and I've always figured it out. So I know I will do that again, especially with this podcast. What I can promise you is that if you do decide to listen, I'm always going to keep it real with you guys. I know that maybe how me and, you know, Madison split or how her leaving isn't very clear, but that's also because I respect Madison and I consider her a friend still. And even though I could share my side or this or that, it's really not drama. And not everything needs to be a storyline. Not everything needs to be a headline. Her life's in the headlines enough, and I'm never going to add to that. So if you're disappointed, then I'm sorry, not sorry. But if you want to, you know, stick around and join my journey, I promise you that I will give you my all and I will try the best I can be to be as authentic as possible. And I really just am so thankful for all the people that have reached out for their support already. It truly means everything to me. There have been so many of you that have just been so kind and it means everything to me. I promise you that. I am looking at those comments and those nice comments on my bad days when I get a hate comment over and over again. So thank you. And if you've made it this far in the episode, I know this might not be a long episode, maybe I didn't cover everything, but I promise we have all the time in the world. And if you would like to leave a comment telling me what you want to see from this podcast, your thoughts, your opinions, your perspectives, please do. And if you're going to bow out because Madison's not here anymore, then I understand. There's no bad blood. But I really hope you guys do stick around, because I think we could create a really cool community, and that's what I'm here to do. So, yes, it's like taking a deep breath and, like, fresh air to get this all off my shoulders. But, yes, thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. I. There's more to come from me, and I might not have the best way to be able to explain that, but I know with whatever comes, it's going to be authentic, as is going to be authentic. And I know that's such an annoying word, but that's what it's going to be. And, yeah, I'm excited, nervous, kind of want to throw up some days, but I know that this is. This is going to be the journey I'm supposed to take. So thank you for tuning in, thank you for watching, and I will talk to you guys soon. Bye.