Flick Chicks is a podcast hosted by Laurier’s own Ann Laguerre, a double degree BBA and Financial Math major, and Monica Chahine, a Nutrition major at the University of Guelph. The two long-time friends and movie buffs provide in-depth genre analysis and reviews through their recurring segment, “Roasting Movies by the Fire,” where they dissect new releases and older blockbusters that require a second look and sometimes tough love.
Like Ann and Monica, I too find myself reading up on everything and everyone after I watch a new series or film and wishing I had someone to debrief with. Flick Chicks is the perfect accompaniment for all of us at home right now finding new titles and past favourites to binge. And for those of you who are also interested in starting your own podcast or side hustle during this self- isolation, you’re in luck! Ann and Monica sat down to share their advice about stepping into the creative industry, the secret to working with your best pals and making time for passion projects down below!
What makes you guys a great team?
One thing that makes us a good team is that we have a good balance of things in common and differing opinions. Specifically, we have different tastes in movies but because we’ve known each other for so long and have many other things in common, it makes it easier to talk and discuss movies, and we’re able to make jokes and have fun with it because we know each other so well. In fact, what inspired us to start the podcast was that we would often go see movies together and spend hours talking about them afterwards.
All in all, when it comes to finding a good cohost and/or business partner you should definitely pick someone you click with because the conversation will come more organically, and you’ll be spending a lot of time together, so you do want to get along. You also want someone who is just as driven and passionate about the topic as you are. That way, you know everyone is looking to succeed and when it comes time to give constructive criticism you know you both have each other’s best interests at heart.
What do you wish you knew before starting a podcast?
I think there’s three main things we wish we knew before starting Flick Chicks.
The first thing we wished we knew was the importance of investing in good equipment. Given that we record from home and don’t have access to a studio the quality of our mics is extremely important. However, the first mics we bought were really cheap faulty ones and this ended up costing us hours of time and stress. It’s really unfortunate to record an exciting hour-long episode and then not have that translated to the audience due to bad audio.
The second thing we wished we knew was to do more research about audio software beforehand. It’s really important to become comfortable using the software before even recording an episode. This research should include what kind of recording software you want to use, what sound mixing software you might need and the ways you plan to post your podcast on several platforms. In some of our earlier episodes, we would spend four to five hours just trying to figure out how to properly use the mics, the recording and audio editing software.
The last thing would be to practice talking beforehand. We suggest taking some time to practice having a normal conversation and playing it back so you can hear what you sound like, see if you interrupt too much and make sure the audio is good, etc. A good idea is to record a practice pilot episode, that way if it doesn’t work out, you’re flexible with posting or not posting the episode.
Do you have any advice for others who are also pursuing a passion project?
Our first piece of advice is making a schedule and sticking to it. Because school can make you feel extremely busy with so many deadlines you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Treat your passion project like a job or a club; set time aside time to do it, whether it be twenty minutes every other day or two hours every Saturday, and then stick to that. Avoid cancelling and/or moving around, pick a timeslot and stick to it so you can build a comfortable routine.
Another piece of advice is if you can pair up with someone, do it! If you have someone working with you, you’re not alone and it makes the whole thing seem less intimidating. Also, with a partner you’re able to hold each other accountable; it can be easy to get lost when working by yourself but when you have someone alongside you it’s easier to stay on track and honestly, it’s just more fun.
Our last piece of advice is to JUST DO IT! The most important part of a passion project is the pursuit of that passion. Stop making excuses as to why you can’t start and do it. Don’t be so fixated on the ending or the outcome. The first and foremost reason you’re pursuing the passion is for yourself! (and if not, you should re-examine if it’s really a passion). Do it because you want to, don’t be concerned about how it will be perceived by others, or if you’ll make anything of it. If it’s something you’re passionate about everything else will fall into place. Even if you don’t end up being famous with one million subscribers, it gives you something to do outside of school and to learn new things. Another bonus is that it’s a great conversation starter and can even be a standout factor on your resume.
Where can we listen?
You can catch the Flick Chicks podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Play and YouTube. You can also follow us on our Instagram @flickchickspod
Happy listening and stay safe, Golden Hawks!