When it seems like everyone around you has already figured out their lives in their mid-20s, you may find yourself asking, “what does it mean to be successful?” Liz Collins ‘19 explores the idea of success in her newest podcast and highlights stories of people navigating success in their twenties and thirties.
Collins transferred to Emerson as a communications student in 2017, exploring podcasting and content making. Her interest in podcasting, though, stemmed not from her coursework, but from her commute to classes.
“I lived in Allston, so I would listen to shows to and from [the college],” Collins said. “Actually, one of the shows that I was really into is hosted by [my current] co-host’s sister.”
In “Human Seeking Human”, Collins, along with co-host Alex Schiefer, goes through old newspapers and other forms of writing to see what’s changed culturally in society and what keeps people connected. The podcast began in Sept. 2020, with Collins joining in May 2021.
“My co-host Alex Schiefer was originally hosting it by himself, and he actually held interviews with listeners to see if anybody would make a good fit for the podcast,” Collins said. “He did interviews with over 100 people, but we really hit it off, and I had a lot of ideas and enthusiasm, and I think he really appreciated that.”
Before joining the show, Collins said she was a fan of Schiefer and his sister, Christine Schiefer, who has two shows called “Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet,” which has over 100,000 listeners, and “That’s Why We Drink,” which has over one million listeners.
“[Alex and Christine] have their own unit, and I’ve always been a really big fan,” Collins said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect and appreciation for the stuff that they put out.”
Collins credits a major part of the success in her podcasting career to “Human Seeking Human.” She mentions how she was welcomed into an already existing community and said she was “lucky enough to start my podcasting career with a built-in fanbase.”
Her new show, “Quarter-Life Crisis,” will release its first episode on Feb. 23 and will be available on all major streaming platforms. Collins talks to people in their twenties and thirties about the idea of success, what it means to them, and how they’ve reached it.
“I remember reading a long time ago that Oprah [Winfrey] got fired when she was 27 from the TV program she worked on because they said she was too emotional and too emotionally invested in her stories,” Collins said. “It’s one of those things where when you look at somebody who’s really successful, it’s hard to imagine that they had to fail and struggle and that people were telling them they’re not good enough.”
In addition to Winfrey’s story, Collins’ podcast was also inspired by Josiane Martinez, CEO of Archipelago Strategies Group—the company she first worked at after graduating from Emerson.
“She just always inspired me because she was very honest about when she didn’t know the answers,” Collins said. “She was forthcoming about how she didn’t get it right the first time. She was able to bounce back from different struggles in her life [and became] such a successful person … It was just a real eye-opener to me that the people that we look up to are still people.”
She hopes her podcast will spark discussions about challenging the traditional definition of success, while also highlighting achievement stories from her interviewees. She plans to interview CEOs and old colleagues, among many other people, and the podcast will have about 10 episodes per season.
“By interviewing a number of people from all different backgrounds and different types of success, it’s hopefully going to give me and anybody who’s listening a sense of relativism when it comes to success and self-image and self-esteem,” Collins said.
Those interested in being interviewed for the Quarter-Life Crisis Podcast can contact Liz via email [email protected]. You can also follow the
Human Seeking Human Instagram @humanseekingpod.
