August 27, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode, Diosa and Mala sit down with Jessica Ruvalcaba, the powerhouse Producer at Sazon Studios, a podcast network, behind some of the internet's favorite Latino podcasts. Through her work producing La Plática, Cruda Corner, and Suelta La Lengua, she shares insights into her journey as a producer and what it takes to bring these shows to life. From creative development to pitching we discuss what it's like to be working with media influencers and the evolving landscape of Latino podcasting.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Olaola Loka Morees. Welcome to another episode of Look At Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Mala and I'm Theosa.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We're super excited to have in studio with us Jess Rubalcaba.
Jess is the head of production at Sassoon Studios LA
and the producer behind some of our favorite shows like
La Platica, Guru That Corner and Suelta la Lingua podcast. Jess,
Welcome to Look at What our Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Thank you so much. It's such an honor to be
here with you, ladies.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
I feel like you guys are really the ogs of podcasting,
especially for Latina women. So the fact that you invited
me to join me for an episode is such a
big honor.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
So thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, thank you for saying that. And one of the
reasons we wanted to have you on is because you
are so often behind the mic. You are producing incredible
shows that are super popular and big in the Latino
community and beyond, and so we just wanted to use
this time to get to know you and talk to
you as a producer, but also just get to know
you as a Latina working in podcasting as a local
(01:03):
to La. Right, yes, and just yeah and just talk,
just get to know you.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Thank you, Thanks again.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
How did you get your start? How did you start
podcast producing?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
There's no short answer to that, I'd say, and honestly,
a lot of it has to do with just being
in the right place at the right time. I am lucky,
super lucky to have really creative friends and to have
really creative friends of friends, and so I really started.
This all began when I started my job at Methou,
which was back in I think twenty seventeen. I you know,
(01:38):
they needed someone to help create memes, and so.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I just started there.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
My mom didn't really understand, but you know, it is
what it is. And then slowly but surely, my role
within the organization started shifting and changing, and I eventually
became the director of content at one point. But then
when I got there, I realized that it took away
a lot of the creativity that I really enjoyed. And
fortunately at that company there was super flexible and really
(02:05):
encouraging and helping me figure out what it is that
I wanted to do within it. And then I ended
up in production, and so I fell in love with
production and everything about it. And it's so much fun
seeing an idea that you have kind of come to life,
and then from them posting it and it's nerve wracking,
and then people reacting to it, and especially like it's
very rewarding when you see that people are actually enjoying it.
(02:29):
So after that, there was a show that I was
working on towards the end of my career at the organization,
and then I got acquainted with Sevas and Robert, who's
whose manager and he's the one that heads up all
of Sasoon's studios LA. He also has his own talent
agency called Rebel Management, and yeah, so I wanted to
(02:51):
hire Sevas for a project that I was working on,
and then that kind of also led into just kind
of again making that connection, them telling us telling me sorry,
them telling me what they envisioned and what they wanted
for their show and how they could use some support.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
And I was like, hey, like, if you're serious about this,
let me know.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
And that was about two years ago almost. It was
towards the end of the summer that we kind of
like got to work together and yeah, I've just kind
of been learning on the go. So in podcasts directly,
it was kind of like a just diving headfirst into it.
And figuring it out, and yeah, it's been it's been
(03:36):
a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's amazing. Were you already a podcast listener?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
What were some of the podcasts you were listening to
when you got your start?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I have been a longtime fan of my favorite Murder.
Actually just bought tickets to go see them live too
in Pasadena later this year. And yours, of course, Malat.
I know you also have an independent one on your own.
When I was at me Through, we kind of tried
our hand with podcasting, but it was in the very
early stage of whatever that was, and I think we
(04:08):
only did like one or two episodes, so I was
very much also like that was one that I spoke
into that I was a guest on.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I guess you could.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Say I love it. I love it, I mean True Crime.
I think really put podcasting on the map in a
lot of ways. And I'm wondering how you made the
transition creatively from creating memes working for an organization like
Methoo to now like crafting an identity for a podcast
and hosted by two men and for a Latino audience,
(04:40):
and your creative process in bringing that show identity to life.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Well, Luckily for me, most of the show identity was
already established. There've been around for a very long time,
and they already kind of know what they're doing. So
for me, it was also taking a look at like
analytics and such like seeing what the audience is consuming,
seeing what they're interested in. And it wasn't like it
was necessarily too difficult for me to relate to the
(05:06):
audience of Laplatica because the I think eighty percent of
it is women. So it's just kind of like, okay,
like what do I like and what do I want
to hear from these guys that you know aren't And
I think, like, I'm so honored to work with them
because they're not your traditional especially like in Latino men.
They're not like Machi style or they're not like, oh
(05:29):
you know what I mean, Like they're they're really open
to hearing ideas and not opposed to poking fun at themselves.
So that's kind of like what I take the lead
on and an inspiration for creating new things, right. Like
one of my favorite segments that we that we did
together was Girly Pop one Oh One, which honestly, like
I saw a TikTok video about it, and then I
(05:49):
just kind of came up with a bunch of questions
and we've done i think three or four episodes at
this point dedicated to that, and it's just a lot
of fun and I think the audience also responded to
it really well.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So it's all again really.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Encouraging to to continue going down that path. So again,
like for that one specifically, the identity was already established,
and I think I just lend a different perspective coming
in as a woman, especially even sometimes I'll prepare an
episode for them and I'm like, okay, because we need
to dive deep, like I want to know how do
you manage this, like in your relationships, Like let's talk
(06:23):
about this, but Rala, maa, you know what I mean,
they're just to shit and they're like, sorry, it does.
And I'm like, hey, I'm here to support you and
however you need, however you want. So as long as
I try to create some things as well, it doesn't
always go that way, but those are often the most
fun episodes as well.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I think that's a balance right that even we as
podcasters are constantly trying to strike. Is like having notes
to follow and research and having talking points that we
want to cover. But then also the episode has a
life of its own, and once you're in the conversation
and in the recording session, especially with the guests, you know,
(07:02):
just being prepared to go wherever the conversation wants to go.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yes, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
I think it's it kind of it's a little bit
disconnecting when it's so structured that it's just like question answer,
question answered like you want, especially on la Platica, Like
the whole premise of the show is just a conversation,
you know what I mean, And to kind of have
something hyperstructured would take away from the organicness the fun.
Like that's when you get them, the guests, to really
(07:29):
open up about whatever topic they want to open up about.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Don't go anywhere, lokamotives.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
We'll be right back, and we're back with more of
our episode.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What is it about Laplatica that you feel resonates with
women so much? Because when we think, at least when
I think about some of the male hosted shows that
are on like the white podcaster YouTuber side, they tend
to be more male dominated. But you're showing us something,
you're telling us something completely different. So I'm so curious,
like why you think that the audience resonates so much
(08:04):
with these two men.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
I think the conversations that they bring to the table
are a little bit different, and I think in terms
of their approach on them because you like, I'm not
going to say names or anything like that, but there's
there's other creators out there that are also men who
tend to be like a little bit more vulgar in
their approach for topics, and I just don't see that
(08:26):
being like the nature of Josh and Sabaz, And I
think that that's really refreshing, and I mean respectfully to
you know, their partners, Like, they're not ugly guys either,
you know what I mean. So I think girls also
want to tap in for a little bit of eye candy,
you know what I mean. So I think and again,
(08:47):
like usually guys that look like them don't have the
perspective that they do, and I think that that's really
attractive to a lot of people. It's really refreshing, honestly,
And every time, like I have a conversation with them,
I walk away super inspired. Josh Hasalu then he's just
like fully like watching him on the go just manage
his business and then we have cecil and like all
(09:08):
of it, and you know, Sebas helps out so much
with secl and like all of it is just like
it just motivates me to also like be better and
do better. Yeah, I think it's just refreshing. I don't
think it's a perspective that you often get, especially in
an oversaturated world of social media. So so I think
that that's why women want to join, you know what
I mean, join into the conversation and listen and hear
(09:30):
you know, maybe they're going to talk about something that
they can take back to the men in their lives,
you know what I mean. Maybe they'll hear something that
like in a different type of angle that they can
then approach their partners with, you know what I mean.
Like it's just yeah, I think there's something there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
And I'm really curious also about the topics that you
do bring to the show. Is the audience asking for
specific episodes about particular topics. Are you guys like researching
online to see what the chatter is about. Is it
coming organically like from you and from the hosts. How
do you come up with the content that you end
(10:07):
up sharing on the show.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
It's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
To be honest, I think it's really important to listen
to your audience and to see what they want to hear,
who they want to have on the show, what kind
of topics they want to dive into. Especially right now,
there's just so much going on and it's directly impacting
our communities, and I think that.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
You know, being aware of that, being.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Aware of the privilege and the platform that we have
and how we're able to like contribute and help out
and share information and everything, I think is always really important.
And then we have to also like look at timing
in terms of like like right now, we were just
talking about how Hispanic marriage month is just in a
few weeks, you know what I mean. So it's just
kind of figuring out guests that we want to have
(10:53):
join us, conversations we want to have. Yeah, that combined
with the audience, like, it's just it's a little bit
of everything. And again, sometimes we're we're fully prepped, especially
for the solo episodes, Like sometimes we're fully prepped with
something and the conversation takes the whole left turn and
then it ends up being completely different. And even again
when we do have guests, Like sometimes I'll I'll have
(11:14):
something prepped for them and then we just might not
even get to it, you know what I mean. But
as long as like I do my job ahead of
time and like I prep them and they're ready to
go with the audience, like, then that's I say, yoya,
you know what I mean, Like, I'll take it over
after we record, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
So don't go anywhere, locomotives, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
And we're back with more of our episode.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Are you kind of touched on this right now? But
I think especially in the last year in twenty twenty four,
it was an election year. In twenty twenty five, obviously
new administration ice raads all over Los Angeles and the nation,
and I think there's been a lot of chatter online
on different parts about influencers speaking out about political moments
(12:04):
and making their stance like very known, And I'm wondering
what your thoughts are on that as a producer, you know,
do you think that influencers and in your case, podcast
hosts have a responsibility and how are you navigating this
like territory right now where there's a lot of I
see the call outs online, I see the pressure that
(12:24):
digital communities are putting on people with bigger platforms, and
sometimes I feel it's warranted. And sometimes I feel like
we need to use that energy to go to a
city council meeting to call our elected official, you know.
But I think that there is also some warrant you know,
when there and I understand when we feel like so disempowered,
we are gonna channel it to the person or platform
(12:48):
that feels most accessible to us. Maybe city council meeting
doesn't feel accessible to us, but this influencer does, so
I understand that nuance. So I'm just really curious what
your thoughts are on that, and like how you've been
navigating now that you have moremultiple shows with sas on.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
I feel like not everyone who has a platform has
a voice that we should be listening to in terms
when it comes to like politically, you know what I mean.
Like we visit different channels on TV to get different things,
you know, and if one of the channels that you
tap into is online for entertainment, sometimes the people that
entertain you might not have like the most thoughtful things
(13:27):
to say about any given topic, you know what I mean,
Especially when it comes to more serious ones. That's not
to say that that's how these guys are or anybody
on that I work with.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
I get what you're saying though, that like should we
be getting like news or political opinions from influencers, Like
is that where we should really be going?
Speaker 4 (13:49):
I do think that it is important though, to especially
in like such times like today, like you cannot and
this is maybe this is my personal opinion coming out,
like you cannot pick and choose, you know what I mean,
And you can't show up and claim to represent a
(14:11):
community and then separate distance yourself from the struggles that
they're actively facing, Like I mean myself, I'm an immigrant,
you know what I mean. Like, and I'm quote unquote
one of the lucky ones. Like we did things the
right way, you know, And I became a citizen not
too long ago, towards the end of the last Trump
(14:32):
administration because it was so scary because we didn't know
what was going to happen, you know, and like me
and my mom both we kind of got our shit
together and like we were like hey, you know, and
like even then, I feel like nowadays it might not
even matter because they're just pulling people off the street,
you know what I mean. So I feel like it's
a disservice to the community that you like claim to
(14:53):
represent if you don't address it and if you don't
show up for them and their time of need. But
that being said, I don't think we need to hear
everybody's opinion if you are using your platform to disseminate information,
to share resources, to be like, hey, this is where
they're doing the ice raids right now, like you know, oh,
like whatever. I think that that's more than enough. But
(15:16):
to be called out and to be asked like no,
I want to hear it from you and from your
point of view, Like that's when you know, one thing
gets taken out of context and then all of a sudden,
like it's worse that they did speak up, you.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
So it's just it's it's a very fine line to walk,
and like with the show, the shows, like we try
to address it, you know what I mean, Sometimes it's
not as easy to get the proper guests that we
would want in to have these conversations. It's a very
fine line to walk. But yeah, not not everyone with
(15:53):
a massive platform, I think well is going to have
the right things to say.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I I agree with you, and I do think sometimes
they're I think I try to put myself in the
shoes of the audience, and because I'm audience to like
plenty of creatives and TV shows and movies and podcasts
and music, right, I am an audience member, and I
think about myself and anyone else who like follows an
(16:21):
artist and invests time or money to consuming their work,
and I think on some level, we almost have to validate,
you know, the fact that we're a fan, you know,
and we almost have to say, well, they align with
me politically, so I'm okay to be their fan and
to support them and buy their merch and go to
(16:43):
their show. It's almost like this additional layer of yeah,
this person is is like worth my my support. Yeah,
And so I do understand that piece as well. But
something we've talked about on the show for many, many
years is like, how do we make a direct impact
(17:04):
for those who need it the most? And oftentimes it's
not in the comment section, you know. It's not on TikTok,
it's not on Instagram, it's not on YouTube. It's like, yeah,
going to a city council meeting. Yeah, it's writing a
letter to your senator, it's showing up at a protest,
it's donating, you know to an organization that gives direct aid.
So I think it's important, like for our Latino audience
(17:27):
in this critical moment to also like keep that in mind,
you know, like, how are we really helping? And is
camping out in the comment section of your favorite podcaster?
Is that the way?
Speaker 4 (17:36):
One hundred percent? And honestly, also to that point, there's
a lot that goes on behind the scenes that doesn't
get posted, you know, in terms of like donation and
like conversations being had. It's not all just what you
see for an hour on YouTube, you know what I mean,
Like it extends far beyond that. So so that energy
stays there, you know, and it's active and where we're
(17:57):
like doing things about it. So I think that also
trying to maybe keep that in mind for whoever does
feel very empowered to say something like they might not
really know the full story, so a little bit of
grace like you.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Don't know, you know, Yeah, that happened to I had
this conversation with a friend of mine recently who she
was listening to one of her favorite podcasts. It's politically,
very politically aligned with her, very social justice oriented, and
she heard a Christy nomad on the podcast and she
(18:36):
texted me and was like, Hey, like, I heard this ad.
I'm so disappointed. And I said, you know, sometimes there
are ads on our shows and we don't know what
ad it is, because if we don't voice it, we
don't know what ad is going on. So I would
recommend you reaching out via email. They might not even know.
And if you they're so allegedly or according to you,
(18:57):
politically aligned, then they might actually be really happy that
you're reaching out, you're emailing them, because they might not
even know. And so I like extended that invitation to her, like,
give them some grace, check in with them, because they
might not even know that that ad is on their podcast,
and they might actually be really grateful that you let
them know. Because we've had that in not for Chris,
(19:18):
not a Christy nomad, but we've had ads in the
past that for corporations that aren't necessarily aligned with us
as individuals and as a podcast and a listener will
reach out and we've had to say, hey, if we're
not voicing it, if we're not doing this ad read
like this is not a co sign of this organization.
And so to your point that there's a lot of
stuff that goes on behind the scenes that the audience
(19:40):
does not know, and they're not because they don't have
to know, you know, like they don't need to know
the ins and outs of podcast ads and reads, right,
But it is giving, like your favorite creator sometimes a
benefit of the doubt that the bad intentions are not there,
you know, And it is that grace and that fine
line like you mentioned.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Oh my god, you just reminded me when I was
at METU one time we had like like a video
or something go up and we had a Trump ad
in the video, like yeah, and it was like what
I guess you can imagine, like everyone went kind of crazy.
It was like what the hell is Like, there's no way,
So we kind of had to figure out how to
remove it.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
But yeah, things things do happen.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
And then now, I mean this is obviously like different
because I were talking television, but like the ads on Telemundo,
have you guys been tapping in lately?
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Like it's no, I haven't seen girl. It literally is
like what's that woman's.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Name, Christine?
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Oh, it's her, It's.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Like if you are illegal, we will find you, we
will deport you, like on Telemundo.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
On Telemundo, on Kylave. I mean, they're like buddies with
the Trump administration. Yeah, so that's also why I'm like,
it's not surprising. It's one of the reasons like oh
g journalists, right, and so it's all a part of
like the media conglomerate and now we're getting super in gritty, right,
(21:01):
but like yeah, I mean it's my mom like constantly
is like I can hear her from the other room
yelling why the fuck is this ad on k Love,
you know, and it's disappointing because you're alienating your audience, right,
And so that I mean is a is a broader conversation.
Yet a lot of like hosts don't have like input
(21:22):
on especially if you're on a network, right, what ads
get sold. So yeah, unless you're doing a specific ad
read like then that's different.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
It also is a reminder of how precious our safe
spaces are, yes, because they can infiltrate all of our media.
And so the network or the show that you were
tuning into for your info to get in touch with
your community, to hear from people who are potentially in
(21:53):
alignment with you. Those spaces are beyond our control really,
and so it's also a sort of very insidious type
of terror, right, like, no, we're gonna You're gonna hear
our voices and see our faces even on your your
networks and your shows. We're everywhere. And I think that
this is another reason why when we do have like
(22:15):
shows like this or La Platica, that as a community
we do, like you know, have that grace and that
support because Belemundo's not safe, Union's not safe, right, but
our smaller media creators maybe we have a little independence
from that and we can preserve some safety in the
(22:36):
media that we create.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, I feel like those safe spaces are so needed
right now more than ever because yeah, like my parents
will be watching that every single ad break is like
my dad just starts cursy.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
At the TV. He's like, I'm gonna say what he says.
But yeah, but yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I understand that's my mom like multiple times because he
listens to Klea all day, you know, and that's a
local LA radio station, So yeah, I understand completely. I
want to kind of shift the conversation about like podcasting
and producing with Sesson because y'all just launched a new
show called Through That Corner.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
So I want to.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Ask you about that show and like how that came
to be and like your involvement in creating this show.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I was already working with the organization, and I think
this was just as Sesson, we decided that we wanted
to launch a podcast network and kind of create new shows.
And one of them like was, obviously, we're really big
fans of what Karen Eddie and Blessed do, Like they're
just comedy like every single time, and so we wanted
(23:46):
to people tap in when they have conversations, and we
wanted to be able to kind of create a new
space for them to be able to have different kinds
of conversations, you know. So I think the main concern
with them is how do we create something unique and
fun and that is still very much representative of who
they are as individuals. And yeah, the idea for kind
(24:07):
of they like they were like that we want to
just have fun and we kind of want to shoot
the shit, and we don't want it to be like
all the other podcasts where people just sit and talk.
Like sure, obviously, like there's gonna be an element of that,
but we want to have segments, and we talked about
shows we were inspired by, we talked about what the
creative approach could be, and so, yeah, little by little,
like kind of all started coming together and then the
(24:29):
set was built based on what they wanted to include
in it. Blessed is Nika Awen, so he wanted to
make sure that like there was some Nika culture in there.
And obviously Kate, Karen and Eddie are Mexican, so it's
very Mexican as well. And yeah, like it just kind
of happened naturally, I guess we again, we talked in
(24:53):
talking about like the shows that they were inspired by
and what we wanted to create for it. The whole
Impactante sixty nine segment came about, which is like watching
them in action is insane, Like they're able to tap
in and they're actors, you know what I mean, Like
when they put the wigs on and the way that
they are, like it's comedy. And to be able to
(25:14):
like help kind of put it together for them and
be another vessel for their creativity has been really fun.
And yeah, like I just I am so privileged that
I love being surrounded by such creative people that kind
of just like makes me want to be more creative
and it's like, okay, but how can we do this
and how can we do that? So so it's been
(25:36):
really fun. There's other segments and such that we're working on.
Like what it is right now isn't the final form
of it. It's just going to be kind of like
ever changing, ever flowing.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
But yeah, it's very.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
Very directly and like they're very directly involved in what
they would want they want it to be, and the
vision that they have for it and the types of
conversations that they want to have on it. So so
it's been really fun collaborating with them and bringing their
visional life.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Nope, that's amazing. I love. I love. That's one of
the things I love about podcasting is like how you
can change the show, you know, from one episode to
the next.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
You can.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
It's never really in its final form. It's constantly evolving.
And what are your thoughts You kind of mentioned this
earlier of the industry being saturated, So what are your
thoughts on or what advice would you give to a
creative someone who wants to step into the podcasting space,
whether that be Indie or they're pitching to a network,
(26:35):
what advice would you give to them to like stand
apart to be different in an set oversaturated industry.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
I'd say do first starter is just do it, and
then also do what feels like natural to you. Right,
you clearly have an idea that you're excited about that
you want to take action on, So don't second guess yourself.
Just you know, get it out on paper and make
sure that you have like a solid plan, a solid
(27:04):
structure that you want to follow, and just go for it.
In the age where everybody's kind of chat gpting everything, like,
there's kind of conversations that we can elaborate on, you
know what I mean, via podcast and you can learn
so much and there's like there's it's just it's massive.
It's a massive space. As many conversations that are actively
(27:25):
happening right now.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
It's massive.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
And there's technology, there's culture, there's comedy, there's so many things.
So just figure out how you want to make it
your style because that's what people are going to want
to see. You know what I mean is different and
you just as an individual, are going to be different.
So just figure out what that looks like. And then
just go for it. I feel like with anything, and
(27:47):
even in my own life, like things have just kind
of happened because I've been able to kind of do them.
Gone Milo, but you know what I mean, like just
doing them and things always work out, So that that
would be my advice, isn't that?
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Absolutely? I'm also curious. So I listened to maybe it
was the most recent episode of La Platica, and was
it that there was audience members on YouTube that thought
that Josh was like cutting off Sabas, like he was
being rude to him, h huh, And how they kind
of handled that on air, And so as a producer,
I'm really curious how you help them to navigate, whether
(28:25):
it's drama coming from the audience or drama coming from
behind the scenes between the hosts, what have you like,
how you helped massage that.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Honestly, like, I had no hand in that, Okay, it
was very much like a My only advice was, hey,
maybe we should like not spend so much of the
episode talking about this, you know what I mean? And
they were like yeah, and Josh immediately was like, yeah,
I know what you're talking about, and he was like,
(28:54):
I got some things I want to say, I'm gonna
say it for the thought, and I'm like, okay, like
go for it. But I really had no hand in that.
It was very much a conversation led by them. But
there's never any kind of like animosity, you know, like
I r L that's happening.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
It's just it's just two guys.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Does the audience And I just mean in general, I
don't mean that's posibally, but do you feel audience is
sometimes fabricate drama like they see like a slight but
it's like, wait, no, that was nothing.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
This was one example of that happening for sure.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
But yeah, I mean when especially when things get taken
out of context, like did you guys see when?
Speaker 3 (29:35):
So you know question right?
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Okay, So she we had just had her on and
she had gifted it a set of the cards, so
we kept them in the studio and I told the
guys it was like, hey, it'd be a really good
idea to like kind of dive into your guys' friendship
with these questions, you know, like let's let's talk about things.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
And then there was one moment where.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
Josh talked about the question that he got or the
question that's us asked him, was have I ever disappointed
you as a friend? Like, has there ever been a
moment where you felt like I wasn't there for you?
And Josh really took his time to try to think
of an answer and come up with something, and he
was like, oh yeah, man, he was like, yeah, one
(30:18):
time you let me run out of gas and like
I do remember this, and no, Like the internet went
crazy for it because it's like, how do you let
your friend run out of a gas?
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Gas?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Yeah, it was so crazy and it was so funny.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
And then it was it was even more funny because
a few weeks after that, there was a moment where
Josh ran out of gas again and luckily some ass
was like he ran to the gas station, We filled
the thing and he was running. There's like a follow
up video that happened. It was just it's just so funny.
But but again, like another example of things taken way
(30:54):
in a different direction because she's my pages cliped that
and everyone in the comments was going after Sabas and
it's like, yo, like it wasn't even that deep, you
know what I mean to begin with, but it's just
the level that it got to.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, it was kind of crazy.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, the cheesemat pages are the new.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Tabloids, Yes, very much, very much.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
So what do you think it takes to foster like
a good hosts co host dynamic, Because we've seen I
mean we've been super lucky, blessed, but also intentional of
like keeping a really good dynamic and friendship along the way.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
But we've seen.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Hosts like fight, yeah physically physically like they talk about like,
oh yeah, we we're not friends. We brawled like we fought.
You know, We've we've heard chatter from different co hosts, right,
and sometimes like a show co host will leave and
a new a new host will come in, you know,
and there's all these different dynamics when that happens, and
(31:49):
the show can change. So what are your thoughts on
like fostering like a good co host dynamic, you know,
especially I don't know what the norm is right now,
but like sometimes there's just clos that are like thrown
together that didn't necessarily like co create a podcast together.
So how do you keep a healthy balance or like
a healthy essentially a co worker but also friendship dynamic.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
That's a tough one.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
I feel like you definitely Listen, We're all different people,
and we're all gonna have different viewpoints on things, and
we all stand, you know, ten toes down for our
own beliefs. But I think you just have to have
like mutual respect for the other person despite you know,
if they what they believe and might not be necessarily
super one hundred percent aligned with what you but they're
(32:36):
entitled to their beliefs just as much as you are,
you know what I mean. So I think maintaining mutual
respect is super important. I have friendship always helps. I mean,
if you guys are friends in real life, you're going
to experience things together or you're gonna want to tell
your co hosts like, hey, this just happened, I can't
(32:57):
wait to talk about it, to tell you about it
like it had. Like having natural chemistry is also just
like never gonna not be fun to watch.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
So I think when it comes to like having people
be put together, I would look at it more in
the sense of, like, you wouldn't be in that space
and being presented with this opportunity if it didn't feel
like a good match. So just kind of trust in that,
you know what I mean. And again, going back to
(33:28):
the respect thing, like, just respect each other, trust in
that you guys are gonna have different viewpoints on a topic.
But that's exactly why you guys are having the conversation,
because not everybody's gonna see it from the way that
usse is. Not everyody's gonna see the way my lesson,
you know what I mean. Like, it's just and it's
important to show as many sides to a conversation as
you can because that's what people end up identifying with.
(33:48):
So the whole brawl thing about it though, like that
that's another level.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
I don't know, but but yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Well this has been amazing, Jesz. Thank you for taking
us behind the scenes, of course, and to some of
the community's favorite podcasts. I mean, the shows have just
really taken off. They're all over TikTok, They're all over
the airwaves. It's really exciting to see. I mean, I
think it's a beautiful moment in Latino podcasting, and I
think you're a big part of that. So thank you
(34:19):
for sharing your insights and your creativity with us on
Look at a Radio.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
Oh my god, thank you ladies so much for having me.
It's an absolute honor. To be in the same room
with you guys and your team, and I just thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
All right, look, I'm honest, thank you for listening to
another episode of look at Radio. We'll catch you next time.
Besos look at a Radio is executive produced by viosa
Fem and Mala Munios.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Stephanie Franco is our producer.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Story editing by Me.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Viosa creative direction by Me Mala.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Look At Radio is a part of iHeartRadio's Michael Dura
podcast network.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
You can listen to look at Radio on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Leave us a review and share with your putting my
or share with your homegirl.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
And thank you to our local moorees, to our listeners
for tuning in each and every week.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Besitos Loca Lumi
Olaola Loka Morees. Welcome to another episode of Look At Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Mala and I'm Theosa.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We're super excited to have in studio with us Jess Rubalcaba.
Jess is the head of production at Sassoon Studios LA
and the producer behind some of our favorite shows like
La Platica, Guru That Corner and Suelta la Lingua podcast. Jess,
Welcome to Look at What our Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Thank you so much. It's such an honor to be
here with you, ladies.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
I feel like you guys are really the ogs of podcasting,
especially for Latina women. So the fact that you invited
me to join me for an episode is such a
big honor.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
So thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, thank you for saying that. And one of the
reasons we wanted to have you on is because you
are so often behind the mic. You are producing incredible
shows that are super popular and big in the Latino
community and beyond, and so we just wanted to use
this time to get to know you and talk to
you as a producer, but also just get to know
you as a Latina working in podcasting as a local
(01:03):
to La. Right, yes, and just yeah and just talk,
just get to know you.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Thank you, Thanks again.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
How did you get your start? How did you start
podcast producing?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
There's no short answer to that, I'd say, and honestly,
a lot of it has to do with just being
in the right place at the right time. I am lucky,
super lucky to have really creative friends and to have
really creative friends of friends, and so I really started.
This all began when I started my job at Methou,
which was back in I think twenty seventeen. I you know,
(01:38):
they needed someone to help create memes, and so.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I just started there.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
My mom didn't really understand, but you know, it is
what it is. And then slowly but surely, my role
within the organization started shifting and changing, and I eventually
became the director of content at one point. But then
when I got there, I realized that it took away
a lot of the creativity that I really enjoyed. And
fortunately at that company there was super flexible and really
(02:05):
encouraging and helping me figure out what it is that
I wanted to do within it. And then I ended
up in production, and so I fell in love with
production and everything about it. And it's so much fun
seeing an idea that you have kind of come to life,
and then from them posting it and it's nerve wracking,
and then people reacting to it, and especially like it's
very rewarding when you see that people are actually enjoying it.
(02:29):
So after that, there was a show that I was
working on towards the end of my career at the organization,
and then I got acquainted with Sevas and Robert, who's
whose manager and he's the one that heads up all
of Sasoon's studios LA. He also has his own talent
agency called Rebel Management, and yeah, so I wanted to
(02:51):
hire Sevas for a project that I was working on,
and then that kind of also led into just kind
of again making that connection, them telling us telling me sorry,
them telling me what they envisioned and what they wanted
for their show and how they could use some support.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
And I was like, hey, like, if you're serious about this,
let me know.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
And that was about two years ago almost. It was
towards the end of the summer that we kind of
like got to work together and yeah, I've just kind
of been learning on the go. So in podcasts directly,
it was kind of like a just diving headfirst into it.
And figuring it out, and yeah, it's been it's been
(03:36):
a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's amazing. Were you already a podcast listener?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
What were some of the podcasts you were listening to
when you got your start?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I have been a longtime fan of my favorite Murder.
Actually just bought tickets to go see them live too
in Pasadena later this year. And yours, of course, Malat.
I know you also have an independent one on your own.
When I was at me Through, we kind of tried
our hand with podcasting, but it was in the very
early stage of whatever that was, and I think we
(04:08):
only did like one or two episodes, so I was
very much also like that was one that I spoke
into that I was a guest on.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I guess you could.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Say I love it. I love it, I mean True Crime.
I think really put podcasting on the map in a
lot of ways. And I'm wondering how you made the
transition creatively from creating memes working for an organization like
Methoo to now like crafting an identity for a podcast
and hosted by two men and for a Latino audience,
(04:40):
and your creative process in bringing that show identity to life.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Well, Luckily for me, most of the show identity was
already established. There've been around for a very long time,
and they already kind of know what they're doing. So
for me, it was also taking a look at like
analytics and such like seeing what the audience is consuming,
seeing what they're interested in. And it wasn't like it
was necessarily too difficult for me to relate to the
(05:06):
audience of Laplatica because the I think eighty percent of
it is women. So it's just kind of like, okay,
like what do I like and what do I want
to hear from these guys that you know aren't And
I think, like, I'm so honored to work with them
because they're not your traditional especially like in Latino men.
They're not like Machi style or they're not like, oh
(05:29):
you know what I mean, Like they're they're really open
to hearing ideas and not opposed to poking fun at themselves.
So that's kind of like what I take the lead
on and an inspiration for creating new things, right. Like
one of my favorite segments that we that we did
together was Girly Pop one Oh One, which honestly, like
I saw a TikTok video about it, and then I
(05:49):
just kind of came up with a bunch of questions
and we've done i think three or four episodes at
this point dedicated to that, and it's just a lot
of fun and I think the audience also responded to
it really well.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So it's all again really.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Encouraging to to continue going down that path. So again,
like for that one specifically, the identity was already established,
and I think I just lend a different perspective coming
in as a woman, especially even sometimes I'll prepare an
episode for them and I'm like, okay, because we need
to dive deep, like I want to know how do
you manage this, like in your relationships, Like let's talk
(06:23):
about this, but Rala, maa, you know what I mean,
they're just to shit and they're like, sorry, it does.
And I'm like, hey, I'm here to support you and
however you need, however you want. So as long as
I try to create some things as well, it doesn't
always go that way, but those are often the most
fun episodes as well.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I think that's a balance right that even we as
podcasters are constantly trying to strike. Is like having notes
to follow and research and having talking points that we
want to cover. But then also the episode has a
life of its own, and once you're in the conversation
and in the recording session, especially with the guests, you know,
(07:02):
just being prepared to go wherever the conversation wants to go.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yes, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
I think it's it kind of it's a little bit
disconnecting when it's so structured that it's just like question answer,
question answered like you want, especially on la Platica, Like
the whole premise of the show is just a conversation,
you know what I mean, And to kind of have
something hyperstructured would take away from the organicness the fun.
Like that's when you get them, the guests, to really
(07:29):
open up about whatever topic they want to open up about.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Don't go anywhere, lokamotives.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
We'll be right back, and we're back with more of
our episode.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What is it about Laplatica that you feel resonates with
women so much? Because when we think, at least when
I think about some of the male hosted shows that
are on like the white podcaster YouTuber side, they tend
to be more male dominated. But you're showing us something,
you're telling us something completely different. So I'm so curious,
like why you think that the audience resonates so much
(08:04):
with these two men.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
I think the conversations that they bring to the table
are a little bit different, and I think in terms
of their approach on them because you like, I'm not
going to say names or anything like that, but there's
there's other creators out there that are also men who
tend to be like a little bit more vulgar in
their approach for topics, and I just don't see that
(08:26):
being like the nature of Josh and Sabaz, And I
think that that's really refreshing, and I mean respectfully to
you know, their partners, Like, they're not ugly guys either,
you know what I mean. So I think girls also
want to tap in for a little bit of eye candy,
you know what I mean. So I think and again,
(08:47):
like usually guys that look like them don't have the
perspective that they do, and I think that that's really
attractive to a lot of people. It's really refreshing, honestly,
And every time, like I have a conversation with them,
I walk away super inspired. Josh Hasalu then he's just
like fully like watching him on the go just manage
his business and then we have cecil and like all
(09:08):
of it, and you know, Sebas helps out so much
with secl and like all of it is just like
it just motivates me to also like be better and
do better. Yeah, I think it's just refreshing. I don't
think it's a perspective that you often get, especially in
an oversaturated world of social media. So so I think
that that's why women want to join, you know what
I mean, join into the conversation and listen and hear
(09:30):
you know, maybe they're going to talk about something that
they can take back to the men in their lives,
you know what I mean. Maybe they'll hear something that
like in a different type of angle that they can
then approach their partners with, you know what I mean.
Like it's just yeah, I think there's something there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
And I'm really curious also about the topics that you
do bring to the show. Is the audience asking for
specific episodes about particular topics. Are you guys like researching
online to see what the chatter is about. Is it
coming organically like from you and from the hosts. How
do you come up with the content that you end
(10:07):
up sharing on the show.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
It's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
To be honest, I think it's really important to listen
to your audience and to see what they want to hear,
who they want to have on the show, what kind
of topics they want to dive into. Especially right now,
there's just so much going on and it's directly impacting
our communities, and I think that.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
You know, being aware of that, being.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Aware of the privilege and the platform that we have
and how we're able to like contribute and help out
and share information and everything, I think is always really important.
And then we have to also like look at timing
in terms of like like right now, we were just
talking about how Hispanic marriage month is just in a
few weeks, you know what I mean. So it's just
kind of figuring out guests that we want to have
(10:53):
join us, conversations we want to have. Yeah, that combined
with the audience, like, it's just it's a little bit
of everything. And again, sometimes we're we're fully prepped, especially
for the solo episodes, Like sometimes we're fully prepped with
something and the conversation takes the whole left turn and
then it ends up being completely different. And even again
when we do have guests, Like sometimes I'll I'll have
(11:14):
something prepped for them and then we just might not
even get to it, you know what I mean. But
as long as like I do my job ahead of
time and like I prep them and they're ready to
go with the audience, like, then that's I say, yoya,
you know what I mean, Like, I'll take it over
after we record, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
So don't go anywhere, locomotives, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
And we're back with more of our episode.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Are you kind of touched on this right now? But
I think especially in the last year in twenty twenty four,
it was an election year. In twenty twenty five, obviously
new administration ice raads all over Los Angeles and the nation,
and I think there's been a lot of chatter online
on different parts about influencers speaking out about political moments
(12:04):
and making their stance like very known, And I'm wondering
what your thoughts are on that as a producer, you know,
do you think that influencers and in your case, podcast
hosts have a responsibility and how are you navigating this
like territory right now where there's a lot of I
see the call outs online, I see the pressure that
(12:24):
digital communities are putting on people with bigger platforms, and
sometimes I feel it's warranted. And sometimes I feel like
we need to use that energy to go to a
city council meeting to call our elected official, you know.
But I think that there is also some warrant you know,
when there and I understand when we feel like so disempowered,
we are gonna channel it to the person or platform
(12:48):
that feels most accessible to us. Maybe city council meeting
doesn't feel accessible to us, but this influencer does, so
I understand that nuance. So I'm just really curious what
your thoughts are on that, and like how you've been
navigating now that you have moremultiple shows with sas on.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
I feel like not everyone who has a platform has
a voice that we should be listening to in terms
when it comes to like politically, you know what I mean.
Like we visit different channels on TV to get different things,
you know, and if one of the channels that you
tap into is online for entertainment, sometimes the people that
entertain you might not have like the most thoughtful things
(13:27):
to say about any given topic, you know what I mean,
Especially when it comes to more serious ones. That's not
to say that that's how these guys are or anybody
on that I work with.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
I get what you're saying though, that like should we
be getting like news or political opinions from influencers, Like
is that where we should really be going?
Speaker 4 (13:49):
I do think that it is important though, to especially
in like such times like today, like you cannot and
this is maybe this is my personal opinion coming out,
like you cannot pick and choose, you know what I mean,
And you can't show up and claim to represent a
(14:11):
community and then separate distance yourself from the struggles that
they're actively facing, Like I mean myself, I'm an immigrant,
you know what I mean. Like, and I'm quote unquote
one of the lucky ones. Like we did things the
right way, you know, And I became a citizen not
too long ago, towards the end of the last Trump
(14:32):
administration because it was so scary because we didn't know
what was going to happen, you know, and like me
and my mom both we kind of got our shit
together and like we were like hey, you know, and
like even then, I feel like nowadays it might not
even matter because they're just pulling people off the street,
you know what I mean. So I feel like it's
a disservice to the community that you like claim to
(14:53):
represent if you don't address it and if you don't
show up for them and their time of need. But
that being said, I don't think we need to hear
everybody's opinion if you are using your platform to disseminate information,
to share resources, to be like, hey, this is where
they're doing the ice raids right now, like you know, oh,
like whatever. I think that that's more than enough. But
(15:16):
to be called out and to be asked like no,
I want to hear it from you and from your
point of view, Like that's when you know, one thing
gets taken out of context and then all of a sudden,
like it's worse that they did speak up, you.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
So it's just it's it's a very fine line to walk,
and like with the show, the shows, like we try
to address it, you know what I mean, Sometimes it's
not as easy to get the proper guests that we
would want in to have these conversations. It's a very
fine line to walk. But yeah, not not everyone with
(15:53):
a massive platform, I think well is going to have
the right things to say.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I I agree with you, and I do think sometimes
they're I think I try to put myself in the
shoes of the audience, and because I'm audience to like
plenty of creatives and TV shows and movies and podcasts
and music, right, I am an audience member, and I
think about myself and anyone else who like follows an
(16:21):
artist and invests time or money to consuming their work,
and I think on some level, we almost have to validate,
you know, the fact that we're a fan, you know,
and we almost have to say, well, they align with
me politically, so I'm okay to be their fan and
to support them and buy their merch and go to
(16:43):
their show. It's almost like this additional layer of yeah,
this person is is like worth my my support. Yeah,
And so I do understand that piece as well. But
something we've talked about on the show for many, many
years is like, how do we make a direct impact
(17:04):
for those who need it the most? And oftentimes it's
not in the comment section, you know. It's not on TikTok,
it's not on Instagram, it's not on YouTube. It's like, yeah,
going to a city council meeting. Yeah, it's writing a
letter to your senator, it's showing up at a protest,
it's donating, you know to an organization that gives direct aid.
So I think it's important, like for our Latino audience
(17:27):
in this critical moment to also like keep that in mind,
you know, like, how are we really helping? And is
camping out in the comment section of your favorite podcaster?
Is that the way?
Speaker 4 (17:36):
One hundred percent? And honestly, also to that point, there's
a lot that goes on behind the scenes that doesn't
get posted, you know, in terms of like donation and
like conversations being had. It's not all just what you
see for an hour on YouTube, you know what I mean,
Like it extends far beyond that. So so that energy
stays there, you know, and it's active and where we're
(17:57):
like doing things about it. So I think that also
trying to maybe keep that in mind for whoever does
feel very empowered to say something like they might not
really know the full story, so a little bit of
grace like you.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Don't know, you know, Yeah, that happened to I had
this conversation with a friend of mine recently who she
was listening to one of her favorite podcasts. It's politically,
very politically aligned with her, very social justice oriented, and
she heard a Christy nomad on the podcast and she
(18:36):
texted me and was like, Hey, like, I heard this ad.
I'm so disappointed. And I said, you know, sometimes there
are ads on our shows and we don't know what
ad it is, because if we don't voice it, we
don't know what ad is going on. So I would
recommend you reaching out via email. They might not even know.
And if you they're so allegedly or according to you,
(18:57):
politically aligned, then they might actually be really happy that
you're reaching out, you're emailing them, because they might not
even know. And so I like extended that invitation to her, like,
give them some grace, check in with them, because they
might not even know that that ad is on their podcast,
and they might actually be really grateful that you let
them know. Because we've had that in not for Chris,
(19:18):
not a Christy nomad, but we've had ads in the
past that for corporations that aren't necessarily aligned with us
as individuals and as a podcast and a listener will
reach out and we've had to say, hey, if we're
not voicing it, if we're not doing this ad read
like this is not a co sign of this organization.
And so to your point that there's a lot of
stuff that goes on behind the scenes that the audience
(19:40):
does not know, and they're not because they don't have
to know, you know, like they don't need to know
the ins and outs of podcast ads and reads, right,
But it is giving, like your favorite creator sometimes a
benefit of the doubt that the bad intentions are not there,
you know, And it is that grace and that fine
line like you mentioned.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Oh my god, you just reminded me when I was
at METU one time we had like like a video
or something go up and we had a Trump ad
in the video, like yeah, and it was like what
I guess you can imagine, like everyone went kind of crazy.
It was like what the hell is Like, there's no way,
So we kind of had to figure out how to
remove it.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
But yeah, things things do happen.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
And then now, I mean this is obviously like different
because I were talking television, but like the ads on Telemundo,
have you guys been tapping in lately?
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Like it's no, I haven't seen girl. It literally is
like what's that woman's.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Name, Christine?
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Oh, it's her, It's.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Like if you are illegal, we will find you, we
will deport you, like on Telemundo.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
On Telemundo, on Kylave. I mean, they're like buddies with
the Trump administration. Yeah, so that's also why I'm like,
it's not surprising. It's one of the reasons like oh
g journalists, right, and so it's all a part of
like the media conglomerate and now we're getting super in gritty, right,
(21:01):
but like yeah, I mean it's my mom like constantly
is like I can hear her from the other room
yelling why the fuck is this ad on k Love,
you know, and it's disappointing because you're alienating your audience, right,
And so that I mean is a is a broader conversation.
Yet a lot of like hosts don't have like input
(21:22):
on especially if you're on a network, right, what ads
get sold. So yeah, unless you're doing a specific ad
read like then that's different.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
It also is a reminder of how precious our safe
spaces are, yes, because they can infiltrate all of our media.
And so the network or the show that you were
tuning into for your info to get in touch with
your community, to hear from people who are potentially in
(21:53):
alignment with you. Those spaces are beyond our control really,
and so it's also a sort of very insidious type
of terror, right, like, no, we're gonna You're gonna hear
our voices and see our faces even on your your
networks and your shows. We're everywhere. And I think that
this is another reason why when we do have like
(22:15):
shows like this or La Platica, that as a community
we do, like you know, have that grace and that
support because Belemundo's not safe, Union's not safe, right, but
our smaller media creators maybe we have a little independence
from that and we can preserve some safety in the
(22:36):
media that we create.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, I feel like those safe spaces are so needed
right now more than ever because yeah, like my parents
will be watching that every single ad break is like
my dad just starts cursy.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
At the TV. He's like, I'm gonna say what he says.
But yeah, but yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I understand that's my mom like multiple times because he
listens to Klea all day, you know, and that's a
local LA radio station, So yeah, I understand completely. I
want to kind of shift the conversation about like podcasting
and producing with Sesson because y'all just launched a new
show called Through That Corner.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
So I want to.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Ask you about that show and like how that came
to be and like your involvement in creating this show.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I was already working with the organization, and I think
this was just as Sesson, we decided that we wanted
to launch a podcast network and kind of create new shows.
And one of them like was, obviously, we're really big
fans of what Karen Eddie and Blessed do, Like they're
just comedy like every single time, and so we wanted
(23:46):
to people tap in when they have conversations, and we
wanted to be able to kind of create a new
space for them to be able to have different kinds
of conversations, you know. So I think the main concern
with them is how do we create something unique and
fun and that is still very much representative of who
they are as individuals. And yeah, the idea for kind
(24:07):
of they like they were like that we want to
just have fun and we kind of want to shoot
the shit, and we don't want it to be like
all the other podcasts where people just sit and talk.
Like sure, obviously, like there's gonna be an element of that,
but we want to have segments, and we talked about
shows we were inspired by, we talked about what the
creative approach could be, and so, yeah, little by little,
like kind of all started coming together and then the
(24:29):
set was built based on what they wanted to include
in it. Blessed is Nika Awen, so he wanted to
make sure that like there was some Nika culture in there.
And obviously Kate, Karen and Eddie are Mexican, so it's
very Mexican as well. And yeah, like it just kind
of happened naturally, I guess we again, we talked in
(24:53):
talking about like the shows that they were inspired by
and what we wanted to create for it. The whole
Impactante sixty nine segment came about, which is like watching
them in action is insane, Like they're able to tap
in and they're actors, you know what I mean, Like
when they put the wigs on and the way that
they are, like it's comedy. And to be able to
(25:14):
like help kind of put it together for them and
be another vessel for their creativity has been really fun.
And yeah, like I just I am so privileged that
I love being surrounded by such creative people that kind
of just like makes me want to be more creative
and it's like, okay, but how can we do this
and how can we do that? So so it's been
(25:36):
really fun. There's other segments and such that we're working on.
Like what it is right now isn't the final form
of it. It's just going to be kind of like
ever changing, ever flowing.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
But yeah, it's very.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
Very directly and like they're very directly involved in what
they would want they want it to be, and the
vision that they have for it and the types of
conversations that they want to have on it. So so
it's been really fun collaborating with them and bringing their
visional life.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Nope, that's amazing. I love. I love. That's one of
the things I love about podcasting is like how you
can change the show, you know, from one episode to
the next.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
You can.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
It's never really in its final form. It's constantly evolving.
And what are your thoughts You kind of mentioned this
earlier of the industry being saturated, So what are your
thoughts on or what advice would you give to a
creative someone who wants to step into the podcasting space,
whether that be Indie or they're pitching to a network,
(26:35):
what advice would you give to them to like stand
apart to be different in an set oversaturated industry.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
I'd say do first starter is just do it, and
then also do what feels like natural to you. Right,
you clearly have an idea that you're excited about that
you want to take action on, So don't second guess yourself.
Just you know, get it out on paper and make
sure that you have like a solid plan, a solid
(27:04):
structure that you want to follow, and just go for it.
In the age where everybody's kind of chat gpting everything, like,
there's kind of conversations that we can elaborate on, you
know what I mean, via podcast and you can learn
so much and there's like there's it's just it's massive.
It's a massive space. As many conversations that are actively
(27:25):
happening right now.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
It's massive.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
And there's technology, there's culture, there's comedy, there's so many things.
So just figure out how you want to make it
your style because that's what people are going to want
to see. You know what I mean is different and
you just as an individual, are going to be different.
So just figure out what that looks like. And then
just go for it. I feel like with anything, and
(27:47):
even in my own life, like things have just kind
of happened because I've been able to kind of do them.
Gone Milo, but you know what I mean, like just
doing them and things always work out, So that that
would be my advice, isn't that?
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Absolutely? I'm also curious. So I listened to maybe it
was the most recent episode of La Platica, and was
it that there was audience members on YouTube that thought
that Josh was like cutting off Sabas, like he was
being rude to him, h huh, And how they kind
of handled that on air, And so as a producer,
I'm really curious how you help them to navigate, whether
(28:25):
it's drama coming from the audience or drama coming from
behind the scenes between the hosts, what have you like,
how you helped massage that.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Honestly, like, I had no hand in that, Okay, it
was very much like a My only advice was, hey,
maybe we should like not spend so much of the
episode talking about this, you know what I mean? And
they were like yeah, and Josh immediately was like, yeah,
I know what you're talking about, and he was like,
(28:54):
I got some things I want to say, I'm gonna
say it for the thought, and I'm like, okay, like
go for it. But I really had no hand in that.
It was very much a conversation led by them. But
there's never any kind of like animosity, you know, like
I r L that's happening.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
It's just it's just two guys.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Does the audience And I just mean in general, I
don't mean that's posibally, but do you feel audience is
sometimes fabricate drama like they see like a slight but
it's like, wait, no, that was nothing.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
This was one example of that happening for sure.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
But yeah, I mean when especially when things get taken
out of context, like did you guys see when?
Speaker 3 (29:35):
So you know question right?
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Okay, So she we had just had her on and
she had gifted it a set of the cards, so
we kept them in the studio and I told the
guys it was like, hey, it'd be a really good
idea to like kind of dive into your guys' friendship
with these questions, you know, like let's let's talk about things.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
And then there was one moment where.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
Josh talked about the question that he got or the
question that's us asked him, was have I ever disappointed
you as a friend? Like, has there ever been a
moment where you felt like I wasn't there for you?
And Josh really took his time to try to think
of an answer and come up with something, and he
was like, oh yeah, man, he was like, yeah, one
(30:18):
time you let me run out of gas and like
I do remember this, and no, Like the internet went
crazy for it because it's like, how do you let
your friend run out of a gas?
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Gas?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Yeah, it was so crazy and it was so funny.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
And then it was it was even more funny because
a few weeks after that, there was a moment where
Josh ran out of gas again and luckily some ass
was like he ran to the gas station, We filled
the thing and he was running. There's like a follow
up video that happened. It was just it's just so funny.
But but again, like another example of things taken way
(30:54):
in a different direction because she's my pages cliped that
and everyone in the comments was going after Sabas and
it's like, yo, like it wasn't even that deep, you
know what I mean to begin with, but it's just
the level that it got to.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, it was kind of crazy.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, the cheesemat pages are the new.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Tabloids, Yes, very much, very much.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
So what do you think it takes to foster like
a good hosts co host dynamic, Because we've seen I
mean we've been super lucky, blessed, but also intentional of
like keeping a really good dynamic and friendship along the way.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
But we've seen.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Hosts like fight, yeah physically physically like they talk about like,
oh yeah, we we're not friends. We brawled like we fought.
You know, We've we've heard chatter from different co hosts, right,
and sometimes like a show co host will leave and
a new a new host will come in, you know,
and there's all these different dynamics when that happens, and
(31:49):
the show can change. So what are your thoughts on
like fostering like a good co host dynamic, you know,
especially I don't know what the norm is right now,
but like sometimes there's just clos that are like thrown
together that didn't necessarily like co create a podcast together.
So how do you keep a healthy balance or like
a healthy essentially a co worker but also friendship dynamic.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
That's a tough one.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
I feel like you definitely Listen, We're all different people,
and we're all gonna have different viewpoints on things, and
we all stand, you know, ten toes down for our
own beliefs. But I think you just have to have
like mutual respect for the other person despite you know,
if they what they believe and might not be necessarily
super one hundred percent aligned with what you but they're
(32:36):
entitled to their beliefs just as much as you are,
you know what I mean. So I think maintaining mutual
respect is super important. I have friendship always helps. I mean,
if you guys are friends in real life, you're going
to experience things together or you're gonna want to tell
your co hosts like, hey, this just happened, I can't
(32:57):
wait to talk about it, to tell you about it
like it had. Like having natural chemistry is also just
like never gonna not be fun to watch.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
So I think when it comes to like having people
be put together, I would look at it more in
the sense of, like, you wouldn't be in that space
and being presented with this opportunity if it didn't feel
like a good match. So just kind of trust in that,
you know what I mean. And again, going back to
(33:28):
the respect thing, like, just respect each other, trust in
that you guys are gonna have different viewpoints on a topic.
But that's exactly why you guys are having the conversation,
because not everybody's gonna see it from the way that
usse is. Not everyody's gonna see the way my lesson,
you know what I mean. Like, it's just and it's
important to show as many sides to a conversation as
you can because that's what people end up identifying with.
(33:48):
So the whole brawl thing about it though, like that
that's another level.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
I don't know, but but yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Well this has been amazing, Jesz. Thank you for taking
us behind the scenes, of course, and to some of
the community's favorite podcasts. I mean, the shows have just
really taken off. They're all over TikTok, They're all over
the airwaves. It's really exciting to see. I mean, I
think it's a beautiful moment in Latino podcasting, and I
think you're a big part of that. So thank you
(34:19):
for sharing your insights and your creativity with us on
Look at a Radio.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
Oh my god, thank you ladies so much for having me.
It's an absolute honor. To be in the same room
with you guys and your team, and I just thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
All right, look, I'm honest, thank you for listening to
another episode of look at Radio. We'll catch you next time.
Besos look at a Radio is executive produced by viosa
Fem and Mala Munios.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Stephanie Franco is our producer.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Story editing by Me.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Viosa creative direction by Me Mala.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Look At Radio is a part of iHeartRadio's Michael Dura
podcast network.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
You can listen to look at Radio on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Leave us a review and share with your putting my
or share with your homegirl.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
And thank you to our local moorees, to our listeners
for tuning in each and every week.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Besitos Loca Lumi
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