November 20, 2024 • 29 mins
Benton sits down with Kate to share their post run high after a quick run. Benton opens up about his early years and what he was doing prior to content creation. He shares his journey on how he grew his online community and his unique approach to content creation, offering a glimpse into his process and the inspiration behind his work. He even reveals some interesting details about the fashion industry from his experiences creating videos with models and designers. He reveals his aspirations for the future and the exciting projects on the horizon.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Denton freaking McLean talk. Welcome to Post run High.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm so excited to be back with you. This is
crazy too.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Was it two years ago now almost?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
We were on the street and now look at us.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I know.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
You've grown like so much since we first met.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, I like just had one hundred K when we met. Yeah,
and now now we're both like quadrupled that.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The first time we met, we were talking about like, Okay,
how are we going to make businesses out of this?
Like are we going to be able to quit our
full time jobs? Because at the time you were working
as waiting tables?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yeah? Yeah, what do you think it taught you?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Though?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
How to deal with like the most insufferable of people
and how to take on many personas and personalities. And
I think that's one of the reasons I'm so good
at playing characters.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You probably met so many people and have so many
just like personalities in your repertoire to kind of yeah,
we create Sometimes.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I'll just like go out and sit at a restaurant
alone and have headphones in but like not be listening
to anything and just like listen to the people on
either side of me. Since in New York you sat
like thirty centimeters from the person next to you mm hmmm,
and just scripts based off of these strangers lives. It's
so much fun.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
I don't know, guys, maybe Venton's the voice behind Overheard
New York.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I should be. They're just writing, like they're not actually
going out and listening to people.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
They can't be no sometimes maybe maybe sometimes I was
like wondering that. The other day I was like, do
they get submissions? Like, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I think so yeah. I think people just like submit
crazy things and like hope that they make it.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Let's back up, though, I want you to take us
back to your childhood. Tell me what you were like
growing up, where you grew up, what your family dynamic.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Was like, family dynamic messy. My divorced young, my real parents,
my mom got married again, new step siblings, new family.
When I was like eight, moved to North.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Carolina because where were you born?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Illinois? And then I lived in the suburbs of DC
when my mom was working at the Pentagon, and then
she met her next husband and then we moved to
North Carolina. For him. North Carolina was not for me.
I came out because a girl was calling me like
a homophobic slur, and rather than like engaging with her,
I was just like, yeah, you're right, do you have
(02:18):
anything else to say?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So, my brother in law or soon to be brother
in law, is gay and he grew up in North
Carolina and he had a really similar, like negative experience
being gay in North Carolina. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I had my first restraining order at thirteen because of.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
A we unpacked that what do you mean what happened?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It was just this family was just harassing me, like
they just did not approve of my lifestyle or my
mom's choice to support her young teenage queer son, and
they would like call my house threatening us, and it
was just it was really messy. People just have a
lot of time and hate on their hands. I had
a great family. My mother was very supportive. She obviously
(02:58):
had no problem with it when I told her, like
when I was like, Mom, I wand to tell you
something and she was like what. I was like, I'm gay,
and she's like what do you have to tell me?
Like it was like that it was not a thing
for her, So that was nice. And then I had
an older brother and he was he's straight and he
had a lot of like straight friends and they all
loved and adored me and like would protect me against
(03:18):
all of the negativity that would come my way. So
people ended up being it became known not to really
speak about me or to me because of my family
and like my brother and his friends, and that I
did have a strong group of people that did love
me and wanted to make sure I was like safe
and protected and would go out of their way to
(03:39):
confront anyone who was not being kind to me. It
took a few years to get to the point where
that felt like secure, but I did have that, so
I'm grateful for that. And then I went to college
in Nashville. Okay, Belmunt University.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
That's fun.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, it was okay. Nashville was cute to me. It
was a city at the time. I've gone back like once,
I think, and I was like, what is there. This
is not a city, this is a town. But it
was better than North Carolina. Obviously, I didn't really have
to deal with any of like the hate in Tennis
in Nashville. It's a very liberal little city. And yeah,
(04:16):
I studied psychology in pr in Spanish and then I
moved here to work in fashion.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Wait, I love that you studied Spanish.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, do you speak Spanish ventin?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I didn't know this, Okay, that's really really cool.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
No, And it's so sad because I took it for
so many years in school and I feel like it's
either you have a knack for a language or you don't,
and I like really really don't. But my fiance can
pick up languages like that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
It took me like moving there. I went to Spain
my senior year of high school because my mom's divorce
got really messy and I just like needed to get out.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So your family that you moved to North Carolina before
your mom ended up divorce divorced.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, I mean wait, that.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Family just like backing up a little bit, that was
a military family that she married into.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
My dad, her first husband, he was also in the Army.
She was worked at the Pentagon, so that was like
military affiliated. And then her next husband she met through
the Pentagon and he was army as well.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It's cool that your mom always worked government jobs.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah, that's also like working at the Pentagon. That's so cool.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
It was interesting, especially like during nine to eleven because
they moved her office like a week before the plane
hit and her original office was like where the plane hit,
which was wild.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, but God is good.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah seriously. So her divorce got really messy with her
second husband. I fled my senior year of high school.
I lived in Spain and that's how I learned Spanish.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I mean that is so cool. And you lived in
freaking Madrid. Yeah, Like that's like I feel like one
of like the sexiest places.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
To live in Spain. Asked for that, I was like,
I must live in Madrid. That's the only place I
want to live.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You have such like a European vibe to you.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
I feel like I want to live in I would
live in Madrid so fast. I love it there. It's
so gorgeous and I love Spain. I love the people.
I'm like decent out the language. It takes me like
going back to get it again. Like I can speak
at I can understand it, but when I'm there it
comes back to me. But when I moved there, I
didn't know a word.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
So you end up graduating and where did you move?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I moved in with a family on the Upper East.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Side, Okay, and you were nannying.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, so they had two kids and I interned for
a fashion designer in Chelsea and they were great. I
loved that family.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
How many kids were you nant too?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
You said they were twins?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Yeah, oh my, oh that's cute.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, how old there were six at the time.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I knew the family because the mom actually grew up
with my mom in northern California as kids, and she
like moved to the city when she was a teenager
started modeling and like, yeah, just really did a lot
and now lives on the Upper East Side in the penthouse.
It's not where she started though at all.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
And during the day you were working doing a fashion internship,
what were you doing kind of anything?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Like some days I was like doing book keeping. Some
days I was like designing like look books for the collection.
Some days I was working with the designers. Some days
I was going to Burgdorf Goodman's to make sure like
the collection was staged properly and they had all the inventory.
But every day I was definitely crying.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Fashion internships, Like there are nightmare stories.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It was awful. I'm not good at the performative aspects
of like being an entry level whatever little bitch.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah, I mean, who is It's so hard?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So like I would come in late with an iced
coffee sometimes and like she would scream.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
At me now, it's like look at me now, and
you're doing all this insane fashion stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I mean I do do fashion stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
You do?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, I forget about it, and I love you.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I mean that is I guys, Like it's such a
cool brand to be able.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
To worry for Laurren. Santa Domingo is iconic. I love
her so much. She's so sweet and she's like the
how I get into the shows and like how I
get backstage because like I'm affiliated with her brand.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
What is it life being back there?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Like?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Is it chaotic?
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Yeah? It's a mess. Yeah, it's a mess. And I
usually just end up hanging out with the boys because
it takes them a lot less time, yeah, to get ready,
Like they're done like pretty much instantly, and the girls
are like running around like getting strapped in all of
these insane outfits, and so it's much harder to speak
to the girls the girls are working. There is reason
female models make more than male models.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I'm so sorry, boys, I didn't even know that was
a thing.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Oh, girls make so much more than models.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I guess that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Deservingly right. They are killing themselves and then anytime I
get to talk to the designers, they give me like
they act like they're giving me they're putting me in
God's presence. It's always so psychotic because like I gay,
you have five minutes of the designer, and I'm like, okay,
So sometimes I think I'm being rude when I first
meet them, but like because like they hand me the
(08:51):
design like they pass me the designer. I'm like having
someone film me and I'm I don't introduce myself until
like I start shooting right, and the designers just like
like your team gave me five minutes. I'm using every.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Minute of it, or like this is my show.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
And it's fun because I feel like they don't really
get people who interact with them like that, because so
many people who like go like get these opportunities, which
I don't want to sound like I'm not grateful for it.
I am, but I'm not, as I guess, enamored by it.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah I'm not either. I like that you say that I'm.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Not like googly, I like drooling, like I cannot believe
I'm speaking to these people. You show up in your
pro Yeah, that's how that has started to happen and
like I feel like within the past year I've felt that,
and it's such a nice feeling because like, for so
long I would go into these situations and have so
much anxiety and be like, I, how am I in
this room? Like do I deserve to be here? And
(09:49):
now I'm just.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Like hey, I do have to say though, I feel
like fashion is another level of like do I deserve
to be here? Just because of the vibe that they
set in those environments.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Last season, I had like two chaperones with me, Like
the mode of team was very much like guiding me
through this and like getting me into these spaces and everything,
but like most of it was like street interview style
or like out right outside the show. This year it
was like all backstage stuff. And I did have a
girl who was with me that from their team, and
she was helping me film and everything. But getting in
(10:19):
these rooms, the amount of times you're told no when
you're on a list is crazy. I was like, no,
I'm here to interview the designer and it's in twenty
minutes and I need to get.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Back there now, and what do you have to do.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I have just gotten to a point where like I'm
going back and I'm like, get someone else. I was
like I need to speak to someone else then, because
it's literally it's such a meme like checking into like
any of these fashion shows, even as an attendant or
like backstage, no matter what it is, it's such a meme.
And you really just have to like assert so much
like confidence and like assurance that you know you're supposed
(10:55):
to be there, like the second you express any form
of like I guess like slightly apologetic or like unsure
of yourself, like you're not getting through the door if
you're on the list or not, so like I was
pushing myself through with these doors, like literally I'm dead
because like you're literally there.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
You'd think there'd be like a rep with you, like okay,
come this way.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
You know that's now the designers it's it's all lost.
It's such a mess that like they it's just all lost,
and like getting back, you just have to be like
I am here, I'm working, I'm doing this this like
you need to find someone else who knows what I'm
doing then, because I am right, And it just gets
to a point where that's like.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Okay, let's circle back.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
You went from fashion internship, so then covid Hits right,
you moved LA.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I was covid Hit and I started delivering groceries for Instacart. Actually,
so that's like what I did at first, and then
once I started making enough money doing that, I started.
I launched a closet organizing business, and I helped a
bunch of influencers move from New York to LA, and
I was like living with one of them. His name
is Joey Zazig, and he was like my main influencer
(12:11):
client that like he flew me out. I did his house,
and he promoted me and got me a bunch of
clients in LA. He was he was great. And then
but like through living with him, I was kind of like,
this is an appealing life, Like this what like the
direction I desire to go? And I thought I could
do it like through the organizing thing and like make
that my content Niche quickly realized that was not inspiring
(12:37):
for me. I love organizing. I'm super like that is
something I love to do.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
But are you very organized?
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah? I love that and my home is psycho like
I'm I'm probably awful to live with.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
At what point did you move from LA back to
New York City and start serving.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I still had my apartment in New York. When I
was living in LA, I was living with my one
of like my ex at that time, and like a
two hundred square at studio in Brooklyn. It was awful,
So LA I was like, I, yes, I will stay
there as long as possible to have space. And then
I came back and then I started waiting tables after
(13:12):
like six ish months of doing the closets, and then
I came back to New York full time and just
was trying to figure out a way to like pursue
content and also have income to pay my rent. And
I don't know who told me how much they were
making waiting tables in the city, but I was talking
(13:33):
to someone out and they were like, yeah, it's like
pretty good money. And I was like, oh my god,
that's way more than I made at my corporate job.
And it's like it's less hours.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
You make great money in the service industry.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah. I would like, like on a bad month, like
three grand that was like twenty five hours a week,
So like if I wanted to make like four or
five grand, I would work like full time. And I
was like, oh, so now I can like, if I
like just live very minimally for for a while, I
can like wait tables and try and make content and
like do both. So I did that for over two
(14:06):
years and then was able to quit around the time
you met me, and.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Your content was so funny, like you were making really
really funny service industry videos.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
You ran into Carridale Levine.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Oh my god, she launched me.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
That was crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
She's my launch. She launched my whole career at Kara
Day Levine. She really did.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
What did your early videos look like?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Like?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Early early on, I was doing like what to do
in New York this Sunday?
Speaker 1 (14:33):
That is so funny because that's so not your I mean,
you know what to do on Sunday, New York, but
that's so funny, so bad.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I was like going. I was like vlogging the Brooklyn
Free flea market under the Bridge, going to like comedy
shows on rooftops and oh my god, finding things to
do during COVID. And I was very much doing like
New York City like things to do and see as
like a person who lives here because I had been
here for like almost two years at that point, so
I thought i'd.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
You didn't know you knew I knew enough.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yes, yeah, that's so funny, though I know he never
you don't strike me as one of those people.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Girl, I wasn't.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, but like I love those people because literally TikTok
and social media like Instagram, I use the search engine
like if I need recommendations, I'm looking at TikTok.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
So you're helping the people.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I am glad I did that because it like evolved
into I do travel vlogs now and I love doing those.
I think they're so fun. So like Puglia is getting
really trendy now, and I went to Puglia like two
years ago, so those are still getting.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Traction right, right? What was it that finally stuck for you?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
So I started doing obviously the serving skits. Loved those.
I loved that. I still love those. I still do
them sometimes. I think they're great and they're so relatable
and like that I feel like is like the core,
like the root of the character I do now with
frequency that everyone knows and loves, like the oh my god,
what's wrong? Or like the person you're with that friend
on the street.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
How did that character come to be?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I think it started with the serving skits, and then
when I stopped serving and I was not in the
restaurant anymore, I was like, Okay, I what do I
do with this? And I started to bring it into
different settings and then it just started to be like
on the street and I was able to like I
just got better at my writing, I think, And it
(16:18):
took me a while to even write in the first place.
And I had so much anxiety before I wrote, like
so much because I would wake up and I had
no idea what I was.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Doing, and content could be very overwhelming when you feel
that way, terrifying, And I was like, am I going
to be able to like to figure out lines in
the moment, because that's what I did.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Like at first, I was just like handing my camera
to someone, say this respond and we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
And if I was feeling it when we press record.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah, I'd be like, this is the scenario. This is
I would like I would build the universe and I
would tell them a few marks that I was going
to say and like what to respond to, very loosely,
and then it would we would see what would happen.
And then after doing that for a while, I was
like Okay, this is getting really really tiring, and like
I have so much clinical anxiety that never leaves my
(17:09):
body because I never know what's going to work. So
I started to like dissect my content and like I
started writing formulas for them, and I would be like
this question to this response, to this response to this quest,
and it's like a math equation, like the oh my god,
what's wrong videos, and then the person responds with something
terrible going on in their life, and then ICE respond
(17:30):
to something completely obliviate. Like that's a formula and that's
a literal equation.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
It is, I mean, that is so much of social media.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
So it's like so good that you say that, because
it is so important to take like an analytical approach
to what you're doing and like see what works, and
like yeah, so long though as it does, it takes
forever to like figure out what that is and then
like making sure it doesn't get too stale, because if
you use the formula too exact, every time it like dies.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
It does. It does. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I feel like I noticed when you went from not
like writing your content.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
You're not the first person to tell me that, and
that is so reassuring for me because I'm like, thank.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
God, But I think it's like a learning thing.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You got to a point where you're like, Okay, not
only do I want to wake up and feel good,
but okay, now all of a sudden, brands love these videos.
They want me to prep it. You know, it's going
to make me more comfortable, it's going to make the
filming quicker.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It's crazy because my manager, she has like fifteen clients,
and she when I started doing that, she was like,
oh my god, this is amazing. I was like really,
She was like, yeah, none of my other clients do this,
and I was like, that's crazy. They're all this out
here winging it.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
We're definitely creating content different than like a lifestyle content creator.
I would love to have a big lifestyle content creator
on because I really am interested in their process of
like fascinating. So the way I go about content is
I am scheduling interviews with people I normally film maybe
like twice a day or once a day, but I'm
pretty much filming five videos a week. And if it's
like a brand deal video, I'll have to write down
(18:58):
for the brand how I'm going to incord break my
key messaging. A lot of what I do is more
improv I never know how somebody's going to answer my question,
so I just have to be quick with my response.
So I plan out key messaging that I'm going to
hit for brands.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I'm like various different options of.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Like yeah, Like I just have to say to them,
like there's no option to reshoot, so I promise, yeah,
we don't do reshoots, which is kind of awesome about
my consent.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Yeah, that's like me going into an event. I'm like, Okay, yep,
we gotta get this.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yeah, and you will.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I love that you're getting into writing because I know
writing is a passion of yours.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
So let's talk about like what is the.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Future of Benminklin. Talk what is he doing, what is
he working on? What can we be excited to watch?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Right now? I'm working on a video called The Apology,
which is about an influencer and a future kind of
dystopian world and are culture is still thriving in this universe,
but it's kind of gotten to a point where like
governments have deemed global warming is kind of like hearsay,
like you can't talk about it because it's like goes
(20:10):
against society, and like they don't want it. It's just
they've deemed it as like false in this world and
like you can't talk about like you will get canceled
if you talk about it, and like say it's real,
and everyone is just like living in oblivion that this
isn't happening, and like we've just decided to not talk
about it anymore. So something gets dug up from my
past about me talking about global warming, and I get canceled,
(20:33):
like in the middle of like like an interview with someone,
so like it starts off me like in an in
an interviewing really pretentious, and then like I get a
call from my manager and I'm getting canceled, and then
the interviewer that's what they end up writing about. And
I go home to like my entire team like freaking
out and like writing a script for me to like
for my apology, and like taking all of my phones
away and like all of my tech and like leaving
(20:54):
me alone to rotten my room for days, and like
in my head, as I'm rotting in my room, you
just hear all of the hate comments pouring over me,
calling me like an eco freak and ship like that,
and then like my team comes back three days later,
I look horrendous and they are like perfect, like amazing,
and they like set me up like on the floor,
Like it's like stage, Like the apology video is staged,
(21:15):
and like this is like my first video involving like
other people.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, how is it coordinating? Getting like other people's Wait,
you have to find like actresses.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
I'm using like creator friends. Yeah, and like you need
a person, Okay. If I never ever need another act
I'll let you know. Okay. Then like it's then I
sit down and like my team is like holding cue
cards for me for the apology video, and then like
the edit flips into like someone scrolling through their phone
and it's like the apology video posted with like five million.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Million likes and that's how it wraps.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
And then they scroll past it and it goes, hey,
you guys, I am working with the Exxon right now,
we're wearing an oil rig.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Oh my god, Oh my god. Wait wait this is
going to be big.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I think it has a good social critique. So yeah,
when I'm going what I'm trying to move towards is
like more high level scripted short film style contents, but
still like short form media because I just I don't
have the capacity to like make a twenty minute long
short film like three minutes tops. That actually is like
(22:24):
saying something kind of deep and involving other people that
I'm writing for, so like actual screenwriting, screenwriting, producing, editing.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
And wait, I like that you said that it's telling
a story that's like comical because you're funny, Yeah, but
also like has a deeper message.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Just saying something. I'm trying to do a bit more
quality over quantity. And that's how that happens in I
think anyone's career. It goes from tous like you know this,
Like you used to wake up every single day film edit,
post immediately, and then you get to a point where
you can breathe a little bit more and you have
more time and you can like flesh it out. And
(23:04):
I'm getting to that point, so I think that's what
the next step is.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah, it's so important to get to that place where
it's like okay, like I can sit on an edit
for a couple of days, like and.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Like really think about it. You don't really have another
option at the beginning when you're just like fighting for attention,
because that's what it is, like you're fighting, Yeah, for.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
I still feel like I'm fighting for attention.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
We always we're always fighting. Yeah, but like you can
get smarter about it once you have an audience, absolutely,
because like when you're building, you're like, I just I
need to do this like now, like immediately, But like
once you have an audience, and like you have relationships
with your teams and brands and people know you're good
at your job, and like you have work, you're like, okay,
I'm working, I'm good at this, I know what I'm doing.
I can like take a moment to actually create something
(23:49):
a bit more meaningful to me, which is takes a
while to get to it. It feels so good.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah, I mean I'm literally so excited to see that.
I love seeing like every expression of so I'm freaking
so excited for you. All right, let's talk about your boyfriend.
How'd you guys meet?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Tom works for a brand called axel OUDI got though
and I they were open. Yeah, they were opening a
store in New York and their PR team reached out
to me to do a video for the store opening,
and I was like, yeah, I like the brand, it
was cool, And before I filmed the video, they were
having like a launch party for it in Bushwick. And
(24:27):
I always go to like events for brands that I'm
working with, Like it's just like respectful as.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
You know, getting to do yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
To meet the teams. I like to talk to them.
I like to hang out and like really get to
know them, especially when I'm working with them. So I
went to that and they flew their London team out
for the event and they were all like working on
the store opening here for the week. So he was
there and he introduced himself. He came over that night.
We spent the rest of the weekend together and I
(24:55):
kind of knew the day after I met him that
I it's going to marry him.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Oh my god, my whole body just got chills.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
But that's such a thing.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Yeah, like wait, and how long have you guys been
dating for now?
Speaker 2 (25:09):
We've been dating for about five weeks?
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Is it five weeks?
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Fair? Fair? And he lives in London, and I are like,
maybe all of in London, maybe to.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
London twice already, right crazy. I left, and then like
a day went by and he's coming on Friday, Okay,
And we knew that, but I was like, I can't
wait another three weeks. So I went back, good for you.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
How long has it been since your last relationship?
Speaker 2 (25:34):
A few, like almost three years? Good for you, it's
been a minute.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
What would be our advice to people that are dating?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
My advice is like if you don't, because that's what
I told myself. I was like, I'm not giving any
man my time. I'm really just not unless it just
feels something that I've never experienced before, because like I've
dated a lot with intention, and like I was like,
this person like has these qualities. It'll work because they're
(25:59):
A B and C and like it looks it looks
like it would be right, Like it's like theorematically it
should yeah, because of my brain.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
You should just know, like it shouldn't be like a thing.
And like every time I've ever dated someone, I've always
had doubts and thoughts, and like when I would speak
about them, I wouldn't say with confidence, I'm going to
marry this person.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
The first time I hung out with him, just like
in a social setting at a bar. We were in
Nantucket for July fourth, random and I said to my
best friend, I was like, I'm.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Going to marry that guy.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
And it took years.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
It did take years. We were also very young and dumb.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I do think we're older now so things happen quicker,
and like people are more mature with dating. We were
definitely immature, but I did have that knowing feeling but
you do not know, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
I always hated that too. I would always get so annoying.
People would get like say that when you would ask
for advice, like oh, and you know, you know, but
like it's so true, like if you know, you're not
going to have any doubts about it, Like that's just it,
That's what it is. And like every the relationship I've
been and I had so many doubts and like they
obviously ended for a reason. And I had never in
my life met someone and had that thought that this
(27:09):
I want to spend the rest of my life with
this person.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I also am a big proponent of long distance relationships,
especially in the beginning of a relationship.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Nice. It's so nice. It's so nice because it's like
fun and like you really get like when you spend
time together, like it's such quality time.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
You're really together.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
I mean, Jeremy and I were long distance for the
first like two years of our relationship.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah, nice, Like you really need to know each other
at such a deeper level you do. And also I
guess like a more attainable and like tangible form of
advice is like, really get to know yourself before you
allow someone into your life in that capacity. If I
met Tom like a few years ago, I wasn't like
at a place mentally where I would have been like
(27:47):
able to go into it like this. But you really
have to love yourself if you're going to find the
right person. So like work, I've been working on myself
good the past few years. So when I met him, like,
I you're ready, Yeah, Like I know I'm a great person. Like, yeah,
I know, I'm a catch and yeah, so was he.
(28:08):
And it worked. And you have to have that confidence
and that love for yourself before you can really dive
into that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
I love that you say, Like marriage is like in
the cars for you guys, because that's you know, I
never know with people, I'm like, do you want to
get married? Like that's like one of the questions I
always ask my friends. I'm like, do you see marriage
in your future? And I love meeting people that do
want to get married because that's how I am you know, Yeah,
do you want.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
To have kids?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I would have to be so rich.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I would have to be so you're like nanny for
each like.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Not even just that, Like I just want to know, like,
if I have children, no shade to my to my mother.
She did, She's the best. But my children are never
ever going to have to pay rent. Like, I'm not
having kids if they're going to struggle.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
So I want my kids to struggle.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I don't want my kids to struggle at all at all.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I'm like, I gotta get a little jersey grit in
these kids.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
They're going to have a credit card.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
We vent it.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Okay, Well, I'm so freaking excited for you. You have
so much going on. We just have so much to
look forward to with you, and I'm so excited to
see you.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Pop off even more. I'm like, what can't Benton do?
Speaker 2 (29:15):
What can't you do? Look at this? Are you kidding me?
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Look at this cute studio?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
It's insane. Who would have thought? Well, I did know.
I knew. I knew the day I met you.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Really, what was your first impression of me?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I was like, she is going she's gonna do this,
She's going to do this.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Thank you well, I'm so proud of you and this
was so fun.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I love you. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
I love you till next time. Bye bye
Denton freaking McLean talk. Welcome to Post run High.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm so excited to be back with you. This is
crazy too.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Was it two years ago now almost?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
We were on the street and now look at us.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I know.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
You've grown like so much since we first met.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, I like just had one hundred K when we met. Yeah,
and now now we're both like quadrupled that.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The first time we met, we were talking about like, Okay,
how are we going to make businesses out of this?
Like are we going to be able to quit our
full time jobs? Because at the time you were working
as waiting tables?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yeah? Yeah, what do you think it taught you?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Though?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
How to deal with like the most insufferable of people
and how to take on many personas and personalities. And
I think that's one of the reasons I'm so good
at playing characters.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You probably met so many people and have so many
just like personalities in your repertoire to kind of yeah,
we create Sometimes.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I'll just like go out and sit at a restaurant
alone and have headphones in but like not be listening
to anything and just like listen to the people on
either side of me. Since in New York you sat
like thirty centimeters from the person next to you mm hmmm,
and just scripts based off of these strangers lives. It's
so much fun.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
I don't know, guys, maybe Venton's the voice behind Overheard
New York.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I should be. They're just writing, like they're not actually
going out and listening to people.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
They can't be no sometimes maybe maybe sometimes I was
like wondering that. The other day I was like, do
they get submissions? Like, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I think so yeah. I think people just like submit
crazy things and like hope that they make it.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Let's back up, though, I want you to take us
back to your childhood. Tell me what you were like
growing up, where you grew up, what your family dynamic.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Was like, family dynamic messy. My divorced young, my real parents,
my mom got married again, new step siblings, new family.
When I was like eight, moved to North.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Carolina because where were you born?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Illinois? And then I lived in the suburbs of DC
when my mom was working at the Pentagon, and then
she met her next husband and then we moved to
North Carolina. For him. North Carolina was not for me.
I came out because a girl was calling me like
a homophobic slur, and rather than like engaging with her,
I was just like, yeah, you're right, do you have
(02:18):
anything else to say?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So, my brother in law or soon to be brother
in law, is gay and he grew up in North
Carolina and he had a really similar, like negative experience
being gay in North Carolina. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I had my first restraining order at thirteen because of.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
A we unpacked that what do you mean what happened?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It was just this family was just harassing me, like
they just did not approve of my lifestyle or my
mom's choice to support her young teenage queer son, and
they would like call my house threatening us, and it
was just it was really messy. People just have a
lot of time and hate on their hands. I had
a great family. My mother was very supportive. She obviously
(02:58):
had no problem with it when I told her, like
when I was like, Mom, I wand to tell you
something and she was like what. I was like, I'm gay,
and she's like what do you have to tell me?
Like it was like that it was not a thing
for her, So that was nice. And then I had
an older brother and he was he's straight and he
had a lot of like straight friends and they all
loved and adored me and like would protect me against
(03:18):
all of the negativity that would come my way. So
people ended up being it became known not to really
speak about me or to me because of my family
and like my brother and his friends, and that I
did have a strong group of people that did love
me and wanted to make sure I was like safe
and protected and would go out of their way to
(03:39):
confront anyone who was not being kind to me. It
took a few years to get to the point where
that felt like secure, but I did have that, so
I'm grateful for that. And then I went to college
in Nashville. Okay, Belmunt University.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
That's fun.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, it was okay. Nashville was cute to me. It
was a city at the time. I've gone back like once,
I think, and I was like, what is there. This
is not a city, this is a town. But it
was better than North Carolina. Obviously, I didn't really have
to deal with any of like the hate in Tennis
in Nashville. It's a very liberal little city. And yeah,
(04:16):
I studied psychology in pr in Spanish and then I
moved here to work in fashion.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Wait, I love that you studied Spanish.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, do you speak Spanish ventin?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I didn't know this, Okay, that's really really cool.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
No, And it's so sad because I took it for
so many years in school and I feel like it's
either you have a knack for a language or you don't,
and I like really really don't. But my fiance can
pick up languages like that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
It took me like moving there. I went to Spain
my senior year of high school because my mom's divorce
got really messy and I just like needed to get out.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So your family that you moved to North Carolina before
your mom ended up divorce divorced.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, I mean wait, that.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Family just like backing up a little bit, that was
a military family that she married into.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
My dad, her first husband, he was also in the Army.
She was worked at the Pentagon, so that was like
military affiliated. And then her next husband she met through
the Pentagon and he was army as well.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It's cool that your mom always worked government jobs.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah, that's also like working at the Pentagon. That's so cool.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
It was interesting, especially like during nine to eleven because
they moved her office like a week before the plane
hit and her original office was like where the plane hit,
which was wild.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, but God is good.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah seriously. So her divorce got really messy with her
second husband. I fled my senior year of high school.
I lived in Spain and that's how I learned Spanish.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I mean that is so cool. And you lived in
freaking Madrid. Yeah, Like that's like I feel like one
of like the sexiest places.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
To live in Spain. Asked for that, I was like,
I must live in Madrid. That's the only place I
want to live.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You have such like a European vibe to you.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
I feel like I want to live in I would
live in Madrid so fast. I love it there. It's
so gorgeous and I love Spain. I love the people.
I'm like decent out the language. It takes me like
going back to get it again. Like I can speak
at I can understand it, but when I'm there it
comes back to me. But when I moved there, I
didn't know a word.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
So you end up graduating and where did you move?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I moved in with a family on the Upper East.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Side, Okay, and you were nannying.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, so they had two kids and I interned for
a fashion designer in Chelsea and they were great. I
loved that family.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
How many kids were you nant too?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
You said they were twins?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Yeah, oh my, oh that's cute.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, how old there were six at the time.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I knew the family because the mom actually grew up
with my mom in northern California as kids, and she
like moved to the city when she was a teenager
started modeling and like, yeah, just really did a lot
and now lives on the Upper East Side in the penthouse.
It's not where she started though at all.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
And during the day you were working doing a fashion internship,
what were you doing kind of anything?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Like some days I was like doing book keeping. Some
days I was like designing like look books for the collection.
Some days I was working with the designers. Some days
I was going to Burgdorf Goodman's to make sure like
the collection was staged properly and they had all the inventory.
But every day I was definitely crying.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Fashion internships, Like there are nightmare stories.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It was awful. I'm not good at the performative aspects
of like being an entry level whatever little bitch.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah, I mean, who is It's so hard?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So like I would come in late with an iced
coffee sometimes and like she would scream.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
At me now, it's like look at me now, and
you're doing all this insane fashion stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I mean I do do fashion stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
You do?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, I forget about it, and I love you.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I mean that is I guys, Like it's such a
cool brand to be able.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
To worry for Laurren. Santa Domingo is iconic. I love
her so much. She's so sweet and she's like the
how I get into the shows and like how I
get backstage because like I'm affiliated with her brand.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
What is it life being back there?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Like?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Is it chaotic?
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Yeah? It's a mess. Yeah, it's a mess. And I
usually just end up hanging out with the boys because
it takes them a lot less time, yeah, to get ready,
Like they're done like pretty much instantly, and the girls
are like running around like getting strapped in all of
these insane outfits, and so it's much harder to speak
to the girls the girls are working. There is reason
female models make more than male models.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I'm so sorry, boys, I didn't even know that was
a thing.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Oh, girls make so much more than models.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I guess that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Deservingly right. They are killing themselves and then anytime I
get to talk to the designers, they give me like
they act like they're giving me they're putting me in
God's presence. It's always so psychotic because like I gay,
you have five minutes of the designer, and I'm like, okay,
So sometimes I think I'm being rude when I first
meet them, but like because like they hand me the
(08:51):
design like they pass me the designer. I'm like having
someone film me and I'm I don't introduce myself until
like I start shooting right, and the designers just like
like your team gave me five minutes. I'm using every.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Minute of it, or like this is my show.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
And it's fun because I feel like they don't really
get people who interact with them like that, because so
many people who like go like get these opportunities, which
I don't want to sound like I'm not grateful for it.
I am, but I'm not, as I guess, enamored by it.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah I'm not either. I like that you say that I'm.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Not like googly, I like drooling, like I cannot believe
I'm speaking to these people. You show up in your
pro Yeah, that's how that has started to happen and
like I feel like within the past year I've felt that,
and it's such a nice feeling because like, for so
long I would go into these situations and have so
much anxiety and be like, I, how am I in
this room? Like do I deserve to be here? And
(09:49):
now I'm just.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Like hey, I do have to say though, I feel
like fashion is another level of like do I deserve
to be here? Just because of the vibe that they
set in those environments.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Last season, I had like two chaperones with me, Like
the mode of team was very much like guiding me
through this and like getting me into these spaces and everything,
but like most of it was like street interview style
or like out right outside the show. This year it
was like all backstage stuff. And I did have a
girl who was with me that from their team, and
she was helping me film and everything. But getting in
(10:19):
these rooms, the amount of times you're told no when
you're on a list is crazy. I was like, no,
I'm here to interview the designer and it's in twenty
minutes and I need to get.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Back there now, and what do you have to do.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I have just gotten to a point where like I'm
going back and I'm like, get someone else. I was
like I need to speak to someone else then, because
it's literally it's such a meme like checking into like
any of these fashion shows, even as an attendant or
like backstage, no matter what it is, it's such a meme.
And you really just have to like assert so much
like confidence and like assurance that you know you're supposed
(10:55):
to be there, like the second you express any form
of like I guess like slightly apologetic or like unsure
of yourself, like you're not getting through the door if
you're on the list or not, so like I was
pushing myself through with these doors, like literally I'm dead
because like you're literally there.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
You'd think there'd be like a rep with you, like okay,
come this way.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
You know that's now the designers it's it's all lost.
It's such a mess that like they it's just all lost,
and like getting back, you just have to be like
I am here, I'm working, I'm doing this this like
you need to find someone else who knows what I'm
doing then, because I am right, And it just gets
to a point where that's like.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Okay, let's circle back.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
You went from fashion internship, so then covid Hits right,
you moved LA.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I was covid Hit and I started delivering groceries for Instacart. Actually,
so that's like what I did at first, and then
once I started making enough money doing that, I started.
I launched a closet organizing business, and I helped a
bunch of influencers move from New York to LA, and
I was like living with one of them. His name
is Joey Zazig, and he was like my main influencer
(12:11):
client that like he flew me out. I did his house,
and he promoted me and got me a bunch of
clients in LA. He was he was great. And then
but like through living with him, I was kind of like,
this is an appealing life, Like this what like the
direction I desire to go? And I thought I could
do it like through the organizing thing and like make
that my content Niche quickly realized that was not inspiring
(12:37):
for me. I love organizing. I'm super like that is
something I love to do.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
But are you very organized?
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah? I love that and my home is psycho like
I'm I'm probably awful to live with.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
At what point did you move from LA back to
New York City and start serving.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I still had my apartment in New York. When I
was living in LA, I was living with my one
of like my ex at that time, and like a
two hundred square at studio in Brooklyn. It was awful,
So LA I was like, I, yes, I will stay
there as long as possible to have space. And then
I came back and then I started waiting tables after
(13:12):
like six ish months of doing the closets, and then
I came back to New York full time and just
was trying to figure out a way to like pursue
content and also have income to pay my rent. And
I don't know who told me how much they were
making waiting tables in the city, but I was talking
(13:33):
to someone out and they were like, yeah, it's like
pretty good money. And I was like, oh my god,
that's way more than I made at my corporate job.
And it's like it's less hours.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
You make great money in the service industry.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah. I would like, like on a bad month, like
three grand that was like twenty five hours a week,
So like if I wanted to make like four or
five grand, I would work like full time. And I
was like, oh, so now I can like, if I
like just live very minimally for for a while, I
can like wait tables and try and make content and
like do both. So I did that for over two
(14:06):
years and then was able to quit around the time
you met me, and.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Your content was so funny, like you were making really
really funny service industry videos.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
You ran into Carridale Levine.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Oh my god, she launched me.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
That was crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
She's my launch. She launched my whole career at Kara
Day Levine. She really did.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
What did your early videos look like?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Like?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Early early on, I was doing like what to do
in New York this Sunday?
Speaker 1 (14:33):
That is so funny because that's so not your I mean,
you know what to do on Sunday, New York, but
that's so funny, so bad.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I was like going. I was like vlogging the Brooklyn
Free flea market under the Bridge, going to like comedy
shows on rooftops and oh my god, finding things to
do during COVID. And I was very much doing like
New York City like things to do and see as
like a person who lives here because I had been
here for like almost two years at that point, so
I thought i'd.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
You didn't know you knew I knew enough.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yes, yeah, that's so funny, though I know he never
you don't strike me as one of those people.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Girl, I wasn't.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, but like I love those people because literally TikTok
and social media like Instagram, I use the search engine
like if I need recommendations, I'm looking at TikTok.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
So you're helping the people.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I am glad I did that because it like evolved
into I do travel vlogs now and I love doing those.
I think they're so fun. So like Puglia is getting
really trendy now, and I went to Puglia like two
years ago, so those are still getting.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Traction right, right? What was it that finally stuck for you?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
So I started doing obviously the serving skits. Loved those.
I loved that. I still love those. I still do
them sometimes. I think they're great and they're so relatable
and like that I feel like is like the core,
like the root of the character I do now with
frequency that everyone knows and loves, like the oh my god,
what's wrong? Or like the person you're with that friend
on the street.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
How did that character come to be?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I think it started with the serving skits, and then
when I stopped serving and I was not in the
restaurant anymore, I was like, Okay, I what do I
do with this? And I started to bring it into
different settings and then it just started to be like
on the street and I was able to like I
just got better at my writing, I think, And it
(16:18):
took me a while to even write in the first place.
And I had so much anxiety before I wrote, like
so much because I would wake up and I had
no idea what I was.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Doing, and content could be very overwhelming when you feel
that way, terrifying, And I was like, am I going
to be able to like to figure out lines in
the moment, because that's what I did.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Like at first, I was just like handing my camera
to someone, say this respond and we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
And if I was feeling it when we press record.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah, I'd be like, this is the scenario. This is
I would like I would build the universe and I
would tell them a few marks that I was going
to say and like what to respond to, very loosely,
and then it would we would see what would happen.
And then after doing that for a while, I was
like Okay, this is getting really really tiring, and like
I have so much clinical anxiety that never leaves my
(17:09):
body because I never know what's going to work. So
I started to like dissect my content and like I
started writing formulas for them, and I would be like
this question to this response, to this response to this quest,
and it's like a math equation, like the oh my god,
what's wrong videos, and then the person responds with something
terrible going on in their life, and then ICE respond
(17:30):
to something completely obliviate. Like that's a formula and that's
a literal equation.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
It is, I mean, that is so much of social media.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
So it's like so good that you say that, because
it is so important to take like an analytical approach
to what you're doing and like see what works, and
like yeah, so long though as it does, it takes
forever to like figure out what that is and then
like making sure it doesn't get too stale, because if
you use the formula too exact, every time it like dies.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
It does. It does. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I feel like I noticed when you went from not
like writing your content.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
You're not the first person to tell me that, and
that is so reassuring for me because I'm like, thank.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
God, But I think it's like a learning thing.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You got to a point where you're like, Okay, not
only do I want to wake up and feel good,
but okay, now all of a sudden, brands love these videos.
They want me to prep it. You know, it's going
to make me more comfortable, it's going to make the
filming quicker.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It's crazy because my manager, she has like fifteen clients,
and she when I started doing that, she was like,
oh my god, this is amazing. I was like really,
She was like, yeah, none of my other clients do this,
and I was like, that's crazy. They're all this out
here winging it.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
We're definitely creating content different than like a lifestyle content creator.
I would love to have a big lifestyle content creator
on because I really am interested in their process of
like fascinating. So the way I go about content is
I am scheduling interviews with people I normally film maybe
like twice a day or once a day, but I'm
pretty much filming five videos a week. And if it's
like a brand deal video, I'll have to write down
(18:58):
for the brand how I'm going to incord break my
key messaging. A lot of what I do is more
improv I never know how somebody's going to answer my question,
so I just have to be quick with my response.
So I plan out key messaging that I'm going to
hit for brands.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I'm like various different options of.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Like yeah, Like I just have to say to them,
like there's no option to reshoot, so I promise, yeah,
we don't do reshoots, which is kind of awesome about
my consent.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Yeah, that's like me going into an event. I'm like, Okay, yep,
we gotta get this.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yeah, and you will.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I love that you're getting into writing because I know
writing is a passion of yours.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
So let's talk about like what is the.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Future of Benminklin. Talk what is he doing, what is
he working on? What can we be excited to watch?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Right now? I'm working on a video called The Apology,
which is about an influencer and a future kind of
dystopian world and are culture is still thriving in this universe,
but it's kind of gotten to a point where like
governments have deemed global warming is kind of like hearsay,
like you can't talk about it because it's like goes
(20:10):
against society, and like they don't want it. It's just
they've deemed it as like false in this world and
like you can't talk about like you will get canceled
if you talk about it, and like say it's real,
and everyone is just like living in oblivion that this
isn't happening, and like we've just decided to not talk
about it anymore. So something gets dug up from my
past about me talking about global warming, and I get canceled,
(20:33):
like in the middle of like like an interview with someone,
so like it starts off me like in an in
an interviewing really pretentious, and then like I get a
call from my manager and I'm getting canceled, and then
the interviewer that's what they end up writing about. And
I go home to like my entire team like freaking
out and like writing a script for me to like
for my apology, and like taking all of my phones
away and like all of my tech and like leaving
(20:54):
me alone to rotten my room for days, and like
in my head, as I'm rotting in my room, you
just hear all of the hate comments pouring over me,
calling me like an eco freak and ship like that,
and then like my team comes back three days later,
I look horrendous and they are like perfect, like amazing,
and they like set me up like on the floor,
Like it's like stage, Like the apology video is staged,
(21:15):
and like this is like my first video involving like
other people.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, how is it coordinating? Getting like other people's Wait,
you have to find like actresses.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
I'm using like creator friends. Yeah, and like you need
a person, Okay. If I never ever need another act
I'll let you know. Okay. Then like it's then I
sit down and like my team is like holding cue
cards for me for the apology video, and then like
the edit flips into like someone scrolling through their phone
and it's like the apology video posted with like five million.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Million likes and that's how it wraps.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
And then they scroll past it and it goes, hey,
you guys, I am working with the Exxon right now,
we're wearing an oil rig.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Oh my god, Oh my god. Wait wait this is
going to be big.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I think it has a good social critique. So yeah,
when I'm going what I'm trying to move towards is
like more high level scripted short film style contents, but
still like short form media because I just I don't
have the capacity to like make a twenty minute long
short film like three minutes tops. That actually is like
(22:24):
saying something kind of deep and involving other people that
I'm writing for, so like actual screenwriting, screenwriting, producing, editing.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
And wait, I like that you said that it's telling
a story that's like comical because you're funny, Yeah, but
also like has a deeper message.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Just saying something. I'm trying to do a bit more
quality over quantity. And that's how that happens in I
think anyone's career. It goes from tous like you know this,
Like you used to wake up every single day film edit,
post immediately, and then you get to a point where
you can breathe a little bit more and you have
more time and you can like flesh it out. And
(23:04):
I'm getting to that point, so I think that's what
the next step is.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah, it's so important to get to that place where
it's like okay, like I can sit on an edit
for a couple of days, like and.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Like really think about it. You don't really have another
option at the beginning when you're just like fighting for attention,
because that's what it is, like you're fighting, Yeah, for.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
I still feel like I'm fighting for attention.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
We always we're always fighting. Yeah, but like you can
get smarter about it once you have an audience, absolutely,
because like when you're building, you're like, I just I
need to do this like now, like immediately, But like
once you have an audience, and like you have relationships
with your teams and brands and people know you're good
at your job, and like you have work, you're like, okay,
I'm working, I'm good at this, I know what I'm doing.
I can like take a moment to actually create something
(23:49):
a bit more meaningful to me, which is takes a
while to get to it. It feels so good.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah, I mean I'm literally so excited to see that.
I love seeing like every expression of so I'm freaking
so excited for you. All right, let's talk about your boyfriend.
How'd you guys meet?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Tom works for a brand called axel OUDI got though
and I they were open. Yeah, they were opening a
store in New York and their PR team reached out
to me to do a video for the store opening,
and I was like, yeah, I like the brand, it
was cool, And before I filmed the video, they were
having like a launch party for it in Bushwick. And
(24:27):
I always go to like events for brands that I'm
working with, Like it's just like respectful as.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
You know, getting to do yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
To meet the teams. I like to talk to them.
I like to hang out and like really get to
know them, especially when I'm working with them. So I
went to that and they flew their London team out
for the event and they were all like working on
the store opening here for the week. So he was
there and he introduced himself. He came over that night.
We spent the rest of the weekend together and I
(24:55):
kind of knew the day after I met him that
I it's going to marry him.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Oh my god, my whole body just got chills.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
But that's such a thing.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Yeah, like wait, and how long have you guys been
dating for now?
Speaker 2 (25:09):
We've been dating for about five weeks?
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Is it five weeks?
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Fair? Fair? And he lives in London, and I are like,
maybe all of in London, maybe to.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
London twice already, right crazy. I left, and then like
a day went by and he's coming on Friday, Okay,
And we knew that, but I was like, I can't
wait another three weeks. So I went back, good for you.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
How long has it been since your last relationship?
Speaker 2 (25:34):
A few, like almost three years? Good for you, it's
been a minute.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
What would be our advice to people that are dating?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
My advice is like if you don't, because that's what
I told myself. I was like, I'm not giving any
man my time. I'm really just not unless it just
feels something that I've never experienced before, because like I've
dated a lot with intention, and like I was like,
this person like has these qualities. It'll work because they're
(25:59):
A B and C and like it looks it looks
like it would be right, Like it's like theorematically it
should yeah, because of my brain.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
You should just know, like it shouldn't be like a thing.
And like every time I've ever dated someone, I've always
had doubts and thoughts, and like when I would speak
about them, I wouldn't say with confidence, I'm going to
marry this person.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
The first time I hung out with him, just like
in a social setting at a bar. We were in
Nantucket for July fourth, random and I said to my
best friend, I was like, I'm.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Going to marry that guy.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
And it took years.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
It did take years. We were also very young and dumb.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I do think we're older now so things happen quicker,
and like people are more mature with dating. We were
definitely immature, but I did have that knowing feeling but
you do not know, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
I always hated that too. I would always get so annoying.
People would get like say that when you would ask
for advice, like oh, and you know, you know, but
like it's so true, like if you know, you're not
going to have any doubts about it, Like that's just it,
That's what it is. And like every the relationship I've
been and I had so many doubts and like they
obviously ended for a reason. And I had never in
my life met someone and had that thought that this
(27:09):
I want to spend the rest of my life with
this person.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I also am a big proponent of long distance relationships,
especially in the beginning of a relationship.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Nice. It's so nice. It's so nice because it's like
fun and like you really get like when you spend
time together, like it's such quality time.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
You're really together.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
I mean, Jeremy and I were long distance for the
first like two years of our relationship.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah, nice, Like you really need to know each other
at such a deeper level you do. And also I
guess like a more attainable and like tangible form of
advice is like, really get to know yourself before you
allow someone into your life in that capacity. If I
met Tom like a few years ago, I wasn't like
at a place mentally where I would have been like
(27:47):
able to go into it like this. But you really
have to love yourself if you're going to find the
right person. So like work, I've been working on myself
good the past few years. So when I met him, like,
I you're ready, Yeah, Like I know I'm a great person. Like, yeah,
I know, I'm a catch and yeah, so was he.
(28:08):
And it worked. And you have to have that confidence
and that love for yourself before you can really dive
into that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
I love that you say, Like marriage is like in
the cars for you guys, because that's you know, I
never know with people, I'm like, do you want to
get married? Like that's like one of the questions I
always ask my friends. I'm like, do you see marriage
in your future? And I love meeting people that do
want to get married because that's how I am you know, Yeah,
do you want.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
To have kids?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I would have to be so rich.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I would have to be so you're like nanny for
each like.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Not even just that, Like I just want to know, like,
if I have children, no shade to my to my mother.
She did, She's the best. But my children are never
ever going to have to pay rent. Like, I'm not
having kids if they're going to struggle.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
So I want my kids to struggle.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I don't want my kids to struggle at all at all.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I'm like, I gotta get a little jersey grit in
these kids.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
They're going to have a credit card.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
We vent it.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Okay, Well, I'm so freaking excited for you. You have
so much going on. We just have so much to
look forward to with you, and I'm so excited to
see you.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Pop off even more. I'm like, what can't Benton do?
Speaker 2 (29:15):
What can't you do? Look at this? Are you kidding me?
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Look at this cute studio?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
It's insane. Who would have thought? Well, I did know.
I knew. I knew the day I met you.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Really, what was your first impression of me?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I was like, she is going she's gonna do this,
She's going to do this.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Thank you well, I'm so proud of you and this
was so fun.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I love you. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
I love you till next time. Bye bye
Host
Kate Mackz
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