January 29, 2025 • 36 mins
We’re kicking off Season 4 of She Pivots with podcast royalty - Armchair Expert co-creator and co-host, Monica Padman!
I’ve always marveled at Monica’s ability at getting her guests to open up. But her own story is one that I think is so important to lift up. Monica didn’t just stumble into her current role. She started as a babysitter and assistant for Dax Shepard (her now co-host) and Kristin Bell, all while pursuing her dream of being an actress. Once the idea for Armchair Expert emerged, Monica leaned into the opportunity, embracing the unexpected, while also staying aligned to who she is at her core. Her story showcases the importance of assistants, who bring a massive skill set to their roles and are often the best at building something from the ground up, and the reality that taking a path you didn’t plan can actually lead you to where you’re meant to be.
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She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Monica, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman.
I'm so excited for everything we have in story this season,
but I have to be honest that I'm entering this
season in a bit of a different headspace, and I
want to talk to you all about it, how it happened,
and what I think it all means. I had the
opportunity to join the Harris Walls presidential campaign, going back
(00:28):
in the career that I had pivoted from so many
years ago. So I ended up full time in my
old career, living in a swing state, away from my family,
working twenty four to seven and the result aside. In
that moment, it was like a total mind fuck for
me that it's taken me years to be okay with
(00:50):
the fact that my political career was done, and then
all of a sudden, I was back in it and
I loved it. It made me think about how I've
purposely adjusted myself to a lower stakes life where not
everything is like winning a presidential campaign, which is about
as high stakes as you can get. And I think
(01:11):
there's also a part of me that really doubted whether
I was capable of doing it or not. I hadn't
been capable when I had left after having three kids
in four years. That's why I left, So I really
didn't think I would be just as good. But it
turned out I was pretty much just as good as
I used to be, and in some ways I was
(01:31):
maybe even a little better. But I really couldn't believe
that was my mindset. After talking with nearly one hundred
women on Cheap Pivots about why they belong in the
new space they carved for themselves, why did I not
believe that I belonged in a space that I had mastered.
As difficult as that was to realize about myself, it
showed me so clearly that my work here isn't done.
(01:54):
And as I looked for somewhere to channel all of
this passion and energy I had on the campaign, I
quickly realized that it's this, this podcast, this community, all
you amazing women. This season will dive into the complex
thought processes and feelings behind why women pivot and leave
space for the often confusing and nonlinear experiences that come
(02:17):
with our plot twists, and if we're lucky, we'll change
the cultural conversation and empower more women to bet on themselves.
It helped me prove to myself that my power doesn't
come from the version of me in politics. It comes
from where I am. It's not in some former version
of me. It's within me, and wherever I go it
(02:38):
comes to I'm excited to explore and to unpack what
all of this means with all of our guests this season.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Let's jump right in. Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm
Monica Patton.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Welcome back to she Pivots, the podcast where we talk
with women who dared to pivot out of one career
and into something new and explore how their personal lives
impacted these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today
(03:26):
we have a very special episode with podcast Royalty Armchair
Expert co creator and co host Monica Padman. If you're
a fan of her show, you know that Monica is
a pro at getting her own guests to open up.
But once I heard that she pivoted into podcasting after
working as an actress and a babysitter on the side,
(03:49):
I knew I wanted to have her in the hot
seat when we book guests for she Pivots. I've always
prioritized guests with diverse stories, and what I found so
unique about Mindica's pivot was the way she got into podcasting.
She leaned into the off ramp of being a babysitter
slash assistant, and it was actually that choice that made
(04:11):
her have this successful career. Going from babysitter to Kristen
Bell's assistant and right hand woman paves the way for
her to build Armchair Expert from the ground up with
Dak Shepherd, and what started as a side project quickly
became a cultural phenomenon, with millions of listeners tuning in
each week to hear Monica and Dak's tackle life's big questions.
(04:35):
Her role in the podcast isn't just about co hosting.
Monica is a producer, creative force, and the heart of
many of the show's most memorable moments. She's brought her
unique voice to conversations about vulnerability, mental health, and what
it means to truly connect with others. Monica's pivot is
(04:55):
about more than her career. It's about embracing the unexpected
and leaning into opportunities that align with who she is
at her core, from aspiring actress to one of the
most recognizable voices in podcasting. Monica's journey is proof that
sometimes the road you didn't plan leads you exactly where
you're meant to be.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Hope you enjoy. My name is Monica Padman and I
am a podcast creator, producer, host.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Okay, so we're going to bring it back and go
back to little Monica. What was your childhood like? It
seems like you always wanted to be in the entertainment industry.
Were you always like running around and a wicked hab
a lookite?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
No? No, I was not running around with any kind
of hat on, maybe like a doctor's had, even though
that's not a thing, a surgical mask. Maybe I was
really really shy when I was young. My mom will
tell you that I was just sort of attached to
her hip and was probably annoying her all the time. Yeah,
(06:06):
I was a really shy kid. But I was also
very good at making friends. But I would do it
in a way that was like one on one friendships, right,
Like I wasn't going to pop up in front of
the class and be class clown or get attention that way.
But I would try to build these kind of intimate
relationships with people. I think, even at a young age,
(06:27):
I was just like, highly perceptive at a very young
age what to do to make people around me happy
or to be liked. So I was not very outgoing
in that way, but I wanted to be. I think
like when I was little, I definitely wanted to be
a doctor. I don't know if I really wanted to
(06:48):
be a doctor. I just was like, Oh, that's like
the that's the way to get the affection of my
grandfather probably, And yeah, I guess that was sort of
me back then.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
It didn't take long until Monica fell in love with
the idea of Hollywood, and like most actors, she had
the canon event of watching two very influential pieces of media.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But I didn't really want to do anything in entertainment
until I was in about eighth grade. I two events.
I watched Goodwill Hunting and I started watching Friends, and
I was obsessed with both of those to such a
obsessive degree that I, you know, I had that feeling
(07:33):
of I want to be doing what they're doing. I
want to be a part of that. I didn't know
it was acting. I didn't know anything. I just was
so taken by it, and I knew I wanted to
be in that world. And make people feel like I
was feeling when I watched it. And then I started
in ninth grade. I started in theater class, and that's
when I really was like, oh, this is this is
(07:55):
I like it. I want to do this.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
At the time, this looked like it was going into
acting and moving to la to make it happen. But
hindsight is always twenty twenty, and Monica highlighted one key
difference on how she now thinks friends influenced her.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And then with friends, it was I don't think I
really knew this at the time, but I wanted to
be them. I think I wanted to live that life.
I wanted to live the life that the friends were living,
not not really acting. Even though I ended up, you know,
I ended up like deciding, oh, I guess this is
how you do that. I wanted to have like fun
on set, I think is really what it sort of
(08:34):
boiled down to. And I sort of figured out how
to do that too, like work with my friends and
laugh a lot and tell stories.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
But she was not yet a world famous storyteller. So
Monica headed to college to study theater in Georgia.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
At that time, I'm from Georgia. They had a Hope scholarship.
So if you graduated high school with the certain GPA,
I don't remember what it was at the time, maybe
three eighth, three seven, I don't remember, but something like that,
you qualified to go to one of the public colleges
for free tuition. So my parents were like, yeah, so
(09:16):
that's what you'll be doing. You will be doing that,
and that's that, and all my friends were going to
so it just made so much sense. The theater conversation
was a conversation, definitely. I added a major. I added
a PR major, so I doubled majored in college so
that everyone could feel a little more calm about my prospects.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
So then when you moved out, you did like the
classic actor la thing like front desk, a soul cycle, babysitting.
I cannot imagine the stories that you have from that.
Let us send care please.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Oh soul cycle was it was so fun and everyone,
you know, everyone was young. We were opening up the
Beverly Hills studio, so it was like this group of
young kids. I was the oldest one and I think
I was twenty five working at the front desk and
you know, cleaning the shoes and I guess what's the
nice I can't think of a nice way of saying.
(10:18):
Dealing with the Beverly Hills clientele, which was very specific,
and I actually developed a really, really, really intense amount
of anxiety during that time working there because I was scared,
like people would come out in the middle of class
and like be like sort of half passing out. And
it was on our little, like eighteen to twenty five
(10:41):
year old front desk, you know, group of front desk
workers to deal with this, and we you know, we
were we had like train in CPR and all of
these things, and it was it felt very scary. And
one time we did have to like call nine one one,
and it was this whole you know, to do. So
so I left that job a little bit after that
(11:02):
because I was feeling a little little overwhelmed. I was
also babysitting throughout that entire time.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
So it's during this time that you met Kristen and
Dax through a mutual friend. How did that work?
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Yes, So we had mutual friends, so I would see
them on a very acquaintance level at like parties and stuff,
and you know, so we sort of knew each other's
faces and said hello, but then I did an episode
of House of Lies. I like booked an episode of
House of Lies as it actually ironically as her assistant
(11:36):
and when I saw you know, so when I got
to said she was like, oh hey, I know you,
and we were chatting a lot, and they had just
had their first kid, so I she was showing me
pictures and I was like, well, I also babysit all
the time, so if you ever need a babysitter, all
at your girl, And then they sure did.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
So how quickly did it go from like babysitter kind
of know you around, like we're in this together, like
we're all in.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah. So I was date night babysitting for Lincoln, their
first and then when Kristen was pregnant with Delta, which
was like a year and a half year and some
change later, they decided they probably needed more help and
so they asked if I could come on full time,
and so I did that, and that's really when it
(12:25):
took off into you know, I was I worked a
full day there every day and that then we were
just all in and then I would stay over and
we'd watch TV, we'd play games, and it just became
like one big melting pot.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Were you still trying to pursue acting. Were you seeing
this as like a holdover? You thought this is a
career for me. I want to get into what your
mindset was at the different phases, because something that I
think about a lot is how do we define success by?
How do we define our expectations? That's a great question.
(12:59):
The answer is I was not satisfied and Slash. I
was not thinking, oh, I think I'll just be like
a nanny now forever.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That wasn't my thought process. I was still acting. I
was doing a lot of commercials at that time, and
when I first started with them, I said, and I
really hesitated that. Actually at first I was like, I
don't know if I should go full time because how
am I going to go to auditions? How am I
going to do my job? And so I brought that
up to them. I said, I really want to say yes,
(13:29):
but I also need to be able to leave if
I have an audition, and they were like, we'll make
it work. So I was still able to be pursuing acting,
and I think that was maybe why the whole thing worked,
because I was still pursuing my thing, yet I was
getting a lot of validation from this other job, and
(13:53):
I did love being there, and it was a very
homey kind of we are a village vibe that I
really really really liked, and those kids feel like my kids.
So it just all, you know, I think it was
a really specific alchemy that made it work. I started
(14:14):
out as the babysitter. Then I moved into assistant. Once
their second went to school went to preschool, they wanted
to keep me around, but obviously there was no kids
in the house anymore. So she said, do you want
to come on as my assistant? And so I did that,
and then as as I was doing that, I was
also writing stuff for her and you know, becoming a
(14:35):
producing partner with her. But then I was also still
doing some of the old things, like there just weren't
clear delineations because we were just figuring everything out as
it was going. And so at one point I did
have to say, hey, so I can't do that other
stuff anymore. This role has progressed sort of unknowingly, you know,
We've just like been going through the motions and now
(14:57):
I'm I'm here and I'm doing this level of job,
so I can't also be doing that level of job,
and that was a little bit of a hurdle, you know,
at first, I think because understandably so Kristen was like, well, yikes,
but I need that other stuff done too, and you know,
what do I do? But we figured it out. I
think that's also the beauty of her definitely, is she's
(15:21):
very open to hearing things like that and understanding what's
important to her and who is important to her and
how to make that person happy and give them what
they deserve. So I think like at first, when she's saying, oh, yikes,
after a day, she's like, yeah, them actually makes sense,
(15:41):
so let's figure this out. And so, you know, there
there was times like that.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Was there ever awkwardness about the fact that you were
trying and not having the same level of success in
the same industry that they are in or they were in.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
No, because they were at such a different level. So
it wasn't like I was comparing myself to them at all.
I was already I was a huge fan of both
of them before. I loved Parenthood, I loved Ronica Mars,
So I wasn't like, oh, they're working a lot and
(16:16):
I'm not. You know, it just felt like we're at
very very very different stages in life in general. I
mean they're babysitting their children too, So I think that
all helps. What's changed in our lives over the past
ten years is that you know, like now I have
changed in position a little bit in life, and it
(16:39):
doesn't feel like we're in a very different stage. And
so we've all sort of adapted to this like growing
shifting dynamic. But first, no, it wasn't hard at all.
It was like, oh, yeah, these people are extremely successful actors.
That's what I entered into. It wasn't like I saw
the rise. And they're both dreamly generous and would really
(17:03):
do what they could for me a lot.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
You know.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Dax cast me in chips like early early when I
was just like date night babysitting.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
You know.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Kristen if she had something and there was like a
part that she could sort of slop me and she
would do that. They did a lot for me.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
As her responsibilities grew with Dax and Kristen, Monica still
had her sight set on acting and hadn't yet seen
that her pivot could be around the corner. When we
come back, Monica tells us how Armchair Expert was born,
(17:48):
how did it actually turn into let's do a podcast?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Like what were those steps? Yeah, And it was early days.
It was twenty seventeen. Dax has gone on a few
podcasts and really enjoyed it. Just thought it was like
a really fun medium of nice antidote to the two
minute story where you hit your beats and you get in,
(18:14):
you get out, and so he just liked it. And
he came home one night I think Kristen and I
were working or playing a game, probably more likely, and
he said he wanted to try doing a podcast, and
I said, oh, I can probably try to help figure
out how to do that. And so I started looking
(18:35):
into other people who had podcasts and doing research and
I met with this couple that I know that had
a podcast, and so, you know, doing all of that,
and then it was like, yeah, let's try it. We
brought Rob on to help with the technical stuff, and
it was really just like, let's just see how it goes.
There was talk about expectations like we had none. We
(18:57):
had none, truly, and I know that it sounds weird
now so many years later, because it's grown into such
a fruitful business and we're so lucky and ironically, like
now our expectations are too high, but they started at
zero and it really really helped us on the ride
(19:20):
because we could really enjoy it. At first, it was like, whoa,
what is going on? This is so exciting, Oh my gosh,
people are listening. Oh wow, instead of like not enough
people are listening, or oh we need this, so we
need that. We were just shocked and happy. We launched
(19:43):
in February of twenty eighteen. We launched with three episodes, Kristin.
My guest is the lovely Kristen Belle Ashton Kutcher.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Today I get a chance to thank the person who
started my career, Ashton Kutcher and Joy Bryant. I am
joined by my TV wife, Joy Bryant, you know her
from Parenthood, Get Rich or Died Trying Antoine Fisher.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
We put all three of those out at once and
it was a pretty big audience immediately, but then it
did also continue to grow and grow and grow, which
we were again surprised by. Even we had if we
had guests that were lesser known, we would still notice like, oh,
everyone's still listening. That's interesting, and that's good. That that
(20:25):
that means it's about more than just whoever's coming on
if we were learning so much as we were doing it.
But yeah, it was. It was. I think it was
a pretty quick, big audience that continued to build on itself.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Did you see any particular moments of really big growth
where were like, oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
I want to say yes, because I just listened to
acquired and I want to sound really business y, but
I we we were not business y. Like we we
were not paying that much attention to that, like oh
my gosh, it was a big big you know, jump
here or dip here. We just weren't. We were just
(21:06):
doing our thing. We were asking people to come in
who we thought were fun and cool for us. The
one of the biggest early moments was when Katie Curic's
team reached out to us. That was the first big moment.
It's like, oh my god, somebody's asking us if they
can come on. That was the first time that happened,
(21:29):
and that at this point many years later, that's pretty
much how it happens completely. We still reach out to
people every now and then if there's like a you know,
person we're really excited about, or who's on our mind.
But for the most part, we have you know, requests
come in, and that was the first time it happened,
and so for us, we were like, we were just
very excited, and that for us was growth, Like that's
(21:51):
how we were measuring it, sort of like, oh, people
want to come on, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Armchair Exburg quickly became the number one podcast in the world,
boasting guests like Natalie Portman, Tom Hanks, Brookshields, and Hillary Clinton.
And for anyone who isn't familiar with the show, Monica
serves as co host, producer, and editor. But getting comfortable
with each of those titles and roles took time.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Well, okay, so when we first started, we didn't know anything,
Like you know, the first episode with Kristin, I'm sitting
there like I'm sitting on the couch and I don't
say anything. We don't know what we're doing, we don't
know how, we don't know what we're doing. And I
was I was so anxious for that whole first chunk
of time that I wasn't saying enough, or I wasn't
inserting myself enough, or am I just like the girls
(22:44):
sitting on the couch for no reason, like what everyone's
probably so confused And I think to an extent, a
lot of that is true. And we were having people
on this show that I really wanted the approval of,
or had been wanting the approval of for so long.
I remember when we had Judd Apatow on, I was
so in my head because I loved him and his
(23:05):
movies and everything he did. And I'm you know, I'm
still an actress at this point, and I'm thinking, Oh,
I don't want him to think there's just this like
dud on the couch. I want him to think I
have this shiny personality and like me. And so I
was in my head a lot during that time, and
I think once, well, first of all, there's like a
sort of well known turn of events, and that we
(23:26):
moved my chair so I was sitting on the same
couch as the guest. When we had Jake Johnson on,
he who was like, I can't see her. I want
to see her. Can we move this around? And so
we pulled a different chare up. From then on, we
had a different configuration and that helped so much. Where
now I sit by Dax, and I think as I
(23:49):
just got more confident the more we did it, I
also started to really understand my role as like as
a producer on the show. I edit the show. I
you know, I I do a lot for it. And
I started to feel that, like, oh, I am extremely
valuable here, so I don't have to prove myself on
(24:10):
these episodes. Maybe not everyone will know my purpose, but
I do and Dax does, and that is really all
I have to kind of care about. And then when
I started to get more confident, I did just start
chiming in more or I felt fine to not. We
also started to sort of come to the conclusion over
(24:31):
time again all this is so trial and airy, and
it's just like over time, I was understanding that my
role there is mainly to be the voice of the audience.
So I don't watch the tele like for the promotion piece.
I don't watch the television show or read the book
or do anything like that because I need to be
the one also as the editor who knows when things
(24:54):
are getting esoteric, if the audience would definitely say wait,
what or what who's talking to? What about? What?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
What?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
So I'm also there as that sort of eye that
I think the audience wants. And again when I knew that,
that also gave me sort of like a place to
plant my feet, which was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
And so as you became more confident in your role
in the show, did that increase your satisfaction? Is that
being the way that you spent most of your time, like,
were you still working on out their hustles outside ventures
trying to act successfully acting?
Speaker 2 (25:34):
No, I think you're right. I think as as my
confidence grew and as the show was starting to grow
even more, especially when we you know, we signed a
deal with Spotify, it became one hundred percent my sole focus.
I don't act anymore. I mean I'm not like I'm
done acting, but I certainly don't have time to go
be a series regular on a show at this point.
(25:55):
You know, we have three shows. At one point we
had five shows. We've done a ton of limits, did
series and continue to do that. So we've just sort
of expanded in that world, in the podcast world, which
has been so fun and challenging. Back to a challenge,
I mean, I didn't even when I moved to La
(26:16):
podcasting wasn't a thing. I didn't know what it was
like the idea of moving to this city and this
is now my job when it wasn't even on my
radar when I came out here is such a bizarre
turn of events. But yeah, I think my satisfaction definitely
got I mean I'm really just like sitting here thinking, like,
am I satisfied? And I really am. I'm really proud
(26:41):
of everything we've done and will continue to do, And yeah,
I haven't really thought about that, but yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Then maybe this will be a Solly question. But like,
do you remember if there was a moment when it
flipped for you and you were like, this is the
only thing that I do and I'm happy about it.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
I don't remember if there was like a certain moment.
I don't remember thinking, oh, I don't have time to
do the other thing. That's really bad. I think I thought, oh, wow,
I don't have time to do this other thing, and
I don't really miss the other thing, so that's interesting,
Like this is much more fulfilling. This is giving me
(27:21):
my own voice and a way that is really fun
and the element of discovery is really interesting to me.
So yeah, I don't think there was a moment. I
think when we signed the deal with Spotify, it was
clear just from the outside in the value of the show.
I mean literally, there was a number a numeral value
(27:41):
to it, and it did make me very clear, although
I think I was probably clear before that, but at
that point, one hundred percent like, this is our job,
this is our company, you know, this is our legacy.
Really like there's it all sort of became clear.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
As is his co host on Armchair Expert, which goes
to Spotify on July first, with President Obama, Monica Padman
is here.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Okay, you've put out nearly eight hundred episodes. How do
you put out so much content? That is so much?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
It is so much? Well, we have two Armchair show,
you know, two interview shows a week. We have our
celebrity guest on Monday, and we have our expert guest
on Wednesday. And then we added a show. We added
Armchair Anonymous, which is my personal favorite, where we talked
to our listeners and that's on Friday. So it just
(28:41):
adds up. And we've been almost doing it for seven years.
And as I said, we also had, you know, we
had a show call Flightless Bird that ran for multiple years,
and we did a show Sync that ran for a year.
Many limited series ten episodes series. I did one with
Kristen one with Jess Rowland, you know, we just we've
sort of run the gambit on trying stuff out and
(29:04):
it just adds up.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
After the break, Monica's journey comes full circle as she
reflects on how she is still keeping the dream young
Monica had all the way back in eighth grade alive.
(29:28):
But You've said, I'm getting to do what I wanted
to do, but in a different package.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yeah. When I was watching Friends and Goodwill Hunting, and
I was thinking, I just want to be a part
of something that is making people feel moved or feel
connected or learn something about yourself via what you're watching.
That's one piece mixed with watching Friends, and I'm thinking
(29:55):
I want to do that. I want to have fun
all day long. They are all really they're actually friends.
They're laughing the bloopers, blah blah. You know. Ah, That's
how I want to spend my life. That is how
I spend my life. I work with my best friend.
We laugh NonStop. We put out a product that is
honest and real, and I think people connect with that.
(30:20):
And so I'm getting to do this. You know, when
I think back to my original goals of what I
wanted when I was watching those things, I'm doing it.
And I'm so I'm so grateful for that.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
So what is one thing that you at the time
you thought was like a negative or a low point,
and now in retrospect you see it as having really
launched you or changed your perspective to where you are now.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Well, definitely at the beginning of the show, when I
was not talking and I was really in my head
about it, I told Dax. I was like, oh, I
feel like I'm just sitting there and you know, I
don't know what to do and I don't want to
not talk. And he said, you know, I understand all
of that, and we can. Let's work on that together,
(31:07):
let's figure it out. But also, I'm telling you that
this is special and I don't want you to miss it.
I don't want you to not be here for this
and be in your head about what you're doing wrong
or could be doing, or what it could be or
couldn't be. Like you need to feel this, And I
(31:29):
heard him, and I do.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
So.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
After over eight hundred episodes, millions of downloads, and a
new career path, I had to know. How does Monica
think about success now?
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I think when you enter the entertainment industry and at
all you have to start redefining what success means in general,
because it takes so long for anything to happen, if
anything happens at all. So in order to succeed in
LA at all, you have to have a flexible mind
when it comes to success and happiness. I was told
(32:06):
really early it got some really great advice early to
fill out the rest of your life, Like it can't
just be about booking auditions or acting like you have
to fill out the rest of your life. You need
to have friends, go out, you need to go to restaurants,
you need to do it all like your life is
still happening. And that was really helpful to me because
(32:29):
even when I think back at like the Soul Cycle time,
I was also so happy, like we were playing, you know,
we were having big game nights, and I think maybe
at that time I was happy, but I didn't feel successful.
And when I moved over to be with Kristen and Dax,
when I started showing what I could do so more
(32:52):
than just after like the Nanny, but when I was
writing stuff for Kristin or when I was able to
like flex my skills, I did feel sick successful and
I felt very satisfied. This new layer of success happened
after that, which is like a financial one right where
it's like, oh my gosh, like we've hit this thing
and we're hitting these things, and now that we're in that,
(33:16):
it's definitely the least satisfying version of the success along
the way, which is ironic and odd, and it's going
to sound really bad. People are going to be mad
at me for saying that, but it's the truth, Like
chasing these numbers is the least satisfying thing. Do you
think you'll pivot again? I mean, life is long, so
(33:36):
you know, I have no idea what the future holds.
I'm trying my best to be more and more comfortable
just sitting with that, like I don't know. I don't
know what's going to happen. You know, we we know
for certain we have some more years of doing this.
We're in another deal and we'll see after that how
(33:58):
we're all feeling. There is a lot I still want
to do in addition to I love writing and I
want to put some real focus and energy there. I
love fashion. I'd love to do something in that space.
So there's you know, there's things I want to check
off the list, but as far as like a massive pivot,
we'll have to see.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Thank you so much for joining us, Monica. I have
loved having you on.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
This was so fun. Thank you so much for having me.
This was such a delight. I'm very honored.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Monica still co hosts and produces Armchair Expert while also
working on her show SYNCD. Monica lives in the LA area, and,
like us, is devastated at the immense loss experience from
the LA fires. We reached out to Monica to see
if she wanted to share any organizations that are close
to her heart, and these are the organizations that she recommends.
(34:52):
Path LA World, Central Kitchen, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation,
Habitat for Humanity, for Greater Loss Angels, and two one
one LA. Visit Monica's page on She Pivots the podcast
for the links. You can keep up with Monica on
Instagram at mL Padman. Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening
(35:14):
to this episode of She Pivots. If you made it
this far, you're a true pivoter, so thanks for being.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Part of this community.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
I hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you did
leave us a rating, please be nice.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Tell your friends about us.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
To learn more about our guests, follow us on Instagram
at she pivots the Podcast, or sign.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Up for our newsletter where you can get.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Exclusive behind the scenes content, or on our website she
pivots the Podcast Talk to You Next Week special thanks
to the she pivots team, Executive producer Emily eda Velosik,
Associate producer and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director
Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics coordinator Madeleine Sonovak, and audio
(35:58):
editor and mixer Nina pollock I endorse Tea Pivots
Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman.
I'm so excited for everything we have in story this season,
but I have to be honest that I'm entering this
season in a bit of a different headspace, and I
want to talk to you all about it, how it happened,
and what I think it all means. I had the
opportunity to join the Harris Walls presidential campaign, going back
(00:28):
in the career that I had pivoted from so many
years ago. So I ended up full time in my
old career, living in a swing state, away from my family,
working twenty four to seven and the result aside. In
that moment, it was like a total mind fuck for
me that it's taken me years to be okay with
(00:50):
the fact that my political career was done, and then
all of a sudden, I was back in it and
I loved it. It made me think about how I've
purposely adjusted myself to a lower stakes life where not
everything is like winning a presidential campaign, which is about
as high stakes as you can get. And I think
(01:11):
there's also a part of me that really doubted whether
I was capable of doing it or not. I hadn't
been capable when I had left after having three kids
in four years. That's why I left, So I really
didn't think I would be just as good. But it
turned out I was pretty much just as good as
I used to be, and in some ways I was
(01:31):
maybe even a little better. But I really couldn't believe
that was my mindset. After talking with nearly one hundred
women on Cheap Pivots about why they belong in the
new space they carved for themselves, why did I not
believe that I belonged in a space that I had mastered.
As difficult as that was to realize about myself, it
showed me so clearly that my work here isn't done.
(01:54):
And as I looked for somewhere to channel all of
this passion and energy I had on the campaign, I
quickly realized that it's this, this podcast, this community, all
you amazing women. This season will dive into the complex
thought processes and feelings behind why women pivot and leave
space for the often confusing and nonlinear experiences that come
(02:17):
with our plot twists, and if we're lucky, we'll change
the cultural conversation and empower more women to bet on themselves.
It helped me prove to myself that my power doesn't
come from the version of me in politics. It comes
from where I am. It's not in some former version
of me. It's within me, and wherever I go it
(02:38):
comes to I'm excited to explore and to unpack what
all of this means with all of our guests this season.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Let's jump right in. Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm
Monica Patton.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Welcome back to she Pivots, the podcast where we talk
with women who dared to pivot out of one career
and into something new and explore how their personal lives
impacted these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today
(03:26):
we have a very special episode with podcast Royalty Armchair
Expert co creator and co host Monica Padman. If you're
a fan of her show, you know that Monica is
a pro at getting her own guests to open up.
But once I heard that she pivoted into podcasting after
working as an actress and a babysitter on the side,
(03:49):
I knew I wanted to have her in the hot
seat when we book guests for she Pivots. I've always
prioritized guests with diverse stories, and what I found so
unique about Mindica's pivot was the way she got into podcasting.
She leaned into the off ramp of being a babysitter
slash assistant, and it was actually that choice that made
(04:11):
her have this successful career. Going from babysitter to Kristen
Bell's assistant and right hand woman paves the way for
her to build Armchair Expert from the ground up with
Dak Shepherd, and what started as a side project quickly
became a cultural phenomenon, with millions of listeners tuning in
each week to hear Monica and Dak's tackle life's big questions.
(04:35):
Her role in the podcast isn't just about co hosting.
Monica is a producer, creative force, and the heart of
many of the show's most memorable moments. She's brought her
unique voice to conversations about vulnerability, mental health, and what
it means to truly connect with others. Monica's pivot is
(04:55):
about more than her career. It's about embracing the unexpected
and leaning into opportunities that align with who she is
at her core, from aspiring actress to one of the
most recognizable voices in podcasting. Monica's journey is proof that
sometimes the road you didn't plan leads you exactly where
you're meant to be.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Hope you enjoy. My name is Monica Padman and I
am a podcast creator, producer, host.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Okay, so we're going to bring it back and go
back to little Monica. What was your childhood like? It
seems like you always wanted to be in the entertainment industry.
Were you always like running around and a wicked hab
a lookite?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
No? No, I was not running around with any kind
of hat on, maybe like a doctor's had, even though
that's not a thing, a surgical mask. Maybe I was
really really shy when I was young. My mom will
tell you that I was just sort of attached to
her hip and was probably annoying her all the time. Yeah,
(06:06):
I was a really shy kid. But I was also
very good at making friends. But I would do it
in a way that was like one on one friendships, right,
Like I wasn't going to pop up in front of
the class and be class clown or get attention that way.
But I would try to build these kind of intimate
relationships with people. I think, even at a young age,
(06:27):
I was just like, highly perceptive at a very young
age what to do to make people around me happy
or to be liked. So I was not very outgoing
in that way, but I wanted to be. I think
like when I was little, I definitely wanted to be
a doctor. I don't know if I really wanted to
(06:48):
be a doctor. I just was like, Oh, that's like
the that's the way to get the affection of my
grandfather probably, And yeah, I guess that was sort of
me back then.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
It didn't take long until Monica fell in love with
the idea of Hollywood, and like most actors, she had
the canon event of watching two very influential pieces of media.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But I didn't really want to do anything in entertainment
until I was in about eighth grade. I two events.
I watched Goodwill Hunting and I started watching Friends, and
I was obsessed with both of those to such a
obsessive degree that I, you know, I had that feeling
(07:33):
of I want to be doing what they're doing. I
want to be a part of that. I didn't know
it was acting. I didn't know anything. I just was
so taken by it, and I knew I wanted to
be in that world. And make people feel like I
was feeling when I watched it. And then I started
in ninth grade. I started in theater class, and that's
when I really was like, oh, this is this is
(07:55):
I like it. I want to do this.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
At the time, this looked like it was going into
acting and moving to la to make it happen. But
hindsight is always twenty twenty, and Monica highlighted one key
difference on how she now thinks friends influenced her.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And then with friends, it was I don't think I
really knew this at the time, but I wanted to
be them. I think I wanted to live that life.
I wanted to live the life that the friends were living,
not not really acting. Even though I ended up, you know,
I ended up like deciding, oh, I guess this is
how you do that. I wanted to have like fun
on set, I think is really what it sort of
(08:34):
boiled down to. And I sort of figured out how
to do that too, like work with my friends and
laugh a lot and tell stories.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
But she was not yet a world famous storyteller. So
Monica headed to college to study theater in Georgia.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
At that time, I'm from Georgia. They had a Hope scholarship.
So if you graduated high school with the certain GPA,
I don't remember what it was at the time, maybe
three eighth, three seven, I don't remember, but something like that,
you qualified to go to one of the public colleges
for free tuition. So my parents were like, yeah, so
(09:16):
that's what you'll be doing. You will be doing that,
and that's that, and all my friends were going to
so it just made so much sense. The theater conversation
was a conversation, definitely. I added a major. I added
a PR major, so I doubled majored in college so
that everyone could feel a little more calm about my prospects.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
So then when you moved out, you did like the
classic actor la thing like front desk, a soul cycle, babysitting.
I cannot imagine the stories that you have from that.
Let us send care please.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Oh soul cycle was it was so fun and everyone,
you know, everyone was young. We were opening up the
Beverly Hills studio, so it was like this group of
young kids. I was the oldest one and I think
I was twenty five working at the front desk and
you know, cleaning the shoes and I guess what's the
nice I can't think of a nice way of saying.
(10:18):
Dealing with the Beverly Hills clientele, which was very specific,
and I actually developed a really, really, really intense amount
of anxiety during that time working there because I was scared,
like people would come out in the middle of class
and like be like sort of half passing out. And
it was on our little, like eighteen to twenty five
(10:41):
year old front desk, you know, group of front desk
workers to deal with this, and we you know, we
were we had like train in CPR and all of
these things, and it was it felt very scary. And
one time we did have to like call nine one one,
and it was this whole you know, to do. So
so I left that job a little bit after that
(11:02):
because I was feeling a little little overwhelmed. I was
also babysitting throughout that entire time.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
So it's during this time that you met Kristen and
Dax through a mutual friend. How did that work?
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Yes, So we had mutual friends, so I would see
them on a very acquaintance level at like parties and stuff,
and you know, so we sort of knew each other's
faces and said hello, but then I did an episode
of House of Lies. I like booked an episode of
House of Lies as it actually ironically as her assistant
(11:36):
and when I saw you know, so when I got
to said she was like, oh hey, I know you,
and we were chatting a lot, and they had just
had their first kid, so I she was showing me
pictures and I was like, well, I also babysit all
the time, so if you ever need a babysitter, all
at your girl, And then they sure did.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
So how quickly did it go from like babysitter kind
of know you around, like we're in this together, like
we're all in.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah. So I was date night babysitting for Lincoln, their
first and then when Kristen was pregnant with Delta, which
was like a year and a half year and some
change later, they decided they probably needed more help and
so they asked if I could come on full time,
and so I did that, and that's really when it
(12:25):
took off into you know, I was I worked a
full day there every day and that then we were
just all in and then I would stay over and
we'd watch TV, we'd play games, and it just became
like one big melting pot.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Were you still trying to pursue acting. Were you seeing
this as like a holdover? You thought this is a
career for me. I want to get into what your
mindset was at the different phases, because something that I
think about a lot is how do we define success by?
How do we define our expectations? That's a great question.
(12:59):
The answer is I was not satisfied and Slash. I
was not thinking, oh, I think I'll just be like
a nanny now forever.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That wasn't my thought process. I was still acting. I
was doing a lot of commercials at that time, and
when I first started with them, I said, and I
really hesitated that. Actually at first I was like, I
don't know if I should go full time because how
am I going to go to auditions? How am I
going to do my job? And so I brought that
up to them. I said, I really want to say yes,
(13:29):
but I also need to be able to leave if
I have an audition, and they were like, we'll make
it work. So I was still able to be pursuing acting,
and I think that was maybe why the whole thing worked,
because I was still pursuing my thing, yet I was
getting a lot of validation from this other job, and
(13:53):
I did love being there, and it was a very
homey kind of we are a village vibe that I
really really really liked, and those kids feel like my kids.
So it just all, you know, I think it was
a really specific alchemy that made it work. I started
(14:14):
out as the babysitter. Then I moved into assistant. Once
their second went to school went to preschool, they wanted
to keep me around, but obviously there was no kids
in the house anymore. So she said, do you want
to come on as my assistant? And so I did that,
and then as as I was doing that, I was
also writing stuff for her and you know, becoming a
(14:35):
producing partner with her. But then I was also still
doing some of the old things, like there just weren't
clear delineations because we were just figuring everything out as
it was going. And so at one point I did
have to say, hey, so I can't do that other
stuff anymore. This role has progressed sort of unknowingly, you know,
We've just like been going through the motions and now
(14:57):
I'm I'm here and I'm doing this level of job,
so I can't also be doing that level of job,
and that was a little bit of a hurdle, you know,
at first, I think because understandably so Kristen was like, well, yikes,
but I need that other stuff done too, and you know,
what do I do? But we figured it out. I
think that's also the beauty of her definitely, is she's
(15:21):
very open to hearing things like that and understanding what's
important to her and who is important to her and
how to make that person happy and give them what
they deserve. So I think like at first, when she's saying, oh, yikes,
after a day, she's like, yeah, them actually makes sense,
(15:41):
so let's figure this out. And so, you know, there
there was times like that.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Was there ever awkwardness about the fact that you were
trying and not having the same level of success in
the same industry that they are in or they were in.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
No, because they were at such a different level. So
it wasn't like I was comparing myself to them at all.
I was already I was a huge fan of both
of them before. I loved Parenthood, I loved Ronica Mars,
So I wasn't like, oh, they're working a lot and
(16:16):
I'm not. You know, it just felt like we're at
very very very different stages in life in general. I
mean they're babysitting their children too, So I think that
all helps. What's changed in our lives over the past
ten years is that you know, like now I have
changed in position a little bit in life, and it
(16:39):
doesn't feel like we're in a very different stage. And
so we've all sort of adapted to this like growing
shifting dynamic. But first, no, it wasn't hard at all.
It was like, oh, yeah, these people are extremely successful actors.
That's what I entered into. It wasn't like I saw
the rise. And they're both dreamly generous and would really
(17:03):
do what they could for me a lot.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
You know.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Dax cast me in chips like early early when I
was just like date night babysitting.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
You know.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Kristen if she had something and there was like a
part that she could sort of slop me and she
would do that. They did a lot for me.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
As her responsibilities grew with Dax and Kristen, Monica still
had her sight set on acting and hadn't yet seen
that her pivot could be around the corner. When we
come back, Monica tells us how Armchair Expert was born,
(17:48):
how did it actually turn into let's do a podcast?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Like what were those steps? Yeah, And it was early days.
It was twenty seventeen. Dax has gone on a few
podcasts and really enjoyed it. Just thought it was like
a really fun medium of nice antidote to the two
minute story where you hit your beats and you get in,
(18:14):
you get out, and so he just liked it. And
he came home one night I think Kristen and I
were working or playing a game, probably more likely, and
he said he wanted to try doing a podcast, and
I said, oh, I can probably try to help figure
out how to do that. And so I started looking
(18:35):
into other people who had podcasts and doing research and
I met with this couple that I know that had
a podcast, and so, you know, doing all of that,
and then it was like, yeah, let's try it. We
brought Rob on to help with the technical stuff, and
it was really just like, let's just see how it goes.
There was talk about expectations like we had none. We
(18:57):
had none, truly, and I know that it sounds weird
now so many years later, because it's grown into such
a fruitful business and we're so lucky and ironically, like
now our expectations are too high, but they started at
zero and it really really helped us on the ride
(19:20):
because we could really enjoy it. At first, it was like, whoa,
what is going on? This is so exciting, Oh my gosh,
people are listening. Oh wow, instead of like not enough
people are listening, or oh we need this, so we
need that. We were just shocked and happy. We launched
(19:43):
in February of twenty eighteen. We launched with three episodes, Kristin.
My guest is the lovely Kristen Belle Ashton Kutcher.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Today I get a chance to thank the person who
started my career, Ashton Kutcher and Joy Bryant. I am
joined by my TV wife, Joy Bryant, you know her
from Parenthood, Get Rich or Died Trying Antoine Fisher.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
We put all three of those out at once and
it was a pretty big audience immediately, but then it
did also continue to grow and grow and grow, which
we were again surprised by. Even we had if we
had guests that were lesser known, we would still notice like, oh,
everyone's still listening. That's interesting, and that's good. That that
(20:25):
that means it's about more than just whoever's coming on
if we were learning so much as we were doing it.
But yeah, it was. It was. I think it was
a pretty quick, big audience that continued to build on itself.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Did you see any particular moments of really big growth
where were like, oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
I want to say yes, because I just listened to
acquired and I want to sound really business y, but
I we we were not business y. Like we we
were not paying that much attention to that, like oh
my gosh, it was a big big you know, jump
here or dip here. We just weren't. We were just
(21:06):
doing our thing. We were asking people to come in
who we thought were fun and cool for us. The
one of the biggest early moments was when Katie Curic's
team reached out to us. That was the first big moment.
It's like, oh my god, somebody's asking us if they
can come on. That was the first time that happened,
(21:29):
and that at this point many years later, that's pretty
much how it happens completely. We still reach out to
people every now and then if there's like a you know,
person we're really excited about, or who's on our mind.
But for the most part, we have you know, requests
come in, and that was the first time it happened,
and so for us, we were like, we were just
very excited, and that for us was growth, Like that's
(21:51):
how we were measuring it, sort of like, oh, people
want to come on, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Armchair Exburg quickly became the number one podcast in the world,
boasting guests like Natalie Portman, Tom Hanks, Brookshields, and Hillary Clinton.
And for anyone who isn't familiar with the show, Monica
serves as co host, producer, and editor. But getting comfortable
with each of those titles and roles took time.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Well, okay, so when we first started, we didn't know anything,
Like you know, the first episode with Kristin, I'm sitting
there like I'm sitting on the couch and I don't
say anything. We don't know what we're doing, we don't
know how, we don't know what we're doing. And I
was I was so anxious for that whole first chunk
of time that I wasn't saying enough, or I wasn't
inserting myself enough, or am I just like the girls
(22:44):
sitting on the couch for no reason, like what everyone's
probably so confused And I think to an extent, a
lot of that is true. And we were having people
on this show that I really wanted the approval of,
or had been wanting the approval of for so long.
I remember when we had Judd Apatow on, I was
so in my head because I loved him and his
(23:05):
movies and everything he did. And I'm you know, I'm
still an actress at this point, and I'm thinking, Oh,
I don't want him to think there's just this like
dud on the couch. I want him to think I
have this shiny personality and like me. And so I
was in my head a lot during that time, and
I think once, well, first of all, there's like a
sort of well known turn of events, and that we
(23:26):
moved my chair so I was sitting on the same
couch as the guest. When we had Jake Johnson on,
he who was like, I can't see her. I want
to see her. Can we move this around? And so
we pulled a different chare up. From then on, we
had a different configuration and that helped so much. Where
now I sit by Dax, and I think as I
(23:49):
just got more confident the more we did it, I
also started to really understand my role as like as
a producer on the show. I edit the show. I
you know, I I do a lot for it. And
I started to feel that, like, oh, I am extremely
valuable here, so I don't have to prove myself on
(24:10):
these episodes. Maybe not everyone will know my purpose, but
I do and Dax does, and that is really all
I have to kind of care about. And then when
I started to get more confident, I did just start
chiming in more or I felt fine to not. We
also started to sort of come to the conclusion over
(24:31):
time again all this is so trial and airy, and
it's just like over time, I was understanding that my
role there is mainly to be the voice of the audience.
So I don't watch the tele like for the promotion piece.
I don't watch the television show or read the book
or do anything like that because I need to be
the one also as the editor who knows when things
(24:54):
are getting esoteric, if the audience would definitely say wait,
what or what who's talking to? What about? What?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
What?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
So I'm also there as that sort of eye that
I think the audience wants. And again when I knew that,
that also gave me sort of like a place to
plant my feet, which was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
And so as you became more confident in your role
in the show, did that increase your satisfaction? Is that
being the way that you spent most of your time, like,
were you still working on out their hustles outside ventures
trying to act successfully acting?
Speaker 2 (25:34):
No, I think you're right. I think as as my
confidence grew and as the show was starting to grow
even more, especially when we you know, we signed a
deal with Spotify, it became one hundred percent my sole focus.
I don't act anymore. I mean I'm not like I'm
done acting, but I certainly don't have time to go
be a series regular on a show at this point.
(25:55):
You know, we have three shows. At one point we
had five shows. We've done a ton of limits, did
series and continue to do that. So we've just sort
of expanded in that world, in the podcast world, which
has been so fun and challenging. Back to a challenge,
I mean, I didn't even when I moved to La
(26:16):
podcasting wasn't a thing. I didn't know what it was
like the idea of moving to this city and this
is now my job when it wasn't even on my
radar when I came out here is such a bizarre
turn of events. But yeah, I think my satisfaction definitely
got I mean I'm really just like sitting here thinking, like,
am I satisfied? And I really am. I'm really proud
(26:41):
of everything we've done and will continue to do, And yeah,
I haven't really thought about that, but yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Then maybe this will be a Solly question. But like,
do you remember if there was a moment when it
flipped for you and you were like, this is the
only thing that I do and I'm happy about it.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
I don't remember if there was like a certain moment.
I don't remember thinking, oh, I don't have time to
do the other thing. That's really bad. I think I thought, oh, wow,
I don't have time to do this other thing, and
I don't really miss the other thing, so that's interesting,
Like this is much more fulfilling. This is giving me
(27:21):
my own voice and a way that is really fun
and the element of discovery is really interesting to me.
So yeah, I don't think there was a moment. I
think when we signed the deal with Spotify, it was
clear just from the outside in the value of the show.
I mean literally, there was a number a numeral value
(27:41):
to it, and it did make me very clear, although
I think I was probably clear before that, but at
that point, one hundred percent like, this is our job,
this is our company, you know, this is our legacy.
Really like there's it all sort of became clear.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
As is his co host on Armchair Expert, which goes
to Spotify on July first, with President Obama, Monica Padman
is here.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Okay, you've put out nearly eight hundred episodes. How do
you put out so much content? That is so much?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
It is so much? Well, we have two Armchair show,
you know, two interview shows a week. We have our
celebrity guest on Monday, and we have our expert guest
on Wednesday. And then we added a show. We added
Armchair Anonymous, which is my personal favorite, where we talked
to our listeners and that's on Friday. So it just
(28:41):
adds up. And we've been almost doing it for seven years.
And as I said, we also had, you know, we
had a show call Flightless Bird that ran for multiple years,
and we did a show Sync that ran for a year.
Many limited series ten episodes series. I did one with
Kristen one with Jess Rowland, you know, we just we've
sort of run the gambit on trying stuff out and
(29:04):
it just adds up.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
After the break, Monica's journey comes full circle as she
reflects on how she is still keeping the dream young
Monica had all the way back in eighth grade alive.
(29:28):
But You've said, I'm getting to do what I wanted
to do, but in a different package.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yeah. When I was watching Friends and Goodwill Hunting, and
I was thinking, I just want to be a part
of something that is making people feel moved or feel
connected or learn something about yourself via what you're watching.
That's one piece mixed with watching Friends, and I'm thinking
(29:55):
I want to do that. I want to have fun
all day long. They are all really they're actually friends.
They're laughing the bloopers, blah blah. You know. Ah, That's
how I want to spend my life. That is how
I spend my life. I work with my best friend.
We laugh NonStop. We put out a product that is
honest and real, and I think people connect with that.
(30:20):
And so I'm getting to do this. You know, when
I think back to my original goals of what I
wanted when I was watching those things, I'm doing it.
And I'm so I'm so grateful for that.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
So what is one thing that you at the time
you thought was like a negative or a low point,
and now in retrospect you see it as having really
launched you or changed your perspective to where you are now.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Well, definitely at the beginning of the show, when I
was not talking and I was really in my head
about it, I told Dax. I was like, oh, I
feel like I'm just sitting there and you know, I
don't know what to do and I don't want to
not talk. And he said, you know, I understand all
of that, and we can. Let's work on that together,
(31:07):
let's figure it out. But also, I'm telling you that
this is special and I don't want you to miss it.
I don't want you to not be here for this
and be in your head about what you're doing wrong
or could be doing, or what it could be or
couldn't be. Like you need to feel this, And I
(31:29):
heard him, and I do.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
So.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
After over eight hundred episodes, millions of downloads, and a
new career path, I had to know. How does Monica
think about success now?
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I think when you enter the entertainment industry and at
all you have to start redefining what success means in general,
because it takes so long for anything to happen, if
anything happens at all. So in order to succeed in
LA at all, you have to have a flexible mind
when it comes to success and happiness. I was told
(32:06):
really early it got some really great advice early to
fill out the rest of your life, Like it can't
just be about booking auditions or acting like you have
to fill out the rest of your life. You need
to have friends, go out, you need to go to restaurants,
you need to do it all like your life is
still happening. And that was really helpful to me because
(32:29):
even when I think back at like the Soul Cycle time,
I was also so happy, like we were playing, you know,
we were having big game nights, and I think maybe
at that time I was happy, but I didn't feel successful.
And when I moved over to be with Kristen and Dax,
when I started showing what I could do so more
(32:52):
than just after like the Nanny, but when I was
writing stuff for Kristin or when I was able to
like flex my skills, I did feel sick successful and
I felt very satisfied. This new layer of success happened
after that, which is like a financial one right where
it's like, oh my gosh, like we've hit this thing
and we're hitting these things, and now that we're in that,
(33:16):
it's definitely the least satisfying version of the success along
the way, which is ironic and odd, and it's going
to sound really bad. People are going to be mad
at me for saying that, but it's the truth, Like
chasing these numbers is the least satisfying thing. Do you
think you'll pivot again? I mean, life is long, so
(33:36):
you know, I have no idea what the future holds.
I'm trying my best to be more and more comfortable
just sitting with that, like I don't know. I don't
know what's going to happen. You know, we we know
for certain we have some more years of doing this.
We're in another deal and we'll see after that how
(33:58):
we're all feeling. There is a lot I still want
to do in addition to I love writing and I
want to put some real focus and energy there. I
love fashion. I'd love to do something in that space.
So there's you know, there's things I want to check
off the list, but as far as like a massive pivot,
we'll have to see.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Thank you so much for joining us, Monica. I have
loved having you on.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
This was so fun. Thank you so much for having me.
This was such a delight. I'm very honored.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Monica still co hosts and produces Armchair Expert while also
working on her show SYNCD. Monica lives in the LA area, and,
like us, is devastated at the immense loss experience from
the LA fires. We reached out to Monica to see
if she wanted to share any organizations that are close
to her heart, and these are the organizations that she recommends.
(34:52):
Path LA World, Central Kitchen, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation,
Habitat for Humanity, for Greater Loss Angels, and two one
one LA. Visit Monica's page on She Pivots the podcast
for the links. You can keep up with Monica on
Instagram at mL Padman. Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening
(35:14):
to this episode of She Pivots. If you made it
this far, you're a true pivoter, so thanks for being.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Part of this community.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
I hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you did
leave us a rating, please be nice.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Tell your friends about us.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
To learn more about our guests, follow us on Instagram
at she pivots the Podcast, or sign.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Up for our newsletter where you can get.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Exclusive behind the scenes content, or on our website she
pivots the Podcast Talk to You Next Week special thanks
to the she pivots team, Executive producer Emily eda Velosik,
Associate producer and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director
Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics coordinator Madeleine Sonovak, and audio
(35:58):
editor and mixer Nina pollock I endorse Tea Pivots
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