Community Builder Spotlight: Ahyiana Angel

Author: Mehgaan Jones

In the upcoming months, Blk Pod Collective will feature podcasters who we admire. In our quest to highlight African-American podcasts, we invite you to visit our blog for stories of inspiration, wisdom and motivation.

We are kicking the series off with self proclaimed “Chief Encourager”, Ahyiana Angel. She is the founder of Mayzie Media, author, creator of a jewelry line seen in Vogue magazine and host of the podcast, Switch, Pivot or Quit which has been featured in, Forbes and Apple as a top podcast!

As a former sports publicist, Ahyiana decided to “switch” gears to enter the world of podcasting.

Her podcast “produces uplifting and informative content and resources for the women seeking light, empowerment and clarity in a life filled with crazy demands on who she should be.”

Blk Pod Collective chatted with her to gain more insight into the mind of a true podcaster gem.

Why Podcasting?

I was a listener of podcasts before venturing into the space in 2017. As a listener, I started thinking about what a podcast of my own could sound like. I asked myself why I wanted to podcast and what I could offer the space. I love to have conversations (I mean I'm the friend that can chat for two hours easy about any and everything) plus I realized that the women I wanted to connect with were more likely to be able to listen to a podcast vs watch a video or read a blog post.

What podcasts do you listen to in your spare time?

In terms of who I have listened to recently...Robin Sharma, I also listened to Rachel Hollis’ podcast recently. I listen to The Wall Street Journal’s podcast, The Journal. Sometimes I am just trying to gather more information or to be more well-rounded. Sometimes I am looking to be motivated in a certain direction, I want to hear something good or hear something I haven’t thought of. I kind of go for the ones that are going to give me something along those lines.

When did you know this was what you wanted to invest your time and resources in?

 I really knew the moment that I started because it just felt natural for me. I purchased a mic after my first episode. Once I started getting feedback that the Switch, Pivot or Quit podcast was helpful so I knew that I had to keep going and really put the time and creativity in to make it worth listening to.

What keeps you motivated to continue?

Telling the stories of women in the hopes of helping someone that is in transition like I was early on. My goal was always to create what I would have wanted to listen to during some of the most confusing and uncertain times in my life.

What are some of the biggest setbacks you've had on your journey?

 It sounds strange saying this but I have not had any big setbacks. I'm grateful that things have flowed rather smoothly. I also think that my background in PR and marketing has helped me in creating the experience that I want to have in podcasting.

What advice would you have for someone looking to jump into podcasting?

 Make sure that you're doing it with a purpose and not because you think it's easy or because you think everyone else is doing it. The podcasts that really make a mark tend to have a throughline with their content and people behind them that are serious about contributing to their area/topic.

Where do you see the industry going 5 to 10 years from now?

 I'm no expert but I feel like the industry will continue to grow (right now so many of us are still just trying to figure out what works, what's standard, and what makes sense), and things will slowly become more standardized in order to really make the space more entertaining and viable. 

What can we as a community do to ensure that our stories are showcased?

Share and be intentional when sharing. Make the effort to make the connections that will help you garner the most impact and traction. Be fearless when asking for what you want or need. Those are just a few simple things that come to mind.

What advice do you have for anyone who wants to create community?

Be honest with yourself about why you want to create the community, what value you can add and if there is a real need/interest. Do it because you feel like you need to not because you see others doing something similar and appearing to succeed. Creating something that truly connects with you is priceless.

Ahyiana advises future podcasters to create a movement that not only resonates with others but one that you would personally embrace and follow. “I wanted to create a podcast that I would’ve wanted to listen to when I was sitting at my desk on Fifth Avenue at the NBA trying to figure out my next move was going to be. With Switch, Pivot or Quit I wanted to create something that I felt like would've been useful in that time period for me; sharing stories of women who have made some type of transition.”