We were lucky to catch up with Kristen Maldonado recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristen, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
The legacy I hope to leave behind with Pop Culture Planet is one of hustle, resilience, kindness, and inclusion. I hope that after I’m gone people will remember me as a woman who paved a wave for underrepresented voices with my journalism work and who helped uplift people in front of the camera, behind it, and in criticism.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
At Pop Culture Planet, we cover the world of entertainment while shining a light on representation and inclusion. I founded the outlet in 2021 after being inspired by the lack of diversity I was seeing within the entertainment space. In addition to sharing news, reviews, and interviews, I have candid conversations with writers, directors, actors, and other creatives in the industry about inclusion in our video podcast of the same name. Since launching, we’ve added more writers and interns to the team, with a specific focus on mentoring both women and people of color with a passion for entertainment to help them get their foot in the door.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the biggest lessons I had to learn in the entertainment industry was persistence. I would reach out one time about reviewing a show or trying to book a big interview and, if I didn’t hear back, I would leave it at that. Eventually I found out from other women in criticism that they were doing the same thing as me because they didn’t want to be annoying. Meanwhile, our male counterparts were sending numerous follow ups to get opportunities. It might seem like such a small thing, but through that experience I learned I had to let go of the feeling of “bothering people” and ask for what I want. Even if that means asking multiple times or reaching out to different people. There’s always a way in.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Before Pop Culture Planet is what it is today, it all started on social media. I would post reviews of TV shows and movies on YouTube, working to build an audience. Through that, I became a one-woman show. I learned how to analyze projects, write my own scripts, and film, light, and mic myself. I learned how to edit, how to network and pitch my ideas to press, and roll out my content strategically online. When it comes to building a social media presence, my advice is to just start. I grew my skillset over time, trying to figure out what worked and what I liked creating. Even now the social media landscape is always changing, so my other big piece of advice is to be open to that. Vertical video is taking over, so adapting quickly to new trends like that will help you connect with your audience. After that, you just need to be authentic and consistent. You can’t fail if you don’t give up.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.popcultureplanet.net
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kaymaldo1
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kaymaldo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenmaldonado/
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kaymaldo
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/kaymaldo
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaymaldo
Image Credits
Getty Images: Dave Kotinsky and Alexi J. Rosefeld