We were lucky to catch up with Sydnie Chandler Monet Collins recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sydnie Chandler Monet thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
As someone who believes in creating what you don’t see, I took it upon myself to recognize the negative atmosphere during the pandemic and create a platform that promotes youth positivity! Perfect Timing Podcast was born after my mom challenged me to create change during a dark time, and the name reflects how our lives and those that surround it all work in God’s perfect timing. For the past 3 years, I have interviewed young entrepreneurs, motivational speakers, activists, authors, change-makers, and more trailblazers from Generation Z to showcase that positivity still exists within Covid’s scary and unpredictable climate. In these interviews, I have been able to explore topics of mental health and wellness, entrepreneurship, STEM, human rights, current events, financial literacy, the arts, and so much more!
This passion project is meaningful to me because I grew up believing that my voice didn’t hold power and that it was invaluable. By offering a seat at the table and handing the mic to others to speak on what’s important to them, it simultaneously heals my inner child. With this, it is my hope and prayer that those who see my work know that it is more than a podcast that exposes all communities to the greatness of Gen Z, but also a place that promotes a safe space for others to lift up their voices so that it empowers the generation that will follow us and challenge the generation before us.
Sydnie Chandler Monet, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Sydnie Chandler Monet’, I am 18-years-old from southern Maryland and I am the Founder/CEO & Host of Perfect Timing Podcast! As I recall the scary beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic, I remember my school classes became virtual and ballet classes moving from the studio to my foyer. With all the extra time on my hands, my mom, who has helped mold me into the women I am today, challenged me with the task of creating “something” to give back to the community. Reflecting on one of the characters from her favorite TV shows, she suggested that I start a podcast! I thought, that sounds crazy… Let’s do it! After the first 4 months of staying indoors, Perfect Timing Podcast was born!
The pandemic was not the finale I wanted for my freshman year of high school, but God had other plans. I believe the pandemic was a reality check to what we need to prioritize in the fast-paced life most of us are accustomed to. For me, my days ranged from 16-18 hours long as I went to school and traveled to Washington DC for ballet, which was my passion at the time, but once I was forced inside, my focus shifted. As the statistics of mental health issues rises in children and teens, I can say I am a part of those numbers as I struggle with depression and anxiety. To combat that, I created a platform that is open for Generation Z to speak on what they are passionate about as I realized they may be struggling mentally too. For the past 3 years, I have interviewed young entrepreneurs, motivational speakers, activists, authors, change-makers, some expert adults, and more trailblazers from Generation Z to showcase that positivity still exists within Covid’s scary and unpredictable climate. In these interviews, I have been able to explore topics of mental health and wellness, entrepreneurship, STEM, human rights, current events, financial literacy, the arts, and so much more!
What has been most exciting for me is seeing how therapeutic this service has been for me. While I enjoyed performing for others through movement and song, sharing the stories and testimonies of others became my passion. I soon became infatuated with hearing others journeys and experiences by providing a safe space for them to speak about it openly. I have been able to experience incredible opportunities and been invited in rooms I once believed I never belonged in because I accepted my mom’s challenge. God blessed me with a voice I was once too scared to use, but now I commit my days to showcasing it to others and motivating them to believe their voice holds power too.
To date, I have released over 125 episodes and have interviewed Ian Brock, who is the Founder of Dream Hustle Code, Brandi Harvey, founder of Beyond Her Co., Ms. Glenda Gill, founder of Save A Girl, Save A World (who I am also a proud communications intern for), and so many other remarkable people who dedicate their lives for the benefit of our tomorrow.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I often use “resilient” as a word to define myself as a person, student, and young entrepreneur. At the beginning of my senior year, I began to feel the demands of schoolwork, college applications, scholarship applications, and more chip away at my mental health. I am often hesitant to ask for help or to admit that I am struggling without first being asked, but I could no longer put my feelings and health aside.
To be someone who advocates so strongly for mental health awareness, it is only appropriate to take care of my own. At the beginning of November in 2022, I decided to take a break. During this time, I was able to focus on school, my mental health, and determine my priorities. I unfortunately was involved in a car accident that helped me realize just how far I pushed myself. It was a lesson. When I returned to my podcast in the middle of January, I felt refreshed and renewed. As I began to hear back from my college decisions, I was taking blow after blow as I was denied from 4 universities in one weekend. The word defeated is not strong enough to describe the way I was feeling and people began to turn away from me in my darkest moment. My bed felt like my only place of refuge. I thought, as long as those covers surrounded me, I couldn’t be rejected or left behind. While I gave myself the space to feel my emotions and my body ran out of tears to cry, I finally gave myself a look in the mirror and told myself, “I’m Sydnie, I’ll always be okay.” God never gave me and never will give me anything I cannot handle. If anything, this experience has only made me stronger and wiser, and for that I am happy. I obtained a strength I didn’t know I was capable of. The scariest part? Learning that it is ok for my emotions to be fluid. To be happy one moment and sobbing the next. To be pleased one moment and fuming the next. When I lay my head down at night, it’s only me I am left alone with. I learned to stand up in my darkest moments as I have made it through darker ones before. I am made to make manifest in the Glory of God, and I cannot do that tucked away in bed. God plants these lessons in my life for a reason, and for that it made me better.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
It’s hard to break out of the cycle of perfectionism and people-pleasing. As a middle child in a family of 7, I was insistent on making the lives of others as easy as possible. I’d curse myself to any inconvenience I may have placed on someone or any mistake I’ve ever made. I’d tell myself that I was a failure or that I was unworthy of love. I had to unlearn that I wasn’t worth the energy and patience of others and teach myself that I was humanly bound to make mistakes and live a life that didn’t involve stepping on eggshells. I was made in God’s image, and He’s the only one that can be perfect, so I can at least try to live a life as close to Him as possible. I had that it’s ok not to be ok. I quickly developed anxiety that stemmed from my constant oblige to please others, but eventually it made me incapable of connecting with myself. I began to see myself in 3rd person; someone who recognized their emotions, but never actually felt them because of fear. I was afraid of the pain. Then I thought, how could I know what joy feels like if I can’t tell the difference from despair? I had to let myself feel and teach myself that it was ok. The only person I need to please is myself and that others feelings are not my responsibility. My motto is, “Never fear failure, but be terrified of regret.” and it has motivated me to see life through my lens, not others.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_perfecttimingpodcast/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perfecttimingyouthpodcast
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydnie-collins-5112971b4/
- Billboard 100: eliteconversations.com/perfect-timing
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sydniechandlermonet
Image Credits
Lindria Dockett