Bobbi Althoff started making TikTok videos as a way to gain economic stability and avoid living the life she grew up with, which was chaotic and financially strained.
She decided to return to her sarcastic character because it resonates more with her audience, generates higher views, and is more fun for her to produce, despite the initial backlash she feared from comments.
Bobbi Althoff felt suicidal at 14 due to the chaotic and stressful environment at home, where her parents fought constantly and the family was broke, combined with her feeling like an outcast at school.
She chose to collaborate with other influencers because it helped her videos perform better and gain more visibility, providing a break from the daily grind of producing content alone.
Her podcast started as a parody because she initially thought podcasts were a silly trend and wanted to make fun of them. She did it without research, going in with a character, and it resonated with her audience.
The first episode with Drake brought her massive visibility and credibility, leading to her signing with a major agency (WME) and helping her transition her content from just TikTok to a broader podcast audience.
Social media is a double-edged sword because it provides a platform for her to succeed and gain fame, but it also exposes her to toxic comments and a lack of critical thinking among viewers, which can be mentally draining.
She started her podcast with a comedy angle because she realized that her character and the snarky, viral content worked better than a well-researched, traditional format. This approach aligned with her strengths and what her audience enjoyed.
Bobbi Althoff wants to hire a producer and a booker to ease the pressure of content creation and guest booking, which has been overwhelming for her, and to bring new ideas and trends to her show.
She aspires to get into acting and have a talk show because she wants to expand her career beyond TikTok and podcasting, and she believes these are the next steps to achieving greater success and stability in the entertainment industry.
Bobbi Althoff’s podcast success story is much different than Marc’s podcast success story. In fact, the concept of a podcast is very different than when WTF got started. Bobbi explains how she grew up in a chaotic environment where money was hard to come by and, after becoming a mom in her early 20s, she found viral fame by sheer force of will, as well as a guest appearance by Drake. They also talk about the grind of the content creation machine, the mental health drain of social media, and fame being an economic engine. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast).
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