Before they recorded their first episode, Making It Up co-hosts Eugene and Charis naturally shared illuminating conversations about tech, culture, art, hip hop, and food. They decided to evolve their off-the-air conversations into a weekly podcast, now with over 100 episodes and counting, to share their thoughts more widely as the ultimate culture-driven variety show. What really stands out when listening is that the co-hosts have built a trusting relationship where they can freely share ideas and keep each other grounded in their creative process during inevitable moments of “what are we doing here?”
Both Eugene and Charis work at MAEKAN, a community that celebrates creative culture and emphasizes the art of storytelling. In a world saturated with video, MAEKAN functions like an audio-magazine — telling stories about art installations, flavor scientists, social movements, tattoo artists, and other creatives around the globe. They present these stories on their website in a format where the audio takes precedence and the photos, visuals, and text serve as complementary undertones.
In their first episode, Charis expresses her fear about not sounding smart — a relatable sentiment, especially when the mic is on and the recording is rolling, not knowing what’s going to happen when your voice and opinions are out there. But that fear quickly dissipated after they made a conscious effort to let go of any self-imposed pressure and appreciate the value that they bring to their listeners; there was the realization that when someone listens to your podcast, you’re exactly what they want to hear.
We talked with Eugene and Charis to learn more about their podcast and best practices that they’ve learned along the way.
