Remember when your English teacher would assign a five-paragraph essay and everyone groaned? Not Margo. She'd write two.
"I was always writing, whether that was in my journal or stories I would force my parents to read," Margo told me during our recent conversation. "I always loved to write."
Today, Margo hosts "Campus Files," a documentary-style podcast investigating fascinating stories from college campuses across America – from secret Harvard courts that expelled gay students in the 1920s to a chancellor producing porn on the side (yes, really).
But her path to podcasting success wasn't exactly planned.
Picture this: It's 2020. Margo's about to graduate from Duke University's journalism program with dreams of joining The New York Times or The Atlantic as a fellow.
Then COVID hit.
Then COVID hit, and "All of the fellowships I had spent months applying to were canceled within one week."
Sound familiar? Many of our students (and perhaps your own children) have faced similar crushing disappointments – the canceled tournament, the scrapped musical, the summer program that never happened.
What happened next reveals a crucial lesson about resilience.
While living at home with her 100-year-old grandfather during lockdown, Margo had a realization. Her grandfather had lived through TWO pandemics – COVID and the 1918 influenza outbreak.
There was a story there.
Following advice from her professors to "don't just spend time looking for jobs, also try to make content to show you're being proactive," Margo created her first podcast about the 1918 pandemic.
"When I listen to it today, it's painful for me because it's really unprofessional," she laughs. "But it helped me get my foot in the door."
That scrappy first attempt launched what would become a thriving career in audio journalism.
Here's what struck me about Margo's story: the medium mattered.
"I would send my friends articles I contributed to, and no one would open them," Margo explained. "Then I would send the podcast I was working on, and everyone would listen."
In a world of shrinking attention spans, podcasts somehow break through.
Three reasons why:
As Margo puts it: "It's such a great replacement for scrolling."
Not every teen will become a podcaster, but Margo's journey offers valuable insights for any parent trying to help their child discover their strengths:
Look for these signs of a natural storyteller:
Three ways to nurture these skills:
What might your teen discover through podcasting? Perhaps their future career, like Margo, or simply a deeper understanding of subjects they're passionate about.
Podcasts offer what every parent wants: a window to new ideas that doesn't feel like homework.
Our mentors – many with journalism and media backgrounds like Margo – can guide your teen from concept to creation. Whether they dream of hosting their own show or simply want to develop communication skills that colleges and employers value, we'll match them with the perfect mentor. Keep the momentum going – reach out to our team today!