25? That doesn't feel right.

Hi guys, it’s Daisy.

When you’re reading this, it will be Friday, June fifth. And that means it is my 25th birthday.

25 feels weird. I’ve spent my last six years in podcasting as the continually youngest person in the room, and while that’s still the trend, moving from “early twenties” to “mid twenties” feels like cementing my position as “young professional” instead of “Child.”

I’d thought I would be in a very different place by now. 3 years after college, you know? I bought the myth they tell you: study hard, get good grades, major in the sciences, you’ll get a decent job and have a good quality of life.

I don’t need to tell any of you that’s not how things work anymore. I went to college, majored in STEM, got good grades, and graduated… and then there was nothing. I landed a couple entry level jobs that didn’t amount to much, then retail and hospitality. It took a toll on my body and on my mind. In January of 2024, I went to Pacific and told him I didn’t want to be a part timer like I had been the last 4 years. I wanted to go full time on podcasts. And that is how my new career path began.

The world and the economy are insane right now. The historic cultural markers for life at 25 are very different from our reality. 

I don’t own a house. I don’t have kids. I still use my parents' washing machine because my apartment doesn’t have in unit laundry.

However.

I found some old messages I’d sent a friend recently.

I’ve now showrun for 7  Podcasts. 5 seasons of SCP Archives. Two seasons each of Eeler’s Choice (releasing season 2 now) and The Gospel of Haven (in production). One each of Nightmare Soup, Poe: Evermore, and  Waterlogged. River Run is in pre-production

Not only that, but this week, I have taken a larger role in production at BFM. Eelsong Studios is now handling inhouse production for 3 currently running shows and 2 upcoming. There will be more to come.

A production studio making 7 shows currently that handles production for a network… that’s close enough for government work.

When I started podcasting, It was about a month after my nineteenth birthday. I thought I’d do it once and never again. Just for fun. 

Six years later, this is my full time job and I have a production studio.

I didn’t expect the trajectory my life took. I was a marine biologist who wanted to get a job on a research vessel. Now I’m a podcaster. I’ve thought about that a lot. 

 But I wouldn’t change a thing.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The Gospel of Haven season 2 is slated to come out later this summer. We’ve expanded our cast, welcoming Nhea Durosseau, Kale Brown, Jordan Cobb, and Bailey Wolfe as our storytellers and a whole slew of new actors to round out the world. It’s bigger- almost twice as long as season 1 in terms of word count- better, and more ambitious. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Eeler’s Choice, a podcast I produce with my co-creator Lou, is releasing season 2 right now. This is  a maritime horror fantasy podcast set in Eskmouth, a small coastal town whose economy has lived and died on the hunting of the Great Eels for generations. As demand for product has increased, so have the catches… but even the generosity of the sea has its limits, and all debts must come due.

I’m currently working on an  American Gothic Dark Fantasy called River Run, set on an alternate 1880’s Mississippi River that travels through states, territories, and other worlds.  This one’s ambitious to the point of intimidating me, to be honest. I’ve read 15 books for research and still feel I’ve barely scratched the surface of the rich history of the Mississippi watershed. But if I didn’t start writing, I never would. (Updates on this show and early snippets of scripts are available over on my Patreon, if you’re interested.)

I have two more upcoming shows I’m not allowed to talk about yet. Sorry. I asked  Pacific and he said no. Watch this space.

IN REVIEW

It’s been a big year for me. I’ve grown as an artist, a leader, and a person. Every day in this job I do things my younger self never could have dreamed of doing. 

I am still very young. My friends assure me I am a toddler. I know that, even as I fear my life will rush by me when I’m not looking. I’ve learned I can’t predict where I’ll go. From one off role with a blue snowball to studio owner in six years. I can’t wait to see what the next six will bring. And I hope you’ll all stick around with me to see it.

DAISY