Campus Spotlight: Pop Off, Sis

By Kamisha Walker

If you’ve never heard of Pop Off, Sis, get ready to download it for today's walk to class.

Pop Off, Sis is a hot new podcast where hosts Lydia Parker and Margot Trouvé pop off on all things pop culture every other Monday. The pair are upperclassmen at the University of Maryland, College Park, where they currently record their show.

Monumental Magazine met up with the two ladies to pop off about their podcast:

How did you two meet?

Parker: We met freshman year of college because we lived on the same floor in LaPlata Hall on North Campus.

Trouvé: The lounge on our floor became a hot-spot to hang out. We made lots of memories there that brought us all closer!

Why did you decide to start your own podcast?

Parker: We both love podcasts and wanted to create our own for so long. Over the years, we found ourselves gravitating toward each other in deep conversations about pop culture news. The rest of our friend group would get bored and tune us out. Last year, we decided to actually put actions to our words and start our own podcast! It was super scary at first, but the excitement was greater than any fear I had.

How did you come up with the name?

Trouvé: Thinking of a name was tough. Lydia is the creative genius behind Pop Off, Sis. I love it so much!

Parker: I thought it might be kind of cheesy, but so far, people have told us they love it, too! I think it’s fun and speaks directly to the idea of having conversations about different things, and the “pop” correlates to “pop culture” so it has a double meaning.

What is your favorite podcast segment to do on the show?

Parker: My favorite podcast segment to do is the “Quote of the Day.” I love it so much because it’s a guarantee that each show ends on a positive or inspirational note. I also love how it leaves listeners with something to think about as they go about their day.

Trouvé: My favorite segment is the “Rose and Thorn” segment. I love that we get to give listeners an inside to our weekly lives. It’s nice to be able to vent and let off steam with our thorns and reflect on the positives that we experience with the roses.

Have you faced any unexpected challenges?

Trouvé: We knew nothing about audio equipment or audio editing software like Audacity and Audition. We had never created a website. There was a lot of self-teaching going on, but it’s easier to work hard when you’re invested in the work you’re doing.

Parker: It’s not as easy as it seems. Also, scheduling is a very huge component of all of this. Especially when it comes to guest episodes. I don’t think we realized how hard it would be to juggle school, jobs and a podcast all at once, but I think we’re starting to get the hang of it! Communication is key.

What are some of your favorite podcasts? How have they influenced the way you run your own?

Parker: My favorite podcasts are mostly ones with Reality TV stars. Ones like “Recovering From Reality”, “The LookOver Ladies” and “Making It Up As I Go…” I also love “Oh My Goff”. The biggest influence these shows have on the way I run my podcast is to always be authentic to myself and speak from my own perspective and don’t sugarcoat anything or change my opinion based on who’s listening. If I try to please everyone, I’ll end up pleasing no one.

Trouvé: My favorite podcast of ALL TIME is “Armchair Expert” with Dax Shepherd. He is just so real with his audience. Nothing is off-limits and it really allows the listeners to feel connected to him and keep coming back for more. I hope to be the same way, and that’s why I love that in Episode 1, right off the bat, we told our most embarrassing stories, letting listeners know that we’re here to be authentic and for us too, nothing is off-limits.

What do you hope listeners take from your podcast?

Trouvé: I want our listeners, especially women, to take out their earbuds at the end of an episode knowing that it’s okay to be loud, opinionated, and take up space. It’s okay to share your most embarrassing stories and true feelings with total strangers. What makes us all human is the emotions we feel and the connections we make. I hope listeners feel like they’re a part of our community - we want to hear their thoughts, and, of course, I hope they laugh a little.

Parker: I hope listeners take away the message that it’s okay to feel like you don’t have it all together and that you always have a right to voice how you feel. I also hope listeners feel lighter and are in a better mood than they were before they listened. I want listeners to laugh and see the humor in life as well as learn something new through our quote of the day.

What can listeners expect from you in 2020?

Parker: In 2020, listeners can expect more laughs, outrageous celebrity and personal stories and special guest episodes!

To get some of those laughs, stories, and special guest episodes, you can search for Pop Off, Sis podcast on SoundCloud or click the link here to go to their website.