We have an abundance of lifestyle media at our fingertips so when you discover someone like Lucie Fink -an expression of authenticity, courage, and boundless creativity – you’re immediately drawn to her. From her entertaining digital series to her captivating podcast, Fink has captivated audiences worldwide due to her commitment to exploring the depths of human experience.

Known as a lifestyle host, self-made media mogul, and devoted mother, Lucie’s latest venture, “The Real Stuff With Lucie Fink,” has emerged as a powerhouse in the podcasting landscape. Tackling taboo topics such as sex, money, and mental health, Lucie’s podcast crosses conventional boundaries, inviting listeners into raw, unfiltered conversations that resonate at the core of the human condition. And if we’re being honest, it’s what we all crave these days.

In a candid conversation, Lucie shares her insights, inspirations, and aspirations, shedding light on her multifaceted journey as a creator, entrepreneur, and storyteller. From navigating the delicate balance of motherhood and career to daring leaps of faith in pursuit of her dreams, Lucie’s wisdom and authenticity shine through each word, offering a glimpse into the heart and soul of a creative visionary.

Your podcast, “The Real Stuff With Lucie Fink,” has been a hit since its launch, focusing on taboo topics like sex, money, and mental health. What inspired you to cover these sensitive subjects, and what do you hope listeners take away from these conversations?

My goal with “The Real Stuff” was to create a podcast that felt different from other shows. As a creator myself, I’ve been asked to be a guest on many different podcasts, and most of the time I’m asked the same questions repeatedly. As media-trained creators, we have these go-to answers for questions we get asked often. On this show, I wanted to ask my guests questions that they’ve never been asked publicly before so that we could really go deep and get to the real stuff. The types of questions that I ask on the show foster the types of conversations that I personally enjoy having in my real life. I’m hoping that my listeners are voyeuristically entertained by the details that come to light in each episode and, as my guests open up about deeply personal topics, I hope my listeners recognize they’re not alone in anything they’re going through and that we’re having a collective human experience.

As a proud mother and successful media mogul, how do you balance the demands of motherhood with your career aspirations and personal interests?

I never feel like I’m quite “balancing” things perfectly, but working for myself, running my own business, and having the chance to build my own schedule definitely helps. My husband and I both work and we have full-time childcare for our son when he’s not in school. Since I work for myself and my business is so flexible, I can choose to spend time with our son at any point throughout the day. On the flip side, if I’m very busy, we have someone there to cover. By hiring help–which is a huge privilege and something I’m incredibly grateful for–and also by not being afraid to ask family to step in, we’ve been able to create a village around us so that my husband and I don’t feel alone at all.

You’ve been described as an entrepreneur and a storyteller who inspires others to step out of their comfort zones. Can you share a pivotal moment in your career journey where you had to take a leap of faith or overcome a significant challenge?

The most pivotal moment in my career thus far was when I made the decision to leave Refinery29. After working there for almost five years, becoming a mainstay on their YouTube channel, and building my personal brand from their platforms, it was a very big leap for me to leave and start my own media company. I was hosting multiple successful shows for Refinery29 at the time, and I knew I was stepping away from something that was “working.” Although leaving was a risk, it gave me so much flexibility in my personal life and absolutely propelled me forward in my career.

Your digital series, “Try Living with Lucie” and “Lucie for Hire,” gained immense popularity and showcased your ability to engage audiences in unique ways. What drives your creativity when conceptualizing these immersive experiences, and how do you ensure authenticity in your storytelling?

Whenever I’m creating content, I try to ask myself what content I would personally want to watch if it showed up on my phone or TV. Every episode of “Try Living with Lucie” and “Lucie for Hire” was created with that vision in mind. When I’m making videos, I put on my “TV producer brain” and I try to make sure that what I’m giving people is well-crafted and has a strategic narrative arc. I think about the beginning, the middle, and the end. What’s the rising action? Where’s the climactic moment? What’s my takeaway? What are we learning from this? Obviously, a lot of modern-day, short-form content is just “noise” and trends. I try to make sure that a majority of my content fits into the category of “edu-tainment.” I also think my storytelling comes off as being “authentic” since I am the focal point of my own content. Whenever I make a video, I am the protagonist who’s trying new things and showing up as who I am. I always say, I’m not a trained actress. When I appear on camera, what you see is who I am in my real life! I don’t know how to show up any other way.

With your audience, “The Fink Fam,” you’ve built a strong sense of community and connection. How do you nurture this relationship, and what role do you believe authenticity plays in fostering meaningful connections with your viewers and listeners?

I absolutely love The Fink Fam! My favorite part of this job is getting the chance to interact with the people in my community. Whether it’s responding to their emails, replying to their private messages, or answering their comments, every interaction lights me up. I notice that, when I’m feeling the lowest in my business, it’s often because I haven’t been engaging with my audience as closely. In the past, I’ve hosted events in person where I’ve gotten to meet them, I’ve hosted virtual events on Zoom where I’ve brought people together and helped them meet one another, and so much more. Every single time I get off these group calls or leave these group events, I feel so energized and like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

A new way I’ve started nurturing my relationship with my audience is through this podcast I’ve created. A very special feature of The Real Stuff podcast is that every few episodes, I bring on someone from my community to tell a personal story and chat about an interesting topic that they feel inclined to share. The show isn’t just about talking “at” my audience or bringing on other influencers and celebrities; instead, I’m bringing them into the conversation and giving them a chance to engage in these long-form dialogues with me.

There’s a lot of content online and consumers are getting more and more savvy at figuring out if someone’s being authentic. I don’t often use the word “relatable” because nobody is going to be relatable to everyone, but as long as you’re being authentic to who you are, that’s what’s matters.

Mental health advocacy is an important aspect of your work, particularly through your podcast discussions. How do you prioritize self-care and mental wellness in your own life, especially in the midst of managing multiple projects and responsibilities?

Finding the time for self-care is something I’m constantly working on. I consider things like exercising, playing tennis weekly, and other personal wellness activities and hobbies to be self-care. I prioritize these things by setting a schedule for myself where I actually have these activities built into my workweek. For example, twice a week, I do virtual sessions with a fitness trainer and these are marked on my work calendar right in the middle of the workday. I do the same thing with my tennis lessons. When these activities are scheduled into my calendar, I can build my other meetings and projects around them. I recognize that this is such a gift and a privilege to be able to do since I work for myself and set my own schedule. Additionally, at nighttime after our son is asleep, I consider those few hours before I go to bed to be self-care time for myself. That’s when I’ll do something like meditate or take a bath or spend some intimate time with my husband.

Looking ahead, what new projects or initiatives are you excited to explore, and how do you envision continuing to push boundaries and challenge societal norms through your content and storytelling?

I’m very excited to continue growing the podcast and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. Not just me, but my audience as well. I think we’re all going on this journey together since my listeners are such a huge part of the show. I’d really love recording live podcasts where I get the chance to talk to my followers in person and have these intimate conversations together in the same room. As a creator, I plan to continue showing up to this role every day with an open mind, and not getting too attached to any one platform that I’m creating content on or any one method of generating revenue. This business changes really quickly, and you have to be adaptable. Above all, I just want to continue having fun with what I’m doing because that’s why I love this job so much. It is so much fun. I always say, “I’m creating social media content, I’m not doing brain surgery.” I really do have a very lighthearted and enjoyable job and I want to make sure that I maintain that perspective as I move forward so that it never turns into something I resent.

For more from Lucie Fink, follow her @luciebfink and @therealstuffpod.

Credits:

Written by Kacey Perez | @studioblume_

Photography by Bronson Farr | @bronson.photo