We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie & Andrew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie & Andrew, why did you pursue a creative career?
We pursued our podcast, History For Weirdos, for a few key reasons. The first was to connect with each other (Andrew was traveling for work a lot and we didn’t have much time together), the second was to hopefully connect with other folks who love strange history, and the last was to have a creative outlet. Both of us are multi-passionate people and we love finding new ways of expressing that creativity. Neither of us knew a thing about podcasting, but with trial and error, we made it work! We both agree that History for Weirdos has been one of the most rewarding things we’ve done with our careers.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Andrew and I (Stephanie) have been married for over five years! One of the things that brought us together was how nerdy we both can be especially when it comes to history. One evening the idea of starting the podcast struck me, and Andrew was immediately in. We think our dynamic as husband and wife adds a fun layer to the show.

While neither of us is a classically trained historian, we each bring a unique perspective to the history of people, places, and events that we cover. For example, Andrew’s professional background is in business strategy & finance so he’s able to easily apply a macro lens to the subjects we dive into. I’m a psychotherapist so I can’t help but look at history through a social & psychological lens. It’s definitely a unique and entertaining show!

Since we knew absolutely nothing about starting a podcast at first, the journey was not easy. We overcame challenges by leaning on each other’s strengths and just learning along the way. If anyone reading this is thinking of starting a podcast or creating some type of content, the best thing you can do is just start. You will make mistakes and that’s okay! Staring is the hardest part. We’re still learning and plan to continue making History for Weirdos better and better.

We are by far the proudest of the community we’ve built. We affectionately refer to our listeners as “Weirdos” and they are an amazing group of humans. We’ve been able to connect with folks from all over the world from many different backgrounds. We love receiving social media comments or messages from Weirdos sharing their perspectives and experiences. In a world that can feel harsh and disconnected it’s been a blessing to have such a positive community.

Lastly, we hope that History for Weirdos helps people to do two things: 1) Get curious to learn more about human history and 2) Be proud of the things that make them “weird.” If you listen to the show you’ll quickly realize that often people who’ve been called “weird” throughout history were actually people whom society now sees as innovators. Overall we encourage folks to embrace the things that make them unique and always keep learning!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a great question! Stephanie was actually born and raised in Los Angeles so she’s a great source for recommendations.

Fun places to hang out are the third street promenade in Santa Monica and Downtown Culver City. These are both great areas to shop, eat, grab a coffee and do some people-watching. You’ll get a fun mix of locals and visitors in these spots!

Being history podcasters we also must recommend some of L.A.’s great museums: the LACMA, the Museum of Tolerance, and The Getty Villa.

For good food and drinks, you can’t go wrong with Big Dean’s Cafe in Santa Monica. Stephanie’s dad T.J. has been the manager of this iconic spot for thirty years! It’s a fun and casual place to get a beer and burger right by the water. Again it’s a great mix of locals, celebrities, and visitors from all over the world.

Last but not least we recommend checking out the University of Southern California. That’s where we met! It’s a beautiful campus soaked in Los Angeles history.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to dedicate our shoutout to ALL the “Weirdos” who listen to our show. The messages, comments, and encouragement from our Weirdo community keep us motivated. Our Weirdos have also submitted suggestions for some of our favorite episode topics – thank you!

Website: www.historyforweirdos.com/connect

Instagram: www.instagram.com/historyforweirdos/

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