Who: Amanda Congdon, video blogger
President: Oxmour Entertainment
Best known for: Rocketboom, Amanda Across America, Sometimesdaily
For many on the net, Rocketboom, was their first exposure to the world of video podcasts (vidcasts, videoblogs, et al). Rocketboom’s first host was the spunky Amanda Congdon. Amanda hails from New York, where she was born in 1981; she graduated Northwestern University magna cum laude with a degree in Organizational Communications, and shortly thereafter took a job in advertising. After a series of acting jobs, she landed the anchor role at Rocketboom and the rest was podcast history. We chatted with her last week to get the inside scoop on Amanda.
What was your first experience with the web?
I heard about “the web”, although I don’t think those words were used, when I was in elementary school. Maybe ‘91. A neighborhood friend of mine was on Prodigy. I remember that I thought he was lying to me at first when he said he was talking to people all over the world. I thought it was like magic.
For those who don’t remember Prodigy, it was an online service (pre-AOL), second only to Compuserve. The world wide web (www) as we now know it had yet to develop, but Prodigy had pioneered the use of information portals via a graphical user interface (GUI).
So then what brought you to Rocketboom?
I auditioned for Rocketboom as writer/actress. I wrote my own script for the pilot and things took off from there.
Did you think that this podcasting thing was going to be a big deal?
You know, I never thought about it like that. I just wanted to make a living performing and writing. I was looking for any outlet to do that. Of course, when the press started picking up on videoblogging, and emailing and calling for interviews, things did start changing in my life. That started in 2005.
2004 is often seen as the birth of the video podcast, with Steven Garfield effectively declaring it the year of the vidcast in his own vidcast (http://stevegarfield.blogs.com/videoblog/). Rocketboom launched shortly after.
Having now done numerous shows, such as AmandaAcrossAmerica and Sometimesdaily, who has been your favorite interviewee so far?
Daryl Hannah. She was just the coolest person. She ran after a stray dog in the middle of our interview because she wanted to help it.
You can watch that interview here.
How do you think social media can/will affect social and/or environmental change?
Connecting with like minds online via social media is, of course, a miraculous tool in our 21st century toolbox. As long as it’s sincere, it works for any cause.
In your own everyday life, how do you use social media and technology?
Tech and social media are so integrated in my life that it’s tough to know where to start. From my iPhone to my mac, I’m pretty much connected all the time during the week. I tweet and facebook nearly every day. I try to disconnect for at least one weekend day each week, though.
You can follow Amanda on twitter @amazingamanda
What do you think is the most exciting thing that will happen in technology in the near future?
Services like Facebook and Twitter Connect, which seamlessly sign people into websites, are pushing anonymity out of the mainstream. That’s fantastic because it elevates the tenor of online discourse.
But one could say the converse too: the more connected we are, the more privacy we lose.
What are your own future projects?
My focus is 100% on Sometimesdaily right now. My company, Oxmour Entertainment, does have other projects in the works but nothing I can talk about publicly.
Other previous projects Amanda had worked on included a series of podcasts for ABC and a series of spots on Good Morning America (and possibly a show on HBO)
Who would be your biggest inspirations?
My parents. They live life by their own rules which I think is very cool. It keeps you sane. I also look up to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz a lot. Desilu Productions was pretty darn inspiring.
What is something about Amanda that you think people should know about (that they don’t already)?
Because I work on a 3 person team, I wear many hats at Sometimesdaily. Executive Producer, Writer, Host, Video editor and Content Programmer. My time is pretty much divided up equally doing all 5 of those jobs. I work a lot of hours, but I love the variety. My goal is to never, ever work a 9-5.
That is becoming a fairly popular sentiment these days. That being said, what is the meaning of life… for Amanda, that is?
I think we are all here to do our best work and to love each other and ourselves.
Summarize Amanda in one word or less.
Brazen.
Indeed she is.
Thanks for your time Amanda, and best of luck!
Amanda currently lives in Los Angeles where she produces Sometimesdaily, sometimes daily, and The Controverse. Subscribe via the show’s website Sometimesdaily or on iTunes, and visit her on the web at amandacongdon.com.
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