Today we’d like to introduce you to The Cocktails and Culture Podcast. They and their team shared their story with us below:
When Benjamin and Brigethia met in 2020, they bonded over a shared love of pop culture, entertainment news, Beyonce, and the Real Housewives. Later, in 2022, Brigethia approached Benjamin with the idea of sharing their riveting and candid conversations in a podcast form, thus the Cocktails and Culture Podcast was born.
Together, Benjamin and Brigethia have been able to offer themselves and their listeners a release from life’s worries through the weekly podcast. Topics range from the latest season of the Real Housewives of Potomac to igniting queer and BIPOC voices and shedding light on the importance of mental health.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The success of the Podcast is, in part, because of the challenges Benjamin and Brigethia experienced and overcame while beginning their journey. They’ve had to overcome imposter syndrome, inconsistency, and digital noise. Because Benjamin and Brigethia are vocationally communications professionals, they constantly had to figure out the balance between the Podcast and work ventures to steer clear of burnout.
What helped them overcome the challenges that came with these obstacles was (i) leaning on one another as friends and business partners to help produce quality content and (ii) ultimately coming to the conclusion that the platform they created is important for them AND their peers to have an outlet to discuss these and other challenges.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Brigethia Arai is a creative brand strategist and content creator with over 9 years of experience in the public relations and communications industry with a focus on multicultural storytelling and elevating diverse voices.
Brigethia is most proud of her work in amplifying Black voices. In 2019, Brigethia began working with Procter & Gamble’s Queen Collective which creates access and opportunities for Women filmmakers of color to tell their stories. These projects were shown in Black Enterprise, AdWeek, AdAge, Fortune Magazine, Forbes, and more! What sets Brigethia apart from others is her tenacious passion for showing the beauty of the Black experience.
Benjamin Coy is a charismatic digital strategist, fashion creative, and culture influencer with a strong academic background in public relations and digital media management focusing on queer liberation and education equality.
Benjamin is most proud of his work in advancing Black representation, particularly within the realm of Black queer identity and intersectionality. In 2023, Benjamin launched the “__ is a Queer Issue” series in partnership with the National LGBTQ Task Force which brings to light issues that aren’t necessarily seen as “queer issues” but certainly impact queer folx’s ability to thrive.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Not sure how surprising this is but Benjamin and Brigethia are complete in-house creators. They are the brains behind the brand–the Podcast is produced, shot, edited, financed, AND promoted all by them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.linktr.ee/wearecandcpod
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cocktailsandculturepod
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/weareccpod
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CocktailsCulturePodcast
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cocktailsandculture
Image Credits
Daniel Stiles
