Podcaster, Actor, Artist, and Model Mimi Dybs on Turning Layoff Lemons into Lemonade with a Team and a Plan
Welcome back to The Creative Wayfinder’s Compass, a monthly-ish publication dedicated to real creative insights from real creative people. Today we’re speaking with Mimi Dybs, an LA-based artist, actor, creator, host of the podcast Phenomena and wearer of many hats (model, art director, voice over, SFX makeup, etc). In this interview, Dybs reflects on building a career and leading major projects rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and interest in the unexplained.
“Don’t feel things need to be perfect from the get-go. Allow yourself to grow and learn and change and evolve. Otherwise, the start date will be pushed indefinitely.”
Mimi Dybs
Who are you and what do you create?
My name is Mimi Dybs, and I am the creator and host of Phenomena Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and all other audio platforms. I started this project on January 1st of 2025, after being let go from my corporate job on December 20th. Oddly enough, the hopelessness felt around the second Trump term was what seemed to provide me with enough “if not now, when? It’s not like things could get any worse” mentality I personally needed to just get started. That and my two best friends agreed to co-produce the podcast with me, researching and writing scripts, and helping to optimize my YouTube channel in the beginning. I don’t think I could have done it without them and their help and support.
What first inspired you to pursue your creative path, and how has that inspiration evolved over time?
I’d been asked if I had a YouTube channel before, but having a full-time corporate job just didn’t leave enough room to start a creative endeavor, especially a YouTube channel. So it wasn’t until I was fired from my corporate job, and after 10 years of corporate industry burnout, that I felt if I didn’t at least give it a shot, I’d regret never knowing if I could have made a career out of having a podcast discussing some of my favorite topics. My inspiration has evolved over time, seeing how many people give me support and words of encouragement, as well as witnessing the growth that we’ve accumulated on the channel. It feels great knowing I’m building a community, no matter how small, of active participants who are interested in similar topics of the mysterious and unexplained.
Can you walk us through your creative process? Do you follow specific rituals or habits to get into the flow of your work?
Yes! I started my podcast off with a very strict schedule I still stick to, both in seasonal scheduling and weekly recording and editing. I knew I wanted 10 episodes per season, so we could take breaks between seasons. I started season 1 recording the episodes on Mondays, editing on Tuesdays, and posting on Wednesdays. It was incredibly rigorous, and I’m really thankful I was able to hire a video editor to help out for season 2 and beyond, as that helped free my time up to try and make the show better from a quality perspective.
That’s the other huge part of my creative process: stick to the schedule and put out an episode a week, no matter if it’s perfect or not. As long as it’s better than the episode before it, that’s all that matters! I didn’t wait to start until I had a good camera, or perfect audio, or the perfect setup. I just started and knew that consistency was key and that if anything, people being able to witness the improvement episode by episode would feel like they’re on the creative journey with me. Don’t feel things need to be perfect from the get-go. Allow yourself to grow and learn and change and evolve. Otherwise, the start date will be pushed indefinitely.
What themes, ideas, or emotions do you find yourself returning to in your work, and how have they shifted over time?
I knew I wanted to utilize my improv skills in my podcast, which is why I cold-read the scripts and “live react” when I record, so it’s authentic. It feels like I’m discovering the script along with the viewer. I always wanted it to feel like I was talking to each viewer personally, which is why I try to make as much eye contact directly with the camera as I can, as well as the script writer. In that sense, it’s almost like a 3-person podcast.
I think that mentality has greatly helped keep things authentic and interesting, versus feeling like I have to prepare or memorize any lines, or like we’re putting on a production for the viewers. I want the viewers to be as big a part of the experience as the script writer and my video editor. I speak to all of them as if they’re just on the other side of the camera (because they are, as soon as they see it). It’s something that’s really helped ground me and not get too in my head about having a perfect product for the audience.
What’s been your biggest creative breakthrough, and how did it change the way you approach your art or writing?
I’d say our biggest creative breakthrough has been incorporating additional long-form and short-form content opportunities, so in addition to our full-length weekly episodes (which are about 30 minutes in length), we have the following additional available content on the channel:
- Monthly spinoff show called Phenomena Séance, where I interview other fellow creatives about their personal experiences with Phenomena and what their favorite Phenomena is. Those episodes are about an hour to an hour and a half long, which provides more long-form content opportunities for viewers of the channel.
- Bi-Weekly Twitch streams of the new Pokemon Legends ZA game (twice a week) and have multi-streamed on YouTube as well, which get saved to the channel as rewatchable content, and those are about 4-6 hours long (which provide extra-longform content for the channel).
- Weekly YouTube Shorts/Reels Friday-Monday, which provides short-form content to further promote the channel to short-form viewers.
This has really helped us expand our reach and increase our Watch Time Hours, which is great, considering we need to reach 4K in order to monetize on YouTube.
How do you navigate periods of creative block or self-doubt, and what techniques have helped you push through?
Having breaks built into our schedule! I was very careful about making sure we had breaks between seasons and stuck (and continue to stick) to a strict and consistent schedule with our content. For example, we film every episode a week in advance, so our video editor has a week to edit, and every season has 10 episodes, with a one-week break in between, so our team can get a break to reset between seasons!
How do feedback and criticism play a role in your process? How do you decide what advice to follow and what to set aside?
I typically follow the advice I personally agree with and disregard the advice I don’t. People can have opinions, it’s up to you if you agree with that opinion and think it’s worth changing the format of your show for. Like for example, another big creator friend of mine suggested I name the thumbnails something other than the topic of the video (which is what I was doing before), have the titles lead with the topic so it appears above the fold, and push the Phenomannouncements section back a bit (it used to be at the very front before I got into the script, now it’s after the intro part of the script so the intro can hook people into watching the whole video (if they think the topic is interesting). Those are all pieces of feedback I agreed with and implemented. But I’ve received some feedback I don’t personally agree with, so I just don’t integrate it. At the end of the day, it’s totally up to you.
How do you balance personal creative expression with the commercial or external demands of your work?
That’s a good question! I was in the corporate advertising industry for 10 years before starting my YouTube channel, so I thankfully don’t find it too challenging to fold in commercial opportunities, like partnerships and collaborations. As far as external demands of my work, I ensure we have enough time between seasons to feel well rested, and I encourage everyone on my team to be open if anyone is feeling overwhelmed (myself included), and allow myself and others to express that need and take breaks if needed (I know I have needed to a few times).
What’s one of the most challenging projects you’ve worked on, and how did you overcome the difficulties you faced?
To be honest, probably finding the energy to give to a “steady income” job. It can be so difficult, especially when you feel stuck. I’ve found that the best way to overcome that feeling is just ensuring you listen to yourself and your body and try to give yourself what you need whenever you need it. When you have time to give more, you give more, and when you have to give a bit less to your passions, give a bit less. It’s okay. It’s all relative. But I will say the big bouts of creativity can make you feel pretty great about what you can accomplish, and if you let those moments lead your journey, then eventually all you’ll do is the thing you love (ain’t that the dream?)
How do you stay motivated and disciplined, especially during times when inspiration is lacking or inconsistent?
Rest! It’s so important, and I try to give myself grace if I ever feel I really need to listen to my body and rest. It’s crazy how much stress can stem from just being tired. That and sticking to our schedule have helped a ton with managing expectations and getting into a routine, so it’s not just a sprint to the finish line all the time.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out, or to an artist who’s struggling to find or trust their creative voice?
Trust yourself! You know what you like and don’t like, and you have the right to change your mind whenever you want. As long as YOU like the content you create, that’s all that matters. Everyone else’s opinions are a nice add-on (if they’re positive), but shouldn’t be the driving force behind why you do what you do. Make it for yourself and the people closest to you. Never give your audience the power to dictate what you make and how you make it. Because the second you start watering down your ideas to fit everyone’s opinions, it becomes common and boring. You can’t ever accommodate everyone, so why bother?
Hello there, it’s M.K. Hancock here to thank you for reading “The Creative Wayfinder’s Compass” where I’m highlighting insights from real living artists of all kinds for folks looking for genuine creative advice. Many thanks to Mimi Dybs for sharing this look into her creative journey. There’s nothing more inspiring than real lived experience with all its ups and downs. If you enjoyed this interview, please consider subscribing to get this free in your inbox as soon as it comes out:
