Janet Lee drops in to chat about what it is like to work in podcasting, the Asian-American experience for women in the corporate world, and how it is okay to chase happiness over status.

Generally speaking I’ve always gravitated to organizations and nonprofits with a really strong mission. I kind of found that out from a very young age, like in college, that I wanted to do something that was going to make the world less stupid and more empathetic.

Janet Lee, Senior Production Manager, VICE Audio at VICE Media

This Janet Lee is not like other Janet Lees

She has spent over a decade in digital media with a proven track record of developing, producing, and launching high-profile, editorial programs including TED Radio Hour on NPR, WorkLife with Adam Grant and Sincerely, X.

After 7 years with TED Conferences working her way up into different roles, Janet has now found herself in the world of podcast production. She was at Patreon as the Creator Partnerships Lead, and now is currently the Senior Production Manager at VICE. So, Janet knows a thing or two about what makes a successful podcast.

Listen to Janet on Happily Live with Sarah Shewey, CEO and Founder of Happily, and read on for some fast takeaways.

The power of audio content

• Audio feels intimate and the connections that listeners have to podcasts are deep
• There is much opportunity for in-depth storytelling, as there are no rules of duration with a podcast
• Producing an audio piece can be low-cost compared to a video medium, however, a polished, high-quality and professional podcast show still requires more energy, funds and preparation than most of us realise

Some quick economic stats about Asian American women in the US

Employment rates

Asian women reached a 20-year high of 4,827,000 in Sept 2019, however, dropped nearly 17% (that’s a loss of 787,000 jobs) due to the pandemic. This is compared to employment dropping 15% for women and 12% for men in general across America. Graph: 'The Economic Status of Asian American and Pacific Islander Women' via Center for American Progress

Earnings

1.4 million AAPI women in 2019 earned below $15 an hour. It is worth noting that there are wide differences of common occupations among AAPI subpopulations, driven by differences in culture, immigration patterns, generational wealth, and continual prejudices around gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, and language. Graph: 'The Economic Status of Asian American and Pacific Islander Women' via Center for American Progress

Gender wage gap

AAPI women working full time, year-round earned 85c for every $1 given to their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts in 2019. Graph: 'The Economic Status of Asian American and Pacific Islander Women' via Center for American Progress

Unemployment rates due to the pandemic

44% of Asian women over 16yrs who lost their jobs during the pandemic were out of work for at least 6 months as of December 2020. For Asian women 20+ yrs, the unemployment rate in 2020 jumped from 3% in Feb to 16.4% in May. As of Jan 2021 the unemployment rate for Asian women is 7.9%, compared to 5.2% of white women. Graph: 'The Economic Status of Asian American and Pacific Islander Women' via Center for American Progress

Are you looking for some new podcasts?

Here are links to resources and podcasts mentioned in this Happily Live:

• For more stats read The Economic Status of Asian American and Pacific Islander Women
• Discover all the podcasts produced by VICE
• Listen to TED Radio Hour on NPR
• Check out Mashup Americans
• Listen to They Call Us Bruce, for unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America
• Discover Time To Say Goodbye with Jay Caspian Kang, Tammy Kim, and Andy Liu, a podcast about Asia, Asian America, and life during the Coronavirus pandemic
• Read Asian Americans Are the Least Likely Group in the U.S. to Be Promoted to Management via Harvard Business Review