In this episode, I interview Catherine Baab-Muguira (@Greedzilla1), a writer and journalist who’s been published by Quartz, Fast Company, Playboy, Salon, New York Magazine, and others. Cat lives in New York City with her husband and juggles her writing with a day job that allows her to work from home.
Cat is perhaps best known for a piece she wrote for Quartz1, Millenials are obsessed with side hustles because they’re all we’ve got. It went viral and led to appearances on NPR and other media, and it’s why I wanted to interview her for the podcast. Cat and I have a lot in common, and it turned out to be a great episode. If you’re a writer who dreams of moving to New York and sitting in cafes all day while you pen your novel, this is the episode for you!
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During our chat, we discuss;
- A piece Cat wrote for Quartz and how it went viral and led to an NPR appearance.
- Why Millennials are obsessed with side hustles out of necessity.
- How the experiences of Millennials today resonate with Gen-Xers.
- Why persistence is the definition of creative success for Cat.
- How getting her work rejected by publishers made her a better person.
- Why getting published is not a “magic bullet” for success as a writer.
- Why Cat has leveraged technology to self-publish some of her fiction, and how her mindset on self-publishing has become more open in recent years.
- The surprising intimacy that has evolved from digital publishing via platforms like Tiny Letter.
- How she decided to become a writer after attending journalism school.
- How New York offers “world-class distractions” every moment of the day.
- Cat’s process of finding her voice as a writer.
- Why she loves the unpredictability of publishing on the Internet.
- Her advice for other creatives.
In addition to her writing, you can find Cat on Twitter.
1 Although she’s also a self-professed expert on Dawson’s Creek.