Inspiring Conversations with Melody Dao of Study Break Podcast

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melody Dao.

Hi Melody, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a 16 years old podcast host for Study Break.

My podcast journey began in middle school. As an only child, podcasts are a way for me to cope with the loneliness that comes with not having any siblings. Podcasts kept me entertained while also giving me the opportunity to learn exciting stories. My love for podcasts carried on in high school. This led to the realization that I could start my own.

I knew how podcasts worked because I have been listening to so many within three years. I also love talking. Whether it’s participating in class or having a deep conversation with my friends, the simple act of keeping up a conversation is therapeutic for me.

Before I became too excited, I had to make sure this idea was feasible. One random night in the beginning of March 2020, I began brainstorming ways to turn this idea into reality. I searched online, “How to create a podcast at home.” After researching, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to achieve with my podcast.

At this point, everything was moving quickly. I set up social media accounts for my podcast, named my podcast “Study Break”, and began recording the first few episodes with my close friends.

On March 31, 2020, I published my first ever episode featuring my friend group. We talked about our thoughts on quarantine, toxic friendships, and as a silly little twist– we “spilled the tea” about our celebrity crushes.

For the first few months of Study Break’s launch, the episode format is based on having a deep conversation about mental health while incorporating light-hearted stories. I wanted to expand the range of topics my podcast would be covering. Today, my podcast covers topics such as mental health, business, and activism. Guests featured on Study Break include my classmates, as well as teens who are authors, singers, directors, entrepreneurs, activists, and more. I have had the honor of expanding the network of guests to an international level, allowing my listeners to hear teen voices on a global spectrum.

I feel extremely grateful to have this platform to amplify teen voices. I hope that Study Break can help teens feel less alone and be a fun place to learn about a wide variety of topics.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I first created my podcast in March 2020, my school was shut down and I was taking classes online due to COVID-19. This transition was difficult to adjust to; however, ultimately, I was able to build good habits and quickly adapt to the circumstances. Thus, I efficiently laid out a school-podcast life balance, which provided the perfect foundation for making sure my podcast runs smoothly.

That being said, there are still moments where I definitely experienced some struggles while running Study Break. In December 2020, I went through a huge rebranding process between season one and season two of my podcast. I changed my podcast cover art, my Instagram aesthetic, and the episode format. I even created a TikTok account. This drastic rebranding was very stressful as I had to work productively and allocate enough time to study for finals and continue working for my podcast. As I researched content ideas, I also faced dealing with comparison. The likes and comments on social media got in my head and I began to feel doubtful about the impact I was leaving. This is a feeling that can randomly reoccur, but the way I overcome it is to remind myself that Study Break is my passion. To me, inspiring even just one person is a huge achievement. I learned that I should not require myself to impact millions of people with a podcast that just launched as it can set unrealistic goals and affect my mental health.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Study Break Podcast?
Study Break is a teen podcast that strives to amplify teen voices. I chat with teens from all around the world to learn about their individual stories, including: expressing their goals for creating positive change in the world, managing mental health, and sharing funny stories to lighten up the mood! The mission behind Study Break is to show the unique perspectives each person has to share. I upload a new episode every Tuesday with a different teen guest.

Study Break stands out from other podcasts mainly due to the authentic stories told on my show. Every guest comes from a different racial and socioeconomic background. I make sure to interview a diverse group of teens and broadcast their voices to the world. That also happens to be what I am the most proud of– having a platform for teens of all backgrounds to share their experiences.

As the creator of Study Break, I have numerous responsibilities: editing audio, managing social media, hosting, producing, marketing, connecting with guests, and more. Though it can be difficult to manage school and podcasting, in the long run, I find it very rewarding to see the positive impact my podcast leaves for teens.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that most people do not know about me is that I actually use a Guitar Hero USB Microphone to record all of my episodes. I have had this microphone ever since I was around five years old and decided to use it because buying a new microphone is very expensive. I’m really honored to announce that there will be a microphone switch as I am one of the winners of My RØDE Cast podcast competition. They have graciously gifted new microphones for me that I am extremely excited to be using. I’m thrilled to share this quality upgrade with my audience!

Contact Info:

• Email: officialstudybreakpodcast@gmail.com
• Website: https://linktr.ee/thestudybreakpodcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestudybreakpodcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestudybreakpod
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/studybreakpod