Today we’d like to introduce you to Highly Official Podcast.
Hello Highly Official Podcast, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
June 25th, 2021, we dropped our first hotbox video on our co-host Payton B’s channel. She has been in the influencer industry since 2014 coming in with 481k Subscribers.
At the time she was looking for ways to expand her content and shifted into the cannabis world. She had the idea of doing hot boxes videos and wanted to bring on people who were funny but also likes to get high. That is how Kayla, Reanan and Paris came into the picture.
We have all been friends growing up in the Los Angeles area and already had this great chemistry; we all love to get high. Once we dropped our first video, it went viral, and things just took off from there. Our first video had hit over 1.9 million views, and we knew this was what the people wanted from there, we have been doing hotbox videos since and continue to till this day.
We have grown a fan base as a group, and it was time to elevate to new beginnings. It was brought to the group the idea of doing a podcast last year 2023 and we sat on the idea for a while but finally took the steps to get it in motion.
We got the name Highly Official from our co-host Kayla who likes to joke and call our viewers ” Official P’s” that like to get high. Highly official just flowed and fit us perfectly. Prior to where we are now, we went back and forth on many things like logos, equipment studios, and more. Starting a podcast is not as easy as people think. We filmed about 3 times before dropping our first episode. It was definitely trial and error, trying to find what works for us and what doesn’t. Even now we are still learning new things about the podcast field as we go.
Our first episode dropped last November and hit over 100k views and continues to reach new millstones. From there we knew we had something good going and have been in our bag since. We now have over 25k subscribers and our on the road to 100k.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were definitely bumps in the road and still are as this is a growing process for us all!
Working with a group of creatives with different mindsets and opinions is never easy, but with communication, we are always able to rise above the situation.
A few of the main things we struggled with is timing, consistency and just starting overall. We all live 4 different lives. Kayla and Reanan work 9 to 5’s, Paris is hairstylist, and Payton is a content creator. Having to balance our own daily lives and the podcast was not something we were initially ready for. We had to figure out a schedule that worked for everyone which was not easy, but we were able to make it work.
When we first started, we tried to do our production setup at a family member’s house with our own equipment. But after 3 tries of trying to get the equipment to work, we had gave up on the idea of setting up our own production and went another route. Thankfully we were able to find a studio that fit the look we were going for and came with cameras and equipment. That was a major win for us. It allowed for the energy of the podcast to flow more smoothly and eliminated a lot of issues we were having behind the scenes,
Now that we are more established, we are looking for a studio that can let us live up to our name “Highly” and allow smoking. That hasn’t been the easiest for us lately, but are still actively looking.
The road to success is never easy, and there are many challenges that we are faced with, but with communication and support from one another and our viewers, there’s nothing we can’t overcome!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Highly Official Podcast brings you raw and uncut realness from four stoner best friends in Los Angeles. We upload biweekly episodes encompassing friends, relationships, drama, dating, music, and more! We also have advice columns where listeners can send in topics, questions, or anything that they need help within life.
We are most proud of our growth. Just 3 years ago we never thought a hotbox video could take us this far. Just being our true selves has gained us endless support we couldn’t image. We push for self-love, friendship, and transparency. We show the real and what is like being a girl in today’s society and you get to see it from 4 different perspectives.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Networking is key. Don’t be afraid to take risk and meet new people. It is good to surround yourself and energy with people who are like-minded and/ or on the same path as you.
Patience’s is key. Good things in life don’t come easy. You may fall and that’s okay, pick yourself back up and always remember the goal on the other end.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highlyofficialpod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_highlyofficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HighlyOfficialPodcast
- Other: https://linktr.ee/HighlyOfficial
Image Credits
John Edwards
