Meet Victoria Gilbert | Co-Host and Founder of the Aftergrad Podcast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Gilbert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, what role has risk played in your life or career?

Risk is the opportunity to submit yourself to the unknown in order to access new ideas, connections, visions, and predictions of the future. Creating change in the workforce, society, and yourself requires going against the grain, being bold, and having confidence in your choices. Once that clicks, success unfolds itself in big and small ways.

When co-founding the Aftergrad Podcast with Robert Cain, my co-host and I faced the reality of graduating having no plan after receiving notice that we were not chosen as Fulbright finalists. Instead of resuming our search for scholarships, internships, and corporate commitments, we quit our jobs to prioritize this project to build and dedicate ourselves to sharing our story. We grew motivated to take risks in our fields with only a vision and an unfading tenacity.

Our belief in each other encouraged our leap of faith to move to Washington, DC in order to change the pace. Our time in DC brought physical, mental, and emotional clarity on how we may continue to pursue our passions after graduation without volunteering as tribute in corporate hunger games. This risk led to the venture of podcasting as a method for creating a community of youthful and innovative students, graduates, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders who are tired of living under the tyranny of outdated expectations surrounding work and higher ed.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

The Aftergrad Podcast is a platform for individuals who wish to unapologetically pursue their multifaceted passions and professional identities. This is a safe space for open, honest conversations about the good, bad, and ugly aspects of navigating adulthood in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty.

Jumping into the podcasting industry without prior knowledge of what it entailed and publicly admitting to having no real direction in navigating our careers, bills, and a pandemic was a humbling experience for us both. What led us to overcome these fears and setbacks was slowing down, breathing, and gaining inspiration from our surroundings. In addition, we saw and heard so many of our peers struggling to make ends meet mentally, physically, and emotionally. Our goal became more significant than us striving to succeed in our careers. It has turned into a channel for Aftergrads to be heard and guided. With that as forethought, it has made us formidable in our ability to endure moments of doubt and adversity.

Our transparent conversations assure listeners that they are not alone, and we hope this can be the little light in the dark that sparks their confidence and courage to remain committed in their transformative season.

We are wide-eyed and skeptical of societal realities presented to our generation. Through our channel, we challenge young adults to remove misconceptions of reality, so they may look to their neighbors and realize we are facing the same situations. With this foundation of vulnerability, we navigate life together with questions, analysis, and edits to shape our story. In this motion, we create a powerful ideology that stands against traumas, history, and adversities. Our second season will be restarting this Fall! Follow @theaftergradpodcast to be informed of the upcoming release date.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Hey Aftergad! If you’re in Dallas on our watch, we’d recommend you experience soul food, creative spaces, and underground kickbacks.

Day activities I’d recommend Northpark for the shopper enthusiast, Full City Rooster coffee shop for the connoisseur, and Halcyon for a hip hangout. If you have time for some concrete planning, I’d recommend checking out the farmers market on Sunday to explore all of the above and/or catch events happening at the Contemporary Museum. Depending on the mood for nightlife, I’d recommend exploring bars in Deep Ellum, rolling skating in Oak Cliff, or catching scenic views at Trinity Overlook Park. Regardless of the vibe, I insist on dropping by my Aunt’s BBQ spot, Records Barbeque, for some southern comfort eats outside city lines.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

We want to give a genuine thanks to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for declining our applications in 2021. These decisions brought my co-host and I together, which then encouraged us to take calculated risks in creating The Aftergrad Podcast. As we experiment with new approaches to post-grad transitions, we share our journey with a larger community. So often, we deem “the plan that failed” as the villain, but on our show, we express gratitude for the plans that don’t work out and the programs that don’t accept us.

To this day, we have no clue what informed the decision, nor do we care. Regardless, the journey was fulfilling in clearly presenting who we aspire to be. From the mentors who guided us through the extensive application process, to administrators who prepared us for the abroad experiences, and then leading up to the “we encourage you to apply again” statements, every component required by Fulbright prepared us for our current endeavors. They ultimately led us to apply ourselves to alternative paths of acceptance.

Fulbright didn’t stop but rather advanced the work we aspired to do. With that being said, we thank Fulbright for revealing the abundance of media, entertainment, and technology opportunities internationally that we aspire towards.

Website: https://theaftergradpodcast.editorx.io/theaftergradpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaftergradpodcast/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriastargilbert/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aftergradpod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaftergradpodcast

Yelp: https://theaftergradpodcast.substack.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5tjJnFd5dmLltdsCF38HA

Other: This year we hope to raise $3,500 to afford better filming equipment to elevate the listening and viewing experience of The Aftergrad Podcast. With little means, we utilized our voices to make a change in the community. With financial support, we can build a stronger community of youthful and innovative students, graduates, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders tired of living under the tyranny of outdated expectations around work and higher ed and seeking sustainable solutions to endure the transformative stage of growth. If our mission resonates with you and you’d like to support our journey, we’d greatly appreciate receiving any amount through our Gofundme page. https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-aftergrad-podcast-season-2?utm_source=widget&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

Image Credits
Robert Cain