Think Like a Producer | Unknown to Known

Krystal Duran, the creator behind Plants with Krystal, has more than a million followers on Instagram and more than a million subscribers on YouTube. She used to kill a lot of plants. In 2022, after losing her husband, 90% of her plant collection died too, and she made a choice: keep showing up, authentically, and share how she was getting through it.That honesty built a community, earned her four Reelies awards and led to her new book, More Than Just a Plant: How to Care for Your Plants as They Care for You.In this Think Like a Producer interview, we talk about:- Going from eight years in social work to full-time creator- Her "dip to black" moment and sharing grief online- Why she walked away from two book deals before writing the one that was truly hers- Why she still edits every video herself- How to build trust with a YouTube audience without fancy gear- Her advice for experts who are nervous on camera- Lightning round: the easiest plant to keep alive and the one to skipI met Krystal at the pre-Reelies dinner hosted by Adobe in Atlanta, and I'm so glad I did.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Showing up authentically00:14 Welcome to Think Like a Producer04:50 From social work to plants08:06 The plant that started it all10:06 Can you save a dying plant?12:34 Krystal's dip to black moment18:03 Instagram's 90-minute videos and chasing platform changes20:02 Building trust on YouTube21:40 Why she edits everything herself22:55 Getting the facts right as a creator23:41 Branding and color24:36 The book deal she said yes to28:08 Consistency and confidence on camera31:34 Lightning round33:40 What's next: the book tour📚 GET KRYSTAL'S BOOKMore Than Just a Plant: https://quarto.com/books/9781577158097/more-than-just-a-plant🌿 CONNECT WITH KRYSTALInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_plantswithkrystal_/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlantswithKrystalWebsite: https://www.plants-with-krystal.com/BUY HER BOOK HERE: https://amzn.to/4zokqaB🎧 Also watch my conversation with Libby Ward🎓 The Visibility Program: https://oncamready.com/podcast-offer then https://substack.com/@oncamready🌐 Work with me: https://oncamready.comPitch: [email protected] (Affiliate):Record your content with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrEDiscount Code: OCR15VidIQ (Affiliate): https://vidiq.com/oncamreadyThink Like a Producer, an ON CAM Ready presentation. Monday through Thursday, I break down one news headline so experts can find their angle and produce their own authority. Every other Friday, I sit down with people who've made the journey from unknown to known.Subscribe for new episodes Monday through Thursday, plus interviews and tutorials on Fridays.#ThinkLikeAProducer #PlantsWithKrystal #PersonalBrand #CreatorJourney #UnknownToKnown #ContentCreator #Houseplants

Election night 2026 wasn't just a race between candidates. It was a race between the networks and the creators. C-SPAN put YouTube shows on its own channels. Former network anchors like Chuck Todd, Megyn Kelly and Don Lemon ran their own coverage. And the networks went vertical, built nerd shows and took live questions.As a former network news producer turned new media strategist, I break down what worked and the three moves experts can steal:- Make the format the hook- Bring your own proof- Borrow an audienceNo results, no sides. Just what election night taught us about getting seen.📰 SOURCES IN THIS EPISODEDeadline - What to watch for as networks cover midterm election night: https://deadline.com/2026/10/midterms-news-networks-coverage-2026-1237207099/TheDesk - C-SPAN taps YouTube creators for Election Night coverage: https://thedesk.net/2026/10/c-span-taps-youtube-creators-for-election-night-coverage/Barrett Media - Chuck Todd and Chris Cillizza partner with Decision Desk HQ: https://barrettmedia.com/2026/10/27/chuck-todd-chris-cillizza-decision-desk-hq/Adweek TVNewser - How news networks are covering the 2026 midterms: https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/how-news-networks-are-covering-the-2026-midterm-elections/SiriusXM - Around-the-clock coverage of the 2026 midterms: https://investor.siriusxm.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/2315/siriusxm-unveils-around-the-clock-coverage-of-the-2026TheGrio - Don Lemon launches 24/7 streaming channel: https://thegrio.com/2026/10/29/don-lemon-launches-24-7-streaming-channel-on-byron-allens-local-now/Don Lemon - Election night. Watch it with me IRL in NYC: https://thedonlemonshow.substack.com/p/election-night-watch-it-with-me-irl🎥 VIDEOS IN THIS EPISODEC-SPAN: https://www.youtube.com/@cspanNBC News: https://www.youtube.com/@NBCNewsThe Young Turks: https://www.youtube.com/@TheYoungTurksPBD Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@PBDPodcast 🎓 The Visibility Program: https://oncamready.com/podcast-offer then https://substack.com/@oncamready🌐 Work with me: https://oncamready.comPitch: [email protected] (Affiliate):Record your content with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrEDiscount Code: OCR15VidIQ (Affiliate): https://vidiq.com/oncamreadyThink Like a Producer, an ON CAM Ready presentation. Monday through Thursday, I break down one news headline so experts can find their angle and produce their own authority.Subscribe for new episodes Monday through Thursday.#ThinkLikeAProducer #ElectionNight #NewMedia #CreatorEconomy #PersonalBrand #ThoughtLeadership #VideoStrategyNote this was recorded before midterms wrapped and will be updated if expectations are altered.

Election Day was yesterday. Now people want to know what they actually decided. This year, 145 statewide measures were on ballots across 40 states, plus school bonds, local taxes and a new wave of data center votes. And a Ballotpedia report found ballot titles were written at a graduate-school reading level.No results and no sides in this episode. Just the opening for experts who can explain what happens next.Three angles experts can take:- CPAs, financial planners and real estate pros: what it means for tax bills- Attorneys, land-use and local government experts: what happens next- Educators and plain-language experts: the measure in one sentence📰 SOURCES IN THIS EPISODEEast Idaho News - 2026 ballot measures are written at a graduate-school reading level: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/10/2026-ballot-measures-are-written-at-a-graduate-school-reading-level-report-finds/Ballotpedia - 2026 statewide ballot measure total: https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/09/16/three-measures-certified-in-the-past-two-weeks-bringing-the-2026-statewide-total-to-164-11-above-the-decade-average/NBC Los Angeles - School measures on LA County ballots: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/elections/november-elections-school-measures-on-los-angeles-county-ballots/3954956/Illinois Policy - What to know about the Nov. 3 ballot: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/press-releases/what-to-know-about-the-nov-3-ballot-statewide-and-in-chicago/Ballotpedia - Local ballot measures on data centers: https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/09/21/ohio-leads-states-in-number-of-local-ballot-measures-on-data-centers-for-2026/Eide Bailly - State tax ballot measures to watch in 2026: https://www.eidebailly.com/insights/blogs/2026/10/salt20261027LAist - Alhambra data center ballot measure: https://laist.com/news/alhambra-ballot-measure-data-center-ban-2026Axios San Francisco - Why California voters may struggle to understand their ballots: https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/10/26/ca-ballot-propositions-readability-score-2026🎓 The Visibility Program: https://oncamready.com/podcast-offer then https://substack.com/@oncamready🌐 Work with me: https://oncamready.comPitch: [email protected] (Affiliate):Record your content with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrEDiscount Code: OCR15VidIQ (Affiliate): https://vidiq.com/oncamreadyThink Like a Producer, an ON CAM Ready presentation. Monday through Thursday, I break down one news headline so experts can find their angle and produce their own authority.Subscribe for new episodes Monday through Thursday.0:00 Decoding Post-Election Voter Impact1:42 Breaking Down Ballot Measures Without Bias3:55 Strategic Ways To Pitch Local Media5:33 Three Proven Angles For Post-Election Content#ThinkLikeAProducer #BallotMeasures #Midterms2026 #LocalNews #PersonalBrand #ThoughtLeadership #ExpertVisibility

It's Election Day, and for millions of Americans the campaign is happening in their feed. Paid influencers, AI-generated content and election scams are all part of what voters scroll through. Today I break down how social media is shaping elections and how experts can help people make sense of it, without taking sides.Three angles experts can take:- Marketers, creators and attorneys: paid political influencers and disclosure- Cybersecurity and fraud experts: AI election scams the FBI is warning about- Media literacy experts and educators: a simple check before you share📰 SOURCES IN THIS EPISODEAdImpact - 2026 election cycle to reach record $11.6 billion in ad spending: https://adimpact.com/blogs/adimpact-reveals-2026-election-cycle-to-reach-record-11.6-billion-in-ad-spendingPew Research Center - 1 in 5 Americans regularly get news on TikTok: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/19/1-in-5-americans-regularly-get-news-on-tiktok/The New York Times - TikTok, politics and the hopescroll: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/opinion/tiktok-politics-social-media-hopescroll.htmlThe Daily Pennsylvanian - Penn researchers on Meta and elections: https://www.thedp.com/article/2026/10/annenberg-comunication-research-school-professor-meta-election-penn-social-mediaThe Philadelphia Inquirer - Campaigns quietly paying influencers: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/paid-political-influencers-undisclosed-20260830.htmlFBI - Midterm election scams warning: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA261015-3Official voting information: https://vote.gov🎓 The Visibility Program: https://oncamready.com/podcast-offer then https://substack.com/@oncamready🌐 Work with me: https://oncamready.comPitch: [email protected] (Affiliate):Record your content with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrEDiscount Code: OCR15VidIQ (Affiliate): https://vidiq.com/oncamreadyThink Like a Producer, an ON CAM Ready presentation. Monday through Thursday, I break down one news headline so experts can find their angle and produce their own authority.Subscribe for new episodes Monday through Thursday.#ThinkLikeAProducer #ElectionDay #SocialMedia #MediaLiteracy #PersonalBrand #ThoughtLeadership #Misinformation

A new Forbes analysis says nearly one in five White House press releases this year show signs of AI. The White House calls it fake news. Either way, AI detectors are now everywhere, and that changes how experts should write, pitch and post.In this episode, I break down why human still wins, and three angles experts can take:- AI experts: explain what detectors can and can't prove- PR and communications pros: when AI helps and when it hurts trust- Writers and ghostwriters: why a human voice is now a selling point📰 SOURCES IN THIS EPISODEForbes - Nearly one in five White House press releases show signs of AI: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kylemullins/2026/10/29/nearly-one-in-five-white-house-press-releases-show-signs-of-ai/Fox News - Dartmouth provost resigns over undisclosed AI use: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/dartmouth-provost-resigns-undisclosed-ai-use-washington-post-10-29-26TechCrunch - Substack's new AI detection tool: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/22/substacks-new-tool-tells-you-whos-been-writing-their-newsletters-with-ai/The Media Copilot - Newspaper policies on AI-written op-eds: https://mediacopilot.ai/ai-written-op-eds-newspaper-policies/Muck Rack - 2026 State of Journalism report: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/03/19/3259178/0/en/muck-rack-s-2026-state-of-journalism-report-finds-82-of-journalists-use-ai.html🎓 The Visibility Program: https://oncamready.com/podcast-offer then https://substack.com/@oncamready🌐 Work with me: https://oncamready.comPitch: [email protected] (Affiliate):Record your content with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrEDiscount Code: OCR15VidIQ (Affiliate): https://vidiq.com/oncamreadyThink Like a Producer, an ON CAM Ready presentation. Monday through Thursday, I break down one news headline so experts can find their angle and produce their own authority.Subscribe for new episodes Monday through Thursday.#ThinkLikeAProducer #AI #PersonalBrand #ThoughtLeadership #PublicRelations #MediaTraining #OpEd #news