The Underpaid Podcast is just one in a long list of great achievements of media personality Stanley Tan Chi. Aside from being a podcaster, he is also a well-known comedian, TV host, cartoonist, columnist, and author.
Drawing inspiration from his bestselling book, Office Petiks, Chi started a humorous, “pro-employee” podcast that caters to employees and managers alike. Not only did every episode bring about laughter, but each discussion dealt with different yet relatable experiences and issues in the workplace.
Here is more from Chi on creating his hit podcast:
The People’s Spokesperson
“Podcasts are a new media,” Chi said. “You know, when you’re a podcaster, you can record an episode, tapos papakinggan ng mga listeners mo while doing other things. Diba pag nanonood ka ng TV, kelangan, nakatutok ka e. Ito, kahit may iba kang ginagawa, nageexercise ka, naglilinis ka ng bahay, or nagtatrabaho ka, you can listen to the podcast. At the same time, may natututunan ka. Nakakapagshare kami ng mga things na makakatulong sa mga listeners namin. Tapos nageenjoy kami, we make it simple para madali maintindihan. ‘Yan naman sekreto ng lahat ng mga ginagawa namin.”
Chi sees the effort that Filipino employees put in just to “survive” the workplace, thus he proudly calls them “Imortals” that despite their struggles, hardworking employees stay resilient and push through going to work even if the workplace continues to be a battlefield for them each day. Through hosting the podcast, Chi focuses on these workplace challenges that “speak” to the employees and even offers tips and insights for employers.
“We make it a point that it’s really pro-employee since most podcasts are pro-management,” Chi said. “[For example], you work for a bad boss, and your officemates, they bully you, diba? Ano gagawin mo? Hindi mo naman pwede sabihin sa HR na ‘Ganito ang ginagawa sa akin!’ So kami ang kakampi ng mga “Imortal” or yung mga underpaid.”
Chi’s podcast has 104 episodes to date and undeniably paints a picture of how an employee works, thinks, and even complains. Chi stated that it’s like “kwentuhan ng emplyado sa pantry during lunch breaks or merienda,” and because of this, he was able to capture the hearts of listeners.
A Listening Ear
Not only do people listen to Chi, but he listens to people as well, most especially what his audiences want. Like any podcaster, Chi aims to stay relevant.
“You have to be relatable to your audience,” Chi advised. “Kung ano yung gusto nilang content, or yung gusto nilang mapanood from you, ‘yan yung ibibigay mo. Sila naman yung mag-didictate niyan eh.”
Releasing two episodes a week, Chi does a one-on-one with a specific guest to talk about a certain topic that the episode becomes a lively conversation between the two speakers.
“I will choose certain topics na babagay mismo sa guest, para at least, relatable talaga, and yung guest, really walks the talk,” said Chi, sharing his experience of planning for each one-on-one episode with a guest. “Halimbawa, I had a guest, nawalan siya ng trabaho during pandemic, tapos because of the pandemic, naging content creator and inspirational speaker siya. Kasi that guest, really walks the talk. Talagang naranasan niya. Kaya pagnagpapayo siya sa mga tao, eh talagang totoo. Hindi fake.”
Staying Relevant
“I make it a point na the topics that we discuss sa podcast is kahit next year ka makinig, pwede parin,” Chi stated, sharing how he has recently done a podcast titled, “5 Things Your Boss Wishes You’d Talk About.” Syempre, pag employee ka, naiilang ka sa manager, naiilang ka sa boss mo. Pero yung mga boss natin, mga tao rin sila. Gusto din nila yung naririnig nila yung feedback from the employees. ‘Do you have issues with your co-workers? Do you have expectations from the company? Do you have ideas that you would like to suggest to the company para mas bumilis ang trabaho niyo?’ Mga ganun na bagay.”
Chi shared that the brainstorming process means involving people that represent different parts of the hierarchy in the workplace, making each episode more realistic, relatable, and unbiased.
“I have an HR manager na kasama, a freelancer, someone from middle management, para at least all bases are covered,” Chi shared. “Ako naman, I represent the ‘imortal’ yung mga empleyado. Kasi, sa totoo lang, naranasan ko rin maging empleyado.”
Having achieved multimedia success in the local industry, Chi reaches out to young aspiring podcasters, most especially that of the Chinoy community.
“If you’re a Chinoy that wants to have your own podcast, syempre you have to love what you’re doing,” Chi said. “Wag niyo muna isipin yung pera. Yung pera, dadating yan eh. Lahat naman ng ginawa ko, hindi naman ako kumita kaagad eh. Kahit pag nagtrabaho ka, hindi ka naman kikita kaagad eh. Magkakaroon ka naman ng basic pay pero hindi ka kaagad yayaman. Parang ganun din when you follow your passion. So, make sure that you have your extra income, side hustle, do what you love, be consistent, tuloy tuloy lang. And create a niche for your podcast.”
Want to know more Chinoy podcasters in the local industry? Check out this article here.
