Filmmaker Romaan Asche likes people who grind – in a work sense, that is. (We don’t discuss her dancing preferences.) Asche and friends Caz Kimber and Eden Guade founded the TheModernYouth podcast, a show about how creative people are turning a passion into a career. 

Offering practical advice and spotlighting different paths that people take into creative industries, each episode focuses on a young person who is forging their career in unique circumstances. Asche explores just how they do it, speaking with a variety of success stories – from filmmakers to the founder of diverse modelling agency Rin Models.

With Covid-19 changing the way we work, Asche is not slowing down, taking the time to explore new recording options and plant the seeds for projects that have previously been a ‘what if’? And she wants to encourage others to do the same. 

Twelve months on from launching TheModernYouth, Asche sat down with Daily Review (virtually) to talk all things creativity, ambition and how to get projects off the ground despite hurdles.

Daily Review: In a sentence, how would you describe TheModernYouth to a potential new listener?

Romaan Asche: It’s a show about emerging creators turning their passion into a career and all the nitty gritty that comes with that process. 

Why did you want this podcast to be made?

I started the process for this podcast a few years ago [when I was still a student]. I was always apprehensive about what to do, or how to get “there” in my career, wherever ‘there’ might be. I wanted more guidance. 

There are countless businesses and entrepreneurs who’ve “made it” and turned their passions into full-time careers, and books about how they did it, but it’s often general advice like, ‘You need to work hard, have ambition, have drive’. 

That’s true… but that’s not necessarily relatable for someone without money in their pocket and the equipment to get started, or who aren’t studying [in the field]. 

I looked around me and saw people I knew who were building their own pathways, and I wanted them to share their processes and [experiences reaching] milestones at a young age.

How do you approach your guests, and what would you say to someone who responds, ‘But what can I offer’?

[Everyone] has been eager to be involved… there’s been no apprehension. 

The guests have more confidence in their projects than even me! That’s been good for me, to start adopting those mindsets. 

Hearing from people who tried something, even though it was scary, even though they didn’t know if it would work, is so motivating. 

At the end of the day, I just want to encourage people to try their ideas. They don’t need to know exactly what to do… it’s about slowly putting action to your idea. 

What has it taught you about the industry?

It has taught me so much. I’m interested in hearing about what others are interested in, how they approach things. We’re all trying to make our art into something… and it’s even just been learning how to communicate your idea so that your team [and audience] understand what you’re trying to do. 

You don’t need to wait around in a job for 10 years to build your skills in the hopes that you get to that next job position, you can be learning now. Things like social media, writing… there’s so much skill overlap.

What advice would you give someone who has an idea but doesn’t know where to start?

At the time I was releasing about the third episode, I was going into my final year of film production at uni. I just remember thinking, ‘Why did I start this now? At the busiest time in my life?’

At the end of the day, I just want to encourage people to try their ideas. They don’t need to know exactly what to do… it’s about slowly putting action to your idea.

I realised I had the choice to give it up, or push through. It’s weird, but it’s [those times] that can prove to you what you can actually achieve. You may be thinking, ‘I can’t juggle all these things’. Okay, so why not give it a shot and see what you can handle? 

In a weird way, it’s a great time for that now as everyone’s at home, and you have time to think about that project that’s been on the backburner, or that thing you’ve been working on at night. We want people to feel encouraged to try.

It’s coming up to the podcast’s one-year anniversary. What does the future look like for TheModernYouth?

As [the three of us] are filmmakers, we’re looking to move into film production, and supporting smaller filmmakers. We’re looking at a mix of short and feature films, and figuring out the best way to do that. 

But we’re still doing the podcast! We recorded a couple of episodes [before social-distancing] and are trying some online recording platforms.

Although the audio quality is lesser than the studio, the quality of the content hasn’t changed.