028: Tiffany & Yu
In this solo episode, Tiffany discusses the hot new social media network Clubhouse, why you should be on there (if you’re an iPhone/iPad user), and how to make the most of your experience.
I discussed:
How I got started on Clubhouse
Accessibility on Clubhouse
How to get an invite to Clubhouse
Why I love Clubhouse
My intention on Clubhouse
Strategies for your Clubhouse experience
Show notes:
Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/
#ClubhouseA11y: https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClubhouseA11y
Andy Henriquez: https://andyhenriquez.com/
Clubhouse invite: https://forms.gle/iURKVBfzV3ceh4qP7
Transcript
Tiffany Yu: Hi, and you're listening to this episode of Tiffany & Yu, the podcast. Tiffany & Yu is a podcast about things that matter. Today I am recording my first solo episode of season two, mainly because I'm still in the process of recording interviews that need to be edited. The inspiration for today's episode came from a message that we actually received on the podcast.
Mia: Hi Tiffany, thank you for all that you do. Please create an episode on disability and Clubhouse and opportunities there, because it's really amazing and you're amazing. So I hope you can create one on disability on Clubhouse.
Tiffany Yu: Awesome. Thank you so much, Mia, for the voice message about wanting to learn more about disability on Clubhouse. So if you haven't heard, Clubhouse is the hot, new drop-in audio app that has been taking the pandemic world by storm. I believe this week, it actually turns one year old and it has grown to millions of users. I figured what I would do is just share a little bit of my own journey on Clubhouse and then talk about the opportunity that it presents and why you should be on there as well.
So back in September, I got a text message from a friend, John White. Hi John! And John mentioned that I should get onto this platform and he felt like my voice was really needed on there. And I don't know about you, but I feel like every other day there's a new app to download or there's like some new social media network. And so I've actually never been an early adopter on most things. I kind of just wait and see and then after a certain point in time, I'll then determine, okay, maybe I should spend some time checking this out. He ended up sending me an invite on October 1st. I downloaded the app. I respect John's opinion a lot. If he thought that I should be on this new social media audio app, then I figured I might as well check it out. So I downloaded the app in October and ended up on there in some random room, really didn't get what it was about. Someone told me that I should have someone host a welcome room for me. So that was my experience on Clubhouse, didn't really understand, ended up joining a larger room, got invited to the stage and kind of just freaked out. So for the next, almost three months, I didn't really open the app.
And fast-forward until Christmas. This was actually my first Christmas not spending it with my family. So I was still here in San Francisco, away from my family, feeling kind of sad. I did order dim sum, which is a family tradition of mine. Dim sum for one, or I guess I should call it pandemic dim sum. And Bryan Pham, who is the co-founder of Asian Hustle Network told me to get onto the Clubhouse. And I was like, Oh, I've been on Clubhouse for the last couple of months and don't really get it, which is actually what I hear most people say who are newer to Clubhouse is that they don't really get it. So he said, well, let's do a room together. So on Christmas night, Bryan and I, and a couple of new friends of mine, but friends of Bryan's, got together and we started hosting Asian American Pacific Islander rooms, whether they were centered around just networking or around different themes. That was actually my introduction to Clubhouse. And it also didn't hurt that it was during a time when I had decided that I was not going to be working that week. But I think that that experience really opened up my eyes to the fact that we have been alone and isolated for a year now. And Clubhouse really made me feel not alone. And over the past couple of months, so I've been active since December 25th. It's easy for me to remember the day. And since then I have gotten the opportunity to join other rooms. Most of the topics that I'm joining are about diversity, equity and inclusion, public speaking, podcasting, disability, branding, and creating community. So today, I am hovering around 12,800 followers. And a lot of people have asked, how did you get that many followers? How did that happen? And I figured what I would do is first talk about the platform on a high level and then share some strategies as to how you can make the most of your clubhouse experience.
One of the things I do want to highlight, and this is a question that comes up a lot is accessibility on the app. The app is still technically in beta, and it's only limited to those who have an iPhone or an iPad. And because it is audio only, it raises a lot of questions around access. Over the past couple of months, I've listened in to a lot of conversations around accessibility and if Clubhouse can really create a culture of access, as they continue rapidly growing and rapidly building. One of the things I found is that because there are so many power players from the disability community who are active on the app and are speaking up, it makes me feel like the Clubhouse team is really listening. There is a hashtag called #ClubhouseA11y , which is really trying to build solidarity and movement around addressing access issues. There are blind users who come together who talk about accessibility improvements on the app, or how to navigate it if you're a new blind user. Rachelle Dooley hosts a club and rooms around being deaf and hard of hearing on the app and how to navigate that experience. There have been work arounds where people will use either Google Meet or a Google Doc's live transcription, or a service like Otter.ai to be able to follow the conversations, but I do want to acknowledge that there are access issues that are presented, especially if you're non-verbal. But I think that in order for there to make change, we do need to be visible on the app and we need to be the evangelists. I've seen so many members of the disability community come together and meet for the first time and start to mobilize and that really gives me hope. So I'm going to take a quick break here and then when we come back, I will chat about Clubhouse and the opportunity that it creates.
So we are back from the break here, and this is a solo episode, and I'm talking about all things Clubhouse, which is a new, about to turn one year old, still in beta, and currently still iPhone/ iPad limited, a drop-in audio app. So I have amassed 12,800 followers over the past two and a half months, almost three months of being active since Christmas, even though John had invited me at the beginning of October. And one of the things that I think is really powerful on the app is cross-pollination, is the ability to bring disability conversations into the marketing conversations. It's the ability to bring disability conversations into conversations about how to grow on Instagram and TikTok and social media platforms. How can we make those platforms more accessible for all of us? And so I actually just came across a newsletter from one of my new Clubhouse friends named Andy Henriquez and I thought I would just share some of the reasons why he thought that this was a really incredible social media platform, and hopefully it encourages you to be inspired to get on as well.
And all of that said, because it still is invite only, I do have a couple of invites available. If you're listening to this or watching this and you feel like you have a message that you want to contribute to the Clubhouse community, I'm going to link a form that was actually created for our Diversability community members who were looking to get onto the platform. So I'm happy to open that up to my podcast listeners as well. And always a plus if you have given this podcast a review on Apple podcasts, because those really help amplify these conversations that we have every week.
So here we go, the top four reasons why Andy loves Clubhouse and also why I love Clubhouse. So the first is that it's audio only. There is something so great about audio. I've actually noticed how fatigued I've become over the last couple of months with regard to video. It's just nice to talk and not have to look at your screen, although chances are, most of us are looking at our screens during these. But what's so helpful about that is you don't have to worry about getting ready for the camera or what you look like, or if the angle's right because it's audio only. So that means that you can literally drop in the first thing in the morning or drop in right before you go to bed just to tune into what conversations are happening. No need to worry about the lighting and what you look like.
The second is proximity. The ability to just listen in on conversations and share stories with people that you've admired for years. So there are people on the app like Elon Musk has come on, Mark Zuckerberg has come on. Someone I admire Amy Purdy, I've gotten the chance to meet and tell her how awesome I think she is. There are a couple of Shark Tank judges on there, Perez Hilton, the list goes on. When I go on to Clubhouse, I think about my intention. I have a three-pronged approach with my intention. I either go to learn, so I'm just listening in or there to maybe ask a question. I go there to laugh. We are a year into this pandemic. Having a little bit of levity is really nice. And then the third is I go to serve. Everyone who is on Clubhouse. Most people are going on there and it's themselves, you can't really send a virtual assistant on there to be your voice. So we are spending our time on there because we believe that there's a gift we have, that we want to give to the Clubhouse community. And we believe in the power of it to really create connections, create this cross-pollination, but also to deepen connections as well. I often tell people that Clubhouse to me feels like you're participating in a conference call or you are listening in on a podcast that you can participate in. I mean, how amazing is that?
So then the third is collaboration. The platform allows you to cultivate a relationship with others in a really short period of time. And so my best example of this is I often reflect back on my beginnings on Clubhouse. I think back to the first time I logged in on October 1st and I had no idea what was going on. And then on December 25th, to be able to have Bryan there who pulled me in to want to cohost rooms about bringing the Asian American community together. And after a couple of days on the app, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a Gen Z activist I really admire named Brandon Farbstein. And Brandon, I had met through a short course through MIT Sloan through Link 20 to learn all about digital inclusion and advocacy and activism in the digital age. And so he and I reconnected and I reached out to him and I asked him if he had ever hosted a room on disability before. And by this point, I think Brandon had become kind of like a power user on Clubhouse. And I saw a really interesting opportunity for the two of us to come together because I was still newer on the app, but the way that he always pulled me up on stage, introduced me, edified me when I came into a room really made me feel welcome. So I think that kind of having that wing man or that wing woman to help you navigate your Clubhouse experience is really helpful. So, again, I think back to in October, I didn't have that person and then to come back in December and find all of these new users who were willing to show me the way. So Brandon and I hosted our first disability chat at the beginning of the year. And every week since then, we have continued to do it with a rock star group of people who drop in and out, whether it's Brandon Farbstein or Stephanie Thomas, Lolo, Wesley Hamilton, Nitka Chopra, Amy Purdy, and a whole slew of guest moderators who hop onto the stage if the topic is relevant to them. I have told myself that I will continue to host our disability chats as long as people continue to attend and find value out of the conversations. But I've also just seen so much value when we have an ally, a non-disabled ally, get the courage to raise their hand and ask the question. Even if they don't know the right words or they're nervous to offend, because this is really how we grow. So I'm able to see our work at Diversability and my own personal mission move forward through an app like this, where we are able to drop in, share our work. You don't know who's listening in the audience, even if that person doesn't have a speaking role.
And then, the last thing about it is that it's still is in its infancy, even though it's grown by the millions. I don't know how many weekly users there are now? I think I heard 10 million was the latest I'd heard. So it's still early. I mean, if you look at Facebook, Facebook has 2.7 billion weekly users. So it's still early to get on. Again, I have some invites available and I am excited to see how you are potentially interested in looking to contribute to the Clubhouse community and serve.
I just wanted to provide some strategies for you as you navigate your experience. Be a contributor first before you become a host. So back on this point around collaboration, if you're nervous to host a room, maybe you don't think you have the following yet, you're just on the app. Find some co-conspirators to co-host rooms together. And where can you find them? If you search in the search bar, our profiles are actually optimized. So what that means is that people can search keywords like disability, speaker, podcast to find other people with similar interests.
First I would recommend once you get onto the app, try to find some people who maybe matched the interests or the niche that you're interested in and follow them, because what matters the most on this app not is who follows you but is who you follow, because that will dictate what ends up showing up in your hallway and everyone's hallways are going to be different, what rooms you get access to. So that's kind of the first step.
Then I would start joining rooms, listening in. The best way to figure out what to talk about is by listening first, figuring out what are the topics that people are really curious about, and then using that feedback to determine what rooms you want to host. So once you spent some time listening, then I would take the next step and raise your hand. So if you are an introvert like me raising your hand on an audio only app is terrifying. I get so nervous. I still get nervous. And asking a question, sharing a little bit more about yourself, adding value . And I think that there are two things that happen with this strategy. So as you're listening, one thing you can do is you can also create connections with people . There is no text messaging part of the platform just yet. The way you connect with people is what we call the back channels, which are like Twitter and Instagram, which you can see linked on people's profiles.
So first step is, you get on there, you search for some people who have aligned interests, then you want to fill out your profile. Make sure again, you've optimized the profile. Sometimes there are a couple of rooms that do bio audits. Using emojis is helpful. Those are also search optimized. In addition to finding people, you can also find clubs that you want to join, and then link your socials because that's the only way that people are able to follow up with you. So you can either initiate the conversation or if you're speaking up and raising your hand and asking questions, people might want to follow up with you. So that's the best way people can do that.
And honestly, every single time I have spoken on a stage, if people find value in what I'm saying, then they'll follow me. People will ask me how did you get 12,000 followers in such a short amount of time? And honestly, I don't know. But I am showing up. I am stepping out of my comfort zone and raising my hand, even if I'm nervous. If I know something about the topic, I'm contributing. There are some evergreen rooms that are fun that create a space for everyone to contribute. So at the beginning of the year, I was part of a lot of rooms that were around setting your 2021 intention. There were a lot of rooms around what we envisioned the future of Clubhouse to be. Those were rooms where I felt like everyone would be able to contribute. And I found I was able to make some connections that way.
Continuing the conversation in the back channels is important because the main thing about Clubhouse is you're not just there to talk. You're there to create relationships. That's why it's a network. And the way you get the most value out of it is by nurturing those relationships. I'm excited to have some people that I've met on Clubhouse onto this podcast. If you've listened to prior episodes, people like Sam Hyun is someone I had been following for a while and because of Clubhouse, we connected and I was able to get him onto the podcast to share his insights. Nitika Chopra is someone that I had met through a mutual connection. We talked on the phone once, but then we deepened our relationship through Clubhouse. So it's almost like the repeated visibility of seeing these active users on the app, you just start to become part of each other's spheres. All of us have only been on for a short amount of time.
So first you want to be a contributor and then if you find people who really resonate with your message, reach out to them, see if you want to combine your audiences together. Co-host a room together , see if there's a club that would potentially be interested in hosting that room as well to expand the reach. And then maybe you want to start hosting rooms on your own.
As much as I've been on the app, I only lead moderate one room a week. I do speak in a lot of rooms, but moderating takes work and I feel very hopeful about the future of no more boring panels, because Clubhouse is such an amazing training ground if you want to become a better public speaker, and if you want to become a better moderator. And again, it's like a muscle, so I remember the first couple of times I raised my hand, I'd get so nervous. You just keep doing it.
I have felt like my cup is so full. I do want to acknowledge that with all of the beautiful things that can happen on Clubhouse. There can also be really bad things and toxic rooms and drama. And so it's really important to stay true to your intention. Make sure you are in alignment with yourself. You are communicating in real time. The person that is showing up is you, you can't pretend. It's you, it's your voice. And I think just show up with integrity. If you know you have a gift, I want it on the platform. I want to see you co-modding rooms. I want to see you speaking in rooms. I want to see you raising your hand.
I'm curious about your thoughts on Clubhouse, if you are on the platform. And if you are on there, let's see how things go. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Tiffany & Yu.