Meet Sil Anen | Host of the award-winning Quaintrelle Podcast, award-winning filmmaker and writer

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

Hi Sil, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’d been listening to podcasts and really liked the medium long before I decided to start my own. At some point, the idea formed that I’d already done many such similar things and that perhaps this was something that I’d be successful at. I thrive on creativity and connecting with others through stories, and I employ my experience as a writer, filmmaker and former storytelling producer to create good conversation. All of those projects directly involve crafting stories that connect audiences to people, characters and situations in an engaging and relatable manner. We bond through stories.

It was during a hike, that I retold a story to my daughter about her great-grandmother’s remarkable path to success after leaving an orphanage in the 1920’s—and it struck me that everyone has a captivating story about a parent or grandparent or other relative. I mean, we all stop and listen and engage when we hear someone telling one of those stories. We love them! But, what about their story… today’s stories? People tend to downplay their creativity, innovation, grit, and even courage that make them who they are today. Perhaps it’s the intimate proximity to these pivotal events and life’s forward-moving momentum that makes people minimize how amazing they really are. But, most people don’t think of telling their story unless they’re asked about it.

I think too, that the reliance on social media as a primary source of communication has created a state of prolonged superficial connection. There’s no real way of getting to know a person past a certain depth on these platforms. They’re just not designed for that, and I think that leaves a constant lust for more because we’re missing out on quality interaction. The depth that stories provide are essential to our sense of community. They have the ability to guide the quality of our happiness and success and it’s kind of becoming a lost art. And since it’s an artform that I love, I created a podcast to bring back some of that depth of human interaction and showcase amazing people.

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.
My podcast is called, The Quaintrelle Podcast and while, it certainly emphasizes “a life of passion, personal style, leisurely pastimes,” and more– all definitions of a Quaintrelle; it is about the marriage of two of my greatest passions: focusing on the amazing people in my life and the art of storytelling.

I have years of storytelling experience as a writer, filmmaker, and former storytelling producer, but I had never done a podcast. I began planning and as with many ideas, while it looked great on paper, the reality is that it is a lot of work and trial and error. I had to learn about equipment, recording apps, editing, sound balance, compression, hosting platforms, and a lot of things that only became obvious after taking the plunge, so to speak. It’s a fulltime job and sometimes, it can be overwhelming. One of the toughest things can be asking guests to come on. When I hear “no,” I can’t let it stop me. People say no for so many reasons that are not personal. The first few times got me down but I had no choice but to move forward and create content. One time, I got several “no’s” in a row only to completely fill my schedule a few days later when invitations were accepted and two more people who had previously declined to be on the show contacted me to find out if I was still interested in talking to them! The lesson was to not be afraid of hearing “no,” and to just go with the flow and accept that things will happen in their time.

I’ve learned to be a better listener. Focusing on what’s being said, not only lets people know that I value and respect their experiences and perspective, but it also allows me to learn new things and to ask better questions. People want to tell their story and know that they’re understood and appreciated.

Research is important too, but there’ve been times when my timeline doesn’t allow for the quality of research that I’d like. I’ve learned to prioritize it after a preventable disaster resulted in me missing a publishing date after 51 weeks of hitting those deadlines—I was right at the one year mark. The research also helps in formulating questions, topic starters and ice breakers that help propel a conversation, especially when guests have an amazing story to share, but don’t know where to start.

I’m really proud to say that my hard work, attention to detail, and passion for introducing amazing people to my audience through authentic and engaging stories paid off. I won an award in my first year as a podcaster. It’s one of those: “never in a million years” moments, but I won a prestigious Gold Davey Award in the category of Interview/Talk Show. The announcement came during a rough week when I was really rethinking my suitability for this craft. And, to say that it was the motivation that I needed to continue, is an understatement. It legitimized my work and re-energized and re-focused me so that I could continue to identify the amazing qualities in my friends and share their stories.

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?
I feel seen with this question! There is so much history, diversity, and flat-out amazing ways to show friends and family around the distinct cultural enclaves, unique opportunities, and mainstay attractions of Los Angeles. A week-long trip is ideal because of the sprawl of LA. Here are five distinct tours to fill a week:

1- Breakfast at the Nickle Diner on Main and 5th, followed by a visit to the Last Bookstore, Pershing Square will hopefully have an interesting exhibit or event, then on to the rooftop of Perch for a drink and bites. We’d continue on, all of this by foot of course, to the Biddy Mason Memorial, and Grand Central Market for lunch, followed by a ride up to Grand Avenue on the Angel’s Flight Funicular. There, we could hit MOCA or the Broad for some art then either dinner at Bodega Louie or a nightcap at the Wolves.

2- Old Hollywood: Japan House, followed by lunch at one of the eateries at the Hotel Roosevelt to build an appetite for the Hollywood Museum which used to be the Max Factor studios and it’s where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde and Lucille Ball a redhead. Dinner at the Formosa Café and burn it off chasing stars on the Walk of Fame or head elsewhere before walking through the refrigerator entrance to Good Times at Davey Wayne’s.

3- The Getty Center for art and the spectacular garden, followed by a drive to Malibu for lunch at Duke’s to continue the feast for the eyes at the Getty Villa. There are so many nearby eateries, attractions, and beaches to continue the fun.

4- To slow down the pace: a sumptuous picnic brunch at the Old LA Zoo site at Griffith Park, followed by a ride on the Merry Go Round, and a hike on one of the trails that lead to the Hollywood Sign; ending with a (hopefully) stargazing night at the observatory.

5- A top-down-scarves-and-sunglasses Beach City Crawl along the coast from El Segundo to San Pedro, stopping at favorite spots to dip toes, like the tidepools in San Pedro and Palos Verdes Peninsula or the soft sands of RAT beach… Places to get amazing views, like sunset at the Light Gate in Manhattan Beach or from Pelican Cove… and eat great food, especially in the Beach Cities.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh boy… this is going to take a while! As I said, I spent a lot of time listening to podcasts before starting my own podcast. To their great credit, many podcasters made me feel like this was an accessible craft for me and whom I humbly aspire towards because they make podcasting seem easy and accessible to all. But, the reality is that things that look easy actually take a lot of skill, research and years of experience. Two podcasters that come to mind are Dr. Laurie Santos of The Happiness Lab; and, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a huge fan of the Tim Ferris Podcast. Their approach is indicative of the podcasts that I tend to listen to. They’re engaging, relatable and have an educational component to them relating to the human experience. It’s these components that I strive to bring into my conversations.

I’m also very fortunate to have a family of filmmakers and writers that are very dear to me. Their friendship, collaboration and encouragement over the years has really fueled my love of creative storytelling. I’ve honed my craft by working with them and that directly correlates to increasing my confidence and understanding of the art of connecting through stories. Enthusiastic shoutouts go to: Julian V. Hampton*, director of Fighting Olympus; Conor Severson, creator of Dark Country; Danny Miguel*, director of The Entry; Leila Martinez, storytelling co-producer; and to the greatest writing partner ever: Matthew McDonald who’s most current book is, An Angel’s Share.

Then there’s my squad! I am so thankful for their constant support, inspiration, laughter, creativity, thoughtfulness, and role modeling. The world is made brighter and better by the likes of, Diana Webster, Ellisa Hall, Jainy Kang, Mike Acosta*, Robyn Benjamin, Sunny Sheybani, Carla Williams, Walter McKinley Lewis*, Chris Sullivan*, Ana Maron*, Kat Spaun, Suzanne Dunwell, of course, my filmmaking and writing family… ah, the list is endless. I wish I could name everyone!

I have placed asterisks beside those who have been gracious enough to join me on an episode and given me the honor to share their incredible talents, stories and wisdom. Like I say on my podcast, “My friends are amazing!”

Website: https://www.thequaintrellepodcast.com/

Instagram: @thequaintrellepodcast

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sil-anen-196688239/

Twitter: @quaintrellepod

Facebook: @QuaintrellePodcast

Youtube: @thequaintrellepodcast6927

Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5062400/ Linktr.ee: @thequaintrelle

Image Credits
Sofia Nena Sil Anen