S3. EP. 61 - How to go viral with Franchesca "Chescaleigh" Ramsey

Franchesca Ramsey, a multifaceted creative force, joins us today to talk all about creating meaningful content, the success of the Leopard Song, the science behind becoming viral, and behind-the-scenes stories from her time on MTV's Decoded. Franchesca also opens up about coming out as queer, and setting boundaries on social media. Plus, she talks about her upcoming masterclass, on April 19th and 26th (click here to sign up). in content creation and shares her secret talent for spotting rising stars and why she's the ultimate connector in the entertainment industry.

This conversation is filled with laughter, wisdom, and practical advice for people making an impact online while staying true to themselves.

Welcome to It Takes A Village with Delina Medhin, where inspiring founders & creatives share ‘who I built this with’.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
01:26 Meet Franchesca Ramsey
02:12 The Beginnings of a Friendship
02:58 Career Highlights and Makeup Stories
06:54 Personal Reflections and Life Lessons
11:34 Navigating Online Presence and Mental Health
18:33 Podcasting and Creative Ventures
23:29 Dating and Personal Life
28:34 Navigating FaceTime Dates
30:05 Embracing Self-Love and Friendships
32:04 The Power of Calendars and Organization
34:45 The Science Behind Creating Viral Content
37:31 The Value of Relatable Content
45:02 Overcoming Creative Challenges
55:39 Supporting Friends in the Industry
01:02:04 The Importance of Presentation
01:02:38 Punctuality and Professionalism
01:05:38 The Viral Leopard Song
01:13:07 Coming Out and Queer Identity
01:17:42 Balancing Privacy and Public Life
01:21:07 Career Advice and Mentorship
01:27:01 Shoutouts to Influential People
01:32:15 Where to Find Franchesca's Work

Learn more about Franchesca:Franchesca "Chescaleigh'" Ramsey is an actor, writer, sought-after public speaker, and creator/star of the award-winning web series MTV Decoded.  A former writer/correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, her first book, Well That Escalated Quickly was nominated for an NAACP award and named one of Amazon’s best books of 2018. In 2020 she served as writer/co-producer on the iCarly reboot for Paramount+ and guest starred on NBC’s Superstore. These days you’ll find her co-hosting the podcast Lemme Fix It! with her best friend De’lon Grant. In 2024 Franchesca’s debut feature was selected for the Sundance fellowship program.Franchesca burst into the spotlight in January 2012 when her video, “Sh*t White Girls Say…to Black Girls” (SWGSTBG) went viral. It garnered over 1.5 million views in 24 hours and 5 million views in just 5 days. It also made a lot of white girls cry.  SWGSTBG currently has 11 million views and has been featured on MSNBC, ABC, The Daily Mail and the Anderson Cooper talk show, to name a few. Over a decade later and the video has been quoted in textbooks, translated into multiple languages and was even the subject of a 20 page graduate dissertation.
With nearly 20 years in the online space and over a decade in film and television, Franchesca has carved out a unique lane as a public speaker and consultant.  From college campuses to corporate workshops, her super power comes from engaging with audiences in ways that help  them laugh, learn and think. Franchesca is available for public speaking and consulting opportunities for a myriad of subjects including: content creation, social media marketing,  identity/social justice, tv writing, personal branding and more.

Connect with Franchesca:

Instagram @chescaleigh

TikTok @franchesca_leigh

Website www.franchesca.net

Connect with Delina:
⁠Instagram @delinamedhin⁠
TikTok @delinamedhin⁠
YouTube @delinamedhin⁠
Threads @delinamedhin⁠
Website ⁠www.delinamedhin.com

#chescaleigh, #franchescaramsey, #howtogoviral