Social Media Reality Check: Women Creators Discuss Platforms, Algorithms, and Building an Audience

Creator Roundtable is a panel discussion where everybody involved is a woman who is creating independent media. The topic for the panel in September 2026 was social media. We start with a question about our earliest experience with social media. Then there is a little bit of technical drama in this episode because at about 4 minutes into the live stream the host lost power. Interestingly to me the “flash” was captured and I left it in the edited version of the show. We all learned in real time what happens which turns out to be that things pretty much came back online after a short break. We talk about how we feel about algorithm changes, how we really use social media, viral moments and how they’ve helped or not helped our shows, what we wish social media did for us, and whether we think we could build our audiences without being on social media. The Panelists Kandas Rodarte is the host of the award-winning Gratitude Geek and Sci-Fi Book Pod. YouTube:    / @gratitudegeek   Website: https://kandasrodarte.com/ Julie Marty-Pearson is the host of The Story of My Pet, Podcast Your Story, and Still Becoming: Women Unmuted. YouTube:    / @juliemartypearson   Website: https://www.juliemartypearson.com Maria Medina hosts Let's Talk Business, where real talk meets actionable advice for entrepreneurs. YouTube:    / @thecoachingnetwork   Website: www.thecoachingnetwork.com A Podcast for US-Based Small Business Networking: Creator Showcase with Maria Medina Your Host Amy Stone is the creator and host of The Art of Imperfect Adulting. She’s the person behind the unMuted Creator Collective which includes Creator Showcase and The Creator Roundtable. Website: https://www.imperfectadulting.com YouTube:    / @imperfectadulting   Timestamps 00:00 Introducing the panel & what counts as "social media" now { power glitch… a little bit dramatic} 05:18 First memories: Yahoo Groups, MySpace, Facebook 07:00 Is YouTube social media or not? 09:14 How creators actually use social—discovery, credibility, community 12:58 What platforms do you personally hang out on (and why it matters) 17:09 The never-ending annoyance of algorithm changes 20:31 Should you own your audience…or roll the dice? 25:27 Viral moments: what they did or didn't change. 36:09 All the things social media has (and hasn’t) delivered: guests, clients, friends, vans for cats 41:01 What do you wish social could really do for you? 46:53 Data, silent watchers, and public versus private platforms 49:43 Is it possible to build an audience without social media today? 55:31 One word to describe your relationship with social—"angst," "complicated," "conflicting" Would you like to be a guest panelist on a future Creator Roundtable? Start by listing your show in the Creator Directory: https://www.imperfectadulting.com/cre... The Creator Roundtable is a live conversation for women who make shows. Audio podcasts, YouTube channels, streaming shows, newsletters, magazines (...and more).