Daily Inspiration: Meet Mandy Spooks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Spooks.

Hi Mandy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ever since I was a little girl and saw Hocus Pocus, I have had a passion for Halloween and all things spooky. As I got older, I felt like I had to hide it more and more. It’s not “normal” to wear all black with pumpkin accessories or skulls all year and definitely frowned upon if you don’t “grow up” at a certain point. In April 2019, I had an injury that kept me in my apartment, unable to walk for three months. In that time, I found comfort in all my favorite spooky movies. It unlocked a part of me that had been neglected for many years. When quarantine happened shortly after, my husband and I needed a creative outlet. The Ghoul Mates: Halloween Podcast was born. We kept the spirit of Halloween alive all year through pop culture and nostalgia. Within a couple months, spooky souls all around the world were reaching out to us about how they, too, had felt alone their entire lives. I wasn’t the only spooky girl out there conforming to what was “normal”. Naturally, as quarantine ended, my husband and I were excited to see what else we could do with this passion project so our podcast evolved into a YouTube Channel. My husband Rudy aka Master of Scaremonies is a professional videographer so we quickly found his passion was the YouTube Channel.

As we became the most authentic, spooky versions of ourselves, we realized that where we were living didn’t resonate with who we are. We were living in Phoenix, Arizona…with scorching temperatures most of the year and a very limited scope of spooky places to frequent. It didn’t take long to realize Denver was where we needed to be. Between the haunted history, the weather, and the quickly-growing spooky community, it was like a magnet just pulling us in the more we wanted to take our spooky lifestyle to the next level. It’s been incredible to see how many people we’ve been able to reach through the channel and how much more versatile we can be with what we create from a fully-produced series called “Haunted Ever After” where we go on spooky dates to our Keeping the Spook Alive Vlog where we share our spooky adventures in Denver. As our audience has grown on YouTube, I have missed the intimacy of podcasting and connecting on a personal level with our Ghoulster Community. In fact, living in Denver has just made me want to dive in deeper to all the spooky content I love more. I’m extremely excited to continue exploring Denver and sharing it on our YouTube Channel and even more thrilled to be premiering my newest passion project Not Another Spooky Podcast this July.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not in the slightest! As a Content Creator, it is hard to balance what you SHOULD do versus what you WANT to do. There has to be a certain level of consistency mixed with what audiences are looking for to succeed. That doesn’t always align with what your heart wants to do. As a Marketing professional, it’s extremely hard for me to turn that analytical side of my brain off. Even moreso, managing a passion project at this capacity alongside working a full-time job I’m extremely passionate about as well is an even bigger challenge. It took a lot of trial and error and self-reflection for me to get to a point where I realized how important self-care and boundaries are. What was even harder was the fear of how it would appear once I set boundaries that weren’t there before. However, part of this journey for me has always been about empowering other women to be confident and live their most authentic, spooky lives. So I decided to take the power back, and empower myself to do what’s best for me. When I do what’s best for me, that’s when the magic truly shows in my work. And that’s ultimately what I’m here for…to share my work with others who need some magic in their lives too.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Coming from the spooky world I live in, I often get asked if I am a practicing witch. I suppose I would define myself as a nerdy witch. My magic comes from perfectly brewed potions consisting of research, analytics, and creativity. By day, I am a Social Media Manager for Risas Dental and Braces, which I absolutely love. By night, I am Mandy Spooks. I genuinely feel that all of the late nights working on my Master’s Degree, drinking Spiced Cider, learning how to reach audiences on all digital platforms were so that I could reach all the spooky souls out there that needed someone to tell them, “You are different but that’s what makes you magical.” Technically speaking, I am the Co-Creator of The Ghoul Mates…a Content Creator… a “influencer”…a podcaster…but really, I just hope my community would say I’m their Best Ghoul Friend. I empower other spooky ghouls to live their most authentic, spooky lives. I foster a real community of spooky Ghoulsters all around the world and that is what I’m most proud of. Not the views, not the following, but how many people I have brought together, who would otherwise feel alone.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
People are ALWAYS going to find something to criticize about you. You might as well let your true magic shine. Once you do, I promise…it won’t matter what they say anymore.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mandyspooks
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/mandyspooks
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/theghoulmates
• Tiktok: http://tiktok.com/@theghoulmates