New podcast shines light on Latino creatives

Ignacio Gonzalez interviews actor Fabrizio Guido on his new podcast, “Nacho Said So.” (Photo by Alex Dominguez)

DOWNEY — Ignacio “Nacho” Gonzalez sits across from actor Fabrizio Guido. He listens as the young 24-year-old recounts his first big role in 2013’s Brad Pitt film “World War Z.” The two compare notes on stand-up comedy.

Guido is the latest guest to appear on Gonzalez’s new podcast “Nacho Said So,” where Gonzalez interviews and promotes Chicano creatives hoping to inspire others “to get started on their artistic path.”

“With the podcast, I was thinking, you know what, I just know people right? I’ve met people that are pretty well-known that have pretty interesting stories that are in the artistic realm in some way or another; writing, comedy, acting,” said Gonzalez. “I said, you know what, maybe if I ask them… maybe they would say yes and come do a podcast.”

In each episode of “Nacho Said So,” Gonzalez covers the good and the bad, saying that he wants each episode to feel more like a conversation than an interview.

“I wanted to talk to people and have them focus on their journey, including any rough patches that they had,” said Gonzalez. “I always ask people, ‘Hey, did you ever want to give up? What kept you going?’

“The whole focus is to get people who are artistic minded to talk about their journey and encourage others to do the same.”

So far, Gonzalez has published seven episodes.

“I did my first [episode] at the beginning of November,” said Gonzalez. “I was hoping to do 500 streams within six months, or three months, something like that, and I got to 2,000 already.”

Being new to the podcasting world, Gonzalez attributes the success he’s already had to his guests, who often bring with them their own substantial reaches and platforms. Still, he says that he “tries to make it fun for them.”

“I try to ask questions and get into why they do things, and they just keep talking and going on and on,” said Gonzalez. “First of all, because the guests are interesting, they have a good story, they’re talkative, I haven’t had to ask a lot of questions or pull things out of them. I just sort of ask them a question, and let them go, and they go off and tell their story.”

Gonzalez initially bought podcasting equipment, originally planning to take his podcast to each of his guests. But then he was struck with another idea.

“I was thinking what if we have it here in the [Downey City Library],” said Gonzalez. “I’ll ask just to make sure it’s cool to use a study room to bring in people and record.”

As it turns out, the library had a studio that could be rented out all ready to go.

It even came with its own podcasting set up.

He says feedback to the show has been “very positive” so far.

“People that don’t, that wouldn’t listen to podcasts before have been listening in, and I think they like the kind of natural conversation that we have.”

“Nacho Said So” can be found where podcasts are streamed, including Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music. He can be found on Instagram on @nacho_said_so.