Hi! My name is Carmen Q Gollihar and I create skits based on my experience growing up in the 80s and early 90s. I was an educator for 22 years and decided at the age of 46 to quit my teaching career and become a full time content creator to follow my dream of making my creativities come to life. I am married and have 5 awesome kids, and 3 cute doggies.

What got you started in creating?

I started creating in 2020 during the whole Covid lockdown situation. I had a lot of time on my hands bc we went to online teaching. I started watching TikTok and got in on the whole lip syncing craze. After a while, I decided to start creating my own original content.

You mentioned that you have a younger generation as an audience. What do you think they love about watching your content?

I think that the GenZ audience likes to watch my content because they really like the whole 80s culture. They feel a sense of nostalgia watching my videos. They like to learn about what it was like growing up in one of the most amazing decades. I was the same way when I was a kid. I used to love to watch anything that came from the 60s.

You kill it with the creativity of your skits. How long is that process?

Well, thank you! I have a schedule that I keep to create and it’s an intense Monday- Friday schedule. I would say for one video with multiple characters…it takes anywhere from 3-4 hours and I create 7 a week. That includes: writing, filming, editing, and uploading to all the platforms. I do it all alone and don’t pay anyone to help. I’m kind of a control freak when it comes to my content.

What got you started doing the skits?

After about 6 months on TikTok, I decided to create some original content. In late 2020, I created a video about what it was like growing up in the 80s and how as young kids we used to go to the store to buy our parents cigarettes. It went viral and people asked for more…so I continued.

What are some of the coolest things you’ve collected or kept?

Some of the things that I still have from my youth and that is very meaningful to me is my teal mini caboodle. It contained a lot of pics from high school friends, jewelry, and a love poem I wrote to my high school boyfriend. Haha. Things that I think are cool and that I’ve collected are my Hot Pink and Black Caboodle, Trapper Keepers, a Sharp QT radio, a Smurfs Velcro Wallet…these are things I had when I was a kid. I was able to find them and I bought them immediately.

What tv shows do you think your skits could fall right into?

I think that my skits are very much like a variety show that you would have seen in the 70’s…like the Carol Burnette Show. I have so many different series going on it feels like it could easily be a variety show.

You truly do it all! How do you balance family life with creating?

I used to work a full time job as a teacher and do all this. I have 5 kids, 3 dogs, and a husband who counts as a kid so we decided that I needed to make content creation a full time job so that I could balance my work and family life better. I was very fortunate to be able to do that. I can create full time, balance all my kids’ different schedules and make it work! One of things I’ve been working on is putting down the work to focus on family. As you know, content creating can be an all day event if you let it. I’m getting better and balancing that work life schedule.

What is your favorite content to create?

One of my favorite pieces of content to create right now is the Totally Rad Video Store series. It’s not my most popular series, but I love the characters Nikki and Jimmy. We’ve only just recently seen Jimmy because we used to only hear his voice in the background. I love Nikki’s attitude and how she doesn’t hold back on what she says and feels. She’s more like how I am in real life when I’m with my friends.

Describe the perfect 80’s sleepover

The evening would start with a trip to the video store to pick out a comedy, a horror movie, and a teen romance. Then we would of course have some pan pizza delivered from our favorite pizza place. Then it would definitely be time to prank call our crushes and the girls we hated. After that, we’d have to pull out the Ouija board to summon someone’s dead cousin. That would then lead us into Light as a Feather Stiff as a Board. Then it’s time to watch the movies. Throw in some popcorn, soda, and a ton of giggles. Then you tried to pull an all nighter because if you fell asleep, you’d wake up to a frozen bra. Good times!

5 songs you feel would describe you

Dream On- Aerosmith
Mayonaise-Smashing Pumpkins
Girls Just Want to Have Fun-Cyndi Lauper
Believe- Lenny Kravitz
Let’s Go Crazy- Prince

Stores that you miss shopping at

When I was a teen going to the mall was life! One of the stores that was a must was Spencer’s Gifts. I don’t know if it still exists or not, but when I was a teen we would go there all the time. One of the best things I bought there were some oversized Odie Slippers. Another store that I used to love to shop at was Sam Goody and Sound Warehouse. I loved looking at all the new albums. Winn’s was the best discount store. I remember buying all my plastic Halloween costumes from there. And of course…Toys R Us and Blockbuster

A memory that makes you very happy

One of my fondest memories is when I was maybe 11 or 12 years old in 1980 something and my family sitting around watching TV together in our living room. We had one of those big box console TVs. We were gathered around to watching one of our nighttime shows and just sitting there all together laughing and being obnoxiously loud. I miss those those simple days the most. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be a nostalgic creator?

I would say since there are so many of us nostalgia creators out there that you need to find your own unique spin to creating. Do something that will really make you stand out. That could be your presentation style or your editing style. And just be you!

Coolest takeways you’ve had from building your community

I think the biggest takeaway that I’ve learned from my community is that they appreciate that when I create a video…for example how to record a onto an audiocassette tape…is that I don’t make fun of the younger generations for not knowing how to do it. I have learned to be inclusive in my videos so that GenZ to GenX will feel like the content is geared toward them. Another cool thing is that I’ve been able see is how a video that I sometimes think may be too over the top silly is making someone who has had a horrible day to laugh for maybe that one minute. It’s cool to know that I’m able to do that for someone.

Favorite branding growing up?

I loved Guess. I was not able to afford it, but the one pair of jeans I did have, I wore it out! My other favorite from the early 90s was Gap. I used to shop the discount rack like nobody’s business. Shoes I loved from the 80s were Reebok. I had the blue high top classics. I got those at a discount store and it was one of my most memorable purchases. Swatch Watch and Fossil were my watches of choice.

What would be in your cosmetic bag growing up?

Depends on the year. In the 80s I would definely have had roller ball lip gloss, some cherry coke chapstick, blue and pink eyeshadow, the pink and green Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, and blue eyeliner. The early 90s I would still have the pink and green Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, some dark lip liner…no lipstick needed. We just penciled in that lip liner all over our lips. I’d throw some Carmex on top if it got too flaky. And darkest black eyeliner. I kept my faces clear and clean of any blush or foundation. And I’d also have my favorite scents in my cosmetic bag…CK1 or Sunflowers perfume.

A phrase you would leave for a nostalchick

Never give up on your dreams no matter your age, your past, your anything. Make it happen. No matter what.