Lilian Garcia Interview: "Chasing Glory", Transition Into Podcasting, Returning To WWE & More

This is no ordinary wrestling podcast, as you do such a great job of allowing the Superstars to tell their stories and offer advice for people who may be in similar situations. Was creating a source of inspiration with the show always a goal of yours dating back to when you first started it four years ago?

Garcia: First of all, you said it: This is not a wrestling podcast. This is where people come on and tell their real-life stories and their journeys. Some of them happen to be wrestlers and then there are others who are athletes in other capacities or entertainers or entrepreneurs. I'll try to mix it up. This idea started in 2004 and it was by me being in the locker room with these amazing women that were sharing their struggles and what they've gone through. When they did that, all of a sudden it dawned on me. “Wow, if people knew this, I think people would really emphasize with them and cheer for them even more and they can grow in their own sense by the lessons these women can share.”

So, I went to the WWE with the idea in 2004, but it was just ahead of its time and there was no Network at the time. I don't think we were even using Twitter at the time, which is crazy to think about. When I left in 2016, I was talking to my dad who was passing away from bladder cancer and he was like, “Lilian, I hate that you're leaving the company just to be my caretaker. Do you have any ideas?” I said, “Well, I had this idea in 2004,” and he loved the concept. I love the fact that my father was able to see the show live. It launched November 2016 and he passed away Christmas day that same year. Watching him watch the show, I was just in tears. He has his stamp of approval all over this and I really feel he's helping the show along. It's just a beautiful thing what has happened and now that it's on the Network because more eyes are going to see it, too.

How have you seen the show evolve from what it started as to what it is today?

Garcia: I think the biggest difference is that it started on video. I was at AfterBuzz and was doing it from their studios, so I started on video. I went to PodcastOne, but they don't have the video aspect of it. So, I went to audio, and after being there for a year, the biggest thing was realizing, “You know what? This needs to be on video.” Fans were even asking for it. They were like, “We really liked it when it was on video.”

At our 100th video, we went to video and we had Kofi Kingston as the guest. He helped launch that and it's great because that's what made it viable for WWE to now put it on their Network because it's already on video. What WWE wants everyone to know and us too is that this is still a “Chasing Glory” production. We're still very hands-on. WWE is just housing it on their channel, but it is fully a Chasing Glory production. That's what so special: that we get to call the shots and do this the way we have been doing it.