Coco Mocoe: Trend Forecasting, Going Viral, and Building Before You're Ready

The opposite of trendy is timeless. 🎙️✨

In this episode of Process, Arielle sits down with the internet’s favourite trend forecaster and cultural strategist, Coco Mocoe. From her early days at Famous Birthdays, where she famously spotted Charli D’Amelio at just 10,000 followers, to building a short-form empire at BuzzFeed, Coco has mastered the art of seeing what’s next before the rest of the world.

Crucially, Coco also breaks down why "just being yourself" isn't enough; she explains the vital importance of crafting a repeatable, unique format that allows a creator to sustain a long-term career and monetize their intellectual property.

We dive deep into her transition from corporate girlie to full-time creator, the launch of her hit show Middle Row, and why she believes the future of content isn't about chasing the algorithm, it’s about human imperfection.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Spotting Talent Early: How Coco discovered Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae by looking for "social proof".

• The BuzzFeed Era: Why she kept "church and state" separate while building TikTok teams for one of the world's biggest media companies.

• The "Cocoisms": Why you can't "read the label from inside the jar" and how to build a brand that stays timeless.

• Predicting 2026: Why long-form content, "pre-AI" aesthetics, and human mistakes are the next major viral triggers.

• The Business of Middle Row: The financial and strategic decisions behind her movie-theater-based interview show at Spotify.

• Tangible Advice for Creators: Why you need a repeatable format (not just a personality) to sustain a career in the creator economy.

Key Quotes:

"The shorter the video, the shorter the object permanence. Smart creators are leaning on long form to create lasting impressions." — Coco Mocoe

"You can be the best hairstylist in the world, but you can't cut your own hair... That's where the outside perspective comes in." — Coco Mocoe

Connect with Coco:

• TikTok: @cocomocoe

• Substack: Coco Mocoe

• Show: Middle Row 

Say Hello! 

• Your host, Arielle Thomas on Instagram, @arielle.thomas

• Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast

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See you on the next one!