Layla Palmer ’25

when layla palmer ’25 was 15, she started podcasting from her bedroom just for fun. What originally started as an amateur interest took shape at Emerson and has since blossomed into a successful career. And she’s getting noticed. Last fall, Palmer, who started the podcast Heart to Hustle, was named to the BostInno 25 Under 25 list of young innovators by the Boston Business Journal. A Business of Creative Enterprises major at Emerson, Palmer graduated in May 2025 and turned her internship as a podcast producer and audio editor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts into a full-time position as a multimedia communications coordinator.

She recently spoke to Expression about Emerson, storytelling, and more.

A: I work at the Operational Services Division at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and I produce podcasts that tell the story of all the behind-the-scenes work that public purchasing and procurement contributes to in the Commonwealth.

A: Well, it’s definitely a passion of mine. One of the things that I let carry through my experience at Emerson was really…telling the stories of others. And so at this job at the Commonwealth, it’s really telling the story about public service. And, as a young person, as Gen Z, I think it’s extremely valuable to be so ingrained and have so much knowledge about the great work of state government. I learn something new every day, about the behind-the-scenes work that goes on in public service. And I just feel extremely lucky to be able to have insight into that, but to also share that in a more palatable way for the general public.

A: I really chose Emerson because of the Business of Creative Enterprises program. When I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to do something related to the arts, but I also wanted some business knowledge to back it up.

A: When I was a junior at Emerson, I took an Introduction to Podcasting class with [Communication Studies Executive-in-Residence] Mark Brodie, MA ’00. And to this day, he still is very much a mentor to me. Taking that class with him…really boosted my confidence in not only my skill level, but the possibilities of what I could achieve. It was definitely a turning point in my Emerson career and my professional career.

A: When I started at Emerson, I thought I knew what my voice was as a podcaster, what my point of view was as a storyteller. And what I quickly learned…is that [I didn’t]. At 18 years old, I didn’t actually know what I wanted to say. And the thing that Emerson really taught me is: figure out what you want to say. And that [was made possible] through all of the liberal arts courses that I took…to really become a more well-rounded person, which made me a more well-rounded storyteller.