Tana Mongeau talks new Podcast, Cancelled, Love & More!
It’s almost entirely too impossible to not associate Tana Mongeau with success, the girl that many probably didn’t think would succeed has surpassed expectations and has created her own space by simply being herself. The Unapologetic Queen of YouTube (she has 5+ million subscribers) is mastering the art of being a self-made boss with her YouTube, Podcast and Tana’s Angels Agency, a sub-division of Tara Electra’s Unruly Agency.
Tana’s resurgence into an industry that has tried to demonetize her is proof that you can do anything you set your mind to. We chatted with Tana about her Career, Tana Con, and her friendships (Yes, her bestie/Former Galore cover star Trisha!). Read our full Interview with Tana below.
Featured Interview:
Who is Tana Mongeau in 5 words?
Loud. Strong. Persistent. Hedonistic. Real.
Who I am comes from the way I was brought up in Vegas- it’s a cutthroat city that only survives on honesty, craziness, and hard work. Those traits are embedded into who I am no matter where I go.
You are known for scandalous moments. Tell us about Tana Con, and could we expect that to return? What other moments are up your sleeve?
I feel like everyone thinks my “scandalous moments” were strategically planned. In reality, I’ve been living my life, LIVE, on the internet since I was 14. I’m 25 now. When you come from an upbringing that’s turbulent and aren’t taught much, and begin to broadcast your entire life online, the internet is bound to catch you making mistakes. That’s why I’ve done everything in my power to speak on rewriting “canceled culture” and “scandals”. Tanacon was a product of feeling wronged by a major corporation, spite, and not having the best team around me to tell me like it is. I’ll never plan a scandal or have something up my sleeve- I’m just living in real time, (sometimes maybe impulsively), which does create for an impromptu scandal or two, now and again. I got a lot of offers for Tanacon 2, but I’d only do it if I felt like it was authentic, and I was ready.
Being such a boss bitch, you are returning the love with Tana Angels and helping other models to manage their careers. Tell us more!
I started Tana’s Angels in 2020- I had spent years of my life working with horrible people in this industry. I had signed with Unruly Agency in 2019- it was founded by my two best friends, Tara and Tash Electra. They’re two boss bitch sisters, and I’d known them for 5 years prior to them starting the agency. They are two of the most driven, honest, successful women I know. After signing with them and enjoying the refreshing nature of being managed and helped by two incredible women, I was obsessed with the way their agency was run. I’ve always had a passion for managing and helping young creators, in order to save them from so much of the turmoil I’d been through. I can see that becoming a huge part of my future, and a big piece of my pie, one day when I have the time. I love to know that I’m helping people avoid so many of the hurdles I’ve seen, and knowing they’re getting the best possible help for their career- when I believe in them. I’ve always had so many creators reach out to me for management help and advice- but I never felt comfortable dipping my toes into that water until I saw my relationship with Unruly and Tara blossom. I called her one day, and said, let’s start an agency under Unruly, and call it Tana’s Angels Agency (TAA). We ended up signing so many of my close friends who needed help with management, creative direction, and brand deals. It’s grossed millions of dollars and we’ve made so many deserving people so much money. I love to see it.
How is your creativity disrupting the culture of influence?
I never like to look at it like that- I post what I’m doing, feeling, and thinking. The people’s perception of that is out of my control, and I’m okay with that. I know that I can be impulsive or have hot takes; however, if I consume myself with the public perception of me, I think it ruins the concept of authenticity. I want to post what I want to post without allowing the thoughts of what people may think to come flowing in. I guess, I hope, that my “influence” to the culture is to simply be yourself, without apology. I think if you care about disrupting the influence, you lose your creativity. Be yourself.
You are unapologetically you, what’s your zodiac sign?
I’m a cancer. A triple cancer. The sun, moon, and rising are all the same. I think that’s why I love being in the water so much, it’s the only time I find true peace. It definitely makes me VERY emotional, impulsive, and honest. I only really show interest in zodiac signs when I’m trying to hook up with a girl who loves that shit.
Tell us about Cancelled, your podcast.
I always knew I wanted a podcast. I blew up on YouTube doing long-form content- I would tell stories for hours and upload a 30-minute video, in a day and age where all successful videos were 9 minutes maximum. In 2018, I had the HIGHEST watch time of any YouTuber on the platform. Somehow people wanted to watch me talk for 30 minutes in a world where no one has an attention span of more than 5. I felt blessed and confused as to why. However, when I realized that podcasting was becoming the new wave- I knew that would be the next route I jumped to. I named it Cancelled for a reason- I knew if I sat down for an hour each week and talked about my life, I would be “canceled” on the internet for the things I say. I wanted to beat the public to the jump and let them know that I didn’t care about the response toward what I have to say. I enlisted Brooke (and Hunter at the time), because they were the best at quick, witty, intelligent, introspective conversation. I assessed everyone in my life and knew that both of them would be the perfect fit. Over time, Brooke and I took it over, and we knew based on the response, that we were doing the right thing. It made my soul happy to see Brooke quit her restaurant job, and take Cancelled as seriously as I did. Since then, we’ve toured the world, do live shows, and we’re just getting started. I’m so FLOORED by the response to the podcast. I can’t go anywhere without meeting a girl who tells us it changed her life. Our audience is 80% women. I’m so happy to meet the girls who left an abusive boyfriend and come up to us accrediting that to the empowerment Cancelled brings. We’ve always wanted the podcast to feel like sitting on a bed with your girls and debriefing after a night out. I love our fans and am so excited for the future.
You are also friends with our favorite internet icon, Trisha. Who are your besties and what is the ultimate girls night?
Being at Trisha’s is my ULTIMATE girl’s night- we play dress up, talk shit and giggle, play with Malibu Barbie, and Moses brings us snacks. I’m so happy I found her. I feel like she deserves true girl friendship. Not only will I ride for her forever, but I’m so grateful for the fun we have together. I’ve had the SAME group of girlfriends for almost ten years. As crazy as I am, I take girl code very seriously. I’m grateful to have had the same people around me, who I know love me for who I am and not what I provide, for as long as I can remember. However, seeing Trisha join us, and be so truly happy, brings me immense joy. I’m excited for the future of my and Trisha’s friendship.
What advice would you give your 15-year-old self?
Nothing. Everything happens for a reason- and if I know one thing, I know that girl did EVERYTHING she could with the tools provided. If anything, I’d go back and give her a hug or some grace. She carried us to where we were and did it all on her own. I look back now as an adult with nothing but awe for the things I did, sacrificed, and went through, as a CHILD. That’s why I will always have respect for these young stars, who getting robbed of their childhood and trying to make it out of where they are like an adult. I’m proud of us.
What advice would you give a model wanting to get into only business?
I think it’s very important to weigh the pros and cons. People look at working in that business as a simple check- however, you have to be well aware of:
A. The par-asocial relationship you are creating with a consumer who doesn’t necessarily know you as a person. That can breed stalkers and people with horrible intentions.
B. There is a lot of failure you will face and pressure to do and be more for money. It can create a very dark relationship with who you are as a person and a dollar sign.
C. Weighing out the desire to be authentically yourself but knowing you can stray away from that for money. Ensure that you’re only doing what you feel right to do.
D. People who will try to use or “manage” you, at the expense of your well-being for a gain for themselves. When people find out you do that shit, they start to look at you as an object in so many ways. You have to be careful of the sharks in that industry.
E. Have fun and be yourself. It’s cliche, but it’s true.
Sex Happens. What is your craziest sexual experience?
Don’t get me wrong- I’ve had some crazy sexual experiences and choose to share some of them each week on the Cancelled Podcast. However, I’m trying to slowly become more elusive and keep certain intimate moments for myself as I get older. The other day I was just in a conversation about how mind-blowing it is that I was offered $10 million dollars for a sex tape in 2019. Twice. A part of me regrets turning them both down, but am also happy I can keep certain things for myself without exploiting them. Who knows.
What has been your most viral moment in your opinion?
I truly feel like my most viral moment was getting “married” to Jake Paul. Maybe it haunts me more because it gets brought up to me almost every single day. It taught me a lot about “virality”, and how it’s important to draw a line between your life online and your real one. If I went back in time I don’t know if I’d do something like that so publicly. It fucked me up in so many ways. I think it’s good to have viral moments but place more strategy and privacy behind them.
What is one meme of yourself you wish would go away?
Team Bryce on God. Sitting up after dental surgery with a swollen face in the most viral GIF of 2018. Tanacon. He fucked me with a toothbrush (even though you’d find out he didn’t if you watched the whole video). Where do I even begin? Getting memes comes with being so public with your life. I’ve always learned to flip it and be in on the joke. I sold “Team Bryce on God” merch immediately as it happened and kept the LIGHTS ON for months. I guess that’s what comes with my life, and I just laugh at meme culture now. I know it keeps my career alive, and it all goes away (for the most part) over time.
Who are your SHEROES?
Pamela Anderson. Whitney Cummings. Paris Hilton. I’m so grateful to have been able to meet or be mentored by them all. I appreciate women who can flip the sexualization or “bimbo” public narrative into billion-dollar businesses, amazing comedy, or simply still possess pure joy. They all inspire me beyond belief and continue pushing after everything they’ve been through.
What has Paris Hilton taught you?
She was the first person to sit me down and teach me how to monetize all negativity against me. She is hands down the kindest person in every room she walks into. No matter how tired she is, burnt out, living the same day she’s lived for a long ASS TIME, she’s gonna walk into that room with a smile on her face and nothing but kindness to display. She’s well aware of the fact that everyone she impacts for even a moment will remember that forever. So she gives herself to that craft. On top of that, she is always working ten times harder than everyone else. She knows she has a spot that someone else is hungrier for. She reinvents herself and brand every second, while still remaining entirely true to who she is deep down. She doesn’t have to be that kind; she doesn’t have to learn about the Crypto space as a billionaire- she wants to. She is the queen of flipping the narrative that she’s just a dumb blonde on its head. I’m so grateful for every life talk we’ve had, every long night I’ve had with her, everything. It blows my mind that she never took the time to mentor me and love me. She didn’t have to, and that spoke volumes.
What is your beauty philosophy?
Do whatever you have to do to feel beautiful- life is short. Whether that’s Botox, laying in the sun, a little bit of Facetune (or lack thereof). I think honesty needs to supersede your own philosophy of beauty. So long as you aren’t lying about how you’ve attained it- and adding to the negative beauty standard the internet creates, more power to you. As long as you share how you’ve gotten to your level of self-confidence and feeling beautiful- I support it. We live in a generation where the most beautiful people LIE about how they got to the way they look, and I’ve definitely developed a disdain towards that energy. I got a nose job, lip filler, and some ass injections. But I’ll be the first person to tell ANYONE that I wanted to feel like myself in a generation that was going to tell me I needed that anyway (when I wanted that). I think beauty is based on honesty- and I hope to see more of that as I continue to live in this generation.
What makes blondes have more fun?
Nothing. I think having the hair you want makes you feel the most beautiful. Whenever I’m brunette, I don’t feel like myself. I love the blonde energy. It attracts attention, it makes people assume you’re dumb and you get the joy and satisfaction of proving them wrong. It fits who I am, it fits my character and bubbly energy. Women often use hair as a shield- from the way men will treat us, from the way the public will treat us. I feel as though blonde has worked for me, and maybe that comes from my birth mom. I support women using their hair as a social shield and loving it. That’s what being a girl is sometimes.
What song was your 2023 anthem? How are you bringing in 2024?
Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo. I was so happy to hear someone write and sing what I’d felt about having someone suck the soul out of you for their own gain. I ran on the treadmill to that song during a breakup every day. Anger motivates me, and that’s exactly what that song evokes. Anger at the people who’ve used you. On the flip side- I loved Noah Kahan’s entire album, Stick Season. It motivated me to move on from LA, into a different life where I can love the rest of the world. As Brooke and I were on tour for Cancelled, it was all I listened to. It reminded me of the love and real feelings the rest of the world brings. I will definitely carry that into 2024, and I’m so happy to see him nominated for a Grammy.
Who are you dating atm? Could you and Jeff be the next Brad and Angelina?
Haha wow. I’ve really been enjoying keeping certain things off the grid in order to protect them and curating the moments I do choose to share whether that’s on the podcast or socials. I’m very happy. I learned so much about dating toxic people as a form of self-harm, and I really do feel I’m in a good place where I only have the desire to date people who are good for my mental health. I want to be with someone who makes me want to grow. I’ve found something good, but I’m enjoying keeping new moments for myself. I know the entire internet wants Jeff and me to be together, which is a wild thing. I’ve spoken a lot about how damaging it can be to your mindset to be wildly “shipped” with someone. He’s my best friend. I truly am so grateful I found someone who sees me for who I am and uplifts me. While I don’t necessarily know what the future holds, I’m happy to have a lifelong friend to navigate this dark industry with.
What is one misconception people have of you?
I think people forget that any online persona is not just the side of them they choose to show to the world. People think I am made up of only the crazy and wild clips they see. I genuinely feel like anyone I have gotten close to over the last 8 or 9 years has told me “Wow, you’re nothing like I expected you to be.” (Not to sound like a pick me). When I ask them why, the usual explanation contains their shock that I possess depth, business intelligence, and want to be calm and chill a lot of the time. I wish more people knew those sides of me, but also am comfortable in knowing the fact that isn’t what people want to see and doesn’t pay the bills nearly as heavily.
Everyone wants to know the most amount of money you’ve made on OF! Talk to us about your trophy.
I fell in love with doing OF because I’d been sexualized on the internet for free since I was a CHILD. And I’ve always been a free spirit. I love to take my clothes off, joint in hand, and run around. I swear my best friends are so desensitized to seeing me naked for that exact reason. When I found out that I could make millions off of that, and take my power back, I was ELATED. I’ve made tens and tens of millions- I’m not sure how or why. But so long as there is demand, there will be supply. I have so much fun doing it. Receiving a trophy from Unruly for earning my first 10 million was something I’ll never forget. I think back to 14-year-old Tana who would count pennies in order to get a Del Taco bean and cheese burrito in order to eat that day. I would find a quarter on the floor and feel like Jeff Bezos. I grew up in a household where so many of the horrible fights were based on money. I thought getting it would fix everything. I soon learned that it would provide comfort, but not true happiness. Receiving the trophy to me was far more of a symbol of being free and finding fun work in my passion, than wealth. I’m beyond grateful for this life.
What are your holiday plans?
My best friend Imari’s family adopted me when I was around 12-13 years old. Before that, I’d eat McDonald’s chicken nuggets on a Christmas filled with fights. I’m so grateful for them and the way that they bring the childlike joy back to the holidays. I’ve been going to their house (which is now mine) for every holiday as long as I can remember. They make us write lists to Santa and tell us that if we stop believing we stop receiving. Even on Easter, Dad rings the doorbell and everyone has to pretend it’s the Easter bunny and we get our baskets. I remember the first time they hung a stocking with my name on it. I went to the other room and cried. Now it’s just normal. We go home, we eat the best food, and all just laugh and love each other. I have such a level of deep-rooted empathy for those who experience hard holidays because I know exactly what that’s like. I am beyond grateful for them, and to feel like I’m truly at home when I go home for the holidays.
Santa is the biggest daddy, what are you expecting from Santa?
Pete Davidson. Kidding. I truly feel like I have everything I want and need- and have learned so many lessons about materialism this year. I want a home-cooked meal and to laugh. Peace, joy, and health. My friends and family have always been the best at getting me thoughtful gifts I didn’t even know I wanted or needed. I cry every Christmas at the things they think of getting me. I’m just excited to be around all of them.
What is the 5-year plan for Tana enterprise?
I never even knew the 3-month plan for Tana enterprise. So many of my biggest successes have come from spontaneity. I take everything day by day. Kim Kardashian once talked about how she simply focuses on what she’s doing at that exact moment to keep her sane. I love that sentiment. Even if I meticulously planned every day for the next five years, it wouldn’t happen that way. What I thought I wanted 5 years ago, I don’t want at all now. I hope to continue to build my existing businesses and do what’s best for my happiness. Hopefully, I’m married, in love, and maybe have a kid or two running around. I’m not worried. Just excited for today.
What is next on this boss babe journey?
TOUR! The Cancelled Podcast found so much success in 2023 doing live shows. I hadn’t toured since before the pandemic and was scared but intrigued to see if people still wanted to meet me or see me live. Brooke and I got on the road and took on a fully sold-out US tour. We weren’t sure if we’d be able to sell out one theater- and it was the craziest thing when we found out we were selling so many tickets that we were able to do THREE shows back to back at certain venues because of the demand. We are beyond grateful that people want to come out and see us, and are planning the most incredible live shows for the beginning of 2023. CANCELLED IS BACK ON THE ROAD!
Team Credits:
Editor-in-chief Prince Chenoa @princechenoastudio
Photography: Bonnie Nichoalds @bonnienichoalds
Wardrobe Stylist: Justine Logue @justinelogue
Make-up Artist: Alexis Oakley @alexisoakley
Galore Features Editor Perrin Johnson @Editsbyperry
