From ‘American Idol’ to American dream

During “American Idol’s” heyday in 2009, a young Casey Carlson Goode made the 435-mile trek from Eden Prairie to Kansas City and waited in line for 12 hours for her chance to audition for the reality competition show.

The 2006 Eden Prairie High School graduate was one of the lucky ones. She came back to the Twin Cities with a golden ticket that ensured her a place in the next round of competition. And while her “Idol” journey didn’t last much longer than that, it did open her eyes to a bigger world filled with a myriad of possibilities.

Today, Goode is a popular content creator who goes by the name Quigley – her grandmother’s maiden name that she adopted as a stage name post-“Idol.” She has a husband, a young son and hundreds of thousands of followers.

Across her various social media platforms, Goode shares curated snippets of her life and her unique fashion sense with her followers, taking them from a cruise on picturesque Lake Como for a second honeymoon to the streets of New York for fashion week to the Colorado Desert in California for Coachella. She also offers a mindset and self-care class designed specifically to help content creators maintain good mental health while working in the industry.

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While content creation is a full-time gig for Goode, she hasn’t given up on music. Her first single in nearly a decade is set to drop on Mother’s Day. Goode gave Eden Prairie Local News an update on her life since appearing on “American Idol” and talked about what it takes to be a successful content creator.

It has been 15 years since you competed on “American Idol” Season 8. What do you remember about your first foray into reality television?

The most important thing I remember from the show is how it really broadened my perspective and took me out of the little bubble that I grew up in. I was able to meet people from around the country from all walks of life and learned so much about viewpoints and perspectives different than my own. I also learned more about the television industry versus the music industry and how reality TV works behind the scenes. I always say I felt a little bit chewed up and spit out by the show because it was such a whirlwind while I was doing it, and then afterwards, I felt like I had no idea what to do next and no real guidance from anyone involved.

You released some music in 2015 and are releasing a brand new single called “Umami” on Mother’s Day. What role does singing play in your life today?

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For me, singing and making music is a creative outlet and not a means of making a living. My career is as a content creator and has been since 2015. It’s been great to relieve some of the pressure off of this form of art that is so intimate and dear to my heart. I love just being able to be creative without needing to depend on making money from it.

Post-“Idol,” we often saw you on television in the Twin Cities, but you had dreams of going to LA. You’re a West Coast girl now. How does life compare between where you grew up and where you call home?

I feel so settled here in Los Angeles. There are so many benefits to living here, not just the industry, but the weather and exposure to all sorts of people and, duh, of course, the incredible food. But on the other hand, I do really miss Minnesota in many ways. I miss the seasons, I miss my family, and I definitely miss having a smaller, more close-knit sense of community. As I move into thinking about school districts for my son, who is 3, I often question if moving home to Minnesota would be the best thing for him and his education. Who knows what the future will hold!

Your husband, Alex Goode, also comes from the world of reality television (“Bar Rescue”). How did you meet? Did you bond over your reality television backgrounds?

I met my husband, Alex, working at a bar in Hollywood that is at an outdoor mall named The Grove. It’s situated right next to some of Hollywood’s biggest television lots, but we actually were just co-workers for a while before it became a romance. His foray into reality TV was after we met, so I sort of helped him prep for it – but his background and education is in acting, so he knew being in front of the camera even better than me!

How did you get into content creation? How would you describe the content you put out?

After “American Idol,” I studied journalism at the University of Minnesota and learned so much about broadcast journalism from working at the CW Twin Cities and really having a firsthand look at how to edit produce and film for TV.

When Instagram started to blow up, I started posting outfit videos and photos from different photo shoots I did for fun with friends, and my audience expanded from not only the other photographer sharing my work but also the brands of the outfits I was sharing. At that time, I had to decide to pivot away from music and focus all of my energy into pursuing a career as a content creator. It was a risk, but I think it was the right move.

You have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. How did you build your audience?

For years, I collaborated with other creators and cross-promoted my content on different channels to get exposure to larger audiences, and strategically followed many of the methods for growing my audience and maintaining the right demographic, etc. I don’t really have a number in mind of how many followers I want … I just focus on creating the best possible content I can make that feels authentic, resonates with people and provides value.

What is something that the average person doesn’t understand about content creation as a job?

I think the average person doesn’t understand that a content creator isn’t just in front of the camera. They are the producer, the editor and oftentimes the entire advertising agency for what is ultimately an entertainment platform that they’ve built on their own. It’s pretty exciting and cool.

From the looks of your social media posts, you live a fun and glamorous life – are there moments that you have to pinch yourself over?

Yes, there are tons of moments where I have to pinch myself. I love the opportunities that arise from living in Hollywood and getting to be at the heart of so much that’s happening in the entertainment industry. However, there is a lot of pressure to always be on … always be looking a certain way, and it can get really draining, so I have to make sure to give back to my soul and take care of myself so that I’m not focusing too much on external stuff. You can lose yourself very fast.

What about your life now would surprise teenage Casey Carlson?

I think my relationship with money would surprise me. I would never in a million years have dreamt that I could have the potential to be my own boss and make this kind of living being an artist. It feels like such a dream.

You have a son now. Has being a mom changed the content you create for your followers or the way you create it?

I feel like since I became a mom, I have been constantly reevaluating and re-addressing how I want to be a creator, what I want my message to be, and how I want to convey it. It’s a constant journey of ups and downs, and I never really have felt like I have it figured out. That’s the beauty of being vulnerable is that I’m able to share that process with my audience and I think other people can relate to the highs and lows of motherhood and navigating your postpartum identity!

What advice would you give to aspiring content creators?

Give yourself one year to commit to trying! Pick a niche, stick with it … learn the best editing skills you possibly can. Network and collaborate with as many other creators as you can. Say yes to as many things as you can until you have to start saying no, and then when you have to say no, say it with confidence in your brand and yourself! Know your worth and never stop learning.

What’s next?

I finally returned to music, and I’m putting out my first single on Mother’s Day. It’s called “Umami.”

I hope to continue educating and helping mentor other creators on how to maintain good mental health practices while being in the public eye and social media industries. I also hope to inspire other young female musicians to become producers, and eventually, (I) would love to be involved in owning/running a school for female producers!