Miryam, a 67-year-old entrepreneur from Colombia, has transformed her passion for gossip into a thriving business.
In a recent interview shared by content creator Lady Daniella, Miryam explained how she successfully monetized her love of gossip, turning neighbourhood whispers into a lucrative venture that she says has enabled her to buy two houses.
The cornerstone of Miryam’s success lies in her strategic position outside her home, where she becomes a magnet for local gossip. “I love gossip,” she says, proudly identifying herself as a professional chismosa — the Spanish word for a female gossip.
She charges between 5,000 and 10,000 Colombian pesos for less sensational information. “A respected chismosa in the neighbourhood knows everything,” she says in Spanish.
Her methods of gathering gossip are as meticulous as they are entertaining. Carrying a notebook wherever she goes, Miryam diligently records conversations she overhears. She says this not only helps her tell stories accurately but also provides evidence to support her claims.
“I can be here talking with you, but my little ears are well positioned to listen to what people are saying,” she explains.
Miryam shows of her daily earnings.
During a tour of her home, Miryam showed the interviewer a bulletin board filled with photographs and other material that she claims serve as evidence for her stories. Among them were pictures allegedly showing neighbours involved in extramarital affairs.
“She gives me money so I won’t tell him, and he gives me money so I won’t tell his wife and children,” she said, referring to the money some people allegedly pay her to keep their secrets.
Speaking about her most expensive piece of gossip, Miryam recalled charging 700,000 Colombian pesos to keep quiet about a man who was allegedly unfaithful to his wife whenever she travelled.
Despite her success, she says she faces competition from neighbours attempting to imitate her business model.
Miryam insists there is an ethical side to her work. “I never say anything without evidence,” she says, raising the question of whether she is simply acting as the neighbourhood’s unofficial reporter.
Her keen observation skills and evidence-gathering have earned her the reputation of being the “Queen of Gossip.”
Miryam keeps an eye on her neighbours.
She also showed viewers a large piggy bank filled with coins and banknotes, claiming it contains the money she earns in a typical week from selling gossip. According to Miryam, this income has allowed her to purchase two homes.
In addition to gathering information on her own, she revealed another strategy: meeting friends at her second home to play Parcheesi and other board games while exchanging the latest neighbourhood news.
Miryam believes her unusual business not only supports her lifestyle but also creates opportunities for others in her community.
“Gossip is my life; it runs through my blood,” she says.
Confident that gossip will always exist, she adds, “Wherever you go, there’s gossip, so it will never end.”
She concludes with a humorous remark: “In every respectable neighbourhood, there’s a gossip, and if you don’t know a gossip, then you are the gossip.”
The video documenting Miryam’s unconventional entrepreneurial journey has attracted significant attention on TikTok.
“Gossip brings in money,” Miryam says, proving that where there is a story, there can also be a business.
