Miryam, a 67-year-old entrepreneur from Colombia, has built a successful and unconventional business model by monetizing her passion for local gossip. In a recent interview featured by content creator Lady Daniella, Miryam detailed how she transformed neighborhood whispers into a steady stream of income, asserting that the revenue has been sufficient to purchase two homes.
The foundation of Miryam’s operation is her strategic presence outside her residence, where she acts as a central hub for community information. Proudly identifying as a professional “chismosa”—the Spanish term for a female gossip—she notes that her success is driven by her ability to remain well-positioned to overhear local happenings. “I love gossip,” she states, adding that “a respected chismosa in the neighbourhood knows everything.”
Her pricing structure is tiered based on the nature of the information provided, with fees ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 Colombian pesos for standard updates. For more sensitive matters, the costs can be significantly higher; she recalled one instance where she charged 700,000 Colombian pesos to maintain silence regarding a man’s infidelity during his wife’s travels. She also noted that some individuals pay her specifically to keep their private secrets from being disclosed to others.
To ensure accuracy and maintain her reputation, Miryam keeps a notebook to record overheard conversations, which she claims provides the necessary evidence to support her stories. During a home tour, she displayed a bulletin board adorned with photographs and documents that she uses as proof, including images allegedly depicting neighbors involved in extramarital affairs. She insists that she never shares information without such evidence, framing her work as a form of unofficial neighborhood reporting.
Despite her success, Miryam faces competition from others attempting to replicate her methods. She remains unfazed, often gathering additional intelligence while playing board games like Parcheesi with friends at her second home. She maintains that her work is a vital part of her life, stating, “Gossip is my life; it runs through my blood.”
In a demonstration of her earnings, Miryam showed viewers a large piggy bank filled with cash and coins, which she claims represents her weekly income from the trade. She remains confident in the longevity of her business, noting that gossip is a universal constant. “Wherever you go, there’s gossip, so it will never end,” she remarked.
The viral nature of her story on TikTok has brought significant attention to her unconventional career path. Miryam views her role with a touch of humor, concluding that “in every respectable neighbourhood, there’s a gossip, and if you don’t know a gossip, then you are the gossip.” Ultimately, she believes that her business not only sustains her lifestyle but also provides a unique service to her community, proving that “gossip brings in money” wherever a story exists.
“I can be here talking with you, but my little ears are well positioned to listen to what people are saying,” she explains.
Among them were pictures allegedly showing neighbours involved in extramarital affairs.
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.
“I never say anything without evidence,” she says, raising the question of whether she is simply acting as the neighbourhood’s unofficial reporter.