Key Moments

0:00 - When Politico Was On Fire 🔥 
Politico was hemorrhaging money, losing talent, and Axios was circling. Patrick walks in with zero media experience.

1:41 - Who Was Young Patrick? 👦 
Growing up on the Upper West Side between two very different worlds — a civil rights lawyer dad and an actress mum with a secret.

5:33 - How Politics Got Under His Skin 🏛️ 
A weekend volunteering in New Hampshire turned into sleeping on a cot and never going back. The Clinton campaign changed everything.

8:07 - Why No Task Was Ever Too Small 💼 
How mastering the fax machine at a think tank opened the door to the White House — and why nothing has ever been beneath him.

13:07 - Making Big Mistakes in Public 😬 
Getting your head ripped off by the Deputy Chief of Staff at 26. What it taught him about accountability and never repeating the same error.

15:11 - The Power of Radical Optimism ☀️ 
Why Patrick wakes up every day choosing positivity — and why as a leader, he believes you simply don't have a choice.

16:12 - The Most Unexpected Pivot Yet 💰 
Gore loses. Wife out of work. Six-month-old baby. Patrick makes his boldest career leap yet — straight to Wall Street.

19:53 - Even Extroverts Feel Like Outsiders 🚪 
Even extroverts feel like they don't belong. Patrick on navigating imposter syndrome across every new chapter of his career.

22:37 - The Relationship Playbook That Changes Everything 🤝 
The Harvard study that says relationships are the only thing that matters — and practical tips for people who don't find this stuff natural.

28:03 - From $13 Million Loss to Billion Dollar Sale 📰 
Right people, right seats, clear mission. How Patrick went from losing $13 million to a billion-dollar sale to Axel Springer.

31:46 - Life After the Billion Dollar Exit ⏸️ 
Teaching 19-year-olds at NYU Stern, advising media startups, and learning to exist without the CEO title.

37:39 - Rapid Fire With Patrick Steel ⚡
Travel before 35, the myth of prestige careers, AI's real economic threat, and the walk-on song he still hasn't figured out.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

00:00:00 - She Thought She Was Dying — In the Middle of a Staff Meeting 😰
Shelly opens with a startling admission — she was sitting in boardrooms counting down the clock so she could drive herself to the emergency room.

00:04:03 - She Dropped Out of College at 19 — And It Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Her 🎓
Leaving engineering, starting a candle business with her best friends, and how it all falling apart gave her the clarity to go all in when she went back.

00:07:38 - The Partnership Lesson Every Founder Needs to Hear 🤝
Just because someone is your best friend doesn't mean they'll be your best business partner. 

00:11:36 - How Walmart Became the Place She Never Wanted to Leave 🏪
Shelly knew within four weeks of her internship that this was where she wanted to build her career.

00:14:00 - The Mardi Gras Disaster That Actually Got Her Promoted 🎭
She bought 400 times the inventory the country needed. Instead of deflecting, she owned it completely — and got promoted nine months later.

00:17:25 - The Panic Attacks Nobody Knew About 😶
Shelly describes the year she spent hiding panic disorder as her career was rising.

00:23:05 - Why She Left Walmart for a Struggling Mattress Company 🛏️
The counterintuitive career move that took her from a cash-rich public company to a private-equity-owned business in distress — and why she ran toward it.

00:29:43 - The Moment She Had to Choose: Leave or Stay Through Bankruptcy 💼
Knowing the company might file for Chapter 11, Shelly faced a decision most executives quietly run from. 

00:30:39 - Fired. Three Weeks After Leading the Company Out of Bankruptcy. 🔥
The gut punch moment. After doing everything right, she got fired in a 10-minute phone call.

00:34:42 - The Sabbatical That Changed Everything 🌿
How Shelley surrendered to a full year off that transformed everything.

00:38:40 - Building a Community for the Leaders Nobody Checks On 🫂
Shelly and Maryam on the grief and isolation that follows leaving a C-suite role — and the peer community they're building for executives asking, who am I now?

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

"If You Won't Help Me, I'll Do It Myself" 🎨
Kim's entire philosophy in one unfiltered opening minute.

The Suburban Kid Who Became an Artist 🌱
How a normal New Jersey childhood with an extraordinary mother quietly planted every seed that followed.

Dropping Everything and Traveling the World Alone ✈️  
Before Paper, before New York — Kim had a rail pass, a pickup truck, and a belief in herself

"Money Was Never My Motivator — Find Your Gift Instead" 
The exchange every 25-year-old chasing the wrong thing needs to hear.

The Art World Shut the Door on Her — So She Kicked It Down 🚪 
Kim arrived with credentials, supporters, and a vision — and still got shut out because she wasn't one of the boys.

How Paper Magazine Started With $1,000 and a Poster 🗞️
The scrappy, accidental origin story of one of the most iconic independent magazines ever made.

Why the People You Surround Yourself With Are Everything 🤝 
No assholes, no transactional relationships — Kim on the art of collecting the right people.

Living Through the AIDS Crisis — and What Community Really Means 🎗️
A moving reflection on loss, showing up, and what humans owe each other in impossible times.

"AI Is a Slow-Motion Car Crash" — And She Saw It Coming 🤖 
 Kim has always read the room early — and she's not optimistic about this one.

The Week She Sold Paper and Lost Her Mother 📦 
Two enormous endings in the same week — and what it really feels like to let go of something you built.

She Wants to Teach — But Nobody Will Let Her In 🎓
Every school has rejected Kim — because they still can't figure out what shelf to put her on.

The One Thing She'd Tell Anyone Under 35 🌟
Practical, specific, and a little surprising — Kim’s best rapid-fire answer of the episode.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

00:00 — The Shame of Career Setbacks 💬
Maryam Banikarim opens the episode with an honest reflection on the shame people feel during career setbacks—and why talking openly about those moments matters.

01:20 — Growing Up During the Iranian Revolution 🌍
Maryam shares what it was like experiencing the Iranian Revolution as a child—and why, at the time, it felt more exhilarating than traumatic.

06:00 — The Day Everything Changed: Losing Her Father  💔
Maryam recounts the shocking moment her father drowned during a family vacation—and how suddenly she had to become “the functioning one.”

07:30 — “I Still Hadn’t Cried”  😔
Returning to college after her father’s death, Maryam reveals how she avoided processing grief—and the surreal conversations that followed.

11:00 — How Barnard Helped Save Her  🎓
Maryam explains why Barnard became a life-changing support system during one of the hardest periods of her life.

17:30 — “I’ve Had Like 800 Jobs”  🚀
Maryam reflects on her unconventional career path—switching roles constantly while most people stayed in one job.

23:40 — “My Drug Is Busy”  ⚡
Maryam admits she thrives on constant motion—even working until the day she gave birth.

25:40 — Why Stillness Terrifies Her  🧠
After years of nonstop work, Maryam explains why slowing down forced her to confront emotions she had avoided for decades.

33:00 — “The Busiest Unemployed Person I Know”  😅
During a career pause, Maryam’s son delivers a brutally honest observation about her inability to stop moving.

35:40 — “Am I a Loser Now?”  😬
Maryam opens up about the identity crisis many people face after leaving a major job—and the fear that their career might be over.

43:30 — From Failure to Opportunity: The “We Love New York” Backlash  🔥
When a public campaign she worked on was widely mocked, Maryam turned the criticism into one of the campaign’s biggest strengths.

46:40 — The Moment That Sparked The Longest Table  🍽️
A simple idea during t

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

“If You Don’t Trust Yourself, You’ll Never Do Anything Interesting” 💥
Katrina delivers the core thesis of the episode about intuition, fear-based decisions, and staying stuck in “safe” lives.

Discovering Chemistry Through Curiosity 🧪
Katrina shares how early experimentation and fascination with transformation shaped her creative path.

Running a Cake Business in High School 🎂
A surprising early entrepreneurship moment that foreshadows Katrina’s future career.

Where Your Heart Leads 🍫
Katrina explains how the advice from a mentor helped her trust her intuition.

Taking a Culinary Leap 🧑‍🍳
How the decision to enroll in culinary school in France — and not follow a traditional career path — shaped the next phase of Katrina’s journey

Trusting Yourself Enough to Take Risks 🚀
Katrina and Maryam unpack what self-trust actually looks like in real life decision-making.

A Ticket Around the World ✈️
Katrina takes another big leap and travels the world in search of her next inspiration.

“The Deal Fell Apart” 💔
Katrina describes the business collapse that triggered massive emotional and financial stress.

“Everything Completely Fell Apart” 🔥
She opens up about the full impact of loss, instability, and identity disruption.

When You Trust Yourself in One Way — But Not Another 🪞
A nuanced moment about partial confidence and hidden self-doubt.

Rebuilding After Identity Loss 🌱
Katrina reflects on who she became after letting go of old titles and structures.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

She Thought She Was Getting Promoted, Then Got Fired 💔
Melissa walks into HR expecting good news — and leaves without a job. What she does in the next 48 hours changes everything.

48 Hours After Getting Fired, She Starts a Business 🚀
Still crying, still in shock — her brother says, “Let’s start a business.” No plan. No funding. Just cupcakes. Here’s how fast it moved.

Delivering Cupcakes on the Subway (Feeling Like a Fraud) 📦
She’s gluing logos onto pastry boxes in her apartment, while pretending she’s a real company. Inside, she’s thinking: Who do I think I am?

The Imposter Syndrome Nobody Saw 😳
The brand was growing. Orders were coming in. But privately, Melissa felt completely undeserving of her own success.

Her Brother Was CEO for 8 Years — Not Her 👀
The company had her name on it, but she wasn’t in charge. Why didn’t she think she was worthy of leading it?

The Founder Meltdown (Phone Thrown Against the Wall) 📱
Family tension. Leadership clashes. Emotional overload. This is the messy side of building something with people you love.

“Melissa Will Be CEO.” (She Didn’t Feel Ready.) 😰
With a baby at home and zero warning, the board names her CEO. She’s up all night questioning everything.

“Why Didn’t I Think I Deserved This?” 🎤
Melissa confronts the hardest truth: she was giving everyone else credit for her own success.

COVID Nearly Crushed the Business. Then She Pivoted 🔥
Sales drop. The world shuts down. She pounds the table and changes the messaging overnight — leading to 98% e-commerce growth.

The Subway Epiphany That Changed Her Leadership 🧠
One realization: you can’t control anything except yourself. That mindset shift becomes her superpower.

The Accidental Salad That Got 30 Million Views 🥗
A random post. Zero strategy. Massive response. The moment she decides to take the opportunity instead of ignoring it.

“It’s So Heavy.” The Truth About Being CEO ❤️
Behind the cupcakes and viral videos is pressure, burnout, and weight. Melissa admits what leadership really feels like.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

00:00 – The Myth of Growth Through Failure 💥
Sojin reacts to the idea that “growth comes from failure” — and why that’s easy to say but brutal to live through.

02:12 – Raised to Be Responsible, Not Seen 🌏
Growing up Korean, the eldest of four, constantly translating and adapting — and how that shaped her identity.

05:18 – The ‘Joy Luck Club’ Leadership Complex 🍽️
Why giving away the biggest piece can turn into over-functioning at work — and quiet resentment.

08:05 – Control, Data & the Need for Certainty 📊
Why Sojin gravitated toward analytics in fashion — and how control became her survival strategy.

13:42 – The Love Story That Changed Her Career ❤️
Choosing Net-a-Porter wasn’t just ambition — it was a move driven by love and personal priorities.

19:55 – From 5th Row to Front Row at Fashion Week 👠
The scrappy early days of Net-a-Porter and the moment the industry finally took them seriously.

30:38 – Ahead of Its Time… Then It Collapsed 📉
Launching Fashion Air (early live shopping + UGC) — and watching it fall apart during the recession.

34:05 – The Shame of Public Failure 😶‍🌫️
Why she couldn’t read the press coverage about her startup’s collapse — and the saving-face instinct.

36:45 – When Success Becomes Addictive 💰
How financial wins and big exits unlock a hunger for more — and why that can be unhealthy.

38:52 – COVID, Market Crashes & Losing It Overnight 🌪️
Winning the LVMH Innovation Award — then losing major clients and investor backing during global chaos.

41:08 – “200 Coffees”: The Comeback Strategy ☕
Her practical reset plan: set a mourning deadline, ask for help, and book 200 coffee meetings.

45:05 – Adapt or Fall Behind: Why AI Is Non-Negotiable 🤖
Sojin’s blunt advice for professionals and founders navigating the next wave of disruption.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

From $400 Million to $15 Billion
How Mickey Drexler scaled Gap into a global powerhouse — and why he still hates the word “turnaround.” 📈

“Adversity Is the Advantage”
Growing up in the Bronx, losing his mother young, and how hardship shaped his drive. 💔➡️🔥

Why Mickey Trusts People With Hard Stories
Why he’s drawn to people who’ve struggled — and what today’s work culture gets wrong. 🧠❤️

“Business School Is a Waste of Time”
Mickey explains why he thinks degrees, grades, and pedigrees don’t equal instinct or success. 🎓🚫

The Shy Kid Who Became a CEO
Mickey opens up about insecurity, introversion, and growing into leadership later in life. 😶➡️👔

The $500 Salary Moment That Changed Everything
The quiet injustice early in his career that taught him how systems really work. ⚖️💸

“You Feel It Before It Happens”
Mickey describes the instinctual moment he knew he was about to be fired. ⚠️🧭

Fired After 18 Years… With a Card
How Mickey Drexler was let go from Gap — no warning, no thanks, just a sentence. 🧾💥

“It Was a Gut Punch”
Processing rage, humiliation, and self-worth after a public corporate exit. 🥊😞

Is There a Right Way to Fire Someone?
Mickey explains how leaders should handle endings — and why most fail. 🪑🤝

Betting on People: Why Jenna Lyons Mattered
How choosing the right creative partner helped rebuild J.Crew — and what talent really looks like. 🎨✨

Advice for Anyone Starting Out Today
“Hire your boss. Trust your instinct. If it doesn’t feel right — walk.” 🚪➡️🌱

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

“So Happy. Not Scared at All.” 😮
Marla describes the emotional moment she finally quit her corporate job and why relief outweighed fear.

Becoming Comfortable With Discomfort 🌍
Marla connects her childhood independence and studying abroad at 17 to her lifelong willingness to take risks.

Graduating Into a “Bad Job Market” 📉
Why Marla believes focusing on opportunity matters more than economic doom narratives for young professionals.

“I’m Scared of Everything.” 😬
A candid conversation about fear, impostor syndrome, and doing hard things anyway.

Choosing Money Over Passion (At First) 💼
Marla explains walking away from journalism due to low pay and financial anxiety.

Fired, Divorced, and a Single Mom 💥
The emotional and financial rock bottom that forced Marla to keep moving forward.

The Boring Job That Funded Creativity 🔄
How working a job she didn’t love gave her space to build her dream at night.

A Hobby With a Dream 💭
How Marla quietly built her jewelry business at night while working full-time and raising a child.

“Everyone Told Me I Was Insane.” 🔥
The Cannes turning point: burnout, injury, rage, and the final decision to quit.

“This Is Not a Hobby.” 🚨
The pivotal boardroom moment when a CEO unknowingly pushed Marla to fully commit.

Instagram Unlocks the Business
How learning social media from her kids helped Marla grow a global direct-to-consumer brand.

The Loneliness of Building Something Alone 🧍‍♀️
Marla opens up about the isolation that comes with entrepreneurship and leadership.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

“Be Ready — You Don’t Know When It’s Coming” ⏳
Sally reflects on COVID and shares her core career philosophy about preparation and unexpected breakthrough moments.

Growing Up With Privilege AND Pressure 🎭
Sally explains what it was like being raised in an ambitious, high-expectation household.

“You’ll Never Have a Career” 💔
Sally shares the moment she came out to her parents — and the sentence that reshaped her entire life trajectory.

“Nothing Scared Me After That” 🔥
How that painful family moment became the foundation of her courage and leadership confidence.

Leaving Government for Corporate America 🏛️➡️🏢
Why Sally walked away from politics — and what frustrated her most about “doing good” in government.

“My Heart Was in My Throat” 😰➡️💪
Sally explains why fear is her signal for growth — and how discomfort became her career compass.

Walking Into Pfizer’s Reputation Wall 🧱
The moment Sally realized just how deep public distrust of Big Pharma really ran.

COVID Changed Everything 🌍
Inside Pfizer’s pandemic pivot — opening labs to media, sharing trial protocols, and racing against time.

Finding Her Voice on the Global Stage 🎙️
How Sally went from behind-the-scenes operator to public-facing leader during the crisis.

Hiring a “Senior Intern” After Watching a Movie 🎬
The unconventional idea inspired by The Intern that became a Fast Company cover story.

Leaving Corporate Life Was Harder Than She Expected 🚪
Sally opens up about identity loss, comfort traps, and preparing for her off-ramp.

“I Was Too Transactional” — Career Feedback That Stung 🪞
The tough 360 review that changed how Sally approached relationships at work.

Advice to 35-Year-Old You: “Worry Less” 🌱
Sally’s direct message to stressed professionals navigating pressure and self-doubt.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Whether you are new to the podcast or a day-one listener, this compilation features the wisdom you need right now. We revisit these conversations and more:

• Negin Farsad on finding the humor in social justice and the "messy" side of comedy.
• Fede Garcia on navigating communication and the power of perspective.
• Vanessa Barboni Hallik on the complexities of sustainable fashion and ethical leadership.
• Cindi Leive on redefining power structures and her journey through the media landscape.
• Ana Gasteyer on how you make your aspirations your identity

Tune in for a dose of inspiration, laughter, and real talk.

Links: Check out Hark Audio: https://harkaudio.com/ 

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Katie Sturino – Entrepreneur, Author, Founder of Megababe

Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiesturino/?hl=en

Follow Katie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katiesturino

Topics Covered:

• Why revenge is her greatest motivator: "Success is the ultimate revenge"
• Moving to NYC and relentlessly pursuing her dream job at Chanel
• Making her dog Toast Instagram-famous and recognizing unexpected opportunities
• Starting 12ish Style blog after discovering the power of body representation
• Creating Megababe: solving problems no one talks about (thigh chafe, boob sweat)
• Working with family: benefits and challenges of business partnerships
• Writing "Sunny Side Up": transforming pain into a romcom after 9 years
• Meeting Oprah and sparking a national conversation about weight stigma
• The messy reality of entrepreneurship that podcasts don't share
• Dreaming big without limits and trusting your gut

Mentioned:

• Chanel
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Megababe Products
• Toast (her famous dog): DogMeetsWorld
• 12ish Style blog
• "Sunny Side Up" (her novel)
• Today Show
• Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution
• Target
• Weight Watchers
• Ozempic
• Ina Garten’s book, Be Ready When Luck Happens
• The Longest Table

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

✍️ Stammering to Storytelling: How Writing Became His Superpower 

The childhood stutter, expanding vocabulary, and discovering writing as expression.

🌍 From India to Indiana: Culture Shock, Baywatch & Belonging 

Rafat’s honest story of early loneliness, identity, and adjusting to America as a Muslim kid.

🎙️ Why Push Through? Rafat on Life Phases & the “Two-Year Rule” 

How he decides when to persist vs. pivot — a core framework for careers and reinvention.

💼 B2B Influence > Fame: Choosing a Niche and Owning a Sector 

Why Rafat sought influence over money—and how niching down fueled his career strategy.

🧭 Contrarian Thinking & Global Lens: Seeing What Others Miss 

How being an outsider shaped his instincts, travel philosophy, and entrepreneurship.

🔁 Career Compounding: Staying Put to Accelerate Growth 

His philosophy on long careers, loyal teams, and why job-hopping kills momentum.

🌐 Influence Over Money: Why Rafat Chose Impact, Not Income

Rafat reveals the driving force behind his entire career: the pursuit of influence—not wealth

👨‍👩‍👧 Family, Legacy & Belonging: The Emotional Skift India Forum 

The powerful story of bringing his mother to his Delhi conference and finally being “seen.”

💥 When Everything Breaks: COVID, SVB Collapse & Leading Through Panic

Inside the near-death business moments—money running out, tears, resilience, and action.

 🧠 Mental Health, Compartmentalizing & the Breakdown That Changed Him 

Rafat opens up about his recent mental health crisis, adopting a baby, and learning limits.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

🎭 From Bronx Kid to Performing Arts Dreamer
How a bold teenager chased art, broke expectations, and followed her creative instincts.

🏡 The Commune Years: Learning the Hard Way About Belonging & Failure
The Vermont commune experiment — and the messy lessons it left behind.

🍳 From “Let’s Make a Deal” to Le Cordon Bleu
How depression, a mother’s push, and Paris changed everything.

👩‍🍳 Breaking Barriers in a Male-Dominated Kitchen
Being one of the first women at the CIA — and facing sexism head-on.

 🍽️ From Miserable Chef to Accidental Entrepreneur
The bizarre lunch that led to her first big break — thanks to Ed Koch.

💡 Reinvention & Risk: How Marcy Accidentally Invented Wedding Planning
The Tony Robbins insight that pushed her to quit misery and start her business.

💰 The Pricing Wake-Up Call: Why It Took 25 Years to Stop Undervaluing Herself
Marcy’s candid money talk: from flat fees to millionaire weddings — and learning her worth.

🥂 The Queen of Fun: Turning Every Party Into Living Theater
How she brings joy, surprise, and connection into every event — even for billionaires.

– 💬 Real Talk: Boundaries, Asking for Help & The Power of the Specific Ask
Why vague “pick your brain” requests don’t work — and how to ask for help with confidence.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Topic Covered 

The Years "Wasted" Doing What You Were Supposed To Do: Working as a manager in Orlando for about 8 years before his pivot.

The Economic Earthquake You Didn't See Coming "I bought a house in Orlando... I ended up losing the house. And that was the beginning of the domino effect."

When Your Body Sends An Invoice Your Career Can't Pay At 40, Kelly experiences chest pain and stress, goes to ER without health insurance, ends up in cardiac unit for a week with tests and a blockage scare requiring a stent.

The Compound Crisis That Breaks The Formula: "It was just so stressful. I lost my job. I lost my house, I'm in the hospital... Everything was against me... I didn't think things could get worse, but they continued to get worse."

When Loss Doesn't Care About Your Deadlines: "She got diagnosed with cancer and it was quick from diagnosis to her passing away... it was a huge, huge impact on me."

The Crisis That Makes You Understand Why People Just Stop

The breaking point: "There was a point where I was sitting at the edge of my pool looking in the pool thinking... I could understand how people could get to the point and be like, I just can't do it anymore."

The Terror Of Reinventing Yourself When You "Should Have Figured It Out By Now." 

Being Your Own Hype Man When You're Running On Empty: "Sometimes I do have to motivate myself... I'll read some motivational books or something... watch something that's motivational... that'll kick me out of this little bit of a funk."

The always-on problem: "In the back of my mind I'm thinking I could do a video right now... It is challenging because... I'm like, hold on one second. I just gotta do a quick photo. I gotta do a quick video."

Show Notes: 

Follow Kelly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newyorkcitykopp/#

Follow Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newyorkcitykopp

Follow Kelly on TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/newyorkcitykopp

Kelly Kopp Tours: https://newyorkcitykopp.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments:

Trusting Your Gut: When You Know Something’s Off
Brooke shares how that inner “spidey sense” told her something wasn’t right at work—and why we so often ignore it.

Kill Them with Kindnes💄
How politeness and perfectionism can hold women back and the high cost of always saying yes.

When Your Dream Job Stops Feeling Like One 💔
Brooke reflects on how the news industry changed, and how her joy slowly faded at CNN.

Being Sidelined and Staying Silent 🤐
What it feels like to be removed from your own job and how masking pain becomes a survival skill in corporate culture.

Speak Up (Before It’s Too Late) 🗣️
Brooke reveals what she wishes she’d done differently and how to find the courage to speak up with both grace and strength.

Fired but Not Free Yet 🔒
The truth behind her on-air goodbye, the NDA that silenced her, and the emotional toll of pretending everything was fine.

The Charade of the Perfect Life 🎭
Brooke connects her workplace silence to her childhood, where appearances mattered more than truth.

When It All Unravels: Career + Marriage 💥
Two major endings collide, and Brooke learns that sometimes losing everything can be the start of becoming yourself.

Make Your Own Money 💲
Brooke explains how saving money over the years gave her the freedom to bet on herself after she was fired and her marriage fell apart.

Healing at the Hoffman Institute 🌿
A week of deep emotional work helps Brooke find clarity, courage, and connection after loss.

Living Without the Armor ✨
Brooke embraces her natural self, her truth, and the “messy middle”—and reminds us that the mess is life, so we might as well surrender to it.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

01:30 – 🙏 The Son of a Preacher: Growing Up in a Life of Service
Michael reflects on his Cleveland roots, family faith, and how service shaped his art and leadership.

06:30 – 💔 From Golden Child to Rejection at Carnegie Mellon
Michael shares the painful story of being cut from his college program — and what it taught him about resilience and self-worth.

09:30 – 💪 The Do-Over That Changed Everything
With his mother’s support, Michael fought his way back into the program, learning how to turn pain into purpose.

14:00 – 🔄 Stop Reacting, Start Acting
Michael’s breakthrough moment — learning how to reclaim power by responding with intention, not reaction.

17:30 – 🎭 Teaching Life Through Art
 How Michael teaches young artists resilience, failure, and courage in an age of perfectionism.

19:30 – 💡 Breakthroughs and Busts
As Michael’s star climbs in NYC, he is also reminded how unpredictable the business can be and that he can’t attach his identity or his worth to his job.

26:00 – 🚀 Say Yes Before You’re Ready
Michael explains how leaning into side projects and passion work opened doors he never expected.

29:00 – ❤️ Healing Through Helping — Founding Broadway Inspirational Voices
The story behind his award-winning gospel choir and how service became a form of healing.

37:00 – 🔮 The Little Voice That Changes Everything
Michael describes the quiet inner voice that guided him to teaching — and how to trust your intuition when it’s time to pivot.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

00:01:45 – Growing Up in a Mega Church World 🙏
Jonathan shares what it was like being the child of a famous Southern Baptist pastor — living under constant pressure to appear “perfect.”

00:03:45 – Always Knew I Was Different 🌈
Jonathan opens up about knowing from childhood that he was “different” — and how that difference was seen as dangerous in his community.

00:10:15 – The High of Being Seen 👀
Jonathan describes his early writing success and the addictive rush of external validation — and how it left him feeling empty.

00:13:30 – Feeling Trapped in My Own Life 🌀
He shares how fear, faith, and career expectations left him feeling stuck — and how that became a lifelong trigger for anxiety.

00:17:00 – Preaching What I Didn’t Believe 💔
Jonathan confesses that he preached sermons he no longer believed, torn between loyalty to his community and honesty with himself. He wonders what he really wants to do with his life, and how he might find the courage to make a change.

00:21:00 – Outed — and Everything Changed ⚡️
The moment that shattered everything: Jonathan is publicly outed by someone he considered a friend, and forced to confront his family, his church, and his identity. Standing before thousands, he tells his truth — learning that vulnerability can invite compassion, not condemnation.

00:27:45 – Courage Takes Time ✨
Jonathan gathers the courage to make the biggest change yet: he sells everything and moves to New York to pursue his writing career, a leap of faith that begins his rebirth and new life in alignment.

00:34:00 – Finding Light in the Darkness
Jonathan draws on his spiritual roots, explaining how there is always light in the darkness, and how this mindset can keep anyone from falling into a pit of despair — even through the hardest times.

00:45:45 – Messy Is the New Strong 💫
Jonathan reflects on why he trusts “messy” more than “perfect” — and how real strength comes from embracing imperfection and truth.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Along the way, she learned what women aren’t taught and don’t discuss in business, why women sometimes don’t support one another professionally, and the magic that can happen when they do. Jaclyn doesn’t sugarcoat the toll success can take — panic attacks, burnout, isolation — but she also shows how failure, when faced head-on, can be the greatest creative act of all.

Key Moments

*  “You can’t eat makeup.” Learn why saying no to underpayment was the first bold move that shaped Jaclyn's multi-million-dollar career. 

* If you want to run your own business, you need to understand every role first. An early magazine internship taught Jaclyn Johnson a lesson most entrepreneurs miss: sales runs the show. She realized editorial might look glamorous, but it’s marketing and revenue that keep the lights on — and that knowing how every piece fits together is what makes a great founder. 

* Her advice for anyone just starting out: believe in yourself enough to show up. You might not be the expert today, but you can be tomorrow. Confidence comes from action, not perfection.

* Being the Squeaky Wheel Can Get You Fired — And Set You Free. Jaclyn Johnson shares how being the one who questions, challenges, and moves too fast ultimately got her fired… and turned out to be the best thing that could’ve happened. Her story is a reminder: sometimes getting fired just means you’re meant to be your own boss

* Jaclyn shares the turning point when Create & Cultivate went from side project to full-blown brand. After one breakout event, major clients started reaching out — and she realized the momentum was real. Encouraged by a mentor to bet on herself instead of building for others, Jaclyn took the leap and never looked back

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Key Moments

00:00 – Danielle shares her promise to be open about bipolar disorder to show others there’s life after diagnosis.

02:30 – She reflects on her anxious childhood, feeling old before her time and misunderstood by other kids.

10:00– Danielle opens up about leaving a toxic marriage and reclaiming her ambition.

11:30 – Danielle describes the physical ways her anxiety started to manifest

13:00 – A raw confession about masking panic attacks with alcohol during her early reporting career.

15:00 – The first of four hospitalizations for bipolar disorder — a turning point in accepting she needed help.

20:00 – After her breakdown, Danielle describes the humiliation of moving back to her parents’ house and starting over — but also the seed of her comeback.

22:30 – Her anonymous blog goes viral after Obama wins Iowa, launching her back into journalism.

25:00 – A doctor’s advice pushes her to balance ambition and self-care as she tiptoes back into the working world

33:00 – At The Root, Danielle battles depression but still rises to Managing Editor, proving high-functioning illness is complex.

36:00– Danielle explains why she left her job as Editor-in-Chief of HuffPost to protect her team.

40:30 –  Danielle’s closing advice: feel your pain, but don’t live there. Remember who you are, and gamble on yourself.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

This isn't another "hustle harder" story. It's an honest conversation about the fears nobody admits: waiting for permission that never comes, taking rejection personally, feeling naked without a job title, watching friends with trust funds lap you, and chasing definitions of success that aren't even yours.

If you've ever felt paralyzed applying to hundreds of jobs, ashamed about a layoff, or terrified of financial dependence, this one's for you. We're talking about the career stuff nobody warns you about—and what actually helps when things fall apart.

You're not failing. The game just changed and nobody told you.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Farnoosh Torabi, a financial expert, bestselling author, and host of the "So Money" podcast and “The Montclair Pod.”

Learn More About Farnoosh: https://farnoosh.tv/

Follow Farnoosh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farnooshtorabi

So Money Podcast: https://podcast.farnoosh.tv/

The Montclair Pod: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-montclair-pod/id1785567683

Topics Covered: 

• The Debt-Versus-Dreams Trap
• The Comparison Trap on Social Media
• The Paralysis of Permission-Seeking
• The Rejection-Is-Death Mindset
• The Job Application Black Hole
• The Financial Dependence Fear
• The "Shiny Object" Definition of Success
• The Layoff Shame Spiral
• Ending a Job Without Closure 
• Entrepreneurial Debt Disaster

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Fast forward to his twenties, and his credit was ruined. He had to resort to payday loans. As he says, "I was in survival mode." He walked to work because he couldn't afford the subway fare. His boss had to give him a raise just so he could dry clean his suits. Kelly understood he needed to solve his problems, so he tried various side hustles to make ends meet.

One of those side hustles was starting a blog called The Points Guy. In a single day only a short time after he began the blog, Kelly made $125,000. Six months later, he hit his first million. Somehow, this hobby-turned-side-hustle had made him a multi-millionaire at 28 years old.

It was a challenging, messy road. In this discussion, Kelly reveals the reality behind his meteoric rise: the toxic friendships, the fraudulent interior designer who stole from him, and the loneliness that comes with sudden wealth. He shares hard-won lessons about leveraging relationships, knowing your superpowers, and why most career decisions aren't actually binary. This is the unvarnished truth about building an empire from nothing.

Key Takeaways From This Episode

Identify Your Strengths and Double Down: When Brian realized he couldn't compete on analytics with Ivy League graduates, he focused on what he was best at - relationship building - which became his competitive advantage throughout his career.

From Financial Rock Bottom to Millions in Months: Brian went from taking payday loans and walking to work to making $125,000 in a single day through affiliate marketing - showing how quickly fortunes can change with the right strategy.

Turn Your Biggest Expense Into Income: Brian transformed his company's travel expenses into personal profit by volunteering to put all recruiting trips on his credit card, earning massive points while helping colleagues.

Side Hustles Can Scale Beyond Your Day Job: What started as a $500-1000/month blog became a million-dollar business in six months - Brian shows how to test ideas without quitting your main income source.

Leaving Jobs on Good Terms for Future Opportunities: The Points Guy stayed three extra months at Morgan Stanley to properly transition his responsibilities, maintaining relationships that served him throughout his career.

Research Hiring Managers, Not Just Job Requirements: Brian's interview success came from connecting personally with interviewers rather than just reciting qualifications - he'd research their backgrounds to find common ground.

Build Senior Mentors as Career Insurance: When a colleague tried to sabotage him, Kelly's senior mentor at Morgan Stanley protected his job - proving high-level rel

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

From bossy kid to bold career coach, Sam DeMase is redefining what leadership and success really look like—with empathy, authenticity, and purpose. 

In this episode, Sam shares her unconventional journey: from managing 70 people at a fast food chain straight out of NYU to building a business that empowers women to ask for more—more money, more respect, and more balance.

Shaped by her experiences with toxic bosses, anxiety, and corporate pushback, Sam empowers others to navigate their careers with confidence, clarity, and self-trust.

We dive into bridging generational gaps, debunking myths about Gen Z, and why empathy is essential in today’s workplace. Sam introduces “parallel pivoting,” the power of side hustles, and how to turn nontraditional paths into professional superpowers.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Sam DeMase, Career Coach, author, and public speaker public speaker with a fast-growing community of 800,000+ followers on social media

Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdemase/

Follow Sam on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apowermood?lang=en

Follow Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apowermood/

Topics Covered: 

• Growing up with strong female role models
• Being called a bossy kid was her being a leader
• A good manager means showing up authentically, making connections and having empathy
• Working for One Fine Day, she moved into HR and found her superpower in people
• Parallel Pivoting
• Find your superpower - ask your friends/family and take assessment tests
• Messy Part of management is letting friends down if you can’t make change or firing people
• Sam bridges the gap between Gen Z and Gen X
• Sam starts a side hustle and gets written up for urging people to fight for equality
• Social Media as a job - being authentic garners the right audience and clients
  • Not forcing yourself to push through, and instead being honest makes people feel seen 
• Job hopping is common - what matters is your impact at a company, not amount of time
• Journey with anxiety and depression showing up in insomnia and trouble breathing
• Side hustles are a great way to build your dream career while having security 
• Dealing with Toxic Bosses - document everything and focus on communicating what will make your work better

Mentioned: 

Gap, One Fine Day, NYU, Columbia, StrengthsFinder Assessment, Clifton Strengths, authenticity, leadership, HR, TikTok, Instagram, ZipRecruiter, Forbes Business Insider, NBC Time, toxic bosses, Anxiety, Depress

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

In this raw conversation, Gwen reveals how early tragedy shaped her resilience; surviving on credit cards for over a decade; why her career path was not marriage; and the devastating moment she became "the adopted child nobody wanted" after acquisition. From being dismissed as "too small to care about" to rebuilding what she believed was a tarnished legacy, Gwen shares the messy truth about starting over.

If you've ever felt like you're building on shaky ground or wondered if you have the strength to rebuild after betrayal, this episode will remind you that sometimes losing everything reveals your true strength.

Topics Covered: 

• Armoring up and fighting for myself. 
• Acting authentically/not transactionally, being honest.
• How to do very uncomfortable things and while knowing that your result isn't always gonna be good (and it may even hurt), and then go back the next day and do it again. 
• Relationships are the key to my success.
• My career path was not getting married.  I wasn’t going to marry myself off.
• Lesson learned: have your own financial independence Keeping control, 
• What gave me confidence
• White man chinos: my worst nightmare.

Show Notes

Guest: Gwen Whiting, co-founder, The Laundress, founder, The Fill

• Follow Gwen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwenlwhiting/
• Follow Gwen on Substack: https://thelaundrylist.substack.com/
• Follow Gwen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwenlwhiting/?hl=en

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Emma Rosenblum, Author, Editor in Chief

Follow Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-rosenblum/

Topics Covered

• Anxiety, Financial Insecurity, Health Worries, Motherhood, Work-Life Dramas, Side Hustles, Writing and Publishing, Being Competitive

Mentioned

Glamour Magazine, New York Magazine, Elle Magazine, Bloomberg, Bustle/Bustle Digital Group, Google, CAA, Meta

Kevin Kwan, Lucy Foley, Alexandra Machinist, Sarah Jessica Parker,
Natasha Bedingfield, Allison Roman, Carlos Alcaraz 

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Topic Covered (with timestamps):

05:27 – The Morgan Stanley choice: Nine interviews and choosing art over finance 

07:19 – Early career struggles: Getting fired as a pivot moment 

09:49 – Meeting collaborators: Brian Yorkey and Rita's introductions 

12:18 – High Fidelity development: Five years from BMI workshop to Broadway 

16:41 – The garage band approach: Cabaret performances and producer discovery 

18:38 – When things go wrong: Boston reviews and Broadway closure after 10 days 

20:00 – Recovery and community support: Friends reaching out after failure 

21:14 – Next to Normal beginnings: Getting back on the horse 

22:16 – Saying yes during pandemic: Times Square performance and Billy Joel collaboration 26:05 – Billy Joel impact: Childhood hero and Emmy-winning "New York State of Mind" 

27:52 – Collaboration challenges: Working with long-time partners like Brian Yorkey 

29:32 – Managing creative feedback: Trusting audience reactions over individual opinions 

31:03 – Continuous learning: From SpongeBob to Shakespeare, staying curious 

33:03 – Artistic purpose: Creating physical reactions and inspiring others 

34:41 – Starting later in life: It's never too late, Billy Porter's example 

36:03 – Future dreams: Film scoring and musical television series 

36:24 – Rapid fire: Karaoke songs, reading list, and life advice

Mentioned: 

Hell's Kitchen, Jagged Little Pill, High Fidelity, American Idiot, Next to Normal, If/Then, “New York State of Mind”: https://www.nycnext.org/ny-state-of-mind

Brian Yorkey, Billy Joel, Billy Porter, Amanda Green, Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Robin Goodman, Walter Bobbie, Green Day, Alanis Morissette, Times Square, 

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Topics Covered: 

• Growing up Iranian-American in times of political hostility, and how early exposure to diversity while in Palm Springs shaped her worldview and comedic voice
• The leap from dual master’s degrees and a NYC policy advisor role to full-time comedy 
• Navigating initial disappointment from parents over career pivots before earning their understanding and support
• The pressures and trade-offs of turning a passion into a paycheck—and how that changes your relationship with the work you love
• Balancing motherhood, marriage, and career success while she and her husband both navigate “unstable,” gig-based artistic careers
• Using humor to challenge stereotypes, defuse protests, and reframe Muslim identity in American culture
• Diversifying her creative work across stand-up, film, writing, voice acting, activism, and unexpected gigs (including a psilocybin retreat)

Mentioned: 

• The Muslims Are Coming! (Documentary): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2788710/
• Once Upon a Mattress (Musical): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Mattress 
• Comedy Central: https://www.comedycentral.com/ 
• Homeland (TV Series): https://www.sho.com/homeland 
• Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! (NPR): https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/ 
• TED Talks: https://www.ted.com/speakers/negin_farsad 
• The Longest Table: https://www.longesttablecommunity.org/ 

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Sarah Personette, CEO of Puck

Follow Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-personette-4b71125/  

Topics Covered: 

• The childhood challenges that shaped her resilience and risk tolerance
• Why losing multiple student elections didn’t stop her but from chasing leadership roles
• The career move her father called “the worst decision ever,” and why she took it anyway
• How trusting her instincts guided her from job to job 
• Navigating workplace hostility and choosing to lead for the many, not the few 
• Taking a “gap year” to explore, connect, and clarify her goals. 
• The importance of boundaries in balancing C-suite leadership with motherhood and marriage 
• The importance of having a strong value framework 

Mentioned: 

Puck: https://puck.news/ 

Writers at Puck: John Heilemann, Dylan Byers, Julia Ioffe, Matthew Belloni, Baratunde Thurston, and more

Starcom MediaVest Group: https://www.starcomww.com/ 

Facebook (Meta): https://www.meta.com/ 

Twitter (X): https://x.com/ 

Hidden Potential by Adam Grant: https://adamgrant.net/book/hidden-potential/ 

Rotary International: https://www.rotary.org/en 

Whispering Angel Rosé: https://www.esclans.com/ 

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: Guest: Judith Curr, President and Publisher of HarperOne Follow Judith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-curr-a72b80/ Follow Judith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judithcurr/?hl=en

What You'll Discover:

• The career pivot that changed everything—from selling Dior lipstick to selling million-copy bestsellers
• How a gutsy move from Australia to New York launched her American publishing empire
• Inside the creation of Atria Books—the Simon & Schuster imprint that became a cultural force
• Her secret sauce for spotting breakout authors (hello, Colleen Hoover!) before they explode
• Why she fights for underrepresented voices—and how it's reshaping the industry
• Her vision for HarperOne's future in our AI-powered, globally connected world

Mentioned: 

Christian Dior: https://www.dior.com/en_us/beauty 

Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/ 

Atria Books: https://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/atria/ 

HarperOne: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/harperonegroup 

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/ 

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: https://www.thesecret.tv/products/the-secret-book/

Countdown to Riches by Rhonda Byrne: https://www.thesecret.tv/countdown-to-riches/ 

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Irina Novoselsky, CEO of Hootsuite

Follow Irina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-novoselsky/

Follow Irina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irinanovoselsky/ 

Topics Covered:

• Growing up as a refugee in NYC and embracing immigrant hustle
• Cold-emailing her way into investment banking at 19
• Leaving prestigious finance roles to find her passion
• Becoming a first-time CEO at 32—and the identity shift it required
• The power of relentlessness, self-belief, and learning out loud
• Why she leads with authenticity (and uses emojis unapologetically!)
• How social media became her leadership superpower
• Finding balance her way—and why she prioritizes sleep over everything

Mentioned:

Hootsuite: https://www.hootsuite.com/
Outlive by Peter Attia https://peterattiamd.com/outlive/

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: Guest: 

• Vanessa Barboni Hallik, Co-CEO, Chair, Another Tomorrow
• Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessabarbonihallik/
• Follow Vanessa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessaanabarboni/
• Follow Another Tomorrow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anothertomorrow/

Topics Covered: 

• Introduction & Vanessa’s early life: growing up in the Midwest
• Coping with family mental health & loss; the impact on resilience
• Shifting from architecture to economics & landing on Wall Street
• Facing imposter syndrome, self-editing at work, and defining success
• Quitting (three times): career pivots, asking for what you want, and lessons learned
• Discovering sustainability and building Another Tomorrow
• Launching a brand as the pandemic hit: how to survive a sudden crisis
• Meditation, slowing down, and evolving as a leader
• Redefining success, working with partners, and closing advice
• Rapid fire: favorite songs, reading list, surprising facts

Mentioned: 

• Another Tomorrow
• Morgan Stanley
• B Corp
• TM (Transcendental Meditation)
• Berkeley
• Cornell's program
• Farm to Closet model

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Guest: Fede Garcia

Follow Fede on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fedegarcia/ 

Topics Covered:

• Why he went public about getting fired
• LinkedIn’s performative culture vs. real storytelling
• Creativity and ego: navigating praise, loss, and self-worth
• Health, dialysis, and the impact of chronic illness on a creative career
• Global creative life: Buenos Aires → Tokyo → NYC
• Building vs. winning: What awards don’t tell you
• Starting over mid-career (and taking a ⅓ pay cut to do it)
• Beginner’s mindset: boxing, motorcycles, learning Japanese
• Leaving the agency world without bitterness
• Redefining success and finding joy beyond the title
• Advice for Gen Z creatives navigating a chaotic market
• The importance of taste, perspective, and patience in the age of AI
• The power of reflection, vulnerability, and owning your story

Mentioned:

Read Fede's original LinkedIn post (search under “Posts”)

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

In this episode, Ana talks about how she gets over rejection in one night; how she's felt like an outsider her entire life (and used that to her advantage); why her best auditions were the ones where she was incredibly prepared and left everything on the table; how learning not to be afraid to talk about her own goals and aspirations seemed to make everything feel and work better; and the way the life balancing system she learned from none other than Martin Short helps to put everything in perspective for her.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Vicki Freeman – Co-founder, Bowery Group (Five Points, Cookshop, Vic's, Shukette, Hundred Acres)
Follow Bowery Group on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bowery-group/posts/
Follow Vicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicki_freeman/?hl=en

Topics Covered:

• Going to nine schools while searching for her calling
• Working in restaurants as a "means to an end" while pursuing other dreams
• The Ralph Lauren breakthrough moment at age 19
• Her "looking up at the sky" epiphany in SoHo and the phone call that changed everything
• Opening Vic's: sudden success and devastating failure after one year
• Learning the business side at Columbus Bakery with ARC
• The innovative approach to raising money for Five Points (selling shares vs. big chunks)
• Building community through restaurants: being there for neighbors after 9/11 and during COVID
• The Shukette transformation: backing chefs and shared vision
• Working with your spouse in business: the challenges and magic
• Current challenges facing the restaurant industry post-COVID

Mentioned:

• Cookshop, Vic's, Shukette (Bowery Group)
• Missy Robbins (Lilia, Misi)
• Jonathan Waxman
• Russ & Daughters
• Ralph Lauren Restaurants

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Guest: Debra Martin Chase - Producer, Entertainment Executive, Broadway Producer 

Follow Debra on: 

• Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/bdhyj35x 
• LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/36zh39tz
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153846/ 

Notable Productions: The Princess Diaries, Cinderella, Cheetah Girls, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Equalizer, A Strange Loop (Broadway), The Outsiders (Broadway), Purpose (Broadway)

Topics Covered 

• Harvard Law School
• USC Film School
• Vernon Jordan
• Nina Shaw 
• Frank Price (Columbia Pictures)
• Doug McHenry (producer)
• Nina Jacobson (Disney executive)
• Pearlena Igbokwe (Universal Television)
• Denzel Washington
• Whitney Houston
• Marc Platt (Broadway producer)
• David Stone (Broadway producer)
• Michael Dukakis campaign
• Princess Diaries
• Cinderella (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
• Cheetah Girls
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• The Equalizer

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Guests: Kass and Mike Lazerow -- Entrepreneurs, Investors, Authors

https://kassandmike.com/

Follow Kass and Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kassandmike and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kassandmike/ 

Topics Covered:

• Personal stories of failure, discomfort, and growth
• The hidden cost of success
• Working with your life partner
• The parenting paradox
• What "radical transparency" actually looks like in practice
• The emotional and cultural risk of telling the full truth
• Creating a work culture where "messy" is normalized
• Why leaders are still afraid of vulnerability
• The power of being honest before the outcome is clear
• How storytelling can be a leadership tool—not just a communications tactic
• The difference between transparency and oversharing
• When to hold back (and how to do it without losing trust)

Mentioned:

• Kass & Mike’s book, Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story
• Mark Benioff (Salesforce CEO) 
• Gary Vaynerchuk 
• Phish (band) 
• eToro
• Northwestern University 
• Buddy Media 
• Golf.com

Further Reading:

• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• The Power of Vulnerability – TED Talk by Brené Brown
• Psychological Safety in Teams – Google’s Project Aristotle – Research on why speaking up matters at work.
• The Tell by Amy Griffin
• Articles about Cambridge Analytica
• Dying for Sex documentary

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

Guest: Cindi Leive – Journalist, Editor, Co-founder of The Meteor

Follow Cindi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindi_leive/?hl=en

Topics Covered:

• Her lifelong passion for magazines (and what 17 Magazine meant as a kid)
• Growing up with a single mom scientist—and losing her at 19
• Compartmentalization, grief, and building self-sufficiency
• What Condé Nast taught her (and what she had to unlearn)
• Leaving Glamour at its peak for something riskier
• How The Meteor began in Gloria Steinem’s living room
• Feminist storytelling in a fraught media landscape
• Raising resilient kids in the age of AI and loneliness
• Lessons in entrepreneurship, imperfection, and asking for money
• Why joy and collaboration matter more than perfection
  
  

Mentioned:

The Meteor (feminist media collective)

Night of Solidarity, a Meteor special

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Show Notes: 

• Guest: Katie Sturino – Entrepreneur, Author, Founder of Megababe
• Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiesturino/?hl=en
• Follow Katie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katiesturino

Topics Covered:

• Why revenge is her greatest motivator: "Success is the ultimate revenge"
• Moving to NYC and relentlessly pursuing her dream job at Chanel
• Making her dog Toast Instagram-famous and recognizing unexpected opportunities
• Starting 12ish Style blog after discovering the power of body representation
• Creating Megababe: solving problems no one talks about (thigh chafe, boob sweat)
• Working with family: benefits and challenges of business partnerships
• Writing "Sunny Side Up": transforming pain into a romcom after 9 years
• Meeting Oprah and sparking a national conversation about weight stigma
• The messy reality of entrepreneurship that podcasts don't share
• Dreaming big without limits and trusting your gut

Mentioned:

• Chanel
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Megababe Products
• Toast (her famous dog): DogMeetsWorld
• 12ish Style blog
• "Sunny Side Up" (her novel)
• Today Show
• Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution
• Target
• Weight Watchers
• Ozempic
• Ina Garten’s book, Be Ready When Luck Happens
• The Longest Table

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Send us Fan Mail

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.