Second Life Podcast (2024)

06/03/2023

Amy Chang—or , as you may know her—has made a name for herself as a massive beauty content creator. She shares reviews of various products and services with over 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram. Her audience comes for the beauty and stays for the personal connection, like her recently shared adoption story, which has since garnered over 11 million views. But back before she was serving up highly engaging content, she actually began her career at a PR agency in NY and subsequently took on clients of her own as a freelance publicist in L.A. It’s been quite the journey to land where she is today, and Amy is enthusiastically candid about just what got her there. Link up top to hear it all.

27/02/2023

With the launch of in 2020, created an entirely new haircare category not meant to cover up gray hairs but prevent them from forming in the first place. Initially launched as a single supplement, the assortment has grown to include seven products, all formulated with a clinically efficacious peptide to help delay and re-pigment gray hair. But before Allison had an idea for her own company—one that’s grown 12 times its size last year alone—she was growing many others. After an early career in fashion, she began working for early stage companies like Blushington and Erin Condren, plus consulting and advising consumer companies like Vegamour and Goodmylk. To hear about her own aha moment and the work that subsequently brought it to life, hit the link up top.

20/02/2023

, journalist and former editor in chief of InStyle, was obsessed with magazines from a young age. She moved from Australia to London to New York to pursue her passion, landing positions at W and Details before a decade-long tenure at Harper’s Bazaar—where she’d make a name for herself as a creative visionary, interviewing influential women such as Michelle Obama and Janet Jackson and putting Rhianna in that gold swimsuit in the mouth of Jaws on the cover. When she was announced as the EIC of InStyle, it all made sense. But since the print magazine folded in 2021, Laura has been a free agent, and at the end of last year, she announced her plans for quite a second life—founding a media company of her own. LB Media is positioned as a multi-platform media company encompassing television, podcasts, luxury collaborations, design, and nonprofit consulting. Or as Laura puts it, “an umbrella over a buffet.” Tune in to hear about her experience within the rapidly evolving media landscape and why she’s never looking back.

13/02/2023

In 2021, a year into the global pandemic and fresh off the heels of her first successful dry January, found herself looking at her alcohol consumption in a new way. She was ready to kick the vice, but still craved that mood-elevating, relaxing experience she got from her first sip of a cocktail. By that summer, she launched —an assortment of mocktails boosted by functional ingredients like reishi mushroom, botanical terpenes, and CBD. Today, the brand has found a devoted sober and alcohol-drinking following, and is stocked at premium retailers like L.A.-based health food grocer Erewhon. But how exactly did Megan ideate, fully bake, and execute on her bootstrapped mocktail homerun so quickly and so successfully? She had career experience that uniquely prepared her, including working as an environmental lawyer, president of an urban farming company, and founder of a plant-based salad dressing company still on the shelves of Whole Foods today. Plus, she worked her ass off. Link in bio to hear how Megan found her way to her perfect fit of a career.

06/02/2023

Recipe developer, cookbook author, and chef has many irons in the fire. Once known as senior associate food editor at Bon Appétit magazine, Molly’s multitiered culinary career has spanned far beyond the confines of traditional media. Today, she has one New York Times best-selling cookbook, Cook This Book, a second book on the way, a natural wine label called , and a number of product collaborations on the horizon. She still drops weekly recipes for her subscribers in The Club, releases cooking videos via her YouTube series, Hit the Kitch, and has amassed over 700,000 followers on Instagram. The background that got her here, however, involved hustling in professional kitchens in Boston and New York—a much different day-to-day indeed. Click the link up top to hear about it all.

30/01/2023

Gaëlle Drevet is the founder behind the deeply beloved and coveted fashion-editor favorite retailer . With boutiques in NYC and Paris plus a booming e-commerce business that’s known for quick sellouts, Gaëlle has created an expertly curated, undeniably cool retailer with an expert mix of elevated staples and under-the-radar designers the fashion crowd is eager to sn**ch up. With $40 million in sales last year alone, it’s no surprise that The Frankie Shop isn’t Gaëlle’s first rodeo. In fact, the store's Lower East Side flagship store in Manhattan was once home to her first fashion venture, Pixie Market, where she brought a similar assortment to a slightly younger demographic back in 2006. But before diving into fashion, Gaëlle was on quite a different path as a producer for ABC News in New York and London. Tune in to hear how those very fashion capitals would influence her to make the switch from journalism to fashion entrepreneurship on this week’s episode.

23/01/2023

Marguerite Zabar Mariscal is the woman leading all that is Momofuku: a pioneering restaurant group credited with starting the rise of contemporary Asian American cuisine in the United States, an assortment of restaurant-grade pantry staples like ramen noodles and addictive chilli crunch, and bona fide culinary empire. Over the span of 11 years, working her way up from public relations intern to brand director to chief of staff, she’s been the trusted right hand of celebrity and James Beard Award–winning Chef David Chang for years. In 2019, at 30 years old, she was named CEO. On one hand, it all makes sense (after all, she was born into the family behind the specialty import emporium Zabars), but to Marguerite, the path was far from mapped out ahead of her. “I feel like anyone who grows up wanting to be a CEO is like a psychopath. It's like someone who wants to be a politician,” she says on this week’s episode. Tune in to hear how Marguerite pivoted from thinking she’d find her place within the media world to leading one of the most influential restaurant groups—and beyond—of the past two decades.

16/01/2023

It’s hard to overstate just how viral handbags and accessories have become over the past few years. Worn by everyone from Gigi Hadid to Alison Roman to Pete Davidson, her bright, sparkling adornments—from a martini handbag to shrimp cocktail earrings—are still handmade in New York where Susan now has a retail location that’s as joyous and whimsical as the brand itself. But before she was a bona fide fashion darling doing NYFW shows at Belle’s Bagels with a message of inclusion rarely at the forefront of a fashion brand, she was trying to find her place like the rest of us. “I was really thinking that I was going to be a stylist. I thought that was a really good life choice. And it was really, really rough,” Susan says on today’s episode. “There were a lot of things I thought I'm not good enough to do. And in retrospect, you're only as good as you believe you are.” Tune in to hear how she found the confidence to push forward within a fashion world she didn’t know she belonged in, plus how she’s created a career for herself she was, at times, reluctant to dream of.

09/01/2023

.co began her photography career in her teens, and by 28 years old, opened her own commercial photography studio in Lower Manhattan where she worked with a multitude of commercial clients from fashion brands like Chanel and Oscar de la Renta to tech companies like Google and Microsoft to major magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Simply put, she was killing it. Somewhere along the way, though, among the hustle and bustle of her successful New York career, she decided she couldn’t shake a feeling that what she wanted the very most out of life was something quite different: to live in the South of France. Over six years after Jamie decided to leave her world behind to fulfil that dream, she still lives in Provence with an entirely new photography career creating and selling her own body of work—from masterfully layered fine works to accessible prints. Most recently, she’s compiled her work into a book titled An American in Provence, which includes not only her photographs but also poignant personal essays, photography and posing tips, and even French recipes. To hear how Jamie took a massive leap of faith on her own happiness—and to wanderlust over her new home—hit the link up top.

02/01/2023

is the most-decorated track-and-field Olympian of all time—full stop. At the age of 18, she won her first Olympic medal, and by her last performance at the Tokyo 2020 games, she had accrued 11. But off the track, she’s also covered a lot of ground. After penning a renowned op-ed in the New York Times calling out her previous sponsor, Nike, for the lack of protections for pregnant athletes and new moms, the brand changed its policy. Now, Allyson is not only the first professional athlete sponsored by Athleta, but she also decided to found a footwear and lifestyle company of her own called Saysh. As an entrepreneur, Allyson is focused on building both products and a community to encourage and support women. On top of it all, Allyson will be debuting season two of her Mountaintop Conversations podcast on Jan 17, in which she celebrates the experiences of leaders across politics, entrepreneurship, and culture. Tune in to hear how Allyson made it to the top of her profession and all the ways that she’s now focusing on pulling up those around her.

12/12/2022

—creative director of her namesake fashion label LPA, internet personality, podcast host, and olive-oil queen—does a lot. Aside from building one of Revolve’s most successful private-label brands from the ground up, she has big plans for her very own Italian import business, Baroncini Import & Co., which she runs alongside her husband Davide. The pair also work together on another concept brand—Ghiaia Cashmere—where Pia is the CMO. It’s a whirlwind of a career that Pia seems to thrive in. “I really live so comfortably in chaos. It’s where I see clearly,” she says on this week’s episode of the pod. We have one theory for how she gets it all done: her track record working for driven and, at times, downright tough bosses in notoriously difficult industries. Hear what Pia learned working at the early days of Reformation when it was pioneering the concept of a modern DTC fashion brand and at legendary PR firm People’s Revolution for none other than Kelly Cutrone—an infamous boss on The Hills and The City. We promise this one is as inspiring as it is entertaining. Link up top to hear it all.

05/12/2022

Daria Burke, a business leader, board director, and writer, spent the majority of her career building iconic beauty and fashion brands, working at L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Rent the Runway as employee number ten. She even led fashion and beauty partnerships at Facebook, and after over a decade of hard work, she landed her dream title—CMO at JustFab. But once at the top, she realized her successful climb up the corporate ladder still may have left her unfulfilled. Link up top to hear how she finally became an expert in herself and designed her new career path accordingly.

28/11/2022

Alex Snodgrass, the brilliant recipe developer behind , has built an impressive culinary business from the ground up. In addition to her 700,000-follower-deep Instagram account, she’s published two New York Times best-selling cookbooks, The Defined Dish and The Comfortable Kitchen. Most recently, Alex’s health-focused yet flavor-packed culinary ethos has manifested in another endeavor: , a multipurpose dressing collection providing further encouragement in getting a delicious plate to the table. But back before she followed her calling within food, Alex actually spent years as a real estate agent. Tune in to hear what it took for her to take the plunge to turn her side hustle into a bona fide culinary success.

14/11/2022

became wildly known by the moniker when she began her fashion and lifestyle blog back in 2012. As one of the earliest fashion bloggers, she has since leveraged her success into a multifaceted career in a way few can: Mary owns a Nashville-based Happily Grey brick-and-mortar store and .co, a mom-centric skincare line. She’s also got an online audience of over 2.6 million. Just this week, she’s become an author with Happily Grey: Stories, Souvenirs, and Everyday Wonders from the Life In Between, in which she shares personal stories behind the layers of a glossy Instagram feed. But back before it all—the fashion, media, skincare, and entrepreneurship—Mary spent seven years as a cardiovascular intensive care nurse. You’re going to want to tune in to hear the full story, including the unexpected skills from nursing that she still uses in her work today.

24/10/2022

At just 22 years old, Amira Rasool launched The Folklore as an e-commerce platform featuring African-based and Black-founded fashion and homeware brands. The goal was both to bring diversity to the fashion landscape here in the U.S. and to create sustainable revenue streams for designers who weren't being given the global recognition they deserved. Just four years in, Amira has made immense progress: She’s since pivoted the business from a DTC model to working directly with other businesses like Farfetch; expanded her business to empower diverse brands in other emerging markets like South America and India; and has become one of the youngest Black women to raise $1M+ in a pre-seed round. Sounds like a business only an industry expert (and genius) could build? Amira’s first life checks that box, as she spent years writing about it for magazines like Vogue, I-D Magazine, Paper Magazine, WWD, and Marie Claire. Tune in to hear how that experience equipped her to make a massive difference in the global fashion economy and build a unicorn business.

17/10/2022

Any NPR listeners will immediately recognize the familiar voice of the brilliant and thoughtful Audie Cornish, who held her post at the station’s flagship audio program All Things Considered for 10 years. With a total of almost two decades in broadcast journalism under her belt—covering news like the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the historic election of former President Barack Obama and interviewing a wide swath of public figures such as senator Elizabeth Warren and Questlove—Audie’s award-winning career behind the mic has been both groundbreaking and undeniably prolific. “I had reached the point in my career where people were coming to me for advice on things … and then one day, I was like, ‘Well, wait a second. I still want to learn,’” says Audie. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how she made the pivotal career decision to leave radio for on-camera reporting as an anchor and correspondent for CNN.

10/10/2022

Best-selling author Jessica Knoll struck literary gold when her 2015 debut novel Luckiest Girl Alive, a runaway hit, was translated into over 40 languages and optioned for film before the book even hit stands. The film, starring Mila Kunis, was released on Netflix just last week, and Jessica not only crafted the inspiration for the project, but she was also the sole writer on the adaptation—a feat that even the most seasoned screenwriters rarely pull off. Today, her work emcompasses many types of projects: She’s adapting her second book, The Favorite Daughter, for TV with Margot Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment; she’s adapting the Reddit short story “I Think My Mother-in-Law Is Trying to Kill Me” for Sony; and she sold her first original script, ‘Til Death,’ to Amazon. But back before she was writing scripts or novels, Jessica was an editor for magazines like Self and Cosmo. That is until a regimen change had her thinking about diversifying her skill set. “When all of that happened, it lit a fire under me because I was like, ‘I need to have a plan B if I lose my job.’” Tune in to this week’s episode to hear the full story, plus what it really takes to get a movie made in 2022.

03/10/2022

Yasmin Sewell, the founder of Vyrao, has been a tastemaker for decades. From the very start of her fashion career, she caught eyes with the debut of her avant-garde London boutique, Yasmin Cho, which she opened in her early 20s with essentially no prior fashion experience. She then went on to hold major titles at retailers such as Browns, and Farfetch. Plus, she founded apparel and fashion brand Être Cécile. It wasn’t until a recent pivot, though, that she’s found her truest fulfilment in wellness and spiritual healing through scent. “I’m so in love with where I’m at now and what I’m doing. I actually feel like I’m more creative now than I’ve ever been because it’s totally my creation,” she tells Hillary in today’s episode. Tune in to hear how, through the launch of Vyrao, Yasmin has created personal scents that are deliciously sensory and promote emotional well-being. Plus, learn about how her long-term vision extends far beyond an olfactory experience and what she thinks being creative is all about.

26/09/2022

is a master of accessories. Back in 2006, she launched the first-ever jewelry collection for J.Crew, where she created iconic pieces that are still sold today, like the bubble necklace that has been seen everywhere in every shade. By 2012, though, she was ready to create something of her own and launched her eponymous brand, , with an initial assortment of what she knew best: jewelry. She found early success at major retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Saks, but it wasn’t until a design decision in 2016 that her brand became an unexpected category leader in—wait for it— headbands. Today, Lele Sadoughi’s standout assortment of knotted, jeweled headbands has found a loyal following that includes Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, Mindy Kaling, and Naomi Campbell. On this episode of , Lele shares how she found the confidence to bet on herself and enter the world of entrepreneurship. Plus, she explains how she brilliantly pivoted her business during the pandemic, leading to record sales.

19/09/2022

named her beauty brand, , after the lifeguard station that separates Santa Monica and Venice Beach. The modern beauty company, known for its summertime essentials like its SOS spray and ShineOn Lip Jelly, offers a makeup experience that’s skin-friendly, effective, and affordable. On this episode of , hear Amy tell Hillary how she got her foot in the door of the beauty industry with ambition and boldness and how she used her years of experience as a marketing director at brands such as and to create her own company.

12/09/2022

Before co-founding , and were working as professional dancers in New York City. Their days were a hodgepodge of auditioning, performing, and working in fitness studios, and eventually, the two agreed it was time to move on to the next chapter of their careers and embark on their second lives. So they co-founded The Ness, a digital fitness platform and workout studio in New York. With The Ness, a mini trampoline takes center stage, delivering workouts that are high-intensity but easy on the body. This episode, hear about Colette’s and Aly’s first lives as dancers and how their training informed their business philosophy. Plus, they discuss the health benefits that come with bouncing on a mini trampoline.

05/09/2022

When decided to start , it was at the height of the pandemic at a time when both she and her co-founder husband weren’t sure what was coming next. She found herself unemployed for the first time in 20 years, but the Brazil native leaned on her years as a market director for and vice president at to launch what she describes as a shoe brand that’s inclusive in its pricing and well-made. On this episode of , Marina tells stories of how she navigated the professional world of fashion, the lucky breaks she got, and how she actually created so much of her luck by putting in the hard work.

29/08/2022

believes that caring for your space can be a transformative act. She calls her home her sanctuary, the one place she can always go to find peace and quiet. After the Friends star found herself dissatisfied with the harsh smells associated with most cleaning products, she sought out to create her own, and thus, was born. On this episode of , Courteney shares how she branched out from entertainment to create a business around what she calls beauty products for the home. She also shares glimpses into her Alabama roots, how a fateful dance with changed her life, and, of course, that unforgettable Friends reunion.

22/08/2022

When do you take time for yourself? For model, activist, and businesswoman , her precious self-care moments come when she’s in the shower. It’s what inspired her to create her own bodycare line earlier this year, Saltair, named after the feeling of breathing in the salty air when you’re out on the beach. In this week’s episode of , the model and activist takes us into the origin story of her second life as a businesswoman and how she found financial freedom in building strong daily habits. Plus, she shares her reflections on modeling and the industry.

15/08/2022

Gut health is having a moment right now, and wants to turn this moment into a movement. The co-Founder and co-CEO of launched her microbiome-science company in 2015 with a yearning to help people improve their health. Her flagship product, the Daily Synbiotic, is a two-in-one daily capsule containing both a probiotic and prebiotic to support gut health. On this episode, hear how the death of her mother sparked a lifelong curiosity in human biology and how this eventually led her to create a product that she hopes will revolutionize how we take care of ourselves—starting with our insides. Plus, Ara debunks some common misconceptions around gut health.

08/08/2022

What exactly does “Gah!” mean? According to , it’s an outburst of joy and delight at finding something you just absolutely need in your closet. Bühler is the Founder and CEO of , an e-commerce platform that aims to be a home for artists. After a decade of working in fashion, Lisa observed the industry’s toll on the environment as well as how hard it was for smaller labels to compete with big brands. So she set out to create what she calls an “anti shop”—a place where independent design thrives and all products are made ethically and sustainably. Before starting her own e-commerce company, Lisa worked as an account executive and then as a buyer for Nasty Gal, where she was in charge of sourcing dresses, outerwear, and sweaters. In this episode, Lisa shares everything from how uprooting herself inspired her to start her own business to how she grew revenue a whopping 300% during the pandemic. Plus, she very generously shares some career mistakes she’s made.

01/08/2022

spent her first life traveling the world and photographing its wildest animals, and her images were published in incredible publications like Time and Life. But as Jody traveled the world, she found she was increasingly encountering a planet that was hurting from unsustainable food processes. So in 2015, she and her brother, , founded , a plant-based nutrition company offering meat alternatives for modern lifestyles. With products ranging from chicken to beef to crab, Jody has created a business with the purpose of feeding the world while helping the environment, its people, and animals. On this episode of , she tells the story of how she became co-founder and chief purpose officer of Hungry Planet and what she’s learned from it all.

25/07/2022

Can you imagine hearing back from a whopping 43 agents on your debut novel? That’s what happened to New York Times best-selling author . Her young-adult fantasy novel captured the attention of readers around the world when it was published last year, and it’s now being adapted for a Netflix film. The story follows two Black teenagers as they venture into a magical jungle to hunt down a vicious monster. It’s the first in a trilogy, and her second book, Beasts of Ruin, is out this week. Before becoming a professional writer, Ayana worked in higher education, fundraising for the University of Florida and the University of Arkansas. On this episode of , Ayana shares how her first life as a researcher helped her build the magical world of her series and how she learned to let go and trust her collaborators when the time came to put her pencil down.

18/07/2022

has returned to the show! The founder of Outdoor Voices has launched a new venture called Try Your Best—a blockchain-based platform that connects brands to consumers, who give their input for rewards such as digital coins. On this episode of , hear and Ty discuss why this serial entrepreneur is betting on blockchain, how TYB aims to wrestle power from tech, and… the surprising fitness supplement she’s created with cannabinoids.

Second Life Podcast