QUESTION EVERYTHING

With 1.6 Million followers, TikTok star Tefi Pessoa has built a community where she has become famous for her thoughtful and heartfelt advice on love, mental health, heartbreak and more. There’s a reason she’s been called the internet’s BFF.  Today she joins PRETTYSMART to delve deep into all things love, dating and heartbreak. She shares: Why men are who they are at 35. What she’s learned from heartbreak. Why even after heartbreak love is still magical. How to not let heartbreak or bad relationships break your spirit.  How she is able to never compromise who she is in relationships.  Why it’s helpful for her to enlist her tribe before she breaks it off with someone. What she finds she is really mourning when a relationship ends. Why some traits are not going to change in the person you're dating (and how to figure that out).  When to listen if people tell you “you can do better”. Navigating a breakup in the public eye. Why there’s courage in normalcy.  How men and women handle heartbreak differently. 

We often frame modern relationships through a transactional lens, but what if instead of concerning ourselves with what we can get from somebody we ask ourselves what we can give? Rachel Rischall believes generosity for generosity’s sake is ultimately the best way to form strong, valuable relationships. A 20-year vet in public relations, Rachel is the founder of Three PR (she's an EXPERT). She says her superpower is she can and will talk to anybody. She’s an expert on finding ways to connect and help others. In the end, everybody comes out ahead. Rachel shares: Why she feels called to helping others as often as she can When to start being generous every day (it’s first thing in the morning) Why introducing people to each other is an incredible gift How to overcome the cold e-mailing jitters (and the best way to follow-up when they don’t email back) Navigating generosity in a world comfortable placing women in positions of service How to evolve professional connections into professional relationships

After this interview aired I got messages from women all over the country. It seemed to have a domino effect inspiring book clubs, and other interviews with Alicia! Her book changed me and it gave me so much joy to hear that this conversation changed so many of you too. As it was one of the earliest episodes of the pod I felt it deserved a re-air: Award Winning Journalist + MSNBC Anchor Alicia Menendez explains how The Likeability Trap can keep women from achieving their ambitions. Women are stuck in an impossible bind known as the Goldilocks Conundrum: be nice, but not too nice. Talk about what you bring to the table without sounding like you’re bragging. Strong women are often criticized for being cold, while warm women may be seen as pushovers.“ The constant chatter of how women lead impedes them from leading. In trying to be everything all at once women are straight up exhausted”. But in being aware of The Likeability Trap, we can push up against it. Alicia gives us tactical tools to be more practiced in leadership, how to receive feedback, break free of the trap, and succeed as you are. 

Linguist and writer Amanda Montell discusses the power of language, reclaiming gendered insults, and sexism in our language. She explores the innovation of language by young women, the historical evolution of slurs against women, and the connection between language and power. Montell also emphasizes the importance of reading the room when it comes to language and the power of reclaiming words versus abolishing them.

Co-Founder of Betches, the hugely popular female-founded and led media and entertainment brand, Sami Sage is here to share her story from how Betches went from an idea one night in college to a full blown media company. She shares: How to start a company with friends Where the idea for Betches came from and what it was like in the early days of the brand.  Why they have never taken money from investors. Why trial + error is important when you are building a business.  Why she is so passionate about politics and the decision to create the Betcher Sup vertical to help inform others.  Sami’s pop-culture predictions on Kanye, Pete Davidson, Harry & Megan and more.

Actor, dancer, choreographer and star of the hit Starz drama P-Valley, Nicco Annan is bringing his magic to PRETTYSMART today. The Detroit-born actor refused to conform to a Hollywood template and instead has made a name for himself by embracing his individuality and following his intuition.  His portrayal of Uncle Clifford (the revolutionary + beloved character) has earned him critical acclaim as well as nominations from the NAACP and independent spirit awards. Danielle + Nicco discuss: The meaningful lesson he learned in high school + how that has carried him in life.  How being told he was too big to be a dancer helped him in the long run.  Why it’s important to use all of your gifts when trying to achieve your dreams.  How he was held at gunpoint at 14 years old.  How P-Valley is helping change how we view sex workers and strippers.   The role of intimacy in playing Uncle Clifford and how Nicco approaches the masculine/feminine qualities of the character. What he’s learned from playing Uncle Clifford and how he knows this role is bigger than him. (and why his character is so beloved + impactful) Why it’s important that P-Valley has all female directors and the male gaze.

As the Editor-In-Chief of Cosmopolitan, the largest young women’s media brand in the world, Jessica Giles oversees the editorial for all of Cosmo's efforts across print, digital, video, and emerging platforms. Today she’s sharing her journey in the publishing industry and offers up helpful and practical advice to help you get to where you dream of being in your own career. She shares: 3 specific tips to help you get promoted. Why passion is crucial in your career.  Her number one tip to help you on future interviews. Why self education is so important on the job.  What surprised her most about working at Vogue. What she’s learned about leading and managing well.  How Cosmo has evolved over the years and modernized its view of sex.  Why asking for critical feedback (and being okay receiving it) is vital. What she’s learned from the Cosmo readers and what she hopes her legacy to be. The best parts of working in a female driven environment.

Mimi Bouchard is a meditation teacher, wellness influencer, and founder of Superhuman App. Listen to this walking meditation (and conversation with Mimi) to manifest the energy of your future— “you are a lucky person”.

In 2017, the former US Surgeon General called loneliness a public health epidemic. It’s been compared to a crisis on the scale of opioids or obesity. Some studies equate the health effects of loneliness with that of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Julie Schechter is helping to fight the loneliness epidemic. She is the CEO and co-founder of  Present and Small Packages, two companies focused on building stronger relationships and connections in a digital world. She provides insight on the modern paradox of technology: how something meant to bring us closer together has led to a lonelier population. Julie explains: How our everyday lives have lost the traditional structures that made us feel connected Why our relationships are typically dictated by proximity How the pandemic forced “hustle culture” to come to a halt and the lasting impact of pandemic loneliness Why technology has made us all feel lonely How losing your oldest friendships has the health impact equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day What kinds of technology can work to make us feel closer Why the simple act of noticing something in someone is so powerful

Love Wellness founder + former star of Laguna Beach and The Hills Lo Bosworth is here to share her wellness journey and how it inspired her to help others do the same. She shares: -Where do our 'happy hormones" come from? -The chronic health problems she faced + how it took 18 months for her to get a proper diagnosis. -How healing her gut healed her anxiety, depression and many other health issues (vitamin deficiencies can result in anxiety + depression) -How our gut health is connected to our vaginal and brain health.  -Supplements 101 - where to start if you want to heal your gut.  -How being on MTV turned out to be a blessing (even if it made her cry). -The struggles she faced being a reality TV star.  -Why she was inspired to start her company Love Wellness   Purchase Love Yourself Well: https://tinyurl.com/4vu2492d Shop Love Wellness: https://likeshop.me/lovewellness Follow Lo: https://www.instagram.com/lobosworth/