QUESTION EVERYTHING

Entrepreneur Nancy Twine was a VP at Goldman Sachs when she tragically lost her mom. That incredible loss prompted her to start thinking about how she wanted to spend her time. She had childhood memories making beauty products in the kitchen with her chemist mother and decided she was going start a clean haircare line.Today she is the founder and CEO of Briogeo. Today she shares: How to find passion in your job Why having your career as part of your identity can be a good thing The importance of evaluating how we spend our time How a tragedy led to her founding a multimillion dollar company How grief inspired fearlessness Launching a company during economically uncertain times Why educating your consumer is the key to success Becoming the youngest Black woman to launch in Sephora and supporting the next wave of Black beauty business owners The brutal business of retail and understanding the levers that drive those merchants  How to handle the “no’s” in business What to consider when selling your company or bringing on investors Why leaders need to let go and empower their employees Why you should define your north star and set an intention for success The technique she uses to maximize her day and protect her time And the surprising factor that can affect your hair health! Follow Nancy on Instagram @NancyTwine and check out her site here!

Hitha Palepu is a proclaimed multi-hyphenate; she’s a mother, entrepreneur, content creator, investor, author, and speaker. As the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals and partner in Adama Ventures, she is focused on empowering women to advocate for themselves when it comes to their health. Today she shares: Why women are not the priority in drug and therapy developments Why there is a hierarchy of where research dollars are spent How healthcare is more expensive for women Why women are more likely to die from a heart attack Why there is a disparity in healthcare between men and women How women can advocate for themselves How to identify medical gaslighting The unconventional way she developed her love for science and medicine How being a woman of color shapes her view on medicine and impacts clinical studies How to find a doctor or practice that works for you What gives her hope for the future How social media can actually benefit women Follow Hitha on Instagram @HithaPalepu and grab her book here! https://tinyurl.com/3s7p3pcc

Writer, Editor, Podcast Host, and most importantly, Sarah Michelle Gellar Historian, Evan Ross Katz has an unfiltered conversation about pop culture, internet culture, and of course celebrities! Today he dishes all about: What drew him to Hollywood The jobs not listed on his resume Standom and who he thinks has the most emphatic fandom How to write a great cold email Why he believes in protecting celebrities Why celebrity news culture is shifting His thoughts on internet culture What’s going down in his DMs He gives his candid thoughts on the etiquette of gossip, AI and its impact on culture, the performance of celebrity and Nepo babies He also reveals the surprising celebrity that loves to gossip, the celeb who blocked and unblocked him(!) and the person who influenced both of our careers Follow Evan on Instagram @evanrosskatz and check out his podcast Shut Up Evan!

Sinead Bovell is a consultant turned model turned futurist who loves to talk tech. She founded Waye a community preparing everyone for the future of work and life with advanced technologies. Through meaningful conversations, Sinead is making waves and shifting the perspective on who should be talking tech and who should be listening. Today we all need to listen to this impactful conversation about our future with AI.  Sinead shares valuable insights covering many topics, including: How AI has been a part of our lives for decades AI and the future How AI is actually good for humanity Why AI is not all doom and gloom What concerns you should have when it comes to AI Why the people building AI systems need to have diverse backgrounds How many historical biases affect AI  The faults with AI Which jobs will be most impacted by AI The forthcoming creative boom How AI will free up your time How the nature of work is changing  Her shocking prediction for the future sentiment of social media Her thoughts on the future regulation of AI And so much more! Follow Sinead on Instagram @SineadBovell

Actress + author Constance Wu (“Crazy Rich Asians” and “Hustlers”) joins the podcast to have a raw and unfiltered conversation about the scenes that make up her life and the stories told in her memoir, “Making a Scene.” Today she shares: The unique way she hustled before landing her first life changing role in Crazy Rich Asians and ultimately, Hustlers. Sexual harassment on “Fresh Off the Boat” Her experience with rape  Why she’s not afraid to use her voice + what she hopes others will gain from her honesty What she felt when she met Brad Pitt How she felt she had to prove herself Why she was paranoid the first few years of “Fresh Off the Boat” The controversial tweets – and how her life changed for the worse and then for the better afterward Judging women and why it’s not our fault Who she was most nervous to send her book to Why she has empathy for her abusers Why you won’t ever see her in a Rolls Royce or NYFW show Her relationship with fame now Her relationship with faith Why she wants her daughter to read her memoir And a piece of breaking news! Becoming a mom of 2 Follow Constance on Instagram @ConstanceWu and grab her book here!

Through the story of VIVA, an erotic magazine for women created by Bob Guccione (founder of the men’s magazine Penthouse), we are getting a history lesson today on FEMINISM! First wave, second wave, third wave, fourth wave? What does it all mean and where are we now? A little background: While VIVA was created by one of the most prominent figures in adult entertainment, it was staffed by female writers and editors and featured groundbreaking full-frontal male nudes, writing by feminist icons like Betty Friedan and profiles of literary legends like Maya Angelou. Its cover stars include Bianca Jagger and Shelley Duvall. Anna Wintour was even VIVA’s fashion editor at one point. But what is originally conceived as a high-end, progressive, sexual utopia for women… doesn't quite turn out that way. Jennifer Romolini is an award-winning writer, editor, and author of "Weird in a World That's Not: A Career Guide for Misfits" and the upcoming memoir, “Ambition Monster” (Atria Books, 2024). A longtime media executive, Romolini is the host of Crooked Media’s latest series “STIFFED”, which tells the true story of VIVA, one the first erotic magazines for women, and co-host of the “Everything is Fine” podcast with former Lucky Magazine editor-in-chief, Kim France. She started her career as a magazine fact checker working at Talk, Lucky, Glamour, Cosmo, and Allure. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, ELLE, Vogue, Fast Company, and many magazines that no longer exist. Follow Jennifer Listen to STIFFED (iHeartPodcasts + Crooked Media production) THANK YOU to our fantastic sponsor Green Chef: Use code prettysmart50 to get 50% off plus free shipping!! https://www.greenchef.com/

Sara Riff is a fashion veteran and Global Director of Entertainment Relations for Jimmy Choo. She is also host of the podcast “Having it All and Other Lies” and a founding member of the nonpartisan organization dedicated to creating a cultural shift around voting and civic engagement, I am a voter. Today she’s sharing: How defining her style by 3 words helped her hone in on her aesthetic. How she landed her dream job at Jimmy Choo and how her role has evolved while she’s been there. The best feedback she got early on in her career while interviewing for jobs. How fashion, beauty and art have a universal impact on women across the globe.  How shoes can really transform someone’s mindset and spirit. Her favorite parts of her job and what skill she is most proud of.  How the ways we shop and consume fashion has evolved over the years.  Why it’s important to have an image and a brand no matter who you are.  How having a daughter changed the way she talks to herself and how she feels about body image.  How she became a founding member of the I am a voter organization and what it’s been like to see its impact.  How she feels about brands taking a stand on social and political issues.  Her podcast, “Having it All and Other Lies” and why it’s so important to her to talk to powerhouse women who admit to not having it all.  Follow her on instagram @sara_riff

Special Drop! Listen to Chasing Sleep here: https://link.chtbl.com/a_-vQyo6 Katie Lowes + Adam Shapiro explore the fascinating relationship with sleep and the far-reaching effects of sleep on our quality of life.  Through engaging conversations with sleep experts and everyday people, they’ll uncover the intriguing connections between sleep and intimacy, parenting, creativity, work, and even our dreams.  The podcast aims to help listeners understand the importance of getting quality sleep and how to get more of it.

Internationally acclaimed artist, poet, author, comedian, and speaker, Alok Vaid Menon joins PRETTYSMART! They share:  What it was like being bullied as a child and how it impacted them. Their daily relationship with self acceptance and self hatred. How transitioning is not about gender for them. Why they feel the most beautiful when they are telling the truth. How we are politicizing just being and the impact of that. Why they think so many people are triggered by the concept of transgender rights. Their thoughts on color! Why we all need to be more curious and have more fun. What dopamine dressing is and how it’s beneficial for all of us! Gendering in fashion and why we should degender it. How we are all just souls playing dress up. Questions to ask yourself every day to lead to a happier and more fun filled life. Why we have to announce progress and look at small changes as big triumphs.  Why self forgiveness has been the hardest lesson for them. Why they say their earnestness is their most controversial identity. Follow Alok on Instagram here! 

We talk frequently about what it means to be a mother on this podcast. But what about what it means to be a father? And how do our relationships with our father’s impact us? Co-host of the Today show, anchor at NBC and author of the book "Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father." joins PRETTYSMART to talk about fatherhood, parenting and what his relationship with his dad has taught him about himself. He shares: Why we need to stop expecting people to become something they have no examples of. Why the hard times in his life have become what fuels him to be so successful. How the father/son bond has evolved for him over the years. The universal thing he's learned from interviewing so many dads over the years. His relationship with Al Roker and what his mentorship means to him. Why bringing his son to Take Your Child to Work Day made him so emotional. How he is breaking the generational curse and what he is doing differently with his own kids. What changed for him once he stopped molding his values to others and figured out what mattered most to him. The magic of silence and stillness and how that has helped him both personally and professionally. Follow Craig on Instagram @craigmelvinnbc and grab his book here!  Thank you to today’s podcast partner: OUAI: 15% off site wide when you use the code: PRETTYSMART