
Dear Twentysomething
The Dear Twentysomething podcast started because we wanted to create a space for ambitious and curious twentysomethings to connect with the successful changemakers they most look up to.A bit about me (your host!)... I'm Erica Wenger, a twentysomething entrepreneur and investor, and I'm so grateful for this badass community of twentysomethings who are here to get knowledge and be inspired! While the twenties can be a time full of questions and doubts, we’re here to humanize the whole thing. Sometimes you’ll hear from successful trailblazers who come on to share the highs and lows of their 20s, and other times you’ll hear words of wisdom from experts who will speak on a topic relevant for twentysomethings. And then on occasion, it’ll just be me on the mic hosting an episode where I share a recent reflection or story from my own life as I too am navigating this wild decade. Thank you for being here!Podcasts released every TUESDAY.
Latest episodes

Dec 6, 2022 • 26min
Solo Episode: Art of Cold Outreach
Discover the art of cold outreach and its pivotal role in networking success. Learn effective cold emailing techniques that prioritize clarity and brevity. Explore how active listening can transform connections and drive results. Understand how jealousy can be channeled into motivation for achieving your goals. Gain insights into the importance of confidence and competence in communication. Uncover actionable tips that empower you to create endless opportunities for personal and professional growth!

Nov 29, 2022 • 47min
Laura Wasser: Celebrity Divorce Attorney & Chief of Divorce Evolution At Divorce.Com
This week we chat with renowned celebrity divorce attorney, Laura Wasser.Laura is a family law expert, author, entrepreneur, and Chief of Divorce Evolution at Divorce.com. Laura has made it her driving purpose to help people divorce through less combative, more affordable modern solutions—in large part by founding online divorce service It’s Over Easy, which was folded into Divorce.com’s expansive platform in 2022. Finding common cause with Divorce.com, Laura also joined as Chief of Divorce Evolution, empowering her to share her passion for easing the devastating toll divorce can take on families and children.For over a decade, Laura has been changing the face of divorce. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family and Bankrupting Yourself.” She also hosts the Divorce Sucks! and All’s Fair podcasts, where she shares her expertise and guides divorcing couples in reclaiming control of their destinies.In this episode the pair trace back to the start of Laura’s journey as a rhetoric major at Cal Berkeley, transforming the art of argumentation through literary analysis into her lifelong career in law. The trials and tribulations of Laura’s twenties are seen as the defining moments of her future career and this week we’ve got the inside scoop. Conversations on the challenges of law school, nightclub employment, and high-profile clients are just the beginning… Twentysomethings, listen now for an hour of stories and wisdom from the successful Laura Wasser!Follow Us!Laura Wasser: @laurawasserofficialDivorce Evolution: website hereErica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Nov 22, 2022 • 50min
Enneagram EXPLAINED ft. Leah Elias: Co-founder of the Enneagram Studio
This week we chat with the expert on “Enneagrams”, Leah Elias. Leah studied Chinese at the University of Michigan as a means to challenge herself and spent her first five years post-grad in Beijing, cultivating the skills that landed her a Chief of Staff position. While achieving success and strides on paper, she found herself struggling with burnouts in her twenties. Leah was introduced to the Enneagram when she was looking to free herself from her lifelong struggle with perfectionism. This discovery was so profound and enlightening, she quit her job as Chief of Staff and is now a full time Enneagram coach and writer. In this explained episode, the pair breakdown just how this enneagram system of personality typing describes patterns in how people interpret the world and manage their emotions. Leah touches on the nine different enneagram types and explains how with each type, there lies an associated fear and desire acting as a driving force in the behaviors, decision making, and communication of that person.Leah ties her experiences with perfectionism, burnout, tainted relations and more back to her enneagram type and connects how all of these affairs of her life are improved and enriched as a result of understanding and working with enneagrams. Conversations on burnout at the peak of her career, frustration without solution, and improved relations as a result of enneagram work is just the beginning…Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour with the expert on all things enneagrams, Leah Elias!Follow Us!The Enneagram Studio: website hereFree Enneagram Test: website hereErica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Nov 15, 2022 • 48min
Emily Ruhl: Founder of Public School Pictures
This week we chat with the young and ambitious model-turned-writer and producer, Emily Ruhl. Emily is the founder of Public School Pictures, a full-service creative studio currently producing her first TV series, 13th Stepping. Before venturing into the world of film and production, Emily was the face of our favorite magazine prints and makeup lines for nearly a decade, starting at only age thirteen! Transitioning from the spotlight of the fashion and beauty industry to her role behind the scenes in film, this episode covers it all…In this episode the pair go back to the beginning of Emily’s journey at New York Fashion Week, age thirteen, where she was scouted and signed to her first modeling contract in Tokyo. Appearing as the face of everyone’s favorite magazines and makeup lines, Emily offers insight into her teenage years and what it meant to grow up fast in a city that never sleeps. She then dives into the challenges of growing up in the public eye as she transitions into film. Now, at twenty-three years old, she’s embracing the film industry not only through acting, but now writing and producing her first TV series, 13th Stepping, through her own production company, Public School Pictures. Conversations on mental obstacles, living alone in NYC as a teenager, and the inspiration behind her films today are just the beginning…Twentysomethings, listen now for an hour of inspiration with the incredible Emily Ruhl!Follow Us!Emily Ruhl: @emilyruhlPublic School Pictures: @publicschoolpicturesErica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Nov 8, 2022 • 38min
Solo Episode: My Personal Finance Journey
This week we’re talking all about finances with our host, Erica Wenger! Everything from making money, to spending, saving, and investing… Erica covers it all this week taking us back to the beginning of her personal finance journey. Establishing her perspective and relationship with money throughout the way, we see her personal evolution with finances and the role it plays in her career in social entrepreneurship. In this episode, Erica takes us through her personal practices for money management, the establishment of financial priorities, and offers tips and tricks for budgeting and saving. Conversations on a childhood support system to her present financial situation, Erica breaks down her “August strategy” and shares her inside secrets to investments and passive income. Twentysomethings, if you’re navigating a rough financial road, this is the episode for you. Listen now for a journey filled with gems and tips on managing personal finances to get you out of the rut with our host, Erica Wenger!Follow Us!Erica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @Deartwentysomething

Nov 1, 2022 • 51min
Melissa Ben-Ishay: Founder of "Baked By Melissa"
This week we chat with culinary and business genius, Melissa Ben-Ishay. Melissa Ben-Ishay is the founder of Baked by Melissa, the New York City-based dessert brand famous for its handcrafted, bite-size cupcakes in a wide variety of ever-changing flavors. The company ships nationwide, operates 14 stores and has sold over 150 million cupcakes. Every bite-size treat is still made by hand using only the most delicious ingredients. Melissa has been profiled in People, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, has been featured on The Tamron Hall Show, Today Show, and more. In October of 2017, she released her first cookbook, Cakes by Melissa, and currently serves as the company’s CEO.In this episode, the pair discuss Melissa’s career in advertising despite her childhood passion for baking, and how through her journey she found a way to combine all her talents and experiences. Capitalizing on the idea that people should be able to taste more flavors without a post-dessert guilt trip, she decided to do what she loved and launched Baked by Melissa in 2008. Bringing together culinary and entrepreneurship, Baked by Melissa embodies everything we love about business and passion. Conversations on childhood passion, corporate struggles, and following your dreams are just the beginning this week…Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour of inspiration where we mix business with guilt-free pleasure this week featuring Melissa Ben-Ishay!Follow Us!Melissa Ben-Ishay: @melissabenishayBaked by Melissa: @bakedbymelissaErica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Oct 25, 2022 • 37min
DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) EXPLAINED ft. Mariah Driver: Senior Product Inclusion & Equity Manager At Adobe
This week we chat with the woman on all things "DEI", Mariah Driver. DEI, or "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" is entering the workspace at rapid speed, and thankfully so! Mariah Driver was formerly the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Webflow, where she worked to design systems and experiences that enabled everyone to show up authentically and grow to their full potential.In this explained episode, the pair uncover Mariah's background in training and research in social scientific methods, critical race theory, and organizational psychology. Through all her work and experiences, Mariah seeks to question, reimagine, and redesign the systems and practices that surround us to ensure that all people can access equitable opportunities and build a better world. Conversations on the reality of equity, corporate structure, and a Q&A portion at the end are just the beginning.Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour with the expert on all things DEI and more with Mariah Driver!Follow Us!Mariah Driver: @mariahkellyyyErica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Oct 18, 2022 • 49min
Carolyn Yachanin: Founder & CEO of Copina Co.
This week we chat with the queen of the holistic beauty approach, Carolyn Yachanin. Carolyn is the founder and CEO of Copina Co., a plant-based boost blend line formulated by herbalists supporting the body’s natural collagen production and shifting the beauty industry from the inside out. Years of harsh acne medications left her skin dry and depleted with her gut health in shambles; here was the start of Carolyn’s journey to Copina Co. as she grew to believe that the new focus of beauty needs to be on internal health. Starting off as a wellness blog, Copina Co. has now launched several products both online and in our favorite stores, supporting the ideology that internal health is the key to beauty and therefore transforming the industry itself. In this episode, the pair trace back through Carolyn’s journey to Copina Co. starting at the beginning with her California native upbringing. Carolyn shares her experience healing cystic acne and gut health issues through holistic treatments and introduces us to the passion backing her business. Breaking away from the beauty standards, Carolyn encourages a focus on internal health as a means of achieving external beauty. Conversations on moments of doubt, changing the narrative of beauty standards, and holistic healing are just a peek into this episode…Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour of insight into the world of healing and beauty from the inside out with the inspiring, Carolyn Yachanin. **Use code DEARTWENTYSOMETHING to get 15% off your first order!Follow Us!Carolyn Yachanin: @carolynyachaninCopina Co: @copinaco (and website here)Erica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Oct 11, 2022 • 37min
Solo Episode: Launching a Podcast 101
This week we’re bringing you the episode you’ve all been waiting for with our host, Erica Wenger! The host of our favorite podcast is here to breakdown every element of the networking platform of our generation. Why podcasts? How do I start one? What are your favorites? This week Erica covers it all… In this episode, Erica goes step by step into launching a podcast of your own and offers various inside-scoop tips for a successful venture into this new space. Taking us from an idea to execution, she touches on the questions we all want answers to. Conversations on confidence, connection, and consistency are the key ingredients to this episode and this career…Twentysomethings, if you’ve thought about starting a podcast of your own, look no further! Listen now for the step by step guide to launching a podcast this week with our very own host, Erica Wenger!Follow Us!Erica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Oct 4, 2022 • 49min
Helene Servillon: Investor & Founder of JourneyOne Ventures
This week we chat with the businesswoman of all things cannabis, Helene Servillon. Helene Servillon is the Founding Partner of JourneyOne Ventures, a 100% woman and minority owned early stage cannabis fund that invests in founders with prior executive-level management experience in cannabis or tangential industries. She is also a Senior Advisor to Bowen's cannabis practice, a Boston based investment bank.In this episode, the pair reveal how Helene combines her niche for problem-solving with her insatiable curiosity to succeed as an entrepreneur. Breaking away from the psychedelic stigma, Helene offers healing insights into the new market. Highlighting Helene’s career pivots, the pair take us along her journey to cannabis. Conversations on Netflix documentaries, venture capital imposter syndrome, and business-cannabis are just the beginning…Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour of boldness and brilliance with Helene Servillon.Follow Us!Helene Servillon: @HServillonJourneyOne Ventures: @JourneyOneVC (and website here)Erica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething