THE CITY CONFESSIONS

Today's guest is Esther Santer, a lifestyle and fashion blogger based in NYC and also a mom to a one year old boy. We talk all things related to blogging, social media, motherhood and more! Topics covered include:  How Esther got started as a fashion blogger 10 years ago by crashing Anna Sui fashion show and how that moment sparked her blogging career  Struggle of deciding whether or not to share her son on social media  Advocacy for IVF and personal fertility journey Importance of having a support system with raising a child  Biggest Surprises about Motherhood  Taking care of her Mental Health as a first time mom  Opening up about lack of confidence in starting things  Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com ABOUT ESTHER SANTER: Esther Santer is a lifestyle blogger based in NYC. Esther uses her platforms to share her daily life as a first time mom, alongside outfit inspiration and shopping recommendations. She is also passionate about advocating for infertility awareness. You can find her on EstherSanter.com or on social @esthersanter. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's guest is Michelle Lin, the founder and CEO of Mooncat, which is a Taiwanese-owned nail brand. The nail polishes are all vegan and cruelty-free and the motto is weirdos, welcome home. In this episode, we talk about the below topics including:  - Michelle Lin adapting to American life as a first generation immigrant - Dropping out of college to run a business with her brother and started painting her own nails as a stress reliever - Rebranding Live Love Polish to Mooncat and making a niche but inclusive brand - Role of social media in Mooncat’s success - Being involved and active on social media and connecting with her community - Opening up about mental health and leadership struggles as a female leader with Taiwanese values - Full process of having an idea for nail polish collection to execution to final product - Nailcare Tips  Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com ABOUT MICHELLE LIN: Michelle Lin is the founder & CEO of Mooncat, a nail polish brand offering otherworldly, special effects nail lacquer that's long-lasting, vegan, and cruelty-free. She is a first generation immigrant from Taiwan, and was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Retail & eCommerce. Mooncat: www.mooncat.com https://www.instagram.com/mooncat/ https://www.instagram.com/checkyesmichelle/ https://www.tiktok.com/@checkyesmichelle?lang=en --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's guest is Alyssa Brieloff, a Spiritual Soulpreneur and Content Creator. She is a Reiki healer working with the chakra system to help rebalance energy and unearth people's purpose. Her mission is to help individuals find more alignment and discover their guide within so they can live their best life.     In this episode, we talk about the following topics:   - What the term soulpreneur means and what reiki healing is   - Opening up about hiding her spirituality and how she’s learned to embrace it - Introduction to spirituality: upbringing, grandma’s role, learning reiki healing at a young age - Power of recognizing signs from the universe   - Struggle with identity to New York and detaching yourself from labels and job titles   - Challenge: finding abundance within and asking for help - How to find your alignment with your soul, inner compass, intuition: awareness is key before alignment - Difference between fear and intuition - Reframing failure and seeing rejection as redirection    Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com  https://www.instagram.com/alyssabrieloff/ www.alyssabrieloff.com/angelnocollection --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Hong Thaimee is a chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has served as a global ambassador for Thai cuisine and culture for nearly a decade and the owner of Thaimee Love, a thai restaurant in NYC. In this episode, we dive deeper into her story and her journey of making it NYC as a chef. Other topics include: Why Hong moved to NYC from Thailand to pursue her dream: opening up about the struggles and challenges throughout her journey  Her love for Thai culture and serving people and how she incorporates that as a chef How she picks herself back up after burnout and experiencing lows in her business  The power of resilience and belief in "if there’s a will there’s a way" Being a student of life Story about unfortunate experience in her restaurant: customers and disrespect Advice on cooking during the holidays: keeping it simple and respecting yourself first Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com ABOUT HONG THAIMEE:  Originally from Chiang Mai, Thailand, Hong Thaimee is a chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has served as a global ambassador for Thai cuisine and culture for nearly a decade. After successful careers as both a model and business executive in Bangkok, Hong felt drawn to pursue a more personally meaningful path. Armed with drive, a Master’s Degree in business, but little professional kitchen experience, Hong set off for New York City with the goal of sharing her love for Thai food with the world. She used her tenacity to secure cooking jobs at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s acclaimed Spice Market and Perry Street restaurants, where she spent several years mastering classic technique. Hong went on to open Thaimee Box and Thaimee Magic, fast-casual concepts serving her signature style of Thai cooking. In the Fall of 2020, Hong debuted her latest venture, Thaimee Love.  After a successful pop-up restaurant to trial the concept, her permanent new restaurant, Thaimee Love opened in October 2021, in New York’s W Houston Street, specializing in “Baan Baan” cuisine, replicating the comforting, home-style Northern Thai dishes. https://www.hongthaimee.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's guest is Laura Caruso, a dating, relationship and sex therapist based in NYC. In this episode, Laura explains how her passion for mental health motivated her to switch career paths and pursue psychology and counseling. We talk all things related to dating and relationship including the below topics: The role of sex in relationships Importance of emotional intimacy in relationships and how to grow it in relationships Difference between how a male and woman’s brain is wired How to keep it spicy in a relationship Having conversations about the bare minimum and relationship needs Understanding your partner’s love language and how that stems from childhood Different Attachment Styles and how to heal triggers and symptoms Confession: Hoe dating phase in NYC Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. ---------------------------------- About Laura Caruso: Laura Caruso is a dating, relationship, & sex therapist based in New York City. She is the host of Emotionally Available, an upcoming dating & relationship podcast, which features unhinged conversations about modern dating culture and explores ways to find deeper connections in a superficial world. IG - https://www.instagram.com/lauracaruso.therapy/ Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/emotionallyavailablepodcast/ Website - https://lauracarusotherapy.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's guest is Stevie Bowen, the founder and author of The City of Dating, her memoir turned dating community platform dedicated to helping others date to find themselves, not their soulmates. In this episode, we talk all about dating in NYC as we both wrote a book about our experiences.   We also cover the below topics:  - What inspired Stevie to write The City of Dating: how her memoir gave her closure, changing the narrative in dating and managing expectations   - Biggest dating lesson: not giving too much to another person before having the exclusivity talk or being in a relationship  - The beauty of going on dates and putting yourself out there - Her outlook on dating apps: bumble, hinge, raya, foreplay   - Starting conversations in dating because communication is key   - Crazy NYC story, Never Have I Ever Edition, NYC Fire Round Questions   Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com ------------------- About Stevie Brown: Stevie Bowen is the founder and author of The City of Dating, her memoir turned dating community platform dedicated to helping others date to find themselves, not their soulmates. Writer and dating enthusiast, Stevie writes a weekly dating advice column for The City of Dating, sharing dating stories, tips, and inspiration for singles and daters. The City of Dating hosts single-inspired events in New York City, focusing on enjoying dating as an experience rather than a means to an end. Stevie has published works in Residence 11 and works as a Fashion Director in NYC. Buy The City of Dating, A Memoir (Hardcover): https://www.thecityofdating.com/shopbook Buy The City of Dating, A Memoir (E-Book): https://books2read.com/thecityofdating Instagram: @thecityofdating TikTok: @thecityofdating Facebook: @thecityofdating --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's guest is Tara West, a fashion stylist, blogger and podcaster. In this episode, we talk about Tara's background and how she got into fashion. Other topics include: - How and why she pursued therapy in school - Opening up about her past trauma and healing process - How she learned to find her strength and trusting herself - Being authentic on social media about her story - Celebrating all her wins and brand collaborations - Finding balance in her life as an entrepreneur and mom of three - Importance of Consistency in life - Fall Styling Advice ABOUT TARA WEST: “Don’t wait for opportunity. Create opportunity”. These are the inspiring words of Tara West, a mother of three, former psychotherapist-turned-stylist and fashion podcaster, go-getter, and survivor. Tara is the visionary for the Tara West Fashion brand, an award-winning fashion and lifestyle blog. Since 2011, Tara has captivated audiences with her impeccable style, travels, beauty trials, and custom shopping experiences from Boston to NYC to LA. But Tara is much more than an influencer. Born in Beverly Hills, the daughter of a wealthy trust fund mother and a prominent criminal attorney father, Tara had what appeared to be a picture-perfect childhood from the outside. She grew up in the glamorous hills of Hollywood, attended the best schools with celebrity classmates, and shopped on Rodeo Drive regularly. Her life seemed fabulous to an onlooker, but that wasn’t the case. Tara’s painful story takes you through the dark and disturbing side of growing up in an environment with addiction, abuse, and abandonment, and how she survived - even thrived. Today, Tara has amassed a first-class roster of clients, enviable designer relationships, various industry awards, and a robust and rapidly growing audience who tune in to her content across her site, her appearances, and social media. One of her proudest accomplishments has been fostering confidence in her styling clients through one-on-one interactions. “I work with some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. But even the most successful person might have an insecurity or two that they are working through. I use my tools to create elevated and empowering looks for my clients, making all the difference in how they see themselves, and I love that.” Tara has been featured in outlets such as NBC 10’s The Hub, Huffington Post, Boston Magazine, and others for her incredible work. Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's guest is Ashika Kalra, who is the co-author of Behind Her Vision: Women of New York City, a book featuring 25 pioneering women across the arts, social impact, entrepreneurship, finance, and more. In this episode, we talk more about her journey of publishing this book in 2021 and writing this during the pandemic. Other topics include: How she and her co-worker Jade Chen decided to write their book Behind Her Vision: Women of New York City How they approached the idea, the process behind writing a book from beginning to end, what their inspiration was, how they hand selected the 25 featured women, and how they overcame the difficulty in writing this during the pandemic Power of cold emailing, networking, researching Reality of self funding writing project while working full time: how they approached distributors, stores, and investing their own money in the process Lessons, challenges and highlights of getting the book published and in NYC bookstores Ashika’s goals with her book for the future Her confession including prioritization and not feeling guilty about productivity About Ashika Klara: Ashika Kalra currently works at a venture capital firm based in New York. In her day job, Ashika has the opportunity to meet with some of the most game-changing entrepreneurs of our generation and collaborate with them as they launch their business from the ground up. She is also a Tedx Speaker and has been recognized as a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum. Last year, she released her first book, Behind Her Vision: Women of New York City, co-authored with her dear friend, Jade Chen. The book explores a rare angle on perseverance from the lens of 25 pioneering NYC women, including: Samantha Barry, Editor-in-Chief Glamour Mahogany L. Browne, Award-Winning Poet & Writer Nina Davuluri, Former Miss America ... and many more! Inspired by their own need for role models, Ashika and Jade set out to expand their love for design and photography in a beautiful coffee table book that sparks vulnerable conversations about societal norms, imposter syndrome, career-defining moments, and heartbreak. Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This episode features Melanie Ramos, a professional dancer and choreographer from Miami, Florida. We sit down and dive deeper into her dance background and her journey from her dance training to where she is at now as a freelancer. Other topics we discuss include: - Mel’s dance background: life revolving around dancing, school and career - Breaking the path of being a traditional dancer in a company to freelancing and teaching - Pros and Cons of discipline in dancing and sacrifices in the process - Learning to speak up and standing her ground along her journey -Redefining happiness And we end this episode with Mel’s confession revolving around dating, sugar daddies, NYC and universe timing that you don't want to miss! Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. -------------------------------------------------------------- About Melanie Ramos: Melanie is a professional dancer, choreographer and fitness trainer at P.volve. Originally from Miami, Florida, Melanie moved to New York to attend SUNY Purchase College to receive her BFA in Dance. Now living in NY for 8 years, she continues to work as a freelancer in the dance industry as a contemporary ballet choreographer while pursuing a full time job at P.volve as a trainer teaching at their NYC studio, filming workouts for their on demand platform and leading new teacher trainings at the NYC studio to ensure that the P.volve method delivery meets their top-quality standards. https://linktr.ee/melanieramosss --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This episode features Stephanie Rommelt, the director and founder of Her Studio New York, which is a creative agency connecting upcoming brands with emerging creatives to build conceptual imagery. We dive deeper into Stephanie's story and discuss the following topics:  -What her marketing experience in FIT taught her Finding her values and interests in sustainability, diversity and community - Being self reliant and determined in running her business Her Studio New York Balancing work and mental wellbeing - Not separating her business and her personal life Finding happiness in the little things -Where her groundedness stems from Power of manifestation and visualization Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. About Stephanie Rommelt: Stephanie Rommelt is the creative director, producer and founder of  Her Studio New York, led by emerging creatives based in NYC offering full-service photo and video shoots. The agency provides content creation and marketing catering to the rise of women owned-businesses while capturing self-discovery and sharing our stories through authentic imagery.     About Her Studio New York: We believe that when women work together, incredible things happen. We are building an inclusive network of photographers, stylists, branding specialists, aspiring art directors, talent, and everything in between. Our mission is centered on amplifying voices by diversifying representation in and behind content creation.   Work with us or start planning your shoot: https://bit.ly/3Fjy82T  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Season 8 of The City Confessions kicks off with Ilana Dunn, the host of the podcast Seeing Other People and her mission is to help you feel less alone and more empowered in your dating life. From one podcast host to another, we dive into a conversation revolving around the reality of dating in NYC.  Other topics that we discuss include:  - Ilana's dating history background and opening up about her past experience - How and why she started her podcast Seeing Other People and the moment she decided to pursue her podcast full-time - Her experience working at Hinge: her number rule working there, what she learned and asking her audience for help and advice after a breakup - Balancing work and personal life (prioritizing mental health) - Biggest lesson from dating stems from communication and importance of "if you don't ask, you don't get" - Differences between man and woman's brain: processing things differently, emotions vs logic - Ilana's city confession: not being as confident as she may appear - New York City fire round questions and Never have I ever dating edition  Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com.  About Ilana Dunn: Ilana Dunn is a Millennial and Gen Z Dating Expert, Content Creator, and host of the podcast Seeing Other People where she helps people feel less alone and more empowered in their dating lives. After a two-year stint as Hinge Lead Content Creator, Ilana created Seeing Other People to help daters all over the world overcome the challenges they're facing so they can find the relationship they're looking for and have the tools to make it last. Links: @seeingotherpeople IG and the Apple Podcasts page! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Welcome to Season 8 of The City Confessions! I am back with a solo episode, and updating all of you on my biggest life updates with a huge surprising announcement. I am finally ready to share that I AM PREGNANT! Since the closing of season 7, I have kept quiet about everything going on in my life as I needed time to digest the news myself. I talk more about the last three months including:   Why I’ve kept my pregnancy a secret, not following the traditional route of marriage and relationships, how I met my partner and celebrating this unexpected, but exciting and beautiful journey Details regarding my pregnancy journey thus far (first trimester symptoms, feelings, hormonal changes, etc) How I’m feeling now, the moment I decided to finally celebrate and talk about it openly Mourning old identity and version of my old life and making room for this new life ahead Confession: Being scared of the future but embracing changes and motherhood Thank you for listening and supporting me! You can also follow me on Instagram as I'll be updating you all on my pregnancy journey now that the news is out. www.instagram.com/mariann_yip Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This episode is the 150th episode and the last episode of Season 7 of The City Confessions! This is a solo episode featuring me, your host Mariann Yip. I open up about what I'm currently going through by offering insight and advice on how to weather out the storms. I also reveal my technique of seeing life as a movie script as a healing tool to  restore power back into your life.  I advocate for mental health and explain why I'll be taking time for myself to take care of her mental well being and emotional health. Please share this with a friend who might be going through a rough patch and please use this episode as a reminder that it's okay to rest and to put yourself first. Thank you for all your support and I'll see you on other side when Season 8 premieres later this year. Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's guest is emerging American Pop Singer/ Songwriter based in NYC and DC, Marilyn Hucek. In this episode, we talk about her pursuing her dream as a music artist and her rebirth and rediscovery for her passion. The topics we cover include: – Marilyn Hucek's internal struggle of wanting to be a singer but not thinking it was possible – Auditioning for the Voice without anybody knowing (why she kept it a secret and what she learned from it) – The moment she decided to follow her dreams (how covid pushed her to be an artist, struggling with personal family matters, overcoming fears and insecurities) – Asking for help and tapping into her network – Being Her own fan and cheerleader – Behind the scenes: creative process, releasing a song, booking concerts – Confession about funding and believing in herself If you are available on June 27, definitely check out Marilyn Huckek's show at Mercury Lounge. Tickets can be found here: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00005CA2059F5596 ABOUT MARILYN HUCKEK: Marilyn Hucek, is an American-Chilean pop singer-songwriter. Born in Washington D.C., Marilyn currently resides in New York City. After dreaming of being a pop star since before she can remember, Marilyn auditioned for The Voice with hopes of finally starting her career. After not securing a spot on the TV show, Marilyn had all but lost hope in a career as an artist. During the stay-at-home order of 2020 her father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, contracted coronavirus while at a retirement home. In order to cope with her inability to visit him, Marilyn returned to songwriting, which she had used to express her emotions since she was young, and gave life to a special song she dedicated to her father and soon became her debut single. Since then, Marilyn has released several singles and an EP which collectively received hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify. Marilyn is currently working on new music. Music, Concert Ticket, Socials: https://listen.marilynhucek.com/profile --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

In this episode, I am joined by my good friend Debora also known as Deb, who is a NYC content creator, Youtuber and photographer. We sit down to talk about her journey and story with social media.  Other topics include:  - What her relationship with NYC is: identity with being an American Haitian (what that means to her and what that means from the world) - Her journey and story with social media: how she got started (teaching herself everything she needed to know with content creation including video editing, photography, etc) - How she structures her days: what her morning routine looks like, why she sets goals and what her personal goals are at the moment - Being an Empath: how she balances that out with taking care of herself - Confession regarding NYC and her love for it Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. You can find and connect with Deb bellow: https://www.instagram.com/msnerdychica/ https://youtube.com/msnerdychica https://amzn.to/3lhhSaK --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support