THE CITY CONFESSIONS

This week's episode features Anneliese Gartner, the CEO and Founder of Apto Media, which is a creative marketing agency based in NYC. Her main goal is to help businesses grow and succeed. In this episode, Anneliese gives suggestions for those who are interested in starting a business and the importance of building a network. She also shares that managing expectations with clients is a huge component in how she runs her business. As someone who has lived in several neighborhoods in New York City, Anneliese confesses that she has a love/ hate relationship with the city. She also reveals, like most of us, that she doesn't have it all figured out, but she is trying her best. Given the pandemic, Anneliese is also finding new ways to still work with clients whose budgets have been cut because her main passion is to help businesses grow. You can fine Anneliese on her social platforms below: Website: https://www.aptomedia.co/ Apto Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aptomediaco/ Anneliese Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anneliesegartner/ Sign Up for her newsletter: https://www.aptomedia.co/subscribe VIP Marketer Day: https://www.aptomedia.co/vip-marketer-day Feel free to direct any questions or comments regarding this episode to thecityconfessions@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's guest is Dr. Jennifer Tsai, a Manhattan optometrist, entrepreneur, and influencer/model in New York City. She is the founder of Carrot Eyewear, a trendy but affordable blue-filter computer eyewear line and also recently opened LINE OF SIGHT, a modern eyecare and wellness studio in Hudson Yards. Dr. Jennifer Tsai walks us through how she her positive and personal experience with eye-care in addition to her passion for helping others led her to a career path in optometry. Originally showcasing only her travels on her Instagram account, Jennifer made a conscious decision to include her career on her page, which was not an easy decision. However, it has proved to be a great move as she found it beneficial to launch her business. Jennifer talks about her strengths with time management and finding balance in her life as she juggles being an optometrist, a business woman and a public figure. This episode ends with some helpful tips on how to take care of your eyes and of course a confession that I'm sure many of us have ourselves, so you don't want to miss out on knowing what that is! Feel free to follow Dr. Jennifer Tsai on Instagram and all of her social links can be found below: Dr. Jennifer Tsai | Carrot Eyewear | Light of Sight Vision  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's episode features Thomas C Knox, a Master Connection Curator, Social Entrepreneur, and Thought Leader from Brooklyn, New York. His critically acclaimed movement, Date While You Wait puts a brilliant spin on connection and communication. He has received attention from the likes of CNN and the NY Times and is currently producing a television series. Thomas is deeply committed to developing strong communities and passionate about innovating ways to bring people from all walks of life. Thomas is also the owner of The Connection Collective and BeGreat Bow Ties. Both companies put a unique spin on creating meaningful connections.  In this episode, Thomas talks about his relationship with NYC, his love for the city, and his passion for telling stories and making an impact in people's lives. Thomas also opens about his upbringing in a foster home as a child and explains how his childhood taught him the value of brotherhood, unity and relationships. He also credits how his past has led him to his career path today as a connection curator and entrepreneur. Feel free to connect with Thomas on his social platforms, which can be found below: Thomas Knox: @TheConnectionCurator Date While You Wait - DateWhileYouWait.tv - @DateWhileYouWait The Connection Collective - Instagram: @TheConnectionCollective BeGreat Bow Ties - BeGreatBowTies.com - Instagram: @BeGreatBowTies Feel free to email any feedback, questions or suggestions to thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's guest features entrepreneur and boss lady, Ekaterina Bykova. As a ballroom dancer from Siberia, Ekaterina came here with the dream of becoming a business woman in NYC. After working for a big dance company for 2.5 years, she decided to open her own studio in Manhattan. With the support from her friends, Ekaterina was able to navigate through the first few years of operating her business. When her lease was up in Manhattan, she decided to open a new location in Hoboken, New Jersey, which proved to be a smart move as she saw her business thriving in the early years. As someone who has an entrepreneurial mindset, Ekaterina also found herself contributing to the beginning successes of Komnata Quest, which is an escape room business. Throughout her business journey and projects, Ekaterina has learned how to navigate through struggles and failures. She is currently now working on a new business in Miami that involves boat cruises. Feel free to follow Ekaterina on Instagram to keep up to date with all her business ventures. Feel free to email thecityconfessions@gmail.com if you have any feedback or questions about this episode.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This episode features self taught live sketch artist and illustrator Sarah Nisbett, who loves to draw people, fashions, pets and animals that she encounters “on the way” and is the creative director behind Drawn on the Way. Originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., Sarah has a B.A. in art history from the University of Michigan and an M.M. in vocal performance, from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. She moved to New York to pursue music, and after a successful career as a professional opera singer, she decided to follow her other dream of working in advertising. Now on her third career, she continues to live in NYC where she draws people and writes for a living. In this episode, Sara talks about how she curiosity about people's stories sparked her to draw people on the NYC subway. She then realized that her art was being seen and received well on social media, so she was able to transform her hobby into a business. Due to the pandemic, Sarah also explains how she is using this time to shift her work and business to other mediums. She is a true believer in the "fake it till you make it" mentality and explains why her philosophy "you are a work of art" is such a core element of her work. All of Sarah's links can be found below: Drawn On The Way: Website: www.drawonontheway.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/drawnontheway Drawn On Your Day: Turn Your Vows Into A Work Of Art Website: www.drawononyourday.com Instagram:www.instagram.com/drawnonyourday Be The Change Fundraising Collection: https://drawn-on-the-way.myshopify.com/collections/uprising-fundraising-collection And feel free to email any questions, comments or feedback about this episode to thecityconfessions@gmail.com.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This episode features Sana Akhand, CEO and CoFounder of Jet Black Social Club,  which is an all inclusive social club whose main mission is to create a safe place for people from all different backgrounds to feel welcome. Sana talks about her relationship with New York City and how she transitioned from working for companies to traveling for a year to now starting her own business. She explains her love for entrepreneurship and how her travels and desire for community sparked her idea to start Jet Black Social Club. Launched in April of this year, she is optimistic about its future and is looking forward to getting more members to join the online community as well as opening a club house in New York City in 2021. If you would like to join Jet Black Social Club, feel free to check out their membership options on their website and be sure to follow Jet Black Social Club on Instagram and follow Sana on Instragram too! If you have any questions or feedback regarding this episode, you can email thecityconfessions@gmail.com.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Season 4 of The City Confessions kicks off with our first guest featuring Gabby Shacknai, a New York-based journalist and editor who covers beauty and wellness, food and travel, and lifestyle. Her work has appeared in Fortune, ELLE, Travel + Leisure, Air Mail, Departures, and Women's Health, among other outlets. Gabby talks about how she discovered her love for storytelling and journalism at an early age and how her journey to pursuing her dream job has led her to now become a freelance writer. She also talks about the complexities and realities of freelancing and how she is trying to make a name for herself as a writer and editor through her pitches and relationships.  Gabby also opens up about the struggles with setting high expectations for herself and her fear of never feeling satisfied or completely happy, at least in a professional setting. As a highly ambitious individual, Gabby is inspiring and will surely motivate you all to do more and be more! Feel free to follow Gabby on Instagram and be sure to also check out her latest articles on her website. If you have any questions or feedback regarding this episode, you can email thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

The City Confessions is back for season 4! After taking a much needed break, your host Mariann Yip is back with a solo episode. In this episode, I spend the first portion recapping what I've been through and how I'm feeling as July was a difficult month for me. I open up about my anxiety, my friend's passing and how I have been handling and dealing with the loss and grief. I also talk about my passions and values including mental health, self care and therapy and reveal two confessions relating to those topics. I close out the episode with excitement as I am gearing up to interviewing guests for the next episodes. If you would love to be a guest on this episode or have any feedback/ questions regarding this podcast, feel free to email thecityconfessions@gmail.com. Feel free to also support this podcast by following the Instagram account! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week’s episode closes out the third season of The City Confessions and is a solo one from yours truly, Mariann Yip. I start out the episode with my current life updates as I recap what’s going on in the world including the global pandemic/ COVID and the Black Lives Matter movement. I also open up about my experience with anxiety and recall my first encounter with it when I was a child in school. I still struggle with anxiety until this day and I’ve been met with different forms including social anxiety and sleep anxiety. This episode is raw, pretty much unedited and is a ranting session of all my emotions, feelings and thoughts in one unapologetic recording. Feel free to connect with me on Instagram and email thecityconfessions@gmail.com should you have any feedback or comments regarding this episode. The City Confessions will return for season 4 in August so stay tuned for that! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's episode feature Asha Tarry, an author, an award-winning community mental health advocate, psychotherapist, and certified life coach. As a treating provider, Asha has 20 years of experience providing evaluations, diagnoses, treatment, and life-enhancing skills to children, adults, families, and couples. A significant portion of Ms. Tarry’s work has been conducted in marginalized communities with survivors of intergenerational trauma, as well as with professionals in search of a fulfilling life. The goal of Asha’s work is to enlighten, educate, and create safe spaces for everyone, from children to the elderly to live more emotionally empowered and mentally resilient.  Given what's currently happening in the world in regards to  George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter movement, this episode tackles the difficult topics surrounding the injustice that many Black people face in the United States. Asha gives her insight on how people can manage their grief about George Floyd and the systemic treatment of people of color, how people can manage their anxiety during the current news cycle, and what people can do to support the BLM movement at home. We also talk about anxiety, compassion, the misconceptions with therapy and the importance of self care and mental health. You can connect with Asha on Instagram, book a session with her on her website, and be sure to preorder her upcoming book, Adulting as a Millennial: A Guide to Everything Your Parents Didn’t Teach You. If you have any questions regarding this episode, feel free to email thecityconfessions@gmail.com.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today’s episode features native New Yorker Jennifer Jeng, who is currently the Public Relations and Influencer Relations Manager of Glow Recipe. She walks us through her background working in the beauty industry and how she landed her current job at Glow Recipe. As a PR specialist, she clarifies some misconceptions people have about the PR industry as a whole and how being bold and ambitious as a woman can be misinterpreted as coming off as being too strong or too off putting. She gives advice on how to foster genuine relationships and the importance of authenticity when it comes to building a strong network. We also talk about the global pandemic and Jennifer explains how she’s handling working from home and how’s she staying productive. You can connect with Jenn on Instagram and if you have any questions regarding this episode, email thecityconfessions@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's guest features photographer and traveler, Nastasia Yakoub, who is also the author and founder of Dame Traveler. In this episode, she talks about how she created a women travel community on social media, which currently has over 595,000 followers and what event inspired her to embark on her first solo trip to Africa. As someone who is both a perfectionist and empath, Nastasia opens up about struggling with ptsd, anxiety and depression, but shares how she has learned to deal with it and overcome it. Since the pandemic, Nastasia offers her prediction about what the travel industry may look like in the future and how she will be prioritizing domestic travel. She also shares an unexpected confession relating to dating and NYC so you're not going to want to miss hearing that! You can support Nastasia Yakoub by purchasing her Dame Traveler book here and make sure you follow both @dametraveler on Instagram as well as Nastasia's personal page and blog. If you have any questions regarding this episode, feel free to email thecityconfessions@gmail.com.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's episode features Danielle Lupo, who is an International Playmate and has been featured in editorial spreads, such Playboy, GQ, Industry and Inked Magazines. What you may not know is that she also has been working in the Healthcare field for almost 10 years and is a Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT). Danielle has been breaking stereotypes and shattering the norm in the modeling industry from her college days. In this episode, she walks us through her healthcare journey and how her past car accident impacted her life. She also explain how she balances both careers and clarifies myths that people might have of her and what she does. Get excited to be inspired by this episode as we dive more into topics including how Danielle balances a non-traditional career path and overcoming judgements and stereotypes, wellness tips to stay healthy during quarantine and what it's like to date a celebrity tattoo artist. Feel free to connect with Danielle Lupo on Instagram and you can email thecityconessions@gmail.com should you have any feedback, comments or questions regarding this episode.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

Today's guest features Sunnya Sultan, who is the Gucci Assistant Manager of North America and lifestyle blogger based in NYC. Hear how she landed her dream job as she walks us through her impressive background working in the fashion industry for big brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Barneys, Fendi and Chanel. Sunnya is a very family oriented individual and explains why she values family and why she prioritizes cultivating and maintaining close relationships with her loved ones. Sunnya believes heavily in giving back and explains why we should be more considerate of others. Be prepared to listen to a mushy episode as we both profess our love for one another and leave feeling inspired to build better relationships with your friends and family! You can connect with Sunnya on Instagram and feel free to email any questions, comments or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support

This week's episode features entrepreneur and boss babe Lara Eurdolian. Lara Eurdolian is a beauty expert, on-air-talent, entrepreneur, and founder of Pretty Connected (prettyconnected.com), the award winning, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blog. As someone who has years of experience under her belt, she explains how and why she started her blog, the importance of branding and networking and the journey she embarked on to get to where she is today. Lara went from working with brands as a consultant to now running her own brand and business and offers advice to those who want to do the same. She recently launched a signature accessories line specializing in BOSS rings and fashionable multi-use straps that can be used to carry bags, cameras, water bottles, flip flops and beyond. She also co-founded the non-profit, Share Your Beauty, an initiative that collects unused, unopened hygiene and beauty products and delivers them to shelters in NYC and the tri-state area. Since launching in 2014, Share Your Beauty has collected and distributed over 150,000 products to those in need.  Get ready to be inspired by this episode as Lara is full of wisdom and is truly doing what others can only imagine! Feel free to connect with Lara Eurdolian on Instagram and make sure you check out her blog. If you have any questions, feedback or comments regarding this episode, please email thecityconfessons@gmail.com.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support