Grit & Glamour

ChrisTina Lee and Jerome Lamaar to the show, two phenomenal, powerful creatives who began their relationship at Baby Phat, a brand founded by Kimora Lee Simmons. At the time, ChrisTina was working as the VP of Branding at Baby Phat, and recruited the then 15-year old Jerome Lamaar to design. Today, ChrisTina is the Principal at the Love Branding Team, where she works with brands such as Nike, Hello Kitty, and Google, while Jerome has gone from Baby Phat to designing for Beyonce, and continuing to make his mark in fashion through collaborations with future forward brands such as Samsung and Phillips, while launching his new brand, 5:31.

Given the times we are living in, embodying healing is more urgent than ever. But in order to heal our society, we must first learn to find peace and love within ourselves first. The root in any world transformation is the transformation that takes place inside each of us. And in order to foster healthy relationships (whether platonic or romantic), we must learn to have a healthy connection with ourselves. In this conversation, I talk with Surrendered Healing Founder Adelina about how to embark on a healing journey rooted in self-love, so we can be better equipped to attract the kind of healthy relationships that seed healing within our friends, families, and our communities.

On today's episode, we're going to hear from Jessica Marati Radpavar, founder of Reconsidered, to share what aspiring sustainability professionals need to know about how to prepare yourself for a career with real impact that goes beyond buzzwords, and instead, into true, meaningful action. Reconsidered is a boutique consultancy that helps companies and orgs build impactful social impact strategies, communications, and community. Reconsidered also curates a fantastic newsletter and job board for sustainability and social impact professionals.

This episode features Jennifer Navarro-Marroquin, founder of Claiming Prosperity and Co-Founder of Community Well. She is proud to have a practice that integrates two of her passions - Holistic Healing and Financial Education. She is a seasoned healing professional who also happens to be a financial professional who helps individuals, families, & business owners to secure their financial futures.

If you feel like you've taken losses this year, I want to introduce you to someone very special to me who has taught me how to establish a winning inner spirit regardless of external circumstances. If you need a beam of sunshine to break through your dark clouds, I encourage you to tune into this episode featuring my dear friend, spiritual mentor, and ✨LUMINARY✨ Dr. Kumiko Endo.

What can the fashion industry learn from indigenous wisdom and traditions? In this episode, Native American designer Delina White talks about her design philosophies, the story behind her creations, what her community has taught her about designing fashion in a way that respects planet and human life, and how the future of fashion can move towards the direction of cultural respect.

The US Elections are just around the corner, and many of us are feeling anxiety over the potential results. In the midst of everything else happening in the world, the fear of what the electoral outcomes may be weighing heavily on our minds. In this episode, I talk with Carri Twigg, who worked under Vice President Joe Biden as the Director of Public Affairs during the Obama Administration, about how we can manage election anxiety, her personal experience working with Joe Biden, how to stand in hope for American regardless of what happens, and of course, the politics of dress.

In this episode, Aditi Mayer, one of the most illuminating voices in the sustainable fashion movement, defines what intersectional sustainability means, and how we can use our power as voters, consumers, influencers, and professionals to advocate for a more inclusive and human approach to environmentalism. If you are someone who wants to use your voice (online and offline) to drive actionable change and/or want to be a more purposeful influencer, this episode is for you.

Who is considered a storyteller? Are you an influencer or work in communications and looking for a meaningful path to launch your career? Then this episode is for you! Join me alongside guests Mariel Jumpa and Lizeth Soto Rivas, co-founders of the Creatives 4 Impact agency, to talk about the role storytellers play in the sustainability movement, and how to find your place in the field.

As a scholar, cultural critic, and author of books like “Liberated Threads”, Tanisha Ford guests on Grit & Glamour for a discussion on how to cultivate space for Black Freedom in fashion and beyond. This conversation will cover a cultural, political, and social lens on fashion, and it's role in our society. We will explore how and why and how Black women use fashion as a form of resistance and fashion's role in outfitting social movements.

One model for ethical and sustainable fashion is the collaboration between brands and artisans, which can be a mutually win-win situation—if done correctly. But fostering this co-creation isn't as simple as choosing artisans and contracting them to do the work. There are many factors to take into consideration, including how to foster community, handling intergenerational trauma with care, creating an infrastructure for an ethical supply chain and compensation, and how to tell their stories from a lens of cultural sensitivity and appreciation versus appropriation. Anya Lim, Founder and Managing Director of social enterprise Anthill guests on this episode to share her knowledge on how to co-create with artisans ethically and respectfully.

Whether you're a model or an industry professional, one of the crucial keys to success in the fashion world is cultivating a strong inner foundation of self-belief and confidence. Mafae Belasco, Miss World Philippines 2003, fashion model, entrepreneur and personal development coach shares the grit behind the glamour of her journey on and off the runway. We talk failures, insecurities, and how every challenge led to a knowledge of self that shapes inner strength and courage.

In a post-Covid world, sustainability is no longer an option, but an urgent necessity. How can the next generation of fashion designers address the need to reform the fashion cycle, and slow down its massive human and environmental impact? On this episode of “Grit & Glamour”, I sit down with Paris-based, Puerto Rican designer and fashion lecturer @lemloren to discuss what next gen fashion designers need to know, and their role in designing change. We also discuss whether the industry actually needs more fashion designers, and get real about economic sustainability too.

What does it mean to build a conscious wardrobe, and why should consumers care? Regionally speaking, why is prioritizing sustainability crucial for the South East Asia region? Susannah Jaffer, founder of Singapore based platform Zerrin, joins us to talk about the relevance of sustainable fashion in our daily lives, and how everyone (regardless of budget) can participate in the movement.

What is the connection between spirituality and social justice? In this episode, I interview Lola Vinson, Personal Development Coach & Communications Director for Faith in Texas, on how her faith refills and restores her to continue executing her divine purpose as a social justice warrior and empowerment leader. We know that the fight for Black Lives Matter and justice take a lot out on the spirit. But in this conversation, we will talk about the role faith (regardless of spiritual or religious affiliation) can serve in strengthening us individually, so we can move with a higher power collectively.

How do you develop resiliency not only as a business owner, but as someone who has dreams and a core mission to serve others? In these tough times, cultivating resilience helps us to weather the storms, allowing us to navigate and steer through uncertainty. But how do you continue filling up your resilience along the way when your business continues to encounter near-death experiences? Tune in to my conversation with Gelaine Santiago, founder of Cambio & Co, a sustainable shopping platform featuring Filipino brands, on how she rises above life's currents to continue being of service.

Being a Black American Artist in Paris: The Privileges Abroad vs. the Setbacks at Home As it is, Paris is a highly romanticized city. Given the well-known history of Black American artists like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker who sought to escape the racism in America and thrived in Paris, it's tempting to view Paris as a paradise for Black creatives. But what is it really like behind the veneer of its glamourous reputation? In this episode, I speak with singer and former Paris resident (of 8 years!) Shola Adisa-Farrar to illuminate what exactly Black freedom, mobility, and expression means in the City of Lights. In this conversation, we will pull the veil back on race relations in France, and the advantages of being an American woman of color abroad, while connecting it to the setbacks at home in American soil. With shared roots in Oakland, CA, Shola was also my closest friend in Paris before she moved back to NYC! Tune in to hear our conversation as we reflect on our shared experience as women of color abroad.

When you're working towards something, it's natural to withstand a few obstacles. But let's be real. Sometimes, they aren't just obstacles, but catastrophes. It's natural to want to give up and/or question if the path you're on is in fact, the right one. When nothing seems to be working out, it's tempting to wonder if you're trying to open the wrong doors. But Paloma B. Concordia has never faltered in her decision to become an entrepreneur. Through the ups and downs of business and birthing 3 kids (who are practically triplets), and now homeschooling through a pandemic, you would think Paloma would get too tired to keep pushing. But she just doesn't! In the 12+ years I've known her (disclaimer: she's my BFF!), Paloma has never faltered in her conviction. She is the one person I know who is an entrepreneur through and through. Her secret? Patience and Persistence. Tune in to learn how she wields both not only in her mindset, but to execute effective PR strategies!

If you're like me, you may have developed an unshakeable addiction to Korean Dramas during quarantine. Or, maybe you're part of the BTS army and can't get enough K-Pop into your playlist while you blissfully ride the Hallyu wave. Before you move to Korea in an attempt to find your ‘Captain Ri' (aka ultimate love story), join my conversation with Michelle “Mush” Lee, Korean-American Storytelling Expert & Cultural Affairs Commissioner for the City of Oakland to help us discern between fantasy & reality when it comes to Korean storytelling. Why is it that K-dramas (and the celeb crushes that come along with it) hit so differently in comparison to Western films and shows? What about the cultural context feeds into common K-drama narratives, and what are the dark sides of Korean celeb culture? And let's be honest, the real question we want to know is: why are the men so dreamy, and are they like this in real life? Join me and Mush as we breakdown socio-cultural contexts of Korean pop culture, as we celebrate the sexiness of Asian men worldwide.

On this episode of "Grit & Glamour", I chat with Nutritionist, TV Host, & Sustainability Advocate Charlotte Mei on the theme, "Soul Food vs. Eye Candy: Staying Grounded & Mission-Driven in the World of Media & Influencer Culture". Over the last few years, Charlotte has built up her platform and her community, and while her platform now allows her to inspire thousands of people every day, she had to start somewhere. If you're a creative, content creator, or simply someone with a message who is often tempted to worry about how many "likes" you get, or overthinking how perfect things have to be before you launch it, or falling into the comparison trap, this conversation is for you. We'll also talk about the internal struggles of what it's like to work in media, the reality of life in Singapore, and inspiration on all the ingredients to embody "soul food" on the very crowded internet buffet!

It's not easy being a small business owner during a time of crisis and uncertainty. Yet somehow, Sahra Nguyen, founder of Nguyen Coffee Supply, remains strong in her conviction and confidence to succeed. What's her secret? Hint: it wasn't always that way. Listen in to find out what keeps her so grounded (and how you can too!). Learn how her seemingly "random", non-linear career path led her full circle, and how her entire journey of over 15 years as a creative freelancer, documentary filmmaker, activist, university employee, restauranteur, and more ALL prepared her for the business she's in now, not a moment too little or too late. Also, we spill the tea: when we were in our twenties, Sahra and I commiserated on the shared fear that we would be single forever because we were "too ambitious, too unconventional, too much". Spoiler alert: Sahra is now in a very successful relationship with a supportive life partner! Tune in to find out what she did to achieve both personal and professional success.

Have you ever been paralyzed by self-doubt, sorrow, and fear that you were discouraged about sharing your gift? Then come and listen in to hear how my first show guest went from working paycheck to paycheck in NYC to getting fired, and then miraculously landing a TV and Record Deal in Tokyo in the span of a week (no lie!): Welcome to the first episode of "Grit & Glamour featuring Tokyo-based singer/artist Maya Hatch! In this episode, we talk about social justice & spirituality, why her friends responded with "Congratulations!" when she got fired from her job, her secret weapon to push through self-doubt, her method to gaining confidence to perform/execute even when she isn't at 100%, and how having a clear intention + purpose helps her stay on path even when the road gets bumpy. Join us for an honest talk about what it's like to pave your own way leading a creative career, making room for & magnetizing miracles, and all the messiness that happens behind the scenes to achieve the magic. Bonus: The interview features a live performance from Maya!