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Aiyana Ishmael fell in love with magazines at an early age. Now, she's living out her dream as an editorial assistant for Teen Vogue. (She just went to NYFW and absolutely killed it.) This past May, Aiyana graduated from Florida A&M University, where she was the editor-in-chief of FAMU's student magazine, Journey. She's also a freelance, culture writer and has published work in Essence, Poynter, Refinery29, The Wall Street Journal, and more. In this episode of Figuring It Out, Ashleigh and Aiyana talk about figuring out this next chapter of their lives, becoming more comfortable in their skin, measuring improvement, and.... creating a good outfit. Follow Aiyana on Instagram @aiyanaish ! P.S. Thank you so so much for listening to FIO! This is the last episode of season 2! We'll be back with season 3 in a few months. Until then, you can keep up with us on Instagram: @thefiguringitoutpod.

Welcome to Honesty Hour, a new series by Figuring It Out. I'm bringing you along as I talk through various problems including: burnout, self-doubt, adulting, and more. I want to keep myself honest, so I'm enlisting my friends along to help me do it. These episodes are *uncut* i.e. my producer won't be editing them! This episode, like most in our Honesty Hour series, is 20 minutes. Now, here's a bit about today's episode: For me, this summer is the summer of self-improvement, self-compassion, finding hobbies, and Netflix binging. "Getting my sh!t together" felt like the most representative title because, well, that's exactly what I've been trying to do. I recorded this episode with my good friend, Isabella. We talk about how (and why) we are making an effort to find ~hobbies~ AKA things we do just for the hell of it. Post-grad life is kind of weird, but I've found that I feel 10x better now that I'm spending more time on myself. We hope you all are doing the same! And being kind to yourself in the process. As always, feel free to message me @thefiguringitoutpod on IG with any feedback or thoughts. Xx -- Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media by Wessam Hazaymeh & Nectaree Thao Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Sanchit Kumar - @s4nchit

Welcome to Honesty Hour, a new series by Figuring It Out. I'm bringing you along as I talk through various problems including: burnout, self-doubt, adulting, and more. I want to keep myself honest, so I'm enlisting my friends along to help me do it. These episodes are *uncut* i.e. my producer won't be editing them! Today, I'm talking with my friend and producer, Amy, about a subject/word that scares me: adulting. I have discovered that adulting is...hard. And kind of overwhelming?! I'm not sure why I just realized I'm an adult. Regardless, we're chatting about it. We share: how we're transitioning from college to full-on adulthood, our self-improvement goals, and what we are up to now. We also discuss how we are figuring out body image, personal growth, and more. Listen till the end to get some flirting tips from Amy LOL. Honesty Hour episodes are typically 20 minutes long but this is an ~extended~ version, so you're getting a full HOUR of my clownery. As always, feel free to message me @thefiguringitoutpod on IG with any feedback or thoughts. And special thanks to Amy for coming on the pod (and stabilizing my volume.) -- Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media by Wessam Hazaymeh & Nectaree Thao Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Sanchit Kumar - @s4nchit

Jamie Vinick founded The Women's Network, an organization that helps young women navigate the professional world, while studying finance and marketing at Syracuse University. After attending a speaker event within the business school, she was frustrated that there was no discussion of gender issues in the workplace. She wanted to create an empowering community for ambitious, young women who were also trying to launch their careers. What began as a college club is now a nationwide network; there are 142 TWN chapters on college campuses across the country. TWN also has a podcast, Redefining Ambition, in which Jamie interviews successful women about their journeys. In this episode, Jamie discusses how she minimizes comparison, copes with rejection, and aims high. She also talks about life as a founder and the the process of starting TWN. You can find the Women's Network on Instagram @thewomens.network. And we are @thefiguringitoutpod on Instagram! If you click the link in our bio, you can subscribe to our newsletter. We'll send a newsletter straight to your inbox each time we release a full-length episode. -- Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura & Shelby Banks Social Media by Wessam Hazaymeh & Nectaree Thao Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

After a challenging year, an episode on mental health feels both necessary and overdue. Ashleigh interviews Dr. Michael Vanderlind about anxiety management, cognitive restructuring, resilience, and more. You'll also hear two young people, Bazzie Owe and Sania Farooq, share their experiences of navigating anxiety as college students. Similar to parts 1 and 2 of the Mental Health Series, this episode goes back and forth between voices. We chose this structure because it allows you to hear the guests' experiences in conversation with each other. You can learn more about our guests and see special graphics on our Instagram: @thefiguringitoutpod. We'll be posting outtakes from the episode there over the next couple of weeks. We are @figuringoutpod on Twitter. Thank you so much for listening to FIO. Excited to be back! The National Suicide Prevention hotline is: 800-273-8255 . The National Eating Disorder Association also has a helpline which operates from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, it runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. 800-931-2237 . Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

Welcome to Honesty Hour, a new series by Figuring It Out. I'm bringing you along as I talk with friends about various problems like burnout, self-doubt, uncertainty, and more. These 20-minute episodes will be *uncut* i.e. my producer won't be editing them. Today, I'm discussing ~failure~ with two of my very good friends, Wessam and Amy. You may recognize their names; they both work at FIO! And they're awesome. This is part 2 of a two-part conversation. I chose this topic because I had been having a hard time with failure. Actually, I'm *still* having a hard time with it. And that's why it was important for me to talk about it here. If you've been feeling a bit lost, or have been having a hard time coming to terms with a series of rejections, you really are not alone. And, as my professor recently told me, you didn't waste your time just because you didn't immediately get the result you wanted. I've spent the past month feeling like I really blew it. But there's really always another chance. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. It really means a lot to me. Lastly, we are launching our first ever newsletter! Here's the link to subscribe if you'd like to hear more from me: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMJt_2EExc1iTi5174miA9-KJX7QBZ7mi3Sdkhur1kvC1Cig/viewform Credits: Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production Assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Sanchit Kumar (@hue.mrkt)

Welcome to Honesty Hour, a new series by Figuring It Out. I'm bringing you along as I talk with friends about various problems like burnout, self-doubt, uncertainty, and more. These 20-minute episodes will be *uncut* i.e. my producer won't be editing them. Today, I'm discussing ~failure~ with two of my very good friends, Wessam and Amy. You may recognize their names; they both work at FIO! And they're awesome. This is part 1 of a two-part conversation. I chose this topic because I had been having a hard time with failure. Actually, I'm *still* having a hard time with it. And that's why it was important for me to talk about it here. If you've been feeling a bit lost, or have been having a hard time coming to terms with a series of rejections, you really are not alone. And, as my professor recently told me, you didn't waste your time just because you didn't immediately get the result you wanted. I've spent the past month feeling like I really blew it. But there's really always another chance. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. It really means a lot to me. Lastly, we are launching our first ever newsletter! Here's the link to subscribe if you'd like to hear more from me: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMJt_2EExc1iTi5174miA9-KJX7QBZ7mi3Sdkhur1kvC1Cig/viewform Credits: Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production Assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Sanchit Kumar (@hue.mrkt)

Welcome to Honesty Hour, a new series by Figuring It Out. I'm bringing you along as I talk through various problems including: burnout, self-doubt, uncertainty, and more. I want to keep myself honest, and I'm enlisting my friends along to help me do it. Also: these 20-minute episodes will be *uncut* i.e. my producer won't be editing them. Today, I'm talking with my best friend, Elyse, about something neither of us fully understand: dating. What is the 'talking stage'? Are dating apps legit? How do you go about expressing interest in someone? I have no idea...I'm still reeling from my 10th grade rejection experience. Just kidding. We're chatting about all of this and more! As always, feel free to message me @thefiguringitoutpod on IG with any feedback or thoughts. And special thanks to Elyse for coming on the pod. I hope you are all doing OK and taking care of yourselves. -ag Credits: Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production Assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Sanchit Kumar (@hue.mrkt)

How do you work toward solving big, world problems like climate change or food insecurity? Shania Bhopa suggests starting in your own backyard. She recently started the Canadian Courage Project, a nonprofit which supports homeless youth in her community. Shania also has her own blog and podcast, both of which spread awareness about important wellness and global health issues. In this episode of Figuring It Out, Shania discusses how she started her organization, deals with burnout, navigates graduate school, and more. You can find her on Instagram @wellbyshaniabhopa. And you can follow the pod @thefiguringitoutpod ! Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

Welcome to Honesty Hour, a new series by Figuring It Out. In this series, I'm bringing you along as I talk through various problems including: burnout, self-doubt, uncertainty, and more. I want to keep myself honest, and I'm enlisting my friends along to help me do it. These conversations aren't always easy, and that's exactly why I'm making a commitment to have them. As a college senior, the nervousness is definitely kicking in. I find solace in talks with my close friends, so I want to share them. Also: these 20-minute episodes will be uncut i.e. my producer won't be editing out any awkward pauses, stutters, etc. Today, I'm talking with one of my best friends, Louma, about finding a work-life balance. Quite frankly, I do not have one. I'm trying to find one. We're chatting about it. I hope you enjoy this! As always, feel free to message me @thefiguringitoutpod on IG with any feedback or thoughts. And special thanks to Louma for doing this; you are the best. -ag Credits: Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production Assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Sanchit Kumar (@hue.mrkt)

Ashleigh talks with college student and food freedom advocate, Molly Jones, about developing a positive body image, ditching the diet, and navigating social media. We tackle some hard questions: How do you stop comparing yourself to everyone you see on Instagram? How do you finally pull yourself out of a vicious cycle of dieting? How do you learn to stop hating your body? None of this is particularly easy, but we are figuring it out. You can follow Molly on Instagram @munchwithmojo . And follow the pod @thefiguringitoutpod ! The National Eating Disorders Association also has a helpline, which operates from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, it runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. (800) 931-2237 . This episode is in memory of Sunny Von G, who was an honorary, mischievous member of the FIO podcast team. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

How do you figure out how to navigate the education system as a student of color, especially when most of your peers don't look like you? Aisha Baiocchi and AnnaBelle Medina discuss how they've not only embraced their identities as students of color, but also created a website to help other students find their way. Their site, The Outsiders Guide, features information on topics ranging from college admissions to burnout. In this episode, Aisha and AnnaBelle also talk about dealing with micro aggressions and adapting to remote learning while attending one of the country's most segregated school districts. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

In this special uncut episode, Ashleigh answers questions from our producer Amy. Ashleigh opens up about her relationships, college experiences, battling the GMAT and how she's still figuring out the next steps in her career. Created by Ashleigh Garrison Hosted by Amy Nakamura Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

How do you get back up after a challenge knocks you down? Ashleigh interviews Kamey Gomez about being resilient while chasing your dreams. Kamey is an entertainment host with a variety of media experiences. Kamey is also a graduate of Syracuse University, where she and Ashleigh first met. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

With the U.S. Presidential Election fast approaching, Ashleigh interviews political journalist, Celine Castronuovo, about the unique election cycle. They discuss the pandemic, mail-in ballots, Gen Z, and more. VOTE! Created and Hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Production assistance by Noa Yolkut Cover art by Kevin Camelo

Ashleigh interviews Hyphenated America co-founders Sophia Houdaigui and Maria Castillo. Hyphenated America is an organization dedicated to informing people about immigration in an accessible, but thorough way. Maria and Sophia discuss COVID's impact on immigration, their childhood experiences as immigrant children, and more. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo.

A lot of people will tell you to “pursue your passion.” It's a lot easier said than done. 21-year-old Dane Nakama started making toys when he was a kid. Now, he's a budding multimedia artist. Ashleigh interviews Dane about how he found the guts to pursue his passion and how he's navigated challenges along the way. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo.

Jharna Tripathi and Tyra Jean share their experiences with eating disorders, academic anxiety and more. And Dr. Arielle Baskin-Sommers, a psychologist and professor from Yale, provides expert explanation. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo.

Quarantine left us thinking more about our mental health and wellbeing. In this episode, Ashleigh interviews three young people about their mental health journeys. She also gets expert advice from clinical psychologist and Yale professor, Dr. Arielle Baskin-Sommers. Real stories. Real advice. This is part 1 of the Mental Health Series. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo.

Ashleigh talks with climate activist Lauren Ritchie, also known on Instagram as The Eco Gal. Originally from the Bahamas, Lauren is a rising junior at Columbia, studying sustainable development and political science. She discusses the importance of intersectional climate activism, tackling sustainability on a college budget, fast fashion & more. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo. Music credit: "Apollo" / Patrick Patrikios.

Ashleigh interviews Aaron Holmes, Raeedah Wahid, and Stephanie Lai about how they're figuring out their careers. She also gets some answers about what it's actually like being a recent college grad in the working world. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo. Music credit: "Apollo" / Patrick Patrikios.

Being happy in college can be tough — especially when everyone around you appears to be killing it. In this episode, Ashleigh interviews Elyse VanderWoude, a rising senior at Yale, about finding happiness in college and dealing with the lows. The two get real about how comparison, productivity, and overloaded schedules have thrown off their wellbeing during their college years. And they also share their tactics for getting through the bad days. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison Produced by Amy Nakamura Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh Cover art by Kevin Camelo Music credit "Apollo" / Patrick Patrikios

Sidarth Kumbla and Julian Maldonado share how they are figuring out balance, growth, and even self-doubt. As 2019 NCAA fencing champions and Columbia University students, Sid and Julian are still learning how to balance the many spheres of their lives — with some assistance from cold brew. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo. Music credit: "Apollo" / Patrick Patrikios.

Smit Chitre, a rising senior at Harvard, talks about finding his place in college, dealing with imposter syndrome, and more. In this inaugural episode of Figuring It Out, Smit also shares his opinion of social media as a tool for social justice and what he's learned about forming lasting friendships. Created and hosted by Ashleigh Garrison. Produced by Amy Nakamura. Social Media/Public Relations managed by Wessam Hazaymeh. Cover art by Kevin Camelo. Music credit: "Apollo" / Patrick Patrikios.