We Built This Life

Ashleigh Becker began making jewelry as a way to relieve stress and boredom after her first child was born. Then, wanting to raise money for a mission trip for her husband, Ashleigh went to her first craft show, where she realized there was a market for her designs. Today, Sela Designs sells handmade jewelry and donates 100 percent of the profits to charity. In this episode, Ashleigh talks about h...

More than a decade ago, Kenny Yee would often wander the streets of Chelsea in New York City, drifting in and out of galleries to look at art. This is where he learned about color, form, and texture. Then he'd go back to his basement apartment in Queens to paint. He had a side hustle of sorts then, selling his work to several collectors in New York. Now he lives in Baltimore and works full-time as...

When I was pregnant with my first child in 2012, I was interested in using cloth diapers to reduce waste (and save money), and I've been slowly making more swaps in our home ever since. In Episode 8, which releases around Earth Day, I talk about my favorite swaps--and the ones that I think have made the most impact--for the kitchen, the closet, and the bathroom, as well as the cleaning products we...

In 2017, Amy Homan took a fashion design course. Today, she has her own fashion line and a sustainable and ethical clothing company called Evolverie. In this episode, Amy talks about the 16 years she spent working in collections, the rise and fall of her wedding décor business, and the ups and downs of designing and producing a fashion line. We also get into the financial challenges that can come...

Astrologer Adam* Elenbaas and Clinical Herbalist Ashley Litecky Elenbaas started dating in September 2011. Three months later, they decided to go into business together. Based in the Washington, D.C., area, Sky House Yoga encompasses astrology services (readings, certification courses, and private apprenticeships), herbalism offerings (private consultations, an apothecary with more than 300 herbs,...

Six years ago, Emily Silverstein was a barista at Starbucks (having stepped down from her role as store manager after having her first child) who made her own skincare products at home. One day, while talking to her husband, Cory Silverstein, about how they were going to balance work and daycare with their new baby, Emily suggested listing her products on Etsy. This was the start of her company, U...

Episode 4 is about Ashley Shelly Trotier, a graphic designer who sells planners, budget notebooks, and other items through her business, Ashley Shelly. While working full-time as a creative director for a weight loss company, Ashley began thinking about being more intentional with her finances, and she designed some budgeting pages to help her do so. She turned those pages into a notebook and put...

Episode 3 is about Mercedes Lyson, a sociologist who runs an online beauty blogging business called L'Amour et la Musique. Mercedes graduated from Brown University with a PhD in sociology and spent a few years working in research. Along the way, she began making beauty videos on YouTube. Her business has grown to include a thriving page on Patreon, a subscription-like service where people can supp...

For this week's episode, I tell a story about Ryan Sullivan, my friend since high school whose career has come full circle over the span of nearly 20 years. Ryan began working in real estate in his 20s then went back to school after the stock market crashed in 2008 to become a mental health counselor for children. But after graduating with student loans that needed to be paid, he made the decision...

Thanks so much for tuning in to the first episode of We Built this Life. I wanted to start off with sharing my story and my goals for this podcast.  In this episode, I talk about how I started off working at various nonprofit organizations after college, the life event that nudged me into freelance writing, and how being a writer is a good fit for me now as a mom of three young(ish) kids.   On the...