5to9

In this episode of 5 to 9, I had a chat with Kim Pham , a creative director, BDSM educator, nomad, and co-founder of Omsom , a proud and loud food brand reclaiming Asian flavors, that was recently acquired in 2024. As a self-proclaimed “internet weirdo”, Kim was fascinated by the internet early in her life growing up in Boston. This led her to spend 12 years working in early-stage tech start-ups,...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Brandy Cerne , a brand strategist, community builder, and now the owner of a connections-led pousada in Brazil. Brandy started her career in New York, doing marketing for Shake Shack and SoFar Sounds, where she played an integral part in both brands' growth.  After years immersed in the hustle of city life, Brandy found herself drawn to a different pace,...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Farah Sheikh-Ogoe , a brand manager at META, co-founder of NOTES International , a community of Black and brown people who love natural wine, vibey tunes, global travel and the intersection of all 3, and a lover of all things food, fashion, community and connection. Farrah’s had quite a non-linear career. She started off as a content manager in the agency...

In this episode of 5to9 , I had a chat with Kelsey McCormick, a lover of transcontinental travel, mom to Neil, the founder of Coming Up Roses , an educational platform that helps creatives increase their sales, and The “Queen of Marketing Campaigns". After a decade working in PR and marketing for music festivals like Coachella and artists like Katy Perry, Kelsey realized that her corporate music c...

Solo episode time! This includes an update on what I've been up to, a topic that I'd like to unpack with you, and something I'm really excited about! And remember to hit me up on Instagram @spacetogrow.world. 

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Haruko Hayakawa , a Computer Graphics Artist, a Creative Director, an introvert, cat mom and a cookbook enthusiast. Haruko developed a love for computers and art at a young age and went to School of Visual Arts to study 3D art and graphic design. She then went on to be a designer at agencies like Anomoly and Superunion and brands like Chobani. Always know...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Kaitlin Maud, a strategist artist, strategist, and activist. Always having the audacity to carve a path that’s in integrity to her values, Kaitlin started her self-employment journey 5 years into her career and since then has operated as a freelancer, consulting for brands like Nike, Beats by Dre, and Google, founded a consultancy with partners (then even...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Lori Abichandani, a curious strategist, lover of deep conversations, a culinary enthusiast and according to her friends, “the embodiment of a big hug.” With an interest in entertainment and human psychology, Lori started her career working at Nielson, a media insights company. After a few years working there, she felt immense apathy towards the direction...

Solo episode time! This includes an update on what I've been up to, a topic that I'd like to unpack with you, and something I'm really excited about! And remember to hit me up on Instagram @spacetogrow.world. 

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Sonya Matejko , a writer and poet who moved from New York to Vienna to live her dream life abroad. After a decade in advertising and tech, following rules and checking boxes at companies like Razorfish and Way Up, Sonya was craving more autonomy in her work and wanted to finally pursue her lifelong dream of living in Europe and publishing a book. With com...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Neha Bhatia, a strategist, designer, researcher, collage maker, wannabe artist, and writer. Neha grew up in India with dreams of being a fashion designer. After getting a scholarship to study at Parsons School of Design then a letdown working in the fashion industry which led to a full-blown identity crisis, Neha pivoted her career into advertising and in...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Emily Kessler, a meditation teacher, artist manager in the music industry, solo traveler across the globe, and fantasy romance novel lover! While working as a marketing director in the music industry managing artists like Big Gigantic and the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, Emily got into meditation as a way to recenter herself in her hectic, busy life....

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Hailin Liu, aka DJ Hailife. She’s a musician, brand strategist, lover of fashion, cat mom, and a tarot enthusiast. Growing up with traditional expectations of her career, Hailin started in investment banking due to her family and peer’s influence. She quickly realized that she hated the environment and pivoted to brand strategy. While working at Landor an...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Shyne Webster, a multidisciplinary designer, brand strategist, design education creator, Adobe Ambassador, extreme extrovert, and sneakerhead. At 17, Shyne created her business, Designed by Shyne - a passion project turned clothing brand. After realizing her creative skills can be used as a service to brands, she evolved her business into an agency, offer...

This is a special solo episode where I'm going to give you some updates on what I've been up to, a topic that I'd like to unpack with you and talk about something that I've been really excited about! Hope you enjoy it!!! And remember to hit me up on Instagram @spacetogrow.world. I want to know you!!!! 

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Olivia Owens, a creator, writer, business coach, lover of personal development books, and digital nomad who's passionate about helping creators and entrepreneurs make impact & money. Olivia started her career at Under Armor’s HR department then spent 5 years at IFundWomen where she launched IFundWomen of Color, a platform for women of color to raise capit...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Ximena Vengoechea, a writer, speaker, illustrator, UX researcher, mother, and lover of fiction. Ximena has always loved bringing design thinking to our everyday world, which led her to spend a decade in the tech industry at companies like Linkedin, Twitter, and Pinterest as a user researcher. During that time she also manifested many side projects such as...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Justin Bridges, a photographer, holistic financial coach, fractional CMO for tech startups, writer of the Growers newsletter, and a proud plant dad. Justin started his career as a Wall Street analyst at Goldman Sachs, and quickly realized that he disliked the culture and was craving to do something more creative. He then pivoted into fashion, working as a...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Erin Claire Jones, a human design guide & leadership coach, offering high performers a practical approach to full alignment at work and in life. With a background in social entrepreneurship and tech, Erin has always loved helping people and teams. After discovering human design serendipitously at a party, she delved deep into the system and has built a bu...

In this episode of 5to9, I chatted with Paff Evara, a writer, creator, founder, and public speaker empowering queer people of color to be their most authentic selves. Originally from a small village in Australia, they’ve spent their career in digital marketing and most recently heading up a paid digital agency in Scotland. They are now a creator with a community of over 100k people, consultant for...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Rachel Renock, a self-proclaimed creative monster, a rogue lesbian, former freelancer, and now co-founder and CEO of Wethos, an all-in-one platform for freelancers to create proposals, send invoices, and get paid. In 2016, Rachel co-founded a freelance creative studio that worked with non-profits. After putting together various project-based teams for her...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Carol Chan, a brand strategist & marketer, business coach for female founders, lover of travel, and a loud and proud native New Yorker. Carol had over 10 years of experience at creative agencies, mission-driven organizations, and high-growth companies like 72 and Sunny, Built by Girls and Pepper. She is now a freelance brand strategist and business coach...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Alaina Andreozzi, a fractional CMO, a Pizza Aficionado, and a super networker. Alaina rose through the ranks in account management at agencies like Wunderman Thompson, R/GA, and Suma Brands. Ultimately she realized she wanted more flexibility and is now a fractional CMO for Haldi - a personalized clean skincare brand and Aavia - a mood and period tracker....

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Tori Lazar, a fashion stylist turned marketer turned entrepreneur turned tech executive turned leadership coach. Tori’s had a a pretty untraditional career path and is all about owning failures as opportunities, while always staying true to herself and getting closer and closer to finding alignment in her work. We talked about her various chapters and lea...

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Jezz Chung, an author, public speaker, multi-model artist, a karaoke connoisseur, and host of Deem Journals’s podcast Dreaming Different. Jezz, who uses they/them pronouns, is on a mission to build a liberated future. Their neurodivergent, queer, Korean American experiences shape their work and beliefs in personal transformation as a practice of collectiv...