Be Anomalous

In this episode of Be Anomalous , Aparna Piramal Raje joins me for a rare, deeply honest conversation about ambition, mental health, and what happens when success — as we’re taught to chase it — stops working. Aparna grew up in Mumbai, studied at Oxford and Harvard, and became a CEO in her twenties. From the outside, it looked like she had followed the “right” path. But inside, the cost was mounti...

When we recorded this conversation, Kaylee Lieffers was pregnant. Today, she’s a new mom — and the conversation feels even more relevant. Kaylee is the co-founder of Blanka, a beauty-tech platform that has helped 20,000+ entrepreneurs launch their own beauty and wellness brands by removing traditional barriers like high minimum order quantities, inventory risk, and complex logistics. In just a few...

In this episode of Be Anomalous , Farah Meghji joins me for a grounded, honest conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really means to navigate healthcare when the system isn’t designed to guide you. Farah grew up as the only South Asian kid in a small town outside Toronto—raised by immigrant parents who believed in education, sacrifice, and blending in to stay safe. But her life and...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Cici Stefanova shares her journey from growing up in Scotland to building a brand that landed in Sephora — and how the very insecurities she once tried to hide became her greatest strength. We talk about identity, feeling different, learning in public, and the quiet confidence that comes from building anyway — even when you don’t feel ready. This isn’t a highlight...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Charlotte Trecartin— founder and CEO of CharCharms — joins me to share the real story of how she built one of the fastest-growing accessory brands in the country without funding, connections, or a roadmap. Charlotte didn’t wait for permission. At 20 years old, during the height of the pandemic, she followed a tiny spark — a simple frustration with a hair tie and a...

Why I Started Be Anomalous — and 10 Lessons That Changed My Year In this raw and reflective solo episode, I take you behind the creation of Be Anomalous — why it exists, who it’s for, and how it became a home for people building their lives outside the lines. I share the real story behind living in the in-between: between cultures, between expectations, between who I was told to be and who I actua...

Mitali Saxena went from being an engineer in a male-dominated industry to launching two fashion-tech companies rooted in something the industry rarely talks about: real women and real bodies . No filters. No fluff. Just smart tech, thoughtful design, and a deep “why” centered on empowerment. In this episode, we talk about what it actually takes to leave the safe path, build from scratch, and stay...

In this episode of Be Anomalous , Angela Ubias , beauty industry veteran and co-founder of Common Heir , joins me to talk about building with conviction, navigating identity in an industry built on perfection, and redefining what leadership looks like when you lead with values over validation. Angela has spent over a decade behind the scenes helping shape some of the most influential beauty brands...

At nineteen, Troy Alexander’s life took a sharp turn: a fight landed him in prison. Two years later, he walked out changed — disciplined, faithful, and determined to rebuild from the inside out. In this raw and revealing conversation, Troy shares how prison became the greatest pause of his life, how he learned to face himself through the mirror technique , and why he still wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to...

Nicole Harvey didn’t wait for the perfect moment to start. While working full-time in tech and traveling nonstop, she built EmpowHer — a global community where women connect through honest conversations about money, health, leadership, and purpose. In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to build something meaningful while balancing a career, why she’s chosen to stay self-funded, and h...

Kara Brothers, former President of Starface , joins Be Anomalous for an unfiltered conversation about leadership, identity, and the power of finding your place when you don’t quite fit the mold. Before leading one of the most creative, culture-defining beauty brands of our time, Kara spent years at Google , where self-doubt, misalignment, and corporate politics left her questioning her abilities a...

What does it take to build a venture-backed platform that helps creators and founders launch beauty brands—without losing your values (or your mind)? In this replay, Blanka co-founder & CEO Kaylee Lieffers gets real about growing up “between worlds,” why entrepreneurship can be incubated , and how she went from consulting decks to zero-to-one product, team, and traction. We dive into the messy...

From PR intern to Warner Records and now  VP of Brand Operations at Global Brand Equities , Kristin Turner has built a career that turns influence into infrastructure. She’s helped shape celebrity-founded brands like Gran Coramino with Kevin Hart, Mercer + Prince with A$AP Rocky, and Maison No. 9 with Post Malone — proving that star power alone doesn’t build lasting businesses. In this conversatio...

n Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Arielle shares what it really took to walk away from Google and step into the unknown world of Hollywood — with no connections, no film school, and no clear roadmap. We talk about fear, self-trust, and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing who you are — even when the world hasn’t caught up yet. From cold emails and imposter syndrome to ancestral stren...

What happens when you grow up too fast but the dream inside you refuses to die? In this powerful first part of our conversation, screenwriter Arielle opens up about what it meant to be the responsible one from a young age — the child of teenage parents, the straight-A student, the planner, the fixer. She talks about rejection from the dream school, falling into jobs that didn’t fit, and the quiet...

This week on Be Anomalous , we’re bringing back a conversation that hits deeper than a typical founder story. Alix Peabody didn’t just launch a wine company—she built a brand that challenged the status quo of an entire industry. She founded Bev to rewrite the rules in a space dominated by bro culture. But the journey started with something way more personal: throwing ticketed parties to fund her e...

What happens when you stop waiting for the perfect moment and start building with what you’ve got? In this episode, Sai Menon sits down with Luiza Villela , a Brazilian-born food scientist and the founder of UnClassic , a company on a mission to reimagine the center of the plate, one mushroom at a time. From making vegan ice cream in a scrappy startup kitchen to navigating immigration hurdles with...

In this episode of Be Anomalous , futurist and designer Radha Mistry joins me for a conversation that felt both deeply personal and profoundly expansive. Radha shares her journey from growing up across continents, to training as an architect, to ultimately carving a path in foresight, helping organizations imagine the world 20 years from now. We talk about questioning cultural expectations, redefi...

Elizabeth Ahern’s career reads like a marketer’s dream, leading major campaigns for Red Bull, Carvana, and Chamberlain Coffee — but the way she got there was anything but traditional. In this candid conversation, Liz opens up about her unplanned journey to Harvard, navigating culture shock, and finding her place in high-pressure environments. She shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career,...

Nick Chen has built his life by trusting his instincts and betting on himself. From growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to navigating global moves, launching startups, pivoting through a pandemic, and scaling Golden Gate Fulfillment, Nick’s story is all about turning uncertainty into opportunity. In this conversation, we talk about resilience, reinvention, and what it really means to grow on y...

Mayssa, founder and CEO of Behave Candy, isn’t just reinventing candy — she’s redefining what it means to lead and grow as a person while building something bold. In this conversation, we go beyond business to talk about healing, finding your voice, and embracing the parts of yourself that feel like ‘too much.’ From navigating uncertainty to trusting your vision, this is an honest look at what it...

In this episode, we sit down with Jiwon Hong , founder of YesPlz , an AI-powered fashion discovery platform that’s rethinking how we shop online by understanding real human preferences, not just pushing trends. Jiwon’s journey spans continents and industries: from her teenage years navigating culture shock in South Carolina, to working at global giants like Samsung and Sony Music, to launching not...

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Sheikha Al Otaibi — first-gen college grad, co-founder of a fast-growing remote staffing startup, and Babson College’s Entrepreneur of the Year — to talk about what it really takes to build something from the ground up. Born in Boston, raised by her grandmother in South Jersey, and navigating life between her Saudi and American roots, Sheikha opens up abo...

Kalsoom Lakhani, a woman who defies every box—and then builds new ones. Kalsoom is the co-founder and general partner of i2i Ventures, Pakistan’s first female-founded venture capital fund. She’s spent over a decade building the startup ecosystem in Pakistan and other overlooked markets as the founder of Invest2Innovate, launching the country’s first startup accelerator and supporting more than a t...

In this episode of Be Anomalous , I sit down with Margaret Trainor , the visionary founder of Atmo Home —a clean home care line built on science, design, and deep intentionality. Margaret’s journey isn’t a straight path—it’s a lesson in reinvention. She moved to Germany for love, walked away from her first startup, and grappled with identity as she built Atmo from the ground up. All of this gave h...