THE CITY CONFESSIONS

Today's episode feature Asha Tarry, an author, an award-winning community mental health advocate, psychotherapist, and certified life coach. As a treating provider, Asha has 20 years of experience providing evaluations, diagnoses, treatment, and life-enhancing skills to children, adults, families, and couples. A significant portion of Ms. Tarry’s work has been conducted in marginalized communities...

Today’s episode features native New Yorker Jennifer Jeng, who is currently the Public Relations and Influencer Relations Manager of Glow Recipe. She walks us through her background working in the beauty industry and how she landed her current job at Glow Recipe. As a PR specialist, she clarifies some misconceptions people have about the PR industry as a whole and how being bold and ambitious as a...

Today's guest features photographer and traveler, Nastasia Yakoub, who is also the author and founder of Dame Traveler. In this episode, she talks about how she created a women travel community on social media, which currently has over 595,000 followers and what event inspired her to embark on her first solo trip to Africa. As someone who is both a perfectionist and empath, Nastasia opens up about...

Today's episode features Danielle Lupo, who is an International Playmate and has been featured in editorial spreads, such Playboy, GQ, Industry and Inked Magazines. What you may not know is that she also has been working in the Healthcare field for almost 10 years and is a Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT). Danielle has been breaking stereotypes and shattering the norm in the mode...

Today's guest features Sunnya Sultan, who is the Gucci Assistant Manager of North America and lifestyle blogger based in NYC. Hear how she landed her dream job as she walks us through her impressive background working in the fashion industry for big brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Barneys, Fendi and Chanel. Sunnya is a very family oriented individual and explains why she values family and why she...

This week's episode features entrepreneur and boss babe Lara Eurdolian. Lara Eurdolian is a beauty expert, on-air-talent, entrepreneur, and founder of Pretty Connected ( prettyconnected.com ), the award winning, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blog. As someone who has years of experience under her belt, she explains how and why she started her blog, the importance of branding and networki...

This week's episode features financial coach and dancer, Sumaya Mulla- Carrillo. Sumaya is a money coach based in NYC whose main mission is to help creatives save more, pay off debt, and become empowered with their finances. She is also extremely passionate about dance and is part of a dance group that performs at contemporary concerts. As someone who has an amazing relationship with her partner,...

This week's episode features Marisa Barnard, a content creator, blogger, youtuber and life coach based in NYC.  Her lifestyle blog, titled "Mindfully Glam," focuses on glam (fashion & beauty), holistic health & wellness, positivity, and mindset.  Marisa values self care and mental health and talks about her personal goal of becoming a published author for a self help book that sh...

This episode features fitness, mind and body wellness coach Romybel Erickson. Romybel walks us through her fitness journey and how she realized this was the path she was meant to be on after leaving her corporate job a few years ago. After overcoming her personal struggles with her body, mental agility, depression and anxiety, she is now stronger than ever and is determined to help her clients bec...

This week's episode features social media strategist, Denya Hamilton. Denya moved to New York about a year ago and is currently running her own social media company. She talks about the initial struggles of what it was like when she first came to this city and how she managed to get through the obstacles. She has turned from never thinking she could live in New York to now never thinking she can e...

Today's first remote podcast recording is with Anna Radke, a NYC attorney who provides legal services for the creative industries. Anna Radke is originally from Poland but has been studying and living in the city for 10 years now. She talks about her journey to obtaining her law degree as well as the power of relationships and networking. Anna is a huge believer and advocate for putting yourself o...

Today's guest is digital fashion and street style content creator, Ana Kcira. We sit down and talk about everything relating to social media. Ana explains how she got into the digital space and how she balances a full time job with her passion, which is creating content.  As someone who prides herself on staying true to her niche of mixing high low fashion, she has also rebranded her original...

This week's episode features Amanda Munz, the founder of The Fashion Foundation, a non profit organization that combines fashion and charitable giving. Amanda explains her fashion background and journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Amanda interned and worked for fashion companies at a young age and explains how that experience inspired her to start her own non profit organization. Due to her work...

This week's episode features Shelly Xu, a full time photographer and freelancer in NYC. Shelly explains how she got started with photography and shares her background and love for dance. Shelly celebrates over a year of working for herself and walks us through what a typical day is like for her, how she get her clients, and the pros and cons of being her own boss. Shelly also opens up about a conf...

This week's episode features Sara Falaro, an LA native performer and entrepreneur who has just passed her first year mark living in New York City. With high energy and a positive outlook on life, Sara explains what her experience and daily routine looks like an an aspiring actor/ performer. She also reveals her shifting mindset from wanting to join the union to not wanting to be part of the union...

Today's guest features Lindsey Smolan, founder of Lindsey Smolan Public Relations, a boutique PR firm specializing in outreach for fashion, lifestyle and beauty brands in NYC. Lindsey explains how she got into Public Relations and why she started her own company about nine years ago. As the industry is changing, we talk about what this means for her business and ways that she had to adapt to the s...

In this episode of The City Confessions, we have Brianna Jenae, also known as "Breezy", a model, creative director and entrepreneur from NYC. She talks about her upbringing and background as a Queens native from NYC. Breezy also explains how she started her skincare line, Light Being Cosmetics, in her kitchen by experimenting with different natural household items to help her skin. She had no idea...

This episode features Alyssa Gagarin, founder of Meal Prep Chef, an in home, healthy personal chef service in New York City. Alyssa explains how her passion for food and serving others helped her to realize her calling in life. As an auditioning actress and fitness instructor and personal trainer, Alyssa began her business as a side job by cooking meals for families. Her network began to grow and...

.Today’s episode features entrepreneur Alyssa Fernandez de Cordova, Founder of THB marketing house. She explains how she started her marketing influencer agency in NYC and why she has decided to now sell her company. Alyssa opens up about her social media detox and how that experience changed her mindset about the influencer industry and digital space. We also talk about her unique experience with...

We are starting out season 3 with our first guest, Gina Doost, a writer, storyteller and soon to be mama from NYC! In this episode, Gina walks us through her experience with journalism and how she came to NYC with a one way ticket and is now living her dream life and dream job with her husband.  Gina talks to us about how she met her significant other and how she is balancing her personal lif...

Your host, Mariann Yip is back for Season 3 of The City Confessions! In this short and sweet episode, I give a quick life update on what has happened since I closed out season 2 last year. I also share a confession about money, a topic that a lot of people shy from. I share how I developed a healthy relationship with money and tips on how you guys can do the same. Get ready for a full season with...

In this last episode of The City Confessions, I am sharing my biggest health confession, which I have been holding in for the last three years. I share my story in the hopes that I am able to inspire you all to be comfortable with pain, vulnerability and life's struggles. This was a difficult episode for me to record because I am absolutely open, raw and honest with not only my feelings, but what...

Be prepared to listen to a powerful and inspiring episode featuring Heather Manwaring, a photographer who provides a transformational experience of healing and personal expression for women in business and in life. Through her work, Heather provides an artistic and personal development opportunity as she creates space for her clients to shed light on the emotions that are too often repressed. In p...

This episode features Jonathan Calixto, a fashion and lifestyle correspondant at BELLA Magazine and proud Native New Yorker representing the Bronx.  Jonathan walks us through his background in the PR industry and how his experience with multiple internships and consistent hustle landed his current position. As a gay latino man, Jonathan opens up about his struggle in figuring out his purpose in li...

This episode features another Native New Yorker, LeAura Luciano, who is a both an influencer marketing expert and content creator. She gives us background about what it's like growing up in Chelsea and attending NYU as a college undergrad. LeAura also talks about the future of social media and her insights on the future of Tik Tok. The second half of the podcast focuses on her advocacy for wellnes...