Asked By Ayana

Stephanie Hayes ( @stephrhayes ) is on the pod today to talk about journalism! She got her career start 18 years ago at the Tampa Bay Times and has worked for the newspaper ever since. Stephanie is currently a columnist at the Times, and she shares her thoughts on why journalism is far from dead, along with her own journey to newspaper writing. Thanks for joining, Stephanie! NEWSLETTER: tampabay.c...

I’m honored to have Yamel Belen ( @yamelbelen ) join me to talk about Black maternal health and doula work. I’ve known Yamel for years and she helped me immensely both pre- and post-pregnancy, so I’m excited that she joined me. We talk about why doulas are important, my labor and delivery experience, and how to advocate for yourself while giving birth. I also share a bit of my postpartum story tha...

Happy Wednesday, pod squad! Today's episode features Grace Baldridge ( @gracebaldridge ) who releases music under the name Semler. Grace topped the iTunes Christian charts with their incredible album Preacher’s Kid , and they're the first openly queer artist to do so. We talk about music, the American evangelical church, their experience as a queer Christian, and the exciting projects ah...

I'm thrilled to welcome Emma Cortes ( @emmasedition ) to the podcast today! After being laid off from her job in the aerospace industry last year, she became a full-time blogger and course creator. In the first half of 2021, she's already secured $100,000+ in brand partnerships.  We talk about how she decided to pursue full-time blogging, why influencing is definitely a "real job,&q...

This week I'm joined by the wonderful Amber Fillerup ( @amberfillerup ) to talk about influencing, entrepreneurship, and what it's like being vulnerable online. Amber is a longtime lifestyle, beauty and family blogger and the founder of hair extension company Barefoot Blonde Hair and haircare line Dae.  08:30 - how she prioritizes family when working 15:30 - what it's like having pe...

I’m thrilled to welcome Mandy Moore ( @mandymooremm ) to the pod! She’s an actress, singer-songwriter, humanitarian, and all-around wonderful person who welcomed her first baby four months ago. We talk about balancing motherhood with work, pregnancy during a pandemic, what it’s like to play Rebecca on NBC’s This Is Us now that she’s a mom herself, and more. 06:45 - starting a career as a teenager...

What's up, pod fam! The incomparable Hitha Palepu (@hithapalepu)  joins us for today's episode. She's an investor, entrepreneur, author, and blogger based in New York City. We talk about how she juggles all of her roles, brands and inclusivity, prenatal and postpartum depression, and not taking herself too seriously. ⠀ 06:10 - How she started working in the pharmaceutical industry w...

This week’s convo is with Chabeli Carrazana, the economy reporter at the 19th News. She’s worked at both the Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel, and you may have seen her asking Jen Psaki questions in the White House Briefing Room (casual!). We talk about how she got into journalism (6:00), what it was like to cover the Parkland school shooting and 2018 FIU bridge collapse (13:30), allowing yoursel...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Nicole Modic (@kalejunkie) who has an incredible story about quitting her job as a lawyer to become a food blogger. Nicole opens up about walking away from a prestigious role to pursue her dreams, and she gets honest about how struggling with an eating disorder impacted her journey. We talk about her practicing employment defense litigation (2:30), starting her In...

Hey, pod fam! Today's episode features Caralyn Mirand Koch (@caralynmirand), a plus-size model and style blogger. She was the runner-up on Tyra Banks's "Fiercely Real Teen Model Search" reality show, which kicked off her modeling journey (02:20). We talk about not knowing what you want to do when you grow up (12:00), along with  brands and size inclusivity (14:15). Caralyn also...

Happy Wednesday, pod fam ! Today's chat is with Theresa Helmer, who's the Executive Director, Integrated Content Strategy at Disney Branded Television. We talk about her career path (fun fact: it includes a stint on the Taco Bell corporate social media team).  Theresa offers insight into her daily workday and advice for people interested in networking. Hope you love the listen! You can l...

This week, I’m chatting with Tomi Obebe, the full-time content creator behind GoodToMicha.com .  We talk about being Black in a mostly white industry, how Tomi went from a pre-med student to a successful fashion blogger who now makes six figures, and whether being an influencer is actually hard work. If you’re interested in learning more about the influencer industry, you’ll find this episode  ins...

Jess Massey graciously agreed to hop on the pod to share what she calls a "dumpster fire" of a career journey.  Jess changed her major multiple times in college, decided to become a speech language pathologist, and dropped out of grad school to start a now-popular productivity brand called Hustle Sanely. She has a lot of insight about pursuing your dreams, how a safety net can afford you...

Lindsay Silberman (@lindsaysilb) joins the pod to share her journey from magazine editor to full-time influencer. We chat about what it’s like to leave a stable job to do your own thing, her thoughts on the influencer industry, and her experience founding a luxury candle brand that’s getting rave reviews from national media. Follow Lindsay below: instagram.com/lindsaysilb lindsaysilberman.com http...

This week, I’m sitting down with my friend Grace Atwood (@graceatwood), the founder of a popular blog called The Stripe and co-host of the fabulous Bad on Paper podcast. We explore her journey to full-time blogging and the  jobs she had before this one, including a few horror stories. Grace shares how she stays disciplined and how to navigate a flexible schedule. Hope you enjoy the listen! Follow...

Welcome to the first episode of Asked by Ayana! Today, we talk to Olivia Muenter (@oliviamuenter), a writer, editor and digital content creator. We cover what it’s like moving from a secure job to being full-time freelance and how she did it, along with how she started gaining freelance clients. You can follow Olivia on her social channels linked below. instagram.com/oliviamuenter   oliviamuenter....

Welcome to Asked by Ayana, a brand new podcast hosted by Ayana Lage (that's me)! I've always been fascinated with the idea of a dream job, mainly because I landed my perfect gig out of college and ended up not liking it. I was discouraged until I talked to friends and learned that many of us have the same experience. Join me as I interview talented creatives about their often-imperfect c...