Character with Anne Benveniste

Most people don’t struggle because they lack discipline. They struggle because they aren’t tuning into what lights them up. They struggle because they’re trying to grow without fully releasing what no longer serves them. They struggle because they think life needs to look a certain way in order to be successful. In this special Character season finale, I’m sharing a workshop I taught called “Be Yo...

Rob shows us what it takes to transition out of the structure and stability of the familiar path and embark on something creative and entrepreneurial.  Raised in Kent in the south of England, Rob spent a decade working in partnerships for the Cannes Festival of Creativity before deciding to move away from the success and stability he’d built. Through a recalibration of his mindset, a reconnection...

Julia makes reinvention look easy. And she credits it to staying curious, believing in people, listening to herself, and cultivating optimism.  Growing up in the Soviet Union around the Black Sea, Julia’s curiosity, intuition, creativity, and tenacity eventually led her to local fame in Moscow as a music journalist for MTV Russia and early pioneer of internet television. She then reinvented hersel...

Do you ever feel like the career you built is the one you thought you wanted - but then you wake up one day and realize it’s no longer clicking? That’s where Caroline Witmer found herself. Brown grad. Columbia MBA. Wealth management. Private equity. She’d ticked all the boxes, jumped from chapter to chapter with ease, externally she was ‘crushing it’… but never looking inside to ask herself, are y...

What happens when you build something you thought would work and then it doesn’t? And there’s no plan B. Sutian Dong, Partner at Multitudes and Co-Founder of Global Women in VC, is fascinated with creating products, technologies, platforms, services, and communities that move humanity in a positive direction by not changing how we do things, but the way that we think and feel. After years of lucky...

What does it mean to build a life around authenticity, intuition, and joy—even when it defies expectations? Ariel Palitz, nightlife veteran, entrepreneur, and former NYC Nightlife Mayor, joins me for a conversation about defiance, self-discovery, and designing a life by trusting what feels good. Growing up in Manhattan, Ariel found herself drawn early to the freedom of nightlife as a place where s...

What does it take to leave behind security and familiarity and start over in pursuit of purpose? Brandon Ross, a former flight attendant turned massage therapist and founder of Romie Massage in New York City joins me for a story of reinvention, courage, and self-acceptance. From a delayed blooming growing up gay in a conservative Christian household, to an angry rebellion as he built his first car...

What if finding true connection had less to do with swiping on apps—and more to do with romancing yourself and showing up authentically in the world? Amy Van Doran — matchmaker, CEO, and founder of The Modern Love Club — joins me for a deeply inspiring conversation about love, identity, and why community and spirituality matter more than ever. On this episode of Character, Amy shares: - How her un...

How does an Argentinian psychoanalyst and sommelier with no formal design training build a beloved fashion and bridal line in New York City? We dive into Delfina’s journey in the first episode of Character and discuss:  The culture and influences that shaped her early career and life in Buenos Aires Making the move to New York and exploring a variety of careers Using intuition to guide the launch...

New York City is full of characters: unapologetically authentic people who create the vibe that make this city great. People who have thrown out the rulebook and become the artist of their life. We dive into the messy, unpredictable journey towards fulfillment and authentic self-expression. We talk to creatives and artists, entrepreneurs and change-makers about where they came from, who they’ve be...