LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

When Lisa Maynard-Atem started as the first-ever social media strategist at Harrods, she had her work cut out for her. Over 7.5 years, she took their following from 30,000 to over 2.5M, making them one of the most followed luxury department stores in the world - their Instagram channel went from zero to 1.1M under her leadership. As happy and successful as she was, Lisa is generally uncomfortable...

A self-described "accidental fashion drone," the idea of working in fashion never really seemed to be on Steven Kolb's radar. Today, Steven is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the trade association for the American fashion industry. He oversees all operations for the American fashion industry's group of 500 designers. He manages CFDA's membership,...

Tracey Baker-Simmons met L.A. Reid and Babyface while waitressing at Houstons in Atlanta. She had no clue who they were. They handed her their Amex to pay for the bill, and she saw that they had a production company. She asked if they were hiring, and they invited her to come to the studio. That chance encounter landed her an internship where she would begin the process of learning the ropes of pr...

If you have a story to tell and want to use your authentic voice to share it, Barbara Barna Abel is the woman for you. Since launching her casting and talent development company, Abel Intermedia, in 2001, Barbara has worked on over 100 unscripted/alternative projects and jump-started the careers of many prominent figures. As a seasoned media & communications coach, talent & executive development e...

Leading celebrations expert, Darcy Miller, grew up in a house where both of her parents were artistic, and "making things" was a daily occurrence. But their artistic passion was never about being hardcore crafters but more about celebrating life and everyday moments. Their mantra was D.I.T. (Do it together) versus D.I.Y. as creating memories, was always the driver. Darcy's mom worked for Diana Vre...

David Yi grew up in the only Korean family in his small town of Colorado Springs. From a very young age, he felt othered and knew that one day, he would spend his time celebrating and uplifting others. After working as a fashion editor, reporter, and stylist in New York for ten years, David decided to use his extensive knowledge of beauty and became the Founder & editor-in-chief of Very Good Light...

Life is short. Kate Doerge learned that early on. Now, after more than 25 years of working for other people, she's taking the plunge into entrepreneurship. As Principal of Kate Doerge Consulting (KDC), Kate is betting that her more than two decades of brand-building and communications experience can help prestige consumer brands and investors unlock value at all stages of the investment process.  ...

Since she began working in the fashion industry over a decade ago, Ruthie Friedlander has established herself as someone to know. As the CEO/Founder of At Large Agency, she helps brands navigate the convergence of content and growth. Ruthie's prior experience has shifted over the years from iconic fashion brands like Chanel and The Row to major editorial roles at ELLE.com and InStyle.com. She star...

When Jackie Giusti Seaman was clipping headlines from newspapers during college at Villanova and analyzing what the story could be as a communications major, she knew this would be her career. Fast forward to today, and she is doing exactly what she set out to do—as the Vice President of Global Communications at Stuart Weitzman, overseeing Public Relations, Celebrity and Influencer Integration, Pa...

Alyssa Rosenheck was working hard, climbing the corporate ladder in a Fortune 100 company, when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32. Reevaluating her life, this diagnosis sparked a career change when photography became her healing catharsis. What started as a simple need to photograph her home for sale became a pioneering shift in an antiquated corner of the photography world. Alyssa is...

As the Lead Benefit Auctioneer at Christie's Auction House and Global Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships, Lydia Fenet knows firsthand that being an effective salesperson is what distinguishes top achievers in all fields from the rest of the pack. She has led auctions for more than 600 organizations and raised over half a billion dollars for over 400 nonprofits worldwide. Lydia's widely ac...

Margi Conklin is the former editor of the New York Post's award-winning Sunday edition. She is a storytelling expert who's previously set the editorial agenda at some of the world's most famous brands in both the US and UK, including ELLE, InStyle, the Daily Mail, and Harper's Bazaar. In this episode, Margi shares her editorial journey, complete with the highs and lows of rising to Editor-in-Chief...

Ariel Foxman is a writer, editor, and content developer with over two decades of experience and a thorough understanding of what makes a story compelling, journalistic, and ultimately memorable. Currently, he consults with luxury retail clients on their content and brand messaging strategy and pens ABBAPAPA, a mission to support fathers and non-traditional families, born of his experience as a new...

Elisabeth Halfpapp has had an incredible journey in the fitness industry. She is one of the founders of the Barre movement with over 40 years of teaching and teacher training. As a sought-after authority and expert in the field, celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, and Kate Hudson turn to Elisabeth when it comes to toning their body, especially their legs, bum, and abs. After two decades of...

Madison Utendahl is the founder and CCO of Utendahl Creative, a Black-owned, female-founded and female-led, storytelling-first, branding, content & social media consultancy. Since its launch, Madison has worked with Refinery29, Milk Bar, Bandier, and has been featured in The New York Times, W Magazine, and Forbes. Prior to launching her company, Madison was a creative on the founding teams of thre...

Are you a passionate and persuasive communicator? Whether you're presenting in person or on zoom, connecting with your audience to deliver your message effectively is the key to success. Jillian Straus is a 20-year media veteran and the founder and principal of Straus Strategic Communications. She is a Swiss army knife of media training.  With an astute ear for content and presentation, Jillian un...

You may not recognize Jade Purple Brown's name, but chances are you have seen her work, which is featured as Adobe's splash image for Illustrator 2021. Jade is a New York–based visual artist who uses strong figures, vibrant colors, and messages of optimism in her graphic design, illustration & art direction. She has created art for major brands globally, including Apple, Facebook, Sephora, TikTok,...

Karla Welch was named one of Hollywood Reporter's Top 10 Stylists of the Decade. As the founder and owner of x karla, and the founder of the premium styling app Wishi, Karla is one of the most visionary and loudest voices in Fashion, especially on issues that matter- using her platform to shine a light on social injustice. In this episode, you'll learn the secrets behind the red carpet, how to bri...

Stacie Henderson has loved marketing and computer programming since her teenage years in Kansas City. The CIA recruited her in college for computer programing, but her love of fashion drew her to pursue an MBA in Fashion Management at Bocconi in Milan. Fast forward, and Stacie's passion for bringing technology to retail and brands has resulted in an extensive resume with 15 years in luxury and ret...

Fluent in Kardashian & Lagerfeld, fashion industry veteran Sasha Charnin Morrison has made her mark in the field as a stylist, style director, and pop culture connoisseur for the last 30 years. She has styled everyone from Jennifer Lopez to the Real Housewives of New Jersey and has been a fashion director everywhere from Harper's Bazaar to Allure to Us Weekly. Currently, she is the style director...

Sharon Ainsberg's career began in the music industry, working with award-winning composer Philip Glass on recordings with artists ranging from David Bowie to The Rolling Stones. She then managed talent, working with veteran music manager Louis Levin on everyone from AC/DC to Michael Jackson. But during that time, she saw white space in the industry. Why didn't musicians have fashion or beauty deal...

The most powerful question in the world is, "How can I help you?" These are the words that Susan McPherson is known for. Susan is the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies; a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. As a serial connector, Susan's first book, The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships, is...

Lindsey Pollak was told in her first job interview that her master's degree in women's studies would get her nowhere. She is now considered one of the country's leading experts on careers, the workplace, and the Millennial generation. Lindsey is a New York Times bestselling author of four books and one of the world's leading career and workplace experts. Her new book, Recalculating: Navigate Your...

If you've ever walked down Madison Avenue and past Barneys New York, you've experienced the magic of Simon Doonan. Considered a fashion industry legend and the world's most famous window dresser, Simon served as the creative head behind Barneys's renowned and unconventional window displays, which won him many awards, including a CFDA Award. He then became the creative director of Barneys New York...

Donald Robertson, better known as @drawbertson, went from Art School failure to Fashion's favorite artist. Known as the Andy Warhol of Instagram, his impressive career spans decades of roles that anyone would dream of having. In his early Canadian days, he worked on a tiny brand that no one had ever heard of called M.A.C. He spent years as a creative director going through Hearst's revolving door...