Sweet and Savre

From school-day rebel to dressing the fingertips of Hollywood royalty, premier celebrity and editorial nail artist Lisa Wong joins the podcast for a brilliant, lively, and inspiring conversation. With over thirty years of experience, Lisa treats a tiny nail bed like a canvas for a masterpiece—creating the gorgeous period looks for Palm Royale, character styling for Abbott Elementary, and collabora...

The masterclass continues in part two as Danielle and hit TV director Nicole Rubio dive into the high-stakes, fast-paced world of calling the shots on major network television. Nicole details her transition into the director's chair, navigating the intense pressure of tracking nine cameras at once and earning a "get out of jail free card" from Patrick Dempsey. She shares what it was really like wo...

Hit TV director Nicole Rubio is a powerhouse who has spent her entire life creating her own path and making sure not a single opportunity passed her by. This episode explores the fascinating, diverse chapters she conquered through sheer determination, including working for a space shuttle defense contractor, performing as an NFL cheerleader for the Rams, and traveling the world as a flight attenda...

Danielle sits down with the incredible Erika Bañuelos for a deeply moving conversation about family, resilience, and the pursuit of independence. Accompanied by translator Valentina, Erika shares stories of her vibrant childhood in Mexico and the profound impact of a father who taught her what a good man looks like. She opens up about the devastating loss of her first child, which became the catal...

The conversation continues as Macey dives into the reality of her military deployment in Germany and her global travel adventures. She pulls back the curtain on the intense mental and physical resilience it took to navigate being one of the only women in her unit, opening up about the terrifying reality of her service and what it took to survive. They balance the gravity of those experiences with...

Danielle sits down with her lifelong best friend, Macey Marshall, to explore the childhood journeys that shape us. Macey opens up about growing up as a latchkey kid and navigating her parents' divorce at ten. She shares a fascinating look into her own survival instincts, breaking down how her mind naturally rewired childhood trauma—like being locked in a room during a domestic fight—into beautiful...

The phenomenal forces behind Dream It Conventions, Maria and Aurelia, return to lay bare the high-stakes reality of pivoting a live event company during a global lockdown. They break down the resilience it took to survive the ultimate business crisis, balanced by the emotional milestone of Maria officially being declared cancer free. This episode gets to the heart of the true reason fan convention...

The incredible powerhouses behind Dream It Conventions, Maria and Aurelia, dive straight into the personal journeys that shaped their empire. From Maria navigating a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis at 16 and learning to live life constantly saying yes, to Aurelia leaving Paris for Ohio as an exchange student to fully immerse herself in American culture, this conversation explores how a shared love fo...

Danielle sits down with Emmy nominated casting director, 200 hour certified yoga master, and dear friend Jamie Castro for a raw and unfiltered look behind the scenes of Hollywood. From her early VHS recorded dance days to thriving in the legendary Shondaland boom, Jamie pulls back the curtain on how the entertainment industry really works. They dive into the high stakes adrenaline of casting and r...

From the lowest point with her two and a half year old son to accepting the signs, Tai Young opens up about the reality of industry breakthroughs and what it takes to pivot. In this episode, we dive into: Surviving single with a young son during her lowest point in LA Coping with the shame of untapped potential before transitioning into makeup.  "Union, what’s a union?" - How a conversation with I...

From personal shopping for Beyoncé to taking the ultimate leap of faith into Hollywood, Tai Young’s journey is a masterclass in raw hustle, resilience, and pure ambition. In this episode, we dive into: Her Texas roots and hauling thousands in diamonds in a hooptee to get to styling gigs Moving to Los Angeles fueled by a lifelong drive to succeed and a childhood conviction that Barbie was definitel...

The conversation continues as we track Emily’s hustle from writing on Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 to navigating the industry since. We dive deep into the human psyche, getting incredibly vulnerable about childhood trauma, navigating sexual assault, therapy, and her experience with ketamine treatments. It's an honest look at what it truly takes to protect your voice and heal. Trigger Warning: Thi...

Today is a historic day because we are finally attempting something that has apparently been cursed: interviewing writer and powerhouse Emily Culver! In part one of this special sit-down, our deep friendship completely seeps through as we dive into Emily’s roots growing up in Wisconsin with a sex therapist mother, her move to LA, and how she first fell in love with storytelling. It’s lighthearted,...

In the conclusion of this two-part event, Danielle and Valentina D’Empaire Medici dive into the powerhouse life she has built, from her acceptance into Johns Hopkins to her high-stakes career as a civil engineer managing everything with trains, wheels, and automobiles. They discuss the intensity of her role as a professional problem solver, her honest fear of shortfalls, and how they bonded over t...

In part 1 of 2, Danielle sits down with civil engineer Valentina D’Empaire Medici to reflect on her vibrant life in Venezuela, from her cherished upbringing and all girls Catholic school pranks to the sudden trauma of an attempted kidnapping that changed everything. They explore the heartbreaking reality of seeking asylum in the United States at just sixteen, a transition that forced her into adul...

Danielle sits down with Nichelle Filoso for the conclusion of this special two part event on Sweet and Savre. In this episode we finally address the elephant in the room and talk about Alex, before diving into Nichelle’s life changing gastric bypass surgery and her incredible 200 pound weight loss journey. Nichelle shares hilarious stories from the front lines of speed dating, her deep love for an...

Danielle sits down with Nichele Filoso for a two part event on Sweet and Savre. An intimate conversation about the invisible hurdles of her youth including navigating a learning disability and not reading until age twelve as well as the grounded faith that keeps her rooted in her church choir today. From the high pressure world of collegiate opera to the terrifying shadow of a real life stalker an...

Danielle sits down with licensed therapist Courtney Stone to break down the complexities of modern mental health. They dive into the Food Enough philosophy, offering a practical, no nonsense framework for nourishing ourselves amidst the pressures of perfectionism and ADHD. They explore the vital role of rhythm in grounding our chaotic daily lives, the importance of financial autonomy in relationsh...

Danielle sits down with actress and filmmaker Taylor Kottke for a raw and unfiltered look at life From the acting scams of her youth to the high pressure world of music management for Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor pulls back the curtain on it all. They dive into the surreal Black Widow stunt training incident that almost went wrong and discuss the terrifying yet liberating decision to walk away from a...

Danielle sits down with actress Leven Rambin for an unfiltered look at the high-stakes world of Hollywood and the personal toll of life in the spotlight. From leaving home at fifteen and booking powerhouse roles to the paralyzing reality of onset panic attacks and imposter syndrome, Leven opens up about the moments that forced her to stop. Their conversation explores her journey through the "rock...

Danielle sits down with Jayne Trimble to trace an extraordinary journey of radical transformation. From an alcoholic household in Ireland to finding her voice through the rebellion of drama school, Jayne’s path has been anything but conventional. Their conversation follows her evolution from a religious cult to the music world as Oxlip and building a six-figure management empire, before a profound...

Danielle sits down with acclaimed poet Vandana Khanna to trace a journey that began with a move from India at age two and a calling to her craft at just eight years old. Their conversation follows the winding trajectory of a life dedicated to the creative arts, from the milestones of finding her academic voice to the ways 9/11 reshaped her perspective to exploring the Hindu goddesses that inhabit...

Danielle sits down with her dear friend Alisha Rothman, whose extraordinary eye for detail brings life to every set she works on. From sky-high leaps out of planes to impromptu adventures across the globe, Alisha shares how curiosity, risk, and an unshakable instinct for the right moment have shaped both her career and her life. Along the way, she reflects on the choices that define us, how to sur...

In the second episode of Sweet & Savre, Danielle sits down with costume designer Kendal Carse. After watching The Devil Wears Prada for the first time, she knew she wanted to be in the world of fashion. A lover of film and TV with great style, Kendal shares the path that led her to costume design, along with a few lessons she learned along the way, including crying the first time she ever had to s...

In the first episode of Sweet & Savre, Danielle sits down with Daniele Piersons, whose journey has taken her from crawling under houses inspecting for pests to doing makeup on every kind of set you can imagine. An only child from a complicated but loving family, she dropped out of college, chased modeling in New York, and eventually found her true calling as a stress and anxiety coach. Over laughs...