AW Confidential

Chef, author, entrepreneur and television personality Mika Leon joins AW Confidential for a conversation about culture, family, identity and finding your way back to what matters most.

Mika reflects on growing up in a big Cuban family in Miami, the traditions passed down through generations, and what it means to honor where you come from while still making your own way.

She also opens up about finding her spark again, learning to say no to what no longer fills her cup, raising a family of her own, and the legacy she hopes to pass forward.

Her debut cookbook, Cuban Soul: 100 Vibrant Recipes from Mi Cocina, is out October 6 and brings together the food, memories and family stories that have shaped her journey.

In this episode, we talk about Cuban identity, family traditions, reinvention, belonging, and the truth about staying connected to your roots while becoming your own person.

AW Confidential, where truth transforms.

Learn more about Mika, visit Instagram @mikabites or www.mikaleon.com

In this special AW Confidential kitchen episode, Yvette Bodden steps away from the studio and into her kitchen to cook, reflect, and talk about food, family, culture, and growing up Latina.

Inspired by chef and author Mika Leon’s new cookbook, Cuban Soul: 100 Vibrant Recipes from Mi Cocina, Yvette prepares one of Mika’s recipes while sharing personal memories of her mother, the role cooking played in her childhood, and the way food becomes part of how Latino families preserve culture, identity, and tradition.

This episode is a personal reflection on Latinidad, family recipes, generational traditions, and the memories we carry forward, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month.

It also sets the table for the AW Confidential conversation with Mika Leon, who joins Yvette to talk about Cuban culture, family legacy, finding her way back to her roots, and the story behind Cuban Soul.

Because food is rarely just food. Sometimes it’s memory, identity, family and a connection to where we come from.

AW Confidential — where truth transforms.

Learn more about Yvette, visit www.awconfidential.com or Instagram @awconfidential

One of the world’s most celebrated authors, Isabel Allende is the internationally bestselling author of 30 books, including The House of the Spirits, Paula, and A Long Petal of the Sea, with more than 80 million copies sold worldwide. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages and has earned her numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She is also the founder of the Isabel Allende Foundation, dedicated to empowering and protecting women and girls around the world.In this special episode of AW Confidential, host Yvette Bodden sits down with internationally celebrated author Isabel Allende for a heartfelt conversation about love, family, writing, and truth.

From the unexpected beginnings of The House of the Spirits to her new book, Story Telling: A Writing Life, Isabel reflects on the power of storytelling, what writing has taught her about herself, and the experiences that have shaped her journey.

As a longtime admirer of Isabel’s work and a fellow author, Yvette shares her own unexpected path to writing a book. Their conversation also turns to their mothers, the importance of love and family, and what truly matters in life.

Warm, candid, and deeply personal, this conversation goes beyond Isabel’s extraordinary literary career to explore the woman behind the words and the truths that connect us all.

Story Telling: A Writing Life is available now.

Truth leads the conversation.

Learn more about Isabel, visit www.isabelallende.com or Instagram @allendeisabel

🎙️ Este episodio de AW Confidential es en español. *

¿Qué se necesita realmente para convertirse en campeona?

Bruninha, futbolista brasileña, dos veces campeona de la NWSL con Gotham FC y representante de Brasil a nivel internacional, se sienta con Yvette Bodden en AW Confidential para una conversación íntima en español sobre la historia detrás de sus triunfos.

Bruninha nos lleva desde sus primeros sueños jugando fútbol en Brasil hasta competir al más alto nivel, representando a su país y haciendo historia con Gotham FC. Habla sobre los sacrificios detrás del éxito, los momentos difíciles que el público no siempre ve y cómo el fútbol la ha transformado como atleta y como mujer.

También conversamos sobre el crecimiento del fútbol femenino, la igualdad salarial y las oportunidades para las mujeres en el deporte, el poder de ver a más mujeres competir y ganar, y lo que todavía falta por lograr para la próxima generación.

Bruninha comparte lo que significa llevar la camiseta de Brasil, el consejo que le daría a las niñas que sueñan con seguir sus pasos y, en nuestra AW Truth Bomb, la verdad que este camino le ha enseñado sobre sí misma.

Una conversación sobre fútbol, sí — pero también sobre identidad, sacrificio, valentía, sueños y el poder de las mujeres que están cambiando el juego.

AW Confidential — Where Truth Transforms.

Learn more about Bruninha, visit www.gothamfc.com or Instagram @bruninhaia_

What does it really take to build a business when no one sees the sacrifices behind the success?

On this episode of AW Confidential, Host and Founder, Yvette Bodden sits down with Annie Gamez, Founder of Cultura Takeover, and Emily Perez, Founder of Latinas Beauty Official, for an honest conversation about the side of entrepreneurship that rarely makes the highlight reel.

The three founders get real about building with purpose, the personal cost of entrepreneurship, self-doubt, loneliness, community support, knowing your worth, and the pressure to keep showing up when you’re the person everyone else is looking to for leadership.

They also explore the complicated relationship between purpose and profitability, what happens when support comes from unexpected places, and how their definitions of success have changed along the way.

Because building something meaningful can be incredibly rewarding but there is always a story behind what everyone else sees.

In this conversation:

• The sacrifices behind building a business

• Entrepreneurship and founder loneliness

• Community support and what happens when it doesn’t come

• Purpose vs. profitability

• Knowing and charging your worth

• Redefining success as an entrepreneur

• Why founders keep going when quitting would be easier

AW Confidential, Where Truth Transforms.

To learn more, visit us on Instagram @awconfidential, @culturatakeover and @latinasinbeautyofficial.

Actor Aaron Dominguez joins AW Confidential to discuss his latest psychological horror short, The Prowler, an official selection of the Academy Award-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival.

Known to many for his acclaimed role in Only Murders in the Building, Aaron shares what drew him to this unsettling story, the challenge of portraying fear from the inside out, and why psychological horror often reflects the parts of ourselves we try hardest to ignore.

This conversation goes beyond the screen, exploring the emotional truth behind storytelling, the lasting impact a role can have on an actor, and whether fear is something we're meant to overcome or understand.

In this episode:
• What drew Aaron to The Prowler
• The art of portraying internal fear
• How psychological horror mirrors the human experience
• The role that stayed with him after filming
• An AW Truth Bomb on fear, courage, and self-discovery

If you enjoy conversations about film, creativity, personal growth, and the stories that shape us, subscribe to AW Confidential for weekly interviews with actors, filmmakers, authors, founders, and changemakers.

Learn more about Aaron on Instagram @theaarondominguez

Actor, musician, producer and performer LEON joins AW for a candid conversation about an extraordinary career spanning more than three decades and the man behind the work that has become part of the culture.

From unforgettable performances in The Five Heartbeats, Cool Runnings, Above the Rim, and Waiting to Exhale, to his acclaimed portrayals in The Temptations and Little Richard, LEON has built a body of work that continues to resonate across generations, earning Emmy and NAACP Award nominations along the way.

And his story is still being written.

LEON also stars as veteran defense attorney Greg Sims in the upcoming film WILDCARDS, a unique production that blends cinema and theatre.

Beyond film and television, LEON is a musician and frontman of LEON & The Peoples, continuing to create and perform while adding another dimension to a career that has never fit neatly into one lane.

In this revealing conversation, LEON opens up about recognizing when his work had become bigger than a role and part of the culture, what more than three decades of longevity has required of him, staying grounded through the different chapters of his career, and what continues to excite him creatively.

He also gets personal about what success has demanded, the lessons that come with experience, and the truth he wishes his younger self had understood.

Thoughtful, authentic and open, LEON gives us something beyond the iconic performances and accomplishments: a glimpse at the man, his perspective, and the life behind an enduring cultural legacy.

LEON also shares what's next, from WILDCARDS to his music with LEON & The Peoples and performing live at City Winery NYC, proving that more than three decades into his career, he's still creating new chapters.

AW Confidential, Where Truth Transforms.

To learn more about LEON, visit www.justleon.com or Instagram @wwwjustleon

What if understanding your healthcare options could change your life?

Millions of women live with uterine fibroids, yet many spend years searching for answers, living with painful symptoms, or believing surgery is their only option.

In this episode of AW Confidential, Yvette Bodden sits down with Dr. Yan Katsnelson, founder of Fibroid Fighters and a cardiac surgeon dedicated to advancing awareness around uterine fibroids and empowering women through education.

Together, they discuss why so many women remain unaware of their treatment options, the emotional impact of living with fibroids, and why informed healthcare decisions begin with honest conversations.

Whether you're living with fibroids, supporting someone who is, or simply want to become a better advocate for your health, this conversation offers valuable insights that every woman should hear.

• Why Dr. Yan founded Fibroid Fighters
• Why awareness and education are critical to women's health
• Common misconceptions about fibroids
• The emotional impact of living with fibroids
• Why women deserve to understand all of their healthcare options
• One truth every woman should hear about her health

If this conversation empowers you, please share it with someone who may benefit from it. One honest conversation has the power to change a life.

To learn more about Fibroid Fighters, visit: www.fibroidfighters.org

What happens when a personal health journey becomes a mission to help others?

In this special episode of AW Confidential, Yvette Bodden sits down with model, entrepreneur, television personality, and Fibroid Fighters Ambassador Cynthia Bailey for an honest conversation about women's health, advocacy, and the importance of breaking the silence around uterine fibroids.

Millions of women live with fibroids, yet many spend years searching for answers, dismissing symptoms, or feeling alone in their diagnosis. Cynthia shares why lending her voice to this cause became deeply personal, what she hopes women take away from conversations like these, and why education and self-advocacy are essential to making informed healthcare decisions.

This conversation is a reminder that awareness is more than information. It's about giving women the confidence to ask questions, explore their options, and know they are not alone.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Cynthia Bailey became an advocate for women's health.
• The importance of breaking the silence around uterine fibroids.
• How awareness empowers women to make informed healthcare decisions.
• The power of honest conversations to create change.

If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that their health matters and their voice does too.

To learn more about Cynthia, visit Instagram @cynthiabailey

Success rarely follows a straight line.

In this episode of AW Confidential, actress Lindsay Weisberg shares her unexpected journey from competitive downhill skiing and neuroscience to a flourishing career in film and television. Together, we explore what it means to reinvent yourself, redefine success, and embrace the unexpected chapters that shape who we become.

Lindsay reflects on why her role in Lethia resonated so deeply with her, how her own life experiences informed her connection to the story, and the lessons she's learned about resilience, identity, and purpose along the way.

This conversation isn't just about acting, it's about trusting your path, finding meaning through life's challenges, and discovering the truths that no degree, achievement, or career milestone can teach.

Lindsay can next be seen in the upcoming theatrical release GANGLAND and Netflix's highly anticipated limited series All the Sinners Bleed.In this episode, we explore:
• Reinvention and embracing unexpected paths
• Redefining success beyond achievement
• Finding purpose through storytelling
• Resilience through life's unexpected chapters
• The truths life teaches beyond accomplishment

Learn more about Lindsay. Visit her on Instagram.