Awf The Record

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In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with therapist and instant New York Times bestselling author Kier Gaines for a raw, honest conversation about vulnerability, masculinity, relationships, and the ways social media is quietly reshaping how we love. 

Kier breaks down why men, especially Black men, often struggle to open up, why women are exhausted by the emotional load, and how online comparison, gender scripts, and fear of being played can make connection feel harder than it needs to be. From contempt and tone to emotional maturity, self-healing, and what it really means to do the work, this conversation is a needed reset for anyone trying to build healthier relationships without losing themselves in the noise.

KEY POINTS

00:00 - Introduction: Social media is reshaping love, vulnerability, and conflict

01:35 - Kier reflects on becoming an instant New York Times bestselling author

03:19 - Kier explains why his work blends clinical expertise with real humanity

05:42 - The pressure on Black men to be impenetrable, useful, and unaffected

12:02 - Men are not women’s job to fix, but relationships need more emotional presence

16:09 - Therapy language and how it can also shrink emotional tolerance

17:58 - Social media comparison can quietly damage relationships

24:22 - Kier unpacks women’s emotional load, tone, contempt, and the work of repair

37:25 - What to look for in dating: accountability, listening, kindness, & emotional maturity

42:20 - Vulnerability requires mutual trust, safety, and time

QUOTES 

“We can't run from the fact that men don't feel like we have intrinsic value.” – Kier Gaines

“Shame, blame, and guilt-they steal all of your awareness.” – Kier Gaines

“The thing about contempt is it's not just the feeling; it's the narrative attached to it.” – Kier Gaines

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Kier Gaines 

IG | @kiergaines

It All Starts When You Do: A Therapist's Guide to Overcoming Self-Sabotaging and Work Towards Healing 

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

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Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

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Tennesha Wood takes Mona and Jeannette inside her matchmaking process, from two-hour interviews and home tours to reference checks and conversations about money, family, therapy, sex and past relationships. She also explains why someone who is overly focused on looks can be a dating red flag, why chemistry can grow over time, and why she refuses to create relationships built solely around beauty and money. Then, Tennesha breaks down why matchmaking packages can cost a lot of money, what clients are actually paying for, and why she created a matchmaking service specifically designed to help Black professionals find one another.

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Tennesha Wood 

Website | www.thebroomlist.com 

IG | @tenneshawood

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

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Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
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What happens when you’ve built the career, earned the degree, bought the house, and still haven’t found the relationship you want?

Professional matchmaker Tennesha Wood joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a reality check on the modern dating market, especially for high-achieving Black women. Tennesha breaks down what men and women are actually asking for, why accomplishments don’t automatically translate to compatibility, and how rigid standards around income, height, looks, and “type” may be shrinking the dating pool.

They also get into the strategy behind Tennesha’s matchmaking process, why attraction can grow, the importance of self-awareness and accountability, how to communicate in high-achieving relationships, when dating should become intentional, and why finding love may require the same level of planning you’ve given every other major goal in your life.

KEY POINTS

00:00 – Introduction

01:47 – A reality check on what’s actually happening in today’s dating market

03:34 – Why dating can be harder for high-achieving Black women and where to meet compatible partners

04:51 – What successful men and women are actually looking for in relationships

09:01 – How unrealistic checklists and the search for perfection can keep people single

12:22 – Why focusing too heavily on looks can be a dating red flag

20:00 – Why your usual “type” may not actually be your best match

22:17 – The role of accountability and self-awareness in being ready for a relationship

24:00 – Why height, income, and other preferences may unnecessarily shrink your dating pool

32:31 – How career success can become your identity and affect the way you date

49:03 – Why finding love may require the same intentional strategy you use for your career and other life goals

QUOTES 

“You're not going to get everything on your list.” – Tennesha Wood

“Who your type should be is who your values align with.” – Tennesha Wood

“If you're not at a place where you understand what you did wrong in your last relationship or how you could have changed or improved it within yourself, then that's not going to bode well for the next relationship either.”  – Tennesha Wood

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Tennesha Wood 

Website | www.thebroomlist.com 

IG | @tenneshawood

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
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What do you do when you become your family’s financial safety net? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Vivian Tu about the pressure of being the person everyone turns to when money gets tight, especially in immigrant families and communities of color. Vivian explains why constantly giving from your own savings can keep you from building the future that would allow you to help more meaningfully later. She breaks down the difference between giving a gift and creating a loan that turns into a family fight, why a “gift fund” can help create boundaries, and how to decide whether a request is an emergency or an expectation. Honest, practical, and deeply relatable, this conversation is about learning how to say no without abandoning the people you love.

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Vivian Tu

Website | https://www.yourrichbff.com/ 

IG | https://www.instagram.com/your.richbff/ 

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
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In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi welcome  Vivian Tu, aka CEO and Founder of Your Rich BFF and Ask Dolly, for a no-fluff conversation about why so many people still feel broke even when they are making good money. Vivian breaks down the money blueprint most of us inherited, why working hard is no longer enough, and how asset ownership, investing, budgeting, and career strategy can help people build real financial security.

From fake wealth on social media to salary negotiation, dating with financial clarity, family money boundaries, trad wife culture, credit scores, debt, and the cost of adulthood, Vivian brings the group chat version of financial advice: honest, sharp, funny, and deeply practical. This conversation is for anyone trying to stop chasing a lifestyle that does not actually exist and start building a life that can hold them.

KEY POINTS

00:00 - Introduction: Vivian Tu breaks down the new rules of money

01:15 - The old money blueprint no longer works

03:30 - Social media is making fake wealth look normal

08:18 - Budgeting starts with knowing what you can actually afford

10:00 - Career security means being loyal to yourself first

11:38 - The “up and out” rule has changed in this job market

14:41 - Raises require receipts, confidence, and self-advocacy

17:56 - Major life milestones now require tradeoffs and timelines

24:19 - Family planning and benefits are part of the money conversation

27:04 - Money in relationships requires honesty, equity, and autonomy

39:13 - Rich people spend based on value, not performance

41:30 - Debt, credit scores, and family money need better boundaries

QUOTES 

“Let me be entirely clear. Those people are broke. The vast majority of the showy, loud, portrayed wealth that you're seeing on social media is fake.” – Vivian Tu 

“It's not how good you are with money; it's how good you are at playing this game.” – Vivian Tu 

“Debt has been made into like this swear word when real rich people know that debt is leverage.” – Vivian Tu 

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Vivian Tu

Website | https://www.yourrichbff.com/ 

IG | https://www.instagram.com/your.richbff/ 

App link | http://askdolly.com/Awf

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
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How do you date again after someone used vulnerability as a strategy? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Reesa Teesa about trust, dating, and the psychological aftermath of being deceived by someone who seemed to say all the right things. Reesa reflects on how her ex “beat her to the story,” sharing false details about past relationships, therapy, and heartbreak before she could even ask the questions that might have protected her. She also opens up about why her circle is smaller now, why dating still scares her, and why she believes background checks should be part of modern dating. Honest, sharp, and deeply relatable, this conversation is about what happens when someone learns your wounds, flips the truth, and makes you question how easily trust can be weaponized.

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Reesa Teesa

IG | @reesateesa

Amazon book | What (TF) Do I Do Now?: Reclaiming Myself, One Piece at a Time 

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
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In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with Reesa Teesa to talk about life after the viral Who TF Did I Marry? series, the red flags she missed, the shame that kept her silent, and the healing she is still walking through in real time. Reesa opens up about dating from potential instead of reality, realizing she had married a pathological liar, and why the fear of admitting “I’m getting played” felt scarier than the truth itself.

From background checks and desperation dating to miscarriage, loneliness, faith, book deals, TV development, and learning how to edit the dream without giving up on it, this conversation goes far beyond the viral story. It is honest, funny, painful, and deeply human, reminding women that being single is never worse than being married to the wrong person.

KEY POINTS

00:00 - Introduction: Reesa Teesa’s story became a viral cultural moment

02:15 - Reesa reflects on life after going viral

03:50 - Reesa summarizes the story behind Who TF Did I Marry?

05:26 - Reesa explains why accountability shaped the story’s reception

09:27 - Reesa pushes back on the “it could never be me” mindset

12:30 - Reesa explains how dating potential made her vulnerable

15:14 - Reesa admits that facing the lie meant facing her own fear

18:16 - Reesa breaks down how a pathological liar builds a false foundation

22:39 - Reesa explains how money became part of the manipulation

24:46 - Reesa explains how he “beat her to the story” and damaged her trust

28:46 - Reesa opens up about the book, healing, and loneliness

40:19 - Reesa talks about the TV series, business, shame, and life after virality

QUOTES 

“I tend to date off of potential and not reality.” – Reesa Teesa

“There’s a difference between being alone and lonely.” – Jeannette Reyes

“Being single is nowhere near as bad as being married to the wrong person.”  – Reesa Teesa

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Reesa Teesa

IG | @reesateesa

Amazon book | What (TF) Do I Do Now?: Reclaiming Myself, One Piece at a Time 

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

YouTube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
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What did we really lose when The Wendy Williams Show ended? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with former Wendy Williams producer Norman Baker to reflect on the cultural force Wendy created, the final season that left the team in limbo, and why no one has been able to fill the space she left behind. Norman opens up about Wendy’s brilliance, her fearlessness, and the rare freedom of working on a show where a Black woman could speak her mind every single day on daytime television. He also shares why he has been cautious about participating in documentaries about Wendy, what it felt like to learn major updates through the media, and how the transition into Sherri challenged him to adapt his voice, sharpen his comedy, and keep the spirit of hot topics alive in a new way.

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Norman Baker

IG | @thenormanbaker

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
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What really happened behind the scenes during the final days of The Wendy Williams Show?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with former Wendy Williams producer Norman Baker for an inside look at one of daytime television’s most unforgettable cultural eras. Norman opens up about moving to New York with $100, getting his start as a receptionist, earning Wendy’s trust on and off camera, and watching the show become a place where pop culture, gossip, shade, and Black womanhood collided in real time.

Norman also reflects on the final seasons of the show, the limbo the staff experienced when Wendy was no longer able to return, and why he has chosen not to participate in certain documentaries about her. From protecting Wendy’s legacy to the shift from Wendy to Sherri, the art of shade, and the future of daytime TV, this conversation is a funny, honest, and surprisingly tender tribute to the show that changed how we talked about celebrity culture.

KEYPOINTS:

00:00 - Introduction

02:31 - Norman broke into TV with $100 and no industry connections

03:16 - Wendy turned Norman into an on-camera personality

04:20 - Norman explains the cultural void Wendy left behind

05:12 - Norman describes the final years as a “long, slow descent”

11:15 - Norman explains why he is cautious about the Wendy documentaries

18:12 - The Wendy team never got real closure

20:33 - Norman reflects on transitioning from Wendy to Sherri

47:24 - Norman shares how he wants Wendy to be remembered

QUOTES:

“In the end this shows that what fascinates people the most is other people doing the things that they swear they never do.” – Jeannette Reyes

“I feel like no one's been able to fill the void that she and, should I say, we created.” – Norman Baker

“I feel like that show got closure, quote unquote, but it still like it struck a chord with a lot of people.” – Mona Kosar Abdi

“We were in limbo. We're like, what are we gonna do? What is this show gonna be? Is she ever gonna come back?” – Norman Baker

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Norman Baker

IG | @thenormanbaker

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
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This episode originally aired on 04/16/2026

What are celebrities actually getting done… and why does everyone suddenly look younger?

In this episode of Awf The Record, top Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale pulls back the curtain on modern plastic surgery, from facelifts and fillers to the “undetectable” glow ups taking over Hollywood.

He breaks down the biggest misconceptions about plastic surgery, why natural results are now the gold standard, and how today’s techniques are creating transformations that look subtle, not obvious. From celebrity trends to the rise of men getting work done, Dr. Truesdale shares what people are really asking for behind closed doors.

The conversation also dives into the psychology behind plastic surgery, why some people should not get it, and how to know if you’re choosing the right surgeon. Plus, he reveals the red flags most people completely miss, the real cost of facial rejuvenation, and why bad work is often easier to spot than good work.

If you’ve ever wondered what actually works, what’s overhyped, and how to approach plastic surgery the right way, this episode is a must-listen.

KEY POINTS

- 0:00 Introduction 

- 1:57 The Biggest Myth About Plastic Surgery and Black Patients

- 5:43 What Actually Makes Someone Attractive

- 8:42 The Psychology Behind Plastic Surgery

- 10:35 Most Requested Procedures Right Now

- 12:20 Why Hollywood Results Look More Natural Today

- 14:05 Who Dr. Truesdale refuses to Operate On

- 16:43 Fillers vs Facelifts: What Actually Works

- 19:13 Black People and Plastic Surgery 

- 27:07 The Real Cost of Looking Younger

- 32:10 The Biggest Red Flags When Choosing a Surgeon

- 36:52 The Future of Plastic Surgery 

- 42:33 What Are The Men Getting In Plastic Surgery? 

QUOTES 

“What I do is candy. It's sugar. It will improve your quality of life, but you don't need to do it.” - Dr. Carl Truesdale

“The hardest part of what I do is literally fulfilling the happiness piece, not related to surgery. It's a mental, psychological thing.” - Dr. Carl Truesdale

“Perfect symmetry is not actually the goal. We want things to be more symmetric, but keeping a little bit of asymmetry is the thing that makes your face, your face.”  - Dr. Carl Truesdale

RESOURCES: 

Dr. Carl Truesdale 

Website | www.doctortruesdale.com

IG | Doctor.Truesdale 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com

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