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You may know Andrea Lewis as Hazel from Degrassi — but that was just the beginning.

In this powerful episode of Awf The Record, Andrea opens up about the transition from being one of the few Black girls on TV to becoming a writer, director, and multi-hyphenate creative building space for others to shine. From identity to independence, creative control to burnout, Andrea gets real about what it takes to grow up in front of the camera and then take ownership behind it.

We talk about her production company, navigating typecasting, her honest feelings about Black girl representation in media, and how becoming a boss changed how she shows up in life and love.

If you’re in your reinvention era, this episode is your reminder: you don’t have to stay where they found you.

KEY POINTS

- From toddler actor to landing Hazel on Degrassi

- Living through Degrassi’s breakout moment and teen stardom

- Why Canadian fame felt “chill” compared to Hollywood

- Tackling taboo teen topics on screen (abortion, predators, and more)

- Breaking out of the “Black best friend” typecast in Hollywood

- The tough leap from teen roles to adult storytelling

- Reflections on Drake’s rise and that iconic 2018 Degrassi reunion

- Taking the reins to create layered, authentic Black stories

QUOTES

“I love stories. And so whether that's being in front of the camera and playing a really great role or behind the camera. I love this business. I love how crazy it is. I love how hard it is. I love the whole thing.” – Andrea Lewis

“Clarity is kindness. And I had a friend actually say that to me recently, and I am an advocate for really speaking how you feel.” – Andrea Lewis

“I am a reflection of my friendship group, and they are creatives. They are they are the talent.” – Andrea Lewis

GUEST RESOURCES

Andrea Lewis 

IG | @andrealewis

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

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Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
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“The line is drawn when you’re not in control of it. The ownership, agency, and empowerment factor comes from putting the price tag on your own image and likeness.” 

Melyssa Ford is stepping out of the image, the headlines, and the hype - and into her truth.

In this powerful and unfiltered episode of Awf The Record, Melyssa opens up about what it really meant to be “the video vixen,” the trauma of being hyper-visible yet misunderstood, and the personal fallout of fame, objectification, and public perception.

From the music industry to podcasting, she shares how grief, loneliness, and burnout led to a total identity reset, and how she’s finally reclaiming her story, her softness, and her voice.

If you’ve ever felt consumed by what the world expected from you, this one’s for you.

KEYPOINTS: 

00:00 – The mental and emotional cost of visibility
03:12 – How grief & career burnout forced Melyssa to stop and reevaluate
06:40 – Why being “the baddest” came with a price
09:28 – The myth of the strong Black woman
13:09 – Rebuilding a new identity after fame
17:48 – Navigating sexualization and erasure in media
30:45 – Learning to ask for help and stop performing
36:29 – Healing in public — and still being misunderstood
41:00 – Softness, self-worth, and letting go of the persona

QUOTES 

"If there's a time in which to make a whole bunch of mistakes and just, and, you know, and do them in front of everybody, it's your 20s, it's fine. That's the time to do. But I was always so reserved, and I was always so hypercritical of myself." – Melyssa Ford 

"I am a pro-aging advocate. That's privilege denied to many. Exactly. It is a privilege denied to many." – Melyssa Ford 

“Whatever you want to do as a woman, whatever makes you happy, as long as it doesn’t harm anybody else - go for it.” – Melyssa Ford 

GUEST RESOURCES 

Melyssa Ford 

IG | @melyssaford

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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Is Ozempic a game-changer or just the next quick fix?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette and Mona are joined by Dr. Darien Sutton, an ABC News medical correspondent and emergency room physician, for a deep dive into the complex, controversial world of GLP-1 medications, Ozempic, and the science (and stigma) behind obesity.

They break down everything you’ve been hearing [and seeing] online – from food noise and body fat bias to BMI myths, celebrity culture, and what weight loss looks like for Black women.

If you’ve ever judged someone for their weight, questioned your own, or wondered if Ozempic is “cheating”, this episode will give you the clarity that you needed. Join this group chat now.

KEYPOINTS: 

-What GLP-1s [like Ozempic] actually do in the body

- The real reason weight loss is harder for some people

- Why BMI is outdated and biased, especially for Black women.

- The difference between weight stigma and real health risks

- How food noise affects your brain

- Ozempic: a long-term solution or short-term fix?

- How to talk about weight without shame or misinformation

- What medical influencers are getting wrong on TikTok!

- Why weight is NOT health, and health is NOT thin.

QUOTES:

“We never took a moment to reckon with fatphobia before we began treating obesity… and now we’re trying to do both at once.”

“Food noise is real. And for some people, this medication is the first time their mind is quiet.”

“Obesity is not a failure of willpower. It’s a chronic, complex condition;  and the way we talk about it needs to catch up.”

“Just like you wouldn’t tell someone with high blood pressure to fix it without medication, we shouldn’t treat weight any differently.”

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
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
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The group chat is wide open... and y’all did not hold back.

In this solo episode, Jeannette and Mona answer voice notes directly from YOU! Tune in as they give their most honest, heartfelt, and hilarious advice on everything from bold career pivots to how to survive motherhood and find your peace. It’s giving: group chat, girl talk, and big sister wisdom all in one.

Whether you're navigating burnout, debating a return to your career field, trying to fund your next chapter with $8K, or wondering if it’s even okay to want more - this episode is packed with real answers, vulnerable stories, and "oof, that hit" moments.

💬 Got a question for a future episode? Slide in the DMs @awftherecordpodcast.

KEY POINTS

- Bold life lessons from Jeannette & Mona's biggest pivots

- Fear vs. intuition: how to trust your gut

- How to create “me time” as a mom or caregiver

- What to do with $8,000 and no job

- Returning to your career field after time away

- Storytelling and marketing tips for new entrepreneurs

- Makeup tips for beginners who are tired but still wanna glow

- How to support your child’s dream in media & journalism

- Navigating guilt, village parenting, and saying yes to help

- Rebuilding confidence after a major life change

QUOTES 

“Life favors the bold.” – Mona Kosar Abdi

“You always win when you bet on yourself.”– Jeannette Reyes

“Fear is only an indication that this is something that matters to you.” – Jeannette Reyes

“If you live small, you would get small results.” – Mona Kosar Abdi

"It's no longer a badge of honor to be exhausted, to be overwhelmed, [or] to be stressed out." – Jeannette Reyes

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
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
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From her dream job at Bravo to building one of the most powerful creative communities in the country, Imani Ellis is the visionary founder behind CultureCon and The Creative Collective NYC. In this episode, she sits down with Jeannette and Mona to share the real story behind her bold pivot from corporate life to creative entrepreneurship - including the fear, obsession, burnout, and self-trust it took to make the leap.

Whether you’re in your corporate bag, building something on the side, or just wondering if it’s time to pivot - this episode is packed with gems on executive presence, mentorship, faith, and the messy middle of building something from scratch.

💬 Topics We Cover:

✅How Imani knew it was time to leave her dream job
✅Building CultureCon from her living room to 10,000+ attendees
✅What it actually takes to scale (hint: obsession & systems)
✅How to tell if someone is giving you feedback or dimming your light
✅Her creative residency framework for rest + reflection
✅The power of mentors, community, and being underestimated

🌍 CultureCon is more than a conference, it’s a movement. And this conversation is a masterclass in trusting the whisper.

🔔 Subscribe for more unfiltered convos that live between the news and the group chat. New episodes weekly.

KEY POINTS

- From NBC Page to Bravo VP: Imani’s unconventional rise in media

- How feedback and mentorship shaped her executive presence

- How a living room idea became CultureCon

- Trusting the “whisper” that said it was time to leap

- The sacrifices no one sees: from missed birthdays to sleepless nights

- Turning sponsor rejections into resilience (until HBO said yes!)

- Trading comfort for courage: corporate vs. entrepreneurship

- Why confidence spreads, and community changes everything

QUOTES 

“I am someone who's very curious, and I would say I'm ever expanding. So, whenever I find I'm leaning too much to one identity, I try to question that a little bit.” – Imani Ellis

“You want to know when the right time is. And sometimes you try to do as much as you can until you realize you can't do that—the rubber band breaks.”  – Imani Ellis

“Mentors usually find you already doing the thing, and they're impressed by you. They see something in you.” – Imani Ellis

“You could be a super big fish and a small pond with my internships, but every leader is going to require a different version of you.” –  Imani Ellis

GUEST RESOURCES

Imani Ellis 

IG | @imaniimani

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
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
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This is not just a sex talk- it’s a whole intimacy intervention.

In this jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud, deeply healing episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette and Mona welcome licensed couples & sex therapist Marissa Nelson to the group chat… and let’s just say: nothing was off limits.

From the orgasm gap to scheduling sex, soul ties to underwater escapades (yes, really), Marissa breaks down the myths, mindsets, and cultural taboos keeping Black women from fully experiencing pleasure. We talk sex after kids, religious shame, kinks, communication, and why so many of us are having the sex we think we “should,” instead of the sex we actually want.

💬 We Talk About:

• Why your sex life might feel disconnected
• The truth about the orgasm gap (and how to close it)
• Sex after childbirth and healing your desire
• Scheduling sex and still keeping it sexy
• Navigating shame, church trauma, and purity culture
• “Awkward intimacy” and why it’s the key
• Why performance isn’t the same as pleasure
• Talking about kinks, even when they’re taboo
• How women can initiate from a place of power
• Tips to bring play, curiosity, and joy back into your bedroom

Whether you're partnered, healing, curious, or just trying to reclaim your own pleasure, this episode is for you.

KEY POINTS

-You receive the pleasure you think you deserve.

- Scheduling sex doesn’t kill the vibe

- Shame is a pleasure blocker, especially for women

- Sexless marriages are more common than you think.

- FYI, good lovers aren’t born… they’re trained.

- Real intimacy? It leaves room for awkwardness

- Navigating media influence and sexual expectations

- (TMI) Kinks and other unconventional sexual preferences

- Helpful ways to enhance your sex life!

- A woman’s orgasm is really important

QUOTES 

“Wherever you feel uncomfortable with sex, it is an invitation to level up.” – Marissa Nelson

“I think it also speaks to this expectation, particularly for men, that you have to naturally be good at it.” – Jeannette Reyes

“We're not having the sex that's worth desiring. We're just not having sex that is erotic enough for us to want it.” – Marissa Nelson

“A lot of times, we know in sex how to say what we don't want. We don't always know how to say what we do want, or what you do really well, or what you do really well. We don't always praise each other when they get it right.” – Marissa Nelson

GUEST RESOURCES

Marissa Nelson 

Website: https://www.intimacymoons.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@xomarissanelson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xomarissanelson/

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
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
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Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com

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The group chat is back, and we’re kicking off Season 3 with the realest catch-up yet. 

Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down to unpack a summer filled with unplanned pivots, unexpected lessons, and major perspective shifts.

From navigating a painful career rejection to juggling pregnancy timelines, family expectations, media burnout and motherhood pressure, this episode is for anyone feeling like their life plan just got flipped. You’re not behind. You’re being redirected. Jeannette shares how a missed promotion turned into a deeper awakening, while Mona opens up about raising her daughter to be bilingual, vlogging fails, and writing her first e-book, Primed to Pivot.

This conversation is full of laughter, clarity, and the reminder that your pivot isn’t a fallback. It’s your next level.

KEYPOINTS: 

0:00 – Kicking off Season 3 with chaos and clarity

1:07 – What one year of podcasting taught us

2:30 – When your “rest era” becomes a burnout spiral

5:49 – The vacation vlog that went completely left

9:28 – The job we thought was a lock… wasn’t

11:59 – How to handle rejection when it hits deep

13:15 – Cheesecake vs cupcake: the ego check we needed

16:40 – “I think I’ve peaked” - the lie we tell ourselves

18:25 – Jeannette's e-book reveal: Primed to Pivot

23:51 – Why your job should be a lease, not a mortgage

25:00 – Career moves vs baby timelines - can we talk?!

31:40 – What to expect this season on Awf The Record

QUOTES 

“You end up playing small when things always go your way.” – Mona Kosar Abdi

“You should treat your job like a lease, not a mortgage.” – Jeannette Reyes

“I want people to be excited and more optimistic and more encouraged when a door does close, or when someone says: ‘Hey, you know…’ whether it’s laying you off or the position has been eliminated.” – Mona Kosar Abdi

“The best thing you can do is to prepare to pivot; and pivot from a position of power and leverage.” – Mona Kosar Abdi

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
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It’s finally here: Season 3 of Awf The Record, the unapologetically real podcast from Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi.

This season, we’re going even deeper with emotional confessions, viral-worthy breakdowns, and unfiltered takes on Black womanhood, sex, therapy, identity, and healing. From hair trauma and awkward intimacy to pleasure, purpose, and poppin’ your sh*t unapologetically, Season 3 is about owning your voice and honoring your truth.

Expect big guests, bigger gems, and the kind of honesty that lives between your therapist’s office and the group chat.

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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It’s finally here: Season 3 of Awf The Record, the unapologetically real podcast from Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi.

This season, we’re going even deeper with emotional confessions, viral-worthy breakdowns, and unfiltered takes on Black womanhood, sex, therapy, identity, and healing. From hair trauma and awkward intimacy to pleasure, purpose, and poppin’ your sh*t unapologetically, Season 3 is about owning your voice and honoring your truth.

Expect big guests, bigger gems, and the kind of honesty that lives between your therapist’s office and the group chat.

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
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com

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Mona and Jeannette open up about the emotional toll that working in the news industry took on their mental health. From the impossible hours and sleepless nights to the heartbreaking stories they had to cover, both reflect on the weight of constantly witnessing tragedy up close. Mona shares how the pressure she placed on herself to reach “network level” success pushed her to physical and mental limits, while Jeannette recalls the loneliness of working in a new city, being far from her husband, and the moment a mentor helped her realize she was depressed.

Together, they reflect on the hardest stories they've had to tell—from children lost to gun violence, to the chaos of reporting during the early days of COVID-19. They also discuss the lingering effects of constantly being exposed to pain and loss, and how it began to skew their sense of humanity. This segment is a vulnerable look behind the headlines and into the hearts of two women who gave everything to their careers—until they realized they had to choose themselves.

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
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com

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