Cultivated Conversations

Creativity exists within all of us. But few of us fully are brave enough to align with that inner voice. That wasn’t the case for today’s guest, TV personality Orly Shani.  She was able to lean in to the areas in her life that both brought her joy and flexed her creative muscles - and since finding this synergy has launched a massively successful career in fashion and lifestyle programming.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this special episode of Cultivated Conversations is an eye-opening discussion of how mental illness can take over someone’s life. KROQ radio personality Megan Holiday candidly discusses her struggle with addiction and how this disease then impacted her life, career, and relationships. Megan fought hard to take her life back, and she tells Jen all about how she was able to overcome her issues, even finding a second chance at her dream career. This is a powerful story not to be missed.

Great struggles can beget incredible outcomes. International athleisure label Tully Lou has two brains behind the magic: co-founders Sarah Pasini and namesake Tully Lou. It was Tully’s personal struggles who led to her meeting her best friend turned business partner and developing a fashion line and business to empower women in their workout and everyday wear. The Aussie duo share the challenges and what it takes to build a business from the ground up alongside your best friend.

The constant juggle between work and life balance is an often thought as unattainable skill to master. However today’s guest, show-runner Meaghan Rady, has been able to create a name and life for herself after switching careers in her 30’s. This episode is a great primer for all those wondering how women at the top in their industry manage to have everything together.

Our guest Jennifer Walker’s father told her “You can’t make a career throwing parties.” Boy, did she prove him wrong. CEO of one of LA’s lead PR and experiential marketing agencies, Jen Walker is a key example of how one can find their calling by leaning into the avenues they thrive in. However, even owning one’s business can drive one to experience burnout, and we learn what it took to get Jen Walker back on the path of balance and joy after years of soul-crushing stress.

Having followed a path that aligned with her interests, artist Jeanette Sawyer was able to make a name for herself in the museum industry as a exhibition designer. Yet like many others in the world, her day job simply wasn’t as fulfilling as she thought it would be. There was a deep desire to discover and create a cultural impact on the world. By fully embracing her identity and culture as a Filipino-American woman, Jeanette was finally able to feed her soul. In this episode we learn about what “ikigai” is, a Japanese concept defined as one’s “reason for being.” If you’ve ever been curious about wanting more for yourself than just your day-job, this episode is a must-listen for wantrepreneurs everywhere.

As our society grows more and more impatient, virtues like kindness and patience have become rare and underrated.  In this Cultivated Conversation, Line Producer Allyce Ozarski delightfully explains the progression of her career in production management to hit shows like FX’s “Baskets” and Sarah Silverman’s Hulu Show “I Love You, America.” By emphasizing kindness and compassion for every type of person that comes her way, Allyce is a true example of how the universe will provide you avenues to pursue your path, even in the oddest of places.

Some of the best decisions you can make for yourself often are the result of tough, scary choices. In this episode, celebrity make-up artist Val Harvey describes what it felt like when she had to make a life-altering decision between seeing her mother in her final moments or taking a once-in-a-lifetime job with one of her biggest idols. Also, Val candidly discusses some observations she's made as a Black woman in the beauty industry, and some of the challenges she faced and overcame. 

Executive Producer Rebecca Mayer is a major hustler in the entertainment industry, where she started as a musician in a punk band to switching her career in her 30’s. With hard work and determination, she quickly rose through the ranks and conquered the proverbial ladder. Her nonstop commitment to hard work eventually caught up to her, when she fully exhausted herself and physically, mentally, and emotionally could no longer work. On this forced break from her career, she was able to save her own life. With time, came healing and reflection, and her creativity developed a new wellness venture that paired wine tasting with the centering practice of yoga.