Happy Holidays!

For our Christmas special, I’m joined by author Zoe Dubno to talk about her book, Happiness & Love.

Vogue calls it a “wickedly funny debut novel skewering New York’s creative class,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Spike Art Magazine’s Andrew Key summarizes the story perfectly: “The book takes place over a single evening, rendered in one unbroken paragraph, as the narrator – a writer forced by her immigration status to return to New York after five years in Rome and London, working on film projects that never take off – attends a dinner party hosted by two of her old art-world friends, artist Eugene (son of a better and more famous artist) and curator Nicole (who specializes in high-budget shows of staggering mediocrity). It’s the night following the funeral of another member of Nicole and Eugene’s little clan, an actress who killed herself after falling into addiction when her career stalled.”

Zoe gives me her take on:

* Why she chose a stream-of-consciousness form

* How the novel reworks Thomas Bernhard’s Woodcutters (1984)

* Balancing specificity of time and place with broader accessibility

* Why Americans insist on wearing yoga pants and sweatpants in public

* Why nepo babies (or nestbeschmutzer, as she calls it in her book) should embrace the term and move on

We also talk about the transactional romance in The Cut’s viral essay “The Case for Marrying an Older Man,” how it relates to Zoe’s characters, and the self-obsessed materialism of Rachel Sennott’s HBO series I Love LA.

Huge thanks to Zoe for joining the show!If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and follow—and stay tuned for our season finale next week.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

This week, I’m joined by journalist and writer Zing Tsjeng — contributor at British Vogue, host of the BBC Sounds podcast Good Bad Billionaire, and author of the Forgotten Women series. She’s also the former editor-in-chief of VICE and a close friend. (Zing doesn’t know this, but she’s actually my dream co-host. Maybe one day the stars will align!)

Our conversation centers on a few standout articles:

• “My Brain Finally Broke” by Jia Tolentino

• “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” by Chanté Joseph

• “Where Are All the Eligible Men?” by Zing Tsjeng

We get into everything, including:

• How natural is it to be accessible online 24/7?

• The illusion of infinite choice — and why more options in love, work, and lifestyle can make us less happy

• How dating apps are responding to “too many options” fatigue• A writer’s mindset on bad dates

• How London inspires Zing’s writing• London vs. New York in your 30s

If you’re curious about journalism, media literacy, cultural trends, or modern dating, this episode is for you.

Huge thank you to Zing for joining the show!

If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for new conversations every week.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

If you’re a journalist, writer, reporter, or simply curious about what really happens behind the scenes at a major news network, this episode is for you.

CNN Correspondent Salma Abdelaziz joins me for a powerful and candid conversation about the realities of modern journalism. Salma is a fearless breaking-news reporter, a former colleague, and someone I deeply admire for her integrity, storytelling, and authentic approach to social media.

In this episode, we cover:• How journalists actually recommend you consume news (hint: not 24/7)

• What can go wrong before going live on air

• How to build genuine human connection during interviews• Staying true to your core values in a rapidly changing media landscape

• Coping with loneliness and emotional fatigue when the news feels overwhelming

If you’re interested in journalism careers, news reporting, media literacy, or how CNN correspondents work behind the scenes, you’ll get a ton of insight from this conversation.

A huge thank you to Salma for joining the show!

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and follow for new conversations every week.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

This week I’m joined by award-winning singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Victoria Canal — an especially meaningful guest because we’ve known each other since third grade, back when we were schoolmates in Madrid (with the same piano teacher… shoutout Daniel!).

Over the past two decades, I’ve watched Victoria grow into the extraordinary artist and friend she is today. I’ve seen her get ready for red carpets, lounged with her in New York and London parks contemplating that quintessential, mid-twenties existentialism, and spent countless nights over meals (lovingly cooked by my partner Gwen) talking about the state of the music industry. No matter the city, we always find time for each other — she’s one of those rare long-distance friends who makes it feel like you saw her just yesterday.

In this episode, we talk about songwriting as a conduit for connection, her iconic “God vs. Goblin” complex, the hilariously awkward first time she met Ben Howard, and what it was like performing with Coldplay at Glastonbury.

We also get personal: mental health, beauty standards in music, and the power of slowing down as an act of self-love.

Huge thank you to Victoria for coming on the show.

If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for new conversations every week. Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

This week I’m joined by the versatile actor b. You may know them as Antonio from The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night (starring Lupita Nyong'o, Peter Dinklage, and Sandra Oh), Phoenix from Netflix’s You, or Officer Nikki Reynolds on CBS’s Elsbeth.

What’s the secret behind b’s rising career? Relentless self-advocacy and a commitment to mastering their craft.

As b puts it: “What is my dream job? What do I want? Where am I now? And how can I close the distance between me and the person who’s ready for that job?”

In this episode, b opens up about manifesting their dream role, navigating rejection, and the mindset shift thatchanged everything.

A huge thank you to b for joining the show!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for new conversations every week.

Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

This week, I’m joined by veteran SNL writer Will Stephen, one of the brilliant minds behind some of the show’s most viral sketches — often starring Bowen Yang. You’ve probably seen his work in Bowen Is Still Straight, or Bowen as Moo Deng. He’s also the genius behind the Foodie Boys Podcast sketch with Sabrina Carpenter, Rap Roundtable with Timothée Chalamet, and the Emmy-winning song Come Back, Barack.

In this episode, through Will’s story and insight, you’ll discover 

How you can break into comedy writing 

What actually gets people to laugh (hint: it’s all about the unexpected) 

Where to find SNL-level sketch inspiration 

A huge thank you to Will for joining the show!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for new conversations every week.

Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

In this episode, Emmy-nominated actor Rufus Sewell joins me to dive into all things Season 3 of The Diplomat on Netflix.

He shares insights on his on-screen chemistry with Keri Russell, what it was like working with Allison Janney, and why the show feels like a quintessential “comedy of divorce.”

We also explore his powerful transformation into Prince Andrew for Netflix’s Scoop, unpacking how he prepared for the infamous BBC interview scene — and how he approaches bringing complexity and humanity to real-life figures often seen as “villains.”

A huge thank you to Rufus for joining the show this week!

If you enjoyed this conversation, hit like, subscribe, and follow for new episodes every week.

Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Industry Standard with Isa Tejera!

In the pilot episode of the show, bestselling author and chef Alison Roman joins me to talk about her new cookbook, Something From Nothing, and the art of authentic cooking.

Alison shares her cooking philosophy, the beauty of imperfection in food, and how motherhood has shaped her approach in the kitchen. She also opens up about running her grocery store, First Bloom, and the challenge of balancing quality and affordability while staying true to her distinctive, relatable style.

Thank you, Alison, for being part of the very first episode of Industry Standard—a new podcast about creativity, craft, and the work behind the work.

Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts.