Life, Deconstructed

Starting at the ripe age of 3 years old, Kirin Sinha thought she'd be a dancer - and took it so seriously her mom had to tell her to take it down a level. When an injury put a sudden end to her dream, she ended up at MIT, imagining life as a professor. Instead she started a national nonprofit for young girls, Shine, before founding the groundbreaking augmented reality startup Illumix. They've so far secured $13 million in VC funding, been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2020, and spotlighted by Google as a partner in the AR game. Kicking off season 2, Kirin explains why being forced to race up and down stairs doing math helped shape who she is, what makes a successful entrepreneur, her secret to building rock-solid confidence, and why everyone should do the 'Genie test.' 

Brooke Goldstein is a powerhouse attorney, an award-winning filmmaker, a founder, and mom. Soon after settling on human rights law, she founded the nonprofit Children's Rights Institute, followed up by The Lawfare Project. You can find her lecturing at law schools across the country, or analyzing and debating on major TV networks - unapologetic about her views. We caught up on how making a documentary about terrorism when she was "young and stupid" steered her to human rights law, running businesses while raising three boys, and her tried and true tips for stepping up your public speaking and debating game.

When we watch and think of movies, it's all about the actors, the celebrities, the directors. The people less talked about are the producers behind the scenes - the ones problem solving and quite literally making it all happen. Anahid Nazarian is one of those names. For over 30 years she's collaborated with Francis Ford Coppola; her screen credits include The Outsiders, The Godfather Part III, and Bram Stoker's Dracula. She's worked on screenplays with legendary writers like John Le Carre, Mario Puzo, and Paul Schrader. A self-described woman of few words, she opens up about how she got into the industry (as a librarian), what it's really like to produce a major film, and why Francis Ford Coppola is crazy - in a good way. 

For over 12 years, Jane Ferguson has lived in the Middle East, reporting for CNN, Al Jazeera and now PBS from some of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world. Inside the civil war in Yemen; one of the first on the ground in rebel-held Syria; in and out of Somalia and Afghanistan - and a long way from her childhood in Northern Ireland. An award-winning journalist and journalism professor at Princeton, she opens up about what she learned while navigating dangerous assignments alone, the "bizarre chivalry" of the Taliban, why being underestimated is her greatest asset, and how to persuade skeptical strangers to trust in her, and talk. 

Brigid Kaelin's story is unlike any other we've heard so far on the podcast. She's a musician, composer, and coach, who commands over 10 instruments and has played with people like Elvis Costello and opened for Loretta Lynn. But she never thought of music as a serious enough career. After a stint at CBS News that included a bad run in with Bill Cosby himself, it was her mom's cancer that ended up steering Brigid in a direction she never thought she could go. She reflects on that path, motherhood, the life-changing impact of trusting one's instincts, and how her own recent cancer diagnosis has shifted her thinking. 

Nadia Ellis grew up in a religious, tight-knit community in Milan, at once under a microscope, and also an outsider. Several times she picked up, packed up, and started her life anew. Her path? Going from a PhD in discourse analysis - learning the art of persuasion - to hosting her own vegan cooking show shot across Italy. We chat about having the courage to always try new things, keeping your eyes open to unexpected opportunities, and learning that our identity doesn't need to be one thing - or something other people understand. 

Paula Galperin has spent 16 years in retail, at big-name brands from Aritzia, to Target, to Urban Outfitters. That's where she's now Head of Merchandising, and helping guide the company through one of the toughest times in the history of the business. She joins us from Philadelphia on how the concept of management has changed, her journey so far, and why learning to let go of the 'perfect career plan' has been a key part of it.  

In 2014, Sara Just was brought in to run one of the most storied newscasts, in one of the country's most storied institutions – NewsHour on PBS. As Executive Producer she's revitalized the show, presided over double-digit growth, and led the team through the shocking passing of co-anchor Gwen Ifill in 2016. She came in with 25 years of experience at ABC News, along the way picking up 16 Emmys and 6 Peabodys, and raising her two sons. I caught up with her at home (these days also a newsroom) on how she got into TV in the first place, balancing a family with a relentless nightly news schedule, and what she would tell her 20 year-old self. 

Alexandra Waldman has been a fashion editor in Tokyo, a writer in Paris, and a financial marketer in Moscow. But it was in 2015 in New York that her life changed, and took on a whole new path filled with personal meaning. She co-founded Universal Standard, a line of beautiful, quality clothing ranging from size 00 to 40. Their first collection sold out in just 6 days - and since then, they've been named one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies and raised investment from big names like Gwyneth Paltrow. In an intimate and funny conversation, she talks about never believing her dream could be real, how she and her partner faked it till they made it, and why they're creating nothing less than a revolution in the industry.

Tina Sharkey isn't someone you can sum up too briefly. She's spent over two decades building brands, businesses, and platforms, from iVillage, later sold to NBC, to AOL, and Brandless, which kicked off with a $300 million investment. She's a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, board member and mentor, whose name shows up on big-name lists like the ‘Top 100 People Transforming Business,' and the ’Most Daring Entrepreneurs.’ We caught up on how a 15-minute meeting out of college ended up changing her career path, handling the toughest moments in business, and the one key thing she teaches as a mentor.