Ross Mandell was once a powerful Wall Street executive running Sky Capital — a brokerage firm prosecutors say defrauded investors of approximately $140 million. In 2011, a federal jury convicted him of securities fraud and conspiracy. In 2012, he was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and permanently barred from the financial industry.

Today, Mandell has resurfaced with a major social media following, positioning himself as a voice on discipline, masculinity, power, and reinvention. Rachel sits down with Mandell to unpack the rise, the fall, the sentence, and the very public comeback — and to ask the questions most interviews don’t.

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Transformational coach and author Dana Grant joins Rachel to discuss her powerful new book The Truth Within the Lie — a call to stop pretending, performing, and playing small. Dana shares her journey from trauma to awakening, how she learned to align with the Universal Laws that govern our reality, and what it means to reclaim the truth that’s always lived inside you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

    •    Why “shrinking to fit” is the biggest lie we’ve been sold

    •    How trauma shapes our search for safety — and how to heal without erasing the past

    •    What the 14 Universal Laws are and how to use them to realign your life

    •    The difference between performing and living in alignment

    •    How to turn pain into purpose and truth into power

Links:

Follow Dana Grant on Instagram @danagrantcoaching (https://www.instagram.com/danagrantcoaching)

Buy The Truth Within the Lie — https://danagrant.com/book

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Joining me today are Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, the filmmakers behind the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary Immigration Nation. As award-winning directors, cinematographers, and journalists, their work has shed light on some of the most pressing social issues of our time. Immigration Nation is a six-part docuseries that offers an unprecedented look inside the U.S. immigration system, featuring raw, unfiltered access to ICE operations, immigrant families, and the complexities of enforcement policies. Their ability to capture both the humanity and the harsh realities of immigration enforcement made the series one of the most talked-about documentaries of 2020.

In our conversation, Shaul and Christina discuss what they witnessed while making Immigration Nation and how the landscape of immigration has evolved—especially now, with Donald Trump back in office. We dive into what’s happening at the border, the shifting role of ICE, and the human stories often lost in political debates. Their insights provide a crucial perspective on a topic that remains at the heart of national and global discussions.

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Stem cell therapy is everywhere right now—from TikTok to wellness clinics—but most of what people think they know is misunderstood or incomplete. In this episode, Rachel shares her personal experience traveling to Panama for five days of stem cell treatment, then sits down with Dr. Briggs, founder and CEO of Auragens, to explain what stem cells actually are, why the most effective treatments are not available in the United States, and how regulations, sourcing, and science differ dramatically from what’s commonly advertised. Dr. Briggs breaks down the real differences between true stem cell therapy and what many doctors dismiss or mislabel, and discusses potential applications ranging from anti-aging and recovery to serious physical and neurological conditions. If you’ve been curious, confused, or skeptical about stem cells, this episode cuts through the noise with clarity, science, and firsthand insight.

VISIT AURAGENS: https://auragens.com/

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Fan-favorite guest Sarah Fraser returns to Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel for a fun, fast-paced catch-up that blends real life with reality chaos. From wedding planning and pregnancy updates to laughing through her ever-ongoing (and always entertaining) feud with David Yontef, nothing is off limits — and all in good fun. Sarah also serves up her hottest takes on the latest TLC headlines she’s watching, breaking down the drama only a daily reality insider can deliver. It’s equal parts personal, playful, and perfectly messy — just the way we like it.

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OG gossip columnist and Fame Is a Bitch host AJ Benza returns to break down the wildest celebrity gossip and Hollywood controversies making headlines this week, including the shocking child sex abuse charges involving Timothy Busfield, husband of Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert, the explosive drama and whispered scandals surrounding Members Only Palm Beach, and the latest developments in the growing allegations tied to Sean “Diddy” Combs, along with candid conversations about Tyler Perry, Will Smith, and the shifting narratives around sexuality in Hollywood. We also dive into new allegations surrounding Julio Iglesias, media silence versus pile-ons, and why power, fame, and protection always seem to go hand in hand. As always, AJ delivers his unfiltered, controversial, and often hilarious take on celebrity news, pop culture scandals, Hollywood insiders, and the stories everyone is talking about—but few are willing to say out loud.

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

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When I started reading Leland Vittert's book Born Lucky, I wasn't expecting to cry. I don't know anyone with autism, and honestly, I didn't think it would resonate with me. But within pages, I was in tears—because his story of feeling different, misunderstood, and alone is something I've carried my whole life. Leland was born with the umbilical cord around his neck, diagnosed autistic at 8, and told by doctors there was "not much you could do." His father quit his job and did something radical: no medications, no accommodations, no labels—just thousands of hours coaching his son through hell. Teachers mocked him in class, kids bullied him relentlessly, and his kindergartner sister held his hand while he cried walking home every day. What Leland didn't know until writing this book was that his father went downstairs alone every night and cried until 2am.

In 2020, Leland lost everything in three months. Fox News fired him after he questioned Trump's stolen election claims (Lachlan Murdoch literally sent an email saying "Leland's done"), he ended an 8-year relationship, and he nearly died from COVID. His father told him the same thing he'd said in 8th grade: "You can do this." The lesson Leland learned as a bullied kid became his survival guide as an adult—you get out of hell by keep walking. He joined NewsNation and met his wife on a blind date his second day of work. His father almost refused to publish the book because it was "too raw," but wrote the afterword in one hour. When Leland read it, he sobbed.

What nobody knows about Leland is that he's still autistic. Communication doesn't come naturally—it's a skill his father taught him through years of practice. When his NewsNation talent coach asked why emotional connection was so hard, he finally told her: "I'm autistic." She had no idea. We also talk about the accommodation crisis destroying kids today—40% of Stanford students now claim disabilities, and we're medicating 3-year-olds into dependency. This isn't a story about curing autism. It's about a father who chose to walk through hell with his son instead of taking the pain away. And it's proof that love, not accommodations, changes lives.

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Everybody is talking about Netflix’s new hit reality series Members Only: Palm Beach, and cast member Taja Abitbol joins us to give the inside scoop. Taja breaks down how she was cast on the show, what really happened behind the scenes, and the drama viewers didn’t see on camera — including her ongoing rift with Gale Brophy. She also opens up about navigating Palm Beach’s elite social hierarchy, her perspective on who really runs Palm Beach, and life as the long-term partner of MLB legend David Cone, balancing public scrutiny with private reality in one of the most exclusive worlds in America.

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If you think this episode is just about diamonds, think again. In this in-person conversation, Moshe—known to millions as Watch King NYC—joins me to break down one of the most misunderstood debates in luxury today: lab-grown versus natural diamonds, what actually holds value, and what buyers should really be paying attention to.

But behind the expertise is a story most people don’t know. Moshe opens up about his life before the watches and the following—growing up in a deeply religious Jewish household, becoming a rabbi, and later losing everything through addiction and financial collapse. At one point, he was homeless. What followed was a complete reinvention and the creation of the empire people now see online.

We talk candidly about luxury as an investment, the psychology of status, and how misinformation—especially around diamonds—can cost people far more than money. This conversation blends hard-earned personal experience with real-world expertise, offering both clarity and perspective for anyone thinking about buying a watch, a diamond, or redefining success altogether.

In this episode, we discuss:

  •  Lab-grown vs. natural diamonds: what actually matters when buying

  •  Common misconceptions about diamond value and resale

  •  Whether luxury watches are truly an investment

  •  Moshe’s journey from rabbi to rock bottom to rebuilding an empire

  •  What people misunderstand about wealth, status, and reinvention

Guest:

Moshe, aka Watch King NYC

Instagram: @watchkingnyc

If you’re considering an engagement ring, a luxury purchase, or simply questioning what real value looks like, this episode delivers insight you won’t get from a showroom—or an Instagram feed.

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

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Vinny Cuevas grew up Cuban and Puerto Rican in the South Bronx, where survival wasn’t a metaphor — it was a daily calculation. In his raw and unflinching memoir From the Bronx with Scars, Vinny traces a life shaped by violence, loyalty, betrayal, fatherhood, and devastating loss. This episode is not about glorifying the streets — it’s about what it costs to survive them, and what it takes to rewrite your story when the scars don’t disappear.

In this episode, we talk about:

    •    What the “scars” in From the Bronx with Scars really represent

    •    Growing up in the South Bronx and what survival looked like day to day

    •    How Vinny understood power as a kid — and how that definition changed

    •    The pull of the streets and why it felt like the only option

    •    Loyalty, betrayal, and the price of trusting the wrong people

    •    The moment Vinny knew he had to change his life

    •    Fatherhood, grief, and losing a child — and how that loss reshaped his purpose

    •    Why people still misunderstand him — and what they get wrong

    •    Advice for anyone who feels trapped by their past

    •    What redemption actually looks like when you’ve lived through real trauma

This conversation is about identity, accountability, and the courage it takes to stop surviving and start choosing something more.

Vinny’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Bronx-Scars-Lessons-Streets-Raised-ebook/dp/B0FHKTJS4H

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel — especially if this episode made you think differently about what it means to be misunderstood.

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