OFFICE OF Podcast

Sammy Nussdorf didn’t just open a grocery store—he built a moment.

At 28, self-funded and relentlessly driven, Sammy is the founder of Meadow Lane, a luxury grocery store in Tribeca that was documented in real time and built on TikTok before it ever opened its doors. What started as content quickly turned into demand—lines wrapping around the block before opening, and a business now doing nearly a quarter of a million dollars a week.

But the attention didn’t come quietly.

With virality came scrutiny. Assumptions about his background. Criticism from strangers. Headlines he didn’t ask for. And a level of exposure that turned building a business into something far more personal.

Before Meadow Lane, Sammy was a florist. Now, he’s at the center of one of New York’s most talked-about retail openings—polarizing, obsessive, and impossible to ignore.

In this episode, Sammy opens up about what it actually takes to build something in public—the chaos, the pressure, the mental toll—and why he’s never tried to be relatable in the first place.

Join us for a raw, unfiltered, and deeply revealing conversation in Sammy’s Office.

Don’t miss this interview where we discuss:

• Building Meadow Lane entirely on TikTok and turning content into demand

• Identifying a gap in New York for elevated, prepared food

• Self-funding the business and scaling to nearly $250K per week

• The opening day frenzy—and why he didn’t get to enjoy it

• Being targeted online and becoming a narrative he didn’t write

• Why “I’m not relatable” became both a criticism and a philosophy

• The mental toll of public scrutiny, including depression and addiction

• His disillusionment with media and distrust of modern journalism

• Why criticism is attention—and how to use it

• Creating Meadow Lane as an escape: “like you just took a Xanax”

• What he’s learned building something polarizing in New York City

Find Sammy:

IG: @meadowlane

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Garrett Leight is the founder of Garrett Leight California Optical — the eyewear brand that has come to define a certain kind of effortless, West Coast cool. As the son of Larry Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples, Garrett was born into eyewear royalty. But rather than follow the path laid out for him, he chose to carve his own — building a brand rooted in California ease, intention, and individuality.

In this episode, Garrett reflects on legacy, identity, and what it really takes to step out of someone else’s shadow and into your own vision. We talk about taste, restraint, and why true clarity — in business and in life — is something you earn over time. Join us for a thoughtful, self-aware, and quietly powerful conversation in Garrett’s Office.

Don’t miss this interview where we discuss:

• The experience of growing up as the son of the founder of Oliver Peoples — and choosing a different path
• How Garrett built Garrett Leight California Optical into a defining lifestyle brand
• The difference between inheriting taste and developing your own point of view
• Why California plays such a central role in his design philosophy
• The tension between legacy, pressure, and independence
• How fatherhood has shaped his perspective on identity and success
• What it means to “see clearly” — creatively, professionally, and personally

Find Garrett:

IG: @garrettleight

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Jason Walsh doesn’t just train bodies — he rebuilds people from the inside out. Known as the elite performance coach behind some of Hollywood’s most recognizable transformations, Jason has worked with names like Jake Gyllenhaal, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, and John Krasinski. But behind the physiques is something far deeper: discipline, resilience, trust, and the kind of strength that holds up when everything else breaks down.

Jason’s story doesn’t start in Hollywood — it starts in Springfield, Missouri. Raised by a teenage mother in a chaotic, unconventional household, Jason learned early how to observe, adapt, and find his own path. With no real male role model and exposure to instability at a young age, he built his identity through discipline, sports, and ultimately strength training — not for aesthetics, but for survival.

From standing up to bullies to being physically attacked in his early 20s, Jason’s life is marked by pivotal “crossroads” moments — decisions that shaped who he became. After leaving Missouri and immersing himself in new environments, he discovered a deeper purpose: helping others build not just physical strength, but mental and emotional resilience.

In this conversation, Jason opens up about his upbringing, the philosophy behind his training, and why he’s intentionally stayed behind the scenes despite working with the biggest names in entertainment. He shares why he refuses to chase fame, why he’s turned down millions in endorsements, and why trust — not aesthetics — is the foundation of everything he builds.

Don’t miss this episode where Jason talks about:

• Growing up in Missouri with a teenage mother 
• His line of plant-based protein powder, Rise 311 (the best there is - and we've tried a lot) 
• Reconnecting with his father and why he ultimately chose to walk away
• Being attacked as a young adult 
• Finding himself in Italy where he gained clarity, confidence, and perspective
• Discovering strength training and discipline 
• Why “training” and “programming” are completely different things
• Working with elite actors and earning trust in an insecure, high-pressure environment
• Why women are often easier to train than men 
• The broken supplement industry 
• Why he refuses fame, endorsements, and influence 
• His philosophy: build strength that lasts, not just bodies that look good

Find Jason:

IG: @risemovement

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Andy Dunn helped reshape the way men shop when he co-founded Bonobos — one of the first digitally native menswear brands to truly disrupt retail. But Andy’s story goes far beyond pants and startups. After building Bonobos into a category-defining company and selling it to Walmart for $310 million, Andy has become one of the most candid voices in entrepreneurship — speaking openly about mental health, identity, and what it really takes to build something meaningful.

Now the founder and CEO of Pie, a social platform designed to bring people together in real life, Andy is focused on a new mission: helping people find community in an increasingly disconnected world.

In this episode, Andy reflects on the highs and lows of startup life, the lessons that come from public failure and reinvention, and why building companies — and relationships — requires honesty, resilience, and a willingness to keep going.

Join us for a thoughtful, honest, and wide-ranging conversation in Andy’s Office.

Don’t miss this interview where we discuss:

• How Andy co-founded Bonobos and helped pioneer the direct-to-consumer retail model

• The emotional highs and lows of building and selling a startup

• His openness around mental health and why he chose to share his story publicly

• Lessons from leadership, failure, and rebuilding after major life transitions

• Why he created Pie and the importance of real-world community today

• What Andy believes success actually means now

Find Andy:

IG: @dunn

X: @dunn

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Ezra Frech doesn’t see his story as one of overcoming disability — he sees it as one of purpose. Born with congenital limb differences, Ezra grew up navigating a world that constantly reminded him he was different. Instead of shrinking from that reality, he turned it into fuel.

At just 11 years old, sitting on his couch watching the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Ezra made a decision that would change his life: he was going to compete on the world stage. The odds were almost impossible. The timeline was aggressive. But he didn’t approach it cautiously — he approached it with obsession.

What followed was years of relentless training, visualization, and belief. Ezra manifested his Paralympic victory long before it happened, visualizing every detail of the stadium, the crowd, the competition, and the moment he would win gold.

Now at just 20 years old, Ezra is not only a Paralympic champion — he’s building a broader platform to shift the cultural narrative around disability. His new docuseries Adaptive is a sports documentary with a bigger mission: to bring Paralympic athletes and disability stories into the mainstream and challenge how society sees identity, strength, and inclusion.

In this conversation, Ezra opens up about the mindset that drives him, the discipline behind elite competition, and the responsibility he feels to represent millions of people with disabilities around the world.

Don’t miss this episode where Ezra talks about:

• Growing up with congenital limb differences 
• Why sports became the place where he felt belonging and confidence
• Setting an “impossible” goal at age 11 to make the Paralympics
• The power of manifestation 
• Winning two Paralympic gold medals 
• Why adaptive sports are only part of the story 
• The mission behind Adaptive and bringing Paralympic athletes into mainstream culture
• How disability representation is still the “last frontier” of inclusion in media
• His obsessive discipline from training to eliminating sugar completely
• Balancing love, ambition, and purpose with his girlfriend Gable
• Why LA 2028 could permanently change how the world sees disability
• The legacy he hopes to leave: normalizing disability and expanding possibility

Find Ezra:

IG: @ezrafrech

TikTok: @ezrafrench 

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Michael Chernow’s story is not a clean arc. It’s chaos, abuse, addiction, overdose, and then — structure, discipline, faith, and radical accountability. He grew up in a volatile household with a physically ill and mentally unstable father. Verbal abuse turned physical. At 12, he slit his wrists in front of his dad, hoping for a hug. Instead, he got more rage. By 13, drugs entered the picture. By his late teens and early twenties, it was cocaine, heroin, and survival mode.

And then came the overdose.

In this conversation, Michael walks Yale through the moment that nearly ended his life — and the two-week death march that followed. He talks about the shame, the self-hatred, the inability to stop even after wanting to. And then he talks about Marcus — the man who changed everything. A mentor. A fighter. A sponsor. The person who handed him a plan, hour by hour, built on prayer, pushups, oatmeal, Muay Thai, chicken and broccoli, and discipline. What started as survival became structure. Structure became confidence. Confidence became momentum.

From bartending at Frank Restaurant to founding The Meatball Shop, scaling Seymour’s, and ultimately building Creatures of Habit — a wellness brand rooted in routine and personal responsibility — Michael reframed his addictive wiring into obsession for growth. He didn’t eliminate his intensity. He aimed it. This episode is about addiction, ambition, fatherhood, mentorship, asking for help, and what happens when you stop running from yourself and start building something you’re proud of.

Don’t miss this episode where Michael talks about:

• Growing up in abuse, and the emotional toll of a father who couldn’t show love
• The overdose that changed everything 
• Marcus: the mentor who rebuilt his life hour by hour
• The power of making your bed, prayer, fitness, nutrition, and discipline
• Why wellness saved his life 
• Meeting his wife nine months sober 
• His path from bartender to founder 
• The meteoric rise of The Meatball Shop 
• Selling restaurants, pivoting during the pandemic, and founding Creatures of Habit
• Why asking for help is the ultimate strength 

Find Michael:

IG: @michaelchernow

TikTok: @michaelchernow

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Pierre Serrao aka “Chef P” is the co-founder of Ghetto Gastro, the Bronx-born collective that uses food as a language to tell stories, reclaim identity, and build community. Ghetto Gastro isn’t a restaurant. It’s a cultural platform and a creative engine that lives at the intersection of cuisine, art, design, music, and activism, centering Black and brown foodways while challenging who gets to define taste, value, and culture in the first place.

In this conversation, Pierre and Yale go back to the beginning: growing up between Connecticut and Barbados, learning early how to code-switch, hustle, and navigate two completely different worlds. Pierre talks about food as a foundational family language, a mom who gamified cooking and chores, an island lineage of bakers, and a home where meals were both tradition and competition. He’s candid about the street hustle years, and how food became both his love language and his leverage.

They also get into the origin story and ethos behind Ghetto Gastro: creating a coalition of Black men moving together as disruptors, using food as the center point while expressing across mediums, from brand collaborations and cultural moments to community systems and global creative work. Pierre shares the “we knew we were onto something” moment: a post–Paris attacks Thanksgiving dinner for Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy that exploded from 50 guests to 200+ and helped shift how the world saw what they were building. The episode closes with a deep reflection on masculinity, karma, discipline, tenderness, and legacy — not as image, but integrity. The result is sharp, funny, grounded, and deeply intentional.

Don’t miss this episode where Pierre talks about:

• Growing up between Connecticut and Barbados & learning to code-switch for survival
• A mother who made her children cook West Indian a menu
• Bacon egg & cheese for rides, deli sandwiches as a school business, pasta as love language
• Hierarchy in traditional kitchens, patience, and why you can’t skip steps without getting exposed
• The Rick Owens & Michèle Lamy Thanksgiving that proved the vision globally
• Why “ghetto” was intentional
• Nourishment beyond the plate and what their global community looks like now
• Moving smart, leading with integrity, and “go where you’re celebrated, not tolerated”
• Black Star Hospitality, a culinary design studio, and his first restaurant (Brown Sugar)

Find Pierre:

IG: @pierre.serrao; @ghettogastro

TikTok: @ghettogastro

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Gus Kenworthy has lived multiple lives in one — Olympic freestyle skier, cultural lightning rod, mental health advocate, actor, and now, a New Yorker in Williamsburg getting ready to do the thing he once swore he was done with: compete again. In this conversation, Gus sits down with Yale to talk about what it really means to “retire” when your sport is your identity, and why coming back isn’t just physical — it’s emotional.

Gus opens up about why he stepped away in the first place: years of pressure, sponsor obligations, life on the road, and a brutal stretch of concussions leading into Beijing that left him dizzy, nauseous, and barely able to train. He talks candidly about the aftermath — the identity crash, the “what do you do now?” question, and the cascade of personal losses and changes that followed retirement. And then: the decision to return, last-minute and high-stakes, with real consequences — including the financial reality of funding his Olympic bid while representing Great Britain with limited federation support.

They also get into the other layers of Gus’s life: acting and imposter syndrome, friendships as his real foundation, the Worthy Foundation and why focus beats dilution, mental health (including medication, depression, anxiety, and grief), and what it’s like to have “a nice amount of famous.” The result is funny, honest, self-aware, and deeply human — a conversation in Gus’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Gus talks about:

• Why he retired after Beijing and the identity crisis that followed
• Why he’s coming back now and what it takes to re-enter the arena
• Training realities: flow state, off days, humility, and doing “basic shit” when you need it
• The financial side of a comeback
• Still being wildly competitive, but learning how to lose with grace
• American Horror Story, rejection, imposter syndrome, and why the job is harder than it looks
• Group chats, voice notes, and the people who keep him steady
• The Worthy Foundation
• Coming out in sport and the moments people tell him he changed their lives
• Body image, social media, and men “doing too much” to their faces
• What his relationship has taught him about self-forgiveness
• Why he doesn’t check DMs, what he’s learned about privacy, and staying sane

Find Gus:

IG: @guskenworthy

TikTok: @guskenworthy

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Ian Schrager is one of the most influential cultural architects of the last half-century. A born-and-bred New Yorker who helped define nightlife through Studio 54, Ian didn’t just “throw parties” — he built environments where culture happened. Then he did it again by reinventing hospitality, launching the boutique hotel era and creating some of the most influential hotels of the last four decades: Morgans, Royalton, Delano, EDITION, and now PUBLIC.

In this conversation, Ian joins Yale at 79 years old — still obsessing over details, still deeply competitive, still chasing the same thing he chased decades ago: that indescribable feeling when people walk into a space and you can see it in their faces. They talk about what Studio 54 really taught him (hint: it wasn’t exclusivity — it was diversity and freedom), why he doesn’t believe in focus groups, and how “instinct” is the real currency when you’re building something original.

Ian also explains the core idea behind PUBLIC — his most important concept yet: luxury shouldn’t be reserved for rich people. There should be no connection between what something costs and whether it’s inspiring. The goal is to create something elevated, imaginative, and accessible without dumbing it down — a democratic idea in a business that historically wasn’t built that way. The result is a masterclass in taste, conviction, and longevity — a conversation in Ian’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Ian talks about:

• Why it’s never too late to start 
• Growing up in the Bronx and Brooklyn and the drive to do better 
• Studio 54 as a lesson in “magic”
• The truth about the door
• Why nightlife is hospitality 
• How he reinvented hotels
• Why he doesn’t “turn off” 
• PUBLIC as his biggest idea
• Knowing when you’ve hit the sweet spot 
• Changing industries, inventing new genres, and building an “anti-chain” that stays original at scale

Find Ian:

IG: @ianschrager

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Scott Campbell is one of the most influential figures in modern tattooing — a true luminary of the craft who’s tattooed tens of thousands of people, including some of the most recognizable names in culture. From royal palaces and private jets to backstage rooms and moving vehicles, Scott’s work lives in the most intimate place possible: someone’s body. And trust is always the through line.

In this conversation, Yale (a man with zero tattoos and a healthy fear of permanence) sits down with Scott to talk about what tattooing really is: control, surrender, agency, and identity. Scott shares how he didn’t grow up “creative” in the romantic way people imagine — he grew up in rural Louisiana where art wasn’t a thing… until ninth grade, when he realized he could draw. Tattooing began as punk-rock rebellion and a middle finger to responsibility — and turned into the ultimate vehicle for freedom.

They also get into Scott’s surprisingly deep philosophy: protecting clients from their worst impulses, designing tattoos with the future in mind, and why he’s pro “get Jenny’s name tattooed” if you love Jenny today. The conversation expands into Scott’s relationship with money (as freedom), the illusion of freedom in the fine art world, and why “Dad Scott” is the version he’s most proud of. He opens up about what it really takes to have “the best divorce ever,” the power of a divorce ceremony, and why co-parenting well is worth doing anything for — because it doubles your Christmases. The result is funny, raw, and unexpectedly wise — a conversation in Scott’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Scott talks about:

• Tattooing in the wild: royal palaces, private jets, prison cells, and moving vehicles
• How tattoos became synonymous with agency
• Why his job is simply trust 
• His take on partner-name tattoos
• Freedom as the real currency
• “Dad Scott” as his favorite self 
• A divorce ceremony, and choosing respect over destruction
• Creativity and the subconscious, and why sleep is part of the process

Find Scott:

IG: @scottcampbell

TikTok: @thatscottcampbell

Questions, comments…sharp takes?  Shoot us a note at [email protected]

Find out more about the Office Of Podcast

One more thing!  Not all offices are created equal.  See who else is part of our world and all of the unstructured, messy behind-the-scenes that comes with it on our Instagram , TikTok & YouTube.

And!  If you particularly enjoyed this episode – or any others – please subscribe and leave a rating and review on  Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.