OFFICE OF Podcast

Chris Appleton is one of the most influential hairstylists in the world — the creative force behind some of the most recognizable looks in modern pop culture. From red carpets to campaigns to cultural moments that define an era, his work is instantly recognizable. But what happens behind the scenes — in the chair, in the quiet, in the human part — is what makes Chris so singular.

In this conversation, Yale sits down with Chris to talk about his new book, Your Roots Don’t Define You — a project that’s not really about hair or beauty, but identity. Chris opens up about what it took to write something this personal, why the original proposal wasn’t honest enough, and what it means to finally feel aligned on the inside and the outside. They talk about shame, self-talk, and the voice that tears us apart in the mirror — and how healing isn’t deleting your past, but learning to live with it without letting it run your life.

Chris shares defining moments: the night coming out broke him, the decision to stop abandoning himself, and the career-changing day he almost let fear win — sitting outside Christina Aguilera’s trailer, doubting himself, then choosing to bet on himself anyway. They also get into fatherhood, friendship, the difference between love and alignment, rebuilding a relationship with home, and what it means to be proud of who you’ve become — not just what you’ve achieved. The result is vulnerable, sharp, and unexpectedly grounding — a conversation in Chris’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Chris opens up about:

• Why his book had to be rewritten to tell the truth 
• The “therapist in the chair” reality of hairstyling
• How to quiet the hater voice 
• The childhood moment that changed everything
• Coming out, shame, and surviving the moment he didn’t think he could
• The career pivot point that almost didn’t happen
• Finding alignment, boundaries, and what he learned through divorce
• Fatherhood, honesty, and the moment his kids told him they were proud
• Why Your Roots Don’t Define You is a permission slip to change 

Find Chris:
IG: @chrisappleton1
TikTok: @chrisappletonhair

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.

Kyle Hoffman is the head trainer at Alo’s New York Wellness Club, the founder of his own online coaching platform, and one of the clearest voices in the next wave of fitness — the kind that’s less about punishment and more about sustainability. He grew up in Rockaway Beach chasing waves and playing soccer, and that mix of competition, community, and movement still shows up in everything he does.

In this pilot conversation, Kyle and Yale get into what it means to be a guy today: confidence, masculinity, body image, discipline, and the quiet power of being vulnerable when nobody expects it from you. Kyle talks about building a life around movement without turning it into obsession, why most men have unspoken body dysmorphia, and how he’s trying to model something more realistic than “chicken, rice, and no fun.” They also talk Hyrox, burnout, social media boundaries (yes, he locks his apps at 8pm), and the surprising creative side project Kyle’s pushing next — a script based on a real-life, truly insane breakup. The result is funny, honest, and way more thoughtful than the “bro” first impression would suggest — a conversation in Kyle’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Kyle talks about:

• Growing up in Rockaway: surfing as therapy, community as identity, and why everyone moves back
• How team sports shaped his mindset — and why competition should still be fun
• A realistic fitness philosophy: go out, live your life, then reset (instead of pretending you never party)
• Hyrox explained — and why it’s the most fun “competition” workout right now
• Motivation, burnout, and the underrated power of taking a week off to fall back in love with training
• Men’s body image: why it’s worse than people think — and why it’s rarely talked about
• Training as therapy: building real connection, not just “a hard workout”
• Social media boundaries that actually work: locking apps after 8pm
• What’s next: a movie script (based on his life), plus bigger plans with Alo and beyond

Find Kyle:
IG: @kylerussellhoffman
TikTok: @kylerussellhoffman

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.

Jeremiah Brent has built a career around the idea that spaces aren’t just beautiful, they’re personal. They hold our past, reflect our present, and quietly shape the way we live. In this conversation, Jeremiah and Yale go deep on what “home” actually means: the homes we grew up in, the ones we chase as adults, and the ones that finally hold us.

Jeremiah opens up about being raised by a formidable single mom, growing up without much money but with pride and meticulous standards, and the fantasy of looking at houses on weekends and imagining the life inside them. He talks about starting his design firm by selling everything he owned, filing his first LLC with help from his mom, and growing the business into a 50-person team across two coasts, with all the leadership, control issues, and responsibility that comes with it.

They also get into Jeremiah’s experience joining Queer Eye: why he initially said no, why he ultimately said yes, and how the show tethered him back to his “why.” From the joy and vulnerability of the work to the weight of filming in D.C., Jeremiah reflects on what it means to be part of something bigger, and why optimism isn’t naïve, it’s necessary. The result is candid, funny, and unexpectedly moving.  A conversation that feels like a real exhale in Jeremiah’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Jeremiah talks about:

• Being raised by a single mom, and how pride, work ethic, and fantasy shaped his design eye
• Why home is transformative
• Starting his firm by selling everything 
• How Queer Eye changed him 
• Why joy is resistance 
• Marriage as friendship, shared ambition, and being “uniquely qualified for each other’s chaos”

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.

Eli Zabar is a New York institution — not because he inherited one, but because he built one. With the Zabar name woven into the city’s DNA, Eli chose an entirely different path: leaving the family store, crossing town, and creating his own world — one defined by taste, rigor, obsession, and an unwavering point of view.

In this pilot conversation, Yale and Eli get into the things that don’t show up on a menu: the weight of a famous last name, the emotional complexity of family legacy, and the quiet confidence it takes to build something that lasts in a city addicted to the “next new thing.” Eli shares the origin story of E.A.T., the manifesto that guided it, and the belief that if you’re going to teach someone how to do something — you have to know how to do it yourself. Along the way, we also get Eli’s uniform breakdown (Charvet shirts, Crocs, and the summer shorts sourcing strategy), his relationship to work, his definition of quality, and what it means to see his sons take what he started and make it their own. The result is sharp, funny, and deeply New York — a conversation in Eli’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Eli talks about:

• The reality of carrying the Zabar name, and why he’s tired of explaining the family tree
• Why he left the family business and what it takes to truly break away
• The London epiphany that sparked E.A.T. 
• His obsession with quality, craft, and making it better
• Why he never studied other food operations in NYC
• What legacy means now: two sons in the business, a brand new granddaughter, and the joy of watching them evolve the vision

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.

Nic Jammet is the co-founder of Sweetgreen — a college side hustle that became one of the most recognizable names in food. But Nic’s story starts long before the bowls: a French household in Manhattan, weekends spent in his parents’ fine dining restaurants, and an early obsession with hospitality that had him bussing tables, studying hotel culture, and learning the business from the ground up.

In this conversation, Nic and Yale get into what it really takes to build a brand that feels ubiquitous — down to the shape of the bowl. They talk about the early days of Sweetgreen (including the very real “we opened on the wrong side of the street” problem), the surprising origin story of the Sweet Life Festival (yes, The Strokes), and why healthy food can’t feel like homework — it has to feel like desire. Nic also opens up about leadership, friendship with co-founders, turning 40, High Rocks training, and the mindset shift that comes with kids. The result is a thoughtful, funny, and deeply human conversation in Nic’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Nic talks about:

• Building Sweetgreen from a Georgetown business plan into a national brand
• Why hospitality — not “health” — is the real product
• The Sweet Life Festival origin story (block party → Merriweather → The Strokes)
• Designing the iconic Sweetgreen hex bowl so you can spot it from a subway car away
• How confidence and doubt can coexist daily for founders — and why he never wanted to quit
• His favorite Sweetgreen hack: mixing two dressings (miso sesame + Caesar = the move)
• Turning 40, training for High Rocks, and why recovery is the real sport
• Why kids bring perspective — and how curiosity might be the most underrated adult skill

Find Nic:

IG: @nicjammet

TikTok: @nicjammet

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.

Mark Ambor’s rise may look sudden from the outside, but behind the songs is a decade of quiet work, deep self-reflection, and a commitment to doing things honestly. From writing and producing music alone in his parents’ basement to selling out shows across the U.S. and Europe, Mark’s story is rooted in patience, imperfection, and trusting his gut.

In this conversation, Mark opens up about life after tour, navigating pressure in the age of TikTok, and why spontaneity and structure are constantly at odds in his creative process. He reflects on Rockwood — the debut album born from home, nature, and childhood friendships — and how success hasn’t changed the core thing he’s chasing: connection. The result is a thoughtful, grounded, and refreshingly human conversation in Mark’s Office.

Don’t miss this episode where Mark talks about:

• Writing music alone — and why solitude is where his best work begins
• The strange quiet after sold-out shows and the importance of bringing your people along
• Letting go of perfection and embracing imperfection as a creative strength
• Navigating TikTok, pressure, and creating without feeding the algorithm
• How Rockwood came to represent home, nature, and belonging — everywhere in the world

Find Mark:

IG: @markambor

TikTok: @markambor

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.

Adam and Ryan Goldston are mirror-image twins, former USC D1 athletes, and the co-founders of APL (Athletic Propulsion Labs) — the luxury-performance sneaker brand whose very first product was banned by the NBA for giving players “an undue competitive advantage.”

In this episode, Yale sits down with the brothers behind the brand to talk about obsession, category creation, brotherhood, and what it takes to quietly build a dynastic company from a 60-square-foot office to dreamy, gallery-like flagships in LA and SoHo.

It’s innovation, it’s identity, it’s accidental virality, and it’s very much a story of building the thing you wanted to wear — and then building a whole world around it.

They get into:

• Why obsession gets you where most people won’t go and why luck still matters
• A class business plan turned real, being told it would be a failure, and launching a $300 performance shoe that instantly made players jump higher
• Inventing “luxury performance”
• How Japanese soufflé pancakes inspired their FutureFoam midsole, how zip-lining over Dubai shaped the Zipline silhouette, and why materials and color theory matter as much as tech
• Twin dynamics that actually work
• Going to bed at 4 a.m., waking at 11, handling the day’s immediacy first, then designing the future when the world is quiet
• Ralph Lauren, Rolls-Royce, and why they think in decades and world-building — not hype cycles
• What’s next for APL

Find Adam, Ryan & APL:

• Brand IG: @apl
• Adam Goldston IG & X: @adamgoldston
• Ryan Goldston IG & X: @ryangoldston

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.

Mark O’Brien has lived a few different lives — actor, filmmaker, brownstone restorer, yogi, Deadhead, husband, father. He’s someone who takes his work seriously but refuses to take himself too seriously, and who believes reinvention isn’t a grand gesture — it’s daily, intentional work.

In this episode, Mark opens up about the realities of becoming the man he wants to be: the discipline it takes to build a life (and a home) from the inside out, the identity shift of fatherhood, and the internal tug-of-war between ambition and presence. He talks about the philosophy that guides him, why creative risk matters, and how he stays grounded in an industry built on illusion.

Don’t miss this conversation where Mark talks about:

• Why reinvention is a muscle, not a moment
• The parallels between rebuilding a brownstone and rebuilding yourself
• Fatherhood — and how it rewired his sense of identity
• His JFDI philosophy and how it changed the way he works
• Yoga, stillness, and staying human in a chaotic world
• How he thinks about masculinity, vulnerability, and pressure
• Writing and directing Love Hotel and what it taught him about risk
• The difference between public Mark and private Mark — and why both matter

Find Mark:
IG: @themarkobrienteam

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.

TikTok’s loudest Italian in a gold chain is a lot quieter in real life.  In this episode, we sit down with Gianluca Conte, better known as QCP, to talk about how a kid making pizzas in his dad’s restaurants turned into a 27M follower internet business, a cookbook author, and a full-time entertainer, and the toll all of this can take on what you don’t see behind the camera.

We get into the real stuff behind the chaos: work ethic, grief, mental health, relationships, creativity on command, and what it actually means to build a career off a character who screams over pasta.

In this episode, QCP talks about:

• His family rooted love for hospitality and how that grew to the media empire he has built today
• Performing at prom and the totally random Xbox moment that birthed the name QCP 
• How his mental health and personal life has to feel “in check” in order for him to perform and how clearing chaos out of his personal life became non-negotiable for his career
• Why virality is never an accident 
• Relationships & boundaries
• Why he’s single on purpose, what he’s like as a partner, and his belief that he “has too much to offer” to do it halfway 
• What we can expect next from him and how he hopes to spread his knowledge
• Why the single biggest lever in his career has been listening to his own gut

Find QCP:

TikTok: @itsqcp

Instagram: @itsqcp

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.

Rich Dorment has spent years shaping the conversation around men — first at Esquire, now as editorial director of Men’s Health. He’s one of the leading voices exploring what guys actually need today: emotional openness, better role models, real connection, and permission to be more than just “fine.”

In this episode, Rich opens up about the state of modern masculinity, what he’s learned from interviewing some of the world’s most influential men, and why storytelling can change how guys understand themselves. He talks about the pressures men face, why vulnerability is still hard, and how male identity is evolving in real time.

Don’t miss this conversation where Rich talks about:

• What it really feels like to be a guy in 2025
• Why so many men still struggle to open up
• How many close friends men actually need
• Whether therapy works for everyone
• The importance of mentorship for confidence, career, and character
• Redefining success — and why the old model is broken
• Whether networking still matters, or if connection now looks different

Find Rich:

IG: @richdorment
Men’s Health: @menshealthmag

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.