Yessenia (Yessy) Downs has always been a writer. But as an English major at the University of Florida, she was encouraged to pursue one of two options: to make money as a lawyer or to not make money in the world of film. She chose law, and poured everything into the path. It was only after being accepted to law school and meeting practicing lawyers that Yessy realized the future ahead was not for her. With the help of a friend and an introduction to the Miami Ad School, Yessy discovered a third option: copywriting. She dove in again, this time with full confidence in the creative experiences waiting for her on the other side. Yessy now works as full-time copywriter, with a breadth of experience from some of world’s most respected brands and agencies. She has been awarded for her work in the industry and was named one of ADCOLOR’s 2020 Futures.

What I think makes Yessy a guest to remember is *both* her success in the industry and how she’s using her craft for good. As a bilingual daughter of immigrants, Yessy recognized the lack of true inclusion in the advertising industry from day one and decided to take matters into her own hands. In addition to her full time career, Yessy is making waves in advertising and brand strategy as the founder of Oxford Comma Collective, a full-service writing studio that partners writers of color with entrepreneurs of color to help them find and establish their brand voice. Yessy and her team are on a mission to employ and empower members of BIPIC, Queer, female and disabled communities with the power of words.

In today’s episode, Chloe speaks with Yessy to unpack her pursuit of copywriting, creativity and true inclusion in the advertising industry. Yessy shares what Miami Ad School was really like, her experience and advice for aspiring writers, and the hard truth behind what sets good creatives apart from great ones. The two also discuss tokenism versus inclusivity in advertising and the vision driving the Oxford Comma Collective forward. If you’re a writer, curious about the path of a professional in advertising, or passionate about amplifying every voice, this episode is for you.

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Recommended in today’s episode:

Miami Ad School: https://miamiadschool.com/

Ogilvy: https://www.ogilvy.com/

Leo Burnett: https://leoburnett.com/

David the Agency: http://www.davidtheagency.com/

Know My Name: A Memoir, by Chanel Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Know-My-Name-Chanel-Miller/dp/073522370X

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More about Oxford Comma Collective: https://www.oxfordcomma.co/

Oxford Comma on IG: https://www.instagram.com/oxfordcomma.co/

More about Yessy: http://www.yessydowns.com/

Yessy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/yessydeee/

More about The Passages Project: https://www.thepassagesproject.com/about

The Passages Project on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thepassagesproject/

Chloe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/chloebelangia/

It’s THE weekend (and year, let’s be honest) to celebrate small business—and more importantly, the owners and creative geniuses dedicating their lives to build them. That’s why today, we’re introducing you to a rising star in the design and stationary sector making serious moves in her local and surrounding market. Meet Mary Rosenzweig: the founder and graphic design whiz behind Thanks for Everything, a design shop specializing in custom buttons and other design-centric gifts and goods. From socially distanced game-days, to bachelorette parties, to teachers and nurses on the frontlines of this pandemic, Thanks for Everything has gifts through it all, and it’s Mary and her family behind the scenes. Graduating from UGA with a degree in journalism, entertainment, and media, Mary originally sought a career in social media and the sports industry, only to find herself drained by life in the corporate world. She paid close attention to aspects of her job that did excite her, and when one chapter closed, another in the field of design opened up. Mary uprooted her life and moved to Newport Beach, California to work in customer service for a small stationary shop she connected with over Instagram. In the midst of following her passions, Mary started her small business on the side, and as her market took off, her interest in a life of entrepreneurship grew with it. Now, Mary runs Thanks for Everything full-time, and we’re proud to celebrate her—and other incredible small business owners—today on the podcast.

In this episode, Chloe sits down with Mary to talk through her story and experience honing her craft and navigating the creative industry as a small business owner. Mary shares the good and bad of life in corporate versus life in a small shop; a behind-the-scenes take on the wedding and special events industry; how she found her niche, market, and voice by listening to her customers; and lessons for any business owner looking to build a loyal customer base over Instagram. In the spirit of #SmallBusinessSaturday and a year that took so many businesses through the worst, Mary’s story is one of resilience, unbridled creativity, and a true testament to the joy of serving people you love by doing what you love.

To learn more about Mary and check out everything Thanks for Everything is offering this holiday season, visit any of the links listed below.

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Recommended in today’s episode:

StickerMule: https://www.stickermule.com/ 

Skillshare: https://skl.sh/31f8BUP 

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Shop Thanks for Everything: www.thanksforeverything.shop

Thanks for Everything on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thanks.for.every.thing

Thanks for Everything on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thanks-For-Everything-966272890243562 

More about The Passages Project. www.thepassagesproject.com

The Passages Project on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thepassagesproject

Chloe on Instagram: www.instagram.com/chloebelangia

EmmaKate Few grew up in a sports family, watching her two older brothers play football and baseball through college. Aiming to combine her love for sports, theater, and public speaking, she decided to pursue a career in sports broadcasting at Southern Methodist University (SMU), majoring in journalism and sport management. EmmaKate made her way into the athletic press department, becoming in-venue host for SMU football and basketball, freelancing for the XFL, interning at CBS 11, working at the AAC basketball tournament… and then, sports were cancelled. Despite graduating at the start of COVID-19, EmmaKate trusted in her passion for the field and put her all into the job search, eventually landing a role at KTAL (NBC 6/ Fox 33) in Shreveport, Louisiana as a Weekend Sports Anchor and Reporter. Though just getting started, EmmaKate is already making her mark in the industry, using her platform to cover meaningful stories of athletes on and off the field.

In today’s episode, I sit down with EmmaKate to better understand this tough but rewarding role in sports. We discuss the steps she took to land critical internships in college, advice for aspiring young broadcasters, a (real) Friday-night-lights in her life, and tips for presenting yourself professionally as a standout young reporter for a male-dominated industry. Enjoy!

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Recommended in today’s episode:

“I Really Needed This Today: Words to Live By,” by Hoda Kotb: https://amzn.to/2GEmtC2

“This Just Speaks to Me: Words to Live By Every Day,” by Hoda Kotb: https://amzn.to/38rOjNo

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About EmmaKate:

A recent graduate of Southern Methodist University with degrees in Journalism and Sport Management, EmmaKate became one of the key faces of Mustangs football and basketball, working as the In-Venue host for SMU Athletics during her sophomore through senior year and hosting the PonyUp Pregame Show with SMU radio personalities Scott Garner and Steve Lansdale. These in-depth pregame shows were streamed live across all Southern Methodist University digital and social media platforms. While at SMU, EmmaKate was also a member of the Women’s Cross Country team, the ESPN Campus Correspondent, and the Campus Connect reporter for the American Athletic Conference’s Digital Network.  Before the XFL ceased operations due to COVID-19, EmmaKate was the Dallas Renegades Digital Host, Reporter and GameDay Host. Her pre-game and post-game reports were on the Renegades website and social media pages. EmmaKate also hosted three hours of pre-game entertainment for fans before every Renegades home game on “Renegade Road.” No stranger to the camera, EmmaKate grew up as a professional runway model and has walked in New York Fashion Week for three years. She is also the reigning Miss North Louisiana USA 2021 and will represent the region in the Miss Louisiana USA competition this January. 

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Follow EmmaKate on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3k5zRgk

Follow EmmaKate on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3kba2LK

More about EmmaKate: https://www.arklatexhomepage.com/author/emmakate-few/ 

Follow The Passages Project on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2FVI8Wg

Follow Chloe on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2T2pOxB

More about The Passages Project: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

After graduating from Florida International University with a degree in International Relations and Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Cat Lantigua picked up everything she knew about work, hustle, and purpose and moved her vibrant, Dominican-American soul to New York City. As an original intent to pursue a career the nonprofit sector fell out of alignment, and her total lack of community started to set in, Cat decided to take her experience with herself and others into her own hands. What started as dinner parties in her dining room for friends around town soon evolved into what’s now known as the Goddess Council: a community for women to make new friendships, participate in meaningful conversations, and heal collectively. Cat has since left her corporate role, moved out of the city, and now runs Goddess Council full-time as Community Architect. In 2020, Cat was recognized by Aerie as a Changemaker for her work with Goddess Council, and it’s an absolute joy to host her on Passages today.

In this episode, I ask Cat about her definition of wellbeing, her experience leading herself and other women towards nourishing and intentional community, lessons in courage, and the antidote to hustle culture. Cat is a voice of healing I know I, and many others, will need during this year and beyond, bringing inspiration, light, and conversations that matter to women and this world. Buckle up.

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About Cat: Cat Lantigua is a Dominican-American facilitator and community architect dedicated to building spaces that foster soul-centered conversations and connections. She is the Founder  and CEO at Goddess Council and host of the Chats with Cat podcast.

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Goddess Council Website: https://bit.ly/3kphdAZ

Cat's Official Website: https://bit.ly/37BlnlM

Cat on IG: https://bit.ly/3msJBTz

Goddess Council on IG: https://bit.ly/34tvxmA

The Defining Decade, by Meg Jay, PhD: https://amzn.to/2HsMWmK

A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson: https://amzn.to/31HrzVI

All About Love: New Visions, by bell hooks: https://amzn.to/2J73zEX

The Passages Project Website: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

The Passages Project on IG: https://bit.ly/2FYh1JY

Chloe Belangia on IG: https://bit.ly/30g3HHY

Since discovering the art of reporting at her high school newspaper, Polina Marinova Pompliano has built a name for herself as an accomplished journalist and entrepreneur. Polina graduated from the University of Georgia in 2013 with a degree in journalism and sociology, having experience as Editor-in-Chief of the school paper and internships at CNN and USA Today under her belt. Chasing a long-held dream to pursue journalism in New York City, Polina hustled through 16-hour workdays to turn her dreams into a reality, ultimately landing a role as a social media editor at Fortune Magazine. Polina worked her way up to reporting on entrepreneurship and eventually led daily curation of The Term Sheet, a must-read morning newsletter by Fortune on tech and venture capital. Along the way, Polina had also been hard at work building a newsletter dedicated solely to highlighting the profiles of interesting and successful people and companies. As readership and her pull to build The Profile into a broader media company grew, in March of 2020 (at the start of the pandemic), Polina took a leap of faith and quit her role at Fortune to pursue The Profile full-time.

In this week’s episode of Passages, I ask Polina about her journey studying and pursuing journalism, how she found her way to Fortune, her experience reporting on finance & venture capital (topics she initially knew nothing about), a day-in-the-life working for a major media publication, and lessons she’s learned from reporting on the greats. From aspiring journalists, to entrepreneurs, to anyone interested in the life and rise of a major media reporter, this episode was made for you.

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Mentioned in today’s episode:

Coffee with a Journalist: Polina Marinova, Fortune: https://bit.ly/3kd3z3O

“I quit my job at the start of the pandemic to launch a company. Here’s what I’ve learned in the first 90 days”: https://bit.ly/37fACk5

The Term Sheet, by Fortune Magazine: https://bit.ly/37mkjSN

“Heineken’s Charlene de Carvalho: A self-made heiress”: https://bit.ly/3nWVfaR

“The True Story of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos Inventor Richard Montañez”: https://bit.ly/31yi3Ej

“Chef’s Table’s Grant Achatz Forges His Own Path Through Modern American Cuisine”: https://bit.ly/3dCNIJy

“Brandon Stanton, the Photographer Who Captures Our Humanity”: https://bit.ly/356669z

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Subscribe to The Profile: https://bit.ly/3o3pz3B

Follow The Profile on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3j9vEYk

Follow Polina on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3lTEwmM

More from The Passages Project: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

Follow The Passages Project on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2T5KnZM

Follow Chloe on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2T2pOxB

Are you considering a major, program, or path that sounds meaningful in theory but challenging in practice? From pursuing a STEM degree, to medical school, to PhD research programs, and more, there are so many incredibly important career opportunities for those interested in engineering and sciences. The endurance and productivity it takes to actualize those goals, though, can feel overwhelming. In today's episode, I sit down with my new friends Natalie Ownby and Madysen Johnson to demystify these paths, and motivate any of you eyeing them without the right resources to get there. Natalie and Madysen are lifelong friends who, after embarking on their own journeys through upper-level STEM degrees, realized a lack of representation and resources for women in their fields. They now host their own podcast, Call Her Doctor, and run mentorship blogs and programs to help women excel in graduate-level STEM programs. Natalie is currently a PhD student in electrical engineering at the University of Virginia, and Madysen is in med school at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

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Recommended in this episode:

Focus Keeper App: https://apple.co/3jFdJdb

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About Madysen Johnson: Madysen completed her undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill in May 2019. She is currently a first year medical student in Houston, Texas. 

About Natalie Ownby: Natalie is a second-year electrical engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia and the founder of SHEengineered. She graduated from Texas State University in 2018 and is passionate about making grad school more accessible for female engineers.

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Follow along:

Listen to Call Her Doctor on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/call-her-doctor/id1502246751

Listen to Call Her Doctor on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6TGPdQ5CfYrAYWkdKw7akK?si=sCDbfULeR5agmb1E0V5pLg

Follow Madysen on IG: https://bit.ly/3d35LrZ

Follow Natalie on IG: https://bit.ly/2Gws8ds

Follow Call Her Doctor Podcast on IG: https://bit.ly/2GMnmsc

Visit Madysen's blog, The MJ Diaries: https://bit.ly/2HVEL1U

Visit Natalie's blog, SHEengineered: sheengineered.com 

Learn more about The Passages Project: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

Follow The Passages Project on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2FVI8Wg

Follow Chloe on Instagram: https://bit.ly/30g3HHY

Raye Zaragoza is an award-winning singer-songwriter who Paste Magazine called “one of the most politically relevant artists in her genre.” First-generation Japanese-American on her mother’s side, indigenous on her father’s side, and raised in New York City, Raye shares her unique perspective and stories through songs that are both inspiring and thought-provoking. Her sophomore LP Woman In Color produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, First Aid Kit) is releasing today, October 23, 2020.  The folk album is an intimate, empowering exploration of Raye’s journey to feeling comfortable in her own skin and background. Writing about social issues comes naturally to Raye. "As a woman of color in America, social issues are things you deal with and see every day of your life," she says. "I write about my experience and oftentimes my existence has been laced with injustice." Raye’s modern-day protest music been featured on Billboard, Democracy Now!, and PopMatters. She has toured in support of Dispatch, Rising Appalachia, William Elliott Whitmore, Dar Williams, Donovan Woods, and many more.

In this episode, I sit down with Raye to discuss the early days of discovering art, how she hustled in the waitress & hosting scene to pursue music, her experience marrying her personal and professional identity to inform her career, how her vast multi-cultural identity has shaped her views on the world, and so much more. If you're an aspiring singer-songwriter, or ready to listen to a soulful conversation on identity, grit, and art, this conversation is for you.

Listen to Raye's latest album, Woman in Color, on:

iTunes: https://apple.co/341QbZv

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2HCwS1l

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Recommended in this episode:

Hurray for the Riff Raff: https://bit.ly/3n0jsfY

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity: https://bit.ly/3j3GIai

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Raye Zaragoza’s Website: https://bit.ly/3jkJ84k

Raye Zaragoza on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3czeIcl

Raye Zaragoza on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rayemusic/

Join Raye Zaragoza on Patreon: patreon.com/rayezaragoza

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Write for The Passages Project: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

When Walter Ley stepped up to the ballot box for the very first time, he chose his vote for President, clicked next, and... froze. Page after page of state and local legislative options he'd never heard of clouded his mind. With little knowledge of what each of these positions meant, nevertheless who to vote for, Walter walked away from voting feeling defeated, uninformed, and uninspired. Years later, he's now on a mission to change that. Walter ended up leaving his early career in fintech to launch Branch Politics, a free, nonpartisan website that quickly and effectively informs Atlanta citizens on federal, state, and local candidates, to help you feel confident on election day. In today's episode, I sit down with Walter to learn more about the early, uncertain days of Branch, why being active and informed for elections at the state and local level matters, and digestible resources to help you do your research in time for November 3rd (even if you don't have access to Branch). If you weren't ready to vote before, I promise you...now you will be.

Recommended in this Episode:

Drew McClure: https://bit.ly/3iwrn0U

“Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown: https://bit.ly/3iD5yg0

How I Built This with Guy Raz: https://n.pr/3lk218d

“The Only Startup You’ll Ever Read”: https://bit.ly/3jDxd1Y

Ballotpedia: https://bit.ly/3ni8QZM

Check your voter registration: https://bit.ly/3iDzhWr

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Follow Along:

Walter Ley on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2GzGJVn

Branch Politics on IG: https://bit.ly/3lieqJV

Branch Politics on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2F57tMK

Learn more about The Passages Project: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

Follow The Passages Project on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2FVI8Wg

Follow Chloe on Instagram: https://bit.ly/30g3HHY

Caroline Jones dreamed of working for NASA. But after research internships for NASA and NORDAM, and graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in aerospace engineering, Caroline knew the trajectory in front of her wasn't the one. Through self-discovery and relationship-building, Caroline pivoted big time, ultimately landing on enterprise tech sales as her next dream role. With game-changing career tips and a few confidence boosts, Caroline made her way to Microsoft, and now works as a Department of Defense Azure Specialist in Washington D.C. In today's conversation, I sit down with Caroline to talk through how she balanced her charismatic energy and passion with a challenging technical degree, her experience course-correcting after realizing aerospace engineering wasn't the right move, and the #1 piece of advice she has for anyone approaching interview season. 

Connect with Caroline on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2S0FH70

Learn more about The Passages Project: https://bit.ly/3cBJW2k

Follow The Passages Project on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2FVI8Wg

Follow Chloe on Instagram: https://bit.ly/30g3HHY

In the Season 2 premiere of Passages: The Podcast, Chloe sits down with fellow executive team member Ellie Peterson to share behind-the-scenes of launching The Passages Project. We dig into our career stories, how the team started, the genesis of The Passages Project, how we grew and collaborate as a team, market research, the intention to match your ambition with execution, where we're headed next, and more.

Contribute Your Passages here: www.thepassagesproject.com

Follow @ThePassagesProject on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepassagesproject

@chloebelangia: https://www.instagram.com/chloebelangia/

@elliespeterson: https://www.instagram.com/elliespeterson/

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About Ellie:

Ellie is also a Georgia Tech grad and studied Industrial Engineering. She currently works as a Customer Concierge for Delighted, a Qualtrics Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ellie is an interior design fanatic and side hustler who has so many exciting things to share about The Passages Project.

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Recommended in this episode: