Real World Recess

This week's guest is known for having "the best renters insurance story ever," and she doesn't disappoint!  From her first move to NYC, to getting laid off at an early-career job, to dealing with filing TWO renters insurance claims in one year, Juliette Dallas-Feeney has learned to find the silver lining in whatever the real world throws her way. And if we've learned one thing (besides that renters insurance is a must-get), it's that your career may not seem linear, but it can always come full-circle!

With a claim to fame like DJing for Lil Wayne, Mike Summers could have coasted through college on his six-figure music earnings, living life in the fast lane. Instead, he put his DJ career on pause and focused on a career in entertainment business, earning an MBA and a role in corporate America. Now a prime example of balancing passions, side-hustles, and a 9-5 job, Mike shares his perspective on personal pivots and learning how to market your own strengths.

Emily O'Gorman had three months to find a job and fulfill her dream of moving to NYC, a dream she's proud to say she's living. From staying on friend's couches, commuting two hours each way to interviews, to getting that first gig, she knows just how hard those early career years can be. Having now successfully moved up the ranks at The Muse, a startup focused on helping people find more fulfilling careers by providing expert advice and showcasing what it’s like to work at different companies across the world, Emily has lots of insight into the job market and shares her advice for growing in your career with us on Recess!

Some say "showing up is half the battle," but to John Balkam, showing up is just the starting line. From pursuing his passion for sports, to starting a company, to publishing his first book,"3-Win Sponsorship: The Next Generation of Sports and Entertainment Marketing," John has pivoted and persevered by putting himself in the room and in the way of opportunity, and following up with the people he meets along the way. He opens up about his struggle with mental health and shares advice for taking life in stride and betting on yourself.

Whether he's hosting a college radio show at University of Georgia, curating a class of tech startups for an accelerator program, or organizing an annual reunion weekend for his close college friends, Austin Crouse has had his hand in building communities of all kinds. The recipient of great advice from his own mentors, Austin is the first to pay forward his experience, share advice, or simply listen thoughtfully - and with Drake as his "Artist of The Decade" we're all ears!

Sidney Hulburd knows what she wants and goes for it - from getting her dream internship at Jimmy Fallon, to taking a semester off of college to intern at Saturday Night Live, to getting her dog, Truman. Though Blink-182 has us believing "nobody likes you when you're 23," we're with Sidney, "bye bye 22, I don't care much for you."

Kim Kaupe is successfully living the vision her co-founder wrote on a cocktail napkin: "Make money, have fun." From scoring a deal on Shark Tank, to calling Katy Perry, Macklemore, and The New York Mets clients, Kim continues to tell it like it is, showing everyone that startups aren't easy but there's always time to pay your experience forward and give a little gratitude!

Helaine Knapp went from sidelined to startup founder, turning injury into industry advantage! Working for years in tech and working out on the side resulted in an injury, and the subsequent realization that rowing was the low-impact cardio class missing from the NYC boutique fitness roster. Now a nation-wide franchise with an in-home product to boot, CITYROW is much more than a silver lining. This week Helaine shares her journey to grownup and how she's grown her business along the way.

The decision to pursue your passion is not always an easy one to make, especially when it comes with a "regression in adulting." This week we chat with Andrew Holzberger, our friend and podcast audio engineer, who took the leap from full-time tech recruiter, to audio engineering student, to music production freelancer. From taking advantage of pre-tax benefits to getting dinged on his taxes for not having health insurance, Andrew collabs with us to pay forward everything he's learned about life in the real world.

If you ever find yourself building a community, starting a club, or launching a brand, take it from an expert: "You must build a community with your people, not for them." Bailey Richardson is a community guru - from planting the seeds of online community in the early days of Instagram, to starting a Queer Pool League in NYC, she's learned that growing a community is much like starting a fire. Bailey profiles several thriving communities in her book, Get Together and shares her expertise with us on Recess.