On today's episode, I spoke with Liza Shtromberg, a jewelry designer who has had a successful jewelry brand in Los Angeles for almost 40 years.

- Starting her jewelry brand at 16 hustling on the streets of LA

- Overcoming the 2008 financial crash and finding out her employees were stealing from her

- The mechanics and aesthetics of jewelry design

- Balancing being a designer and business owner

- The ups and downs in her career

- Advice for aspiring jewelry designers or people who want to start a jewelry brand

Website: lizashtromberg.com

On today's episode, I spoke with Jamie McShane, an actor who has had recurring roles on hit shows like Wednesday, Bloodline, Sons Of Anarchy, and Southland. Jamie has an incredible story that is a testament to the importance of perseverance and never giving up on achieving your dream. His first series regular role was on Netflix hit show, Bloodline, after being an actor for 25 years.

Welcome to episode 3 of Rookie Mistakes. Today's guest is Virydiana Aranda, a tattoo artist from Mexico. This was a really interesting conversation with someone in a career I didn't know much about, so I enjoyed learning about it. Virydiana is truly an incredible tattoo artist. Check out her Instagram, the colors are insane!

On this episode, we discussed:

- How she got started tattooing

- Being able to travel the world as a tattoo artist

- The importance of surrounding yourself with more talented people

- Challenges of being a female tattoo artist

- Nightmare client stories

- Advice for aspiring tattoo artists

- Tattoo styles based on different cultures

If you are interested in getting a tattoo from Virydiana, you can reach out to her below: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/v_aranda_tattoo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gingkotattoo

Enjoy the episode! 

Welcome to episode 2 of Rookie Mistakes. Today's guest is Jennifer Landon, a real estate broker in Los Angeles. This conversation is one that really represents everything I hope for with this podcast. I've listened to it a few times now and each time I have left motivated to go after what I want. 

We discussed:

- Realizing her initial career path wasn't for her after graduating from USC

- How she got into real estate

- Why she transitioned to the appraisal business

- The 07-08 financial crisis (recognizing pivots in business)

- Running a dance school

- Opening her real estate brokerage

- Balancing passion with what pays the bills 

- Advice for buying a house, investing in real estate, and working as a real estate agent

- The importance of mentors (finding someone you can relate to who shows you it's possible)

If you'd like to get in contact with Jen, you can find her below: 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landonrealtygroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/landonrealtygroup

Website: https://www.lrgla.com

Enjoy the episode! 

Welcome to episode 1, season 2 of Rookie Mistakes. After a 3.5-year hiatus, I'm back! My intention for this podcast was always to have conversations with other people, so I am finally doing it. 

My first guest Jana Collins. Jana has lived an interesting life and has had an incredibly successful career in politics, public relations, and real estate. On top of all that, she's easily the most generous person I know. 

Some topics our conversation covers: 

- Business ventures gone wrong (selling silk pajamas from Hong Kong at Nordstrom)

- Working for the Republican Party in California during the Reagan years/meeting Ronald Reagan

- Her family real estate business 

- Near-death experiences at 19 and on her honeymoon

- Advice on becoming successful 

- The impact of her mother and grandfather on her life

- Dealing with failure

Enjoy!

On episode 42 of Rookie Mistakes, Connor talks about his tips and recommendations for visiting Bangkok after living there for a month and a half in his most detailed travel guide yet. 

Some topics he covers are:

- The best areas in the city

- What to do 

- Where to eat 

- The best street markets to check out 

- His case for skipping out on street food

- How to avoid getting food poisoning

- Things to bring in case of food poisoning and how to deal with it

- Using public transportation and getting around the city

- The best SIM card in Bangkok

- Where to watch pro Muay Thai for free

- The best gyms to train Muay Thai at

- Renewing your visa

- How long to stay, where else to go in Thailand, and the best time of year to visit 

On episode 41 of Rookie Mistakes, Connor breaks down his guide for visiting Seoul after living there for a month and a half. 

Topics included are: 

- The best time of the year to visit 

- The areas of the city you must visit

- What sites are worth seeing (N Seoul Tower, Korean Demilitarized Zone)

- The best restaurants to eat at 

- Korean Coffee Culture 

- Nightlife 

- Foods/Snacks you should try 

- Buying a SIM card

- Using public transportation

On episode 40 of Rookie Mistakes, Connor talks about his tips and recommendations for visiting the most popular cities in Romania. He covers topics like visiting Dracula's Castle, riding a ferris wheel in the bottom of a salt mine, and getting lost in a supposedly haunted forest.

On episode 39 of Rookie Mistakes, Connor starts if off talking about the college admissions scandal with Lori Loughlin and other celebrities. He then goes in to talking about the people he met during his ten months traveling that made the experience so great and left a lasting impression. He touches on day trips with strangers, motorcycling through Seoul, the Irish stereotype, and much more.