Celebrity and conceptual hairstylist Chris Appleton is responsible for arguably more viral hair looks over the past five years than anyone else in the game. (Think Ariana Grande’s snatched ponytail, J.Lo’s glamorous Superbowl curls, and that "wet" look Kim Kardashian wore to the 2019 Met Gala.) In this episode, Chris speaks with Hillary about the inspiration behind some of his most iconic looks, how he entered the industry, and the easiest styles you should be trying at home.

Tori Bell, a passionate founder and voice in the anti-racism movement, has built a platform that inspires allies everywhere to make a difference. Bell began her community-centered diversity work through creating the global employee resource group Black Women at Facebook, which now has over 2500 members. She also started her own brilliant newsletter, Inclusion Unpacked, which helps support those on their allyship journey through weekly diversity, equity, and inclusion resources. On July 13, Bell is launching a Social Media Allyship Program, which outlines how to become a better ally in three cohesive steps. On this episode of Second Life, find out how Bell’s past career experiences—from working at Suntrust Investment Bank to Facebook—led her to find a highly inspiring and purposeful career.

This week, Hillary sits down with the Wonder Woman of Vogue, Leiomy Maldonado, and The Good Place actress and founder of iWeigh, Jameela Jamil. The pair are two of the four judges on HBO Max’s Legendary, in which voguing teams called "houses" compete in dance challenges and showcase fashion for a chance to win a cash prize. Jameela and Leiomy speak to the incredible community that the show represents and bring us behind the scenes—sweat, shade, and looks included.

In 2013, Netflix released a series that would forever impact television: Orange Is the New Black. Actress Dascha Polanco quickly became a fan favorite as she played the role of Daya Diaz for seven seasons of the cultural phenomenon of a show. Polanco has also been in several notable films, including Golden Globe–nominated Joy, Oscar-nominated The Irishman, and most recently, the highly anticipated adaptation of the musical In the Heights. On this episode of Second Life, find out how—and why—Polanco decided to take a chance on Hollywood after spending years in the medical industry studying to become a nurse and working as a hospital manager in New York City.

On this week’s episode, celebrity skincare expert and aesthetic specialist Nurse Jamie tells Hillary Kerr about the latest innovations and non-invasive beauty treatments on the market, breaks down the difference and many uses of filler and Botox, and explains the benefits of lasers. As the skin guru to celebrities like Khloé Kardashian, Jessica Alba, and Hillary herself, we’re all ears. To check out the masterful beauty results Nurse Jamie achieves for yourself—without ever picking up a scalpel—watch her Netflix series, Skin Decision.

Amanda Kloots is the ultimate multi-hyphenate. She is the founder of AK! Fitness, where she has developed her signature fitness method; is co-founder of the give-back apparel company Hooray For alongside her sister; and is a co-host on CBS’s The Talk. As of June 15, she is also a published author with the debut of her memoir, Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero, in which she shares her 95-day struggle and love story with her husband, who tragically passed last July due to COVID-19. On this episode of Second Life, find out how Kloots’s 17-year career as a professional dancer on Broadway and as a Rockette gave her the perseverance and grit to build the multifaceted career she has today.

On this episode of the show, Drew Elovitz, our director of content strategy and senior managing editor, takes us behind the scenes of our June cover story with three of the cast members from the upcoming Gossip Girl—Zión Moreno, Jordan Alexander, and Emily Alyn Lind. As a superfan of the original show, Drew asks the talented cast everything you want to know about this new era of Gossip Girl, including what to expect from the elusive characters and how their world has changed over the 10 years since the original.

Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, co-founders and co-CEOs of trusted news source TheSkimm, completely changed the way millennials consume news by creating a platform that delivers digestible current content. Since its launch in 2012, TheSkimm has expanded its offerings through producing two top-rated podcasts, multiple events, countless videos, TheSkimm app, Skimm Well, and Skimm Money. Its initial product, the Daily Skimm, remains the fastest-growing newsletter on the market with over seven million subscribers. On this episode of Second Life, find out how Zakin and Weisberg’s early careers in major news organizations like MSNBC, The Daily Beast, and NBC led them to disrupt traditional news media forever.

Jenny Beavan is a prolific costume designer, having won her first Academy Award in 1987 for A Room With a View, and again for Mad Max: Fury Road. Most recently, she’s responsible for the works of art in the live-action feature film Cruella, starring Emma Stone. In this episode, Jenny tells us about her inspirations for the stunning fashion throughout the movie and takes us behind the scenes of creating a visual world for a major motion picture.

With the launch of her first show alongside Dax Shepard in 2018, Monica Padman became one of the biggest podcasters in the game. That year, Armchair Expert was the most-downloaded podcast of the year and won iHearts Radio’s Best New Podcast Award. Today, the Armchair Umbrella Network hosts a slew of other successful shows (Monica and Jess Love Boys, Nurture vs Nurture, Experts on Expert, etc.), most of which Padman co-hosts and all of which she produces. But back before Padman’s insightful and charming voice was living in our heads rent-free, her idea of success was to land a job acting—specifically, on the next Friends. On this episode, hear how Padman found herself on a path beyond her wildest dreams by embracing what unfolded in front of her.