Stella Podcast

NOTE: This interview was conducted in July 2026

1:05: Who is Johanne right now?

3:01: On what networking like The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity at events looks like to her

5:13: Diving into the community and DEI consulting business she’s building in Amp Up Your Voice — including how losing her job started it all.

10:38: On the challenging process of getting buy-in from sponsors and partners, and why it includes a high level of visibility

14:43: On fleshing out a content strategy as part of her business strategy

18:40: On advocating for both women who want to start businesses but also women more keen on excelling in corporate — how can women in corporate set themselves up to succeed in spite of inevitable barriers?

23:38: Do you need to have a personal brand in 2026?

28:12: A recent example of the kind of work Amp Up Your Voice does

31:47: On how she stays in the groove

NOTE: This interview was conducted in March 2026

2:38: How Sarah defines herself right now

5:36: The creative process of crafting a cartoon (including writing the copy) from scratch

7:52: Being an artist in the age of AI

10:35: The journey that led to a lucrative career in cartoon creation

14:41: Using art as a medium for wellness and taboo conversation

20:25: Some of her most memorable projects thus far

24:13: Building community around her work through workshops and beyond, and monetizing with intention and integrity

28:54: Why Sarah wants to build a life and career that feels less digital

32:04: Advice for someone daunted by entering the media industry and building the creative career they want for themselves

35:23: How Sarah stays in the groove

NOTE: This interview was conducted in March 2026

1:12: Deep in the cookbook trenches and the multiple truths about the process

2:52: Who is Alex right now?

4:03: Zodiac signs, Saturn Return and reflecting on Alex now versus 10 years ago

8:03: On starting Just Add Hot Sauce in 2017 and how its goals have evolved since

14:15: On building a community through food

17:55: On the creative process for developing recipes and themed series

21:44: On scaling and monetizing her brand, including the granular breakdown of her various revenue streams

26:05: On Substack entering the mix — and the advice Alex has for someone wanting to start one

30:59: On how being vulnerable and personal storytelling has worked in her favor

35:12: On how she stays in her groove

NOTE: This interview was conducted in April 2026

1:53: Who is Bola Sokunbi right now? (Including some very fun fun facts)

3:53: Navigating book launches and social environments as an introvert & the importance of setting boundaries

6:53: Why her seventh book doubles down on being an accessible financial book for women and, in particular, Black women — rooted in Bola’s origin story.

9:13: Redefining the wealth creation conversation; Nobody comes for men when they hype their success — so why is it the case for women?

13:43: Setting flexible goals for financial success; and the difference between having a vision and having a goal

16:55: Learning from past mistakes — Bola gets candid about some of hers

17:57: Balancing enjoyment and financial discipline

21:56: Understanding that there are different financial realities, and how to foster financial stability regardless of income.

30:03: Building Clever Girl Finance to be a community rooted in accountability without shame

NOTE: This interview was conducted in December 2025

00:45: Chai’s definition of busy — and not to be confused with burned out

2:09: Who is Chai right now?

3:51: What is HERspire — and what gap is it filling in media?

8:31: Running HERspire whilst having a full-time job

12:06: Why financial gain isn’t part of HERspire’s mission right now

15:02: On how Chai builds a team and grows HERspire (via events, video series etc.) without breaking the bank

18:48: On how Chai measures success in HERspire’s first year

21:33: What she learned from a previous entrepreneurial experience — and why she believes you don’t have to monetize every single passion

23:08: Exciting things to come in 2026 including a collaboration with Stella…

NOTE: This interview was conducted in November 2025

1:06:  How do you define yourself in this very moment?

2:56: A budding plan to relocate to Paris, the active manifestation practices that are making that happen, and the desired impact to be made on the ground.

5:55: The journey to thinking beyond the journalist title, navigating layoffs, and eventually creating a multihyphenate path.

7:36: On her EIC role at EDITION by Modern Luxury, how she grappled with the publication she worked so hard to build later no longer existing, and what it ultimately taught her.

11:37: On the value of bringing a personal build even while working in a corporate setting.

13:49: On the process of overcoming being pigeonholed.

16:44: Going from the editors seat to then writing for and working with new editors — and coming to important realizations about journalism and next steps professionally.

20:32: On why journalists “the definition of adaptability” and the importance of bragging about the experience people might not otherwise know about.

24:45: On some of the courses and certifications that have helped inform next professional steps.

26:22: On what’s exciting her these days (that’s not work related!).

NOTE: This interview was conducted in December 2025

00:18: How Ashley is feeling off the heels of her debut book launch

00:54: Why, at the start of the book, Ashley prefaced Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by clarifying that it isn’t a rom-com

2:57: How the idea for this debut book was conceived and picked up by a publishing house — from starting off as fan fiction to becoming a vessel for real-life experiences to securing Jasmine Guillory as a mentor via  Reese’s Book Club

7:13: The value of Reese’s Book Club’s LitUp in helping to secure an agent and book deal.

10:33: The process and inspiration for the book’s characters — and some of the beautiful character-driven realizations that came after writing the book

14:20: Who would play Eve and Jamie in a book adaptation? (Plus a nod to a sequel…)

15:22: The process of writing from the perspective of a white man

17:51: How a degree in  psychology and an ongoing career in public health has shaped her author journey

19:37: Book writing as a cathartic release

21:16: On how she measures success

23:38: On how she stays in the writing groove — and gets it back

NOTE: This interview was conducted in September 2025

2:10: Who is Leila in this very moment?

4:55: How her Virgo tendencies show up with work

6:10: The impetus for launching Blackstage in 2020

10:02: Breaking down the origins of pole, how the industry has “sanitized” this history, and the process of reclaiming

16:02: Where does pole dancing currently fit in the world of the arts, fitness and beyond and how does it evolve with integrity?

20:10: Expanding Blackstage into global territory and how this plays a role in its evolution

24:51: The undeniable challenges in raising money

29:47: Is the future of pole dancing bright?

NOTE: This interview was conducted in September 2025

00:26: Who is Adriana in this very moment?

1:10: Settling and building a company based in Boston

3:14: How a background in journalism paved the way for emerging digital media roles (audience engagement, social media, and beyond) that weren’t taught in the classroom

5:06: The full-circle journey that now has her back in the classroom, this time teaching media students about digital roles beyond the traditional writing/reporting gigs

6:15: The biggest learning curves in learning on the job post-grad

8:30: How the idea to launch Influencer Journalism (part of Adriana’s company Field Nine Group) came to be — an initiative that trains influencers to work directly with newsrooms and journalists — and how it’s helping media brands foster deeper relationships with consumers.

12:14: How is credibility and integrity factored in here?

16:11: One of Adriana’s favorite newsroom-influencer collaborations to date (and why it’s actually not the platform with millions of followers)

19:32:  Projections (and hot takes) as it relates to the intersection of tech, journalism, and digital media

21:36: On the brands leaning really well into new media

23:08: Why mentorship continues to be a major pillar in her work (via her platform Journalism Mentors)

NOTE: This interview was conducted in August 2025

00:55: Who is Gabby in this very moment?

1:29: Getting transparent about a “neurospicy” identity (an ongoing journey after being initially misdiagnosed)

3:29: Transitioning/navigating life and career after a later diagnosis

6:40: How writing serves as a cathartic process

8:54: Merging a variety of beats from spirits to fashion to music, which all began with writing about  skateboarding and surfing—and why she believes you don’t need to have just one niche

12:22: On never telling yourself no, and how that mantra has helped Gabby elevate

15:05: The art of crafting a pitch

17:36: On her forthcoming book, “Stuff Every Whiskey Lover Should Know,” and the fated way it came to be

21:50: How Gabby views goal-setting (and why flexibility is involved)

23:57: On what’s to come—including a column revival

25:24: Breaking down the dualities and multiple truths of media and journalism

26:20: How Gabby stays in the groove