The Bucketwish With ERICKA NICOLE MALONE

Bucketwish with Ericka Nicole Malone, featuring Karima El-Hakkaoui My guest today has built a career many people only dream about. Karima El-Hakkaoui has worked with some of the world's biggest brands, including Cosmopolitan, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, IKEA and Harrods.

Then life tested her in the hardest way, when she lost her husband to cancer. Instead of letting grief define her next chapter, Karima took everything she'd learned and turned it toward her real passion: styling.

Today she runs a thriving styling business. It's how she's living her own bucket wish, and how she helps her clients find theirs.

Karima's work goes deeper than clothes. She helps people build their identity and get clear on what they're telling the world about themselves before they say a word. In a lot of ways, she's a coach. We talk about rebuilding after loss, finding purpose in what you already know, and the power of showing up as yourself.

Ericka sits down with Zoie Brogdon, a young equestrian who has already made her mark in one of the most demanding sports in the world.

Zoie talks about how she got her start in the saddle, and about the early mornings, hard work, and determination it took to become one of the standout riders of her generation.

She also shares the bond between horse and rider, what competing at the top level really takes, and where she's headed next, with the Olympics on the horizon. For anyone chasing a big dream, this conversation shows what it looks like to commit to one completely.

I'm so excited to introduce today's guest because he had such an impact on my life. David Sepulveda is the reason I got back in the water. When I was young, I went through something traumatic in the water, and I never swam again. I was terrified for years.

David became my teacher, my coach, and my mentor, and he got me swimming again.

Today, we're talking about how many people are afraid of water, how you overcome that fear, and what to do to save yourself if you're ever in trouble. I can't wait for you to hear his story.

Welcome, David.

Ericka Nicole Malone sits down with Valerie Nero, niece of the Queen of Gospel, Mahalia Jackson. They first met while Ericka was writing Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story. Valerie shares what it was like to grow up in her aunt's house: the open door on Indiana Avenue, the family who came to visit every year, and the click of the Marcel iron when Mahalia did hair in the kitchen. She talks about the healing in Mahalia's music, and how one song could carry praise, pain, and release all at once. She also talks about what a gift like that costs, the jealousy it drew in love, and the day her aunt stood up for her in front of everyone. Then the conversation turns to Valerie's own bucket wish. She wants to go to Rome and to Africa, and she wants to answer her calling: "Aunties' Winning Wisdom," a space where young women can learn from someone who's lived it. As she puts it, "I'm not telling you what I heard. I'm telling you what I know." This episode is about legacy, family, and walking into the purpose that was laid out for you. Go out, live your dreams, and do something special just for you.

In this moving episode of *The Bucket Wish*, host Ericka Nicole Malone sits down with minister, entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker **Valerie Nero**—niece of the iconic gospel legend and civil rights figure Mahalia Jackson. What began as a documentary has turned into a movement to help you uncover parts of yourself you never knew existed. In this conversation, Ericka and Valerie explore what it was truly like behind the scenes with "Aunt Mahalia"—from childhood memories of playing in her closet and getting Shirley Temple curls, to watching a cultural giant navigate church, business, and her historic connection to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Valerie opens up about carrying her family’s legacy, navigating deep personal grief and loss, finding strength through prayer and community, and launching her own mission to pass down "front porch wisdom" to the next generation through her upcoming podcast, *Auntie's Winning Wisdom*. Tune in for an inspiring, soul-stirring conversation about resilience, discernment, and honoring the strength of the women who came before us. --- **In This Episode, You’ll Hear:** * **Life with a Legend:** Intimate childhood memories of Mahalia Jackson at home—her love for children, her hair styling, her famous wig collection, and her apartment on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. * **Business & Discernment:** The vital life lessons Mahalia passed down about protecting your business, staying mindful of people's motives, and remaining humble. * **A Historical Moment:** The story behind Mahalia’s connection to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and her vocal encouragement during the March on Washington. * **Overcoming Life's Darkest Valleys:** How Valerie leaned on faith, family DNA, and prayer to navigate the loss of her brother, family strain, and the isolation of the COVID pandemic. * **Passing the Torch:** Valerie’s passion for uplifting young women through community, mentorship, and "front porch" wisdom.

This week on Bucketwish, host Ericka Nicole Malone continues her conversation with Tara Punzone, owner of a vegan Italian restaurant born out of the pandemic and a lifetime of conviction, and Debra Mars, whose corporate career and entrepreneurial reinvention took a very different path. Punzone opens up about growing up vegan out of love for animals long before it was a trend, and how simple, honest ingredients — just flour and water — became the foundation of a restaurant that keeps every promise of real Italian comfort food. Mars shares how a mentor pushed her into a business career in a field where she rarely saw herself represented, and how decades in corporate America eventually led her toward an unexpected new venture and product line she never could have prayed for. Together, the two guests dig into what it means to build a life around self-worth instead of self-neglect, why understanding your purpose — not just your gifts — changes everything, and how forgiveness, quiet moments, and music keep them grounded. The episode closes with a deeply personal reflection: what would each of them say to God about the life they've lived? Equal parts joyful, funny, and moving, this episode is a reminder that reinvention is always possible, dreams don't come with expiration dates, and sometimes the wildest wishes are the ones that quietly come true.

"I am so excited to have with me some of the most incredible women I have ever met." In this episode of The Bucketwish, Ericka Nicole Malone welcomes two dear friends who have paved impossible paths. First, the visionary Tara Punzone, owner and operator of Pura Vita in West Hollywood—the first 100% vegan Italian restaurant in the country. Tara shares the heart behind her journey, from her grandfather’s influence to her award-winning cookbook, Vegana Italiana, and how she found the endurance to keep her community fed through the hardest years. Ericka also sits down with the legendary Deborah Mars, an expert marketer and branding powerhouse who has shaped international icons (including Chester Cheetah) before pivoting into her true passion as a writer and creator. Deborah shares the powerful "COVID story" that led her to create her Black Santa line—a movement of representation born from a place of deep prayer and personal reboot. Together, they discuss the "Superwoman" myth and why the most creative thing you can do is finally show up for yourself.

Welcome to The Bucket Wish, where we turn bold dreams into reality. This week, Ericka Nicole Malone sits down with the visionary behind LA’s Pura Vita, Chef Tara Punzone, to celebrate the release of her new book, Vegana Italiana.

From being told she’d never make it in traditional kitchens to creating a plant-based dining staple, Tara opens up about: Creating traditional Italian classics without meat or dairy.

The lessons of love and hospitality were learned in her grandparents’ Brooklyn shop. Why hearing "you can't do that" became her biggest superpower.

The dream of building an eco-conscious retreat. Tune in for an honest conversation about courage, heritage, and staying true to your vision no matter the odds.

Subscribe & follow along every week as we uncover the impossible—together.

"We are everyone else’s number one cheerleader, but sometimes we aren’t the number one cheerleader for ourselves." In this soul-stirring episode, Erica Nicole Malone invites you to redefine what it means to live in excellence. Moving beyond the "hustle," Erica explores excellence as an act of integrity, character, and self-love. From the surprising lesson she learned from her handyman, Jose, to the "Broadway standard" she set for her cast at age seventeen, Erica illustrates how excellence isn’t about impressing "important" people—it’s about how you show up when no one is looking. In this episode, we discuss: The Excellence of You: Why treating yourself to a nice lunch and a moment of reflection is a high-level act of character. The "Hazmat" Standard: How true integrity means protecting and providing the best experience for others, just like a job well done. The Equalizer: Why money and status don't change your value, and why we owe the same excellence to the person cleaning the stalls as we do to a CEO. Filling Your Cup: Recognizing when you are "depleting out" and how to refuel so you can continue to be there for your family and your dreams. Are you moving, or are you growing? It’s time to stop the "quagmire of movement" and start moving in excellence.

Butterfly Girl" — A Conversation with Alexia Faith This week on The BucketWish, Ericka Nicole Malone sits down with someone very close to her heart — her daughter, singer-songwriter Alexia Faith. Alexia has been quietly ascending for years, and this conversation is your chance to truly meet her. She opens up about the pivotal moment that sparked *Butterfly Girl* — her breakout single with over half a million views worldwide — and what it really means to rescue yourself when the fairy tale doesn't show up on cue. She talks about growing up feeling different, learning to fly away from the towns and the people who wanted to keep her small, and why softness in a Black woman is not a weakness. It is, in fact, the whole point. They also get into her brand new single *Incognito* — what it means to disappear on your own terms, let people lose access to you, and come back exactly when you're ready. This one is equal parts inspiration and joy. Because if you know Ericka and Alexia together, you already know — the laughs are coming too. Come with us. Your dreams are worth fighting for — not for the accolades, but because you love them. 🎧 New episodes every Monday. Subscribe so you never miss a moment.