THE CITY CONFESSIONS

Today's guest is Jordan Scott, the founder, CEO and Chief Editor of Cobble, an app designed to help people make better, faster decisions together. Jordan graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2015. She began her career as a news associate at CBS This Morning before launching her startup. To date, she has raised $3 million in seed funding, with thousands of users who have swiped over 200k times on dates and experiences and is quickly expanding Cobble’s offerings and to new cities adapting to culture. Jordan has been profiled in Forbes, FOX 5 Good Day New York, and more.

In 2017, Jordan created idk tonight, a website and newsletter that provides NYC couples with curated date night plans to help couples answer the timeless question: “What do you want to do tonight?”. After winning NYU x New York Jets No Huddle Challenge and Entrepreneur Magazine's LIVE 5-minute pitch competition, Jordan launched Cobble, the first app that supports couples in “life after the swipe.”

In this episode, Jordan explains how attending NYU made her fall in love with the city. She talks about how the idea of Cobble came to be, the features of the app, the challenges launching a business during a pandemic and the surprising activities that she and her husband both swiped right on. We also dive deeper into the idea of stress and how to handle it, the benefits of practicing gratitude and adopting the 'fake it till you make it' mentality and embracing different seasons in life. Jordan also reveals an unexpected confession relating to alcohol that you don't want to miss! 

You can find more information on Cobble here: https://www.trycobble.com/ and make sure you click Try Cobble to receive the link to download the app or find Cobble on your app store!

Feel free to also direct any questions or feedback to [email protected] regarding this podcast. 

Today's guest is Jessica Morrobel, a Brooklyn native and New York City-based journalist and content creator empowering people from all walks of life to travel, explore, and tap into their creativity. While re-evaluating her life during the pandemic, Jessica was sparked with an exciting career shift when content creation for her blog pushed her past her comfort zone and became a therapeutic catharsis during a time of healing.

As a former content strategist, marketer, and editor at Fortune 100 companies, Jessica's goal is to inspire, educate, and build communities of empowered women to be catalysts for self-expression, change, and exploration. On her page, she authentically shares her learnings along with the most exciting things to do and see in NYC. You'll also find easy-to-follow curly hair care tips — tailored for savvy on-the-go travelers and tastemakers.

In this episode, Jessica explains her journey from helping clients and building brands from the ground up to deciding to build her own brand. As someone who used to work in corporate, she explains why she decided to invest in herself and pursue working as a blogger and content creator full time. Since this is a new journey she has embarked on, Jessica offers social media tips and advice for for content creators and aspiring bloggers because she knows although the market is saturated, there is still space for new talent. Jessica also explains how she saved up to pursue blogging full time and how she leveraged her corporate experiences and relationships to landing partnerships. As a natural hair educator, Jessica also expresses her passion for natural hair and how that value has played a role in her brand and public image. Jessica also opens up about dealing with high functioning anxiety, explains what her definitions of success is today, her struggle with downtime and the importance of celebrating any milestones. 

You can connect with Jessica below:

Today's guest is Maiko Sakai, a niche specialist who helps visionary founders, experts & entrepreneurs discover their niche in their business and to hone in on their greatness. Maiko Sakai is also the founder of Airtight Concepts, a business strategy consultant a.k.a. secret weapon, confidant & silent partner to visionary entrepreneurs & CEO’s with the desire to build a high-functioning, profit-generating machine of their dreams.

Her mission is simple: Help service business owners shift from operating a transactional business to a transformational business through her 2 business programs, “Define + Refine Your Profitable Niche” and “Business Optimizer 360. As a self-proclaimed “Queen of Counterintuitive Strategies,” she provides effective but not-so-conventional strategies to boost sustainable profitability for her clients’ businesses by utilizing both quantitative & qualitative assessments.

Originally from Yokohama, Japan, Maiko considers herself a New Yorker, loves ethnic foods of all kinds, and is a minimalist, a sucker for ultra-contemporary design & exotic houseplants. She earned her MBA from Cornell University.

In this episode we talk about various topics including how Maiko Sakai became a niche specialist and what that term even means. Maiko explains why she created the "WHAT’S YOUR IMPACT CREATION ARCHETYPE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR" quiz and how she's been utilizing it to help business owners determine what they're great at. Maiko and I also bond over our shared sign being Aquarius and talk about characteristics that make us who we are are creatives and how we use our strengths to our advantage when it comes to our careers. Maiko also expresses why she's an advocate for paid ads and how to benefit from running them to promote her business. We also talk about the importance of staying neutral and the pros of removing emotions, needs and wants from running a business. As someone who finds joy in helping entrepreneurs find success, Maiko reiterates why business owners should focus on the what and why instead of the how. We close this episode with Maiko revealing a confession that relates to the city and the current state of New York, so you don't wan to miss out on that! 

You can connect with Maiko Sakai on her below platforms:

Website: www.maikosakai.com

Feel free to also direct any questions, comments or feedback regarding this episode to [email protected]. 

This week's guest is Emily Hochman, the Founder and CEO of Wellory, the anti-diet nutrition app on a mission to bring healthy eating to the masses. A fast growing app needed pre, post and during the pandemic, Wellory is a nutritionist in your back pocket, focused on making it easier than ever to stay healthy. The iOS and Android-available app matches clients with a health coach, nutritionist, or registered dietician based on their specific health/wellness goals. They provide affordable and personalized, 1-to-1 access to expert guidance, support, tips, recipes, all while tracking client progress and outcomes.

Hochman has been featured in Business Insider, Thrive Global, Well+Good, named Bucknell University’s 13 Under 35, Most Inspirational Female Entrepreneur by Influential Businesswomen Awards and Forbes 30 Under 30.

In this episode Emily explains why she started Wellory and her own personal journey with food and nutrition. She explains her advocacy for food freedom, the importance in having access to nutritionists, making healthy eating a forefront of conversations, and shifting the focus from diet culture to how we feel and how food impacts that. 

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Emily knew that she has always been a problem solver. She has landed a Forbes feature and recalls how she felt when she received the nomination and the moment when the article went live. Emily reminds us all that food is our friend and food is fuel. She also explains some misconceptions when it comes to healthy eating and healthy lifestyle and reiterates that we should be making sure we choose the right foods for our bodies. We wrap the episode with a city confession from Emily, relating to being single and dating so you'll want to stick around to end for that! 

You can learn more about Wellory below:

Website: www.wellory.com

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or feedback regarding this episode or podcast.

We are joined today by the one and only Deborah Lippmann. Deborah is the go-to manicurist for an awe-inspiring list of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Lupita Nyong’o, Laura Dern, Martha Stewart, and Lady Gaga and renowned fashion houses from Vogue, InStyle, W, Vanity Fair and Elle to Donna Karan, Rodarte, Narciso Rodriguez, Marchesa and Versace to name a few. After years of experience in the industry, her eponymous line of lacquers and treatments for nails, hands and feet is as coveted as her incredible talent.

Deborah’s success as one of the most sought- after manicurists in the world, as well as an innovative entrepreneur, has an interesting origin in her passion for and pursuit of music. Her first love was music, and with dreams of becoming a jazz singer, Deborah belted out sultry tunes in smoky clubs by night while working various jobs by day. Eventually, Deborah enrolled in cosmetology school where she discovered a hidden talent and her second love – nails.

Working closely with some of the biggest names among celebrities, editors, fashion designers and models, Deborah quickly identified the need for a diverse range of nail colors and luxury care products, which was missing in the market. It was at that moment that Deborah set out to create her own line high-quality nail lacquers and treatments with her unique fashion point of view.

Established in 1999, deborah lippmann was founded on an ethos of quality meets care. Informed by her years in the red carpet, fashion runways, and editorial shoots, the award-winning brand reflects her ultra-high standards in terms of product performance and is crafted to nourish and support nails and skin. The brand is in expansion mode, with exciting plans for continuous growth, including her recent step into the cosmetics industry with her new lip gloss.

In this episode, Deborah recalls her journey and explains how she got into manicuring, while also pursuing her dreams in music as a jazz singer. She explains how she landed celebrity clients, what it's like to work in high pressure environments, how she thrives under stress and rituals that she has set for herself when it comes to work. She also narrates her encounter and amazing relationships with Sher, Martha Stewart and Lady Gaga. As a successful entrepreneur Deborah gives insights to her definition of success and happiness and offers advice for those who want to start their own business, finding your passions and how to make your dreams a reality. We end the episode with Deborah's helpful tips for beginners on how to do at home manicures and answers questions when it comes to nail care, cuticles and nail polish and emphasizes on the importance of patience and washing your hands. 

You can find more about Deborah Lippmann's brand by visiting her website at: https://deborahlippmann.com/ and follow the brand on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deborahlippmann/.

Feel free to also direct any questions, comments or feedback to [email protected]. 

This week's guest is Val Monroe, the former beauty director at O, The Oprah Magazine and founder of the blog called, "How to Not F*ck Up Your Face." Val has also been an editor at Ms., Redbook, Self, and Parenting Magazines, among others, a contributing writer at Parents and Entertainment Weekly, and have written hundreds of articles on a wide range of topics for many national publications. She has appeared many times on national television, and have been a speaker at O, You events—appearing before up to 5,000 women who have enrolled in a day’s worth of Oprah-centric activities. Val is particularly interested in the intersection of kindness and perceptions of beauty and is working on developing a protocol for doctors doing aesthetic evaluations. She is also focusing on a multi-media project, including a Substack newsletter: How Not to Fu*k Up Your Face, philosophical and practical advice for anyone who’s ever looked into a mirror.

In this episode, Val and I talk about her extensive background in magazine journalism and her career highlights and lessons. We also dive deeper into societal standards when it comes to beauty and why she's so passionate about changing the conversation from fearing aging to acceptance and self compassion. Val explains the importance of embracing where you’re at in life and how she's advocating for people to adopt a more positive outlook on aging and encourages all of us to love our faces without objectifying it. She is passionate about this topic and this message, which inspired her to start her blog and newsletter, where she is hoping to change the dialogue of aging in today's society. We wrap this episode with an unexpected confession that involves why being anonymous in New York City is a perk that you don't want to miss! 

You can support Val by signing up to her newsletter here: https://valeriemonroe.substack.com/ and follow Val on Instagram here.

And feel free to direct any questions, comments or concerns regarding this podcast to [email protected].