THE CITY CONFESSIONS

Today we are joined by a fellow Native New Yorker, Mike Indursky, who is the founder of sustainable beauty brand, Hear Me Raw. After spending the last 30 years in the beauty and wellness business, Mike Indursky founded the new, indie skincare brand HEAR ME RAW.  Frustrated that after all this time companies are still selling products with ingredients that shouldn’t go on your skin, in packaging that isn’t sustainable, making claims they can’t keep, with prices that are too high on products you don’t need the brand’s mission is to honor women by doing what’s best for their health, skin, budget and world around them with products that are truly Powerful, Natural, Sustainable and Simple. HEAR ME RAW, the activist, mission-based company is in its first year and is looking to lead the industry in responsible beauty.

Previous to HEAR ME RAW, Indursky served as President of Bliss, the leading global spa brand and helped in the December 2015 sale of its parent company Steiner Leisure for $920 million. Previously, Mike was CMO of Burt’s Bees, the leading global natural personal care company, where he helped lead the growth of the brand, resulting in a sale to Clorox for $950 million – a $775 million increase in enterprise value in 4 years.

Prior to that Mike had leadership positions at L’Oreal where he was VP of Marketing for Maybelline and Garnier and before that over 11 years at Unilever where he was last SVP of Strategic Planning and Marketing for all of the fragrance and cosmetics brands including Calvin Klein, Vera Wang and others. Mike is a two-time winner of Advertising Age’s Top Marketers of the Year, WWD’s Most Innovative Marketer, Beyond Beauty’s Honoree of the year and is a frequent public speaker.

In this episode, Mike talks about how Hear Me Raw came to be and the meaning behind the company's name. He also expresses his values for sustainability and what makes his products so unique and needed in today's world. He opens up about the realities and challenges of running his own business despite being in the beauty industry for 30 years. We also talk about his background and relationship with NYC as he was born and raised in The Bronx. As Mike recounts his journey as an entrepreneur, he also acknowledges the current mindset and headspace he is in now and talks about his morning routine and what it feels like to be in flow state. Feel free to support Mike's journey and company by following Hear Me Raw on Instagram and check out their amazing products here.

Today's guest features Ella Jewell, a photographer and content creator based in NYC. Ella is a visual communicator, telling stories through her camera lens. She enjoys collaborating with other artists and creating bold works of art. She loves to experiment with color and movement. Hailing from the music capital of the world, Nashville Tennessee, she grew up around music and loves to capture the emotion of performers. Ella enjoys creating content to strengthen brands and to increase commotion.

In this episode, we begin with Ella telling us how she got into photography and how she shifted from the education field to the creative field. She also opens up about struggling with leaving her family and friends back in Nashville to pursue her career and dreams in NYC. As someone who loves photography and fashion, Ella explains why she's so drawn to art in general. And to close out this episode, Ella reveals a confession relating to anxiety and depression, so if you can relate, then definitely have a listen. 

You can connect with Ella in the below ways:

Email: [email protected]

You can also email [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or feedback regarding this podcast. 

Today’s guest is Annabelle Giletti, who is a s a dynamic beauty and wellness publicist living between Brooklyn and Nantucket. Being raised in London and attending international schools has given her the desire to always be around different types of people and seek out new parts of the world. As a dual citizen, Annabelle identifies with different cultures and considers herself a very curious and adaptable global pursuer.

In this episode we talk about her background in PR, her love for wellness and healthy living and career highlights and struggles. We also talk about dating and relationships, the differences between European men and New York men and her shift in becoming more bold when it comes to meeting and dating men. Other topics we discuss include celebrity sightings and crushes and Annabelle confesses her love for Paris Hilton. She also explains how she has shifted her priorities and values to finding validation and happiness from within, rather than from external sources. Annabelle is a huge believer in manifestation and also expresses that she is currently living in NYC, specifically in Dumbo because she manifested that moment when she visited years ago. 

If you know Annabelle, you’ll also know she’s a great entertainer, loves organizing events, collaborating with others and connecting friends, which certainly contribute to key aspects of being a successful publicist.

Annabelle has worked on small but influential teams, managing leading brands from Drunk Elephant, to WTHN, Alo Moves and many others. When she’s not working you’ll find her sailing, skiing, or drinking a filthy martini. Feel free to connect with Annabelle on Instagram! You can also email any questions or feedback to [email protected]. 

Today's guest is Victoria Abaev, a wealth management associated based in New York City. Victoria Abaev is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at Aspiriant, a leading independent wealth management firm. She helps clients navigate and build their wealth in line with their goals and values. As the first in her family born in America, she did not have a large scope of financial literacy beyond saving and frugality. In high school, she was introduced to the power of financial literacy and planning by her then-boss who hosted financial literacy courses at the YMCA Women’s Shelter. Understanding the power of this knowledge, she changed her career path from health sciences, where she intended to help people medically, to become a CFP® practitioner and help people financially.

Originally from San Diego, California, she left her comfort zone when she relocated to New York to marry the love of her life. She doesn’t look back – she loves everything New York has to offer and is a true New Yorker now! As an avid fan of the arts and a musician herself, she enjoys all the beauty, culture and all art forms that the city has to offer. She loves attending Broadway shows, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Candlelight classical music concerts and hearing all sorts of amazing musicians and singers throughout the city. For fun, Victoria plays the piano, composes music, practices yoga and enjoys exploring new places with her husband.

In this episode, Victoria walks us through her first encounter with financial literacy and explains how that experience has sparked an interest for her to pursue a career in the finance world. As a financial planner, Victoria reveals some misconceptions she thinks a lot of us have when it comes to money and tips on for millennials when it comes to budgeting, saving and investing. She also reveals her career highlights and lows and ends the episode talking about the importance of self care and tending to your needs before others. 

To empower you with financial literacy, Victoria provided links to a 5 Step Guide to Layered Savings as well as a recorded 3-part personal finance series for your reference. Please feel free to connect with Victoria on Linked In.

·  5 Step Guide to Layered Savings: https://aspiriant.com/fathom/wealth-planning/5-step-guide-to-layered-financial-savings/

·  Personal Finance 3-part series from Her Capital x Aspirant:

1.  https://www.hercapital.org/event/hercapital-x-aspiriant-personal-finance-series-part-i

2.  https://www.hercapital.org/event/hercapital-x-aspiriant-personal-finance-series-part-ii

3.  https://www.hercapital.org/event/hercapital-x-aspiriant-personal-finance-series-part-iii

You can direct any questions, feedback or comments to [email protected]. 

Today's guest is no other than the fabulous NYC drag queen Lucia Fuchsia. Lucia is a 22 year old Brooklyn based Drag Queen. She hosts weekly shows in the East Williamsburg area. She is bright, colorful, and upbeat! What to expect from Lucia? Expect the unexpected!

In this episode, Lucia talks about what it's like growing up in NYC as a native New Yorker. She explains how he discovered drag and why she decided to pursue a career in the industry. She also describes how Lucia Fuchsia came to be and what she is like when she is on stage and performing. She also gives insight to the realities of working in drag and reveals dealing with social anxiety. Lucia closes out the episode with a confession that leads to advice for those who are listening. 

You can find Lucia on Instagram @luciafuchsia and feel free to email any questions, comments or feedback regarding this podcast to [email protected]. 

Today, we have our first reoccurring guest, Maria Karr, who is the cofounder of Rumore Beauty, the first Russian Beauty store in the U.S. Maria has been on the podcast before (Episode 8) so feel free to take a listen to her first episode. Maria Karr came to New York from Siberia, Russia when she was 19 and has been working in the beauty industry in the US for the past 10 years. During her career, she was in charge of PR and communications for world-renowned beauty favorites and up-and-coming brands. While she tried many international beauty products, it came to her as a surprise that she hasn’t seen anything from her home country, Russia. So, she decided to change that and give American beauty lovers access to Russian skincare for the first time by launching Rumore Beauty earlier this year.

Rumore Beauty is a US-based Russian beauty store, introducing the best of clean and natural Russian skincare to American consumers for the first time. The site features a curated assortment from six Russia’s leading beauty brands – mi&ko, Botavikos, Innature, Laboratorium, True Alchemy and G.Love. All products on RumoreBeauty.com are cruelty-free, with many vegan, organic and microbiome-friendly options.

In this episode, we talk about Maria's new business venture as she and her husband created Rumore Beauty. We talk about how this idea came to be, the meaning behind the company's name, her transition from the corporate world to now being an entrepreneur and Maria gives us information about Russian Beauty as well as a run down of her favorite products. 

You can support Maria by visiting her shop and pick up some Russian beauty products at Rumore Beauty and use code 'CITYCONFESSIONS20' for 20% off your purchase! You can also follow the company on Instagram @rumorebeauty. If you have any questions, comments or feedback regarding this podcast, feel free to email [email protected]. 

Welcome to season 6 of The City Confessions! Episode 101 is a solo one from yours truly and your host Mariann Yip. I explain what my one month break has taught me and why I feel compelled to continue this podcast. I give an overview of my life updates including how I feel mentally and emotionally, the power of mindset and trusting yourself. I also share my current struggle of letting go of control and why it's so difficult for me to do so. I recognize that this is an area I want to work on because I can see how it's affecting my relationships. I end the episode revealing two confessions and offer some insight and advice on how to embrace the highs and lows of life. 

I am also always looking for guests so if you or someone you know would love to be featured, please email [email protected]. The only requirement would be a clear connection with New York City (whether you were born and raised here, currently live here or have a business here). You can also support this podcast in a few ways including following me on Instagram as well as the podcast, leaving a positive review on iTunes or send this to a friend to help me gain more reach and exposure. I appreciate each and every one of you and stay tuned for all the amazing upcoming episodes! 

This episode is a solo one from yours truly and is a celebration of hitting 100 episodes on The City Confessions! I start out this episode by giving quick life updates and talk about where my mind has been and how I am feeling and doing mentally. I reveal my uncertainty when it comes to my future as I have no idea where I'll be based once my lease is up in addition to questioning my place in NYC. I also talk about how I've been feeling unsafe with the rise of asian hate crimes, which motivated me to start an IG Live series on #STOPASIANHATE. I have been discovering the activist in me and have been getting to know that side more. 

Other topics I touch upon include the power of energy, the sacredness of time and the value and weight of intention. I end the episode by sharing a few confessions relating to body insecurities and outlook on dating, love and relationships. As a celebration of my 100th episode, I would appreciate if if you can support me and this podcast by sharing it with a friend or your network, by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and following me on my below platforms.

https://instagram.com/mariann_yip