Twenty & Trying

Words have power, and Jonathan Borge knows how to use his stories to help shift the cultural narrative and impact the lives of others. 

Jonathan, the current Senior Entertainment Editor at Elite Daily has spent his post-college time holding staff positions at Marie Claire, InStyle, and OprahMag.com as Senior Editor. His writing has been published in Glamour, Refinery29, HuffPost, PAPER, and more. 

In this week's episode, we speak to Jonathan about finding your voice, not comparing your career path to others, who would be his dream interview, and of course his advice for other twenty-somethings.

To read Jonathan's work, click here: https://www.jonathanborge.com/writing

Love the show? Make sure to like, share, and subscribe. Make sure to follow Twenty&Trying on Instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/twentyandtrying.podcast/?hl=en

We are spreading some happiness this week. 

Our guest this week is Jessie, a senior in college majoring in literature and culture, and the creator behind Instagram's @thishappypage. She used her experience with @thishappypage to enter the social and digital space, working for corporate companies, entertainment brands, and even influencers. 

The page has garnered quite the following for uplifting and positive quotes and messages. Both the account and creator are humbling and inspiring. In this episode, we speak with Jessie about how social media has evolved, the dangers of toxic positivity and the impact social media has on our daily lives and society as a whole. 

Jessie was a joy to have on the podcast, and we are happy to share her positivity with you! 

To add some light and positivity to your daily life, make sure to follow @thishappypage on Instagram. Make sure to follow @twentyandtrying.podcast so you never miss an episode. 

Every week, we work to share successes and struggles associated with our twenties, but this week for our last episode of Pride Month, we want to share Ezekiel Briane's story. 

In this week's episode, we discuss his transition and what medical professionals didn’t tell him, the influx of anti-trans bills and how we can be better accomplices instead of passive allies.

If you like this episode make sure to subscribe and share. You can keep up with all things Twenty & Trying on our Instagram @twentyandtrying.podcast, visit our website, and join our secret Facebook group.

Resources: 

Zebra Coalition: an Orlando-based organization providing services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBTQ+) ages 13 – 24 https://zebrayouth.org/ 

AF3IRM: a national organization of women engaged in transnational feminist activism fighting against oppression in all forms http://af3irm.org/af3irm/

The Trevor Project: a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ 

It Gets Better Project: an international organization working to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the world https://itgetsbetter.org/ 

June is here and so is PRIDE Month 🌈

In this episode of Twenty & Trying, we sit down with Victor Martinez and Samantha Olson, the Editor-in-Chief, and Deputy Editor behind SHIFTER Magazine, an Orlando-based publication and all-inclusive visual magazine that highlights LGBTQIA+ voices. 

In this episode, we talk a lot about effective allyship. One modality of this is amplifying voices directly affected by the situation, which is why we pass the mic to Sam and Victor to chat about inclusivity, representation, not giving up on dreams, pronouns, and PRIDE month.

You can check out SHIFTER Magazine and read their issues here, follow their Instagram @shifter.mag and shop their merch here.

If you like this episode make sure to subscribe and share. You can keep up with all things Twenty & Trying on our Instagram @twentyandtrying.podcast, visit our website and join our secret Facebook group. 

Today’s guest is Brittany Berger, author of the book 25 and Self-ish and fellow UCF alumna. 

In this episode, we speak with Brittany about her definition of “self dash ish” and how it can help us in our mid to late twenties, how to learn to live our life authentically while we are young, and how to push through a quarter-life crisis.

If you want to keep up with Brittany, follow her on Instagram @berger_queen. You can also check out her website and purchase her book here. For more Twenty & Trying, make sure to follow us on Instagram @twentyandtrying.podcast and join our secret Facebook group here.

It's a June mini-episode! In this episode, our resident game master Peyton asks this or that questions and Charlotte can't give a simple answer. 

For more Twenty & Trying, make sure to follow us on Instagram @twentyandtrying.podcast, check out our blog, and join our Facebook community full of other twenty-somethings all trying to make the most of it.

"How to Build a Goddamn Empire?" Ali has the answers. 

For our last installment of our May Mental Health Series, Charlotte sits down with Ali Kriegsman, the Co-founder and COO of Bulletin.co and the author of the newly released book, How to Build a Goddamn Empire. 

In this episode, we talk about reframing our definition of failure, how Ali adapted to changes with Bulletin, just like we do in our twenties, imposter syndrome and how it isn't something we need to "fix" and of course we talk about her new book and doing "impossible things."

You can follow Ali on Instagram @AliKriegs and for more Twenty & Trying, make sure to follow us on Instagram @twentyandtrying.podcast and join our Facebook community full of other twenty-somethings all trying to make the most of it.

In this week's episode, we are reframing what "adulting" truly is with a clinical social worker, Alyssa Hickey. She works in South Florida and is trained in DBT specializes in depression, anxiety, mood disorders, suicidality, and more

While this episode may sound a bit different (since Peyton was super sick) Char and Alyssa discuss “dating” around to find the right therapist, mental health for twenty-somethings which is often coupled with the false narrative sold by rom-coms, viewing therapy as a journey and how our twenties are for finding a place to land.

To learn more about Alyssa and her specialties you can visit Therapeutic Oasis and visit their social channels. If you are looking for someone to talk to, you can call 211. 

For more Twenty & Trying, make sure to follow us on Instagram and join our Facebook community. 

This week on the podcast, we are continuing our conversation about mental health with Amanda Huggins an anxiety and empowerment coach.

Amanda personally struggled with her own anxiety during her twenties but now has a blend of spiritual, scientific, practical, and accessible approaches to help her clients move past their own anxiety. Amanda offers workshops & digital courses for clients, and is now reaching people across the world with her social media community with more than 350,000 followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this episode, we talk about what led her to the path of being an Anxiety Coach, breaking the mold on traditional society post-grad expectations, and even asked her questions polled from our listeners.

You can follow Amanda on Instagram and TikTok @itsamandahuggins. You can also read the American Psychology Association Stress Report here and click here to sign up for Amanda's guided meditation. 

Remember to follow Twenty & Trying on Instagram and visit our website. 

We have our first returning guest! You may remember Paulina from our Internation Women's Month, well she's back to talk about mental health awareness. 

During this week's episode, we chat with Paulina to discuss the negative stigma associated with mental health, how we can all work to end this negative connotation, the dangers of toxic positivity, and how we can all be better advocates and friends to those who may be struggling with their own mental health. 

In the episode, Paulina references an article she wrote for Well+Good, which you can read here. You can also follow her on Instagram @paulinajayne15

Remember to follow Twenty&Trying on Instagram, and join our Facebook Group!