Vanessa Gordon started East End Taste with no plan to turn it into a business.

It was just a blog. A creative outlet. A way to write about restaurants, openings, events, and life in the Hamptons while she was home with her young children.

Then brands started reaching out.

In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Lauren Cobello sits down with Vanessa Gordon, CEO and publisher of East End Taste, to discuss how she turned a personal blog into a digital media platform, event production company, and luxury lifestyle brand with reach across the Hamptons, New York City, Miami, London, Italy, California, and beyond.

Chapters

0:00 Meet Vanessa Gordon

1:27 Starting East End Taste

5:16 Learning To Monetize

8:03 Bootstrapping A Media Brand

10:05 Growing Into Events

13:04 Rebranding The Platform

18:30 Learning Event Production

21:56 Press And Media Strategy

34:53 Influencers Vs. Media

48:14 What Comes Next

What You’ll Learn

📝 How Vanessa turned a personal blog into a real business

💡 Why it is okay not to know everything when you start

💰 How to begin pricing your creative work with confidence

📊 Why numbers, credibility, and consistency matter

🎟️ How events became a growth engine for East End Taste

🗞️ Why press relationships should never feel transactional

🎁 How gift bags and sponsorships create brand visibility

🤝 Why loyalty and relationships help events stand out

📸 How personal branding changed Vanessa’s business

🥂 What most people underestimate about event production

👤 GUEST

Vanessa Gordon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessapgordon/

Business: https://www.instagram.com/eastendtaste/

https://linktr.ee/vanessapgordon?

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

Website: https://leveragewithmedia.com/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

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https://podcasts.apple.com/

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/

Keywords

Vanessa Gordon, Lauren Cobello, The Visibility Podcast, East End Taste, Hamptons events, Hamptons lifestyle Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

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Not every workplace is a safe workplace.

For many victims of sexual harassment and discrimination, speaking up can feel more frightening than staying silent. But as employment attorney Megan Thomas explains, one person finding the courage to come forward can create a ripple effect that helps countless others.

In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Lauren Cobello sits down with Megan Thomas to discuss workplace sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, employee rights, warning signs to watch for, and what to do if you or someone you know experiences misconduct at work.

What You'll Learn

⚖️ What legally qualifies as workplace sexual harassment

🛡️ What to do if you experience harassment or discrimination

💬 Why so many victims choose not to report misconduct

👥 How employers should respond to workplace complaints

🚩 The warning signs everyone should recognize

🤝 How to support someone going through harassment

🦋 Why one person's story can inspire many others to come forward

📚 Common misconceptions about employment law

🌱 How accountability helps build healthier workplace cultures

✨ Why speaking up can create lasting change

Chapters

0:00 Meet Megan Thomas

2:15 How Megan Became an Employment Attorney

7:42 Understanding Workplace Sexual Harassment

13:18 Warning Signs in the Workplace

19:54 What To Do If It Happens To You

26:31 Knowing Your Rights as an Employee

33:46 Supporting Victims Through the Legal Process

38:55 The Power of Speaking Up

44:15 Protecting Future Generations

👤 GUEST

Megan Thomas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganthomaslaw/

Website: https://mkt-law.com/

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

Website: https://leveragewithmedia.com/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/

Megan Thomas, Lauren Cobello, The Visibility Podcast, Megan Thomas interview, employment attorney, workplace sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, employee rights, employment law, retaliation, workplace safety, legal advice, women in leadership, workplace culture, sexual harassment attorney Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Jeff Knauss built one of the fastest-growing agencies in the country, sold it, and thought he had finally earned the right to stop working.

Three weeks into “retirement,” he was having an identity crisis in Finland.

In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Lauren Cobello sits down with Jeff Knauss to discuss entrepreneurship, failure, leadership, business exits, artificial intelligence, personal branding, and what happens when the thing you thought you wanted no longer makes you happy.

Jeff grew up in a blue-collar family in Central New York. Entrepreneurship was not part of the plan. He started his career in television advertising, working with small business owners and learning how they thought about marketing, customers, and growth.

Chapters

0:00 Meet Jeff Knauss

2:00 Leaving Television Behind

4:30 Fear Versus Regret

8:20 Scaling Digital Hyve

13:36 Leading Through Crisis

18:02 Employees Became Owners

21:25 Retirement Felt Empty

27:34 Starting Over Again

32:29 Building An Authentic Brand

45:28 Why AI Changes Everything

What You’ll Learn

🚀 Why Jeff left a safe career to start Digital Hyve

🧠 How fear of regret can be stronger than fear of failure

📈 Why execution matters more than having a good idea

💼 How Jeff helped employees become business owners

🛡️ How leaders balance vulnerability with confidence

🔥 Why business success can still lead to burnout

🧭 What Jeff learned from losing his identity after an exit

🤝 Why authenticity makes personal branding easier

🤖 How AI can remove repetitive work without replacing your best people

⏳ Why companies need to begin adopting AI now

👤 GUEST

Jeff Knauss: https://www.instagram.com/jeffknauss/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffknauss/

https://www.facebook.com/jeffknauss

https://www.jeffknauss.com/

https://arcovo.ai/

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

Website: https://collectivewomensleadership.com/meet-the-founder/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

Keywords

Jeff Knauss, Lauren Cobello, The Visibility Podcast, Jeff Knauss interview, Arcovo AI, Digital Hyve, artificial intelligence, AI strategy, AI employees. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Corporate America was built for men by men.

Joyce Toti believes women can still win inside that system, but only if they understand the rules, learn how to advocate for themselves, and stop waiting for someone else to hand them an opportunity.

In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Lauren Cobello sits down with Joyce Toti, founder and CEO of Collective Women’s Leadership, to discuss women in business, workplace visibility, personal branding, mentorship, confidence, leadership, and what it really takes to become known in a male-dominated world.

Joyce spent 25 years working inside luxury retail, fashion, hospitality, and gaming. Her career included major brands such as Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Victoria’s Secret, Nordstrom, and LVMH. Then COVID changed everything.

Chapters

0:00 Meet Joyce Toti

1:39 From Retail To Leadership

4:19 Building A New Community

7:26 Relationships Before Transactions

12:28 Creating A Visible Brand

17:34 Women In Male-Dominated Rooms

20:13 The Rules Women Miss

23:08 Building Without Losing Yourself

28:20 Reinvention Takes Real Courage

39:23 There Is No Shortcut

What You’ll Learn

💼 How Joyce turned 25 years of experience into a new business

☕ Why informal relationships can create stronger communities

👀 How to become visible before opportunities appear

🤝 Why women need to advocate for other women

🗣️ How to prepare for difficult workplace conversations

📈 Why consistency matters more than chasing quick growth

💄 How appearance can affect confidence and performance

📱 Why your online presence must match who you are offline

🚪 How to reinvent yourself without erasing your past

🔥 Why grit and repetition are the only real shortcuts

👤 GUEST

Joyce Toti: https://www.instagram.com/mrsjoytuckertoti/

https://www.instagram.com/collectivewomensleadership/

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

Keywords

Joyce Toti, Lauren Cobello, The Visibility Podcast, Collective Women’s Leadership, women in leadership, female founders, women in business, personal branding, business visibility Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

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Justin Freishtat spent five years in college and left without a degree.

He went from earning $7 an hour in warehouses and selling mattresses door to door to building and selling a major food company, entering the investment world, and raising more than $10 million during his first year managing a fund.

But none of it followed the “normal” path.

In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Lauren Cobello sits down with Justin Freishtat to discuss how sales, personal branding, networking, and relentless action helped him move from door-to-door salesman to entrepreneur, investor, hedge fund manager, and marketing agency owner.

Justin shares how he first discovered entrepreneurship while studying music in college. Instead of using the recording studio for classwork, he found musicians on campus and charged them to record, mix, and master their music. That early instinct eventually led him into door-to-door sales, where he spent years learning how to communicate, build trust, handle rejection, and keep going when things did not work.

Chapters

0:00 From College Dropout To Founder

4:11 Degrees Don’t Define Success

7:02 Build Before You Need It

11:02 Why Branding Builds Trust

16:24 Managing Multiple Businesses

21:20 What Actually Drives Sales

23:00 Turning Media Into Revenue

27:03 Handling Critics And Hate

30:15 Your Brand Walks In First

35:46 Building What Comes Next

What You’ll Learn

🎓 Why traditional credentials are not the only path into business

🚪 How door-to-door sales taught Justin to earn trust

🔄 How to shift your brand when your career changes

📱 Why you should build an audience before you need one

🤝 How networking can challenge limiting beliefs

💬 Why manual conversations often outperform automated outreach

🎙️ How podcast appearances can reach valuable audiences

📈 Why views and followers do not always create revenue

🛡️ How to handle criticism without abandoning your values

🏗️ Why a personal brand gives entrepreneurs more ways to rebuild

👤 GUEST

Justin Freishtat: https://www.instagram.com/justinfreishtat/?

https://www.instagram.com/atphedgefunds/

https://web.facebook.com/p/Justin-Freishtat

https://www.tiktok.com/@justinfreishtat

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

SEO Keywords

Justin Freishtat, Lauren Cobello, The Visibility Podcast, Justin Freishtat interview, personal branding, entrepreneur podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

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What if your biggest advantage isn't where you live, but who you're willing to meet?

Most people think they need to move to a major city to build a successful business, media company, or personal brand.

Alex Canavan proved otherwise.

In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Lauren Cobello sits down with Alex Canavan, founder of the CNY Women's Network and host of the Cultivate Podcast, to discuss entrepreneurship, networking, community building, media, visibility, personal branding, and how she built one of the most influential women's business platforms in Upstate New York.

Alex shares her journey from competitive dancer to MAC makeup artist, entrepreneur, event founder, podcast host, and media company owner. She explains how a single pitch at age 23 led to the creation of the CNY Women's Summit, which eventually evolved into a thriving media and events business.

CHAPTERS

0:00 From Dancer To Entrepreneur

4:04 Becoming A MAC Makeup Artist

7:16 The Pitch That Started Everything

10:37 Why Small Markets Win

15:20 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

20:15 Why She Started A Podcast

24:12 The Rebrand That Changed Everything

31:35 Building A Community From Scratch

37:17 The Power Of Experiential Marketing

47:59 What's Next For Alex Canavan?

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

💡 How Alex built a media company without a media background

🎙️ Why podcasting accelerated her growth

🤝 The networking strategy that opened doors

🚀 How to build a business in a small market

🔥 Why visibility creates opportunity

📈 The power of relationship-driven growth

💭 How to overcome imposter syndrome

🎯 Why asking is one of the most underrated skills in business

🏆 The secret to building a strong community

✨ How experiential marketing drives engagement

👤 GUEST

Alex Canavan: https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavan.co/

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

SEO KEYWORDS

Alex Canavan, Alex Canavan podcast, CNY Women's Network, Cultivate Podcast, Lauren Cobello Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

What if “visibility” is not just about getting attention, but protecting your reputation before the market judges you?

In this episode of the Visibility Podcast, host Lauren Cobello sits down with Peter Roth, entrepreneur, founder of Scalify and The Host of the Podcast "The Formula with Peter Roth" for a brutally honest conversation about business, reputation, personal branding, call centers, sales, podcasting, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Peter opens up about his wild path from owning a martini lounge and cigar bar to accidentally becoming an HVAC expert, building and selling businesses, losing nearly a quarter million dollars trying to figure out call centers, and eventually turning that struggle into a company.

Chapters

0:00 Meet Peter Roth

3:33 Entrepreneurs Are Crazy

7:23 The Glass Balls Theory

9:39 Why Call Centers Feel Shady

14:55 Outbound Vs. Inbound

21:05 What Actually Closes Deals

25:01 The CEO As The Brand

29:07 Why Most Podcasts Fail

44:08 Fake Visibility

52:33 Peter’s 3-Year Exit Plan

What You’ll Learn

🔥 Why Peter protects reputation more than money

🧠 How he lost almost $250K trying to crack call centers

📞 Why most businesses waste leads before sales even start

💼 Why sales training can beat branding in home services

🎙️ Why most business podcasts fail before they ever work

👀 How visibility can make even “shady” industries feel trustworthy

⚡ Why fake followers can help or hurt depending on how they’re used

🚀 How to start every podcast question with a viral hook

🏗️ Why not every CEO needs a personal brand

💰 How Peter is building toward a 3-year exit

👤 GUEST

Peter Roth: https://www.instagram.com/officialpeterroth/

Scalify: https://www.scalifyco.com/

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

#PeterRoth #LaurenCobello #VisibilityPodcast #Scalify #TheFormulaPodcast #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #PersonalBranding Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

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Pete A. Sciarrino started doing magic at 5 years old. Years later, he was posting videos online without even showing his face. Just his hands, a deck of cards, and a simple goal: get better every day.

Now he has over 30 million followers across social media.

In this podcast, host Lauren Cobello sits down with Pete A. Sciarrino to break down how he went from shy kid magician to one of the biggest magic creators online. Pete talks about blowing up during COVID, hitting 1 million followers in just a few months, landing Coca-Cola as his first brand deal at 19, and learning why consistency beats every “algorithm hack” people chase.

Pete shares how creators actually grow, why most people quit too early, how to stand out in a crowded space, what brands look for, and why collaboration matters more than competition. He also talks about moving to Las Vegas, building a creator network, filming content nonstop, and why long-form YouTube is his next big move.

What You’ll Learn

🎩 How Pete A. Sciarrino turned magic into a massive online brand

📱 Why consistency matters more than hashtags or posting tricks

🔥 How one viral video led to millions of followers

💼 What creators need to know before signing brand deals

🧠 Why hooks matter if you want people to stop scrolling

🤝 How collaboration can grow your career faster than competition

🎥 Why short-form success does not always translate to long-form

⚡ How to study what works and apply it to your own niche

🚀 Why showing up every day increases your chances of getting lucky

👀 How to stand out when everyone is posting content

👤 GUEST

Pete A Sciarrino: https://www.instagram.com/pasmagic/

https://linktr.ee/pasmagic

http://www.youtube.com/@pasmagic.

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

Chapters

0:00 The Magic Behind 30 Million Followers

1:13 Meet Pete A. Sciarrino

2:12 Starting Magic At 5 Years Old

3:44 His First Viral Moment

4:58 The Truth About Going Viral

6:00 TikTok Changed Everything

7:18 Why Creators Quit Too Early

9:51 Landing Coca-Cola At 19

12:07 Protecting Yourself In Brand Deals

14:12 Pete Performs A Mind-Blowing Trick

17:08 Why Long-Form YouTube Is Next

19:37 Strategy, Luck, And Consistency

21:23 Staying Humble With Millions Of Followers

22:40 The DM That Changed His Vegas Network

28:03 Inside His Content Creation Process

29:05 Collaboration Over Competition

33:57 Why His Magic Content Stands Out

36:37 Dream Brands And Athlete Collabs

41:07 How To Stand Out Online Today

SEO Hashtags

#PeteASciarrino #LaurenCobello #VisibilityPodcast #PastMagic #PeteTheMagician #Magic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

How do you find the courage to be visible when the world expects you to stay hidden? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Spencer West, a world-renowned speaker, author, and content creator who has redefined what is possible for the disabled community and beyond.

Spencer shares the raw details of his journey, from being born with a rare genetic disorder and losing his legs at a young age to climbing the 19,340-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on his hands. We dive deep into his new book, Breaking Free: Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself, exploring how he navigated the challenges of bullying, coming out as gay, and finding his authentic voice in a world that often focuses only on his physical appearance.

Throughout the conversation, Spencer offers profound insights on setting boundaries, the importance of humor, and how to transition from living a life based on others' expectations to one filled with joy and purpose. Whether you feel stuck in your career, your relationships, or your personal growth, Spencer’s story is a masterclass in resilience and the power of simply trying.

📘 Get the book here: https://www.spencer2thewest.com/books

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro and meeting Spencer West

3:15 Spencer’s childhood and medical journey

7:40 The power of parental mindset and independence

10:20 Overcoming bullying and finding community

13:50 The intersection of disability and identity

17:15 Coming out and finding confidence

21:00 Using humor to break the tension

24:45 Going viral on TikTok and social media growth

28:30 Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on his hands

32:50 Lessons learned on the mountain

36:15 Dealing with public perception and boundaries

40:00 Opening for Demi Lovato and career highlights

43:30 How to break free and find your joy

46:58 Conclusion and where to buy the book

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

🚀 Why visibility can feel powerful and exhausting at the same time

🧠 How Spencer West turned judgment into purpose without pretending it was easy

⚡ Why being “inspiring” can become its own kind of pressure

🔓 The mindset shift that helped him stop living by other people’s expectations

😂 How humor helped him take control of uncomfortable moments

🛑 Why boundaries matter when strangers feel entitled to your story

⛰️ What climbing Mount Kilimanjaro taught him about help, pride, and purpose

📱 How one viral TikTok came after 10 years of real work

✨ Why finding joy might be the first step to finding yourself

📘 The hidden lesson behind Spencer’s book Breaking Free

👤 GUEST

Spencer West: https://www.instagram.com/spencer2thewest/

📸 Follow the Host

Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_cobello/

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🍏 Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-with-lauren-cobello/id1896846267

🎵 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033pkSbweTnun0mAfwDemS?si=c183d4f69dec402b

#SpencerWest #BreakingFree #DisabilityAwareness #SelfAcceptance #Mindset #MentalHealth #LGBTQ #Inspiration #MtKilimanjaro #PersonalGrowth

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.