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This week we went deep into Amanda’s career story… how did things evolve over a decade?

Reconnecting as adults showed us we all go through the same motions in different seasons of our lives and even when the industries look completely different. Amanda shares what it was like chasing broadcasting dreams in her early twenties and living in the public eye, where everyone thinks they know your story. She opens up about life behind the scenes of working in news and what being a public figure meant for both her career and her personal life. The pressure, the pivots, the moments when you realize the thing you worked so hard for might not be the thing anymore. Walking away from what looked like a dream job ended up being one of the boldest and best decisions she’s made, even if it didn’t feel that way at the time. A whole era of life packed into one conversation.

In this conversation, the girlies get real about career transitions and what job searching actually looks like. We even digress and take an unexpected turn. Are job interviews like a season of The Bachelor? Basically waiting for another rose ceremony and making it to the next round?

It’s a conversation about reinvention in real time. About taking the leap before you feel ready. About making the move before life makes it for you.
Somewhere between the laughs and the honesty, you realize how many of us are figuring it out as we go.

Wait… what’s next? Our only constant.

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Wait... What's Next? 

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Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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Season Two just walked in, and she looks good.

If you are navigating a career change, questioning your relationship, moving cities, rebuilding after burnout, or quietly reinventing yourself… welcome. You’re in the right place.

This season is for anyone in a life transition. The in between. The messy middle. The “I thought I had it figured out” era. We talk career pivots, identity shifts, wellness during change, starting over, and what growth actually feels like while it’s happening.

In this first episode back, Laura sits down with a guest whose story is layered. National news reporter. Big New York City move. Dream job. Job loss. Career transition. Moving back home. Moving in with her boyfriend. Reinvention in real time.

It’s honest. It’s real talk. It’s not a highlight reel.

If you’re in the middle of figuring out your next move, redefining what success actually means to you, or rebuilding your confidence during a major life transition, this conversation is going to land and push you back into your power.

And stay until the end. We’ve been keeping something from you. The surprise makes this season even bigger.

Wait… what’s next?

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Wait... What's Next? 

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Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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It’s here. The season finale of Year 1. 🥹

We started this podcast with nothing but Amazon microphones, chaotic voice notes, and a shared delusional dream… and somehow — we’re wrapping 2025 with 1,000+ downloads and a whole community of in-betweeners who get it. Like… are we micro-celebs now?? (Soft yes. Humble brag yes.)

In this episode, Laura & Leni look back on a year of glowing up in real time, motherhood shifts, career 180s, mental detours, identity questions, and the art of holding it all together with a messy bun and holiday cheer.

We’re talking:
 ✨ From burnout to breakthroughs
 💼 Career pivots & choosing ourselves
 👶 Mom life + personal ambition
 🌧 Seasonal motivation (or whatever that is)
 🌎 Culture, language, and figuring it out in Spanglish
 💕 Community, vulnerability & cute tears only

And of course, what we’re leaving in 2025:
🚫 Waiting for permission
🚫 Decision paralysis
🚫 Comparing ourselves to strangers on the internet
🚫 “I’ll do it when I feel ready” energy

Then we’re stepping full-force into our Delusional Era in 2026:
🌟 Bigger conversations
🌟 Bold risks
🌟 Joy that’s real, not curated
🌟 More “Wait… WTF just happened?” moments
🌟 More growth, even if it’s messy

Thank you for listening, sharing, posting, DM’ing… for choosing to spend time with us and making this space feel like home. You made us feel seen, supported, and a little less unhinged, in the best way. 💗

So pour the cafecito, eggnog, or champagne…
 Take a deep breath
 And celebrate how far you’ve come this year. 

Season 2 loading. See you in 2026.
Happy Holidays and remember to ask yourself…
Wait… What’s Next? 🎙💕

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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How do you build a career when no one hands you the blueprint?

This week, we sit down with Jennifer McAlpine, whose story takes us from a blue-collar childhood in the Central Valley to leading marketing and education across luxury brands, real estate powerhouses, and national companies. Her rise wasn’t linear or lucky; it was built on curiosity, grit, and the kind of early jobs that people often underestimate.

Jennifer shares how running a store at 18 became her leadership bootcamp, how motherhood sharpened her instincts in ways no MBA ever could, and what it really takes to walk into a C-suite meeting as the only woman in the room and swim with the sharks.

We talk about:
 • why your first job (retail, waitressing, operations) is actually your strongest foundation
 • how to build a career without mentors or a roadmap
 • what swimming with sharks actually looks like in corporate America
• the power of diversifying your life, not just your portfolio
• leadership as a practice, not a title
• the courage it takes to reinvent yourself… again

Jennifer’s story is proof that you can build a meaningful, impactful life, even if you start with nothing but curiosity and a work ethic that won’t quit.

This episode is for anyone choosing themselves, rebuilding from scratch, walking into rooms not built for them, or trying to define their own version of success.

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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What does it really mean to feel rich? Not the dollar-sign kind, but the soul kind.
The kind that sounds like belly laughs, morning sunlight, shared meals, and knowing you are already enough without needing anything extra to sponsor your happiness.

This week, we’re questioning the myth the world keeps selling us: that happiness lives in the next purchase, the next upgrade, the next shiny thing sitting in your Amazon cart. We talk about consumption culture, Black Friday madness, the influencer illusion, and how easy it is to believe you’re one “add-to-cart” away from fulfillment. Spoiler: you’re not.

Because happiness isn’t waiting for you on delivery day. It’s here, in the in-between. You can feel wealthy now, with what you already have and who you already are. No new sofa, face serum, or boyfriend required.

If you’ve ever bought something thinking it would fix the feeling
 If you’ve ever compared your life to someone’s highlight reel
 If you’ve ever wondered why “more” still doesn’t feel like enough

This conversation is going to feel like a slow exhale and a gentle reminder that joy is chosen, not shipped. Tap in and rethink what being rich really means.

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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You know that moment when you look outside and think it’s midnight… but it’s 4:47 PM? Yeah. Welcome to the season where vibes are confused and our serotonin levels are doing the absolute most.

In this episode, we tackle the yearly identity crisis we all go through when the sun clocks out early and everything feels… slightly unhinged. From morning routines that feel like survival rituals to romanticizing the darkness with emotional-support candles, we’re sharing the cozy-but-real ways we’re outsmarting the daylight savings slump.

Think:
 ☀️ chasing sunlight like it owes us money
 🕯️ leaning all the way into cozy-core
 🏃‍♀️ moving your body even when your brain says “hibernate”
 📞 keeping friendships alive (even when the couch is louder)
 💊 checking vitamins and checking in with yourself
 📚 evening upgrades that feel like a hug
 💛 remembering that slower seasons aren’t failures, they’re transitions

Leni drops us a good listen to get you in the mood.

This episode is your permission slip to rest, reset, and stop pretending everything has to operate at summer speed. Because sometimes the most productive thing you can do in November… is get cozy and try again tomorrow.

Grab your matcha, your blanket, and yes, your emotional support candle.
Let’s get through this season together.

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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Some stories don’t begin with a grand plan; they start with a quiet tug.
A subtle shift in your gut that says, you’ve outgrown this version of yourself. 

This week, we sit down with Ashley, a creative force whose career has traversed the halls of IDEO, the Obama Administration, and is now embarking on a new chapter of her own making, blending human-centered design, storytelling, and purpose-driven work. 

In this conversation, Ashley invites us behind the curtain of reinvention: the moments that force you to pause, the art of trusting discomfort, and the courage it takes to build something that finally feels aligned. 

It’s an episode about evolution, professional, personal, and spiritual.
A reminder that success isn’t a straight line, it’s a series of creative drafts, rewritten again and again until it finally reads like truth.

Want to start your own Human Design journey?
Ashley is offering a free 30-minute intro session exclusively for our listeners — your chance to explore what alignment, purpose, and flow can look like for you.

Consider it your first leap toward designing the life you’ve always dreamed of. Link below: https://www.lifedesignschool.co/kit

You can find Ashley at @ashleyjablow on Instagram, explore her work at @lifedesignschool.co, and connect with her Human Design company, @wayfinderscollective.

🎧 Tune into this week’s episode for the full conversation — it might just be the nudge you’ve been waiting for.

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

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Sometimes, being the villain in someone else’s story is exactly what it takes to become the hero of your own.
 In this episode, we get candid about the moments that required us to stand up for what we believed in, even when it meant swimming against the current. From quitting jobs that no longer fit to asking for forgiveness instead of permission (Laura’s personal favorite), this one’s about choosing yourself when no one else will.

They also introduce a new mini-series, Job Market Check, a monthly pulse brought to you by two girlies deep in the job hunt trenches, navigating layoffs, pivots, and plot twists with caffeine and questionable optimism.

It’s real talk about growth, grit, and owning your narrative, because sometimes the messiest chapters make the best main character moments.

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

Connect with us :)

This week, we sit down with Kyle Ewing, who spent 18 years at Google helping scale the company from 8,000 to 180,000 employees, until one day, she hit pause. Burnt out from the hustle, success no longer felt like alignment. What followed was her very own “Eat, Pray, Love” chapter, a solo trip to Bali, a missed flight, an unexpected healer, and a long-overdue reconnection to purpose.

In this conversation, we unpack how slowing down can actually get you further, what it means to redefine success after burnout, and how trusting the unknown can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “Wait... Is this it?” this episode is your reminder that maybe, just maybe, the next chapter starts the moment you let go of the plan.

Find out more and connect with her via LinkedIn or Instagram. 

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]

Connect with us :)

What happens when you grow up with a foot in two worlds? One where every goodbye lasts 45 minutes and everyone eats until the last guest leaves, and another where a wave or handshake does the trick? 

This week, Laura & Leni dive into the beautiful chaos of culture shock. A tell-all about quinceañeras that last three days, American dinners that wrap by 9 PM, and the art of feeding people like it’s a love language (hi, moms 👀). 

They share how growing up between cultures gives you the ultimate life advantage: connection. 

Because the truth is, the more we learn about each other, our food, our family traditions, our ways of showing love, the more we understand the world. 

This episode is a celebration of being multicultural, multilingual, and multi-layered. 

So come for the laughs, stay for the nostalgia, and leave feeling a little more connected to the people around you (and probably craving your mom’s arroz con pollo).

Support the show

Wait... What's Next? 

Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto

Host: Laura Alba
Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante
Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson

Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril

Email:  [email protected]