What happens when you spot a gap in an industry and decide to build the thing you wish existed?

Marissa Hill is the executive producer of Shade Studios and host of ShadeTV, the #1 female-led channel covering sneaker style and entertainment on YouTube and Snapchat. What started as a passion for sneakers grew into a media platform, production company, brand partnerships, and opportunities across film, fashion, and entertainment.

In this episode of If I’m Honest, Marissa gets candid about starting her YouTube channel during COVID, breaking into the male-dominated sneaker space, and learning how to turn great content into a sustainable business. She shares why she invested in high-quality production early, how listening to her community shaped the channel, and how creating evergreen, searchable content helped her build an audience beyond viral moments.

We also dig into the business behind being a creator: pitching brands before you have a massive following, building long-term partnerships, finding the right people to contact, handling rejection, and staying top of mind when the timing isn’t right. Marissa also shares how her experiences as an NCAA athlete, model, actress, and film critic helped her develop the resilience to keep going when the answer is no.

Plus, we talk about what she’s building next with the Dynasty Sports Film Festival and why sports stories have the power to inspire people far beyond the field.

Buckle up for an honest conversation about finding your niche, betting on yourself, building relationships, and creating opportunities instead of waiting for them to find you.

Follow Marissa at https://shadestudios.com, https://www.youtube.com/@ShadeTV247, snapchat.com/add/shadetv247, x.com/ShadeTV, instagram.com/shadetv247, instagram.com/marissaehill, tiktok.com/@shadetv247.

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What if the opportunity that changes your life is one email away?

Carly Valancy is a founder, artist, writer, and self-described connection obsessive who has built her career around a simple idea: life really is about who you know...but you have far more agency over who you know than you might think.

After moving to New York City to pursue musical theater, Carly challenged herself to reach out to one person every day for 100 days. That experiment helped her find an agent, book a national tour, connect with people she admired, and ultimately build the foundation for the work she does today.

In this episode of If I’m Honest, Carly and Julia talk about overcoming the fear of reaching out, why we often reject ourselves before anyone else gets the chance, and how curiosity can create opportunities you never could have planned for.

Carly also gets candid about the business behind her ideas; from burning out on an early version of Reach Out Party to rebuilding it with better systems, hiring for the skills she doesn’t have, developing Tether, and creating Anti Networking events designed around depth instead of collecting contacts.

They also dig into patience, entrepreneurship, authenticity, motherhood, and why Carly believes her theater education became one of her greatest advantages as a founder.

If you’ve ever thought, “Who am I to reach out to them?” this conversation might make you send the message anyway.

You can find Carly on social media at @carlyvalancy, visit her site https://carlyvalancy.com, and read her Substack https://carlyvalancy.substack.com.

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What do a corporate communications executive, a DJ, an Emmy-winning TV producer, a comedian, and a startup founder all have in common?

After five incredible conversations, Julia Landauer steps behind the mic for a solo episode to unpack the themes that kept surfacing across every guest's journey. Despite their wildly different careers, each guest revealed remarkably similar lessons about ambition, resilience, relationships, and creating a meaningful life.

In this episode, Julia shares the five biggest takeaways she's learned so far this season, including:
* Why building a career is never linear and why reinvention is part of the process.
* Why the people who succeed don't wait for permission to get started.
* How authentic relationships become the greatest career accelerators.
* Why personal growth often comes before professional success.
* How embracing discomfort leads to confidence, resilience, and long-term fulfillment.

Julia also gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce the podcast while balancing a full-time career, reflects on the moments that have challenged and inspired her, and shares why she feels more energized (and more humbled) than ever.

If you're navigating a career transition, building something new, or simply looking for encouragement to take the next step, this episode is a reminder that you're never too old, it's never too late, and action creates clarity.

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AI is changing the way we work, but who is shaping its future?

This week, Julia sits down with Valerie Chapman, co-founder and CEO of Ruth AI, a platform using AI to help close the gender wage gap through personal branding, salary negotiation, and career advancement.

After being laid off twice before turning 25, Valerie decided to stop waiting for opportunity and start building it herself. She shares how her unconventional path, from fashion modeling to social media strategy to startup founder, prepared her to launch a company tackling one of the biggest challenges facing women in the workplace today.

Julia and Valerie discuss why women are adopting AI more slowly than men, what that could mean for the future of work, and why learning to use AI (even if you're skeptical) is becoming an essential career skill. They also dive into building a startup in stealth mode, creating community through women-focused AI hackathons, developing a personal brand that lasts, and the resilience required to keep showing up after rejection.

Whether you're curious about AI, building your own business, or looking for practical ways to stay ahead in your career, this conversation offers an honest look at what it takes to create meaningful change while building something from the ground up.

In this episode, you'll hear:


• Why Valerie believes women can't afford to sit out the AI revolution
• How two layoffs became the catalyst for founding Ruth AI
• The surprising career lessons she learned as a fashion model
• What "vibe coding" is and why it's opening doors for more founders
• Why personal branding is becoming more important in the age of AI
• How community-building has been central to growing Ruth AI
• The mindset shifts that help founders navigate constant uncertainty and rejection

You can find Valerie at https://valeriechapman.com, follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok @valeriechapman, and check out Ruth AI at https://ruthapp.ai.

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Former stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster, and creator of the wildly popular @NYTVows, Selena Coppock has built a career by creating opportunities instead of waiting for them.

In this honest conversation, Selena shares how a career in comedy evolved into writing, podcasting, consulting for television, and building an online community — all while keeping a full-time job that gave her the freedom to create without burning out.

Julia and Selena dive into the realities of creative careers, the importance of genuine relationships, and why success often comes from unexpected places. Selena also reflects on stepping away from stand-up, the lessons that came from projects that didn't go as planned, and how humor continues to shape the way she approaches life.

If you've ever questioned whether you're on the "right" path, this episode is a reminder that meaningful careers are rarely linear. And that making your own opportunities can be the most rewarding move of all.

In this episode, you'll hear about:
* Why keeping a day job actually fueled Selena's creativity
* Building a career through relationships instead of gatekeepers
* The story behind the viral @NYTVows account
* How setbacks led to some of her biggest opportunities
* Why she chose to step away from stand-up comedy
* The creative process behind writing, podcasting, and comedy
* Finding success on your own terms instead of someone else's

Whether you're building a business, pursuing a creative passion, or simply figuring out what's next, this conversation is full of practical wisdom, humor, and perspective.

Find Selena at https://www.selena-coppock.com, @selenacoppock and @nytvows on Instagram, and listen to her special Seen Better Days: https://www.iheart.com/artist/selena-coppock-40239964/albums/seen-better-days-213578456.

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Lindsay Shookus spent 20 years helping some of the biggest names in entertainment shine on Saturday Night Live. But what happens when you leave the job that defined your identity?

In this episode, Julia sits down with seven-time Emmy Award-winning producer, executive coach, and speaker Lindsay Shookus to talk about reinvention, resilience, and what it really means to bet on yourself.

Lindsay shares the lessons she learned from two decades at SNL, from building trust with celebrities under intense pressure to developing the confidence to walk into rooms before she could talk herself out of it. She opens up about the emotional reality of leaving her dream job, navigating the uncertainty that followed, and creating an entirely new career centered around helping others lead with confidence.

Together, Julia and Lindsay discuss why you're not meant to recreate your past successes, how to become more coachable, the importance of embracing discomfort, and the challenge of learning to actually enjoy the life you've worked so hard to build.

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom, honest reflections, and reminders that growth often begins when you're willing to let go of who you've always been.

In this episode, we cover:
* How Lindsay accidentally got her start at Saturday Night Live
* The art of building trust and bringing out the best in people
* Why feedback is a gift (even when it's uncomfortable)
* The emotional challenge of leaving a 20-year career behind
* Why you're not supposed to recreate your past successes
* How to identify your transferable skills
* The mantra Lindsay uses to combat defensiveness: "soften"
* Building confidence by doing hard things before you're ready
* Learning to be present instead of constantly moving the goalposts

Buckle up for an honest conversation about ambition, change, and the resilience required to build a meaningful next chapter.

Find Lindsay at www.lindsayshookus.com.

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This week on If I’m Honest, Julia sits down with DJ, entrepreneur, investor, and creative strategist Mick Batyske for a candid conversation about building a career that evolves with you.

From teaching himself how to DJ in college to performing for brands, celebrities, and global events, Mick shares the real story behind turning creativity into a sustainable business. He opens up about moving from Cleveland to New York, navigating uncertainty as a freelancer, learning how to market himself, and why relationships, not just talent, have shaped his career.

Mick and Julia also dive into:
* What it actually takes to build a long-term creative career
* The pressure of constantly reinventing yourself
* Why authenticity matters more than chasing trends
* How he approaches networking and outbound pitching
* The business side of freelancing and setting rates
* The emotional highs and lows of performing
* AI, creativity, and where DJ culture is headed next
* Why adaptability is the key to longevity

This episode is packed with honest insight for anyone pursuing an unconventional path, building something creative, or trying to stay relevant in a fast-changing world.

Buckle up for an honest conversation about ambition, reinvention, resilience, and creating a career on your own terms.

Find Mick on Instagram @mick, check out his website https://www.mick.co, and read his Substack at https://mickbatyske.substack.com.

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What does it take to reinvent yourself, professionally and personally, without losing trust in who you are? 

In this episode of If I’m Honest, Julia sits down with longtime friend Yasmin Shahida, Senior Director of PR at Oatly, to talk about career pivots, corporate communications, confidence, and the power of embracing discomfort. Yasmin shares her journey from broadcast journalism at CBS News to shaping brand storytelling at some of today’s most culturally relevant companies, including The Wing, Away, and Oatly.

They dive into what corporate communications actually means, how brands navigate culture and crisis moments, and why authenticity matters more than ever in a world driven by social media and trends. Yasmin also opens up about trusting your instincts, walking away from paths that no longer fit, and why “starting from scratch” can be one of the most powerful things you do for yourself.

Plus: food trends, caffeine-free living, NYC restaurant culture, manifestation, travel recommendations, and the mindset shifts that helped Yasmin build a career and life that feel aligned.

Buckle up for an honest conversation about ambition, reinvention, resilience, and learning to trust yourself through change.

Find Yasmin on Instagram and TikTok at @traveleatnyc and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasminshahida/

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