This Week's Guest: Alex Porterfield Alex Porterfield is a New York City based lifestyle and travel blogger originally from Las Vegas. Alex uses her social platforms to talk about all things dating, confidence, and NYC adventures. She is the ultimate hype-woman, empowering others to live life on their own terms and reminding them to be their best selves. In this episode, Alex and I talk about how we both moved to New York City when we were 18 years old. We both attended college in New York City, which was very challenging and lonely at times since we were both away from our family. During our conversation, we throw it back to our high school days and our dating experiences in our 20s. Connect with Alex on Instagram @alexporterfield Thank you for the support this year, listening to the Realistically with Liz podcast! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com  to learn more about our guests and to read exclusive content.  Send us your questions, and tag us on Instagram @realisticallywithliz 

This Week's Guest: Mariela Polanco 

Mariela is a lifestyle blogger and entrepreneur from New York. Mariela began blogging in 2009, when she was designing her handbag line at the time and wanted to show the world behind the scenes. As time passed, she noticed that designing handbags wasn’t her true passion and took her blogging role to the next level by 100% focusing on her personal brand. A year in, Mariela started coaching aspiring bloggers and biz owners due to the many messages and emails from many who aspired to be doing what she was doing. After great coaching success, she decided to become an author - launching "My Blogging Diary: All the secrets to becoming a blogger” via Amazon. In May 2020 Mariela launched, Marfemme, an online women’s clothing and accessories boutique where happiness and quality is the #1 priority.

Instagram @xomarielap and @marfemme

Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com for more information on our guests and sign up for our mailing list to receive podcast news and exclusive content.

Tag us on Instagram: @realisticallywithliz

Meet our new guest of the week: Sam Lach. Her career began in fashion, shortly after her move from Montreal, Canada to New York City. Motivated by the energy and ecosystem of life in New York, Sam quickly landed a role managing sales for a contemporary women’s designer. She loved the fast-paced world of behind-the-scenes fashion but eventually discovered that some of the processes were sluggish and could be improved. She leveraged her time in fashion, learning everything that she could about the global retail landscape and the lifecycle of garments in the industry. And then she made a career pivot. Sam applied her love of tech and expertise of fashion and found a position at a retail tech company where she was able to partner with brands, helping them innovate and streamline their back-end processes. Sam’s love for entrepreneurship, female empowerment, and community building continues to energize her in her latest venture Capri for girls. Capri for Girls is a financial education app designed to develop confident money mindsets in young girls, founded to give girls the tools to build long-term, sustainable financial wellness. She is also a board member and a mentor for the Lower East Side Girls Club. In her spare time, Sam enjoys cultivating her green thumb, adding more stamps to her passport, and sipping Mud coffee. Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com for more information about our guests and sign up for our mailing list to receive podcast news and exclusive content. Tag us on Instagram: @realisticallywithliz

Alexandra Dieck aka Lex, is a Body Positive Latina Blogger Living In NYC. Her mission is to embody every aspect of style. Lexicon of Style is a visual dictionary where everyone can unite to find inspiration to express themselves through fashion, beauty, travel, and everyday life. Lex encourages everyone to dream big and to live an exciting, creative, and extraordinary life. As a Latina whose street style got her noticed at NYFW and transcended into a personal blog, Lex has built an amazing community by being her authentic self. In this episode, we discuss how Lex started her career in fashion after moving from Austin to NYC in her early 20s. Learn more and connect with Lex at: @Lexiconofstyle On Every Platform - Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest And Youtube.

Hilary grew up in South Florida and attended both Florida State University (Go Noles!) and The University of Florida (Go Gators!). She currently resides in New York City. As a reporter, she’s covered topics ranging from wellness treatments to celebrity red carpets to chef interviews, cocktail trends to new fitness classes, and beauty treatments to wedding styles. Her trend and profile pieces have appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, Marie Claire, Travel + Leisure, Today.com, Yahoo!, amNew York and many other publications. Hilary has been featured as an entertainment and lifestyle expert on CBS, Inside Edition, The Insider, Fox & Friends, and more. Hilary has been a Dry January participant and advocate since 2017. Hilary always wanted to write a book, and funny enough a New Year’s Eve bet with a friend, inspired her to do it. We are discussing her upcoming book release The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month, and how it all unraveled.

Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com for more information on our guest and future podcast news.

Episode 33: Sarah grew up in Tampa, Florida, and she wanted to go to college out of state. Still wanting to be close to family and friends, she landed on the University of Alabama, where she studied Fashion Retailing and Business. Sarah first fell in love with New York City during the months she spent in the city interning for fashion designer, Rebecca Minkoff. After seeing how people were so motivated in NYC, she knew this was the place for her in the long run. Things didn’t always work out the way Sarah wanted, she needed to be resourceful and kick self-doubt out the door. Learn more about working in sales, the business side of fashion, and more in this episode with Sarah. Thank you for tuning in, Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com to sign up for our mailing list, to receive podcast updates, personal advice from Liz and more NYC content delivered straight to your inbox!

Austen Tosone is a beauty and style content creator based in NYC. She started out her career in editorial as an editor at both Nylon and Interview before a stint as a full-time freelance writer and blogger. Her work has appeared in HuffPost, Refinery29, Fashionista, and more and she has worked with fashion and beauty brands to create sponsored content for her blog, Keep Calm and Chiffon, and her social media channels. She currently serves as the beauty content director at Jumprope, an app for creating and sharing videos. Learn more and connect with Austen at: Blog: Keep Calm and Chiffon Website: austentosone.com IG: @austentosone Thank you for tuning in, Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com to sign up for our mailing list, for a monthly newsletter with personal advice from Liz and featured podcast guests! You will also get NYC content & recommendations delivered straight to your inbox.

Erin is a fashion and lifestyle blogger based out of New York City. She spends her days teaching 6th graders in Brooklyn and nights are spent blogging for fun! Erin loves spending time exploring New York City and beyond with her boyfriend, Peter. Their newest adventure has been moving to Manhattan! Her goal is to empower women to wear the clothes they want to wear, without having to worry about a hefty price tag or the number on the size. For all things NYC, fashion, and more check out her blog Girl Meets New York City.

IG: @girlmeetsnewyorkcity

Blog: girlmeetsnewyorkcity.com

Thank you for tuning in, Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com to read more about our latest guests and for podcast updates.

Liz is interviewing Jenny Yang (Jen for short), a lifestyle blogger, in today's episode. Jen is a self-proclaimed foodie, shopaholic, and beauty addict living in New York City who loves to strike up random conversations about all topics with anyone who’s willing to lend an ear. Coming from an extremely small town, NYC was a dream come true. Also, Jen is an alumna of New York University, who double majored in Economics and Politics with a minor in Chinese (can you say wow!). She loves writing and has an obsession of documenting everyday life, which together gave birth to her blog, Lil’ Thoughts with Jen. Jenny shares how blogging has given her the opportunity to be more in touch with her creative side, given her the chance to meet some amazing people, and really pushed her limits on what she can take on in life.  You can find Jenny on all the social platforms listed below. Blog: lilthoughtswithjen.com Instagram: @lilthoughtswithjen Thank you for tuning in, Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com to sign up for our mailing list, for a monthly newsletter with personal advice from Liz and featured podcast guests! You will also get NYC content & recommendations delivered straight to your inbox.

Liz's guest on the podcast is Kacie Nelson, a graphic designer and blogger based in New York City. Kacie is a Philly girl currently living in NYC, after getting her Bachelor's degree from the University of Miami in 2015. Along with her 9-5 as a graphic designer for a women's retail brand, she runs her lifestyle blog, The Pretty Little Hustler. PLH is a one-stop-shop for all things affordable fashion & beauty, life in NYC, and lots of seasonal lifestyle inspiration. Kacie loves all things chocolate, a crisp glass of champagne, and has a pretty insatiable wanderlust. Her mantra (and the catalyst behind her blog name) is that "good things come to those who hustle", and she hopes to inspire other women to go after their dreams and to never take no as a final answer. In this episode, Kacie and Liz, talk about the hardships of moving to a new city like finding an apartment, we also talk about hustle culture and share our personal tips around staying grounded. Don't miss out on a new list of NYC favorites!

Kacie's Blog, The Pretty Little Hustler > www.theprettylittlehustler.com

Thank you for tuning in, Realistically with Liz episodes are released every Saturday! Head over to our website realisticallywithliz.com to sign up for our mailing list, for a monthly newsletter with personal advice from Liz and featured podcast guests! You will also get NYC content & recommendations delivered straight to your inbox. 

 

Kellyn was born & raised in a small farm town in Illinois. Throughout high school, she worked as a model and fell in LOVE with fashion. Kellyn completed a marketing internship in New York City, she then graduated from Ball State University in 2018 with a degree in Fashion Merchandising, Kellyn currently works full-time as an Assistant Buyer in New York City! In her free time, she loves exploring new restaurants, shopping, and taking pictures, which you can find on her blog Kellyn Melon. Kellyn started her blog as a way to express herself, share fashion/lifestyle tips, and connect with other bloggers. In this episode, Kellyn shares her advice to fashion students, gives us an inside look at what it means to be a buyer, and all of her NYC favorites.

Kellyn’s Social Media Accounts including the blog are > Linked Here < 

To learn more about the host, or our guests, check out the website > www.realisticallywithliz.com

Thank you for tuning in, don’t forget to rate & review!

Podcast Guest of The Week: Elizabeth Su

Elizabeth Su grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After graduating from Tufts University with a B.S. in Quantitative Economics and Community Health, she reached a six-figure salary at a hot Silicon Valley start-up. She struggled with an eating disorder and anxiety, so she said goodbye to her decade-long career in corporate to pursue her master’s degree at Columbia University in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Spirituality and Mind-Body practices and an advanced certification in Sexuality, Women and Gender. Since then, Elizabeth has dedicated her career to empowering women, teaching about emotional and spiritual wellness, and changing the rules of the game with her weekly newsletter, Monday Vibes.

If you want to learn more about Elizabeth & Monday Vibes head over to www.elizabethsu.com 

To follow Elizabeth on her journey head over to her Instagram > @heyelizabethsu

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To learn more about the podcast host, our guests, or to simply reach out with a question, go to > www.realisticallywithliz.com

My guest for today’s episode is Maggie Ridge, she formerly worked in Marketing at L’Oreal, managed at Voice Charter School, and is now running a small-organizing business out of New York called, In Your Corner.

Maggie lives in Brooklyn and has been a “New Yorker” since 1997. After living in many neighborhoods of the city, Maggie discovered that after all “home” truly is where the heart is. Later on, in life she found that her physical space did not support her passions in life, so she set upon her mission to practice and share the Marie Kondo Tidying method. Maggie started her KonMari based business “In Your Corner” in 2018, to help fellow New Yorkers clear space in their homes and apartments to make way for what they truly love. In this episode we discuss financial challenges, feeling lonely while striving to be independent, and the art of decluttering your life.

Maggie's Business Website - https://www.maggieinyourcorner.com/

Maggie's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/homeheadheart/

Thanks for tuning in to the podcast, for more on our guests visit www.realisticallywithliz.com

Cristine is a native New Yorker, Dominicana, who grew up between Lower Manhattan and Williamsburg. She is a creative + social strategist with over 8 years of experience working across PR, marketing, and advertising. When she's not scrolling through Twitter or TikTok, she loves to share recipes, how-to cooking videos, and her journey of self-love on her Instagram. In this episode we talk about embracing your 30s, being Latina, and the importance of diversity. To endure in more of Cristine's realness, head over to @cristineciana on Instagram Visit Realistically with Liz website to learn more about the podcast and our guests! www.realisticallywithliz.com

Samantha Escobar, is a Mexican-American from Dallas, Texas. She is currently a student at LIM College in New York, getting her degree in Fashion Marketing. In just 2 years that she’s been in New York, Samantha has interned for Krupp Group and worked for IMG during Fashion Week. She is currently a PR Intern for a Brooklyn-based jeweler, Bernard James.

Samantha runs a fashion blog, Samantha Stylee,  where you is sharing her fashion tips and her personal journey. She recently signed with 28Row, a college influencer agency, and has a campaign with H&M in the works. In this episode, we talk about dealing with anxiety, fashion college, marketing internships, and growing pains that come with living in New York City.

To find out more about Samantha and her fashion tips, visit www.samanthasstylee.com and for daily style inspiration, check out her Instagram www.instagram.com/samanthavescobar

Visit Realistically with Liz website to learn more about the podcast and our guests! www.realisticallywithliz.com

Nikita Kumar was born in India, her father uprooted the family to New York in hopes of providing a better life and education for his children. Nikita spent most of her childhood and young adulthood between Queens, then Long Island. Nikita moved to New York City to her first apartment at the age of 24, since then she has worked for Fortune 500 companies, is now a Technical Product Manager and has a side-hustle in the creative space as a Social Media Manager. Listen to Nikita and I talk about personal victories, courage, and love on this week’s episode. For more, you can find Nikita on Instagram @nikita_chikitaa and @nik_snaps To connect with us visit the Realistically with Liz website to learn more about the podcast and our guests!   www.realisticallywithliz.com Don't forget to rate & review! 

Bella Derner is a New Yorker committed to changing the world. She is extremely passionate about allowing people to have a safe space to create their life, so she left her commercial real estate job and started a personal development coaching practice. In her coaching practice, Bella firmly believes that her framework that focuses on psychology, spirituality, and science, is the perfect recipe for clients to experience major breakthroughs in their life! Bella is sharing her tips and the best tools on today’s episode, that have gotten her the career and personal success she dreamed of. To learn more about Bella and her coaching practice, check out her work linked below.

• Professional Website - www.loveisbella.com
• Apparel Website - https://kisstheworld.us/
• Bella's Personal IG www.instagram.com/Bellababe1220

To connect with us visit the Realistically with Liz website and learn more about the podcast - www.realisticallywithliz.com

Don't forget to rate & review! 

Today's guest is Shelby Dunn, an entrepreneur living in New York for the past 9 years. Shelby grew up near Dallas, Texas and from a young age loved to travel with her family. As a Scorpio, she was determined to move to New York, after being accepted to a number of schools in the city the countdown began. Shelby attended FIT, where she learned more about the business side of fashion, shortly after she created a lifestyle blog with her older sister called As Told By Ash and Shelbs... offering travel advice and guides to NYC. In 2018 the girls decided to launch The Sister Market an online gift market with a curated selection of merchandise inspired by and discovered during their travels. Shelby and I discuss her entrepreneurial spirit and how New York City became her home over the past couple of years.

Shelby’s Personal Instagram www.instagram.com/shelbycdunn 

To shop The Sister Market visit - www.thesistermarket.com

To read more about Shelby’s travels visit her blog - www.astoldbyashandshelbs.com

Visit Realistically with Liz website to connect with us and learn more about the podcast - www.realisticallywithliz.com

Danielle Alvarez, a proud Peruvian American, is leveling up the PR game. Dani moved from Miami to New York City in 2011, with a fire in her to become a savvy PR pro. Her focus was in the multicultural division of PR and after 7 years of seeing the same small-budgets, and brands getting a back-seat in the media landscape, she decided to create her own lane. Enter, The Bonita Project, an integrated marketing/PR and influencer agency created in 2018 on a mission to change how beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands engage with multicultural communities by demonstrating their brand loyalty, social media engagement, and purchasing power. Dani and I discuss how she’s been pivoting TBP during the past few months and how the Bonita community is stronger than ever.

Danielle Alvarez IG - www.instagram.com/danialvarezpr

The Bonita Project IG - www.instagram.com/thebonitaproject

Visit the Realistically with Liz Website to read more about our guests - www.realisticallywithliz.com

Realistically with Liz IG - www.instagram.com/realisticallywithliz

At the intersection of sports, business, and education is where you'll find Bianca Peart. She grew up outside of Philadelphia, is a Penn State University business graduate, and now lives in Harlem. She is a game night entertainment director in the NBA and a program owner at the College Board where she helps provide high school students in underrepresented communities access to AP courses. Bianca and I discuss why she chose to thrive in multiple careers, rather than staying in one lane. To collaborate or hire Bianca Peart, visit her website and check out the company she co-founded Bold & Brilliant Life.

Visit the Realistically with Liz Website to read more about our guests.

Realistically with Liz IG: www.instagram.com/realisticallywithliz