Awf The Record

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi welcome Stephanie Piza, Hollywood talent manager and founder of Piza Global, to break down the new rules of the $21 billion creator economy.

From building a personal brand that attracts opportunities to turning influence into a profitable business, Stephanie shares what it really takes to stand out in an oversaturated market. They unpack the realities of influencer pay, why creators of color still face unequal opportunities, how to negotiate brand deals, and the role AI will play in the future of content creation.

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How do you stop the internet from affecting your relationship? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Kier Gaines about how social media can quietly shape the way we see love. Kier breaks down the difference between healthy comparison and harmful comparison, why online couples should not become the standard, and how repeated messages about relationships can turn into beliefs before we even realize it. His reminder: your relationship does not have to match the internet. The real question is what you actually want, and whether you can hear it past...

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In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with therapist and instant New York Times bestselling author Kier Gaines for a raw, honest conversation about vulnerability, masculinity, relationships, and the ways social media is quietly reshaping how we love. 

Kier breaks down why men, especially Black men, often struggle to open up, why women are e...

Tennesha Wood takes Mona and Jeannette inside her matchmaking process, from two-hour interviews and home tours to reference checks and conversations about money, family, therapy, sex and past relationships. She also explains why someone who is overly focused on looks can be a dating red flag, why chemistry can grow over time, and why she refuses to create relationships built solely around beauty and money. Then, Tennesha breaks down why matchmaking packages can cost a lot of money, what clients are actually paying for, and why she created a matchmaking service specifically designed to help Black professionals find one...

What happens when you’ve built the career, earned the degree, bought the house, and still haven’t found the relationship you want?

Professional matchmaker Tennesha Wood joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a reality check on the modern dating market, especially for high-achieving Black women. Tennesha breaks down what men and women are actually asking for, why accomplishments don’t automatically translate to compatibility, and how rigid standards around income, height, looks, and “type” may be shrinking the dating pool.

They also get into the strategy behind Ten...

What do you do when you become your family’s financial safety net? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Vivian Tu about the pressure of being the person everyone turns to when money gets tight, especially in immigrant families and communities of color. Vivian explains why constantly giving from your own savings can keep you from building the future that would allow you to help more meaningfully later. She breaks down the difference between giving a gift and creating a loan that turns into a family fight, why a “gift fund...

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi welcome  Vivian Tu, aka CEO and Founder of Your Rich BFF and Ask Dolly, for a no-fluff conversation about why so many people still feel broke even when they are making good money. Vivian breaks down the money blueprint most of us inherited, why working hard is no longer enough, and how asset ownership, investing, budgeting, and career strategy can help people build real financial security.

From fake wealth on social media to salary negotiation, dating with financial clarity, family money boundaries, trad wife c...

How do you date again after someone used vulnerability as a strategy? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Reesa Teesa about trust, dating, and the psychological aftermath of being deceived by someone who seemed to say all the right things. Reesa reflects on how her ex “beat her to the story,” sharing false details about past relationships, therapy, and heartbreak before she could even ask the questions that might have protected her. She also opens up about why her circle is smaller now, why dating still scares her, and why she...

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with Reesa Teesa to talk about life after the viral Who TF Did I Marry? series, the red flags she missed, the shame that kept her silent, and the healing she is still walking through in real time. Reesa opens up about dating from potential instead of reality, realizing she had married a pathological liar, and why the fear of admitting “I’m getting played” felt scarier than the truth itself.

From background checks and desperation dating to miscarriage, loneliness, faith, book deals...

What did we really lose when The Wendy Williams Show ended? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with former Wendy Williams producer Norman Baker to reflect on the cultural force Wendy created, the final season that left the team in limbo, and why no one has been able to fill the space she left behind. Norman opens up about Wendy’s brilliance, her fearlessness, and the rare freedom of working on a show where a Black woman could speak her mind every single day on daytime television. He also shares wh...

What really happened behind the scenes during the final days of The Wendy Williams Show?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with former Wendy Williams producer Norman Baker for an inside look at one of daytime television’s most unforgettable cultural eras. Norman opens up about moving to New York with $100, getting his start as a receptionist, earning Wendy’s trust on and off camera, and watching the show become a place where pop culture, gossip, shade, and Black womanhood collided in real time.

Norman also refl...

This episode originally aired on 04/16/2026

What are celebrities actually getting done… and why does everyone suddenly look younger?

In this episode of Awf The Record, top Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale pulls back the curtain on modern plastic surgery, from facelifts and fillers to the “undetectable” glow ups taking over Hollywood.

He breaks down the biggest misconceptions about plastic surgery, why natural results are now the gold standard, and how today’s techniques are creating transformations that look subtle, not obvious. From celebrity trends to the rise of men g...

Astrology may feel like a Gen Z obsession, but celebrity astrologer Aliza Kelly says the conversation has been happening for generations. In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Aliza about how astrology evolved from sun sign horoscopes and ’60s compatibility culture into today’s birth chart readings, apps, and celebrity astrology. Aliza shares how technology helped people go beyond “What’s your sign?”, how her own astrology dating app helped launch her career, and why 2016 marked a major cultural shift in how people turned to the stars for answers. She also breaks dow...

What if astrology is less about predicting your future, and more about finally having language for who you are?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with celebrity astrologer Aliza Kelly for a funny, fascinating, and surprisingly personal crash course in astrology. Aliza breaks down what astrology is and what it is not, why your birth chart is more than just your zodiac sign, and how the sun, moon, and rising signs can help you better understand your energy, emotions, perspective, relationships, and the stories you tell about yourself.<...

What if the reason you feel drained in friendships is not that everyone else is taking, but because you learned to give in order to earn love? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with friendship expert Danielle Bayard-Jackson to unpack overgiving, oversharing, one-sided friendships, and the patterns that can make women feel like they are always the one doing the work. Danielle explains why the “no one shows up for me” story deserves compassion, but also deserves curiosity, especially when it keeps showing up across multiple friendships. Danielle also breaks down...

Why does making and keeping friends as an adult feel so much harder than it used to?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with friendship expert and author Danielle Bayard-Jackson for a real conversation about female friendship, loneliness, vulnerability, jealousy, friendship breakups, and the quiet ways high-achieving women can end up isolated. Danielle breaks down why friendship is not just about having people around you, but about feeling understood, supported, and safe enough to be honest in the relationships you already have.

From the...

How do you know if the problem is yours, theirs, or something happening between both of you? In this segment, therapist Melissa Dumaz joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi to break down the relationship patterns that often show up in couples work. She explains why some fights are not really about the relationship itself, but about unresolved issues each person brings into the room, and why a major sign of hope is whether both people are actually open to change. Melissa also unpacks attachment styles, how anxious and secure attachment can show up in love, and why two...

What if the biggest threat to your relationship is not one big betrayal, but the quiet habits, assumptions, and unspoken expectations slowly wearing the love down?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist Melissa Dumaz for a raw, honest conversation about modern love, marriage, dating, conflict, vulnerability, and the relationship mistakes most couples do not realize they are making. Melissa breaks down why social media highlight reels are distorting what we expect from real relationships, why more people are walking into...

Recho Omondi did not build The Cutting Room Floor overnight. She built it through years of unpaid work, uncertainty, live events, viral episodes, creative conviction, and a deep belief that good work deserves real support. In this segment, Recho joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi to unpack the grind behind her creator journey, from launching the podcast in 2018 with $400 worth of equipment to spending years publishing without meaningful monetization. She reflects on the early days of building an audience, selling merch, losing momentum during the pandemic, and relaunching in 2021 with episodes that proved the industry was paying attention...

Recho Omondi did not build The Cutting Room Floor overnight. She built it through years of unpaid work, uncertainty, live events, viral episodes, creative conviction, and a deep belief that good work deserves real support.

In this segment, Recho joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi to unpack the grind behind her creator journey, from launching the podcast in 2018 with $400 worth of equipment to spending years publishing without meaningful monetization. She reflects on the early days of building an audience, selling merch, losing momentum during the pandemic, and relaunching in 2021 with episodes that proved the industry was...

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with Jodie Taylor, corporate strategist, DEI leader at Sony Music, and digital creator with over half a million followers, to unpack the strategy behind becoming your highest self.

Jodie shares how a devastating season of loss, heartbreak, layoffs, and friendship breakups forced her to completely reevaluate her life. Instead of staying stuck in grief, she built a deliberate blueprint for transformation by focusing on physical confidence, career capital, social capital, and emotional growth.

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Scot Louie has no problem saying what everyone else is thinking: fashion has been TikTokified. In this segment, Scot joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi to unpack how trends, influencer culture, luxury bags, clean girl aesthetics, and unboxing videos have changed the way people think about personal style. He gets candid about the difference between having things and having style, why so many people are buying access, belonging, and acceptance, and how fast-moving trend culture can make it harder to know what you actually like. Scot also opens up about branding, being the “director of the divas,” turning “to us”...

Celebrity stylist and self-proclaimed Director of the Divas Scot Louie is taking the group chat to fashion school.

In this episode of Awf The Record, Scot joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a masterclass on personal style, taste, body type, red carpet strategy, and what it really takes to become unforgettable. From styling stars like Kehlani, Ryan Destiny, and Beyoncé to building his own brand through Dinner Plus, Diva Academy, and his signature “to us,” Scot breaks down why style is not about buying the most expensive thing in the r...

Cari Champion knew what it felt like to be watched, judged, and picked apart before she was ever fully allowed to speak. In this segment, Cari opens up about her time at ESPN and First Take, where she says everything from her outfits to her makeup to her presence on screen was scrutinized. She reflects on being told to tone it down, navigating the boys’ club, and learning that visibility in sports media did not always come with protection. Cari also gets honest about her relationship with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless during that era, why she felt ha...

Cari Champion has never been afraid to speak her mind, even when the room made it clear she was supposed to stay quiet.

In this episode of Awf The Record, Cari joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a raw conversation about journalism, sports media, career reinvention, and what it really costs to be a Black woman who refuses to shrink. She opens up about starting as a one-man band in local news, getting fired in Atlanta, finding her way into sports through the Tennis Channel, and landing at ESPN’s...

Kennedy Ryan knows exactly who she’s writing for, and she refuses to let publishing’s outdated assumptions shrink that vision. In this segment, Kennedy opens up about centering Black women on the page, on the cover, and in the audience, even when the industry suggests that doing so could limit sales or mainstream appeal. She breaks down why Black women are not a niche market, but a powerful readership with their own economy, cultural influence, and buying power. From sold-out theaters to New York Times bestseller lists, Kennedy makes it clear that when Black women are centered and cele...

New York Times bestselling author Kennedy Ryan is not just writing romance. She is writing Black women into love stories where they are centered, desired, protected, and loved outrageously.

In this episode of Awf The Record, Kennedy joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi to talk about the craft, conviction, and cost behind her work. She opens up about getting her first book deal at 40, why romance is often dismissed because it centers women’s pleasure, and how writing from a specific point of view actually expanded her audience instead of limiting it.

Kennedy also ge...

This episode originally aired on 04/14/2026

What does it really take to rebrand your life? In this episode of Awf The Record, Mona and Jeannette sit down with Les, host of the Balanced Black Girl podcast, to talk about reinvention, discipline, and stepping into the person you want to be.

Les shares her journey of rebranding—not as a one-time makeover, but as a daily commitment to intentional growth. She dives into the mindset shifts that helped her stay consistent, the habits that shaped her transformation, and how financial discipline played a key role in her jo...

This episode originally aired on 04/10/2026 

Dating isn’t just about having chemistry or “vibes”—it’s actually data. 

In this eye-opening episode of Awf The Record, dating and relationship expert Anwar White joins Jeannette and Mona to break down the real numbers behind modern dating—and why Black and Brown women need a different playbook.

From match rates to money, Anwar exposes the hard truths about dating in today’s age: how systemic issues impact your love life, why marriage isn’t always a financial win for Black women, and what the data actually says abou...

Etiquette is not about being stiff, fake, or elitist. It is about knowing how to move through a room, make people feel seen, and carry yourself with confidence. In this segment, etiquette expert Elaine Swann breaks down the everyday habits that can instantly change how people experience you, from giving a proper handshake to greeting people, making a graceful exit, and commanding presence without doing too much. Elaine also shares why confidence is not about being loud or perfect, but about slowing down, using your voice with intention, and honoring the people who are actually present. Whether you are...

“Etiquette, and the concept behind it, is accessible, and it's for everyone.” –  Elaine Swann

In this episode of Awf The Record, Elaine joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a crash course in modern etiquette, from fine dining, networking, Zoom meetings, and corporate happy hours to dating, ghosting, apologies, compliments, and navigating luxury spaces without feeling like you do not belong. She breaks down what the rich actually do differently, why confidence is often quieter than we think, and how the habits we overlook, like oversharing, arguing to prove a point, or making people wait, m...

WeezyWTF gets honest about shame, sexuality, marriage, and the rules society still places on women. She reflects on growing up confident enough to reject outside judgment, building a community that made sexual liberation feel safe, and realizing even she had internalized hierarchies around sex, promiscuity, and respectability. From sugar dating to bisexuality, non-monogamy, marriage, and the pressure to be “chosen,” Weezy breaks down why women are still treated as more worthy once a man validates them with a ring.

RESOURCES: 

Weezy WTF 

Websit...

How do you build a multimillion-dollar brand without watering yourself down?

In this episode of Awf The Record, podcast powerhouse and entrepreneur WeezyWTF joins Mona and Jeannette for one of her most candid conversations yet. From launching Horrible Decisions as a side project while working in tech sales to building podcast studios, fitness brands, and a bestselling career, Weezy explains why authenticity has been both her greatest advantage and her biggest obstacle.

She opens up about the hidden cost of being unapologetically yourself, why success doesn't always lead to acceptance, and how staying...

In this segment, Christiana Mebakwe Medina breaks down why our cultural standards around fame, work, and accountability have shifted since the 2000s. From Making the Band and Tyra Banks to Diddy, MeToo, Black Lives Matter, workplace power dynamics, and the rollback of DEI, Christiana explores how pop culture reflects the systems we live in, but rarely changes them without policy behind it. She challenges the idea that “speaking up” is enough, arguing that real progress only sticks when it becomes law, protection, and paperwork.

RESOURCES: 

Christiana Mbakwe Medina

IG...

In this episode of Awf the Record, culture critic and Pop Syllabus creator Christiana Mbakwe Medina joins Mona Kosar Abdi and Jeannette Reyes for a sharp, layered conversation on modern fame, celebrity mystique, pop culture, and the systems hiding underneath our favorite headlines.

Using Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, The Kardashians, Tyra Banks, Diddy, Taylor Swift, Zendaya, Rihanna, Chappell Roan, Timothée Chalamet, and reality TV as cultural case studies, Christiana breaks down why pop culture is never “just entertainment.” It shapes how we see beauty, aging, success, race, body image, work, motherhood, privac...

In this powerful segment, Laura Coates opens up about her time as a federal prosecutor and the complicated reality of pursuing justice from inside the system. She reflects on why Black and brown communities deserve prosecutors who understand their lived experiences, the emotional weight of victim advocacy, and the courtroom moment involving a deportation warrant that shook her to her core. Laura shares how that ethical dilemma helped shape her decision to leave prosecution and step into a new chapter rooted in truth, integrity, and public service.

Laura Coates 

Website: lauracoates.com

On today’s Awf The Record, CNN anchor, attorney, and legal analyst Laura Coates joins the group chat for a powerful conversation about purpose, pivots, and what it really takes to build a life that feels true to you.

Laura opens up about leaving the Department of Justice (DOJ), the moment her husband’s fear during a police stop became a wake-up call, and why “informational activism” became her way of speaking truth to power. She reflects on her time as a federal prosecutor, the ethical dilemmas that shook her, and why Black and brown communit...

In this segment, Jaz Turner gets honest about the “messy middle” of self-growth, the part that does not look like green juice, Pilates, or a perfectly curated morning routine. She shares how rebuilding starts with small daily choices like journaling, faith, movement, and learning how to pour into yourself first. From leaving law school to redefining self-care as a love letter to herself, Jaz reminds us that the hard seasons are often preparing us for the life we asked for.

RESOURCES: 

Jaz Turner 

Yout...

What does a real glow up actually look like?

In this episode of Awf The Record, Mona Kosar Abdi and Jeannette Reyes sit down with lifestyle entrepreneur and digital creator Jaz Turner, whose thoughtful approach to self-investment, wellness, and intentional living has built a global audience of more than one million followers.

But Jaz’s story didn’t begin with morning routines and glow-up advice.

Before becoming a creator, she was on track to become a lawyer. After earning a full ride to law school and landing a prestigious posi...

In this segment from the Eboni K. Williams interview, Eboni breaks down why relationships, appearance, marriage, motherhood, and opportunity all operate within real social “marketplaces.” From Michelle Obama’s recent comments on appearance as currency to the controversy around advising women to prioritize partnership earlier, Eboni challenges listeners to think less about what feels fair and more about what creates leverage, choice, and long-term positioning.

RESOURCES: 

Eboni Williams

Website: .ebonikwilliams.com

IG: instagram.com/ebonikwilliams/ 

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