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Fatima Rosa, business owner of Face Brown and Beauty Bar, returned to the podcast to discuss holiday beauty trends, what is fading out, and how to approach event makeup with limited time and limited touch-ups. The conversation focused on what people are wearing now, how to adapt trends without going “full red carpet,” and which services or products reduce daily effort.

What’s In This Holiday Season

Icy blues (liner, mascara, and small accents)

One of the main trends Fatima pointed to was the return of blue—specifically icy blues.

“I really like the icy look. So, have you seen the blues, the icy blues?”

She described the current version as blue with a lighter shimmer effect rather than a flat primary tone.

“It’s almost got a touch of like underlying white shimmer.”

This can show up in several forms: eyeliner, blue mascara, or a small accent under the eye. Her suggestion was to keep it controlled so it reads as a detail rather than a full look.

“I personally love like an under eye smudge with a little bit of like a little pop of blue when you’re going out.”

In the episode, the host added that blue can work across different eye colors. Fatima also mentioned adjusting intensity by layering with lighter tones (white or oyster tones) to change how strong the blue reads.

Burgundy, wine, and plum tones

Fatima also discussed deep purples—burgundy, wine, and plum—as a recurring holiday direction.

“I’m loving all of that, whatever you want to call it, plums… anything in that deep purple like burgundy wine tone.”

She framed these colors as wearable even for people who avoid bold shades, because they can sit close to brown in tone depending on the product and how it’s blended.

“People are afraid of that bold color, but when you put it on… it can lean into like a brown category almost.”

These shades can be used as a lip color, a soft smokey-eye addition, or even brought in through accessories while keeping makeup more neutral.

What’s Fading Out: Heavy Matte and Strong Contour

A shift Fatima described is moving away from heavy matte finishes and sharp structure.

“People are trying to be a little more soft, smudgy, so less matte, less heavy.”

She contrasted this with last year’s look, which she described as more defined and sculpted.

“We were very chiseled and now we’re just soft and subtle.”

Instead, she pointed to changes in finish: more gloss, more dew, and less flat matte texture.

“We’re adding gloss back. We’re adding like a dewier cheek.”

A Simple Way to Upgrade Holiday Makeup Without Overdoing It

A recurring point in the conversation was that many people want a higher-impact look for parties without turning it into a full routine. Fatima’s approach is to choose one focus area.

“Pick one feature that you want to play up.”

She shared that she often chooses eyes (for example eyeliner or a smokey eye) and then keeps lips simpler. If someone prefers a lip, they can do the opposite—strong lip, lower-intensity eye. The point is to avoid trying to make every element high-impact at once, especially when time is limited.

She also noted that contour can still be part of the look, but the finish does not have to be matte.

“You can still do a deep contour without being super matte.”

Beauty Shortcuts That Reduce Daily Effort

Fatima’s main time-saving recommendation was a lash lift, especially for humid climates where mascara can be difficult.

“What’s the most bang for your buck in terms of time, money, and effort? A lash lift.”

She explained that the goal is to reduce steps: less mascara, less smudging, less time spent fixing eye makeup.

“If your lashes are lifted… skipping the mascara.”

The host and Fatima also discussed how mascara can run or become messy in Miami humidity, and that waterproof options can be hard to remove. A lash lift (with tint if needed) was presented as a way to avoid those trade-offs.

“In Miami or climates like this, you cannot like wear mascara really safely.”

Miami, Culture, and Why Makeup Can Be the “Safer” Experiment

The conversation also addressed how a person’s background can shape how they approach beauty. Fatima described growing up in a conservative environment where makeup became a way to experiment without changing how much skin was shown through clothing.

“Makeup for me was always a fun way to experiment and push the boundaries.”

Her framing was that makeup could feel more acceptable because it did not trigger the same cultural concerns as clothing choices.

“You’re just playing with your face.”

The episode also noted Miami’s mix of cultures and how that affects style, including how people bring elements from their home countries into beauty and fashion. (The podcast mentioned “50 different languages” spoken in Miami; [if this number is not confirmed outside the transcript, treat it as the host’s statement].)

If You’ve Never Done a Bold Lip, Glitter, or Strong Eye

For anyone who avoids bold looks because they feel unfamiliar, Fatima recommended two steps: start where you already feel comfortable, and increase intensity gradually.

“Play up the feature you kind of feel most comfortable with.”

She suggested moving in small increments—more color, more definition, or layering—rather than jumping straight into the strongest version of a trend.

“Start subtle… increase the color.”

She also recommended getting makeup done professionally, because seeing your face through someone else’s choices can reveal options you might not try on your own.

“Get your makeup done professionally and that way you can really see yourself through someone else’s vision.”

Party Makeup That Requires Minimal Touch-Ups

When discussing party makeup and what fits in a small bag, Fatima emphasized preparation rather than carrying multiple products.

“Use great primer so you don’t need to touch up a lot of things.”

For lips, she described a system that reduces reapplication: a long-wear base color plus gloss. After eating or drinking, the base remains and the only item needed is gloss.

“I do love something that’s like a stay on lip color so that it’s your base and then I love to add a gloss on top.”

For oily skin, she mentioned one small add-on item that is easy to carry.

“If you’re oily, I like carrying blotting papers.”

Gifts: Services and Treatments

When asked about gift ideas, Fatima recommended treatments rather than products. Her examples included head spa services and facials. She described these as a “two-part” benefit: first receiving the gift, then using it later.

“You can’t go wrong with treatments.”

“I think it’s exciting when you get the gift and then exciting when you use it.”

Drugstore vs Luxury: How She Thinks About Budget

Fatima named NYX Cosmetics as a drugstore brand she likes for makeup, especially lip products and complexion options. She also said she avoids drugstore skincare due to preservatives and ingredients, speaking from her professional perspective.

On the luxury side, she mentioned being consistent about certain staples, including Nars blush and Dior concealer. The host also mentioned products she has used over time, including Dermablend and IT Cosmetics (which the host described as skincare + makeup combined).

Clean, Waterless Oils and Multi-Use Products

Fatima also described Face Brown and Beauty Bar oils as waterless and positioned them as clean formulations without filler.

“Our products are all waterless.”

She described the products using categories such as vegan, animal-friendly, and natural, and mentioned different versions (flower vs herbal).

“It’s clean, it’s pure… whether it’s vegan, animal friendly, natural.”

Closing Note: Beauty as Personal Choice

The episode ended with a reminder that holiday trends are optional and personal. The host framed the point as flexibility: bold looks, minimal looks, or something in between.

“Beauty is personal, and there’s no one way to show up in it.”

Practical takeaway from the episode

• If you want to follow trends: consider icy blue accents or burgundy/plum tones.
  
• If you want less effort: prioritize longevity (lash lifts, primer, long-wear lip base).
  
• If bold makeup feels unfamiliar: start subtle, increase gradually, or get it done professionally once to see what works on you.

Ashley Targuello is the co-founder and co-CEO of Can We App, a platform designed to move people from online interaction to in-person connection. Her path to building a tech product did not start in software. It started in sports, then moved through education and communications, and later into company building.

This post follows the themes discussed in the episode: career transitions, the problem Can We is trying to address, what “social navigation” means in practice, how Ashley thinks about community building, and how she approaches leadership.

Career transitions: openness over certainty

Ashley describes her early identity as rooted in basketball. She played Division I basketball for her first two years of college and later transferred to NYU. At NYU she studied international politics and languages and worked in public relations with the New York Rangers. After graduation, she moved to Miami.

She frames these shifts as the result of staying open rather than committing to a single fixed track early in life. She argues that people often treat college as the moment when they must decide their permanent direction, and she rejects that idea. Instead, she advises being willing to pivot.

“Be open to opportunity, be open to change, to pivot, to reinvent yourself.”

She also emphasizes not letting other people’s doubts decide what is worth starting. In the conversation, she references how others asked the host how a podcast would be monetized, and uses that example to underline her approach: begin, then learn.

“If that’s what you want, go for it. Break that wall down and don’t stop.”

The loneliness problem and why connection is the product

Can We App positions itself around a specific claim: loneliness is widespread and has consequences beyond mood or short-term well-being. Ashley says society is living through a period of high loneliness and that people often underestimate what that does to health.

“We’re currently living in the loneliest times ever.”

She links this to the broader mental health conversation and adds that loneliness affects physical health as well. She references Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones work and points to community as a common factor in long-lived populations. Her conclusion is that “connection” is not a soft benefit but a practical driver of better outcomes.

The app’s mission, as she describes it, is to improve quality of life by helping people connect in person.

“We use tech to get people off of tech.”

What “social navigation” means

Ashley draws a clear line between Can We and traditional social platforms. She says it is not a social media product and does not aim to keep users scrolling. Instead, she calls it “social navigation,” a category she describes as a tool that helps you move through your social life in the same way a GPS helps you move through a city.

“We’re not a social app. We call it social navigation.”

In practice, she explains the product in terms of communities, events, and introductions. Users can join or host events. The platform then makes suggestions and introductions based on shared interests and context, including whether two users are attending the same event. The intent is to nudge people toward meeting offline.

She describes the longer-term vision as a utility you open when you want to connect where you are: at a coffee shop, at the gym, or in your neighborhood.

One example she gives is how people can live close to each other without knowing one another.

“They’re walking their dog alone and so is their neighbor… They don’t know anyone.”

The concept is not only “find people,” but “reduce the friction of starting.” The system introduces people and provides a reason to speak in person.

Community building as a strategy, not a side effect

Ashley talks about community building as both an outcome and a deliberate method. She hosts women-focused events, but she says the product is not limited to women. She describes those events as partly marketing and partly a way to gather people in a format that supports connection.

Her definition of community is functional: people being introduced, speaking, and leaving with new relationships. She contrasts that with events where attendees only talk to the friends they arrived with or focus on appearances and photos. In her view, those do not create community.

A recurring theme in her comments is that many people do not know how to initiate conversation anymore, especially with strangers. That is where structure matters: a host who introduces people, prompts that start conversations, and formats that reduce the social barrier to participation.

“People don’t know how to connect anymore.”

She also uses the phrase “friend in common” as a model: a trusted intermediary who makes introductions and gives people permission to follow through. In the app, that intermediary is the product itself, which suggests who to meet and why.

On event size, she says she prefers smaller gatherings (around 40 people) for her own events, but also describes larger events working when they break into smaller interest-based groups. The central point is not the total headcount. It is whether people end up in smaller, relevant clusters where conversation can start.

Leadership: empathy plus standards

Ashley describes leadership as personal attention combined with clear expectations. She gives examples of checking in with employees about how they are doing and creating what she calls a family environment. She frames care as part of building trust and retention.

At the same time, she stresses that work still needs to move.

“If I say something needs to get done, it better get done.”

In her framing, empathy and accountability are not competing ideas. Empathy helps build trust and communication; standards set what execution looks like.

She also co-leads the company with her husband. She says people often ask how that works, and she describes the partnership as an extension of operating as a team in marriage and parenting. In her view, the shared goal and shared responsibility make the work relationship more direct rather than more complicated.

“We’re one team. We have one goal.”

Presence and personal style: function over labels

The conversation also covers how she thinks about presence, confidence, and leadership, particularly for women in tech. She connects personal style and body language to how someone carries themselves in professional settings. Her point is not that the clothing itself creates authority, but that the signal matters.

“It’s really just the way you carry yourself.”

She also argues that style is not defined by price and mentions mixing affordable items with higher-end pieces. In her examples, a blazer functions as a practical “go-to” uniform that can work across settings.

Growth approach and what comes next

On expansion, Ashley describes a geographic strategy: build density in one location first, then expand outward. She names South Florida as the target area to “own” before spreading into adjacent markets.

She also references activations outside Florida, including events in the Dominican Republic and Paris, and a launch connected to Necker Island with Richard Branson. These examples are mentioned as proof that the concept can travel, but her stated plan prioritizes local concentration first.

She hints at a future deal planned for 2026 but does not share details in the episode.

She frames the overall trajectory as early-stage momentum.

“This is just the beginning.”

A practical takeaway

Ashley’s view of community is operational: create the conditions for people to talk, remove friction from introductions, and design for offline follow-through. In that framing, the product is not only the app. The product is the connection that happens after the app.

If Can We succeeds on its own definition, it will be measured less by time spent in the interface and more by how often people leave it to meet someone in person.

“We use tech to get people off of tech.”

Dinner invitations sit at the intersection of logistics, money, and social dynamics. In this conversation, host Anna Anisin and Chef Nicole focus on practical etiquette for accepting invitations, showing up as a guest, hosting well, and handling common friction points such as timing and shared bills.

As Nicole frames it, being a guest is often where things go wrong: “When you’re joining them, that’s a really big deal… it’s where the most mishaps happen.”

Declining invitations without oversharing

Etiquette starts before the dinner. If you cannot attend, the recommendation is to decline with a short, polite response and avoid explanations that create awkwardness or invite negotiation.

“Nobody wants to know why you’re not coming to their party.”

The conversation emphasizes that declining is normal. People have schedules, budgets, and competing responsibilities. The point is not to justify your absence. It is to respond clearly and respectfully.

There is also a specific caution about framing: do not tell someone you are skipping their event because another social plan is a “priority.” (They note an exception for immediate family.) The suggestion is to keep the message simple: thank them, say you cannot make it, and leave it there.

Don’t arrive empty-handed

If you are going to someone’s home, bring something. It does not need to be expensive or complex. The gesture matters because it acknowledges the host’s effort and the fact that you are receiving hospitality.

“It’s a thought to say, ‘Thank you for having me.’”

They mention practical examples like picking up a candle or simple grocery items. The point is to show consideration, not to bring a centerpiece or compete with the host.

Plus-ones require permission

Another recurring issue is unexpected guests. The guidance is direct: ask before bringing a plus-one. Do not assume the host can accommodate additional people, and do not show up with multiple extra guests.

This is presented as basic coordination rather than personal preference. A host may have seating, food quantities, and reservations structured around the expected group.

Punctuality is part of the agreement

They spend time on timing because dinner has a sequence: seating, ordering, courses, and conversation flow. Arriving very late changes the meal for everyone.

“If you’re not going to make it, just stay home… and it’s okay.”

The suggested approach is: if you realize you will be very late, cancel rather than arrive near the end of a seated meal. They describe late arrivals as shifting attention to the late guest and forcing the group to restart context.

Related to this is the idea that trying matters. If you intended to attend and could not make it work, you can follow up later. But the priority during the dinner is the group’s experience, not your late entrance.

The shared bill question: handle it quietly

Group dinners frequently end with a shared check. Nicole’s view is that the current expectation in many group settings is an equal split. She frames payment as participation in a shared experience rather than a strict tally of what each person ate.

“You’re not paying for what you consume. You’re paying for an experience.”

At the same time, they recognize that sometimes a separate check is needed. The recommended method is to request it privately from the server rather than announcing it to the table.

“You very kindly say to the waiter, ‘I’d like to have my own bill.’ You don’t need to announce it to anyone else.”

The underlying goal is to reduce friction. If you need a different arrangement, solve it through the service process, not through a group debate.

Budget boundaries matter, and you don’t need to narrate them

They connect bill etiquette to budgeting. The transcript includes specific numbers as examples: in high-cost metro areas, group dinners can easily reach a minimum per person amount, and even casual dinners can still add up. Their point is not to standardize costs by city, but to encourage planning.

“You can’t go to all the dinners.”

That line functions as permission to set boundaries. Budgeting is framed as a personal decision. You can decline invitations, choose fewer dinners per month, or select lower-cost options without announcing the reasons in detail.

They also mention a broader approach: be clear with yourself about how you want to spend money, then make decisions accordingly. The emphasis is on internal clarity, not public explanation.

Hosting basics: communicate clearly and serve something

On hosting, they focus on fundamentals rather than elaborate menus. First comes setting expectations before people arrive: communicate dress guidance, whether the event is inside or outside, and how long it is likely to run. This helps guests plan and reduces uncertainty.

Once guests are there, they emphasize a basic hosting standard: have food and drinks available and offer them proactively.

“Don’t invite people to your house and not have any food.”

They repeat that this does not require cooking from scratch. Store-bought items arranged on a plate or board are acceptable. The idea is to make the guest feel considered.

They also discuss tableware choices. Their preference is to avoid plastic utensils when entertaining and instead use reusable silverware. The reasoning is practical: breakage and disposable settings change how the meal feels and how the host’s effort is perceived.

Group dynamics: don’t bring personal conflict into the room

They describe hosting as partly about curating a group that can share space. Even with planning, group chemistry can be unpredictable. Their advice is to keep the dinner focused on the group rather than using it as a venue for personal conflict.

If someone has had a difficult day, the transcript draws a line between two-person dinners (where that conversation may be appropriate) and group dinners (where it can dominate the table). The recommendation is to either reset before arriving or skip the event.

Leaving the party: say goodbye to the host, don’t overstay

They discuss departures in practical terms. You do not need to say goodbye to everyone, especially in larger gatherings, but you should say goodbye to the host.

They also offer a clear warning about overstaying. Even when a party feels relaxed, there is a point when the host is done hosting.

“You can’t overstay.”

The point is less about a strict clock and more about awareness. Hosts may not explicitly end the event, so guests need to recognize cues and leave without requiring the host to push them out.

One rule that can change the tone: avoid gossip

Near the end of the etiquette segment, they name one behavior they see as particularly damaging.

“Do not talk [ __ ] at a dinner. Save it for later.”

The guidance is straightforward: avoid negative talk about other people at the table. It can shift the mood and make others uncomfortable. If a topic needs to be discussed, do it elsewhere.

Trends, branding, and what people do with food now

The second half shifts to trends they have seen online and in culture.

They discuss an idea circulating online about sour gummy candy reducing panic symptoms. They describe mechanisms they have heard: a strong sour flavor can redirect attention, chewing can anchor breathing, and sugar can change energy. One line captures the logic they describe:

“If I can chew, I can breathe.”

They also mention the popularity of Swedish candy, describing it as a trend with distinct packaging and branding, and they note claims about ingredient differences because it comes from Europe. The transcript does not provide specific brand details.

They then talk about “retro food” returning—classic dishes associated with mid-century dining showing up in restaurants again. They list examples like deviled eggs, tableside Caesar, French onion soup, shrimp cocktail, and meatloaf. The point is not novelty; it is familiarity.

“Food is memories.”

Finally, they discuss luxury and fashion crossovers: branded sweets, holiday collaborations, high-priced gift formats like caviar calendars, and runway items inspired by food (including produce-themed accessories). Their framing is that some of these products are not designed for people who prioritize taste, but for collecting and gifting.

“It’s not about eating… it’s made for collectors.”

The broader takeaway: show up on purpose

In the closing, Nicole expands the etiquette conversation into a broader point about how people show up in relationships.

“It’s really about knowing who you want to be.”

She ties that to making choices consistently, valuing the people who matter, and recognizing that friendships change over time. She emphasizes having fewer relationships but investing more in the ones that remain.

“I don’t need as many people, but the people that I have around, I really love them.”

The host summarizes a similar point in terms of conduct: how you behave at the table reflects how you move through life. The episode’s practical guidance—decline politely, arrive prepared, handle money quietly, host with basics covered, and avoid gossip—serves as a checklist for reducing friction and keeping dinners functional.

And for Nicole, the lens is still the same: “Quality versus quantity.”

In this episode, host Anna Anisin speaks with Genevieve Paige Viller, a Miami-based designer and entrepreneur. Viller is the founder of Private Label Styles and Genevieve the Label, and she also operates a luxury consignment business in the same space. The discussion covers how she started, how she developed a custom design practice, how her business changed during COVID, and how she approaches the overlap between work and family.

From the ER to Entrepreneurship at 20

Viller says her interest in working for herself started early. “From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be self-employed.” She describes trying a healthcare path before moving fully into business. She worked in an emergency room for two years and remained close with people in that industry, but she decided it was not the environment she wanted long-term.

She connects her decision to the structure of employment and the kind of autonomy she wanted: “I want my freedom and I want to be able to work for myself and make money the way that I would want to.”

She left that role at 20 and began building what became her first company. “At 20 years old, leaving the ER, I decided to already start building my business.” Her first step was practical: “I started by building my website by myself.”

The First Boutique: Small Space, Direct Access to Clients

After launching online, she moved into a physical space quickly. Within six months, she opened a small boutique, around 200 square feet, inside a salon suite.

“It was about 200 square feet… It was tiny… and I made it work.”

The location mattered because it placed her near clients already spending time and money on beauty services. She describes how salon traffic translated into retail traffic: people would notice what she was doing while coming in for hair, nails, lashes, or other services, then return later to shop and try items on.

The setup wasn’t a traditional storefront, but it gave her visibility and proximity to a steady stream of potential customers. It also fit the stage of her business: small overhead, direct customer contact, and daily feedback on what people wanted.

Moving From Boutique Owner to Custom Designer

Viller’s move into custom design came through personal testing rather than formal training. She describes working with manufacturers and deciding to try the process on herself first.

“There’s no better person to test a design on than myself.”

When she needed a dress for a wedding, she sent a manufacturer a reference image and provided direction on what she wanted. She does not present herself as a technical maker. “I don’t know how to draw. I don’t know how to sew. It’s more of just like, here’s what I want to do.”

The result became a proof point for demand. She wore the dress, photographed it, and says it gained attention quickly. Over time, that original design reached a broader audience through editorial exposure: “This same dress… has been featured in multiple magazines… from the first dress I ever did, not knowing what I was doing.”

Aesthetic and Influences: Vintage Runway as a Reference Point

Viller describes her design perspective as consistent over time. “I’ve always been inspired by vintage runway.” In the conversation, she references older runway work and designers like Versace and Valentino. Her preferences include minimal color and a neutral palette.

She also describes an intention to avoid designing only for a Miami look. Instead, she wants designs that can work across contexts and customers: “I want it to be universal. I want it to be for everybody.”

That preference shapes how she talks about color choices (nude, black, white, and softer tones) and how she positions her brand for clients who may not share the same location or styling norms.

Designing Around the Client: Context, Body Type, and Communication

Custom design, in Viller’s description, begins with reading context and translating it into decisions. She talks about starting with the purpose of the garment and asking questions about the event: where it is, the time of day, how formal it is, and what the client’s comfort level looks like.

She also says she will not replicate a designer dress exactly. She prefers to work from inspiration and adapt it to the client and to what is materially possible. “I look at my client’s body type.” She ties that to honesty about what will and won’t work, while also keeping responsibility for the final outcome: “It’s my name behind what I’m designing.”

She describes this as a process that mixes styling with interpersonal skill. “There’s a lot of psychology behind sales and being confident with what you’re wearing.” In her framing, the role is not only to construct a garment but to manage expectations and guide decisions from the first meeting to the final fitting.

That also includes iteration. She describes the fitting process as a sequence where details may need to change based on how fabric sits on the body. Her standard is explicit: “I am not going to turn a dress into my client until they’re 100% satisfied.”

What Clients Are Buying: Confidence as the Product Outcome

When Anna asks what women are looking for in a custom piece, Viller points to expertise and confidence-building. She says clients come to her because they expect direct advice and trust her judgment.

She summarizes the end result in practical terms: “I’m selling confidence at the end of the day.” For her, the proof is visible when a client sees the final result in the mirror and their expression changes.

This is also tied to how small businesses grow. If clients leave satisfied, they tell others. In her view, confidence is not separate from marketing; it becomes part of how the business earns repeat work and referrals.

COVID, Business Shifts, and Personal Strain

Viller describes COVID as a point where fashion retail changed quickly. “The fashion industry changed completely overnight.” She says she had to pivot and change how the business operated: “I had to pivot. I had to change my business model.”

In the same part of the conversation, she also discusses personal losses while trying to build her family. “I’ve publicly said that I’ve had multiple miscarriages.” She describes the period as a balancing act – trying to maintain a business when shopping patterns collapsed, while also managing marriage and motherhood.

Balancing Motherhood and Business: No Fixed System

Viller is a mother of three boys and describes balance as unstable. “It’s very hard to balance, to be honest.” She says priorities include her children, her business, and her marriage, and the mix can shift depending on the day.

She mentions limited use of AI tools and describes relying mainly on routine and personal execution. Her description of how she keeps going is straightforward: “You just have to go.”

In the episode, she gives a concrete example of how compressed the schedule can be: after recording the podcast, she planned to pick up her children and leave for Disney the same night. The example is used to show how business obligations and family plans frequently sit next to each other without clear separation.

Cultural Background and Where Style Comes From

Anison asks about Viller’s Cuban and French heritage and how it affects her aesthetic. Viller explains her family history: grandparents born in Cuba, great-grandparents from France, and parents born in Cuba. She also mentions a grandfather who was a composer known in the Latin community.

She ties creativity to family professions as well: her father worked as a graphic designer and her mother as an interior designer.

In terms of design language, she explains the blend as a combination of two reference points: “The sophistication that comes from being a French woman, but then also the sex appeal of a Cuban woman.” In her framing, that mix maps to both silhouette and color choices.

Diversification: Custom, Consignment, Wholesale, Real Estate

Beyond custom work, Viller describes running a luxury consignment business called Reload (also referenced as We Love Miami). She lists the types of inventory she carries, including major luxury brands and high-value accessories.

She also describes diversifying across categories and revenue streams, including wholesale work and real estate. “I don’t put all my apples in one basket.” In her account, luxury resale has been performing strongly and is an important part of the current business mix.

Advice to People Starting a Brand

When asked what advice she would give to someone who wants to open a store or start a line, her answer is focused on action.

“You just got to do it.”

She explains that focusing too long on what could go wrong creates hesitation and can stop a project from starting at all. She also notes the importance of research and understanding basic steps, but returns to the same point: “Unless you start… you’re never going to do it.”

Closing: Style as a Practical Form of Identity

The episode ends with a “this or that” segment and a brief discussion of shoes as personal representation. Viller describes a high nude YSL heel as the shoe that represents her and explains why she values the combination of height, shape, and comfort. The conversation returns to the podcast’s theme: style as a choice that reflects identity, context, and intention.

What stands out across the discussion is not a single tactic but a pattern: start small, test ideas in real life, adjust based on feedback, and keep multiple paths open inside the business. The rest of the story is built through repetition of that approach across different phases—launch, growth, disruption, and expansion.

In this episode, the guest is Anna Schad. The host introduces her as “entrepreneur, investor, business advisor” and connects her work to leadership transitions: “Two platforms that help high-performing leaders, especially women, design what’s next…” 

What follows is a conversation that links style, leadership, and reinvention, with a focus on midlife transition and decision-making.

Observing the gap between success and fulfillment

Anna Schad describes starting her consulting practice about 25 years ago in San Francisco, working with leaders and founders around the Bay Area during the dot-com boom. From that vantage point, she says she noticed a recurring gap: “Success was just not always translating into personal enjoyment or personal fulfillment.”

At first, she treated that as normal. Later, she says she became a founder herself and began to recognize the pattern from a first-person perspective. She describes the pursuit of success as “a constant… hamster wheel… especially in Silicon Valley.” 

She connects this to a personal reference point. She describes her mother’s background and the constraints her mother faced, then points to the consequences of stress: “Constantly postponing living… [to] hit the next goal.” In her telling, the pattern is not only professional; it is a way of structuring life around the next milestone.

After her own company exit (described in the transcript as an acquisition), she returned to coaching founders and CEOs and says she saw the same dynamic again. She describes the formation of her work in response to that pattern, including a partnership: “He had created this program to help leaders design life.”

This is the foundation for the rest of the episode: if leaders use strategy and structure in business, what happens when they apply similar focus to personal decisions?

Midlife transition and what can block change

The host asks about a common theme she hears from many guests: women reaching a stage where they want more meaning, not only more success. Anna Schad responds by separating broader cultural change from women’s midlife transition.

On the broader context, she points to a shift toward meaning and purpose in the workforce after COVID. On midlife specifically, she describes it as an inflection point and references research she has been reading. In the transcript, she says: “There are physiological changes in a woman’s body… [that] propel this internal nudge to… reassess.”

She then names patterns that can hold women back when that reassessment begins:

• “The patterns I see the most are guilt.” She describes guilt as the feeling of not being allowed to want something different after reaching visible success.
  
• She also describes fear of losing status or position: “There’s a lot of worry… ‘what if I lose my place?’”
  
• She adds identity attachment: “There’s attachment to identity.”
  
• And she describes a time-based constraint: “What if it’s too late… to even pursue what feels right to me.”
  

These are not described as abstract concepts in the conversation. They show up as internal rules. She quotes a common internal argument: “I already have it all. Why am I even complaining?”

The host and guest also touch on realism versus limitation. In the transcript, the host says some things may be too late depending on the goal (e.g., Olympic-level sport), but the deeper question is whether it is too late to pursue a direction that fits.

Intention as a repeated prompt

The episode returns to intention as a guiding concept. When asked about naming, the guest explains that “[Sankalpa / sopa] means… intention in Sanskrit.” In the transcript, she ties this to a practical prompt she uses: “What’s your intention?”

This phrase connects earlier themes—identity, transition, pacing, and style—because it reframes decisions away from external expectation and toward deliberate choice.

Atmosphere and aesthetics as part of the process

The host asks how aesthetics and environment relate to transformation. The guest’s answer is that aesthetics are not superficial: “They’re not just decorative.”

She describes her clients as people who value quality and attention to detail because of what they have built in their careers. In that context, the environment becomes a signal that personal growth deserves equal investment: “We’re basically sending a signal… that their well-being… [deserves] the same level of care…”

The logic in the transcript is straightforward: people who have spent decades building professional excellence often respond to settings that match the level of care they are used to giving.

Style as “how I want to show up”

When asked about her own relationship to style, the guest describes it as a reflection of state and intention: “My style is… a reflection of how I’m feeling or how I want to show up…”

She contrasts earlier stages in her life with her current one. She describes a shift from structured choices to something looser after moving: “Now I’m in Miami everything is a little more flowy…”

She links style to leadership by emphasizing authenticity. Her phrasing is direct: “It has to have my own flavor.” She extends that idea to how she uses trends. She says she may draw from trends, but she assembles rather than copies: “Very rarely you’re going to see me… buy that exact outfit… I put it all together.”

The host later asks what she wears to feel grounded and what she has outgrown. The guest describes preferring clothes with movement and avoiding tightness. The transcript frames this as physical comfort and a sense of motion rather than a specific aesthetic prescription.

Presence and alignment: what clothing can change

The conversation then connects style to presence. The guest defines presence as attention to the current moment: “Presence… it’s the awareness that you have of the moment that you’re in.”

She then describes clothing as a factor that can affect how someone feels in that moment: “The clothing that you’re wearing can add or subtract from how you feel in that moment.”

In the transcript, the problem is not “dressing up” or “dressing down.” It is misalignment. She describes the pattern of “dress to impress,” then asks whether the person feels like themselves and can express personality through the clothes. When that does not happen, she says: “There is a lack of alignment there.”

She clarifies that when they talk about style, it is not about prescribing exact looks. It is about whether the clothes support self-expression and presence: “How can you bring yourself with the clothes that you’re wearing.”

Softening pace without losing edge

A key section of the episode addresses a common fear: if someone leaves a demanding role or slows down, do they lose their edge? The guest reframes the question by locating the source of the expectation: “Losing our edge… depends on where the expectations are coming from.”

She argues that if expectations are internal—your own standard for productivity, relevance, and contribution—you carry those regardless of title or role. If expectations are external, other people may interpret changes differently once you are no longer in their environment.

She connects this to identity attachment and status. In the transcript, she names a set of concerns that can drive fear: “When I leave that position… am I gonna get the same level of respect… admiration?”

She then defines what “softening” means in her framing. It does not mean dropping ambition: “We’re not saying… lose your ambition… It’s basically just finding an alignment…” The practical shift is about cadence: “You’re just finding a cadence that matches the two.”

This section ties back to the earlier “intention” prompt. If the goal is alignment, the measure is not speed alone. It is the fit between how you operate and what you are building.

Steps for reinvention: nudge, imagination, connection

Asked for steps to reinvention, the guest starts with what she calls a pre-step: “First don’t ignore the nudge…” In the transcript, the nudge is treated as a signal rather than something to dismiss.

She then focuses on imagination: “The most difficult things are imagining what’s possible…” (19:47–19:56) She contrasts imagination with copying what other people show online (19:56–20:07). The point is not that outside inspiration is wrong, but that reinvention requires internal exploration.

Her third recommendation is social support: “Connect with other women that are going through the same.” (20:12–20:16) She describes isolation as a factor that can intensify uncertainty. She also states: “It takes courage to pursue what’s right for us.”

Shoes as a concrete example: comfort, style, tradeoffs

The episode includes a shoes segment as part of the show format. The guest describes her shoes as unusual but functional: “They look strange but they actually are super comfortable.”

She describes them as a practical compromise: “They’re like walking shoes… but they have a little sense of style.” Later, the conversation returns to a familiar tradeoff in style decisions. The guest describes a day walking long distances in New York and summarizes the decision: “I was sacrificing comfort for looks…”

This segment mirrors the earlier discussion about alignment. What people wear can support presence, but it can also create friction if the choice is made for external impression while ignoring physical reality.

Closing: leaving “default mode”

At the end, the host summarizes the guest’s work as helping people build next chapters intentionally. The host frames the episode as a resource for listeners considering change and states: “We don’t have to keep living in default mode. We can design what comes next…”

The closing line ties the episode’s style theme to life design: “The most powerful thing you could wear is the life that fits you.”

The episode ends with a final prompt in the show’s format: the guest chooses a pair of shoes from the host’s closet that represent her. She chooses a red pair: “For sure. This right here, the red.”

40s Glamour, The Chef Nicole Way

There’s something about 1940s elegance that just speaks to my soul—the velvet banquettes, the candlelight, the champagne coupes, and a sense of hospitality that made dinner feel like a true event. This is my modern take on that golden-age magic: polished, nostalgic, intentional, and designed for nights you’ll remember.

Crudités, But Make It Hollywood

My version of a glamorous cocktail-hour moment: crisp endive, watermelon radish, slender haricots verts, baby carrots, and chilled cucumbers arranged like a painter’s palette. Served with bright green goddess, caramelized shallot dip that tastes richer than it should, and a little heat for balance. Clean, chic, quietly dramatic.

Deviled Eggs That Belong on a Silver Tray

If any dish deserves a starlet comeback, it’s this one—made colorful and luxe:

• Classic Dijon with chives blended right into the filling
• Salmon roe with lemon zest & dill — that glamorous coral pop
• Beet-tinted filling with chive for the perfect vintage pink

These are the kind of bites people snatch off the platter before you even set it down.

Shrimp Cocktail, The Icon

Colossal shrimp, perfectly poached and icy cold, with bright horseradish-forward cocktail sauce.

It’s the dish that quietly whispers: “We’re not here to play.

Caesar Salad, Tableside Energy

Whole romaine leaves, anchovy-garlic emulsion, Parmigiano, egg yolk, lemon, cracked pepper, and brioche croutons — all tossed and dressed tableside with a little ceremony. Because hospitality should feel personal.

Beef Wellington

This dish always feels like sliding into a velvet booth with someone who gets you.

Center-cut filet, mushroom duxelles, prosciutto, golden puff pastry, and a glossy red wine jus.

It’s indulgent, soulful, and confidently glamorous.

Lobster Thermidor

Decadent, French, and impossible not to love. Lobster in Cognac, Dijon, and tarragon cream, finished with Parmesan gratinée and served in its shell. The kind of dish that makes people sit up straighter.

Bananas Foster

Butter, brown sugar, rum, and fire. A tableside moment that brings the entire room to attention.

The smell alone feels nostalgic.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Silky, dark, balanced, and quietly confident. A spoonful of whipped cream and a bit of crunch make it perfection.

How to Style a 40s-Inspired Table

Elegant, Timeless, and Now — Without Spending a Fortune

Here’s the thing: glamour doesn’t require a massive budget. It requires intention.

This is exactly how I would set a supper-club-style table at home without going overboard:

Use Candles in Clusters

Tea lights, taper candles, mismatched holders — it does not matter. Low warm light is the quickest way to transform the mood.

Layer Neutrals With One Rich Accent

A cream or linen-white base with touches of black, gold, or deep ruby immediately feels 40s glam. Think napkins, a runner, or even a single bowl.

Mix Vintage Glassware With Modern Pieces

You don’t need a full set. One coupe, two cut-crystal glasses, a couple of everyday wine stems — together they create the perfect collected look.

Fresh Herbs Instead of Big Floral Arrangements

Rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley — $2 bunches that smell incredible and look chic in little glasses or bud vases. Bonus: they tie right into the food.

Elevate With Texture, Not Cost

A velvet ribbon around a napkin. A linen towel under a platter. A ceramic bowl instead of plastic.

Texture = luxury.

Serve Everything on Platters

Even simple dishes look elevated when they aren’t served in their cooking equipment. Big, small, mismatched — it all reads intentional.

The Final Touch: A Bowl of Citrus

Lemons or blood oranges in a low bowl add that old-Hollywood pop of color and cost almost nothing. It’s a trick I use constantly.

Glamour is not about perfection. It’s about atmosphere — and a table set with love, light, and good food is always elegant