Debbie Millman is a writer, designer, educator, artist, brand consultant and host of the podcast Design Matters.Design Matters is one of the world’s very first podcasts. Broadcasting independently for 19 years, the show is about how the world’s most creative people design the arc of their lives. On top of it all, she has authored 6 books, her latest one called Love Letter To a Garden comes out in April and is a definite shift from her previous works. Which is no surprise to me because Debbie is the very definition of evolution, constantly learning, changing, growing and all the while, having a blast.

Debbie recounts her journey as a OG podcaster and explains her process of preparing deeply researched interviews that uncover her guests' stories with authenticity and depth, emphasizing the importance of respect and engagement in meaningful conversations. Debbie also opens up about her latest book, Love Letter to a Garden, a visual and personal exploration of her quest to cultivate greenery in her life. She discusses how gardening became a source of connection and creativity during the pandemic and how this new venture has inspired her future projects.

We also talk about what makes New York City kids so unique, why we’re both glad we didn’t peak in high school, how she designed her high school prom, and why she is still keen to keep walking up the mountain.

• A Love Letter to Gardening: Debbie introduces her latest book + She shares how the project began during the pandemic and how it combines illustrations, photographs, and stories (2:53)
• The Mental Health Benefits of Nature: The therapeutic value of gardening + practical advice for beginners + how gardening has enriched Debbie’s creative process and daily routine (5:56)
• The Origins and Evolution of Design Matters: Debbie recounts the early days of Design Matters and describes its growth over 20 years + chapters of the podcast’s evolution (9:29)
• The Art of Interview: Debbie shares her approach to conducting meaningful interviews + She reveals the challenges of navigating interviews with unengaged guests and maintaining authenticity (12:27)
• Advice for Aspiring Podcasters: Debbie offers candid advice for podcasters, emphasizing the importance of passion, preparation, and perseverance + she advises maintaining a day job to sustain creative freedom and avoiding the pressure of chasing trends or chart (20:45)
• Debbie’s Creative Roots and New York City Upbringing: Reflecting on her childhood in New York City + how her high school and college experiences shaped her career path (24:39)
• Living a Creative Life Without Peaking: Debbie’s reflections on her ever-evolving career and her aspiration to continue climbing her creative "mountain." (38:36)
• Rapid Fast Round: (39:13)

Connect with Debbie Millman:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• X
• The Design Matters Podcast!
• Get Debbie’s books!

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

Nasreen Shahi is a well-known fashion and lifestyle influencer, celebrated for her vibrant online presence and a community of over half a million followers on social media. Through her platform, Hey Nasreen, she shares style inspiration, wellness tips, and personal insights, offering her audience an authentic look into her life.

Beyond her role as an influencer, Nasreen is a resilient advocate for breast cancer awareness. Diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer at 40, she has courageously shared her journey, empowering women by speaking openly about her health battles and challenging the cultural stigmas that often surround such diagnoses in South Asian communities.

In this episode, Nasreen speaks candidly about the emotional and physical toll her diagnosis has taken and describes her initial shock, especially given her healthy lifestyle before the diagnosis. She talks about her ongoing treatments, the challenges of choosing between different therapies, and the side effects she endures. Nasreen shares her perspective on the need for a more proactive approach to women’s health and highlights the lack of open discussion about breast cancer. She recounts stories of South Asian women who keep their diagnoses private due to cultural stigma, hoping to inspire others to speak openly and seek support. Nasreen also touches on the joys of motherhood and how her journey has led her to a more present and intentional life. Despite the challenges, she has continued her work as an influencer, driven by her desire to help others through her openness and authenticity.

• Living with a Metastatic Diagnosis: Nasreen describes the unexpectedness of her diagnosis + the early stages of treatment + living with metastatic breast cancer means being on indefinite therapy + importance of early detection + Nasreen opens up about the difficult side effects + the difficult choices patients face between various treatment options and the unpredictable effects of each therapy (2:56)
• A Proactive vs. Reactive Healthcare Approach: Contrasting the two approaches + how societal expectations often cause women to self-blame after a health diagnosis (8:00)
• Cultural Stigma in the South Asian Community: The cultural stigma surrounding breast cancer in the South Asian community + anecdotes of women who keep their diagnoses private out of fear + Nasreen urges more open conversations to break these stigmas + setting an example for the younger generation (10:52)
• The Things Cancer Can Teach: Nasreen reflects on how her experience has changed her perspective on life and motherhood (15:28)
• Navigating Work as an Influencer with Cancer: Explaining the flexibility needed to accommodate treatments + the support Nasreen receives from her audience and brands + emphasizing the importance of authenticity in her journey + Nasreen discusses moments of joy she has experienced + gratitude for the support network she has gained through sharing her journey (20:32)
• Rapid Fast Round (24:25)
• Final Reflections and Advice: Nasreen offers advice to listeners, encouraging them to let go of others’ judgments + the importance of breaking free from cultural shame (26:00)

Connect with Nasreen Shahi:

• Website
• Instagram
• TikTok

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

Davy Gardner started his career as an audio writer and creator whose work can be found on networks like Radiotopia, Wondery, and Audible, among others. He has won multiple awards and honors valuing his work as a writer in various genres such as comedy and audio drama. He was a playwright and performer for six years at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City.

For over two years now, Gardner has been the Head of Tribeca Audio and Curator of Audio Storytelling at Tribeca Enterprise. He made a great contribution to taking the “Film” out of the Tribeca Festival and pushing it further towards a multimedia festival that it has been for a while.

In this episode, Davy discusses the evolution of the Tribeca Festival into a multimedia event and emphasizes the importance of audio storytelling. He highlights the challenges independent podcasters face, such as discoverability, and the role of curatorial entities like Tribeca in promoting innovative content. He also shares his journey from writing for the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater to his current role, stressing the need for creative risks and the value of public recognition. Finally, reflects on personal experiences, including the impact of his mother's death and the importance of recognizing and managing feelings of being "tuckered out."

“I Don't Have A Billboard On Times Square”: The challenges that independent podcasters face + audio storytelling as an emerging genre parallel to what comes to everyone’s mind when podcasting is mentioned + the disproportionate recognition the audio art form gets in the public eye and ways entities such as Tribeca can play a role in this. (04:49)

Getting Audio On The Red Carpet: Emphasizing the importance of recognizing audio creators + getting the first Getty Image and the word out there about one’s podcast (14:12)

Improv Guided My Life: Davy explains how he got into performing after being on the writing side + how improv comedy got him out of depression after his mother’s passing + the way performing and improv can support a writer’s journey (17:45)

State of Podcasting and Independent Creators: Discussing the challenges of audio as a whole is going through for decades now + the importance of creative risk-taking while not being ruled by the money tap + Davey encourages independent creators to focus on their artistry and not get discouraged by financial difficulties (22:01)

Growing Up in New York City: Davy tells about his upbringing and experiences being a high schooler in NYC + NYC as a melting pot of people from diverse backgrounds + not ending up dead as a teenager and rubbing elbows with the Ivy League kids (28:39)

Attending The Happiest College: The challenges of adjusting to the new environment both literally and figuratively + forming career-defining connections throughout the years in college (35:55)

Being “tuckered out”: The way to sustain anything is if it brings you joy + no shame in being in and out of feeling “tuckered out” when there is a constant pressure of getting back to happy + Davy shares his experiences with grief and how they shaped his perspective on life (39:00)

Concert Highlights: Davy Gardner shares his experience seeing Arcade Fire and the impact it had on his career + having a complete concert experience while watching the live recording of LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yourself Clean" (48:42)

Connect with Davy Gardner:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Official website

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

“So much of what Bash and I do through our work is what we call this Revised Americana…we’ve had such a Euro-Centric what American storytelling is, but how can we change that narrative through the films that we make, through the commercials that we make, through all of the content that we put out there…I think Breakin’ was an opportunity to do that…”

Breakdancing? At the Olympics? Hell. Yes.

Today is a watershed moment for the @dynamicrockers and @rocksteadycrew1977 who were just kids at the time they created this dance movement in a NYC that was going through a tumultuous time.

Welcome to another special episode where I will be interviewing trailblazers from all backgrounds. Because let's face it, being Tuckered Out is universal.

Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart are known as the Brooklyn-based directing team JamsBash and have spent the last decade crafting award-winning TV shows, commercials, documentaries, music videos, and a film. They worked with people like Michael B. Jordan, Robert DeNiro, Mindy Kaling, Samuel L. Jackson- just to name a few.

Their work is driven by their innate desire to tell stories of the authentic American experience, infused with magical realism and rooted in a love of boundary-pushing design and classical filmmaking technique.

We discuss breakdance's origins and growth, its cultural relevance, and whether it should be considered sport, art, or both (it’s a topic my friends), how hiphop and breaking grew together in parallel, their relationship with art and storytelling, and all agreed that stories that begin and end in NYC are stories that could never happen anywhere else or be replicated anywhere else.

We dive into their latest documentary, "Breakin' On the One," they share their thoughts on the challenges of doing comedy in "sensitive times," the importance of preserving African American cultural heritage through dance, how communication through a cypher of movement it is such a beautifully uniquely black and brown thing, and what our Bboy names would be if we could all actual breakdance.

Mine is Trick Tucker.

Also, Bashan was attacked by a beetle during the interview. He survived.

• Early Creative Influences: Jamaal and Bashan's diverse backgrounds + family expectations influencing their creative careers (7:20)
• Finding their Place in the Creative Realm: The moment Jamaal and Bash discovered their calling for storytelling and filmmaking (12:00)
• Inclusivity, Humor, and Career Building: Making people laugh without offending them + transition from theater to film and TV + the importance of building long-term relationships with clients (27:00)
• "Breakin' On the One" and the NY Competitive Spirit: Creating a documentary on breakdance + New Yorkers against NY + breakdance as a life saver (38:20)
• Breakdance is Art or a Sport, its Global Spread: Jamaal details the European tour of breakdancing crews + the artistic elements of breakdance + acceptance of breakdance in Eurocentric cultures (48:30)

Connect with Jamall Parham:

• Visit Jams and Bash's website
• LinkedIn
• IMDb page

Connect with Bashan Aquart:

• LinkedIn
• IMDb page

Let's Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by

Ginni Media

Welcome to the first special episode where I will be interviewing trailblazers from all backgrounds. Because let's face it, being Tuckered Out is universal.

Bill Teck is a writer, producer, director, and the founder of the Generation ñ Media brand. His films include One Day Since Yesterday: Peter Bogdanovich & the Lost American Film (2014). A Cuban-American who grew up in Miami, Bill has been named by Newsweek Magazine as One of 20 Latinos to Watch and by Hispanic Business Magazine as One of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America.

His amazing new HBO documentary, Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple, had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. Chronicling the legendary Stevie Van Zandt, it features a wealth of never-before-seen footage that traces Van Zandt's career as a producer, musician, songwriter, activist, actor, and a whole lot more. For those who know Stevie best as consigliere to Bruce Springsteen and Tony Soprano, Bill beautifully captures the story of a true Renaissance man and amazing human being.

In this episode, Bill recalls his Miami days as an out-of-place rock and roll fan in a disco town, and we bond over our love of British invasion music. Bill dives deep into the making of the documentary, revealing the challenges of keeping up with a man who never stops creating and the thrill of finding lost footage that even Stevie didn’t know he had. Bill describes how Stevie’s driving force is his passion for rock ‘n’ roll as a force for social change. Finally, he shares what observing up close Stevie’s musical originality, his fifty-year-old marriage to Maureen, and his close lifelong relationships have taught him about life and himself.

Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple debuted on JUNE 22 (8:00 p.m.–10:25 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

• Talking Stevie Van Zandt: Falling in love with Stevie + the British invasion music scene + how Bruce Springsteen and Stevie “lived the legend” as lifelong friends (04:12)
• Landing the Dream Job: How Bill’s early love of Van Zandt inspired the documentary + the years of rejection before being accepted by Stevie’s “powerhouse” wife + being inspired by Stevie and Maureen’s touching relationship (08:53)
• Hanging out with the Legends: Learning the secret to a great band + talking Stevie with fans Bono and Paul McCartney + singing with Eddie Vedder at 4 a.m (10:41)
• Back in the Day: Bill misses wild rock stars flying everywhere, but welcomes the new diversity of voices in the music industry (13:58)
• “This Beard Was Not Gray When I Started:” Touring Barcelona one day and going to a trial in DC the next (15:57)
• Rock and Roll Evangelist: Bill reveals Stevie’s unique way of linking music to political change (17:40)
• The Unseen Stevie Van Zandt: Stevie and Maureen’s rock and roll wedding + film of the couple falling in love + the Stevie and Mandela tape lost in a drawer (19:50)
• Quiet Pioneer: How Stevie combined hip hop with punk before Run DMC and Aerosmith, and his Grammy-winning reggae song (22:39)
• Lessons Learned: Bill relates how observing Stevie taught him not to compromise in work (24:09)
• Stevie the Mensch: Convincing Stevie to appear in the film + filming Stevie with his family + Stevie inviting fans to eat with him + how Ami doesn’t mind Stevie wearing a Ganesh shirt (25:16)
• Lessons From Stevie: If your first dream dies, just stay with it, because you never know what's gonna happen + how even a two and half hour film doesn’t do justice to Stevie’s career (27:07)
• Miami and Music: Bill recalls reading Rolling Stone while his friends were into disco + learning to love all music + why the Smiths are so popular with Latinos (33:32)
• Concert Stories: Bill’s most epic concert + seeing Stevie and Bruce before Hollywood stars + how Bono stopped a fight at his concert (35:30)
• What Next for Bill: (40:01)

Connect with Bill

• billteck.com
• Bill's IMDb page

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

Anjali Virmani is the Global Head of Creative Solutions at Time Out Media. Shuttling between 10 global offices with a brief of 333 cities, she crafts and implements the Time Out global brand story, strategy, and identity, building bridges between the Time Out brand and its consumers globally.

Anjali’s passion for diversity, uniting, and empowering people of all ages and cultures shines through in her life and career. She sees her role at Time Out as a gateway to building bridges between brands and consumers and fostering connections worldwide. And she is in a unique position to unite diverse communities through the shared experiences of food, culture, and general joy.

Anjali shares her incredible journey from her childhood, always feeling out of place, to finally finding her home in New York and Time Out. She reveals the challenges and the exhilaration of managing the amazingly diverse Time Out brand. We dive deep into the evolving nature of DEI, race, and what it means to be South Asian for our generation compared to our parents. We go into breaking out of the mold of Good Indian Girl and the importance of learning new things. Finally, we reflect on being the freest South Asian generation and look forward to a new era of diversity for our children even if we still have a long way to go.

• The Lowdown on Time Out: Time Out’s story from its humble origins as a free magazine to its rise as a global brand + the excitement of creating food spaces and music festivals in Lisbon, Abu Dhabi. and New York + the challenges of appealing to Gen Z (5:38)
• Spreading the Time Out Message: The challenges of combining local, national, and global brands + traveling in Asia and Europe + future expansion of Time Out into Barcelona and Budapest (12:45)
• “Indians Come In All Shades, Right?”: Anjali shares her story of growing up in Manchester and the US as the only brown girl, not knowing if she’s white or black, and finding her voice in the “blonde hair” publishing world + the joy of living in New York and having a mix of everything + the shift from “multicultural” to “mainstream” marketing and uniting diverse cultures rather than emphasizing “otherness” (20:03)
• Our Parents and Us: Anjali on moving to the United States at 10 years old + Anjali and Ami envy their parents’ social lives and sense of community + how parents allow their children freedom while keeping them grounded + how the price of freedom can be loneliness (27:48)
• Back In The Day: - Anjali shares her early days of acting and tending bar and always wanting to do new things + backpacking and worrying her poor parents + how South Asian parents give their children freedom while keeping them grounded (31:13)
• Rapid Fast Round: (38:11)
• Anjali’s Bucket List: (39:39)

Connect with Anjali:

• LinkedIn Profile
• Time Out

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

Utkarsh Ambudkar, aka UTK, is an actor, rapper, and singer and is featured in the CBS hit show Ghosts. He is also known for his roles in Pitch Perfect, The Mindy Project, and Never Have I Ever.

Kaly, aka Kunal Patel, is a highly-respected rapper who has collaborated with artists such as Indian musical composer and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. As a side hustle, he also happens to be an attorney.

These guys have been friends forever, but they've never really worked together. Now, in collaboration with their producer, Shankar Tucker, they have released their independent seven-track EP titled Too Grown Men, exploring themes of heartbreak and struggle and defying stereotypes.

In this episode, we dive into the familiar theme of growing up on the fence between American and South Asian cultures, their own personal growth and experiences as artists, what they each bring to their music, and their plans for the future.

Utkarsh discusses his early years in the music scene with MTV Desi, the BTS of his epic Oscar Performance with Questlove, why he hasn't been to an ashram in India to find himself yet, and the potential plans for going on tour. Kaly tells me about growing up Jersey without any brown people around him, why he is a rappers rapper, how he still keeps his east coast roots living in LA, and what it has been like working with the legendary A.R. Rahman.

• The Story of Too Grown Men: Utkarsh and Kaly dive into the creation of the EP and the theme of growing up between cultures and achieving a sense of freedom + Don’t Care, the first album Utkarsh and Kaly worked on together + how Utkarsh’s writing compliments Kaly’s prolific output + getting married and having kids + their producer Shankar and white people who are more Indian than Indians (03:45)
• Back in the Day: Utkarsh talks about leaving college, VJing for MTV, and his first break + the early Indian music scene and meeting Karsh Kale and future Grammy winners Goldspot(13:10)
• Indian Music Scene: Kaly celebrates his good luck in working with A.R. Rahman + Punjabi rappers going viral on TikTok + Indian artists who now write for mainstream performers (16:52)
• Out on the Road: Utkarsh lays out his movie and TV schedule for the next six months + how he’d love to tour with Kaly and his wife + not getting enough Indian food in the White House + the age and beauty of Indian culture (19:01)
• Growing up Indian and American: Kaly talks about not growing up in India and seeing his relatives in India every six months + Ami and Utkarsh go deep into what makes a healthy attitude to being South Asian and American, proudly wear the flag on your chest or just relax and operate as a human being + Utkarsh describes being relaxed about taking roles originally for white and black people, and being less worried about what people think + Kaly and Ami discuss growing up brown and being ignored rather than discriminated against + the importance of a natural, organic pride in South Asian culture (23:40)
• Organic Chemistry in the Studio: The story of the song Bring in the 808s. From thinking up the first line driving into the studio to writing the whole song in less than an hour (30:53)
• Rapid Fast Round: Highlights include rapping at the Oscars, asking Tom Hanks' wife permission to use the restroom and changing in a janitor’s dressing room (35:24)

Connect with Utkarsh:

• Instagram
• IMDB page
  

Connect with Kaly:

• Instagram
• YouTube channel
  

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.