Pull It Together

Arpana Rayamajhi is a Nepalese artist, jeweler + actor currently creating in New York. I was lucky enough to sit down with Arpana during a pivotal moment in not only her career, but her life. Arpana vulnerably shares the many lessons and hardships of this past year and how she’s working through it all. We chat about her upbringing, what it was like to be raised by artists while also growing up in a country where the arts are valued culturally but not seen as a viable means of income. We explore what happens to creativity when it collides with grief. And Arpana expresses how getting to know herself better allowed her to know the world better. This is an incredibly special conversation and is perfect for anyone who’s going through one of life's many transitions.

Tonya Papanikolov is the magical human behind my absolute favorite medicinal mushroom company Rainbo. Rainbo is inspired by a reverence for nature + its healing properties and a desire to reconnect people back to this innate wisdom. Tonya has been on a healing journey since she was 16 years old and has devoted her life’s work to helping people become healthier and more vibrant versions of themselves through functional nutrition, lifestyle and mycotherapy. Today Tonya opens up about her own healing journey with fungi. She shares how we can begin incorporating fungi into our lives and reveals how mushrooms are saving our planet.

Jenna Levine turned a childhood passion into a career when she started her line of non-toxic skincare, LINNE Botanicals. Today she shares how following her curiosity led to discovering her true calling. What makes Jenna’s approach to skincare stand out to me is her mindset about feeding your skin like you would feed your body. She focuses on promoting your skin’s health while also promoting the health of our planet. In our conversation We discuss the science behind the botanicals she uses, how they have impacted her life and her career, and why it’s so important for city dwellers to have natural touch points in their daily lives. Jenna also debunks some common skincare myths and helps educate us on sun protection.

Laura Silverman is a creative director and the founding naturalist of The Outside Institute - a gem located in the Catskills that connects people to the healing and transformative powers of Nature through guided hikes, foraging, wildcrafting workshops and botanical mixology. Laura’s desire to share her deep love of Nature inspired this venture. By nurturing humanity’s innate affinity for the wild, she hopes to inspire joyful awareness and an essential reciprocity between all beings. The Outside Institute, has published two volumes of its Field Guide to the Hudson & Upper Delaware Valleys and is about to release their third. In today’s conversation Laura shares her personal relationship with Nature and what we can gain by embracing our childlike exploration of the natural world. We discuss nature as our biggest mirror and How to be in a reciprocal relationship with the land.

Alyssa Benjamin Is a writer, brand strategist and host of Our Nature. As Alyssa describes it….We have a biological need to connect with our environment. And yet, so many of us, have distanced ourselves from nature, favoring the comforts that technology and modern culture bring us. She began to notice the further we are from the natural world, the further we are from ourselves, and in turn, the less healthy, less happy we are in general. She created Our Nature to change that. Today Alyssa shares her experience of returning to nature or what she calls “The Great Remembering”. We chat about the importance of experiencing nature in community, and the difference between being in nature and being connected to nature . We also explore how the natural world is our greatest teacher, and Alyssa expresses how challenging her ego allowed her to feel the truth of her aliveness.

Tara Thomas is a chef + consultant working to decolonize food systems. Tara is a true believer that food can be our greatest catalyst to combat social, environmental, and health issues. In this conversation Tara shares how investing in a culinary experiences at its core is investing in culture and helps clarify the difference between inspiration and appropriation. She speaks on the importance of food sustainability and how we can move as a society away from wealth to balance and equity. Though this year has been full of challenges, it has helped Tara unlock her souls purpose - to nourish people, and inspire people to eat.

Nitsa Citrine is is an artist, alchemist, photographer, and host of the podcast Soundfood. She grew up at the Esalen Institute - a creative community near Big Sur. I was so curious about Nitsa’s childhood and how growing up surrounded in wellness and healing arts impacted the path her life took as an adult. We of course talk about adaptogens, herbs, and nourishment of all kinds, but I think my favorite part of our conversation is when Nitsa dives into what it means to really be “in tune” with our bodies. We talk a lot about learning to decipher what fills you up from what drains you, and this conversation truly filled me up and recharged my creative spirits. I know y’all are going to love it!

After starting out as a writer and editor, Verena von Pfetten was craving something new. With her co-founder, David, they started the print publication Gossamer. If you are unfamiliar with gossamer you are in for a real treat. Gossamer is a lifestyle brand + print publication that looks at the world through a green lens. They explore the world of travel, design, art, culture, and food through channeling the mindset of someone having their best high. Verena has been featured in the New York Times, Marie Claire, Goop, Town & Country, and Bustle for her work in the cannabis space. In this conversation we chat about the intersection of wellness and cannabis, the cultural implications of cannabis and the disparity around who gets to participate in the field. Verena also speaks on the evolution of Gossamer and how working in this “green space” has opened up new portals to her creativity.

Kerrilynn Pamer is the co-founder of natural beauty store CAP Beauty and the co-author of the bestselling book “High Vibrational Beauty,” which combines mantras, meditation, natural skincare recipes, and practices with the aim of helping you achieve natural radiance. She’s inspired by a simple philosophy: “Beauty is Wellness. Wellness is Beauty.” In this conversation Kerrilynn speaks on our sensitivity to environment + why it’s essential to cultivate moments of beauty in our day to day lives. We dive into the language we use in wellness and what “beauty” really means beyond the vapid definition. Kerrilynn shares the personal practices that bring her back to self, and the importance of allowing space for our rituals to evolve.

Today we sit down with writer, creator and the Queen of Breakfast herself, Emily Elyse Miller. Emily is the founder of Off Limits - a cereal brand that is taking breakfast to a whole new level. After releasing a successful cookbook based around her series The Breakfast Club, Emily Set out to launch a new kind of brand that combined her love for breakfast food and art, while centering important topics like humanity, inclusivity and mental health. Emily shares how her travels around the world have impacted her approach to life and food. We also chat about what we can gain (and give) by meeting in the morning hours, and the unexpected turning point that helped her launch Off Limits.

I sat down with Megan at a really interesting moment in time - both professionally and personally. She is located in Texas and our chat takes place just as the weather is calming down and her community is beginning to deal with the aftermath of the recent traumas. This brought out a really beautiful conversation on the hierarchy of our needs as humans. We also dive deep into the process of evolution - the evolution of friendships, the evolution of a business…and how Cultivating meaningful relationships is really an extension of your relationship with self.

Amanda LaCount is a breathe of fresh air in the dance world. Having performed with Meghan Trainor, Rhianna, Lizzo, Katy Perry, and so many more, she is #BreakingTheStereoptype in an industry that desperately needs it. This conversation is a clear representation of what can happen when your purpose collides with your passion. Her fierce determination is not only inspiring but paving the way for others to do the same. Proving that if you’re a dancer, you have a dancer’s body.

Erin Allweiss co-founded No. 29 over 6 years ago before sustainability and impact were the buzzwords they are now. A media agency focusing on sustainability, she represents fashion brands, artists, organizations, and products from creators working to better the world. Erin also co-founded a new platform called Enough, which is highlights changemakers across industries who have had enough, but aren't giving up. She shares stories that challenge our understanding of business and brings in voices less heard who are actively trying to (as she says) unfuck the planet. In this conversation we learn how Erin’s upbringing in New Orleans shaped her journey with activism, and unpack the role of humanities in the sustainability movement.

Colleen Herman is a painter living and working in New York City. After years in, what I like to call, the “corporate creative world” Colleen found herself stuck in this cycle of productivity and began craving autonomy over her own creative practice. In this conversation colleen shares how she uses movement as a salve for creativity. We explore why art has the power to change the way we move throughout the world, and have a heart opening conversation on the importance of incorporating community in your creative practice.

Anna Lauren Tufekci is an award-winning producer and director. She has creatively driven and executed the production of feature film, television, branded and commercial content. She is also the Co-Executive Producer of KAL Media, an award-winning female development and production studio. AL became a mom during covid so one of my favorite things we discuss today is how motherhood has altered her relationship with creativity, and how that experience further instilled this deep desire for more female voices in film. We also chat about…

This week we chat with one of my favorite humans on the planet, Kelly Martin. Kelly and I met at one of the top musical theatre programs in the country. After graduating she was signed by the premier agent in NYC, but shortly after had a realization….this was not the life she wanted. So she packed her bags, and moved across the country to start fresh and break into the design industry. I was super excited to get Kelly on here. She opens up about what it was like to break from the norm and forge her own path. She shares about having agency over the creative pursuits in your life + the importance of doing work you're passionate about.

Attia Taylor is a writer, musician + founder of Womanly. Back in June when I decided I needed to be more intentional about my anti racism work, I began intentionally decolonizing the media I was taking in. This is how I came to find Womanly. Womanly is lifting up narratives that are often neglected by the typical women’s magazine. Their subjects include discrimination in the health care system, intergenerational concerns, and physical + sexual health and expression. Attia is a true champion of health through art and creative experiences. We sit down this week to chat community support, productivity, and stretching the limits of creativity.

One of the beautiful things about this past year has been seeing so many of my fellow performers really step into their power and explore their creativity in new and impactful ways. One of my friends who did this so effortlessly, was my girl Emma Degerstedt and her business partner Hannah Jewel Kohn. Prior to the shutdown Emma was in the Broadway bound production of Muriel’s Wedding and Hannah was in the National Tour of Frozen….maybe you’ve heard of it? With Broadway (and nearly all forms of theatre) shut down, both women found themselves looking for an artistic outlet. Emma was a nanny for a child with autism and began envisioning a series of live streams for kids with special needs. Hannah was looking for a way to bring together Broadway artists to perform in the midst of the pandemic. The two came together to create a new non-profit, Bringing You Broadway. In this conversation Emma and Hannah share how they’re using art and performance to give back. We openly discuss how Covid has affected the Broadway community, and how learning to trust our own barometer for success has allowed us to become more empowered women.

Ayesha Ophelia is the creator behind The Girlfriend Manifesto, a women's space for inspired living. Her personal manifesto consists of a strong sisterhood, spirituality, a radical self-love practice, and adventure. She is a passionate creator, writer, and visual artist who places an importance on dreaming. I was struck by so much of the wisdom Ayesha shared. We chat about giving yourself the gift of being in community, using your creativity find deeper meaning in the world and death. Not just death with a capital D, but life’s little deaths…the death of job, the death of a relationship, the death of a dream…. and the importance of creating ritual around these big thresholds. SPONSER | SkinOwl | Use code TOGETHER for 15% off at checkout INSTAGRAM | @pullittogetherpod WEBSITE | www.pullittogetherpod.com * Be sure to sign up for our upcoming workshop on Awakening Creativity - details on IG or at pullittogetherpod.com

Today we sit down with NYC-based pastry chef, writer, and activist Natasha Pickowicz. Natasha has ran the pastry programs at some of my most favorite NYC restaurants including Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar. Earlier this spring, she was announced as a Finalist for the 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Pastry Chef, her third year being nominated in that category. What really drew me to Natasha was her activism. Much of Natasha’s pastry work explores the relationship with baking and social justice, including ongoing collaborations with seminal NYC institutions like Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, God's Love We Deliver, and Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, for whom she helped produced a massive city-wide bake sale, raising over $150,000 between 2017-2019. This was a particularly fascinating conversation for me. Since covid hit last spring, I have been chatting with many creatives about navigating the losses within their respective industries. As you all know, I have a passion for food and eating, so I was particularly curious how this past year impacted my foodie friends. Natasha gives us a raw, unfiltered look into the culinary world. She shares how she’d like to see the restaurant industry evolve post covid, and how we can use loss to find opportunity. SkinOwl | use code TOGETHER for 15% off at www.skinowl.com Connect with us @pullittogetherpod