Grace Lee: Grounded and growing in NYC

Grace Lee always dreamed of moving to NYC and working in fashion, but talks about the harsh truths of finding a great apartment too far away to finding out a mouse moved in. She started as a content creator and blogger in fashion ten years ago. Learn about her early fashion internships and start up jobs that led her to leave her full-time position to start a career in social media working with clients. She talks about the feeling of being on vacation from working at home with her family in quarantine and how her definition of success as a content creator has changed over time. 

Adrienne Jordan or AJeveryday has been a travel writer for almost a decade. She talks about how she still has consistent writing assignments but how the narrative is changing. Her features include National Geographic Traveler, CNN, Travel and Leisure, Afar, and Forbes. She is currently based just outside NYC in Newark, New Jersey and has lived in the NYC area since 2015. She explains the benefits of living here for travel writers and how to build your portfolio and differentiate yourself in this dream career path. Often glamorized, she shares her first free trip, what it’s really like to travel for free, and how she goes above and beyond for each assignment. While many start as bloggers before becoming published journalists, she explains why it has helped her to pursue journalism before she is now launching her personal brand. If you’ve ever wanted to be a travel writer or curious about what this career path is like, this talk is for you!  

Laura Chung is a New York based spiritual healer, motivational speaker, Reiki master, Kundalini Yoga Teacher and podcaster, her show is called Awaken and align. The list goes on. She has a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and worked 6 years in finance to get that Tribeca apartment. She quickly realized that the Carrie Bradshaw dream was not as wonderful as it seemed to be, so she quit her job in 2017 to travel nomadically. She’s back in New York and helps guide others through their awakening, healing, and transformation. She tackles difficult questions on how to deal with fear and anxiety and small NYC apartments during quarantine. 

Jessica Hirsch is a New York City food and travel photographer who founded CheatDayEats and YourRoomService. She worked as a math teacher for 7 years before becoming a fulltime creative in 2017. Listen as she shares which NYC foodie creatives she follows and her tips for taking better food photos. She explains how to capture quick food moments like a dripping egg yolk or ice cream cone. Find out which restaurants she’s heading to first when NYC’s quarantine ends. This epic food lightning round reveals her favorite foodie spots for pizza, ice cream, mac and cheese, bagels and so much more! 

Cole Riley came to New York to attend NYU a decade ago. He recently pivoted his company Founders Market to become Founders Give to organize the largest food drive in NYC history to support the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks about a new found respect for human connection and what healthcare workers do day in and day out. 

Madelyn Moon, yes that’s her real last name, calls herself a walking permission slip, soul igniter and devoted teacher. Maddy started her podcast 6 years ago, Mind Body Musings, which is a top-50 ranking self-improvement podcast. She is an author and a coach on a mission to unite opposite elements and help people fight perfectionism in eating and in life. One of my last guests Jen Morilla recommended I talk to her as she might be able to shed some light on this confusing time of anxiety and uncertainty. Maddy moved here over a year ago and currently lives in Brooklyn with her dog Ollie. Maddy admits that New York “sparked something inside me that had not been sparked before!” When everyone told her to move to LA she felt drawn to New York. Despite the abundance of things to do, she reminds us to find the stillness and peace in this city and to let pleasure lead you. Instead of making a list of places she needed to go, she has a note in her phone of New York adventures from her moving initiation to spending an entire day finding a bathroom. She keeps it real at this time of heartbreak to feel the feels and gives people permission to embrace this great pause. Check out Maddy's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-body-musings/id866031519Stay in touch please email if you have any questions: [email protected] Podcast blog: http://www.NYClocalguides.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nyclocalguidesYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jenniferobrien

Pinsi Lei went into labor on March 11th and gave birth two days later just as Covid-19 cases were escalating in New York. She was two weeks earlier than expected. With new hospital visitor rules and since her parents were forced into a 2-week self-quarantine, both of their parents did not meet their grandson in the hospital. Find out why she had to mostly take care of her baby by herself for the first few weeks and how she’s finding support virtually. Pinsi’s birth story was featured in Good Morning America and the NY Post. Hear her heart-warming story of how she became a new mother at a difficult time in New York history. She also shares her advice to others headed to the hospital soon or how friends of new mothers can celebrate moms on this unique Mother’s Day in 2020. 

Alex and Brian are the Nowhere Men, two best friends who believe everyone has a story to tell, especially a New Yorker. They document real New York stories from the DogFather, a former mafia enforcer turned animal rescuer, to how to manage coronavirus stress. They started their journey together at the Mongol Rally then did a 13-month trip from NYC to the bottom of South America. They now explore lesser known New York stories across all boroughs and walks of life. Have you ever wondered why the fruit vendors stay open late or what their business model is? Their Facebook videos cleverly answer these unique New York questions. From growing up in a commuter town to “studying abroad” for college away from New York just to come back to this city, they say there was never a possibility of living anywhere else in their minds. They think a New Yorker badge is eating at more than 10 dollar pizza places. Alex shares his worst apartment horror story complete with pigeon sounds. Brian shares his favorite Calvin and Hobbes quote “there’s never enough time for all the nothing in the world.” This quote has helped him let go of things that don’t matter in his apartment, like his guitar, which he hasn’t touched in years and helped him gain clarity during quarantine on things that matter most.  

Jeremy Jacobowitz aka Brunch Boys eats brunch for a living and was born in Brooklyn and now lives in Williamsburg. He is a food-loving creator and video host who usually shares his brunch from around the world. He talks about how Covid-19 is impacting his business, NYC restaurants and influencers without substance.  He also shares his favorite 3 places for brunch, bagels, burgers, pizza, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese. Listen to find out why he loves Japan, TikTok, and Monday Night Wrestling.

Kraig Adams is a minimalist New York YouTuber who creates cinematic silent hiking videos. He talks about what it’s like in NYC right now in quarantine and how we can still connect with our neighbors by visiting each other’s islands in animal crossing or petting dogs from 6 feet away. He shares his content strategy after having his YouTube hacked and how he views sponsorships, affiliates, and social media in general. He explains how he transitioned away from the Casey Neistat NYC vlog style to find his own voice. “It’s much easier and low risk to just copy what’s successful, it takes a bit more courage and more effort and work to take a leap and do something nobody else is doing.” We talk about the future of the handshake and what post-Covid-19 New York feel like.