The Messy Parts

She Was Called “Dumb.” Now Assia Grazioli-Venier Invests Millions in Women’s Health.

What if the hardest parts of your life were actually setting you up for something bigger? Assia Grazioli-Venier’s story is a powerful reminder that your worst moments don’t define you — what you do next does. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Assia shares with Maryam her journey through dyslexia, cancer, infertility, and major career pivots — and how she turned every setback into fuel. She opens up about building a venture capital fund, why women struggle to raise money, and what she wishes she knew about finance earlier in life. If you’ve ever doubted yourself or felt behind, this conversation will change how you see your story. 👉 Subscribe for more honest conversations about career pivots, resilience, and growth. Key Moments 00:00 - “I Thought I Was Dumb” 🧠 Assia reflects on growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia and how discovering it changed the trajectory of her life. 01:04 - The Pitching Mistake Women Make 💼 Assia and Maryam unpack why so many women begin pitches from a place of apology instead of confidence. 02:04 - “You’re Doing Them a Favor” 💰 Assia shares the mindset shift that transformed the way she approached fundraising and investing. 03:21 - The Miles Davis Quote That Defines Her Life 🎺 Assia explains why “It’s not the bad note, it’s the note you play after” became her guiding philosophy. 04:44 - Learning Money & Power the Hard Way 📈 Assia discusses entering tech and venture capital without understanding equity, finance, or negotiation. 08:21 - Why 98% of Capital Goes to Men 🚨 A candid conversation about venture capital, power structures, and why women are still underfunded. 13:26 - From the Italian Countryside to NYC 🌍 Assia shares her unconventional childhood growing up between rural Italy and Manhattan’s Upper East Side. 16:13 - “Dyslexia Is My Superpower” ⚡ She explains how dyslexia became one of her greatest strengths—and why mindset matters more than labels. 19:20 - The Accident That Changed Everything 🚕 After being hit by a taxi at 22, Assia’s original career path collapsed—and unexpectedly led her into tech. 23:13 - The Wild Early Days of Spotify 🎧 Assia recounts helping build Spotify during the early streaming era and why she believed in the future of music tech. 30:49 - The Cancer Diagnosis That Sparked Muse Capital ❤️ A breast cancer diagnosis led Assia to uncover shocking gaps in women’s healthcare—and ultimately launch her VC fund. 40:23 - How to AI-Proof Your Career 🤖 Assia shares her thoughts on the future of work, education, and the skills AI can’t replace. 41:36 - Advice for Anyone Struggling With Confidence 🌱 Her perspective on confidence, self-doubt, and why knowledge and work ethic matter more than perfection. 42:00 - “It’s Going to Be More Than Okay” ✨ Assia reflects on infertility, resilience, and why life’s messiest moments can become your greatest gifts. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463801/fan_mail/new] Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com [hello@themessypartspodcast.com] To stay up to date with The Messy Parts [https://themessypartspodcast.com/] and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themessypartspodcast/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryambanikarim/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMessyParts]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-messy-parts/id1804155142] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3rMFKKEzK8fgKBwBPqP4HI?si=899c6a4d61ba41e5] or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

Her Mother and Grandmother Said Nothing. Belle Burden Broke the Silence.

Belle Burden was raised in a family where you simply did not talk about the messy parts. So when her husband left without explanation during COVID lockdown — and then asked her to tell people it was amicable — something in her snapped. In this episode, the New York Times bestselling author of “Strangers” tells Maryam about the moment she chose radical honesty over a managed narrative, and why that single decision changed everything. Belle and Maryam explore the eerie parallel between how betrayed spouses and laid-off professionals are both pressured to keep quiet and stay composed — and what it really costs us when we do. If you've ever swallowed your truth to make someone else comfortable, this one's for you.  👉 New episodes every week. Subscribe for more honest conversations that might change the way you see your own messy parts. Key Moments 0:00 - When the Earth Moves 🌍  Belle reflects on what it means to have your life upended without warning — and why the only way through is one slow, deliberate step at a time. 1:40 - The Unexpected Bestseller 🚀  Belle reveals she expected her book to sell fewer than 7,000 copies — and is now in its ninth printing, reaching readers far beyond the divorced women she imagined. 3:22 - "I Thought I Was the Only One" 💔  Belle describes the flood of messages from strangers sharing almost identical stories of sudden, unexplained abandonment — and why these stories stay hidden. 5:17 - The Harvard Moment That Changed Everything ✍️  A cruel comment from a senior student convinced Belle she couldn't write — and she believed it for 30 years. 7:00 - Growing Up Paley 👑  Belle paints a picture of her unusual childhood — the granddaughter of style icon Babe Paley, yet quietly lonely, nerdy, and never quite fitting in. 10:22 - Breaking the Pattern She Never Could 💍  Belle explains how she consciously chose a mild-mannered husband to escape her family's legacy of infidelity — and how spectacularly that plan unraveled. 13:24 - The Prenup She Didn't Tell Anyone About 💸  Two weeks before her wedding, Belle was convinced to change her prenup — and didn't tell her mother, her lawyer, or her brother. 23:46 - The Sandwich 🥪  The most talked-about moment in the book: Belle makes her husband a sandwich as he tells their daughters he's leaving — and explains what it actually meant. 28:51 - Don't Make a Scene 🤐  Belle and Maryam unpack the eerie parallel between how women are pressured to stay composed after a husband walks out and how laid-off employees are managed into silence. 36:43 - Breaking the Generational Silence 🔇  Belle describes delivering the manuscript to her mother on Thanksgiving — and the phone call she received within 24 hours that changed their relationship forever. 45:19 - What She Knows Now 🌅  Belle reflects on what she's discovered about herself on the other side: a writer, a stronger woman, and someone far less fragile than she ever believed. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463801/fan_mail/new] Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com [hello@themessypartspodcast.com] To stay up to date with The Messy Parts [https://themessypartspodcast.com/] and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themessypartspodcast/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryambanikarim/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMessyParts]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-messy-parts/id1804155142] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3rMFKKEzK8fgKBwBPqP4HI?si=899c6a4d61ba41e5] or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

Bevy Smith Climbed the Ladder, Looked Around — and Jumped Off

What does it take to walk away from a six-figure career with no plan, go broke, and come out the other side with a Bravo show, an Amazon Prime series, and a Broadway stage credit? In this episode of The Messy Parts, the one and only Bevy Smith tells Maryam about growing up in Central Harlem, cutting her teeth in luxury fashion advertising, landing at Vibe and Rolling Stone, and then walking away from all of it to start over — completely sure she was making the right call. Find out what caused Bevy to realize her dream had become a nightmare, how she built Dinner with Bevy from nothing, and why she didn't book her first acting gig until she was 56. Plus: the sheer shirt/mink coat job interview, telling Vibe she couldn't fly coach, and what her mom taught her about men. If you've ever felt restless at the top, this one's for you. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss a messy story. Key Moments 00:00 - Freedom Over Money 💸  Bevy opens with a bold declaration: she quit her six-figure fashion career at 29 because freedom has always mattered more to her than a paycheck. 01:47 - The Hamlet of Harlem 🏙️  Bevy explains why she calls herself "from the Hamlet of Harlem" — and why knowing exactly where you're from is the foundation of everything. 03:08 - The Barmaids Who Made Her 🍸  Bevy traces her entire hosting style back to the glamorous barmaids at the Dunbar Tavern on her block — the original glam pusses who made everyone feel welcome. 05:46 - How She Stole Her Own Job 📞  The legendary story of how Bevy, as a temp receptionist, told every caller the position was already filled — and ended up getting hired for it herself. 13:53 - Selling Fashion to Vibe 🎤  Bevy reveals how she landed luxury brands like Gucci and Prada in Vibe Magazine — not with data decks, but by telling the story of Black style as a cultural birthright rooted in the Civil Rights era. 23:02 - The Rolling Stone Interview Outfit 🐆  Bevy walks into a job interview at Rolling Stone in a mink coat, an Hermès scarf, and a sheer blouse — and explains exactly why she dressed that way. 28:37 - The Milan Breakdown 😭  The pivotal moment: alone in a luxury hotel suite in Milan, surrounded by gifts from fashion houses, Bevy collapses into tears and realizes her dream has become a nightmare. 31:32 - Broke But Not Broken 🙏  After two years of world travel, acting classes, and creative pursuits, Bevy hits rock bottom financially — and describes it as the most blissful period of her life. 33:38 - How Bravo Found Bevy 📺  The surprisingly casual chain of events — a friend, a phone call, Andy Cohen on Fire Island — that led to Bevy landing on national television. 41:22 - It Gets Greater Later 🌟 Bevy explains her signature mantra, pointing to her first acting gig at 56 that turned into three seasons on Amazon Prime's Harlem as proof. 43:57 - Rapid Fire with Bevy 🔥  Messy moments, last time Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463801/fan_mail/new] Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com [hello@themessypartspodcast.com] To stay up to date with The Messy Parts [https://themessypartspodcast.com/] and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themessypartspodcast/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryambanikarim/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMessyParts]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-messy-parts/id1804155142] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3rMFKKEzK8fgKBwBPqP4HI?si=899c6a4d61ba41e5] or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

Joanna Coles: The Career Advice Feminism Never Gave You

Joanna Coles built one of the most storied careers in media — from editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan to running The Daily Beast. So when she says feminism got it wrong, people listen. In this episode, Joanna challenges assumptions about ambition, motherhood, and what a successful life actually looks like. She reveals why curiosity — not ambition — drove every major career move she made, what she wishes someone had told her at 28, and why the "have it all" conversation has been missing its most important ingredient. Plus: the moment she knew it was time to walk away from Hearst after 12 years, and what reinvention really looks like from the inside. 🔔 Subscribe to The Messy Parts — where real success stories include the parts that didn't go according to plan. Key Moments:  0:00 - The Boss Perk Nobody Talks About 💼  Joanna drops straight into one of her most practical pieces of advice — why being the boss isn't about power. 1:16 - The Taxi Ambush 🚕  Joanna recounts the audacious moment she drag-raced up Park Avenue and leapt into a CEO's car to ask for a job. 2:34 - "Feminism Got It Wrong" 🔥  Joanna unpacks her viral take — why she believes the feminist movement failed to celebrate motherhood. 5:46 - From Yorkshire to New York 🌍  Joanna traces her journey from growing up in "the Texas of Britain" to becoming the Guardian's New York bureau chief — and why she never went back. 8:15 - Curiosity Over Ambition 💡  Joanna rejects the label of "ambitious" entirely — and makes the case that curiosity is the real engine behind a big career. 13:29 - The End of the Magazine Era 📰  Joanna reflects on the bittersweet experience of leading iconic magazines while watching the industry she loved change forever. 20:38 - Getting Bypassed for the Top Job ⚡  Joanna opens up about being passed over for the CEO role at Hearst, and the very public, very boss way she chose to make her exit on a treadmill desk. 22:43 - The Portfolio Phase 🔄  Joanna and Maryam get real about the messy in-between — board seats, SPACs, and the disorienting freedom of not having one defining job title anymore. 27:12 - Walking Away from Her Marriage 💔  After 28 years and two sons, Joanna reflects candidly on ending her marriage — and why she rejects the word "failure" when it comes to long relationships. 30:13 - AI & The Future of News 🤖  Joanna shares what excites and worries her about AI, how The Daily Beast is using it, and why she's glad it still can't predict the news. 39:40 - Rapid Fire with Joanna ⚡  Alternate careers, the last time she cried, and the one fashion choice she'd erase from history — Joanna closes out with her most unfiltered answers yet. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463801/fan_mail/new] Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com [hello@themessypartspodcast.com] To stay up to date with The Messy Parts [https://themessypartspodcast.com/] and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themessypartspodcast/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryambanikarim/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMessyParts]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-messy-parts/id1804155142] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3rMFKKEzK8fgKBwBPqP4HI?si=899c6a4d61ba41e5] or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

Rapid Response: The "Most Stressed" Wellness CEO, with Calm's David Ko

Today we're dropping something a little different into your feed: a conversation from our friends at the Rapid Response podcast. Maryam was a guest on the show recently with host Bob Safian, but in the episode you’re about to hear, Bob sits down with David Ko, the CEO of Calm — the mental health and wellness app with more than 180 million downloads — right as he's announcing he's stepping down. Ko unpacks why he made the call, what the relentless pressure of the C-suite really does to a person, and how to draw the line between the kind of stress that sharpens you and the kind that quietly breaks you down. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463801/fan_mail/new] Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com [hello@themessypartspodcast.com] To stay up to date with The Messy Parts [https://themessypartspodcast.com/] and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themessypartspodcast/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryambanikarim/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMessyParts]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-messy-parts/id1804155142] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3rMFKKEzK8fgKBwBPqP4HI?si=899c6a4d61ba41e5] or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.