Founder of the gender fluid skincare brand Menos Mas, Annya Santana, joins me to talk about her wellness journey; growing up as the middle child of a family who emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx, high school days (bullying, acne, acting school), blossoming into who she is today, and repping for her community in the wellness space. +1 SEGMENT [family edition]: Being proud of our brothers Taking a chance and talking to people we used to be too shy to reach out to (and how...

Writer and digital anthropologist Alex Wolf joins me for her second time on #AIATLA (her first came on three years ago!). Since then, she left the company she started to become an artist. She catches me up on the process of publishing her first book, 'Resonate,' and first short documentary, #ATTN4$, pronounced "attention for sale." The essence of our conversation is how we manage out love/hate relationship with the internet, and maybe, how you can too.  Alex's first episode (wouldn't hurt...

After a long break, #AIATLA is back — and writer Jasmine Sanders joins me. She writes for Jezebel and her work appears in the New York Times, BuzzFeed News, Catapult and New York Magazine. Jasmine talks to me about her to desire to continue writing stories that illuminate and broaden how Black people are portrayed in media, how she continues to grow as a writer and the beauty aesthetics she admired while growing up.  +1 SEGMENT: - Late night trips to Sephora  - Tata Harper resurfacing...

Brooke DeVard, host of the Naked Beauty podcast, joins me! Brooke is a marketing and strategy specialist formerly of Viacom and now Instagram. She’s had an amazing career in media two far, including working in London, where she met her now husband. We talk about her life growing up on the Upper East Side of NYC, married life, our approaches to beauty and if it’s possible to have a soft spot for Soundcloud rappers. +1 SEGMENT: - My House on VICELAND and what the drag scene teaches us about...

On this episode, I sat down with Los Angeles Times reporter Tre’vell Anderson to talk about his work covering Black and LGBTQ Hollywood, growing up an military brat, and our current skincare faves. +1 SEGMENT: - Cardi B + Amara Le Negra - My Jade Roller. FIGHT ME. And you can sign up to receive my newsletter on what skincare routine here: https://www.dariansymone.com/skin-care Here's how you can contribute to the making of #AIATLA: d.rip/darian Follow Natalie on Twitter! @trevellanderson |...

Natalie James (also known as NJinLA) is a Los Angeles native who I met when I moved to the city. She’s a creative producer & music, travel and food writer. She's a radio host on NTS, DJ and is just getting started in A&R. We talk about her journey through therapy, how she got thrown into DJing, and what it's like growing up in LA as a (proud!) Mexican American. +1 SEGMENT: — Amanda of @idealblackfemale on IG — Erin Christovale (@erinzulie), Assistant Curator at the Hammer Museum...

Political strategist Symone Sanders is optimistic because most of the time, she has no choice but to be. She’s the former National Press Secretary of Bernie Sanders, and right now, she’s the youngest commentator on cable TV. We have a frank conversation about the past two years of her life, ageism, lux beaches and her beauty routines. +1 SEGMENT: — Lux beaches and being your full, bougie self The Ritz Carlton Here's how you can contribute to the making of #AIATLA: d.rip/darian Follow...

When I came across Somali-Swedish R&B singer Cherrie's breakout song 163 För Evigt, I needed to find a way to have her on my podcast. We talk about being a Black girl growing up in Finland and Sweden, how she and other artists in Sweden are putting R&B and rap on their music charts, and her upcoming album, which features two songs in English. Follow Cherrie on Twitter! @Chxrrie | IG! @chvrrie Follow Darian on Twitter! @dariansymone | IG! @darian Here's how you can contribute to the...

Live from SXSW in Austin, I interview film director and writer Sama'an Ashrawi about life growing up in Texas as a first generation Palestinian-American, working with some of Hip Hop’s legends, and the glory of velour suits. Follow Sama'an on Twitter! @SamaanAshrawi| IG! @sam3an Follow Darian on Twitter @dariansymone | IG: @darian Here's how you can contribute to the making of #AIATLA: d.rip/darian #AIATLA on iTunes: https://apple.co/2K11aH4 +1 SEGMENT: — Being comfortable with your...

Writer Lakin Starling joins me to talk about life growing in the neo-soul capital, some of her proudest work at The FADER and the sacred space she's creating during her own interviews. And! We talk about what we're using on our faces these days, (because #skincare) before I found out about The Ordinary founder's problematic and exhausting behavior: http://bit.ly/2tqt1gu Follow Lakin on Twitter: @lakinimani | IG: @_lakinimani Follow Darian on Twitter @dariansymone | IG: @darian Here's how...

Culture writer Ira Madison III blesses the show. He's at the Daily Beasts and hosts his own podcast, Keep It, for Cooked Media. We talk about the soaps he grew up watching, and dig into our favorite people, television and songs of 2017. Follow Ira on IG: @kingirairaira | Twitter: @ira Follow Darian on IG: @darian | Twitter: @dariansymone Find out how you can contribute to the making of #AIATLA! d.rip/darian Sudio headphones 15% discount for all #AIATLA listeners! goo.gl/27yFch +1...

Founder of Spiked Spin and spin instructor Briana Owens graces the podcast to talk about how her mission goes beyond wanting to help people feel good or empower them, but creating a space for people who are left out of the very experience boutique fitness scene — people of color. We talk about how Spiked Spin is more broadly a lifestyle brand and how hip hop cycling classes are only the beginning, different levels of friendship, and why we are really into this idea of being the best versions...

Author Bernice McFadden, whose novel "Book of Harlan" was recently optioned as a film and filmmaker Numa Perrier, who is working on a film and book based on her life titled "Jezebel" join me at Well-Read Black Girl's first festival in Brooklyn! We talk about why it seems more Black novels are being turned into films and how social media is keeping this Hollywood "moment" we're in around longer. We also touch on being a part of the creative process of a film based off your book, and why it can...

Artist and teacher André Singleton is in the studio! He’s the co-founder of Very Black — a project founded in unapologetic Black love and solidarity — and we talk about his life as an Afro-digital immigrant, his journey battling cancer, trips to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and what it means to be “very black." Follow André: IG: @theveryblackproject | Twitter: @vryblk Follow Darian: IG & Twitter: @dariansymone +1 SEGMENT The Bay Area The Pocket app as an archiving...

New York Times culture writer Sopan Deb joins me to talk about the intersection of politics and culture, covering Donald Trump on the campaign trial and how his stand up comedy fits (or doesn't) into his work as a journalist. +1 SEGMENT For right now being the best time for theatre, in a long time Jessica Williams and her new movie 'The Incredible Jessica James' on Netflix More #AIATLA episodes: theseam.co/aiatla Newsletter: bit.ly/1MR18RF

Melissa Kimble is the founder of #blkcreatives, a platform known for their explosive Twitter chats that helps young, Black creatives work through their goals, insecurities and wins. I talk to Melissa about her upbringing, big moments of growth for #blkcreatives, her time at Ebony magazine and what she’s focusing on right now. Twitter & IG: @Melissa_Kimble | blkcreatives.com Twitter & IG: @dariansymone +1 SEGMENT Drew of Chicago's enstru-mental.com clothing Summer BBQs Brown Girls...

This week,Yaya Mazurkevich Nuñez joins me. We talk about the drastic life changes that came with moving to the Bronx after a life in the Dominican Republic, her days in NYC’s nightlife and working the door at clubs downtown, her job now as an experiential producer at the agency Translation, how she feels about people, and why she’s taking back her hours in the salon. Twitter & IG: @ogyayaa Twitter & IG: @dariansymone +1 SEGMENT “I’ve been going through a big journey of self...

This week Transformation Expert and Self Love Specialist Chenoa Maxwell joins me. Chenoa discusses her transition from both acting and photography, growing up at an early age, significant shifts she's made both personally and professionally, and why she continues to defy people's expectations of her. **I want to flag that we talk about suicide and abuse in this episode for anyone who has a hard time listening to these subjects. twitter.com/chenoamaxwell | Instagram.com/chenoamaxwell |...

Vanity Fair Hollywood Writer Yohana Desta joins me! I reached out to Yohana after wanting to know more about her work as a writer in NYC covering Hollywood. We talk about the films she’s seen recently that really hit a nerve with her, her music writing aspirations and how nice it feels when the internet revives good moments. Sign up for the #AIATLA newsletter! bit.ly/1MR18RF Twitter: @yohanadesta | IG: @ydesta +1 SEGMENT Joe Biden’s college campaign against sexual assault That 2014...

Novelist, journalist and co-host of the podcast “Hey, Sis” Nicole Blades is here with me! Nicole and I talk about some of the cultural moments she remembers when coming up in the media industry. She’s getting ready to release her next book,'Have You Met Nora?’ — the story of a woman who is mixed race but passes as white — so I ask her about her writing process and how she chooses the stories she wants to tackle. We also talk about 'Big Little Lies' and telling adult women stories (no...

Writer, editor, author and critic Myles Johnson joins me to talk about his work, his recent move to NYC + why it was time, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN’ and what winning looks like, for him. Sign up for the #AIATLA newsletter! bit.ly/1MR18RF +1 SEGMENT Myles: Seamless Darian: Instacart Both of us: TIME Twitter + IG: @hausmuva

This week, writer and Associate Editor at Vulture/NYMag Hunter Harris joins me! If that names sound familiar, it's because Hunter was the first #AIATLA guest! She comes back to update us on what she's working on. We talk a lot of movies and why it is the lens at which she critiques our culture. We also talk about Congresswoman (and Auntie) Maxine Waters and her "second coming." +1 SEGMENT Sharon Stone's spoken word to Maxine Waters #MaskoffChallenge/#BlackGirlSymphony NEWSLETTER!...

6 x Emmy nominated TV host & producer, and style authority Kéla Walker joins me. I’ve known Kéla since I was in college, and on this episode, we talk about how we got to know each other, mentorship and what it takes for a mentor/mentee relationship to work, plus what is actually catching Kéla's attention in culture right now. Sign up for #AIATLA's newsletter and put yourself in the running to win a curated box of products either Darian or a guest has mentioned in a +1 segment:...

So. About two years ago I interviewed Yvette Noel-Schure who is Beyoncé’s publicist (and has formerly repped Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey, and Prince) for a project I never released. This week, I decided to release the interview on #AIATLA because so much of what Yvette talks about is still relevant today and she drops so many amazing gems. Full disclosure: I interned for Yvette at one point in my life during college. We talk about her upbringing in Grenada, moving to Brooklyn at...