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The Gravitas Podcast

Anna Fata Shemin 3 Episodes Aug 11, 2026

After WWII, photographer Slim Aarons shifted from war photography to capturing attractive people in beautiful settings. Host Anna Fata Shemin explores what gave these individuals a sense of purpose and meaning. Drawing from her own career in diplomacy, nonprofits, and business, she interviews accomplished people about their deeper motivations. Each episode seeks to uncover the 'bigger why' behind their lives and work.

Episodes

Ep. 03 - Windows Into the Sacred: Elizabeth Lev on Vatican Art, Contested Popes & Her Own Road Aug 11, 2026 00:43:15 Art isn't merely decoration, it is communication. For centuries, the Catholic Church and other patrons invested fortunes in artists like Michelangelo, Raphael, and Caravaggio because art has been such a powerful language across centuries, and it is still the case today.I sit down with Elizabeth Lev, one of the most notable Vatican art historians of our time. We talk about the responsibility and jo

Ep. 02 - Everybody Inherits Something: Bogumil Baranowski on Money, Mortality & Living a Rich Life Jun 23, 2026 00:39:58 "Old money" is more than a TikTok aesthetic trend. There are real lessons to learn from the families who cultivate generational wealth, and they go far beyond the money.This week I sit down with Bogumil Baranowski, a Polish-born investor who came to New York to live the American dream and has spent two decades managing wealth for families. He's the author of four books, a TEDx speaker, and the hos

Ep. 01 - A Reason to Sing: Mary Beth Nelson Zaros on Opera, Art & Motherhood | The Gravitas Podcast May 12, 2026 00:43:56 Welcome to the very first episode of The Gravitas Podcast! Join me in entering other people’s worlds to explore what gives their lives substance, meaning and purpose. Our inaugural guest is Mary Beth Nelson Zaros, a mezzo-soprano who makes her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York this week in El Ultimo Sueño de Frida y Diego. But what she finds even more meaningful is her new role as mothe

The Gravitas Podcast - Official Trailer May 11, 2026 00:01:35 After WWII, the decorated American war photographer Slim Aarons was done photographing destruction. He decided to dedicate his life to photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places. His photography is iconic but what he missed is far more interesting to me. What did they believe in, what drove them, what made their lives feel meaningful?I’ve spent my career moving

The Gravitas Podcast

Episodes

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