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The Messy Parts

The Messy Parts

with Maryam Banikarim 58 Episodes Aug 17, 2026

The Messy Parts is a weekly career advice podcast hosted by Maryam Banikarim. Each episode features honest, unfiltered conversations with influential leaders about the struggles and pivotal moments behind successful careers. Drawing on Maryam's extensive experience in media, hospitality, and tech, the show explores the messy realities of achieving success and offers real, vulnerable insights for anyone aiming to grow professionally.

Episodes

The Truth About Burnout No One Wants to Hear | Laura Mayer
The Truth About Burnout No One Wants to Hear | Laura Mayer Aug 17, 2026 2169 "I don't believe in burnout." That's Laura Mayer, podcast industry veteran and author of Tryhard, explaining why she's never really taken a break: not after a complicated pregnancy, not after quitting a stable executive job at ABC News, not ever. In this candid conversation with Maryam, Laura traces her try-hard tendencies back to a childhood spent tracking her mother&apos
Samantha Bee: Your Dream Job Will Suck. Do It Anyway.
Samantha Bee: Your Dream Job Will Suck. Do It Anyway. Aug 10, 2026 2305 "Even your dream job sucks." That's not cynicism — it's the most useful career advice Samantha Bee has. On this episode of The Messy Parts, she tells Maryam what 12 years at “The Daily Show” and running “Full Frontal” actually taught her: that no one hands you management training before you're leading 75 people, that public setbacks feel enormous and matter less than you t
No Plan, No Fear, No Quitting: Julie Gaines on Running NYC’s Coolest Store & Giving MS the Finger
No Plan, No Fear, No Quitting: Julie Gaines on Running NYC’s Coolest Store & Giving MS the Finger Aug 3, 2026 2514 She dug through filthy sub-basements in the Bowery looking for discarded restaurant ware — and built one of New York's most beloved stores. Julie Gaines, co-founder of Fishs Eddy, joins Maryam on the blue couch to talk about 40 years of messy parts: the husband who cheated and left for Florida (then Thailand), the three CEOs who didn't work out, and the MS diagnosis she now calls a &quot
She Got Cut From Pro Basketball in Sweden. Now Megan Griffith Runs Columbia's Best Team Ever.
She Got Cut From Pro Basketball in Sweden. Now Megan Griffith Runs Columbia's Best Team Ever. Jul 27, 2026 2452 "They cut me from that team." That's how Columbia women's basketball head coach Megan Griffith opens this episode of The Messy Parts — and it's just the beginning of her story. Megan tells Maryam about growing up a Chinese American kid in a homogeneous Pennsylvania suburb, playing for four different coaches in four years as a student at Columbia, and deciding to pursue a p
Why Selling TOMS Destroyed Blake Mycoskie’s Mental Health (And What Saved Him)
Why Selling TOMS Destroyed Blake Mycoskie’s Mental Health (And What Saved Him) Jul 20, 2026 2283 What really happens after a founder sells their company? Blake Mycoskie built one of the most recognized brands in the world at TOMS — and hit rock bottom the moment he walked away. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Blake talks candidly with Maryam about founder identity, the mental health crisis hiding behind big exits, and why more money and more success never made him feel like enough. He als
NYT Writer Susan Dominus: "I Couldn't Risk It"
NYT Writer Susan Dominus: "I Couldn't Risk It" Jul 13, 2026 2556 She's a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, a Yale lecturer, and one of the most celebrated journalists working today. So why does Susan Dominus still feel like she's figuring it out? In a candid conversation with Maryam, Susan gets into the imposter syndrome that nearly stopped her from calling herself a writer, the sibling rivalry that quietly shaped her ambition, and the care
Gary Vee: Forgiveness, Fear, and the $540 Million Mistake (Replay)
Gary Vee: Forgiveness, Fear, and the $540 Million Mistake (Replay) Jul 6, 2026 2956 In this re-release of one of our favorite episodes, Gary Vaynerchuk opens up to Maryam about fear, self-esteem, forgiveness, AI, leadership, and what he believes is a growing crisis of “late adulthood.” Gary shares why so many professionals feel stuck — not because of burnout, but because of insecurity and unresolved resentment. He breaks down his philosophy on kind candor vs. radical candor, why
"My Parents Would Have Rather I Been a Prostitute.” How Ayesha Nurdjaja Became a Celebrity Chef & Built NYC’s Hottest Restaurants
"My Parents Would Have Rather I Been a Prostitute.” How Ayesha Nurdjaja Became a Celebrity Chef & Built NYC’s Hottest Restaurants Jun 29, 2026 2994 What happens when you walk away from the career everyone expected you to have? Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja was on a path toward law school, working at a prestigious law firm and doing everything “right.” But something was missing. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Ayesha shares with Maryam how she left a promising legal career to pursue cooking, even when her parents stopped speaking to her and everyon
She Kept Hearing "No." At 60, Sari Botton Finally Found Her Audience.
She Kept Hearing "No." At 60, Sari Botton Finally Found Her Audience. Jun 22, 2026 2195 "No just means not right now." That's the philosophy that kept writer and Oldster founder Sari Botton going through decades of rejection before building one of Substack's most beloved magazines — at age 60. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Sari gets honest with Maryam about the messy middle: the identity searching, the failed attempts, the mean girls that never quite went aw
Bonnie Hammer Gave Her Boss the Finger. It Changed Her Career.
Bonnie Hammer Gave Her Boss the Finger. It Changed Her Career. Jun 15, 2026 2623 Bonnie Hammer ran 10 networks and two studios at NBCUniversal — but her career didn't start in a corner office. It started cleaning up dog poop on a kids' TV set. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Bonnie gets radically honest with Maryam about the moments that actually shaped her career: being passed over for the top job at NBC, negotiating her way into her own studio, saying yes to WW
Ed Sheeran, Pizza Rat & Getting Hacked: Rick McGuire on Running Subway Creatures and Loving New York
Ed Sheeran, Pizza Rat & Getting Hacked: Rick McGuire on Running Subway Creatures and Loving New York Jun 8, 2026 2409 What does it take to build one of New York City's most recognizable social media brands — from scratch, in secret, while working a day job? Subway Creatures founder Rick McGuire tells Maryam the whole story: from working at VH1 and MTV while quietly building Subway Creatures on the side to Pizza Rat, Ed Sheeran, and a very public account hack that brought him to tears and nearly took everythi
"I Don't Know How to Balance All of This": Faherty Co-Founder Kerry Docherty on Business, Marriage, and Choosing Yourself
"I Don't Know How to Balance All of This": Faherty Co-Founder Kerry Docherty on Business, Marriage, and Choosing Yourself Jun 1, 2026 2388 Kerry Docherty is a co-founder of Faherty, the surf lifestyle brand she built alongside her husband, his identical twin brother, and her mother-in-law. But behind the sun-soaked brand was a woman quietly carrying the weight of secrets — from childhood, from marriage, and from a business that nearly broke her. In this episode, Kerry opens up to Maryam about growing up in an Irish Catholic household

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