Not Alone

Valeria Lipovetsky

Welcome to "Not Alone," a podcast where we dive deep into the stories that shape us. Hosted by Valeria Lipovetsky, this space is dedicated to revealing the raw, often unspoken challenges faced by women from all walks of life. Each episode invites you to listen to heartfelt conversations with inspiring guests who open up about their personal battles, breakthroughs, and the lessons learned along the way. Follow Valeria on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok.

  1. 5 days ago

    At 39 I Had No Marriage, No Career, No Baby, and No Plan. By 44 I Had a Life I Never Imagined | Cat Pierce

    At thirty-nine, Cat Pierce had no marriage, no career, no baby, and no plan. If you did the math on her life the way we're all quietly taught to, she was failing. The music money was gone. The marriage was over. She had never been the one left before, and suddenly she was. And then she said the thing that made me put my pen down. Underneath all of it, she felt a flicker of freedom. Because for the first time she could admit she wasn't fulfilled, and now she got to build the life she actually wanted. I found Cat the way half the internet did, one of those videos where her whole inner monologue plays across her face without a word, and I've been a little mesmerized ever since. I wanted to know what she was drinking. Turns out the answer is a life she made twice. First act: signed at nineteen, fifteen years on the road with her sister, opening for Coldplay and Elton John, writing the song that became the sound of an entire generation. Second act, the one that got me: a beauty line she started while trying to conceive, a tarot deck she drew by hand and published, a New York Times feature, a memoir, and a daughter she had at forty-four with donor eggs and a husband she called in by writing him down on a list. None of it happened on the timeline she thought she was failing. That's the whole thing. We get into the rockstar years and what fifteen years of needing to be seen quietly did to her. The collapse, and the strange grace that grew out of it. Whether she believes we're all a little bit witches. And the line I keep repeating to every woman I know: you can miss every timeline you ever set for yourself and still land somewhere better than the place you were aiming. This is for the woman who watches everyone else hit the milestones and keeps quietly moving her own goalposts back. The one grieving a version of her life that never showed up, not yet realizing a completely different one already did. You are not behind. You are not late. You're just early to a life you haven't met yet. This is Cat Pierce. New episodes of Not Alone every Wednesday. Subscribe so you never miss one. FOLLOW CAT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcatdog Omen Beauty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omenbycatpierce Omen Beauty + The Omen Oracle Deck: https://omenbycatpierce.com/ FOLLOW VALERIA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerialipovetskyblog FOLLOW NOT ALONE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod Website: https://www.notalonepod.com/ Shop Valeria’s look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/7077651 Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/valerialipovetsky WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT 02:16 The timeline every woman is scared of 03:11 The video where her inner talk showed up on her face 05:23 Leno, Letterman, and the rockstar years 06:10 From nineteen to her mid-thirties 07:00 What the industry taught her about being seen 09:00 Learning to read a room and grab a crowd 11:18 Saying, “That’s actually not what I want” 13:07 Being asked to show up as herself now 15:44 We’re constantly healing 17:13 The breakup that broke her open 19:22 Thirty-nine, and everything gone at once 20:54 No one is coming to save you 22:00 The maternal instinct she didn’t expect 24:46 A real blow to the ego 25:53 Drawing the first tarot cards to survive it 27:36 Feeling like she had failed 28:47 Freezing eggs and the hot topic nobody says out loud 31:00 Writing it down and calling him in with a list 35:23 You can miss the timeline and still find a way 36:01 Starting Omen Beauty while trying to conceive 37:43 The new dream and the donor egg decision 40:00 What it actually costs, financially and otherwise 42:21 Growing into a different kind of mother 44:16 Happy with one and the sister comparison 45:17 The frequency, the knowing, and trusting herself 49:00 Tarot, oracle decks, and where the art came from 51:30 You need the dark soil to grow something good 53:58 Do you believe we’re all witches? 55:30 We have more power than we’re taught 58:19 Learning to be by yourself 59:22 The Disney story we were sold 01:00:17 Shockingly low maintenance 01:04:30 The memoir and connecting all the dots 01:08:46 To the woman who’s single, tired, and sure she’s behind 01:11:27 You might just be recharging 01:13:06 Rapid fire DISCLAIMER Some links in this description may be sponsor or affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a credit or commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 5 Aug

    I Think We've Made Ourselves Scared of Our Own Lives. Here's What I Keep Noticing

    I think I'm a little over the mental health conversation. I know how that sounds, so stay with me. I believe in therapy. It has helped me more than I can say, and I'll keep doing the work. This isn't about anxiety, or burnout, or real trauma. Those are their own conversations, and they matter. This is about something else, something that started out helpful and quietly turned into something I'm not sure is helping us anymore. Here's what I keep noticing. Every uncomfortable feeling has become a red flag. Every hard week has to mean something. We've built this whole vocabulary, attachment style, nervous system, activated, aligned, not aligned, and we've started reaching for it to describe a bad Wednesday. Somewhere in there we forgot the difference between something being hard and something being wrong. They feel almost the same in the body. They are not the same thing. So I get into how you actually tell them apart, because that's the muscle I think we've lost. Hard gets quieter when you sit with it. Wrong gets louder. Hard makes you bigger. Wrong makes you smaller. Hard moves through and ends. Wrong feels the same today as it did three months ago. And then I get honest about my own life, the modeling shoot at fourteen where I froze, the year I moved to Canada and was depressed the whole time and stayed anyway, marrying Gary at twenty-one through all the judgment, filming my first videos alone and cringing the entire time. If I'd read any of that as a sign to stop, I wouldn't have the life I have now. I'm not saying this from the other side of it. I'm in it this week, still catching myself calling something "not aligned" when the truth is I was just scared. But I'd rather be the woman who tried the thing and complained the whole way than the one who protected her peace so carefully she never learned anything about herself. There's a difference between protecting your peace and protecting your potential. This one's a developing conversation, and I want to keep having it with you. New episodes of Not Alone every Wednesday. Subscribe so you never miss one. Follow Valeria: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerialipovetskyblog Follow Not Alone: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod Podcast: https://www.notalonepod.com/ Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/6814030 Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/valerialipovetsky What we talked about: (1:03) I think I'm ready to say some truths (1:23) I'm a little over the mental health conversation (1:49) What I actually mean, and what I believe in (2:11) The stuff I'm not talking about: anxiety, burnout, real trauma (2:46) Every uncomfortable feeling has become a red flag (3:04) The whole vocabulary we've built (3:46) Borrowing that language for things that are just hard (4:46) We're making ourselves scared of our own lives (5:02) The difference between hard and wrong (6:26) If they feel the same in the body, how do you tell? (7:19) One: hard gets quieter, wrong gets louder (7:56) Two: hard makes you bigger, wrong makes you smaller (8:41) Three: hard moves, wrong stays (9:18) Every version of me I'm proud of came from discomfort (9:48) Fourteen, and frozen at the modeling shoot (10:25) Moving to Canada at twenty, depressed for a year, and staying (11:03) Marrying Gary at twenty-one, and the judgment (11:36) Filming alone, cringing, wanting to quit (12:34) My mom, the loudest voice in my head (12:46) Her story: a single mother starting over with nothing (13:23) She had to trust herself because there was nothing else (14:20) The millennial load, and the muscle we lost (15:25) I'm not speaking from the other side. I'm in it this week (16:05) The cage of overhealing (16:21) Feeling a hard thing without naming it (16:51) The difference between rest and avoidance (17:12) Catching myself using the language to avoid (17:52) The version of me who feels ready is never coming (18:35) To the woman who's quietly tired of all of it (19:00) You're allowed to feel things without diagnosing them (19:49) Protecting your peace vs protecting your potential (20:14) I'd rather be the woman who tried the thing (20:18) A developing conversation. Tell me where you stand Disclaimer: The links in this description are sponsored or affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a credit or commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 29 Jul

    How I Got 1 Billion Views From My Living Room Floor (& Why I Almost Didn't Share) | Grow With Jo

    A billion views. Twelve million women. All of it started on a living room floor, postpartum, in lockdown, with a phone and no plan. Jo had gained fifty pounds, she was in the middle of postpartum depression, and she has said her body was nothing she recognized. She almost didn't press record. She thought if she showed up looking like that, people would look away. She showed up anyway. Not for an audience, not for the algorithm, not even for the woman she used to be. And that quiet decision, made on a bad day when nothing felt possible, is the whole reason twelve million women found her. We got into the girl before all of it. One of eleven kids, a family band, university at sixteen. Why she gave up training athletes to train regular women. The husband she met on a shoot, the one who never pulls her down. The woman in China who told her that her smile through a screen was the only thing that got her through the pandemic. The first stage she ever walked onto turned out to be an arena of forty thousand. And she said the smartest thing about consistency I've heard anyone say out loud. It isn't a daily workout. It's knowing what season you're actually in and showing up for that one. Two fifteen-minute workouts a week after a baby counts. So does a workout every day when life lets you. Neither one is failing. We talk about transformation like the point is the after photo. I don't think it is. The real story is the woman who got on the floor when nothing felt possible and chose herself anyway. Coming home to yourself isn't a transformation. It's a decision. Quiet, daily, usually made when no one is watching. New episodes of Not Alone every Wednesday. Subscribe so you never miss one. Follow Jo: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growwithjo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@growwithjo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@growwithjo Follow Valeria: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerialipovetskyblog Follow Not Alone: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod Podcast: https://www.notalonepod.com/ Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/6634193 Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/valerialipovetsky What we talked about: 3:00 The girl before Grow With Jo 3:41 One of eleven kids, and a family band 8:52 University at sixteen 11:04 A new school, and learning to adapt 14:03 Why she left training athletes for regular women 17:26 The moment she knew she could reach more people 19:46 This is what I actually look like now 21:50 The first baby, and the lockdown 22:57 The weight, and the out-of-body feeling 24:19 It gave me purpose instead of feeling sorry for myself 24:44 The first step was the living room floor 25:19 Too embarrassed to film at first 26:01 I didn't want to do my therapy in public 26:56 Moving to Florida, four months postpartum 28:19 Posting it on YouTube, and I guess that's what I do now 28:41 Meeting her husband on a shoot 32:33 China, and the woman whose day her smile got through 35:47 Her first stage was forty thousand people 38:30 Consistency is not a daily workout 40:13 Stay consistent to stay confident 41:04 Faith, and crying through a workout 44:10 Coming home to yourself is not a transformation 45:21 Larry, the husband who never pulls her down 46:44 The loneliness of building alone 48:34 Why she sought out Creator Method 50:58 London, and the power of the right environment 52:41 Where Grow With Jo goes next 54:53 Not alone, and women meeting in person 55:21 Keeping the team small and the culture intact 56:45 One thing she'd tell the woman on her couch 58:14 Rapid fire 1:01:52 Close Disclaimer: The links in this description are sponsor or affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a credit or commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 15 Jul

    I Stopped Doing My Nails and the Internet Lost It. So I Called the Queen of Nails | Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton

    I posted a video in my car saying I stopped getting my nails done and my life got better. That was it. One less appointment, one less thing to manage. I thought I had cracked the code, and the code was nails. Then the internet lost it. Twice. The first time, women were relieved, like nobody had told them opting out was allowed. A year later, it came back and turned into something else entirely. First, I was broke for not doing my nails. Then, I was rich for not doing my nails. My little video ended up next to Carolyn Bessette in think pieces, and I am over here just trying not to drive to a salon. So I called Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton, who built Chillhouse from one SoHo salon into the brand that created the press-on category. She said the part I had not thought about at all: when I skip my nails, it gets called quiet luxury. When a woman of color skips hers, it can read like she is not keeping up. Same bare nail, completely different verdict. I had become the poster child of a trend I never signed up for, and I had not once considered whose hand it was on. We stayed there for a while. Why we go after each other so hard over our own faces. Whether we quietly judge other women, which she answered honestly instead of pretending she does not. What her mother's spa in Queens had—a room full of women talking for hours—that we do not really have anymore. Why she builds loudly and improves quietly. And what it is actually like to build a company with the man you are married to, which is its own thing entirely. At the end, I asked her what women are not saying out loud right now. She said she wishes we could fully own being who we want to be and not feel bad about it. We can change, we can stay the same, and we can do whatever we want. I think a lot of women need to hear that right now. Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton is the founder and CEO of Chillhouse, the self-care brand she built from a single SoHo salon into one of the most influential beauty companies of her generation. She is the woman behind Chill Tips, the press-on line that helped redefine what nail care even is. An Inc. Female Founders honoree and one of WWD's 40 of Tomorrow, she partnered with Kiss Beauty Group in a deal that keeps Chillhouse independent, staying on as CEO with her team and her SoHo flagship intact. She is a wife, a mother, and a proud Colombian-American—the daughter of an esthetician who started with a single chair in Jackson Heights and grew it into four stores. The Queen of Chill. Cyndi's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyndiramirez Chillhouse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chillhouse Valeria's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky Valeria's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky Not Alone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod Not Alone's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/6367477 WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT: 0:00 – I posted one video about my nails 2:16 – Why she called the Queen of Nails 3:37 – The year it came back and changed shape 5:37 – Becoming the poster child she never signed up for 6:39 – The part that did not sit right with her 7:52 – Are we bored, or is everything a trend? 8:57 – Who actually wears bare nails 10:06 – The question nobody wanted to ask out loud 11:01 – Valeria pushes back: status or race? 12:23 – Why beauty is so loaded 12:41 – Burgundy hair, black eyeliner, and needing a flag to carry 14:15 – So I'm trending now? 15:29 – Wait, I have a choice 15:36 – Russian mother, Colombian mother, same rules 17:10 – Her mother's chair in Jackson Heights 17:38 – What those rooms full of women had 19:18 – Building Chillhouse and self-care as a necessity 21:04 – Why people still crave the salon 25:59 – Holding two truths: organic and Botox 28:08 – The Botox conversation she was scared to have 29:18 – Why she talks about what she gets done 30:33 – The magazine where Valeria did not recognize her own face 31:15 – Cyndi's teenage modeling years 31:56 – Do you judge other women? Be honest 33:44 – Judging as a mirror, not a verdict 33:54 – Each other's greatest critics, each other's greatest teachers 34:46 – The real takeaway from the bare-nail discourse 35:07 – Recession indicator to status symbol 36:42 – The poster child of having fun with beauty 37:45 – Finding a personal style and dressing like a chameleon 38:29 – Being the face of the brand 40:09 – 2020: putting nails in women's hands at home 41:21 – The pivot, the pandemic, and making payroll 43:12 – The intuition she never second-guessed 43:43 – Why intuition is the business skill 47:28 – Build loudly, improve quietly 50:35 – When vulnerability goes too far 52:34 – Leaving New York to find solid ground 53:51 – Building a company with the person you married 57:06 – The real version of building with your husband 59:02 – The coach they needed and the next version of themselves 1:00:34 – Rapid fire 1:02:28 – What women aren't saying out loud Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 17 Feb

    How to Improve Hair Health: A Dermatologist Explains Supplements + Lifestyle Medicine

    This episode is brought to you by Nutrafol, the #1-selling hair growth supplement brand. Start from within to see thicker, fuller hair in 3-6 months. Use code VALERIA for $10 off your first month at https://nutrafol.com In this episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with board-certified dermatologist and lifestyle medicine expert Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd for an eye-opening conversation about hair health, supplements, stress, and what it means to take a whole-body approach to hair thinning. From postpartum shedding to perimenopausal thinning, Dr. Heather breaks down why hair changes and why it takes time to see results. She also helps break down why so many women feel confused by the supplement space. She shares what to really look for in your supplements - from clinical trials and randomized controlled studies to third-party certifications like NSF.  Valeria opens up about her own postpartum hair experience, and the women discuss the emotional toll hair changes can take. Dr. Heather also shares simple, actionable shifts, like five-minute meditation, daily walks, and realistic habit-building, that make wellness feel less overwhelming and more sustainable. Learn more about Nutrafol: https://nutrafol.com Dr. Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drheathermd/Dr. Heather’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drheathermd Valeria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/Valeria’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky Not Alone’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod/Not Alone’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/3551713 What We Talked About: 0:34 – Valentine’s Day, stress & post-holiday burnout 1:45 – Getting Motivated for 2026 2:45 – Meet Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd 5:38 – Why she chose dermatology 6:50 – What is lifestyle medicine? 9:05 – The truth about supplements (and doctor skepticism) 10:29 – Why hair takes 3–6 months to respond 12:30 – Stress, sleep & actionable daily habits 15:00 – Why baby steps beat perfection 17:30 – How to read a supplement label (efficacy + safety) 18:55 – What NSF certification actually means 20:25 – Counterfeit supplements & buying safely 23:09 – The importance of randomized controlled trials 25:20 – Types of Hair Thinning 26:07 – Active Ingredients in Nutrafol 28:22 – Supplement stacking: helpful or harmful? 30:00 – Should you be getting blood work? 35:24 – Dr. Heather’s 3 supplement rules 37:10 – The psychological impact of hair thinning 38:38 – How can supplements fail us? 40:58 – Gray hair: is innovation coming? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 10 Feb

    Behind the Victoria's Secret Runway: Miranda Kerr, Kelsey Merritt & Jasmine Tookes Get Real

    In this special episode, Valeria revisits some of her most powerful and revealing conversations with iconic women in modeling - going beyond the runway & behind the camera to explore identity, resilience, motherhood, and the experiences that shaped who they are today. Kelsey Merritt opens up about growing up in the Philippines with a strict mother, navigating the modeling industry as a biracial woman, and how her immigrant family values gave her thick skin. Next, Jasmine Tookes reflects on being raised by a young single mother, always knowing she wanted to be a model, and building confidence in an industry where she was often the only Black woman in the room. Finally, Miranda Kerr joins Valeria for a deeply honest conversation about life after Victoria’s Secret. Her motherhood journey - as a mom of four boys, miscarriage, breastfeeding, aging, and more. Miranda shares how her priorities have shifted and tells us more about her brand, KORA Organics.  Together, these conversations peel back the layers behind globally recognized faces to reveal the real women underneath - their values, doubts, lessons, and quiet strength. Follow The Women - Kelsey MerrittInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseymerritt/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelseymerritt Jasmine Tookes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtookes/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jastookes Miranda KerrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirandakerr/KORA Organics: https://koraorganics.com Valeria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/Valeria’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky Not Alone’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod/Not Alone’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod Shop My Looks: https://shopmy.us/collections/3871837?tab=collections What we talked about: 0:00 – Introduction 1:57 – Kelsey Merritt: growing up Filipina & being scouted online 4:05 – Kelsey Merritt: Strict immigrant parents & modeling feedback 6:03 – Kelsey Merritt: Identity, representation & being “the first” 11:16 – Kelsey Merritt: Commercial vs high fashion modeling realities 14:49 – Kelsey Merritt: Discovering independence in New York 18:04 – Kelsey Merritt: Beauty standards in the Philippines 24:25 – Introducing Jasmine Tookes 26:13 – Jasmine Tookes: Dreaming of Victoria’s Secret from childhood 28:03 –Jasmine Tookes: Modeling young & having a protective mom 33:18 – Jasmine Tookes: Being the only Black model in the room 35:21 –Jasmine Tookes:  Motherhood & identity shifts 39:23 – Jasmine Tookes: Daddy issues & family boundaries 42:52 – Introducing Miranda Kerr 45:34 – Miranda Kerr: Choosing not to return to Victoria’s Secret 47:06 – Miranda Kerr: Motherhood & breastfeeding 49:02 – Miranda Kerr: Miscarriage 52:17 – Miranda Kerr: Raising boys & navigating teen years 56:06 – Miranda Kerr: Wellness, skincare & aging with gratitude 1:00:49 – Final reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. 3 Feb

    Living Offline Is the New Luxury Item: How I Feel About It

    In this solo episode, Valeria shares why she’s intentionally choosing a quieter year, and what that really looks like in a world that constantly asks us to be louder, faster, and more visible. She reflects on her approach to 2026 - why she doesn’t want it to be a “bigger” year, and how focusing on less distraction has brought her more clarity and joy. She also recaps a recent trip to the Dominican Republic with her boys, opening up about how different traveling feels now that her kids are older. And how those slower, more present moments reminded her of what truly matters. Throughout the episode, she shares practical shifts she’s making - like using the Be Present app, protecting offline moments, and choosing opportunities that expand her life, not just her calendar. From living more offline and rethinking her relationship with social media, to finding balance as a creator whose work exists online, Valeria explores the tension between visibility and peace. And why not everything meaningful needs an audience while it’s forming? This is a good listen for anyone craving more calm, fewer distractions, and a slower, more intentional way of living. Shop my looks from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/3768639?tab=collections Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  Reel By Jasmine Darke: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DQBSaPWElUe/ The Art of Spending Money: https://amzn.to/4rmMF4U What I talked about:  1:00 - Living offline as a modern status symbol 1:55 - Traveling with older kids  4:00 - Reconnecting through simple moments 5:00 - Be Present App & & limiting social media 6:40 - It’s officially 2026 7:25 - Why 2026 is about quiet, not “more” 9:25 - Finding balance & cutting the noise 10:30 - Why not everything meaningful needs an audience 12:10 - Joy, hobbies, and staying in a student mindset 15:00 - Offline Living 20:40 - How we accomplish this 21:27 - The Art of Spending Money  24:08 - Thinking Outside the Culture Bubble 26:02 - Protecting your mind as a form of wealth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 27 Jan

    How to Stop Wasting Money and Start Building Real Wealth with Vivian Tu, "Your Rich BFF"

    Vivian Tu, aka Your Rich BFF, is back on Not Alone to talk about her new book, Well Endowed, and what it really means to build a life that’s financially aligned, intentional, and values-driven. In this conversation, Valeria and Vivian break down the idea of “optimization” in everyday life, from money habits shaped by childhood lessons (including her now-famous Chinese buffet analogy) to understanding your personal value system and learning how to resist the constant pull of targeted marketing. They dive into media literacy, why spending money feels easier than ever, and how to decide what’s truly worth it. Vivian also gets personal about building a strong financial foundation, getting financially honest with your partner, navigating prenups as a form of choice (not mistrust), and why women need to deeply understand their finances. The episode closes with a thoughtful look at teaching kids about money, estate planning basics, and how to leave behind more than just dollars - plus a peek at Vivian’s new financial platform, Ask Dolly. Follow Vivian Tu on Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your.richbff/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourrichbff?lang=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/yourrichbff Listen to Her Podcast: https://www.yourrichbff.com/podcast Get Financial Advice from Vivian: https://askdolly.com/ Shop Her New Book HERE: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/wellendowed Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/3614194 Follow me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky?lang=en Not Alone TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod?lang=en What we talked about:  0:25 - Setting up the episode 1:00 - Introducing Vivian Tu 2:37 - Start of interview 3:00 - What’s new with Vivian 4:23 - Inspiration behind “Well Endowed” 7:37 - Optimization in your life 7:49 - Lessons from the chinese buffet 10:33 - Figuring out your value system 12:50 - The importance of media literacy 14:25 - The ease of marketers targeting you 16:05 - Deciding if the purchase is worth it 18:35 - Not enough friction in the purchasing process  24:35 - Building your financial house 24:57 - Why women need to understand their finances 27:24 - Getting financially naked with your partner 30:00 - Social media setting unrealistic relationship standards 33:51 - Early days with her husband  35:44 - Falling in love with his generosity 37:40 - Prenups are about choice, not mistrust 41:53 - Teaching kids financial literacy  44:06 - Not leaving your children every dollar you have 47:29 - Telling your children “Yes, if…” 48:50 - Estate planning basics 53:44 - Leaving impressions for the readers 54:42 - New financial platform “Ask Dolly” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About

Welcome to "Not Alone," a podcast where we dive deep into the stories that shape us. Hosted by Valeria Lipovetsky, this space is dedicated to revealing the raw, often unspoken challenges faced by women from all walks of life. Each episode invites you to listen to heartfelt conversations with inspiring guests who open up about their personal battles, breakthroughs, and the lessons learned along the way. Follow Valeria on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok.

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