Wait... What's Next?

Laura Alba & Amanda Brilhante

🎙️ Wait… What’s Next?  Pull up a chair.  Sip your Americano.  And breathe. Wait… What’s Next? is the podcast that feels like running into two friends at your favorite coffee spot, except the conversation goes places most people are too polished to go. We’re talking career pivots you didn’t plan, relationships that changed you, and the version of yourself you’re still figuring out, all with a cafecito in hand and zero judgment. Hosted by Laura Alba, a Colombian-born marketing professional who built her life from scratch after moving to the U.S. at 15, and Amanda Brilhante, a former national news anchor turned event host, two women who’ve navigated more than a few “wait… what now?” moments of their own. Every week, they pull up a seat either to talk through their own in-between moments or alongside guests who’ve shaped their paths through real transitions in career, relationships, health, and identity. They dare to have the honest conversations you wish someone had with you sooner, getting real without the filter. Join us every week. New episodes drop on Thursdays. Come for the deep talks, the occasional gossip, and the safe space where you’ll feel a sense of belonging and leave with a little more clarity, at the very least, in your heart. Happy sips ☕ with Laura (@lauraalbaz) & Amanda (@amandakbril) Intagram: @waitwhatsnextpod  Tiktok: @waitwhatsnextpod

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    Halloween Hits Different: Adult Scaries, Costume Eras & Holiday Season Energy

    Connect with us :) Remember when Halloween was all about dressing up in the cutest little costume and collecting as much candy as humanly possible? But of course, growing up means changes! The costumes got smaller, the heels got higher, and our calendars were packed with Halloween parties. And now? An inflatable baby costume or a dinosaur onesie? HELL YES. Sign us up. This week on Wait… What's Next?, Laura and Amanda are recapping Halloween and taking a little trip down memory lane, reflecting on how our idea of a good time has evolved over the years. We're talking about the different eras of Halloween, the things that genuinely scare us about being adults (because let's face it, adulting comes with its own collection of horror stories), and the beauty of realizing that growing up doesn't mean having less fun; it just means discovering a completely different kind of fun. And with Halloween behind us, you know what that means. The holiday season is officially upon us! We're getting into the magic of this time of year, including one of our favorite little joys: holiday workout classes. Because if you've ever walked into a fitness class during the holidays, you KNOW the energy is immaculate. The music, the festive spirit, the collective excitement. There's just something about it. Especially when Barry's hits you with a "Grab all the merch you can on your way out... Merry Christmas" We're also reflecting on how much we've grown, how what we once thought was the most exciting part of life has shifted, and how there's something pretty special about embracing each new season for what it brings. Growing up doesn't have to be boring. If anything, we're just getting better at choosing what makes us happy. Get cozy. Curl up on your favorite couch. Sip your Americano, pumpkin spice latte, or matcha (although have you SEEN Starbucks' holiday drink lineup?), and come catch up with us. ☕️ New episodes of Wait… What's Next? Every Thursday. Relevant Links:  Starbucks Holiday Line-up Country Techno Playlists: Derock & MC4D Related Episode:  Growing Up Without Growing Old Saying Yes to the Scary Decisions in Life Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  2. Oct 29 ·  Video

    Life Lately: Girl Talk, Fashion Hot Takes & Our Final 2026 Lock In

    Connect with us :) This week on Wait… What's Next?, Laura and Amanda are back together for a much needed life catch-up. With no big agenda in mind, these two girlfriends are unpacking everything that's been happening lately. Naturally, we're getting into fashion. Is Alo trying to become the next luxury brand? What's happening with the rise of elevated athleisure? And can Lululemon keep up with the trends while holding on to the quality we originally fell in love with? We have thoughts. Then, we're talking about Laura's latest wedding weekend, which turned into a sweet reminder of how special it is to be surrounded by your girlfriends. Catching everyone up on the biggest changes in our lives, having sleepovers, and staying up talking about absolutely nothing. Some of the simplest moments end up being the ones you cherish most. Amanda also has an upcoming trip that might just have Laura refreshing Instagram Stories a little more than usual. We'll leave that one for the episode. Finally, with just two months left in 2026, we're talking about our final lock in. What have we accomplished this year? What do we still want to make happen? And what kind of energy are we bringing into 2027? You don't have to finish the year trying to reinvent your entire life in eight weeks. Just focus on appreciating how far you've come, being intentional about what matters, and making room for the big, beautiful things ahead. On friendship, fashion drama, reflections, and a reminder to make the most of what life has to offer. Get cozy. Curl up on your favorite couch. Sip your Americano, pumpkin spice latte, or matcha. And let's tea up.  New episodes of Wait… What's Next? every Thursday. Resources: Laura Alba's Substack: Lau & Cafe Tings Youtube Channel: Life Updates Abercrombie: Amanda's Sweater  Relevant Episodes: The After Math of Big Life Decisions The Subtle Art of Slowing Down The Unwritten Chapter: Healing and Rebuilding Your Life on Your Terms Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  3. Oct 22 ·  Video

    The Great In Between: Makeup, Job Interviews, Long Distance Love & Pilates

    Connect with us :) Just Laura, a cup of coffee, and a whole lot of life lately. ☕️ This week on Wait… What’s Next?, we're having a little girl talk. Without a guest or even a big agenda, I bring to you just four life updates and a few things I've been learning along the way. First, I'm talking about my latest Sephora adventure and attempting to pull off a whole new no-makeup makeup look for "my best friend's wedding" which you can read about on my Substack. Am I a makeup artist? Absolutely not. Are we winging it? Absolutely. Then I'm getting into the great in-between of job searching. The agony of interviewing, the anxiety of the waiting game, the endless uncertainty, and learning how to keep enjoying your life when your next career move is still up in the air. There's also a little long-distance relationship update as I navigate closing the gap with the love of my life while making sure I'm still present for the life happening right in front of me. And finally, I'm officially hard-launching my Pilates era. I've basically moved into my Pilates studio over the past couple of weeks, started another successful relationship with my reformer (it's going well), been loving hot mat Pilates, and still keeping the foundation with two days of weights, all while evolving my workout routine as we enter the fall season. So, it is official. I am a Pilates girly through and through. A little beauty, a little career talk, a little drama in love, and a lot of life I am still figuring out. One thing I've realized is that you must keep loving and living your life to the fullest, wherever you are, while working on the next chapter. No more yearning, just doing it (Nike). If any of these pillars resonate, leave me a comment and let's continue the convo. Even though life throws little pieces of chaos your way here and there, we don't necessarily have to do it alone. So pull up a chair. Sip your Americano. And let's talk. ☕️ New episodes of Wait… What’s Next? Every Thursday. Fun Resources Mentioned on the Episode:  Pilates Studio New Substack where I will be writing more  Sephora Page Lorenze Makeup look minute 28  Youtube Channel Relevant Episodes:  The Job Search Rebrand Skin Care Routine Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  4. Oct 1 ·  Video

    The Job Search Rebrand: Resume, LinkedIn, Networking & Positioning

    Connect with us :) What if you stopped treating your job search like a numbers game and started treating it like a marketing campaign? This week, Laura and Amanda are talking careers, job searching, career pivots, and one of the biggest Wait… What’s Next? questions of all: how do you position yourself for where you want to go when your experience only shows where you’ve been? Laura is navigating her own next career move while getting more and more messages asking for help with resumes, LinkedIn, positioning, and breaking into new roles. Amanda has navigated career changes of her own. So instead of giving you another list of job search hacks, they’re looking at the entire process differently. Think about it. You are the product. Your ideal companies are the audience. Your resume and LinkedIn are the messaging. Networking, applications, referrals, and your personal brand are the distribution. The interview is the conversion. But before any of that works, you need to answer a much bigger question: What do you actually want to be hired to do next? Laura and Amanda talk about getting clear on your next move, positioning transferable skills, telling a better career story, using LinkedIn intentionally, networking, dealing with rejection, pivoting industries, and separating a job search strategy that isn’t working from the belief that you aren’t good enough. You’re not just looking for another job. You’re deciding what you want your next chapter to look like. Pull up a chair. Sip your Americano. And breathe. ☕️ We got you!  News Episode Every Week!  Relatable Episodes:  Leaving Your Dream Job Can Be The Best Decision The Journal Of A CMO Resources for What's Next ☕️ A little something extra to help you put this conversation into action! LinkedIn Learning is a great resource for exploring new skills, strengthening your professional profile, and building confidence as you prepare for your next career move. Whether you're actively job searching, considering a career pivot, or simply figuring out what you want next, remember that investing in yourself is part of the process. Have a career resource you swear by? Share it with us on Instagram @waitwhatsnextpod. We'd love to keep building this resource list with our community. 🤍 Resources are shared for informational purposes. This is not a sponsored recommendation. Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  5. Sep 18 ·  Video

    7 Years Together. 6 Months of Wedding Planning. 30 Days Until “I Do.” FT. Lauren Atkinson

    Connect with us :) This week, Laura sits down with Lauren Atkinson, the newest member behind the scenes of Wait… What’s Next?, helping shape the production and strategy of the podcast, for a very personal conversation about love, finding your person, and the woman you become along the way. Before Lauren met her future husband, there was a season of soul-searching. In this episode, she opens up about that chapter, how they met, what made this relationship feel different, what seven years together taught her about love, and the moment she realized she was ready for marriage. And then there’s the wedding. After seven years together, Lauren decided to plan the entire ceremony and event in less than six months. Now, with 30 days to go, Laura is getting ALL the details. The planning, the pressure, the excitement, the decisions, and what it feels like to stand on the edge of such a huge new chapter. But underneath the wedding countdown is a bigger conversation: How do you know when you’ve found your person? And how much of finding the right relationship begins with knowing yourself? Whether you’re single, dating, wondering if you’ve met the one, in a long-term relationship, newly engaged, or thinking about your own next chapter, pull up a chair for this one. ☕️ Even when you find your person, it isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a whole new what’s next. 🎙️ Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  6. Sep 10 ·  Video

    Health, Fear & the Waiting Game: When Everything Gets Put Into Perspective

    Connect with us :) You can do everything “right.” Eat well. Exercise. Go to your appointments. Take care of yourself. And then one unexpected conversation with a doctor can make everything else feel very small. This week, Amanda opens up about a recent health scare after receiving unexpected news following a mammogram, and Laura shares an earlier experience of her own that brought up many of the same feelings. This isn't an episode about having all the medical answers. It's about what it feels like when you're waiting for them. We talk openly about the fear that comes with unexpected testing, the thoughts that run through your head while you're waiting for results, advocating for your own health, asking questions, navigating additional testing, and how technology is changing the way we understand and manage our health. But more than anything, this conversation is about perspective. Health scares have a way of reaching beyond age, lifestyle, or how “healthy” you consider yourself. They can make the things you were worried about yesterday suddenly feel a lot less important and remind you just how much we take an ordinary day for granted. Waking up. Feeling good. Calling someone you love. Going to work. Moving your body. Living another completely normal day. Sometimes the ordinary things are the blessing. If you've ever sat in a doctor's office waiting for an answer, gotten an unexpected result, supported someone you love through a health scare, or simply been reminded that your health isn't something to take for granted, this conversation is for you. Pull up a chair. This is a vulnerable one. Episodes drop every Thursday Related Episodes: Eat, Pray, Log Off: The Story of a Corporate Soul Reset Fear, Anxiety, and the Emotional Side of Growing Up Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  7. Aug 29 ·  Video

    33 Going on 22: What I’d Tell My Younger Self About Life After College

    Connect with us :) Nine years ago, Laura and Amanda walked out of the house where they spent their senior year of college with absolutely no idea what the next decade would hold. This summer, Laura walked back in. The house looked almost exactly the same. But this time, a new group of UCSB seniors was living there, standing at the beginning of the same transition Laura and Amanda once faced: graduation, the real world, careers, dating, big decisions, and the terrifying but exciting question of what’s next? In this episode, Laura and Amanda talk about life after college and what they wish they could tell their 22-year-old selves. They unpack the pressure to have a plan, making your first real adult decisions, keeping your options open, dating in your 20s, trusting your vision without becoming attached to one version of how your life should unfold, and learning to enjoy the process while you’re still in it. Because nine years later, Laura realized something else. Going back wasn’t only about seeing how far she’d come. It was a reminder to stop moving the finish line. When you’re constantly trying to grow, achieve, optimize, and figure out your next move, it’s easy to forget that you’re currently living inside a life a younger version of you once couldn’t even imagine. If you’re in your early 20s, terrified because you don’t know what’s next, or you’re ten years out of college and still wondering if you’re doing enough, this conversation is for you. Keep the vision. Stay open to the plot twists. Trust the process. And please, enjoy it while it’s happening. Because chances are, you’re doing better than you think. New episodes of Wait… What’s Next? Every Thursday. Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

  8. Aug 17 ·  Video

    Growing Up Without Growing Old: Not Young Enough for TikTok, Not Old Enough for Facebook

    Connect with us :) Hot Girl Summer may be out, but Rich Life Summer is officially in. And no, we're not talking about money. In this week's episode, Laura and Amanda dive into a transition that doesn't get talked about enough: growing out of your 20s while still feeling very much young. Somewhere along the way, the trends, habits, fashion choices, and weekend plans that once felt exciting start feeling a little less... appealing. Not because we're getting old, but because we're evolving. This episode is for all of our fellow in-betweeners who have ever looked around and wondered if they're the only ones who no longer want to wear the trendiest outfit, stay out until 2 a.m., or chase every new thing social media tells them they should care about. Together, we discuss: • The fashion trends we've officially retired - crop tops (cough) • Why being cold for an outfit is no longer an option • The activities and habits we've outgrown • Why slowing down feels surprisingly good • The pressure of keeping up with trends and timelines • What a "rich life" actually means to us • Why deeper connections are replacing surface-level experiences This isn't a serious episode. It's a fun, honest conversation about growing up, evolving, and realizing that maybe the best parts of life aren't the loudest ones. So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and join us for a conversation about style, friendships, joy, and the subtle transition of becoming more yourself. New episodes every Thursday. Support the show Wait... What's Next?  Support the Show: Buy Us a Cafeisto Host: Laura Alba Co-Host: Amanda Brilhante Executive Producer: Lauren Atkinson Instagram: @waitwhatsnextpod, @lauraalbaz & @amandakbril Email:  waitwhatsnextpod@gmail.com

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5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

🎙️ Wait… What’s Next?  Pull up a chair.  Sip your Americano.  And breathe. Wait… What’s Next? is the podcast that feels like running into two friends at your favorite coffee spot, except the conversation goes places most people are too polished to go. We’re talking career pivots you didn’t plan, relationships that changed you, and the version of yourself you’re still figuring out, all with a cafecito in hand and zero judgment. Hosted by Laura Alba, a Colombian-born marketing professional who built her life from scratch after moving to the U.S. at 15, and Amanda Brilhante, a former national news anchor turned event host, two women who’ve navigated more than a few “wait… what now?” moments of their own. Every week, they pull up a seat either to talk through their own in-between moments or alongside guests who’ve shaped their paths through real transitions in career, relationships, health, and identity. They dare to have the honest conversations you wish someone had with you sooner, getting real without the filter. Join us every week. New episodes drop on Thursdays. Come for the deep talks, the occasional gossip, and the safe space where you’ll feel a sense of belonging and leave with a little more clarity, at the very least, in your heart. Happy sips ☕ with Laura (@lauraalbaz) & Amanda (@amandakbril) Intagram: @waitwhatsnextpod  Tiktok: @waitwhatsnextpod

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Alba & Amanda Brilhante
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Wait... What's Next?
  • Show Website
    Wait... What's Next?