The Messy Parts

with Maryam Banikarim
  • 4.8 (75)
  • Careers

New career advice and messy stories, every Monday.  Whether you’re at the top, or striving to get there—you may have noticed the one thing people rarely talk about: how hard it is to achieve success. The Messy Parts is the answer—a podcast where you’ll hear about the twists, turns and pivots that shape extraordinary careers. The real messy parts along the way. Host Maryam Banikarim has been through it, so she gets it. Maryam has been a transformative leader across media, hospitality and tech. Her powerhouse resume features more than 20 years in the C-Suite at companies like Hyatt, NBC, and Nextdoor—and she has a vast, influential network to match. On The Messy Parts, she brings you unparalleled access to that network. Deeply honest, vulnerable conversations with Maryam—who is never afraid to ask the questions on everyone's mind. Join us as we get real, unfiltered, and messy.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    "This Job Is Beneath Me" — How Being the Secretary for a Billionaire Launched a Global Career

    Vote for The Messy Parts! We're nominated for Signal Awards in TWO categories. You can easily vote for us by clicking on the links below. Thank you! Individual Episode - Business: "'Who The Hell Do I Think I Am?' Melissa Ben-Ishay on Running Baked by Melissa While Doubting Herself" - VOTE NOW Shows - Conversation Starter: The Messy Parts - VOTE NOW "I was kicking and screaming, but I didn't have a choice." That's how Maha Abouelenein describes accepting a job as a billionaire's secretary, a role she was sure was beneath her. It turned out to be the start of a career that took her through Google, Netflix, and Gary Vee, and into running her own strategic communications agency. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Maryam talks with Maha, author of “Seven Rules of Self-Reliance,” about the hard-won lessons behind that career. Maha opens up about growing up as the only Egyptian kid in her Minnesota class, caring for her mother with MS from age 14, losing both parents, and starting over from her sister's basement. She also shares what success has cost her, and why she says she has no regrets. Key Moments 01:31 - "Camel Jockey, Towel Head": Growing Up the Only Egyptian Kid in Minnesota 🏔️ Maha describes being the different kid in a classroom with no internet and no frame of reference for Egypt beyond camels and pyramids. 08:29 - Following Her Family Back to Egypt at 27 ❤️ After years of caring for her mother, who had MS, Maha gives up a coveted sports marketing job at General Mills to move abroad with her parents. 11:45 - The Billionaire's Job Offer She Didn't Want 😤 Overqualified and furious, Maha tells her dad the job is beneath her, and his response changes how she sees the whole opportunity. 13:30 - Turning a Job She Hated Into a Masterclass 📚 Maha explains how she mastered her boss's desk and calendar, and why she vowed to make everyone who walked past her remember her. 16:26 - "I Had to Deliver, Deliver, Deliver, Then I Could Ask" 💰 Maha gets candid about being paid a secretary's salary while executives around her had the big titles, and what it took to finally earn the raise. 18:30 - "What's the Worst That Could Happen?": The Cold Email to a Global PR Firm ✉️ She cold emails the chairman of Weber Shandwick, gets a no, and then gets a call back after September 11th. 19:35 - Where Real Confidence Comes From 💪 Maha explains how being thrown into the deep end, including writing the prospectus for the largest IPO in Egyptian history, taught her what she was capable of. 21:16 - "How Many Things Can Go Wrong for Me?" Her Father's ALS Diagnosis 💔 With her mother already ill, Maha learns her father has ALS and reflects on feeling devastated and far from her sister while building a career. 25:12 - The Midnight Airport Dash That Brought Her Home 🛫 She races to the Dubai airport with her dog, her housekeeper, and her suitcases just before the pandemic shuts everything down. 32:08 - "It Cost Me Never Having Children, But I Don't Regret It" ⚖️ Answering Maryam's question about what success has cost her, Maha talks about choosing to care for her parents over a family of her own. 33:54 - The Book That Changed How She Saw Herself 📖 Reading Gary Vee's “Crush It!” is the first time Maha realizes her work has been a career built on real skills, which leads her to seek him out. 35:24 - "It's Tattooed on My Back Shoulder" — Why She Has No Regrets ✨ Maha shares her best advice for people in their 30s and in the middle of a pivot, and reveals her "no regrets" motto is permanently inked in Arabic. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    "This Job Is Beneath Me" — How Being the Secretary for a Billionaire Launched a Global Career

  2. Oct 5 ·  Video

    Rosebud Baker on Chasing Her Dreams: “It Gets Worse With More Success"

    "If your goal is to feel completed by success, it's gonna get worse and worse the more successful you get." Comedian and former SNL writer Rosebud Baker joins Maryam for a conversation that goes everywhere — sobriety, motherhood after IVF and miscarriage, growing up the granddaughter of Secretary of State James Baker, and a surprise divorce announcement that even Maryam wasn't expecting. Rosebud talks candidly about learning to operate outside of chaos, what burnout actually feels like once you've hit the goals you thought you wanted, and why she left SNL to build something of her own. Funny, raw, and full of hard-earned advice — including her take on your 30s ("it's your 20s but with more money") — this is a conversation about what's actually on the other side of ambition. Her memoir, "Fully Baked," is out now. Key Moments 03:38 - "I've Always Operated Well in Chaos" 🌪️ Rosebud explains why calm, happy moments make her spiral while chaos has always felt like home. 05:09 - Tying Shoes Like She's Defusing a Bomb 💣 Rosebud describes the unbelievable adrenaline her body produces for everyday tasks, like getting her daughter out the door. 06:19 - Easter Eggs at the White House 🥚 Rosebud opens up about her grandfather James Baker, Secretary of State, and the unspoken rules of a political dynasty childhood. 08:46 - "That Was the Greatest Night of My Life" 🍸 Rosebud remembers throwing up in the backyard after her first drink and feeling, for once, like the main character. 15:23 - Saying "I'm an Alcoholic" Out Loud 🪞 Rosebud walks through the morning she finally told the truth to herself, then to a stranger, for the first time. 20:52 - IVF, Miscarriages, and Becoming a Mom 🤱 Rosebud gets candid about the road to motherhood and the responsibility that came crashing in the moment it became real. 25:29 - "That's a Lie That's Never Gonna Happen" 💭 Rosebud unpacks why chasing the pinnacle to feel complete only leaves you lonelier the more successful you get. 26:42 - Clinical Burnout, and Learning to Actually Relax 🔥 Rosebud describes hitting "the most depleted" she's ever felt after landing every goal she thought she wanted. 32:42 - The SNL Packet That Changed Everything ✍️ Rosebud recounts the years-long, accidental path from stand-up sets to writing for Saturday Night Live. 36:47 - The Cliffhanger: Announcing Her Divorce Mid-Interview 💔 Rosebud reveals, for the first time publicly, that she and her husband are getting divorced. 39:30 - Her Advice for Your 30s: "Your 20s With More Money" 🥂 Rosebud shares blunt, funny wisdom for anyone in their 30s trying to figure it all out. 39:47 - "F*ck That Job": Advice for Anyone Who Just Got Laid Off 💥 Rosebud's unfiltered response to what to do when you lose your job or your gig. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    Rosebud Baker on Chasing Her Dreams: “It Gets Worse With More Success"

  3. Sep 29 ·  Video

    Jake Barton Designed the 9/11 Memorial. One Photo Still Makes Him Cry.

    Jake Barton worked on the 9/11 Memorial Museum for 8 years. One photo still makes him cry: a young firefighter in the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, headed toward the towers, in what turned out to be the last picture ever taken of him alive. Jake joins Maryam on the blue couch to talk about the radical choice at the heart of that museum: letting the people who ran out of the burning buildings speak for themselves instead of being spoken for. And about the messier parts of his own story — an outcast childhood, a mentor relationship that shattered after Jake's three-person firm beat him for the biggest commission in the country, and the identity crisis that led him to sell the company he'd spent two decades building. His wife's warning at the peak: "I don't think you'll have a heart attack, but you might have a stroke." It's a conversation about art, impact, and what happens when you finally admit that the thing you built isn't making you happy anymore. Key Moments 01:30 - The 9/11 Memorial a Quarter-Century Later 🕰️ Jake looks back on what he understands now about the 9/11 Memorial that he didn't grasp while building it. 05:38 - Winning the 9/11 Museum in a Battle Against His Own Mentor 🥊 Jake explains how he beat his mentor Ralph Applebaum for the 9/11 Memorial project and what it cost their relationship. 06:38 - Why Jake Leave His Mentor's Firm 💡 The exact moment Jake realized his mentor didn't see where museums — and storytelling — were headed. 08:31 - The Photo That Was a Father's Last Image of His Son 😢 Jake recounts the emotional story behind a photo that connected a grieving family to their son's final moments. 13:13 - How Middle School Bullying Shaped Jake's Path to Theater 🎭 Jake opens up about being a loner in middle school and how theater became his way out. 14:06 - The "Complete Psychic Meltdown" That Made Him Quit Theater for Pre-Med at 22 🌀 Jake describes the identity crisis that pushed him from a dream Broadway job toward medical school. 16:18 - "Human Decision-Making Is More Emotional Than Cognitive" — Advice for Anyone Mid-Pivot 🧠 Jake's take on trusting your gut over your resume when you're figuring out what's next. 29:29 - "You Might Have a Stroke": His Wife's Warning About His Pace 🚨 Jake shares the moment his wife told him his stress levels were becoming a health risk. 31:54 - "People Who Build Things vs. People Who Run Things" 🏗️ Jake explains the philosophy that led him to sell the firm he built over 20 years. 40:38 - What to Do Before You Turn 35 🎒 Jake's rapid-fire advice: take a real break, even a short one, and go all the way off into another world. 40:54 - His #1 Piece of Advice for Anyone Job Hunting Right Now 🔑 Jake's blunt take on how to build traction experience when you're starting out or starting over. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    Jake Barton Designed the 9/11 Memorial. One Photo Still Makes Him Cry.

  4. Sep 21 ·  Video

    Aged Out, Broke, Homeless at 50: How Ron King Became “Donkey King”

    He ran Southern Living and top Time Inc. titles with no college degree — then got fired, and calls it a gift. What followed was darker: broke, aged out of media at 50, and homeless. Ron King, now known as "Donkey King," rebuilt his life running a sanctuary that rescues donkeys from slaughter — 220 of them and counting. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Ron opens up to Maryam about hitting rock bottom twice, the hustle that built (and rebuilt) his career, and the simple mindset shift — "things could always be worse" — that carried him through it. A wild, honest conversation about reinvention, gratitude, and starting over at any age. Key Moments: 00:00:00 - "Homeless at 50 — And It Was Worse Than 26" 😔 Ron opens on his lowest moment: sitting in his car on Mulholland Drive with no job, no savings, and no plan. 00:04:16 - "I Charmed My Way In. I Never Even Read a Magazine." 💫 Ron explains how he landed his first publishing job at 32 with no industry experience and no college degree. 00:07:48 - "I Didn't Lie. I Just Never Graduated." 🎓 Ron recounts confessing to his CEO that he flunked out of college and getting promoted anyway. 00:08:47 - The Diamond Earring That Landed the Impossible Meeting 💎 How Ron got a notoriously unreachable Estée Lauder exec to give him 15 minutes and a beauty section deal. 00:09:24 - Fired at the Top — "It Was a Gift" 🎁 Ron describes getting pushed out of Time Inc. and smiling all the way home. 00:13:01 - "I'd Aged Out. I Was an Old, Print, White Guy." ⏳ Ron on the moment he realized age — not talent — was closing doors after his fall from the top. 00:14:45 - Rock Bottom, Round Two 🚗 Losing his apartment, his car, and nearly his will to keep going at 50, with nowhere left to fall back on. 00:16:13 - "Put One Foot in Front of the Other" 🦶 Ron's advice for anyone in a crisis of confidence: sometimes surviving the day is the whole plan. 00:19:18 - A Random TikTok Video Changed Everything 🐴 How a video about a donkey auction became the spark for Oscar's Place. 00:25:05 - "I Decide Who Lives and Who Goes to Slaughter" 💔 The hardest part of running a donkey rescue: choosing which animals he can afford to save. 00:34:09 - "Things Could Be So Much Worse" 🙏 Ron's tactical approach to gratitude and why he thinks about everything that isn't going wrong. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    Aged Out, Broke, Homeless at 50: How Ron King Became “Donkey King”

  5. Sep 14 ·  Video

    “The Value of Your Values" — Why Jeff Jones Quit Uber & Left Millions on the Table

    Jeff Jones spent his career as one of the most respected CMOs in America — Coca-Cola, Gap, Target — before making the leap to run Uber's global ride-sharing business under founder Travis Kalanick. Seven months later, at the height of Uber's pre-IPO valuation, he walked away from it all: no job lined up, no stock, no plan. On this episode of The Messy Parts, Jeff sits down with Maryam on the blue couch for his first real interview about what actually happened inside Uber during one of its most chaotic and scandal-plagued years. He also opens up about growing up in West Virginia, attending military school, becoming CEO of H&R Block, and what success really cost him — in family time, health, and friendships. This is a conversation about knowing the value of your own values, and having the courage to walk away at the top of your game. Key Moments 00:00:00 - "Travis Was on the Cover of Every Magazine in the World" 🌍 Jeff opens with the moment he walked away from Uber's presidency less than a year after taking the job. 00:02:46 - Target Fame: Strangers Pitching His Wife in Parking Lots 🎯 Jeff recalls the surreal side of becoming Target's third-ever CMO and the scrutiny that came with it. 00:07:10 - From a 42-Kid Graduating Class to Military School 🪖 The coach's offhand comment that sent Jeff to Fork Union Military Academy and changed the trajectory of his life. 00:14:41 - Susan Fowler, Delete Uber, and a Waymo IP Scandal ⚠️ Jeff lists the crises unfolding behind the scenes at Uber that hadn't yet gone public. 00:19:20 - The New York Times Story That Made Him Quit 📰 Jeff learns about the grayballing investigation while flying home, and tells Travis in person that he's leaving — the next day. 00:25:34 - "You Can't Play Defense With Your Career" 💼 His advice for anyone navigating a layoff, pivot, or professional reinvention. 00:35:34 - What Success Actually Cost Him 💔 Jeff gets candid about the toll eight years as CEO took on his family, his health, and his friendships. 00:39:25 - "Just Jeff" — Life After the Title 🎧 How Jeff wants to be introduced now that "CEO" is no longer part of his name. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    “The Value of Your Values" — Why Jeff Jones Quit Uber & Left Millions on the Table

  6. Sep 7 ·  Video

    Mindy Grossman Worked for Oprah, Barry Diller & Phil Knight — and Says She's Never Been 100% Qualified

    Fired at 24. Turned down her dream job at Nike, then took it anyway. Walked into HSN as the eighth CEO in ten years. Mindy Grossman built one of the least likely careers in American business, and in this episode of The Messy Parts she tells Maryam how: leaving college at 19 to move to New York with $1,800, landing her first job by admitting she couldn't take shorthand, buying 2,000 Aeron chairs to prove a broken culture was changing, and converting 30,000 Weight Watchers meetings to virtual in six days at the start of COVID. Plus the one question about her daughter she still can't answer. 🎧 More episodes of The Messy Parts: https://www.themessypartspodcast.com/ 📩 New episodes every week 👍 Share it with someone mid-pivot Key Moments 00:00 - "Here's What Success Cost Me" 💭  Mindy opens up on whether all she's achieved came with a personal price. 02:18 - "My CEO Journey Started When I Was Three Days Old" 👶  Mindy traces her drive back to the story of her adoption and parents who raised her to believe anything was possible. 07:07 - "I'm Breaking My Engagement, I'm Not Going to Law School" ☎️  At 19, Mindy makes the phone call to her parents that redirects the entire course of her life. 13:37 - "That Woman at the Front Desk—I Want Her to Work for Me" 👀  A designer notices Mindy filling in as a receptionist and gets her promoted before she even knows it happened. 16:18 - "I Need to Thank You for Firing Me" 🏈  Years after getting fired at 24, Mindy runs into her old boss at the Super Bowl and flips the story on its head. 24:00 - "I'm Going to Employee Orientation" 🎬 On day one as HSN's new CEO, Mindy skips the executive playbook and shows up where the real culture lives. 27:41 - "2,000 Aeron Chairs, Delivered the Same Day" 🪑  Mindy explains the small, symbolic move that told an entire company she cared. 29:39 - "That Is Fascinating" 📺  Mindy sees on CNBC that Oprah has joined Weight Watchers—and a new pivot starts taking shape. 30:09 - "It Was Not Easy for Her, and Not Easy for Me" 👩‍👧  Mindy gets candid about the toll her career took on her relationship with her daughter. 34:11 - "We Converted Every Meeting to Virtual in Six Days" 🦠  As COVID shuts everything down, Mindy and her team race to keep the Weight Watchers community intact. 38:23 - "I Have to Be a Lot Better at Self-Care" 🧘‍♀️  Asked what her body knows that her résumé doesn't show, Mindy admits the one thing she's still working on. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    Mindy Grossman Worked for Oprah, Barry Diller & Phil Knight — and Says She's Never Been 100% Qualified

  7. Aug 31 ·  Video

    Sex, Xanax & Naked Beaches: 20 Legends Drop the PR Filter

    Behind every legendary career is an unfiltered human truth. In this special compilation, 20 of our most notable guests—including Mickey Drexler, Samantha Bee, Blake Mycoskie, Bonnie Hammer, Kim Hastreiter, Sally Susman, Sari Botton, and Baked by Melissa—reveal what happens when the PR guardrails come down. From Bevy Smith’s show-stopping mandate to "have sex, a lot of it," to surprisingly vulnerable confessions about daily tears, imposter syndrome, and surviving a crisis of confidence, these bite-sized moments cut straight to the heart. Equal parts entertaining, profound, and deeply validating, this episode proves that even industry pioneers, Pulitzer winners, and cultural icons are navigating life's inevitable mess. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    Sex, Xanax & Naked Beaches: 20 Legends Drop the PR Filter

  8. Aug 24 ·  Video

    The Points Guy Couldn't Get His Own Credit Card: Then He Made $28 Million at 28 Years Old (Replay)

    Brian Kelly (aka The Points Guy) has been obsessed with credit card and frequent flyer points since childhood. At age 12, his dad challenged him to book a family vacation using only points, and young Brian successfully got his entire family to the Cayman Islands for free. In this episode, Brian tells Maryam about the reality behind his meteoric rise: ruined credit, toxic friendships, launching The Points Guy as a side hustle, becoming a multi-millionaire at 28 years old - and the loneliness that followed. He shares hard-won lessons about leveraging relationships, knowing your superpowers, and why most career decisions aren't actually binary. This is the unvarnished truth about building an empire from nothing. Key Moments: 00:00 - "$28 Million for a Blog" 🤯 The surreal negotiation that turned a $10 domain into a life-changing payday — and the mind games that came with it. 02:12 - "The Points Kid": Growing Up With a Businessman Dad 🧳 Brian traces his origin story back to childhood and family trips funded by his dad's frequent flyer miles. 04:20 - Booking the Family's First Free Trip at 12 👦 After charging his dad $10 a booking, young Brian figures out the miles, how to fly the whole family to the Cayman Islands - for free! 11:54 - Wage Garnishment and a Payday Loan in SoHo 💸 Brian gets brutally honest about being flat broke in his first NYC job: bad credit, creditor calls, and a boss pulling him aside about unwashed suits. 17:11 - The Frugal Travel Guy Lets Him In on the Secret 🤫 A 65-year-old blogger pulls Brian into a side room at a conference to reveal the affiliate-marketing trick that would change everything. 19:27 - A Jealous Colleague Tries to Get Him Fired 😬 Brian recounts a coworker reporting him to HR out of envy and how one senior mentor quietly saved his job. 22:26 - The NYT Article, the Shower Epiphany, and "I'm Pretty Sure I'm Rich" 🚿 A viral credit card offer and a New York Times feature collide, and Brian realizes in real time that his site just made him six figures in a day. 26:39 - Selling The Points Guy for $28 Million at 28 💰 Brian breaks down the whirlwind negotiation and earn-out that turned his blog into a life-altering payday. 29:07 - Betrayed by a Friend Over Money 🏚️ After the sale, Brian describes friends turning on him and a trusted interior-designer friend secretly pocketing money meant for his apartment. 33:59 - "2020 Was the Best Thing That Could Have Happened to Me" 🛑 Brian admits he was on a collision course with burnout as CEO, until the pandemic forced him to step back and rethink everything. 37:53 - Rapid Fire: Advice for Before You Turn 35 ⏰ Brian fires off quick hits: take a great solo trip, never push yourself to exhaustion again, and stop asking for permission to try new things. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening.

    The Points Guy Couldn't Get His Own Credit Card: Then He Made $28 Million at 28 Years Old (Replay)
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About

New career advice and messy stories, every Monday.  Whether you’re at the top, or striving to get there—you may have noticed the one thing people rarely talk about: how hard it is to achieve success. The Messy Parts is the answer—a podcast where you’ll hear about the twists, turns and pivots that shape extraordinary careers. The real messy parts along the way. Host Maryam Banikarim has been through it, so she gets it. Maryam has been a transformative leader across media, hospitality and tech. Her powerhouse resume features more than 20 years in the C-Suite at companies like Hyatt, NBC, and Nextdoor—and she has a vast, influential network to match. On The Messy Parts, she brings you unparalleled access to that network. Deeply honest, vulnerable conversations with Maryam—who is never afraid to ask the questions on everyone's mind. Join us as we get real, unfiltered, and messy.

Information

  • Creator
    with Maryam Banikarim
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Messy Parts
  • Show Website
    The Messy Parts

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