Unglamorous in the City

Smitha Rao
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Society & Culture

Where success, dating, and reality collideNYC | Real stories behind polished lives

  1. 1d ago

    Cancer, Career & Advocacy: Nancie Steinberg on Survival, Motherhood & Finding Purpose

    Nancie Steinberg is a healthcare PR and media relations leader, cancer survivor and patient advocate whose personal and professional lives have intersected in extraordinary ways. Nancie shares the deeply personal story of losing her mother to metastatic breast cancer, receiving her own breast cancer diagnosis shortly afterward, and having a mastectomy on her son’s second birthday. She also opens up about motherhood, treatment, living with chronic myeloid leukemia, and later having the second child she had long hoped for.   We also talk about her transition into patient advocacy, why she believes patients need a seat at the table, and the lessons she’s learned over decades in healthcare communications and media relations.   And yes — we get into what makes a good media story, why some pitches fail, and what PR professionals should remember before reaching out to reporters.

  2. Oct 14

    She Was Invited to Dinner With JFK Jr. — And Didn’t Go | Jen Aks on Self-Worth & Reinvention | S1 E21

    At 27, Jen Aks was invited to dinner with John F. Kennedy Jr. — and didn’t go. Not because she didn’t want to, but because years of self-doubt had convinced her she wasn’t smart enough to sit at the table. That moment became a turning point in a much bigger journey toward self-trust, confidence and learning to listen to what her body was telling her.   In this episode of Unglamorous in the City, Jen — author of Your Body Is Speaking and creator of The Power of Gesture — opens up about struggling with self-worth, redefining intelligence, building her work around body awareness, and eventually making one of the hardest decisions of her life: leaving a 20-year marriage even though there was no dramatic betrayal or obvious reason from the outside.   We talk about: Why judgment can keep us stuckLearning to trust yourselfThe difference between mindset and “body set”Why vulnerability can become a strengthListening before a whisper becomes a screamMarriage, grief and starting overThe unglamorous moments that can completely redirect a lifeJen also shares some very funny New York stories — including being mistaken for Sarah Jessica Parker more than once.   🎙️ Subscribe to Unglamorous in the City for honest conversations about careers, relationships, reinvention, ambition and everything behind the highlight reel.

  3. Oct 5

    At 33, Everything Changed: Drea Guinto on Cancer, Reinvention & the Life She Built After | S1 E20

    At 33, Drea Guinto was living in New York, thriving in her career and enjoying life when a breast cancer diagnosis changed everything. In this episode, Drea shares what it was like to lose the identity she knew, navigate treatment and survivorship, and eventually rebuild her life in a completely different direction. Today, she is the founder of Stellium, a wife, mother and nearly 10-year cancer survivor. We talk about the emotional aftermath of cancer, why she celebrates her diagnosis anniversary as “Life Day,” entrepreneurship, motherhood, work-life balance, failure, reinvention and what success really looks like behind the scenes. As we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Drea’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most unglamorous moments are the ones that completely reroute us.

  4. Sep 29

    Former NBC Producer on the Real Tea on Reality TV, Dating & Reinvention | S1 E19

    Reality TV may be called “reality,” but former NBC producer Lauren Nicholas has seen firsthand just how much can happen behind the scenes. In this episode of Unglamorous in the City, Lauren shares what producers really do to create storylines and drama for television — including scripted soundbites and manufactured conflict — and why appearing on reality TV can mean giving up control of your own narrative.  But the conversation goes far beyond TV. Lauren and Smitha talk about dating as ambitious women, why dating apps can feel exhausting, building careers in media as women of color, starting out on modest salaries in expensive New York, the importance of mentorship, and Lauren’s decision to finally launch her own production consulting business. Lauren also shares one of the best pieces of career advice she received at NBC: be the squeaky wheel — make yourself known, volunteer, network and let people know you want to learn.   It’s a candid conversation about ambition, reinvention, relationships and what happens when the polished version of an industry meets the reality behind it.

  5. Sep 23

    Tech Founder? Never the Plan - with Cori Cohen of MyAbroadMDs | S1 E18

    Cori Cohen never set out to become a tech founder. But after seeing how difficult it can be to navigate healthcare while traveling abroad, she turned a personal concern into a business idea — and eventually into MyAbroadMDs, a global healthcare-preparation platform helping travelers know where to go and who to call if something goes wrong overseas.  In this episode, Cori shares the story behind the company, the very unglamorous reality of entrepreneurship, and what it’s like to start something later than you expected. We also talk about what travelers should prepare before leaving home, the biggest mistakes people make when they get sick abroad, real-life medical situations she’s helped navigate, and why age, experience and curiosity can actually become advantages when building something new. Plus: rejection, AI, resilience, wearing every hat as a founder — and why 24 hours can completely change an entrepreneur’s life.

  6. Sep 16

    Career Rules from a Former Wall Street Headhunter with Michelle Perchuk | Unglamorous in the City | S1 E17

    What does it really take to land the right job, make a career pivot or stand out in a crowded market? This week on Unglamorous in the City, I’m joined by Michelle Perchuk, founder and CEO of MTV Coaching and a former Wall Street headhunter who spent years recruiting for Silicon Valley clients and Fortune 1000 companies before becoming a career coach and advocate for job seekers.   Michelle shares practical advice on networking with intention, creating an interview story people actually remember, identifying your transferable skills, navigating career pivots and staying resilient during a difficult job search. We also talk about why networking should happen long before you need a job, how AI can make you stronger at work when you use it thoughtfully, and why Michelle believes professionals should focus less on simply finding open roles and more on identifying the problems they can solve. And yes — we also tackle the question that somehow perfectly sums up Unglamorous in the City: What’s harder to find — a husband or a dream job? Whether you’re actively job searching, considering a career change or simply trying to stay competitive in a rapidly changing workplace, this episode is packed with advice you can actually use.

  7. Sep 9

    The Unglamorous Side of a Glamorous Life: My First Fully Solo Episode | S1 E16

    Raw. Unscripted. Unedited. After spending the past several months asking my guests about the parts of their lives people don’t always see, I decided it was time to answer some of those questions myself. In my first full solo episode of Unglamorous in the City, I get personal about the gap between how a life can look from the outside and how it actually feels to live it. I talk about loneliness and living alone, being single in my 40s, dating and body image, fat shaming, cultural expectations, career upheaval, family, aging, and the complicated emotions that can come with watching other people build marriages and families while your own life takes a different path. I also share what I’ve learned from the guests who have trusted me with their stories — and why those conversations have reinforced the reason I started this podcast in the first place. There is so much of my life that I genuinely love. And there are also moments when it feels incredibly lonely. Both things can be true. This episode is about saying that out loud.

  8. Sep 1

    I Had Nothing: UNC Professor Lorra Brown on Starting Over at 55 | Unglamorous in the City | S1 E15

    What happens when you’ve already built a successful career — but know you’re ready for something more? In this episode of Unglamorous in the City, Smitha sits down with Lorra Brown, assistant professor and director of the M.A. in Digital Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, for an honest conversation about ambition, reinvention, motherhood, career pivots and having the courage to start over. Before becoming a professor at one of the country’s leading journalism and media schools, Lorra built a career in communications and PR, working at major agencies including Ogilvy. But her path wasn’t nearly as glamorous as it might look on paper. Early in her career, she was struggling to pay rent in New York City with a credit card — while her job was simultaneously sending her to Bora Bora and other incredible destinations around the world. Later, she stepped away from agency life, spent nearly two decades teaching and raising her family, and then made another major leap at 55: giving up tenure, moving to North Carolina and starting over at UNC-Chapel Hill. Lorra and Smitha also talk about networking without being transactional, what young professionals get wrong about the job search, social media’s distorted version of success, embracing AI, motherhood and ambition, setting boundaries and why women shouldn’t apologize for wanting more for themselves. Her biggest lesson? Sometimes moving forward requires being willing to look like you’re taking a step backward. It’s never too late to bet on yourself.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Where success, dating, and reality collideNYC | Real stories behind polished lives

Information

  • Creator
    Smitha Rao
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unglamorous in the City
  • Show Website
    Unglamorous in the City