That's So Akiba

Sarah Akiba

Fashion, hustle, and resilience—unfiltered. Hosted by Sarah Akiba—celebrity stylist and AWOM Foundation founder—this show dives into culture, faith, and empowerment. Episodes alternate between Sarah’s solo reflections and interviews with dynamic guests, from young AWOM mentees to industry icons who have shaped her journey, expect to learn the tools it takes to turn your struggles into your greatest superpower.

  1. 30. Letting Go of Hustle Before Motherhood | Sarah Akiba

    MAR 24

    30. Letting Go of Hustle Before Motherhood | Sarah Akiba

    What if everything you’ve built… came from survival mode... and now it’s time to let it go? In this deeply personal Season 2 finale of That’s So Akiba, Sarah Akiba opens up like never before. From navigating trauma, toxic relationships, and generational survival patterns… to stepping into motherhood and choosing surrender over control—this episode is a raw reflection on growth, healing, and redefining success. After two seasons of powerful conversations, Sarah pauses to take it all in: the journey, the evolution, and the woman she’s becoming as she prepares to welcome her first child. This isn’t about hustle. This is about presence. This is about breaking cycles. In this episode, Sarah shares: - The truth about living in survival mode and why she’s choosing to break it - Her journey through trauma, relationships, and healing - The emotional story behind trusting timing, motherhood, and faith - Why surrendering control is her biggest lesson right now - Redefining success beyond hustle, struggle, and burnout - The power of being present and choosing real life over distractions This episode is for anyone navigating change, healing from the past, or stepping into a new version of themselves. If you’ve ever felt like you had to fight for everything… this conversation will meet you exactly where you are. Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1kXcQdM_6vgbED6z6KPMpA

    15 min
  2. 29. She Turned Pain Into Purpose Through Faith, Modesty & Motherhood | Chaya De Paz

    MAR 10

    29. She Turned Pain Into Purpose Through Faith, Modesty & Motherhood | Chaya De Paz

    What if the hardest moments in your life were actually guiding you back to who you’re meant to become? Chaya de Paz, the creator behind Modest Fashion by Chaya, is a mother of three redefining what it means to live with faith, confidence, and authenticity. Known for her joyful approach to motherhood and elegant modest style, Chaya has built a growing following rooted in positivity and connection to Hashem. But her path wasn’t always clear. In this episode, Chaya opens up about a difficult chapter in her life, how she slowly returned to her faith, and why modesty became something she chose with love rather than obligation. Chaya describes modesty through a powerful metaphor: a diamond. “You don’t leave a diamond anywhere. You protect it. You keep it sacred.” In a deeply personal moment, Sarah also shares how prayer on Yom Kippur helped pull her out of one of the darkest times in her life—showing how struggle can often become the gateway to faith. We talk about: - Building confidence after criticism growing up - What modesty truly means in Judaism—inside and out - Why covering your hair represents dignity, beauty, and protection - Taking small steps back toward faith - Motherhood, partnership, and choosing joy in everyday chaos - Finding God in your darkest moments Follow  @Modestfashionbychaya    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modestfashionbychaya TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@modestfashionbychaya Shop My; https://shopmy.us/shop/modestfashionbychaya Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction  02:00 The Intersection of Faith and Fashion 04:02 Overcoming Childhood Challenges and Building Confidence 05:58 The Personal Journey to Modesty and Love for Faith 07:59 Understanding Modesty in Jewish Law 09:49 Motherhood, Self-Care, and Maintaining Happiness 12:00 Handling Life’s Challenges with Faith and Patience 13:55 The Significance of Wigs and Hair Covering in Judaism 15:56 The Biblical Roots of Modesty and Dietary Laws 17:49 Baby Steps in Personal Growth and Religious Observance 20:03 Finding Light in Dark Times and Personal Testimonies 21:54 The Power of Prayer and Connection with God 24:03 Overcoming Hardships and Spiritual Resilience 25:49 Living with Joy, Gratitude, and Authenticity 27:51 Closing Remarks and How to Follow the Guest Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1kXcQdM_6vgbED6z6KPMpA

    29 min
  3. 28. Building Beauty & Wellness from the Heart | Gigi Vogel on De La Heart, Motherhood & Longevity

    FEB 24

    28. Building Beauty & Wellness from the Heart | Gigi Vogel on De La Heart, Motherhood & Longevity

    What if success wasn’t just about numbers, trends, or perfection — but about showing up for yourself, your family, and your passions? Giordana "Gigi" Vogel, founder of De La Heart, mother of two, and self-proclaimed beauty hacker, joins Sarah for an intimate conversation about wellness, longevity, and building a brand that truly serves people. From her early journey in yoga and mind-body practices to creating a multimillion-dollar beauty and wellness brand, Gigi shares how everything she does comes “from the heart”, inspired by personal needs and the women around her. The conversation touches on: - Balancing motherhood, family, and career - Building an authentic brand that adds real value - Natural wellness, beauty hacks, and longevity practices - Trusting your body, birthing naturally, and embracing life fully - Staying grounded while navigating success, social media, and external pressures - Saying yes to opportunities and showing up unapologetically Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 03:11 The Journey of Wellness and Entrepreneurship 05:50 Balancing Wellness and Self-Care 09:23 Living to 100: Insights on Longevity 11:52 Motherhood and Natural Birth Experiences 15:05 The Evolution of Delahart and Its Products 17:45 Navigating Challenges in Entrepreneurship 20:51 Personal Growth and Authenticity 23:53 Advice for Women on Longevity and Wellness Follow Gigi and De La Heart: Instagram: @ggvogel_ https://www.instagram.com/gigivogel_ Instagram: @delaheart https://www.instagram.com/delaheart/?hl=en Website: https://www.delaheart.com/ Follow Sarah: Instagram: @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba: Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1kXcQdM_6vgbED6z6KPMpA

    47 min
  4. 27. The Reality of Running a Social Media Agency | Lemon Pop's Leah Uzan

    FEB 10

    27. The Reality of Running a Social Media Agency | Lemon Pop's Leah Uzan

    What if building a successful business didn’t have to mean burnout, competition, or doing it all alone? Leah Uzan, co-founder of Lemon Pop Creative Agency, shares her perspective on women-led entrepreneurship, creative leadership, and building something truly meaningful. From growing up in Miami to working in hospitality, social media, and branding before it became a buzzword, Leah walks through the experiences that shaped her path — and how Lemon Pop was born during COVID and grew into a thriving agency with 40+ clients and a waitlist. Leah and Sarah get real about leading with intention, delegating under pressure, trusting your instincts, and building a business that actually reflects your values. They also talk motherhood, legacy, manifestation, and redefining success on your own terms — especially during life’s busiest and most demanding seasons. Leah opens up about her mother’s resilience, growing up around disability, and how learning to over-communicate became one of her greatest strengths as a leader. This episode is a reminder that ambition and heart can coexist, and that the most fulfilling success is built with integrity, intuition, and purpose. Learn more about Lemon Pop Agency: https://www.lemonpopcreative.com/ Follow along: https://www.instagram.com/lemonpopagency/ Follow Leah: https://www.instagram.com/leahesper/ Timestamps:  00:00 – You Can Do It: Confidence, Work Ethic & Having It All   03:00 – Welcome to That’s So Akiba + Meet Leia of Lemon Pop   06:00 – Growing Up in Miami & Early Creative Roots   09:00 – From Friendship to Collaboration: Building Together   12:00 – Lemon Pop’s Origin Story & Finding Purpose Through Work   15:00 – Work, Hustle & Redefining Balance   18:00 – Running a Growing Agency & Managing the Pressure   21:00 – Partnership, Trust & No Competition Between Women   24:00 – Giving Back, Purpose & Building Brands with Heart   27:00 – Behind the Scenes: The Reality of Social Media Work   30:00 – Staying Inspired Through Passion Projects   33:00 – Manifestation, Goals & Looking Ahead to 2026   36:00 – Friendship, Family & Creating a Strong Support System   39:00 – Motherhood, Timing & Trusting Your Intuition   42:00 – Shoutout to Strong Mothers & Generational Strength   45:00 – Turning Struggle Into Superpower: Communication & Grace   48:00 – Love, Healing & Chosen Family   51:00 – Gratitude, Reflection & Closing Thoughts   Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1kXcQdM_6vgbED6z6KPMpA

    52 min
  5. 26. Finding Faith, Purpose, and Healing | Meir Kay

    JAN 27

    26. Finding Faith, Purpose, and Healing | Meir Kay

    What if finding your way back to yourself isn’t about hustling harder, having all the answers, or being perfect — but about faith, presence, and a little more compassion? This week, Sarah sits down with spiritual teacher, speaker, and content creator Meir Kay for a real, open-hearted conversation about identity, faith, fear, and transformation. Meir opens up about the viral moment that introduced millions to his message — standing blindfolded in Union Square offering hugs as an Orthodox Jew during a time of rising antisemitism — and the fear, faith, and courage it took to show up anyway. From there, the conversation goes deeper, touching on depression, losing yourself, rebuilding faith, and how even our darkest moments can become unexpected sources of light. Together, Sarah and Meir talk about what it means to be a proud Jew in a complicated world, how to live with less fear, and why being human always comes before labels. Meir shares simple, powerful tools for grounding anxiety, building daily faith, and reconnecting with God — not through perfection, but through honesty, breath, prayer, and self-forgiveness. This episode is an invitation to come home to yourself. To remember that you are enough. To choose love — with boundaries. And to trust that healing your own life might just help heal the world too. Learn more about Meir Kay: http://linktr.ee/meirkay Follow  @MeirKay : https://www.instagram.com/meirkay Chapters:  00:00 Standing Proud as a Jew: The Union Square Hug Story 02:05 Rising Antisemitism & Choosing Love Over Defense 03:21 Blindfolded in Union Square: Fear, Faith, and Vulnerability 07:13 Facing Fear & Trusting God in Real Time 08:36 The Hugs That Changed Everything 09:04 Arab–Jewish Connection & Remembering We’re Family 14:24 What Faith Looks Like in Daily Life 16:16 Regulating the Nervous System with Breathwork 16:34 Tehillim, Prayer, and Ancient Wisdom 18:07 Speaking to God in Your Own Words 20:50 Losing Yourself, Depression, and Identity 23:58 Stepping Back, Numbing, and Hitting Bottom 26:52 Teshuva: Returning to Yourself and to God 27:54 Turning Darkness into Light 28:42 Pain as Purpose: Becoming a Messenger 31:56 Healing the Body, Healing the World 33:43 Technology, Addiction, and Awareness 34:46 Money, Trust, and Fear 36:39 “I Am Enough” and Breaking the Consumer Spell 41:33 Protecting Your Energy While Staying Loving 42:51 Daily Self-Care Practices That Actually Work 44:47 Looking Ahead to 2026: Purpose, Retreats & Growth Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1kXcQdM_6vgbED6z6KPMpA

    47 min
  6. 25. Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in 2026

    JAN 13

    25. Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in 2026

    What if the thing you are searching for this year is not more success, more productivity, or more answers — but deeper purpose? It's been nearly one year of That's So Akiba podcast - so why keep going? As listeners enter 2026, Sarah shares an honest conversation about purpose, inspiration, freedom, joy, and the power of community. From building businesses and hosting dinners to motherhood, relationships, and daily acts of kindness, this episode is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and choose a more intentional way of living. Sarah explores why people have always been her purpose, how giving to others creates fulfillment, and why joy is different from fleeting happiness. She opens up about shedding relationships and habits that no longer serve her, choosing worthy connections, and learning to show up fully for the people who matter most. Timestamps:  00:00 – Searching for purpose & inspiration 02:05 – Living life through inspiration (work, mindset, daily rituals) 02:55 – Why purpose matters right now 03:24 – Realizing work as fulfillment and purpose 04:10 – Community as purpose & making others feel good 05:10 – Acts of kindness & the ripple effect 06:15 – Shedding old traits: Year of the Snake → Year of the Horse 07:20 – Freedom, joy vs. happiness 08:15 – Finding your “why”: journaling, prayer, daily intention 09:35 – Small mindset shifts that transform your life 10:43 – Personal reflection: people as purpose & motherhood 11:50 – Building community (it starts with one person) 12:40 – Showing up better for family, not just work 13:05 – Choosing worthy connections 14:15 – Giving back authentically 14:55 – Entering 2026 with intention & purpose 15:25 – Subscribe, share & closing message Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@thatssoakiba⁩

    16 min
  7. 24. 10 Years of AWOM Girls Club: The Impact of Sisterhood

    12/30/2025

    24. 10 Years of AWOM Girls Club: The Impact of Sisterhood

    What if the thing that saved you… was simply being seen? In this emotional, full-circle episode of That’s So Akiba, Sarah Akiba sits down with Izzy Gleeson and Melody Buzzi — AWOM Girls Club Alumni — to reflect on how a girls mentorship program that began nearly 10 years ago became a lifelong sisterhood and a turning point for their lives. Sarah shares the story of starting AWOM Girls Club at local schools as a mentorship program designed to help young women become the strongest versions of themselves — not through perfection, but through truth, resilience, empathy, and support. And the most powerful part? The girls became the leaders. The students became the teachers. The community kept growing. Timestamps:  00:00 – Intro  00:39 – Meeting during COVID + starting AWOM Girls Club on Zoom 01:20 – What is AWOM Foundation + how Girls Club began (10 years!) 02:35 – Why Melody joined (popular loner + craving real girl friendships) 03:45 – Why Izzy joined (sports + clubs + leadership energy) 06:55 – The AWOM Girls Club Fashion Show (“runway of life”) 11:30 – Students becoming teachers + growing into leaders 16:20 – Why Girls Club wasn’t just a club — it was family 18:15 – What Girls Club helped them overcome: insecurity + mental health 19:49 – Social media pressure + makeup, hiding, depression 20:45 – Journaling as healing + “I wasn’t alone” 29:19 – Izzy’s goals: 2026 vision + photography + mental health reset 37:40 – Melody’s struggle after high school + bad habits + alcohol 42:42 – Closing message: community, love, and never giving up Learn more about AWOM Foundation & AWOM Girls Club: https://www.awom.org/ AWOM Girls Club was created under AWOM Foundation (Angel Watching Over Me) to give teen girls the one thing they often don’t get enough of: a safe space to be real mentorship through the hardest years tools for confidence, emotional growth, and self-worth community that feels like family. Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@thatssoakiba⁩

    42 min
  8. 23. Building a Business That Feels Like Home | Papa, Thanks So Much | Aloni Matzon

    12/16/2025

    23. Building a Business That Feels Like Home | Papa, Thanks So Much | Aloni Matzon

    Building a business isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people, the passion, and the process. Aloni Matzon and Sarah Akiba, together with their partners, opened Papa, Thanks So Much, a coffee and matcha shop that’s as intentional as it is inviting. In this episode, Aloni shares the behind-the-scenes story of bringing this dream to life—from navigating the whirlwind of opening a new venture to balancing family, faith, and fun. He offers insights on partnership, communication, and creating a space that feels like home. What you’ll hear in this episode: - Behind-the-scenes of launching a new venture and navigating the whirlwind of entrepreneurship - Lessons on partnership, communication, and intentional living - How small details—from the perfect coffee and matcha to a curated playlist can transform a space - Embracing imperfection, enjoying the ride, and leaning on those who matter most Visit Papa, Thanks So Much: 3 N Federal Highway, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 Follow @papathankssomuch https://www.instagram.com/papathankssomuch/ Follow  ⁨@AloniMatzon⁩ : https://www.instagram.com/alonimatzon/ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro  05:00 – Papa, Thanks So Much origin & early momentum 10:00 – Coffee, matcha, and intentional design choices 15:00 – Partnership dynamics & communication in business 20:00 – Parenthood, presence, and personal growth 25:00 – Masculine & feminine energy in relationships 30:00 – Future plans, podcast goals & Papa opening details Follow Sarah:  Instagram:  @soakiba https://www.instagram.com/soakiba  Book The Spaces: https://bookthespaces.com/ Subscribe to That's So Akiba:  Podcast: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uPL2CvjHFO6nbk0Pe3FeA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-akiba/id1793125684 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thatssoakiba

    31 min

Trailers

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Fashion, hustle, and resilience—unfiltered. Hosted by Sarah Akiba—celebrity stylist and AWOM Foundation founder—this show dives into culture, faith, and empowerment. Episodes alternate between Sarah’s solo reflections and interviews with dynamic guests, from young AWOM mentees to industry icons who have shaped her journey, expect to learn the tools it takes to turn your struggles into your greatest superpower.

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