Career Stories

Kayla Itsines is recognized as one of the most influential trainers in the world and has made it her personal mission to help as many women as possible achieve their ideal levels of fitness and feel more confident and happy.

Kayla created the Bikini Body Guide (BBG) and BBG Stronger fitness programs to help women around the world make permanent and sustainable changes to both their mindset and lifestyle.

The BBG routines are flexible (you can choose whether you want to work out at home or in the gym) and help women learn how to train to increase both fitness and strength through regular workouts. The best part...they are only 28 minutes long! 

Kayla opens up in this episode of Career Stories about her upbringing in a close-knit Greek family in Australia, her journey to creating the BBG program, why she was inspired to become a fitness trainer, how her relationship with her fiancé, Tobi, blossomed into a business empire, and her message to women around the world. 

With more women joining every day, the BBG Community is a fantastic source of extra support and encouragement throughout anyone's fitness journey. You can join and make your health and fitness goals a reality at SWEAT.com or by downloading the SWEAT app. 

Follow Kayla and the amazing #BBG transformations at @KaylaItsines. 

Erin Lim is the host of E! News’ “The Rundown," one of the first fully produced weekly shows for Snapchat, which recently expanded to three days a week after early success on the platform, averaging 13 million viewers. Erin is also a correspondent for E! News and serves as a regular panelist on Live From E!, a fast-paced and popular digital show that E! News developed for the Facebook Live platform. 

In 2017, Erin’s on-air work helped E! News earn a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Entertainment News Program.  Erin and the E! News team continue to reinvent entertainment and celebrity news for the next generation, serving as the go-to multiplatform destination for content and pop culture coverage spanning fashion, beauty, lifestyle, viral content, television, music and more, and the voice for what's trending in pop culture across all platforms – from television and online to mobile, social and VOD.

Erin was formerly the host for E! News Asia.  She was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and is a graduate of Chapman University. 

You can follow her at @erinlimofficial.

Dr. Mike Varshavski is a celebrity doctor, a social media star, successful YouTuber and a practicing family medicine physician. 

His family is originally from Saransk, Russia and immigrated to New York City when Mike was five years old. He lived with his parents and sister in a one-bedroom low-income apartment for eight years, watching his parents start over with their professional lives. His father, who was a doctor in Russia, completely redid medical school and his mom went from being a math professor in her home country to sweeping floors, then eventually became a computer programmer. 

Dr. Mike's Instagram account went viral while he was in medical school after being featured in BuzzFeed. He has made appearances on all major networks as a medical expert and health commentator, and used that platform to build his own YouTube channel.  His videos on YouTube provide medically-themed "edutainment" to a young audience. 

Tomi Lahren is a conservative political commentator and host of FOX Nation's daily programs First Thoughts and Final Thoughts. On First Thoughts (9:30AM/ET) Tomi delivers her opinion on the latest news in politics and pop culture. Her signature Final Thoughts (6PM/ET) recaps her views on the day’s top stories.

Her first book, "Never Play Dead: How the Truth Makes You Unstoppable" releases July 2nd.  She tells the story of how she worked her way out of South Dakota to television fame in LA, surviving social isolation and a very public lawsuit. Along the way, she was tempted to follow everyone’s advice to keep quiet and bide her time, but she never did.

In addition to her role on FOX Nation, Lahren is a contributor for FNC, offering political commentary across the network’s opinion programming, primarily on Hannity and FOX & Friends. Lahren joined the network in August 2017.

Prior to joining FNC, Lahren served in a communications role at Great America Alliance (GAA), a super PAC supporting President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election bid. Previously, she hosted Tomion The Blaze and On Point with Tomi Lahren on One America News Network. With more than 4.4 million Facebook followers, Lahren is well-known for her “Final Thoughts” videos, where she offers commentary on everything from politics to pop culture.

Lahren graduated from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she earned her B.A. in broadcast journalism and political science. She also produced and hosted the university’s political roundtable show The Scramble on UNLV-TV.

Follow her at @TomiLahren. 

You can order her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Play-Dead-Truth-Unstoppable/dp/0062881949 

Kelsey Wells is a personal trainer, a social media influencer in the field of fitness and an inspiring wife and mother.

After having her son, Anderson, Kelsey started a healthy eating and exercise plan to help increase her fitness and cope with postpartum anxiety. Little did she know that decision would completely change the course of her life. 

As a certified personal trainer with additional expertise in post-natal training, Kelsey's mission is to empower women to strengthen their bodies and their minds. 

"I want ALL women to feel amazing, both inside and out, and to be totally in love with who they are. You can train alongside me at any stage of your fitness journey, simply choose the program that best suits your goals," said Kelsey. 

PWR is Kelsey's gym-based program, a unique take on weights training to help women sculpt lean muscle. It's available through the SWEAT app and even has an updated version, PWR At Home, for more convenient training options without professional equipment.

Kelsey's also has the PWR Post-Pregnancy training program, designed to take women on a journey of empowerment, and regaining a love for their bodies, no matter what stage of motherhood they are experiencing.

"I truly believe caring for yourself and building self-confidence through a healthy lifestyle is fundamental for feeling unstoppable!" said Kelsey. 

Let her help you to find your power!  Follow her at @KelseyWells and at www.SWEAT.com. 

Maz Jobrani is an Iranian-American comedian and actor, best known for his Netflix standup special "Immigrant," Showtime's "I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One on TV," and as a member of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. 

Maz’s first original Netflix standup special was filmed in 2017 at the Kennedy Center and is currently available for streaming. He has also put out three other solo specials on Showtime including: “Brown and Friendly”, “I Come in Peace”, and “I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV”.

In spring 2016 he performed at the White House where he had the privilege of introducing Michelle Obama.

Maz is a founding member of The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, which aired on Comedy Central. Maz starred as the title character in the award-winning indie comedy, "Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero," a film which he co-wrote and co-produced and is now available on all major outlets online. He has co-starred in many films including Disney’s "Descendants," Sydney Pollack’s "The Interpreter" and Ice Cube’s "Friday After Next." 

With over 50 guest star appearances, Maz can regularly be seen on television’s most popular shows. His guest starring roles include Grey's Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Shameless. He is a regular panelist on NPR’s "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" and has given 2 TED Talks.

His LA Times Best Selling Book, "I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One On TV" was published by Simon & Schuster. Maz executive produced "Everything Must Change," a documentary about his sister’s battle with breast cancer which is currently available on iTunes. 

Maz's family is originally from Tehran, Iran. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. You can follow him at @MazJobrani. 

Chef Fabio Viviani has harbored a passion for food since his childhood growing up in Florence, Italy. Fabio owned and operated several restaurant concepts by the time he was 27 including two nightclubs and five restaurants in Florence. 

Best known for his television debut on Bravo’s hit series Top Chef—earning the “Fan Favorite” title—his on-screen appearances have propelled him to become one of the top culinary names in the country. He is a recurring guest on national television shows such as Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, The Chew, and countless Food Network Shows such as Cutthroat Kitchen: All-Star Tournament, which he won. In February 2017, he also released “Fabio’s Kitchen,” a 52-episode cooking show hosted on YouTube.

Teaming up with one of Chicago’s restaurant consulting group, Dine|Amic, Fabio opened Siena Tavern in Chicago in 2013 and the following year he opened Mercato by Fabio Viviani, a quick-service Italian concept with branches in Chicago and San Diego. In 2015, Fabio continued to make a name for himself in Chicago by opening Bar Siena and Prime & Provisions. In 2016, he expanded to the LAX Delta terminal with the opening of Osteria by Fabio Viviani while opening additional Mercato by Fabio locations in Tempe, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Benton Harbor. In 2017, Fabio opened the Press Room in Detroit hot on the heels of his February opening of Portico by Fabio Viviani in New York’s del Lago Resort & Casino.

Looking ahead to 2018, Viviani plans to open restaurants in Tampa, Detroit, Washington D.C. and Oklahoma City. He also plans to open high end food courts in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and Missouri before the end of the year.

Off-screen, Viviani is a regular headliner at global food events and aside from his restaurant businesses, Viviani also owns a Maine-based seafood delivery service called Lobster by Fabio and a winery in Sonoma that produces the five wine varietals in the Fabio Viviani Wine Collection.

In addition to having his own lines of cookware and culinary gadgets, he has authored four successful cookbooks: Café Firenze Cookbook, New York Times Best-Seller Fabio’s Italian Kitchen, Fabio’s American Home Kitchen, and most recently Fabio’s 30-Minute Italian.

Among Fabio’s other passions, he has a knack for business and entrepreneurship. A prolific tech investor and business speaker, not only has he delivered over 300 keynotes in the past 7 years, but he has been featured at several Fortune 500 companies’ corporate functions to share expertise in branding, social media, and marketing. 

His varied accomplishments have impressed many, resulting in his induction into the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame as 2017 Chef of the Year in March 2017. Following Fabio’s initiation, the mayor of Chicago declared March 8, 2017 to be Chef Fabio Viviani Day in Chicago, encouraging Chicagoans to recognize his achievements and contributions not only to his home city, but also to the nation’s culinary scene.

Hillary Kerr is co-founder and Chief Ideation Officer of Clique Brands, a modern lifestyle company that lives at the intersection of media and commerce.

Named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list in 2017 and as Digiday’s Most Innovative Publisher in 2018, Clique is a global media and consumer brands company that combines the power of data science with its expert editorial team to create content and products that millennial women and Gen Z girls crave. Clique is the parent company of Who What Wear, THE/THIRTY, College Fashionista and the podcast Second Life. 

Clique launched its consumer products division in early 2016 with the Who What Wear clothing collection, sold exclusively at Target, and has since expanded with JoyLab, an activewear line created in partnership with Target.

Along with fellow co-founder Katherine Power, Kerr is considered a visionary entrepreneur for creating the data-driven and curated fashion site Who What Wear in 2006, followed by five additional content properties. At Clique, Kerr drives all editorial content strategy and is the creator and host of the weekly Second Life podcast, which highlights women who have successfully transitioned careers. Since Second Life’s debut in February 2018, it has reached over two million listeners organically and has consistently charted on the iTunes top 10 careers podcast list, thanks to notable guests including Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Drybar’s Alli Webb, Lauren Conrad, and Kendra Scott. Instrumental in scaling the business, taking the lead with brand partners, and growing the media brands’ digital content communities, she also played a crucial role in the firm’s recent Series C round of funding, with participation from investors such as Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo and Amazon.

Prior to the launch of Who What Wear, Kerr was based in New York as an editor for Elle before becoming a freelance writer in Los Angeles for magazines such as Elle, Teen Vogue and Nylon. Kerr is also the co-author of three books: Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style for Real Life(Abrams, September 2009); What to Wear, Where (Abrams, March 2011); and The Career Code (Abrams, May 2016).

You can download episodes of the Second Life podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/second-life/id1347626043 

Follow Hillary at @HillaryKerr. 

Thank you so much to all of you listening to Career Stories around the world. 

The week of May 21, 2019 - just three months since launching on Apple Podcasts - Career Stories broke into the Top 50 for Apple Podcasts in the category of Business: Careers. That wouldn't be possible without you, the amazing listeners!

CHANGES ARE COMING TO CAREER STORIES beginning in June! I'm excited to announce that in addition to the back stories and career paths of successful journalists, the Career Stories Podcast is branching out to include the journeys of people at the top of their industries in a range of fields. 

You'll soon be hearing from social media influencers with millions of followers, comedians, celebrity chefs, attorneys, and politicians about how they built their brands and successful careers and the advice they have for you. 

If there is a guest you'd like to request, please send an e-mail to Natalie@CareerStoriesPod.com.

Thank you for listening and stay tuned for more great interviews!

Paula Faris is a senior national correspondent and anchor at ABC News and the host of the popular podcast “Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris,” which gives an intimate look at how some of the world’s most influential people lean on faith and spirituality to guide them through the best and worst of times.

Previously, she was the co-anchor of Good Morning America’s weekend edition, as well as a co-host of ABC’s The View.

Paula is an Emmy-Award winning journalist who has reported on major headlines around the world, from the 2018 Royal Wedding in Windsor, England, to the 90th Annual Academy Awards, the 2017 Inauguration of President Donald Trump, the World Cup in Brazil and the New England Patriots “Deflategate” scandal.

In 2018, Paula sat down with each of the Texas Senate race candidates, Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Beto O’Rourke, while on the Texas campaign trail. In October 2017, Paula made headlines for an exclusive interview with former White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer. Previously, she sat down exclusively with controversial Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, who made global headlines for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She has interviewed everyone from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders to Vice President Joe Biden, Reese Witherspoon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Tiger Woods, Steph Curry, the Duggars and the casts of Star Wars and Avengers.

Paula came to ABC News in 2012 after spending 10 years working for TV affiliates in Chicago, Cincinnati and Dayton. She began her career behind the scenes, shooting, editing and producing. 

A native of Jackson, Michigan, Paula graduated Cum Laude from Cedarville University and married her college sweetheart in 2000. She lives in New York with her husband and their three children.

You can follow her at @PaulaFaris and listen to her podcast, Journeys of Faith here: http://abcradio.com/podcasts/journeys-of-faith/ 

Kristine Leahy is a sports broadcaster and national television host of "Fair Game" on FOX Sports 1. She is a former co-host of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on FS1 and "American Ninja Warrior" on NBC. 

Before becoming entering the national spotlight, Kristine spent two and a half years with the CBS and Turner Sports Family. She worked the sidelines for March Madness and CBS Sports' regular season college football and basketball packages. She also anchored CBSLA's "Sports Central," contributed to KCAL's Dodgers pre-game show "Think Blue," and has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series to the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals. 

Kristine started her career in local news on the East Coast, working in sports radio, TV and as the official reporter for the Boston Celtics. She is originally from the Chicago area and grew up watching sports (including the glory days of the Bulls) with her family. You can follow her at @KristineLeahy.

Gianna Toboni is a correspondent and producer for VICE News Tonight, the Emmy award-winning half-hour nightly newscast and the multi-award-winning VICE on HBO series.

Over the last year, Toboni has covered escalating cartel violence and political corruption in Mexico, tracked down Nigerian pirates on their illegal oil refineries and landed an exclusive interview with death row inmate, Scott Dozier.

She’s been on the forefront of the most important domestic debates in the United States, interviewing charter school magnate Dick DeVos about school choice and sitting down with NRATV's Grant Stinchfield for a contentious interview about mass shootings.

Before joining VICE in 2013, she worked as a correspondent at Al Jazeera and as a producer for ABC News. In 2015, Toboni was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for media jobs and spoke at TEDx in 2014. She won a Webby Award in 2014 for Best Documentary Series for "The Real," as well as a GLAAD Media Award for Church and States in 2017. Toboni was also recently recognized by the Newswomen’s Club of New York at the Front Page Awards for her reporting on transgender youth.

You can follow her at @GiannaToboni. 

Amy Robach is a co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America and 20/20 and can be seen reporting across all ABC News platforms. 

Since joining ABC News, Amy has been on the front lines of some of the world's biggest headlines. She reported on the terrorist attacks in Manchester, UK and in Brussels, Belgium, as well as the mass shootings at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and Sandy Hook elementary school in Newton, Connecticut. Amy also contributes to ABC's network-wide coverage on Election Night and anchored ABC's Olympic coverage of the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

In 2014, Amy traveled to Nigeria to interview Malala Yousafzai, the 17-year-old who was campaigning to free hundreds of captive school girls. In this interview, you'll hear why this interview stands out to Amy as one of the most moving and important assignments she's had. 

Amy has also interviewed countless newsmakers and celebrities. Her headline making interviews include: Tonya Harding in a two-hour prime time special, Gretchen Carlson’s first television interview on sexual harassment in the workplace and Monica Lewinsky’s first network interview in over a decade.

In 2015, Amy wrote a New York Times bestselling book titled “Better: How I Let Go of Control, Held On To Hope, and Found Joy in My Darkest Hour" about her unexpected journey with breast cancer after being diagnosed following an on-air mammogram on GMA.

Before joining ABC News, Amy worked at NBC News from 2003 to 2012. She was the co-anchor of Saturday TODAY and an NBC News National Correspondent. During that time, she also filled in as weekday TODAY co-anchor and newsreader and NBC Nightly News anchor.

Prior to that Amy was an anchor for MSNBC from 2003-2007. She also worked as a reporter and anchor for WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C. and WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC. You can follow her at @AmyRobach. 

Nikki Battiste has been a correspondent for CBS News based in New York City since 2018. Her reporting appears across all CBS News platforms and broadcasts, including CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News, and 48 Hours.  Battiste has also served as a substitute anchor on CBS News’ digital channel, CBSN.

Battiste’s groundbreaking reporting and investigations into the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal gained critical acclaim.  In a television first, her reporting led to two alleged clergy abuse survivors sitting down face-to-face with the priest they say abused them as children. During a separate investigation, Battiste questioned U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops President, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, about why a priest with sexual abuse allegations in his own Galveston-Houston Archdiocese was still in active ministry.  After the story aired, the priest was removed from ministry.  Two months after her exclusive interview with now former Washington, D.C. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, he resigned.  She also broke the story of nuns sexually-abusing children, which led to more than 40 victims coming forward. Battiste traveled to Rome to cover Pope Francis’ Vatican summit addressing the clergy abuse crisis.

Battiste joined CBS News as a freelance correspondent in May 2017.  She first reported for CBS NewsPath, the Network’s 24-hour television newsgathering service for CBS stations and broadcasters around the world.  

Previously, Battiste was an award-winning ABC News reporter and producer based in New York.  She traveled the globe to cover breaking news and feature stories for all ABC News broadcast platforms, including Good Morning America, World News Tonight, Nightline, 20/20 and ABC digital. 

Battiste reported extensively on the Amanda Knox case from Perugia, Italy, becoming the first journalist to conduct a sit-down interview with Knox, after covering the case for six years.  She co-produced several Diane Sawyer hour-long specials, including an interview with the youngest woman on death row in the U.S.  She has investigated numerous criminal cases, radicalization in America, the rising costs of cancer drugs, medical tourism and bullying in schools.  

Battiste started her career as as an intern for The Today Show, working under Katie Couric, before moving up to becoming an NBC Page and then a producer and booker. 

Battiste has won Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, CINE Golden Eagle, Peabody, Deadline and Front Page awards.  She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.   At Penn, she was co-captain of their field hockey team.

Battiste is a Pennsylvania native and now resides in New York City with her husband. You can follow her at @NikkiBattiste. 

Tara Palmeri is an ABC News White House correspondent who can be seen reporting on Good Morning America & World News Tonight weekend editions, and on ABC's 200+ local affiliates and digital platform. 

Tara got her start in journalism by working as a news assistant for CNN in Washington, D.C. before making a name for herself as a gossip columnist. She reported for the Washington Examiner's "Yeas and Nays" column, before getting scooped up by The New York Post, where she wrote for Page Six and eventually covered city politics.

Her quick ability to develop sources impressed Politico, which gave her a dream opportunity to move to Europe and report on everything from Brexit to the Greek Financial crisis and the Paris and Brussels terror attacks. 

Then, President Trump was elected and Tara felt a strong calling to return to D.C.  After all, Trump was a familiar name and face in the tabloid world Tara had come to know so well.

She served as a Politico White House Correspondent and a CNN Political Analyst until 2017, and her ability to break stories about the administration got the attention of ABC News, which offered Tara her very first full-time TV gig.  

You can follow her at @TaraPalmeri. 

Andrew Fried is an award-winning documentary filmmaker & TV producer. His long list of credits includes executive producing hit Netflix docuseries like Chef’s Table (now in its 6th season), Last Chance U, 7 Days Out and the upcoming Street Food (which premieres April 26).

Even though Andrew says Chef's Table catapulted his career to another level, our Career Stories episode doesn't get to how the show was created until an hour into the interview, and that's because Andrew has had a fascinating and unpredictable career path. He started as an actor and comedian in New York City before 9/11 shifted his path temporarily to working for his family's real estate business. But the suit-and-tie life didn't last long and Andrew was ultimately pulled back into his love for storytelling through documentaries. Starting as a production assistant and working his way up to producer, Andrew has worked on everything from Jay-Z’s Fade to Black to Britney: For the Record to Iconoclasts (plus many, many more), and eventually started his own production company, Boardwalk Pictures. The word "boardwalk" has a special meaning for him, which he will explain. 

You'll hear Andrew get candid about his life and career as he reflects on his amazing accomplishments, and he'll share the advice he has for aspiring filmmakers and creative talent.  You can follow him at @Andrew_Fried on Twitter. 

Willow Bay is the first female dean of USC's prestigious Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Her prominent broadcast experience includes co-hosting NBA Inside Stuff, serving as a correspondent for the Today Show, co-anchoring ABC's Good Morning America weekend edition and anchoring CNN's Moneyline News Hour. Before joining USC to direct the journalism program, she was a senior editor and senior strategic advisor to The Huffington Post and a special correspondent for Bloomberg TV.

Willow is originally from New York City and holds an MBA from NYU. In her 20s, she was the face of Estee Lauder cosmetics and she says her modeling career not only helped her pay for school, but launched her into the TV reporting world by leading to on-air marketing spots.  One of her first gigs was also hosting a travel show alongside former NBC Today Show anchor, Matt Lauer. 

Willow was named Dean of USC's Annenberg in July 2017. She launched the school's Media Center in Wallis Annenberg Hall, introduced the school’s new Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree program, and welcomed the first cohort of the school’s nine-month Master of Science in Journalism program. 

Her husband is Bob Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and the couple has two children.

Miguel Almaguer is a national correspondent with NBC News and the network's go-to reporter for breaking news. He's covered stories around the world for Nightly News, the Today Show and MSNBC. Miguel holds an Edward R. Murrow Award and was recognized by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists with the Presidential Award of Visibility. Miguel has gone live feet from the flames of wildfires, waist-deep in flood waters, from a helicopter over an erupting volcano, and from the summit of El Capitan! Follow him at @MiguelNBC.

Emily Chang serves as the anchor and executive producer of Bloomberg Technology. Her San Franscisco-based TV show features interviews with the tech industry’s top executives, investors and entrepreneurs. Last year she published her first book called Brotopia: Breaking up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley, which turned into a national bestseller. It examines gender inequality in tech and how women were left out of the greatest wealth creation in history. Emily is a Harvard grad who started her career in local news before becoming a foreign correspondent with CNN. She has been referred to as one of the most influential women in tech. You can follow her at @EmilyChangTV.