Awf The Record

On today’s Awf The Record, CNN anchor, attorney, and legal analyst Laura Coates joins the group chat for a powerful conversation about purpose, pivots, and what it really takes to build a life that feels true to you.
Laura opens up about leaving the Department of Justice (DOJ), the moment her husband’s fear during a police stop became a wake-up call, and why “informational activism” became her way of speaking truth to power. She reflects on her time as a federal prosecutor, the ethical dilemmas that shook her, and why Black and brown communities deserve champions who understand their lived experience.
From posting up in Panera Bread with a baby in her arms to becoming one of the most recognizable voices on CNN, Laura gets honest about ambition, motherhood, marriage, imposter syndrome, and the hard truth that few things are true meritocracies. This episode is a reminder that sometimes the attempt is the success, the grind does not end when you “make it,” and leaving the dream on the pillow is harder than doing it scared.

KEY POINTS 

- 0:00 Introduction
- 2:17 From CNN legal analyst and federal prosecutor to hosting her own show
- 3:56 Motherhood & her husband’s fear leading to the “camera in the car” wake‑up call
- 5:51 Leaving DOJ: choosing “informational activism” and being laughed at for pursuing TV
- 8:32 Financial sacrifice, family support, and redefining success on her own terms
- 9:28 Why Black and brown communities need prosecutors who look like them
- 12:43 The deportation warrant witness story and the ethical crisis 
- 16:36 First steps into media: Panera Bread, radio hits while nursing, and writing op‑eds
- 19:17 Grit, ambition, and surviving a cutthroat, non‑meritocratic TV industry
- 29:42 “Doing it all”: kids, 4–5 hours of sleep, and a truly supportive partner
- 31:06 “Pick your hard”: knowing her “why,” scheduling downtime, and protecting her health
- 38:24 The Alex Trebek’s Jeopardy! experience and what it taught her

QUOTES 

"I wholeheartedly reject the idea that black and brown communities should not get champions who look like them, and I am very proud of the opportunity to have stood up on behalf of people, embed a voice for them.” – Laura Coates 

"I needed my children to know that I was who I said I was, and that I wanted them to be." – Laura Coates 

"I decided that removing a muzzle that I had to put on as a prosecutor was going to be my form of informational activism, I thought people want to speak truth to power. Let me tell them what the truth is." – Laura Coates 

"I cannot fail if I'm trying on my own terms." – Laura Coates 

RESOURCES

Laura Coates 
Website: lauracoates.com
Instagram: @thelauracoates 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi
IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes
IG |  @msnewslady 
Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com
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In this segment, Jaz Turner gets honest about the “messy middle” of self-growth, the part that does not look like green juice, Pilates, or a perfectly curated morning routine. She shares how rebuilding starts with small daily choices like journaling, faith, movement, and learning how to pour into yourself first. From leaving law school to redefining self-care as a love letter to herself, Jaz reminds us that the hard seasons are often preparing us for the life we asked for.

RESOURCES: 

Jaz Turner 

Youtube: @jazturner16 
Instagram: @jazturner16/ 
TikTok: @jazturner16 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi
IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes
IG |  @msnewslady 
Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com
 Follow Mona on TikTok and IG
Follow Jeannette on TikTok and IG

What does a real glow up actually look like?
In this episode of Awf The Record, Mona Kosar Abdi and Jeannette Reyes sit down with lifestyle entrepreneur and digital creator Jaz Turner, whose thoughtful approach to self-investment, wellness, and intentional living has built a global audience of more than one million followers.
But Jaz’s story didn’t begin with morning routines and glow-up advice.
Before becoming a creator, she was on track to become a lawyer. After earning a full ride to law school and landing a prestigious position in sports and entertainment law, she found herself deeply unhappy, battling anxiety, burnout, and an identity crisis.
What followed was the messy middle: leaving law school, rebuilding her life from the ground up, and discovering that growth isn’t glamorous. It’s lonely, uncomfortable, and deeply transformative.
In this conversation, Jaz opens up about the truth behind personal growth, the power of journaling and self-reflection, navigating friendship breakups, setting boundaries, and why the glow up actually starts where it hurts. They also dive into routines, relationships, and the mindset shifts that helped Jaz rebuild her life, and why the most powerful transformation happens internally first.
Felt stuck in a career that looks perfect on paper, or ever wonder what it really takes to reinvent yourself? This episode is for you.

KEY POINTS
Jaz Turner’s journey from law school student to lifestyle creator 
Why chasing the “perfect career” left her burned out and unhappy
The identity crisis that comes when your job no longer defines you
Why the glow up actually starts with anger, pain, and honesty
The messy middle of reinvention and rebuilding your life
The morning routines and mindset shifts that changed everything
Friendship breakups, boundaries, and protecting your growth
How reframing failure helped Jaz transform her life
Why internal growth always comes before the external glow up

QUOTES 

“It’s a loss of identity when your whole life has been built around your career.”  – Jaz Turner
 
“The messy middle is where you learn the tools to handle the life you deserve.” – Jaz Turner

“Don’t be a loser in your own story.” – Jaz Turner

“Nobody is coming to save you, and that’s actually the most empowering thing in the world.” – Jaz Turner

RESOURCES: 

Jaz Turner 

Youtube: @jazturner16 
Instagram: @jazturner16/ 
TikTok: @jazturner16 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi
IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes
IG |  @msnewslady 
Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com
 Follow Mona on TikTok and IG
Follow Jeannette on TikTok and IG

In this segment from the Eboni K. Williams interview, Eboni breaks down why relationships, appearance, marriage, motherhood, and opportunity all operate within real social “marketplaces.” From Michelle Obama’s recent comments on appearance as currency to the controversy around advising women to prioritize partnership earlier, Eboni challenges listeners to think less about what feels fair and more about what creates leverage, choice, and long-term positioning.

RESOURCES: 

Eboni Williams
Website: .ebonikwilliams.com
IG: instagram.com/ebonikwilliams/ 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi
IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes
IG |  @msnewslady 
Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com
 Follow Mona on TikTok and IG
Follow Jeannette on TikTok and IG

In this episode of AWF The Record, attorney, TV host, author, and Judge Eboni star Eboni K. Williams joins the group chat for an unfiltered conversation on dating standards, the infamous “bus driver” controversy, single motherhood by choice, and why she refuses to apologize for being clear about what she wants.
From her time on Real Housewives of New York to navigating public backlash, Eboni opens up about what it means to be a Black woman who is outspoken, ambitious, and completely unafraid of being misunderstood. She breaks down her views on relationships as a marketplace, why women should be honest about their standards, and the decision to become a mother on her own terms.
The conversation also dives into career ambition, partnership, political compatibility in dating, and why so many women feel judged for making unconventional life choices.

KEYPOINTS:

0:00 Introduction
 Real Housewives, Race, and Being the First Black Cast Member
The “Bus Driver” Controversy Explained
Eboni’s Dating Advice for Ambitious Women
Why She Chose Single Motherhood
The Backlash to Becoming a Solo Mom by Choice
Control, Independence, and Executive Decision-Making
Hot Takes on Dating, Money, and Relationships
Political Compatibility in Relationships
Can Women Really Have It All?

QUOTES:

“I'm a woman who's always operating on an agenda without apology.” – Eboni Williams 

“I love the executive decision-making I get as a solo parent.” – Eboni Williams 

“If I feel like I need to check your phone, the relationship is over.” – Eboni Williams 

“My right to exist freely and humanely as a black person in America is not a political issue.” – Eboni Williams 

“I don't know that we can have them all at the same time.” – Eboni Williams 

RESOURCES: 

Eboni Williams
Website: .ebonikwilliams.com
IG: .instagram.com/ebonikwilliams/ 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi
IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes
IG |  @msnewslady 
Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com
 Follow Mona on TikTok and IG
Follow Jeannette on TikTok and IG