Awf The Record

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with Jodie Taylor, corporate strategist, DEI leader at Sony Music, and digital creator with over half a million followers, to unpack the strategy behind becoming your highest self.

Jodie shares how a devastating season of loss, heartbreak, layoffs, and friendship breakups forced her to completely reevaluate her life. Instead of staying stuck in grief, she built a deliberate blueprint for transformation by focusing on physical confidence, career capital, social capital, and emotional growth.

From navigating corporate America as a Black woman to building a powerful personal brand online, Jodie explains why success is not accidental. It is strategic.

Their conversation dives into glow-up culture, networking without feeling transactional, building influence in your career, and the surprising role vulnerability plays in relationships and self-development. 

As Jodie highlights: “There is no universal definition of what being a baddie is.” Tune in!

KEY POINTS 

There is no playbook for navigating corporate spaces as a woman of color 
How grief, layoffs, and heartbreak forced her to rebuild her life intentionally
The Glow Up framework: physical, social, and career capital
Why social capital and proximity to powerful networks can change your career trajectory
The surprising psychology behind confidence, self-image, and physical transformation
How high-achieving women often struggle with vulnerability and emotional expression
The difference between preferences and real relationship boundaries
Why ambitious women should think strategically about dating, mentorship, and life 
Jodie explains the biggest mistake people make when trying to reinvent themselves

QUOTES 

“I’m going to intentionally develop a life of my dreams and find support and strategy behind it.” – Jodie Taylor

“A woman who feels like she’s at the bottom of her life is a dangerous woman.” – Jodie Taylor

“The people who are the most magnetic are the ones who exist fully and completely as themselves.” – Jodie Taylor

“There is no version of me that exists today without going through that season.” – Jodie Taylor

GUEST RESOURCES

Jodie Taylor

Website: jodiektay.com 
Instagram: @jodiektayl
TikTok: @jodiektay 

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

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

Mona Kosar Abdi
IG |  @monakabdi 
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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Scot Louie has no problem saying what everyone else is thinking: fashion has been TikTokified. In this segment, Scot joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi to unpack how trends, influencer culture, luxury bags, clean girl aesthetics, and unboxing videos have changed the way people think about personal style. He gets candid about the difference between having things and having style, why so many people are buying access, belonging, and acceptance, and how fast-moving trend culture can make it harder to know what you actually like. Scot also opens up about branding, being the “director of the divas,” turning “to us” into a signature phrase, and learning to step in front of the camera after years of hiding behind the work. It’s a funny, sharp, and deeply honest conversation about authenticity, identity, and why the real flex is knowing who you are before the trend tells you.
GUEST RESOURCES 
Scot Louie 
Website | scotlouie.com
IG | @scotlouie 

RESOURCES: 
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

Celebrity stylist and self-proclaimed Director of the Divas Scot Louie is taking the group chat to fashion school.
In this episode of Awf The Record, Scot joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a masterclass on personal style, taste, body type, red carpet strategy, and what it really takes to become unforgettable. From styling stars like Kehlani, Ryan Destiny, and Beyoncé to building his own brand through Dinner Plus, Diva Academy, and his signature “to us,” Scot breaks down why style is not about buying the most expensive thing in the room. It is about knowing who you are, what works on your body, and how to make every look feel intentional.
Scot also gets into the politics of fashion, why great styling can change someone’s trajectory, how TikTok has flattened personal style, and why people are confusing trends with identity. Whether you are building a wardrobe, shopping on a budget, dressing for your body type, or trying to unlock your inner diva, this conversation is your reminder that taste cannot be bought, but it can be studied. Tune in!

KEYPOINTS:

00:00 - Introduction: Scot Louie opens Diva Academy with the truth about taste
02:34 - Scot defines what it really means to be a diva
04:12 - How “clawing for comfort” shaped his career
06:05 - The making of a diva starts with discomfort
07:11 - Red carpet styling is about creating a full story
10:33 - Zendaya and Law Roach show how styling becomes image architecture
14:10 - Fashion still has a long way to go for women of color
19:00 - Great style matters, but having a stylist is a luxury
21:07 - Taste is not about price; it is about knowing what works
29:35 - Dressing for your body type requires honesty, not trend-chasing
39:15 - TikTok has flattened New York fashion and personal style
44:03 - Being a stylist means babysitting insecurities
45:48 - How “to us” and Diva Academy became part of his brand

QUOTES:

"Styling is a rich bitch sport."  – Scot Louie

" Every diva you know has dealt with a level of discomfort, whether it be scrutiny with how they do something, how they show up, how their career is outlined. You have to sit in that discomfort. A lot of people shy away from it.” – Scot Louie

"You don't need a stylist. You don't. Right? Like you need taste. There you go. That's what I'm getting at. And taste cannot be bought."  – Scot Louie

GUEST RESOURCES 

Scot Louie 
Website | scotlouie.com
IG | @scotlouie 

RESOURCES: 

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

Cari Champion knew what it felt like to be watched, judged, and picked apart before she was ever fully allowed to speak. In this segment, Cari opens up about her time at ESPN and First Take, where she says everything from her outfits to her makeup to her presence on screen was scrutinized. She reflects on being told to tone it down, navigating the boys’ club, and learning that visibility in sports media did not always come with protection. Cari also gets honest about her relationship with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless during that era, why she felt hazed in the middle seat, and how she eventually realized that being a woman, looking good, and being smart were never mutually exclusive. It’s a sharp, candid conversation about sexism, scrutiny, and what it costs to be one of the first to push the door open.

RESOURCES: 

Cari Champion 
IG | @carichampion

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

Cari Champion has never been afraid to speak her mind, even when the room made it clear she was supposed to stay quiet.
In this episode of Awf The Record, Cari joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a raw conversation about journalism, sports media, career reinvention, and what it really costs to be a Black woman who refuses to shrink. She opens up about starting as a one-man band in local news, getting fired in Atlanta, finding her way into sports through the Tennis Channel, and landing at ESPN’s First Take, where visibility came with intense scrutiny, sexism, and the pressure to “just tee up the topics and lay out.”
Cari also reflects on leaving ESPN, betting on herself, moving into digital media and politics, dating after divorce, and why sports can never truly be separated from politics. It’s a funny, honest, and deeply validating conversation about knowing when a room no longer serves you, trusting your voice, and building a career that makes space for all of who you are.

KEY POINTS:

00:00 - Cari Champion reflects on becoming visible overnight and being hated for it
02:07 - Cari defines herself as funny, disciplined, sensitive, and a disruptor
03:28 - Speaking truth to power made Cari a problem in corporate media
05:06 - Cari’s early local news career taught her the purpose of journalism
08:00 - Getting fired and rehired in Atlanta became a turning point in her career
14:12 - The Tennis Channel became her unexpected entry point into sports media
17:39 - Cari breaks down how she landed ESPN and became a barrier-breaking host
21:40 - First Take was the hardest job of her career because she was not allowed to be fully herself
24:53 - Cari opens up about the criticism, sexism, and boys’ club culture she faced
33:08 - Leaving First Take, finding SportsCenter, and eventually betting on herself

QUOTES:

“The only time I really knew I was doing my job [was] when I knew that I was changing minds and helping people and affecting change.” – Cari Champion

“It was never about making it big. It was always about telling the story.” – Cari Champion

“I went from a nobody to somebody overnight, and everybody hates me.” – Cari Champion

“It’s okay to be a woman and look good and be smart. None of that. Those aren’t mutually exclusive.” – Cari Champion

RESOURCES: 

Cari Champion 
IG | @carichampion

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