Awf The Record

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi welcome Vivian Tu, everyone’s favorite Rich BFF, for a no-fluff conversation about why so many people still feel broke even when they are making good money. Vivian breaks down the money blueprint most of us inherited, why working hard is no longer enough, and how asset ownership, investing, budgeting, and career strategy can help people build real financial security.
From fake wealth on social media to salary negotiation, dating with financial clarity, family money boundaries, trad wife culture, credit scores, debt, and the cost of adulthood, Vivian brings the group chat version of financial advice: honest, sharp, funny, and deeply practical. This conversation is for anyone trying to stop chasing a lifestyle that does not actually exist and start building a life that can hold them.

KEY POINTS

00:00 - Introduction: Vivian Tu breaks down the new rules of money
01:15 - The old money blueprint no longer works
03:30 - Social media is making fake wealth look normal
08:18 - Budgeting starts with knowing what you can actually afford
10:00 - Career security means being loyal to yourself first
11:38 - The “up and out” rule has changed in this job market
14:41 - Raises require receipts, confidence, and self-advocacy
17:56 - Major life milestones now require tradeoffs and timelines
24:19 - Family planning and benefits are part of the money conversation
27:04 - Money in relationships requires honesty, equity, and autonomy
39:13 - Rich people spend based on value, not performance
41:30 - Debt, credit scores, and family money need better boundaries

QUOTES 

“Let me be entirely clear. Those people are broke. The vast majority of the showy, loud, portrayed wealth that you're seeing on social media is fake.” – Vivian Tu 

“It's not how good you are with money; it's how good you are at playing this game.” – Vivian Tu 

“Debt has been made into like this swear word when real rich people know that debt is leverage.” – Vivian Tu 

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Vivian Tu
Website | https://www.yourrichbff.com/ 
IG | https://www.instagram.com/your.richbff/ 

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
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How do you date again after someone used vulnerability as a strategy? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Reesa Teesa about trust, dating, and the psychological aftermath of being deceived by someone who seemed to say all the right things. Reesa reflects on how her ex “beat her to the story,” sharing false details about past relationships, therapy, and heartbreak before she could even ask the questions that might have protected her. She also opens up about why her circle is smaller now, why dating still scares her, and why she believes background checks should be part of modern dating. Honest, sharp, and deeply relatable, this conversation is about what happens when someone learns your wounds, flips the truth, and makes you question how easily trust can be weaponized.

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Reesa Teesa
IG | @reesateesa
Amazon book | What (TF) Do I Do Now?: Reclaiming Myself, One Piece at a Time 

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

In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with Reesa Teesa to talk about life after the viral Who TF Did I Marry? series, the red flags she missed, the shame that kept her silent, and the healing she is still walking through in real time. Reesa opens up about dating from potential instead of reality, realizing she had married a pathological liar, and why the fear of admitting “I’m getting played” felt scarier than the truth itself.
From background checks and desperation dating to miscarriage, loneliness, faith, book deals, TV development, and learning how to edit the dream without giving up on it, this conversation goes far beyond the viral story. It is honest, funny, painful, and deeply human, reminding women that being single is never worse than being married to the wrong person.

KEY POINTS

00:00 - Introduction: Reesa Teesa’s story became a viral cultural moment
02:15 - Reesa reflects on life after going viral
03:50 - Reesa summarizes the story behind Who TF Did I Marry?
05:26 - Reesa explains why accountability shaped the story’s reception
09:27 - Reesa pushes back on the “it could never be me” mindset
12:30 - Reesa explains how dating potential made her vulnerable
15:14 - Reesa admits that facing the lie meant facing her own fear
18:16 - Reesa breaks down how a pathological liar builds a false foundation
22:39 - Reesa explains how money became part of the manipulation
24:46 - Reesa explains how he “beat her to the story” and damaged her trust
28:46 - Reesa opens up about the book, healing, and loneliness
40:19 - Reesa talks about the TV series, business, shame, and life after virality

QUOTES 
“I tend to date off of potential and not reality.” – Reesa Teesa
“There’s a difference between being alone and lonely.” – Jeannette Reyes
“Being single is nowhere near as bad as being married to the wrong person.”  – Reesa Teesa

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Reesa Teesa
IG | @reesateesa
Amazon book | What (TF) Do I Do Now?: Reclaiming Myself, One Piece at a Time 

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

What did we really lose when The Wendy Williams Show ended? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with former Wendy Williams producer Norman Baker to reflect on the cultural force Wendy created, the final season that left the team in limbo, and why no one has been able to fill the space she left behind. Norman opens up about Wendy’s brilliance, her fearlessness, and the rare freedom of working on a show where a Black woman could speak her mind every single day on daytime television. He also shares why he has been cautious about participating in documentaries about Wendy, what it felt like to learn major updates through the media, and how the transition into Sherri challenged him to adapt his voice, sharpen his comedy, and keep the spirit of hot topics alive in a new way.

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Norman Baker

IG | @thenormanbaker

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

What really happened behind the scenes during the final days of The Wendy Williams Show?
In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi sit down with former Wendy Williams producer Norman Baker for an inside look at one of daytime television’s most unforgettable cultural eras. Norman opens up about moving to New York with $100, getting his start as a receptionist, earning Wendy’s trust on and off camera, and watching the show become a place where pop culture, gossip, shade, and Black womanhood collided in real time.
Norman also reflects on the final seasons of the show, the limbo the staff experienced when Wendy was no longer able to return, and why he has chosen not to participate in certain documentaries about her. From protecting Wendy’s legacy to the shift from Wendy to Sherri, the art of shade, and the future of daytime TV, this conversation is a funny, honest, and surprisingly tender tribute to the show that changed how we talked about celebrity culture.

KEYPOINTS:
00:00 - Introduction
02:31 - Norman broke into TV with $100 and no industry connections
03:16 - Wendy turned Norman into an on-camera personality
04:20 - Norman explains the cultural void Wendy left behind
05:12 - Norman describes the final years as a “long, slow descent”
11:15 - Norman explains why he is cautious about the Wendy documentaries
18:12 - The Wendy team never got real closure
20:33 - Norman reflects on transitioning from Wendy to Sherri
47:24 - Norman shares how he wants Wendy to be remembered

QUOTES:
“In the end this shows that what fascinates people the most is other people doing the things that they swear they never do.” – Jeannette Reyes
“I feel like no one's been able to fill the void that she and, should I say, we created.” – Norman Baker
“I feel like that show got closure, quote unquote, but it still like it struck a chord with a lot of people.” – Mona Kosar Abdi
“We were in limbo. We're like, what are we gonna do? What is this show gonna be? Is she ever gonna come back?” – Norman Baker

GUEST RESOURCES: 
Norman Baker
IG | @thenormanbaker

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