Show Notes
They say you write what you know. For Candice Guardino, that was family.
A Brooklyn girl raised on Staten Island by a family that was equal parts chaos and love — she didn’t just mine that material, she crafted it to build an empire. Italian Bred, her critically acclaimed one-woman show, went from five minutes at a comedy club to a full theatrical special now streaming on Apple TV & Amazon Prime.
Candice and I met when we were 18 at Wagner College — two theater kids convinced we had something to say.
Turns out, we were right.
She sat down with me on Respectfu11y and we got into all of it — the years, the work, the becoming.
Episode goes LIVE 5/5.
More from Respectfu11y
Kristin Falcone didn’t set out to become a viral sensation; she just knew how to tell a story. A Staten Island hairdresser with a gift for observation and a family full of material, Kristin found her way to millions of screens through characters so specific they feel universal. Her alter ego “Carol” has become the kind of internet fixture people send to their group chats. But behind the wigs and the one-liners is someone who discovered comedy by accident; during a hard season, when laughter was the only thing that made sense. Kristin joins Respectfu11y to talk about authenticity over algorithm, the Italian-American storytelling tradition she didn’t know she was carrying and why the funniest people in the room are usually the ones who feel the most.
What does it look like when a woman decides that the corner office simply is not enough and builds something entirely her own? This week on Respectfu11y, Jamie sits down with Donna Ivackovic, entrepreneur, beauty industry veteran and visionary founder behind The Beauty Suite in New York.
Ellen Tailor is a Seattle media personality whose career has spanned radio, television, and digital news. Whether she's behind a microphone, in front of a camera, or sitting across from a friend over coffee, she's always interested in people and the stories that shape them. She's spent nearly two decades helping people make sense of the world and each other. Known for her honest perspective, quick wit, and ability to get people talking, Ellen has a way of turning strangers into friends and believes the best conversations aren't about having all the answers, they're about helping people feel seen.
Gentiana Ipekli is a 32-year-old fashion influencer, content creator, mentor, and women’s empowerment advocate, born and raised in the Bronx and one of five children. She became pregnant and married at 21, and by 25 was a full-time mom of three. She holds a degree in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising and has always had a deep passion for fashion, beauty, glam, and dressing up.
Jacob Thompson left Iowa for New York City the second he could and never really slowed down. He circled the globe performing everywhere from stages to ships before trading sea legs for suburbia. These days he is a licensed personal trainer with a Marvel themed home gym proving that the line between performer and superhero is negotiable.