Romanticize Your Home & Living Solo

In this episode of Similarly Different, I'm opening up about something I've been quiet about this season. I'm in love — and after almost 10 years of not being in a committed relationship, two years of celibacy, and doing the real work on myself, this new chapter has brought up things I never expected. Things I'm actively working through in therapy right now.

In this episode of Similarly Different, Dr. Deepika Chopra is back — and this time she brought her book. The Power of Real Optimism is five years in the making, and in this conversation she opens up about what it really cost her to write it. From receiving a rare medical diagnosis for one of her children while writing a book on hope, to learning how to shift from "why is this happening to us" to "why not us" — this is one of the most vulnerable and honest conversations I've had on this show.

In this episode of Similarly Different, I'm breaking down everything I actually use and do as a content creator in 2026 — the apps, the platforms, the income streams, and the things that genuinely nobody talks about. Like why downloading a template app is not going to make you a content creator. Or why a woman in her late 50s I met at a Kayali event is now one of the top TikTok Shop creators after three months of just being herself on camera.I've been doing this for over 10 years, and I'm still learning. But the one thing I know for sure is that the creators building longevity right now are not the ones going viral once. They're the ones building a brand, diversifying their platforms, and creating content that people actually want to come back to.This episode is your starting point if you've been waiting to begin — or your reset if you've been doing this for a while and feel stuck.In this episode, we talk about:• LTK vs ShopMy vs Amazon — which platform to use and when• TikTok Shop and how to use it without turning your house into an Amazon warehouse• The editing apps I actually use — CapCut, Adobe Premiere, Tezza, and more• How to repurpose one video into five pieces of content across five platforms• Why followers alone don't build careers anymore• The difference between chasing virality and building a brand• How to start creating content with what you already have at home• Why I am not here for the courses and workshops• Monetization beyond brand deals — affiliate marketing, subscriptions, and more🎓 This episode is sponsored by National University, to find out more information see here: https://bit.ly/4vJfyKQ🔔 Don't forget:✔️ Subscribe for weekly episodes✔️ Leave a rating & review (it helps more than you know!)✔️ Drop a comment — I always read them✔️ Tag me in your stories @similarlydifferentpod — I'll repost! 💬📲 Let's stay connected:Instagram: @similarlydifferentpodTikTok: @similarlydifferentpodSubmit a 'Similarly Curious' question: https://www.youandmemedia.co/similarlycurious

In this episode of Similarly Different, I'm going full big sister mode because this conversation needs to happen. Social media has sold a lot of us on the idea that success looks like one bold leap — quit your job, bet on yourself, and suddenly you've made it. That is not how real careers are built, and I want to talk about what it actually looks like.I've worked at a dentist office, a tanning salon, an insurance company, as a financial investor's assistant, in music management, at a label, and more — and none of it was wasted. Every single job taught me something I eventually needed when I started building for myself. Your stepping stone job is not beneath you. It's preparing you.If you've been frustrated that your dream hasn't happened yet, comparing your journey to someone else's highlight reel, or wondering if it's too late to pivot — this episode is exactly what you need to hear right now.In this episode, we talk about:• Why overnight success is not the reality most people experience• The nine-to-five and five-to-nine mentality for building your dream• What every job — even the unglamorous ones — actually teaches you• How to release ego and comparison when you feel behind• Why you need to become the best at where you are before you can grow• How to know when it's time to pivot out of a job or season• Answering: Can I build something while working another job? Is it too late to start in my 30s?• Why nothing you are doing right now is wasted🎓 This episode is sponsored by National University, to find out more information see here: https://bit.ly/4vJfyKQ🔔 Don't forget:✔️ Subscribe for weekly episodes✔️ Leave a rating & review (it helps more than you know!)✔️ Drop a comment — I always read them✔️ Tag me in your stories @similarlydifferentpod — I'll repost! 💬📲 Let's stay connected:Instagram: @similarlydifferentpodTikTok: @similarlydifferentpodSubmit a 'Similarly Curious' question: https://www.youandmemedia.co/similarlycurious

In this episode of Similarly Different, I sat down with celebrity makeup artist and founder of Ortega Beauty, Etienne Ortega, and his story is one of those that genuinely reminds you that grit, vision, and showing up will always outlast talent alone. From doing his friends' makeup for $10 in high school, to working with Eva Longoria at 21, to being found by Kim Kardashian on Instagram — Etienne built one of the most respected careers in the beauty industry entirely on his own terms.We also get into things I didn't expect — his cancer diagnosis in 2022, the six years it took to launch Ortega Beauty, the investors that let him down, and why after all of it, he still showed up to work the day after chemo. This is not just a beauty episode. This is a conversation about legacy, identity, survival, and what it means to bet on yourself even when everything is working against you.If you've ever felt like you don't belong in the room, or you've been building something for years that nobody else can see yet — this one is for you.In this episode, we talk about:• Growing up Latino and navigating machismo in the beauty industry• How Etienne got his start and booked Eva Longoria at 21• How Kim Kardashian found him on Instagram• Imposter syndrome as a Latino immigrant in a celebrity world• His cancer diagnosis in 2022 and how he kept going• Six years of building Ortega Beauty through bad investors and setbacks• Why comfort is the killer of growth• What he wishes he knew before starting his brand• How to build a legacy in your own lane without comparing yourself to others📲 Etienne Ortega’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etienneortega🎓 This episode is sponsored by National University, to find out more information see here: https://bit.ly/4vJfyKQ🔔 Don't forget:✔️ Subscribe for weekly episodes✔️ Leave a rating & review (it helps more than you know!)✔️ Drop a comment — I always read them✔️ Tag me in your stories @similarlydifferentpod — I'll repost! 💬📲 Let's stay connected:Instagram: @similarlydifferentpodTikTok: @similarlydifferentpodSubmit a 'Similarly Curious' question: https://www.youandmemedia.co/similarlycurious