Reppin 5.7: Ginger Zee

Ginger Zee

Photo Credit: Heidi Gutman

Ginger Zee is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC News, forecasting for and reporting on the nation's weather from Good Morning America to World News Tonight. Zee has been on the ground before, during and after almost every major weather event and dozens of historic storms including Hurricane Katrina. With every report, she never loses sight on the human toll these devastating storms has taken.

She’s highly respected and beloved by audiences across the United States. But what viewers may not have known was the amount of painful, trauma she has personally had to experience.

When Ginger opened her life to readers in Natural Disaster-her first best seller, the response was enormous. She put a very relatable if surprising face on depression and has helped lessen the stigma surrounding mental health issues. But Ginger tells us, Natural Disaster was "Ginger Lite" and only scratched the surface.

In this moving follow-up called A Little Closer To Home, Ginger shares her truest self. She spent most of her life shielding her vulnerabilities from the world all while being a professional people pleaser. Her stormy childhood, her ongoing struggles with crippling depression, being involved in dangerous relationships, sexual assault, her suicide attempts, and many other life experiences will resonate with readers who are likely to see themselves along the way. 

In spite of its serious subject matter, Ginger is not only surviving—but thriving. On Reppin, meet this unbelievably courageous, strong woman who is sharing her lessons of healing and how you can also overcome your hardships.

Ginger’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ginger_Zee

Ginger’s Instagram: @ginger_zee

Ginger’s book A Little Closer To Home: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Closer-Home-Found-After/dp/1368042007

Reppin 4.3: Kimberly McCullough

Kimberly McCullough

Kimberly McCullough is an incredible talent. She started working at 5 years old appearing in movies like Breakin’2: Electric Boogaloo to Bugsy with Warren Beatty, and has an impressive list of television credits that include The Shield, Firefly, Joan Of Arcadia, All My Children. She’s best known as Robin Scorpio the daughter of super spies Robert Scorpio played by Tristan Rogers and Anna Devane played by Finola Hughes on General Hospital. She originated this role at 7 years old and playing this character on an off through the years into adulthood. And she’s won 2 daytime Emmys for her portrayal.

Now, she’s evolved into an incredible Producer/Director for shows like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Fuller House, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Carol’s Second Act to The Conners.

She’s grown up in front of audiences and you may THINK you know her. On Reppin she shares what she’s learned throughout her career, challenges she’s overcome and what she’s doing to advocate for others. Meet this incredible woman.

Kimberly’s Twitter:https://twitter.com/whitewatercrew

Kimberly’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmeabreak/

Reppin 3.12: Angela Yee

Angela Yee

Angela Yee is best known as one of the hosts of the nationally syndicated show The Breakfast Club. She is the only female voice on the show which has been the number one radio program in “The Source” Power 30 issue for 5 years in a row. The NYS Broadcasters Association awarded “The Breakfast Club” the 2014 OUTSTANDING ON-AIR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OR TEAM award, and in 2017 the Breakfast Club was awarded the iHeartRadio Urban Personality of the Year Award.

Listeners can hear “Angela Yee’s Rumor Report,” her advice segment “Ask Yee,” and current events with “Front Page News.”  True to her personality, Angela has also continued to expand her brand with her popular podcast “Angela Yee’s Lip Service” and in 2019 she organized the first nationwide tour for “Lip Service Live” with Live Nation

When she’s not in front of the mic or hosting, Angela is also an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. She’s involved with numerous organizations that support everything from health, literacy to groups that promote diversity and inclusion. All of her efforts are varied—but have one thing in common—empathy and to build communities and people up.

Angela has received a WEEN Mission Award, the Shirley Chisholm Woman of Distinction Award, the Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Award for the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI), a Gracie Award for National Radio Host/Personality, a Gracie Award for her Lip Service podcast, a Spirit of Detroit Award, the Airblazer Award from the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group and Talentmasters Morning Show Bootcamp….to name a few.

What shapes this unstoppable woman? What’s it take to be the solo female voice on a hugely popular show? Where does this drive and commitment to community come from? Find out now. Meet this inspiring, incredible woman-right here on Reppin.

Angela’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelayee?s=20

Angela’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelayee/?hl=en

Angela’s Non Profit Well Read: http://wellread.org/

Angela’s Juices For Life: http://juicesforlife.nyc/

Reppin 3.10: Candace Wohl

Candace Wohl

My next guest has proven you should never underestimate the power of determination and hope. Meet Candace Wohl, she is a writer, public speaker and women’s health advocate. Her evolution towards becoming that advocate began when she and her husband Chris, who were in their late 20s then, were thrown onto the private and painful roller coaster of infertility.

After 6 years of enduring an assault of medical procedures and investing their entire life savings, they were still unable to conceive. As they went through devastating lows, they also began documenting their struggles and created a blog called Our Misconception. They worked to break down the stigma of infertility and provided the unique perspective of a man and a woman. They shared information and mistakes to help others navigate and approached this shrouded issue with a lighter touch.

Since then, Candace’s blog garnered national attention and has been named Best IVF blog in 2019 and they’ve been profiled in Glamour and Cosmopolitan Magazine and were featured on MTV’s Award Wining documentary series True Life.

Find out how Candace and Chris transformed their pain into power, how they harnessed their strength using humor and light and how they persisted through grief. See how she’s paying it forward and find out if she and Chris were able to have the family they desperately wanted.

Candace’s Blog Our Misconception: https://ourmisconception.com/

Candace’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmisconception

Candace’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourmisconception/

Be sure to check out our instagram https://www.instagram.com/reppin_podcast/ to get an update on Candace.

Candace with husband Chris

Candace with husband Chris at one of their many doctor visits

Reppin 3.8: Benjamin Von Wong

Benjamin Von Wong

Benjamin Von Wong is a talented innovative, creative, artist, photographer and activist. His work has been described as a mix of fantasy and photography and combines everyday objects with shocking statistics. It has attracted the attention of corporations, like Starbucks, Dell, and Nike and has generated over 100 million views for causes like ocean plastics, electronic waste, and fashion pollution. Most recently, he was named one of Adweek’s 11 content branded masterminds.

He is also the host of the Impact Everywhere Podcast.

Meet this incredible talent as he shares what he’s learned and how he infuses his creativity with purpose and how he’s working to make a change.

Benjamin’s website: https://www.vonwong.com/

Benjamin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevonwong?s=20

Benjamin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vonwong/?hl=en

Impact Everywhere: https://impacteverywhere.org/

Photo Courtesy: Benjamin Von Wong

Photo Courtesy: Benjamin Von Wong

Reppin 3.7: AJ Mendez

AJ Mendez

Photo Courtesy: Cathy and David Photography

AJ Mendez is a former professional wrestling champion with the WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. Don’t let her diminutive stature fool you, she was a formidable opponent. She threw people around like a short order cook threw pancakes onto a plate. With her trademark black widow submission move, she easily took out her competitors. But in real life--nothing came easily for her.

In her autobiography, which was a New York Times best seller, Crazy Is My Super Power, she details what it was like being a petite Puerto Rican girl growing up in an unstable home, struggling with poverty, homelessness and mental illness to how comics, wrestling and her fans helped change her life. 

Because of her own personal struggles, she is a mental health advocate, and is an ambassador to The Jed Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

If that’s not enough, she also partnered with actress Aimee Garcia and founded Scrappy Heart Productions. Together, as Latin X storytellers, they want to create the change they want to see in the media and to tell stories that have universal themes.

She is a warrior. Meet this incredible woman, who is breaking boundaries, who has overcome so many personal challenges and now she’s out in front working to help others.

AJ’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAJMendez

AJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theajmendez/

Mental Health Resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI.org

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)

Reppin 3.5: Aydian Dowling

Aydian Dowling

Aydian Dowling is most known for being the First Transgender Man on the cover of Mens Health Magazine, and appearing on the Ellen Degeneres show, twice! Using his own personal struggles he has given voice to the trans community, documenting his personal transition and sharing it on line. Since then, Aydian has been creating content answering questions and offering insight to those who may still be struggling.

In 2016, Aydian launched PointofPride.org a non profit which helps Transgender individuals around the world through programming and funding to help Trans people live more authentically in their bodies. 

On Reppin, Aydian talks about how he went from hiding who he was, how he summoned the courage to being liberated to live his most authentic life and finding acceptance and love. His story is one about overcoming fears, other people’s expectations and labels to truly embracing who you are.

Aydian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/AydianDowling

Aydian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alionsfear/

Point Of Pride: https://pointofpride.org/

Aydian’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe5IabAzRyXqLpAib13Q2yw

Reppin 3.4: Mary Beth Evans

Mary Beth Evans

Mary Beth Evans is an 8 time Emmy winner! She’s an immensely talented actress, producer and entrepreneur. Since 1986, she has breathed life into the beloved character Kayla Brady and part of super couple, Steve and Kayla on Days Of Our Lives.

Mary Beth’s other credits include General Hospital, The Bay, Chasing Life, Body Of Proof and As the World Turns. She’s consistently in top form, hitting e-v-e-r-y beat and in e-v-e-r-y scene. Mary Beth has been a longtime favorite with audiences and has earned her spot as a daytime icon.

Going beyond television, she’s a successful entrepreneur with Mary Beth’s Apple Pie and she also has a lifestyle and inspirational blog called Plank.

Entertainment outlets have covered her career throughout the years so you may think you know her—but you have no idea. Mary Beth comes to Reppin and shares her personal stories, lessons learned and her sources of strength. This maybe an interview unlike any other, get to know this incredible woman behind the powerhouse talent.

Mary Beth’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/marybeth_evans1

Mary Beth’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marybeth.evans/

Mary Beth’s Blog Plank: http://www.plankblog.com/

Reppin 2.12: Nicola Correia-Damude

Nicola Correia-Damude

Nicola Correia-Damude is an award winning actor and singer. You’ve seen her on Shadowhunters, Burden Of Truth, October Faction, The Strain, Coroner and My Spy. Nicola has also been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her Guest Starring performance on Remedy and received the Best Actress in a feature film award at the San Diego FilmOut Festival for her work in Margarita. Nicola comes to REPPIN and shares her personal challenges of being mixed race, self identification, body diversity, inequalities, what she’s learned and what she’s doing to open doors for others. You’ll see she’s not only a talented actress and singer-but she’s out in front working to open doors for others.

Nicola’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolancd

Nicola’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolasummer/?hl=en

Reppin 2.11: Aarti Sequeria

Aarti Sequeira

Aarti Sequeira is a popular mainstay on Food Network after winning season six of Food Network Star with her trademark combination of an infectious giggle and a unique food signature: American favorites with an Indian soul. She steps out of the kitchen to hang out on Reppin. She talks about her upbringing and how those experiences have helped her move through the world. She reveals her first choice for a career, hardships she faced and her path to being one of the most popular and beloved food personalities.

Aarti’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/aartipaarti

Aarti’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aartipaartipics/?hl=en

Reppin 2.10: Beth Sullivan

Beth Sullivan

Beth Sullivan trail blazed for women when she created, wrote and served as the sole executive producer of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman-one of the most popular and beloved series of the 90s. The series starred Jane Seymour who plays Dr. Michaela “Mike” Quinn a doctor who leaves a privileged life in Boston to carve a career out in the old West. The series ran on CBS for six seasons and aired in over 100 countries! Beth shares how fought to create a series that was western, a genre that hadn’t been on air in years, in a time slot that was considered a throw away, that had excitement, integrity and substance. Beth shares how she had the strength to fight for what she believed in and how that lead her to one the biggest hits in television history, how she opened doors for other women and her decades long friendship with Jane! Beth also updates us on her life and the possible reboot!

Reppin 2.9: Rebecca Love

Rebecca Love

A pandemic is raging around the world, as front line heroes, like doctors and nurses are desperately fighting to save lives. But who is fighting for them? Meet Rebecca Love. She is a nurse entrepreneur, author, TedX Speaker and the first nurse featured on Ted.com, and part of the inaugural nursing panel featured at SXSW 2018. In 2019, Rebecca, along with a group of leading nurses in the world, founded and is President of SONSIEL: The Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders, a non-profit that quickly attained recognition by the United Nations as an Affiliate Member to the UN. As a nurse, she has had her share of crisis where life and death can rest in her choices. Rebecca shares some of the experiences she’s found herself in, how she navigated them and how those situations was where she found her voice and her grit.

SONSIEL: https://www.sonsiel.org/

Reppin 2.7: Sierra Boggess

Sierra Boggess

Sierra’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sierraboggess

Sierra’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsierraboggess/

Sierra’s Website: https://sierraboggess.com/

Sierra Bogess is best known world-wide for the iconic role of ‘Christine Daae’ in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, but the creator and composer, Lord Webber has said “she’s the best, the best Christine certainly.”

Sierra made her Broadway debut as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, where she received the Drama Desk and Drama League Nominations, as well as the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance. Her additional Broadway credits include Master Class, It Shoulda Been You, The Phantom of The Opera (Broadway, London’s West End and the televised 25th Anniversary production of Phantom), and School of Rock. In the West End, she has appeared as Fantine in Les Miserables and originated the role of Christine Daae in Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, receiving an Olivier Award Nomination for her performance.

Sierra has also toured all over the world with her concert show. Listen in on our conversation, she shares the lessons she’s learned, how she’s using her platform to make positive contributions and what she practices everyday. She is a beloved leading lady—meet the woman behind this incredible talent. 

Reppin 2.5: Shannon Watts

Shannon Watts

She went from being a stay at home mom with 70 something friends on Facebook and wanting to have an online conversation about gun safety to founding a movement called Moms Demand Action- Americans fighting for public safety measures that protect people from gun violence. Now, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, with nearly 6 million supporters. In addition to her work with Moms Demand Action, she’s an active board member of Emerge America, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Meet Shannon Watts and you’ll see she’s a mother, leader and warrior. She shares her experiences, beliefs, the immense pressure she faces -how releases stress & how she keeps it all together.

Mom’s Demand Action: https://momsdemandaction.org/

Shannon’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts

Fight Like A Mother: https://fightlikeamother.org/

Reppin 2.2: Sherry Cola

Sherry Cola

Sherry cola is a talented comedian, actress, and writer. She has emerged over the last year as a rising star in the entertainment industry. Named a “Fresh Face” at the world-renowned Laugh Factory, “One to Watch” in 2019 by People Magazine, and “11 Asian American Comics Who Need To Be On Your 2020 Radar” by Entertainment Weekly and she has opened for Arsenio Hall and Ronny Chieng.

Currently, you can find her on the hit show Good Trouble as Alice Kwan, a down to earth, selfless, first generation Asian-American lesbian. Sherry is breaking barriers on television as an actress, as a comic and in her real life. Find out how Sherry found her own voice and strength in being true to herself. Meet this breakout star.

Sherry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/shrrycola

Sherry’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shrrycola/

Reppin Season 2 Premiere: Michelle Hurd

Michelle Hurd

Michelle Hurd is an extraordinarily talented actress with an impressive list of credits that includes Law and Order SVU, Daredevil, Blindspot, Hawaii Five-O, Gossip Girl, ER, 90210 to Younger -just to name a FEW! And currently you can find her starring on the hit Star Trek: Picard as Raffi Musiker!

Michelle shares personal stories that impacted her and shaped how she views the world. She talks about the challenges she faced professionally and personally and why she is a fierce advocate for equality and justice for all.

This is a very insightful, powerful and intimate conversation—and one you don’t want to miss. Meet this amazing actress and you’ll find out she’s even more incredible in real life.

Michelle’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsMichelleHurd

Reppin 1.12: Kelly Sue DeConnick

Kelly Sue DeConnick

This is the Season 1 finale of Reppin! And we’re closing it with Kelly Sue DeConnick, who is a talented comic book and television writer. Some of her notable credits include DC’s Aquaman, Avengers Assemble, Pretty Deadly, Bitch Planet, Casanova and Captain Marvel. She is a self-proclaimed feminist and uses her position in comics to promote feminism and feminist ideas. She started the #VisibleWomen movement on Twitter that gives other women comic artists a hand up by giving them visibility and possible professional opportunities. With her husband, she has a creative company called MilkFed Criminal Masterminds. Kelly Sue is a thoughtful, passionate, outspoken woman. Find out who this incredible woman is and what and who she fights for! Buckle up because this episode of Reppin is a RIDE!!

Kelly Sue’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellysue

MilkFed Criminal Masterminds: https://milkfed.us/