Schmoozing with Span

This week we're schmoozing with Charlotte Bickley Meller. This conversation goes way deeper than fashion. We're talking about what it really means to choose a new faith, how she converted to Judaism twice (yes, twice), and why modern Orthodox women are actually some of the most empowered people she knows. We get into dating in your 20s in New York, why she left LA and came running back, and how meeting her husband at a London wedding turned into a Portugal plus one situation that changed everything. We also dive into the beauty prep for her Monaco wedding (what worked, what didn't, and why salmon DNA was a disaster), her current routine (sunscreen, spray tans, and Laser Genesis), and why she's freezing her eggs this fall. Not because she has to, but because modern medicine is empowering and she wants to live her best life before kids enter the picture. Charlotte talks about her career journey from Bergdorf Goodman buyer to content creator, why working with family is complicated, and how switching management right before her wedding became the catalyst for her entire 2.0 era. We also talk about what makes a great relationship (spoiler: it's finding someone who supports your career and doesn't think content creation is cringe), why her husband is the yin to her yang, and how being married has actually made her more confident in her work. Plus, Upper East Side life, dream days in New York, why she still loves downtown, and Poppy the rescue dog who made her podcast debut. This one's for anyone redefining religion in their 20s and 30s, anyone who's ever felt pressure to have kids on someone else's timeline, or anyone who just wants to know what it really takes to build a life and career on your own terms. Charlotte's energy is infectious, her story is inspiring, and her advice is so refreshingly honest. Follow Charlotte on Instagram @chbickley and check out her Friends of Charlotte series on YouTube. Let's get into it. Let's schmooze. Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Charlotte Bickley 00:00:46 Manifesting Success and Speaking on Podcasts 00:02:14 From Syracuse to Bergdorf Goodman: Career Journey 00:03:28 Working with Family and Ying to My Yang 00:04:16 Transitioning to Editor at Large at Daily Front Row 00:05:06 The Evolution of Magazines and Digital Media 00:07:09 Launching Friends of Charlotte Series 00:08:56 Content Creation 2.0 and Finding Inspiration 00:09:46 Switching Management and Shooting Your Shot 00:11:00 Marriage, Support, and Finding the Right Partner 00:12:23 LA vs New York: Why She Left and Came Home 00:14:39 Dating in Your 20s in New York City 00:17:14 Meeting Her Husband: From London Wedding to Portugal 00:18:31 Relationships, Growth, and Living Your Best Life in Your 20s 00:20:25 Discovering Judaism: From Syracuse to Conversion 00:23:07 First Conversion: Conservative Judaism During COVID 00:24:52 Second Conversion: Modern Orthodox and What It Means 00:27:27 Conversion Classes, Mikvah, and the Bet Din Experience 00:29:01 Judaism, Inclusivity, and Doing the Right Thing 00:33:05 Wedding Planning: Choosing Monaco Over the Hamptons 00:33:24 Beauty Prep for the Wedding: Treatments and Lessons Learned 00:35:38 Current Beauty Routine: Sunscreen, Spray Tans, and Laser Genesis 00:40:53 Honeymoon Dreams: Southeast Asia on the Ritz Carlton Yacht 00:42:56 Travel Bucket List: Montenegro, Montana, and Experience Driven Trips 00:46:47 Family Planning: IVF, Freezing Eggs, and Modern Medicine 00:48:52 Women's Health, Empowerment, and Taking Control 00:49:39 Modern Orthodox Women and Empowerment 00:56:09 Upper East Side Life and Dream Day in New York 00:58:54 Downtown Favorites and Why She Still Loves Downtown 00:59:27 Poppy the Rescue Dog and Closing Thoughts

This week we're sitting down with Allie DePinto, a Jersey girl who’s built her entire career on her own terms. From working the 5:30 am front desk shift at SoulCycle to now running her own social media business and working with some of your favorite brands like Phoebe Gates and PhePhe, Allie's story is proof that trusting your gut asking for the yes, and figuring the rest out later WORKS.  We get into how she landed her first client (spoiler: she asked), how to price your services when you have no idea what you're doing, and why content creation is the most valuable skill you can offer right now. We talk about the decision to drop out of college, why having corporate experience before going freelance is so important, and how SoulCycle became the through line of her entire life, including how she met her fiancé. On the influencer side, we talk about Allie's 2.0 era, the walk and talk content that's taking over her feed, and why she started treating herself like a client. We get into the truth about the algorithm (consistency over perfection, always), how to navigate brand deals and gifting without undervaluing yourself, and why over delivering is actually what gets you paid partnerships. Plus, the Taylor Swift SoulCycle April Fools campaign that went viral, pissed off instructors, and made it on The Toast. A true cultural moment. Basically, this one is for anyone who wants to quit the 9-5, start something of their own, or needs a little reminder that you do not, in fact, need to do things the normal way. Allie's energy is infectious, her advice is practical, and her story is proof that you don't need to follow the traditional path to build something incredible. Also, our English bulldogs might be related, which is the most important takeaway from this entire conversation. Follow Allie on Instagram @alliedepinto (three L's for now, two L's coming after the wedding). Let's get into it. Let's schmooze. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Allie DePinto 03:49 Building a Social Media Consultancy from Scratch 06:36 Landing Your First Client and Overcoming Rejection ( Terra Pilates, Phoebe Gates, PhePhe) 09:41 The Value of Corporate Experience Before Going Freelance 10:17 Content Creation: Your Most Valuable Asset 12:41 Pricing, Retainers, and Building Your Rate 16:18 The Decision to Drop Out of College 20:36 The Hustle Year: Working Multiple Jobs to Make It Work 22:14 Being Different and Following Your Own Path 28:05 SoulCycle Origins and Meeting Her Fiancé 32:48 Long Distance to Living Together: The Relationship Journey 43:16 The Allie 2.0: Treating Yourself Like a Client 46:32 Consistency Over Perfection: The Algorithm Truth 48:32 Brands Doing It Right: Dairy Boy and Building a World 52:40 The Taylor Swift April Fools Campaign at SoulCycle 1:00:47 The Freelance Financial Reality: Insurance, Taxes, and Structure 1:05:55 Brand Deals and Over-Delivering: The 2026 Strategy 1:08:35 Dream Brands and Manifesting: J.Crew and Beyond 1:09:25 Where to Find Allie and Final Thoughts

This week we're diving into something I've been wanting to talk about for six months: Kabbalah, spirituality, and consciousness. I'm joined by Lea Yordani, who grew up studying Kabbalah and is now a mentor at the Kabbalah Center in Midtown. We're breaking down what Kabbalah actually is (spoiler: it's not what you think), how it's transformed my life in the last 8 months, and how to make ancient spiritual wisdom digestible for your 20s. We start with a grounding exercise because that's how we begin every Tuesday night class at the center. Then we get into the real stuff: What is Kabbalah? Is it a religion? Spirituality? Mysticism? How do you define the light? What does it mean to live in the 1% versus the 99%? And why does everyone keep saying "the creator" now? We talk about the concept of tikkun (your personal spiritual correction), how all challenges are actually opportunities, and the four steps to shift from reactive consciousness to soul consciousness. We break down what it means to move from level one (victim mentality, to me) to level two (I know what I need to do but I'm scared, for me) to level three (I'm a vessel of light, through me). And why level three is where the magic happens. Leah shares what it was like growing up in the Kabbalah Center, why she stepped away from keeping kosher and Shabbat in her early 20s, and how she redefined spirituality on her own terms. We talk about the difference between doing something out of fear versus doing it because it genuinely makes you feel aligned. And why consistency with spiritual practice is everything. We also get into soft Shabbos (my new obsession), why I now live Tuesday to Tuesday, and how spirituality has completely shifted my energy. People keep telling me I have the best energy lately and honestly? It's the Kabbalah. This episode is for anyone who's ever been curious about Kabbalah, anyone redefining religion and spirituality in their 20s, or anyone who just wants to understand what the hell I mean when I say "the light" or "99% versus 1%." We're making it digestible, we're making it real, and we're making it feel less intimidating. Also, we recorded this in under an hour and it felt like five minutes because when you're fully present and tapped into consciousness, time literally moves differently. That's the whole point. Follow Leah on Instagram @leahyardeni to learn more about Access Bars, energy work, and other tools of consciousness. And if you're in New York, come to Kabbalah class on Tuesday nights. You'll find me at table six taking five pages of notes in my Spiritually Hungry journal. Let's get spiritual. Let's get conscious. Let's schmooze.

SCHMOOZERS, WE’RE SCHLEPPING OUT OF THE CITY.  This week I’m joined by my friend Cara Lash founder of Caravan. Caravan is the ultimate hack to get from the concrete jungle into nature without the planning spiral. We get into why a Caravan trip is the ultimate soft Shabbos activity (no phone), what made her walk away from consulting to build this, and how what started as a tech platform turned into something way more an actual community, IRL, off their phones.  We also get into the time she took 50 kids from camp to Alaska, because apparently that’s just a camp activity for her. If you’ve been craving a reason to put the phone down and get outside, this one’s for you. Caravan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caravantripplan?igsh=cjUwbjl2cW00aWw3 Caravan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caravan.trip.plan?_r=1&_t=ZT-97PHF2rhQqL https://www.instagram.com/schmoozingwithspan?igsh=MWJ1cHJ4bHc0Mmp4MA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr https://www.tiktok.com/@schmoozingwithspan?_r=1&_t=ZT-97PHBsoWwpi

There is, apparently, a very niche pipeline from being an individual sports counselor at camp to becoming a solo podcaster. Is it niche? Yes. Is it real? Also yes. Emma and I both started our podcasts the exact same week which feels less like coincidence and more like… KISMET. Bashert, perhaps? And if you know, you know camp is my main personality trait and favorite place on earth. It’s where you skip the small talk, overshare immediately, and somehow leave with lifelong friends and at least three personality traits you didn’t have before. That energy is exactly what this conversation feels like. And it’s also, in a very real way, what Emma built with Ghosted with Grief a grief podcast and online community that takes something heavy (loss, grief, healing, mental health). We schmooze (obviously) about dating and how grief sneaks into your relationships whether you’ve processed it or not. If you’ve ever been ghosted, gone through grief, or tried to date in a world where you have the loudest personality and depth. If you ran the NYC Marathon in under three hours, slide into Emma’s personal DMs. Not Ghosted (that would be weird?) It’s less interview, more two camp people turned podcasters having a very honest, slightly unhinged, deeply on-brand conversation about creating community.  Follow Along On Socials Sam’s Socials TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@schmoozingwithspan?_r=1&_t=ZT-95zI4OkTs0z Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/schmoozingwithspan?igsh=MWJ1cHJ4bHc0Mmp4MA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Emma’s Socials TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emmasloanezeig?_r=1&_t=ZP-95ywbIbYBFG  Insta: https://www.instagram.com/ghostedbygrief?igsh=b3RmbW1rZm9jc3pr&utm_source=qr and https://www.instagram.com/emzeigs?igsh=MTk4NHY4cGpycnZ5bw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Apple: Ghosted Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1E9RJn2MWbP9x0LKARhEMF?si=sLn2nBHVQTupQyNpu2xpLg