You Are Beautiful with Lawrence Zarian
What makes you FEEL beautiful? This is the pivotal question stylist, author, designer and host Lawrence Zarian has asked the thousands of women and men who have come to him for his advice and guidance over his 25+ year career. As LZ says, "It’s not what you wear, it’s how you feel. And it’s not how you look, it’s how you LIVE."
In his new podcast, “You Are Beautiful with Lawrence Zarian”, LZ celebrates his guests from all walks of life exploring what makes them tick; in the past two years we’ve all had to pivot our lives in some capacity and there’s been this glorious time to regroup, refresh, reset, restart, and renew.
What is beautiful? This podcast digs in deep to each guest’s interpretation of the word to find out what used to be, versus what is now, what they have learned over the years in time of success, in time of struggle, EVERTHING in between, and of course what makes them FEEL…truly beautiful inside and out.
You Are Beautiful with Lawrence Zarian
Debra Lee
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LZ welcomes Debra Lee to “You Are Beautiful,” sharing his recent duet with Kelly Clarkson and introducing Lee as the former BET leader behind major cultural programming.
Lee recounts growing up amid segregation, learning to sew from her mother, and formative experiences with race, education, and ambition that led to Brown and Harvard Law, then a shift from Steptoe & Johnson to BET after meeting founder Bob Johnson. She discusses building BET’s legal department, leading the network through major growth, and the legacy of shows and events including BET Awards, BET Honors, and “The Game.”
Lee explains launching the Debra Lee Collection of Italian-made handbags named for loved ones, including her late son Quinn, and promotes debraleecollection.com.
She addresses divisiveness, attacks on DEI, advice on navigating abusive workplace relationships, and her memoir “I Am Debra Lee,” including her abortion decision and Me Too experience, ending with her definition of beauty as caring about people.
Menu:
- 00:00 Late Start and Big News
- 00:16 Dream Duet With Kelly
- 01:06 Why Debra Matters Now
- 02:26 Debra Lee Collection Origins
- 04:28 Growing Up With Segregation
- 08:19 First Job and Hair Bias
- 12:31 Why Handbags and Luxury
- 15:51 Naming the Bags Family Tribute
- 19:29 Timeless Investment and Quality
- 22:20 Third Phase Reinvention
- 28:33 Navigating Hate and DEI Backlash
- 34:09 Treat Everyone With Dignity
- 36:31 Basic Human Needs
- 37:29 Why BET Changed Everything
- 39:30 Leading BET to Excellence
- 41:36 Programming Legacy Highlights
- 43:24 Leaving After 32 Years
- 44:10 Mirror Question Self Image
- 47:39 Memoir Purpose and Lessons
- 49:26 Me Too and Abuse Story
- 52:45 Advice for Getting Out
- 55:54 Fun Rapid Fire Questions
- 01:08:15 Beauty Definition Farewell
