The Messy Parts
New career advice and messy stories, every Monday.
Whether you’re at the top, or striving to get there—you may have noticed the one thing people rarely talk about: how hard it is to achieve success. The Messy Parts is the answer—a podcast where you’ll hear about the twists, turns and pivots that shape extraordinary careers. The real messy parts along the way. Host Maryam Banikarim has been through it, so she gets it. Maryam has been a transformative leader across media, hospitality and tech. Her powerhouse resume features more than 20 years in the C-Suite at companies like Hyatt, NBC, and Nextdoor—and she has a vast, influential network to match. On The Messy Parts, she brings you unparalleled access to that network. Deeply honest, vulnerable conversations with Maryam—who is never afraid to ask the questions on everyone's mind. Join us as we get real, unfiltered, and messy.
The Messy Parts
Debunking Myths About Careers, Generation Gaps, and The Power of Side Hustles: Sam DeMase
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If you’re job hunting, eyeing a promotion, or just feeling burnt out—this conversation will remind you that your path doesn’t have to be traditional to be powerful.
From bossy kid to bold career coach, Sam DeMase is redefining what leadership and success really look like—with empathy, authenticity, and purpose.
In this episode, Sam shares her unconventional journey: from managing 70 people at a fast food chain straight out of NYU to building a business that empowers women to ask for more—more money, more respect, and more balance.
Shaped by her experiences with toxic bosses, anxiety, and corporate pushback, Sam empowers others to navigate their careers with confidence, clarity, and self-trust.
We dive into bridging generational gaps, debunking myths about Gen Z, and why empathy is essential in today’s workplace. Sam introduces “parallel pivoting,” the power of side hustles, and how to turn nontraditional paths into professional superpowers.
Show Notes:
Guest: Sam DeMase, Career Coach, author, and public speaker public speaker with a fast-growing community of 800,000+ followers on social media
Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdemase/
Follow Sam on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apowermood?lang=en
Follow Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apowermood/
Topics Covered:
- Growing up with strong female role models
- Being called a bossy kid was her being a leader
- A good manager means showing up authentically, making connections and having empathy
- Working for One Fine Day, she moved into HR and found her superpower in people
- Parallel Pivoting
- Find your superpower - ask your friends/family and take assessment tests
- Messy Part of management is letting friends down if you can’t make change or firing people
- Sam bridges the gap between Gen Z and Gen X
- Sam starts a side hustle and gets written up for urging people to fight for equality
- Social Media as a job - being authentic garners the right audience and clients
- Not forcing yourself to push through, and instead being honest makes people feel seen
- Job hopping is common - what matters is your impact at a company, not amount of time
- Journey with anxiety and depression showing up in insomnia and trouble breathing
- Side hustles are a great way to build your dream career while having security
- Dealing with Toxic Bosses - document everything and focus on communicating what will make your work better
Mentioned:
Gap, One Fine Day, NYU, Columbia, StrengthsFinder Assessment, Clifton Strengths, authenticity, leadership, HR, TikTok, Instagram, ZipRecruiter, Forbes Business Insider, NBC Time, toxic bosses, Anxiety, Depress
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