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
From Her Parents' Basement to Editor-in-Chief (Twice): Danielle Belton's Comeback Story
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Think your biggest breakdown means you’ve failed? Journalist Danielle Belton was hospitalized multiple times for bipolar disorder while she was building her career. In this powerful episode, she opens up to Maryam about a childhood riddled with anxiety, falling into a deep depression after a failed marriage, and drinking tequila at work to power through panic attacks. Danielle hit rock bottom in her mid-twenties and moved home to her parents basement, where she started over and got a job folding sweaters at Macy’s. She tells Maryam how writing an anonymous blog during Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign led to other jobs that ultimately landed her a dream gig — editor-in-chief at HuffPost — and why she eventually walked away from it. Determined to defy the mental illness stigma, Danielle promised herself she’d live publicly with her illness no matter what. A raw, honest conversation about mental health, ambition, and resilience for anyone who’s ever thought their worst moment ended their shot at success.
Key Moments
00:00 – Danielle shares her promise to be open about bipolar disorder to show others there’s life after diagnosis.
02:30 – She reflects on her anxious childhood, feeling old before her time and misunderstood by other kids.
10:00– Danielle opens up about leaving a toxic marriage and reclaiming her ambition.
11:30 – Danielle describes the physical ways her anxiety started to manifest
13:00 – A raw confession about masking panic attacks with alcohol during her early reporting career.
15:00 – The first of four hospitalizations for bipolar disorder — a turning point in accepting she needed help.
20:00 – After her breakdown, Danielle describes the humiliation of moving back to her parents’ house and starting over — but also the seed of her comeback.
22:30 – Her anonymous blog goes viral after Obama wins Iowa, launching her back into journalism.
25:00 – A doctor’s advice pushes her to balance ambition and self-care as she tiptoes back into the working world
33:00 – At The Root, Danielle battles depression but still rises to Managing Editor, proving high-functioning illness is complex.
36:00– Danielle explains why she left her job as Editor-in-Chief of HuffPost to protect her team.
40:30 – Danielle’s closing advice: feel your pain, but don’t live there. Remember who you are, and gamble on yourself.
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