This is the world Kim Hastreiter built: Paper Magazine. Stuff. Joey Arias. Salvador Dali. Barbara Streisand. Nora Ephron. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Andy Warhol. Keith Haring. Bill Cunningham. Soho Weekly News. Michael Musto. Sex Pistols. Michael Stipe. Larry Kramer. And on and on. She is one of one, a cultural trailblazer in New York City and beyond. In this enlightening conversation, Kim gets honest with Maryam about the moments that shaped her — the art world that wouldn't let her in, the investors who didn't get it, the cultural earthquakes she lived through and refused to be flattened by. She talks about what it really means to find your gift, why she's never once let money make a decision for her, and how surrounding yourself with the right people can change the entire trajectory of your life. Funny, fearless, and full of hard-won wisdom — this is the conversation every creative needs to hear right now.

Key Moments

"If You Won't Help Me, I'll Do It Myself" 🎨
Kim's entire philosophy in one unfiltered opening minute.

The Suburban Kid Who Became an Artist 🌱
How a normal New Jersey childhood with an extraordinary mother quietly planted every seed that followed.

Dropping Everything and Traveling the World Alone ✈️
Before Paper, before New York — Kim had a rail pass, a pickup truck, and a belief in herself

"Money Was Never My Motivator — Find Your Gift Instead"
The exchange every 25-year-old chasing the wrong thing needs to hear.

The Art World Shut the Door on Her — So She Kicked It Down 🚪
Kim arrived with credentials, supporters, and a vision — and still got shut out because she wasn't one of the boys.

How Paper Magazine Started With $1,000 and a Poster 🗞️
The scrappy, accidental origin story of one of the most iconic independent magazines ever made.

Why the People You Surround Yourself With Are Everything 🤝
No assholes, no transactional relationships — Kim on the art of collecting the right people.

Living Through the AIDS Crisis — and What Community Really Means 🎗️
A moving reflection on loss, showing up, and what humans owe each other in impossible times.

"AI Is a Slow-Motion Car Crash" — And She Saw It Coming 🤖
Kim has always read the room early — and she's not optimistic about this one.

The Week She Sold Paper and Lost Her Mother 📦
Two enormous endings in the same week — and what it really feels like to let go of something you built.

She Wants to Teach — But Nobody Will Let Her In 🎓
Every school has rejected Kim — because they still can't figure out what shelf to put her on.

The One Thing She'd Tell Anyone Under 35 🌟
Practical, specific, and a little surprising — Kim’s best rapid-fire answer of the episode.

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What happens when a high-powered career hits unexpected turns? In this deeply personal episode of The Messy Parts, host Maryam Banikarim flips the script as her sister, award-winning journalist Susie Banikarim, interviews her about the defining — and messy — moments behind her remarkable journey. Maryam shares stories of growing up between cultures, navigating grief after losing her father, and building a bold career across advertising, publishing, tech, and global marketing leadership. She also reflects on moments of doubt — like stepping away from a top executive role and asking, “What am I if not employed?” The conversation explores resilience, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and the importance of community, including the inspiration behind The Longest Table movement. This episode is part of a series featuring stories of leaders and founders in transition, in collaboration with The Interval.

Key Moments

00:00 — The Shame of Career Setbacks 💬
Maryam Banikarim opens the episode with an honest reflection on the shame people feel during career setbacks—and why talking openly about those moments matters.

01:20 — Growing Up During the Iranian Revolution 🌍
Maryam shares what it was like experiencing the Iranian Revolution as a child—and why, at the time, it felt more exhilarating than traumatic.

06:00 — The Day Everything Changed: Losing Her Father 💔
Maryam recounts the shocking moment her father drowned during a family vacation—and how suddenly she had to become “the functioning one.”

07:30 — “I Still Hadn’t Cried” 😔
Returning to college after her father’s death, Maryam reveals how she avoided processing grief—and the surreal conversations that followed.

11:00 — How Barnard Helped Save Her 🎓
Maryam explains why Barnard became a life-changing support system during one of the hardest periods of her life.

17:30 — “I’ve Had Like 800 Jobs” 🚀
Maryam reflects on her unconventional career path—switching roles constantly while most people stayed in one job.

23:40 — “My Drug Is Busy” ⚡
Maryam admits she thrives on constant motion—even working until the day she gave birth.

25:40 — Why Stillness Terrifies Her 🧠
After years of nonstop work, Maryam explains why slowing down forced her to confront emotions she had avoided for decades.

33:00 — “The Busiest Unemployed Person I Know” 😅
During a career pause, Maryam’s son delivers a brutally honest observation about her inability to stop moving.

35:40 — “Am I a Loser Now?” 😬
Maryam opens up about the identity crisis many people face after leaving a major job—and the fear that their career might be over.

43:30 — From Failure to Opportunity: The “We Love New York” Backlash 🔥
When a public campaign she worked on was widely mocked, Maryam turned the criticism into one of the campaign’s biggest strengths.

46:40 — The Moment That Sparked The Longest Table 🍽️
A simple idea during t

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Katrina Markoff built a globally successful chocolate empire, only to lose it all in a devastating corporate and personal betrayal. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Katrina gets real with Maryam about burnout, identity loss, and the fear of starting over. From staying too long in “safe” situations to learning how to trust her instincts again, Katrina shares the messy in-between moments most people hide. She and Maryam discuss bad business breakups, comparison culture, and why you don’t have to be fully “healed” to begin again. This is a conversation about choosing yourself, letting go of titles, and rebuilding after everything falls apart. If you’ve ever felt stuck, behind, or quietly exhausted by doing everything “right,” this episode will remind you that you’re not alone — and that change doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.

Key Moments

“If You Don’t Trust Yourself, You’ll Never Do Anything Interesting” 💥
Katrina delivers the core thesis of the episode about intuition, fear-based decisions, and staying stuck in “safe” lives.

Discovering Chemistry Through Curiosity 🧪
Katrina shares how early experimentation and fascination with transformation shaped her creative path.

Running a Cake Business in High School 🎂
A surprising early entrepreneurship moment that foreshadows Katrina’s future career.

Where Your Heart Leads 🍫
Katrina explains how the advice from a mentor helped her trust her intuition.

Taking a Culinary Leap 🧑‍🍳
How the decision to enroll in culinary school in France — and not follow a traditional career path — shaped the next phase of Katrina’s journey

Trusting Yourself Enough to Take Risks 🚀
Katrina and Maryam unpack what self-trust actually looks like in real life decision-making.

A Ticket Around the World ✈️
Katrina takes another big leap and travels the world in search of her next inspiration.

“The Deal Fell Apart” 💔
Katrina describes the business collapse that triggered massive emotional and financial stress.

“Everything Completely Fell Apart” 🔥
She opens up about the full impact of loss, instability, and identity disruption.

When You Trust Yourself in One Way — But Not Another 🪞
A nuanced moment about partial confidence and hidden self-doubt.

Rebuilding After Identity Loss 🌱
Katrina reflects on who she became after letting go of old titles and structures.

Send a text

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Thank you for listening.