Marina Iakovleva: "Buzzfeed Stole My Idea And Went Viral", Growing To 675K+ Subscribers, Dating Abroad, + More
What would you do if a media giant stole your idea—and then went viral with it?In this deeply personal and surprisingly funny episode, Alice sits down with Marina Iakovleva, the creator of Dating Beyond Borders, a wildly popular YouTube channel with over 675,000 subscribers. Marina built her brand from a scrappy video experiment in Panama to a global platform exploring intercultural relationships—and she did it without a team, a big budget, or any media backing.But along the way, her ideas were copied by Buzzfeed and other production companies with massive teams and bigger marketing power. Instead of quitting, she pivoted—and found a new format that reignited her creativity and brought her closer to her audience than ever before.You’ll hear:How a three-day vacation romance inspired Marina’s entire businessWhat she did after Buzzfeed copied her video concept (and commenters said she was the copycat)Why she pivoted from studio shoots to street interviews—and never looked backHer honest take on the loneliness of digital nomad life and not having a place to call “home”Why you’re more attractive when you’re in a city you actually likeHow to make peace with fractured identity—and keep showing up anywayThis is an episode about content, connection, and carving your own lane when no one hands you a map.Chapters:00:50 Intro02:44 Being the anxious kid and earliest rejections05:53 Why teaching felt safe—but wrong08:13 Choosing regret minimization over predictability13:41 “Where do I belong?”—living between cultures24:49 The vacation romance that started it all27:40 How Sebastian the German became Marina’s origin story31:09 Building a business from rejection36:20 How she grew to 100K+ subscribers in under a year43:49 The Rebel Wilson problem—pivoting when your audience doesn’t want you to48:54 Buzzfeed, copycats, and being accused of stealing your own idea51:13 What to do when you’re the underdog in a production war56:25 Boundaries, burnout, and reactivity in business01:00:08 How Marina approaches content growth (and why obsession > perfection)01:05:16 Where to find Marina and hire her as a speakerMarina’s YouTube: Dating Beyond BordersMarina’s podcast: Dating Beyond Borders PodcastMarina’s book: Sex Before Coffee: A Guide to Dating in ScandinaviaSpeaking inquiries: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/marina-iakovleva-dbb
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1:07:39
Tracy Otsuka: "ADHDers feel more emotion" & the Brain Science of Rejection
Why does criticism feel like a punch to the gut when you have ADHD? And why do so many women with ADHD go undiagnosed for decades?In this bold and eye-opening episode, bestselling author and podcast host Tracy Otsuka joins Alice to unpack how rejection shows up in the ADHD brain, and why it’s often misunderstood, minimized, or masked.Tracy shares the brain science behind rejection-sensitive dysphoria, the gendered shame baked into our understanding of ADHD, and how her son’s diagnosis ultimately led to her own. You’ll hear candid stories of failure, identity shifts, and the powerful moment a psychologist told her to lower her expectations for her child.You’ll hear:What rejection does to the ADHD brain (and why your mind feels like it “goes offline”)The truth behind why girls often go undiagnosed until adulthoodHow masking, people-pleasing, and perfectionism fuel burnoutThe timer trick Tracy swears by for getting started (even when it feels impossible)Why ADHD is not a productivity problem—it’s an identity oneThis is an episode about shame, stigma, and how to rewrite your internal narrative, on your terms.Chapters:00:50 Intro01:18 The label 'too much' and early rejection03:38 Shame, gender norms, and ADHD in women06:53 What happens in the ADHD brain during rejection10:28 Learned helplessness and internalized criticism12:44 Why girls are misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression13:41 Hormones, dopamine, and maturity-onset ADHD17:02 Moving from inaction to identity-based action22:26 Fun, challenging, and social—the ADHD productivity trifecta25:52 Building a trustworthy identity with micro-habits30:31 Tracy’s time cube hack for procrastination35:00 How her son's diagnosis led to her own38:28 “Your son is too ambitious”—a psychologist’s rejection42:34 How diagnosis changed Tracy’s self-perception45:14 The rejection that comes from not trusting yourself50:50 Where to find Tracy and her workResources & Links:Tracy’s book: ADHD for Smart Ass WomenTracy’s podcast: ADHD for Smart Ass WomenWebsite & Programs: ADHDforSmartWomen.com
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52:15
Jason Silver: Crashing A Startup & The Science of Enjoyment at Work
What if success wasn't the reward for grinding through work—but the result of actually enjoying it?In this candid and deeply insightful episode, multi-time founder and former Airbnb leader Jason Silver joins Alice to unpack the often backwards narratives we hold about work, ambition, and rejection.Jason shares the raw story of crashing his startup—and the surprising way that failure led to a life-changing opportunity at Airbnb. He also dives into the neuroscience behind why so many people regret changing jobs, what "hedonic adaptation" has to do with your career dissatisfaction, and how he redefined productivity after a personal tragedy.You’ll hear:Why Jason believes enjoyment is a practice, not a perkHow he almost got fired after presenting the “perfect” plan to Airbnb leadershipA dead-simple question that helped him 9x his resultsThe personal loss that transformed how he approached work and lifePractical frameworks for finding more energy, meaning, and satisfaction in your current jobThis is an episode about failure, but also about designing a working life you don’t need to escape from.Chapters:00:50 Intro02:44 Why quitting your job doesn’t make you happier06:26 Hedonic adaptation at work09:22 The difference between fun and enjoyment13:34 Doing the same task differently19:45 The iPhone list exercise28:00 The 10x Airbnb challenge35:57 What would need to be true?41:46 Defining rejection43:52 Crashing a startup52:24 The grief that changed everything59:51 How Jason has changed1:03:13 Advice to enjoy growing a podcastResources & Links:Jason’s website: thejasonsilver.comJason’s book: Your Grass Is Greener – yourgrassisgreener.comFollow Jason on LinkedIn: Jason Silver
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1:05:02
Alice Draper: Uncertainty Is a Portal, Not a Punishment
Uncertainty can feel like standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for instructions that never arrive.In this solo episode, Alice reflects on her early career decision to turn down traditional jobs and lean into freelancing—not because it felt brave, but because it made a strange kind of sense. Years later, she’s still navigating the discomfort of not-knowing, and learning to stay present through the fog.This is a gentle, personal reflection on:The subtle self-rejection baked into chasing certaintyHow clarity doesn’t always come with a five-step planMicro-decisions that help you feel more groundedWhy uncertainty often brings up shame, even when we’re doing the “right” thingAlice also shares tools that help her hold the discomfort without rushing through it—like labeling what’s still certain, making room for nuance, and trusting that inner clarity takes time.🎧 If you're in the middle of a career shift, life decision, or quiet personal reckoning… this one’s for you.
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13:05
MY BEST FRIEND: On Burnout, People-Pleasing, Suicide And Reinvention
with Senamile ZunguIn this episode, Alice sits down with her best friend Senamile Zungu for the most personal conversation ever recorded on My Rejection Story. Sena opens up about what it took to unravel—and survive—after years of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and pushing through pain.From two psychiatric hospitalizations to setting boundaries that cost her relationships, this is the story of what happens when a woman chooses herself for the very first time.Together, Alice and Sena reflect on friendship, anger, grief, and the violent pressure to be everything to everyone. It’s a raw and unfiltered conversation about burnout, identity loss, and what it takes to reinvent your life from scratch.This episode is about loving someone through the ugliest seasons of their life—and holding onto yourself when the world tells you to disappear.In This Episode, We Cover:Why burnout was just the symptom—and how much deeper the wound wentWhat people-pleasing costs you (and who you have to grieve to stop doing it)What it’s like to survive a suicide attempt and still feel like a burdenThe rage that comes when you finally stop self-abandoningWhy boundaries feel like betrayal—even when they’re saving your lifeHow it feels to lose family, faith, and career—and still want to try againWhat it means to be witnessed in your full, messy, human selfThis episode is about loving someone through the ugliest seasons of their life—and holding onto yourself when the world tells you to disappear.Links & Resources:🎧 Listen to Sena’s podcast, Colour-fullhttps://pod.link/1736137543📘 Read: When The Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Matéhttps://www.amazon.com/When-Body-Says-Understanding-Stress-Disease/dp/0470923350📱 Follow Senamile on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/sena_zungu/💼 Connect with Senamile on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/senamile-zungu-a8375627a/Chapters:00:00 The Friendship Behind the Mic06:11 What Burnout Really Looked Like10:42 Surviving Hospitalization—and the Shame That Follows15:33 People-Pleasing and the Loss of Self21:58 Rage, Religion, and Rejection26:40 What Happens When You Start Saying No32:14 Grieving Who You Used to Be36:59 The Rebuild: Boundaries, Healing, and a New Kind of Success41:46 How to Love Someone Who’s Falling Apart47:18 Being Seen and Loved in the Middle of the Mess
In exclusive interviews, bestselling authors like Tina Wells, Kristen Butler, Jason VanRuler, and Neil Patel share how they navigated the toughest periods of their personal and professional lives, and how this shaped the success they now experience today.
Studies show that the stories we tell ourselves about rejection influence whether these failures fuel our ambition and propel us forward, or stifle our growth and hold us back.
If your rejection story is holding you back, it is time for a reframe.
Netherlands