Bevy Smith Climbed the Ladder, Looked Around — and Jumped Off - The Messy Parts

Transcript

Bevy Smith (0:00)

I'm working, I'm cutting my teeth in fashion advertising, luxury fashion advertising. And then at 29, I decide I want to quit.

Interviewer (0:08)

But didn't you want the paycheck?

Bevy Smith (0:10)

Nobody worried about no paycheck. I knew I could do with a lot less. I knew I didn't need a six figure salary to take care of one person in Harlem.

Interviewer (0:19)

But sometimes people begin to get the six figure salary, and then they get addicted to it, and they don't know that that didn't happen to you.

Bevy Smith (0:27)

I mean, I liked all the stuff. I like the perks of it. But I also have always been this restless kind of gal. And freedom has always been far more important to me than money.

Interviewer (0:50)

You get on the ladder, you climb it, and when you get to the top, you don't usually just jump off. But that's exactly what our guest today, Bevy Smith, did. She was in her late 30s, and she found herself in amazing rooms at luxury fashion houses all over Europe. But she didn't like the person that she'd become or the life that she was living. And so because her mom taught her early not to settle, she didn't. She actually threw it all away and started all over. Today on the messy parts, the one and only Bevy Smith, who says it gets greater later. So, Bevy, I'm so excited to have you on. I think that this is gonna be an amazing and an energetic conversation because I've spent a lot of time watching your TED Talk and your new podcast, Bevy from Bed, which was amazing and has great production quality. I wanted to start with who you were as a child, like you in Harlem. And you actually talk about that and you call it. I'm from the hamlet of Harlem.

Bevy Smith (1:47)

I'm from the hamlet of Harlem. From a real neighborhood. I'm from 150th street and 8th Avenue.

Interviewer (1:54)

150th street and 8th Avenue.

Bevy Smith (1:55)

So I'm from central Harlem.

Interviewer (1:56)

Yeah. And so you grew up there, and what made you decide that you wanted to go into fashion or music? Because actually, you were sort of at the intersection of both.

Bevy Smith (2:07)

Well, my mom was very, very fashionable, and she loved clothes, and she actually worked just so she could buy herself clothes and didn't have to ask my father for money. And so I grew up around this very fashionable woman, this woman who really took looking good seriously. Also, when I was a kid, there was a great bar on the corner of my block called the Dunbar Tavern. There's a big housing, used to be a co op, and it was built for Upwardly mobile black people. So it's right across the street where I grew up in the Dunbar Tavern were the most glamorous women you ever want to see. And they were barmaids back then. Female bartenders were called barmaids back then. Children could go into bars. So my mom and my dad didn't hang out in the bar, but I had a lot of girlfriends that would go into the bar to see their parents. I know that sounds insane, but it is what it is.

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Bevy Smith Climbed the Ladder, Looked Around — and Jumped Off"

The Messy Parts with Maryam Banikarim | May 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this electrifying and deeply candid episode, host Maryam Banikarim welcomes media personality and author Bevy Smith, known for her vibrant presence in fashion and entertainment. The conversation journeys through Bevy’s extraordinary career—from her beginnings in Harlem through high-powered roles in fashion advertising, Vibe, and Rolling Stone, to her brave leap off the corporate ladder to reinvent herself as a creative force. Throughout, Bevy shares raw, funny, and wise stories about ambition, success, walking away from comfort, and what it really means to own your identity and freedom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Influences and Harlem Roots

Bevy’s upbringing in Harlem shaped her self-confidence and aesthetic. Inspired by her fashionable mother and the glamorous barmaids at the Dunbar Tavern, Bevy credits Harlem’s strong cultural legacy for her resilience and ambition.
- “I'm from the hamlet of Harlem. From a real neighborhood. I'm from 150th street and 8th Avenue.” (01:47)
Her parents, especially her father Smitty, embodied forward-thinking caregiving and a strong work ethic, becoming key influences in her life.

2. First Steps in Fashion Advertising

Entry into fashion began as a temp receptionist at Peter Rogers Associates, a firm representing luxury clients.
- Bevy showed initiative by telling callers the advertised job was filled (effectively claiming her position), resulting in her permanent hire.
- Life lesson: “Go for it. Go for the gusto. Don't let anyone stand in your way.” (06:12)
She recalls mentors who saw her potential and urged her forward, but insists that genuine mentorship must be relational, not transactional.
- "People often ask me, will you be my mentor? I gotta know if I like you first." (13:23)

3. Learning (and Unlearning) Corporate Culture

Navigating corporate dynamics: Initially, Bevy didn't participate in office socializing outside work, not realizing its career impact until she observed her colleagues bonding over weekends. She adapted quickly, using both work ethic and strategic networking.
- “I thought that you did the work and that's how you got ahead. I didn't know that. So I found out quickly...” (08:56)
Never feeling the need to “fit in,” Bevy relied on her Harlem identity and intrinsic value.

4. Climbing—and Leaping Off—the Ladder

Rising through the ranks: From Peter Rogers to Jeff McKay’s ad agency (becoming media director) and on to Vibe and Rolling Stone, Bevy’s career soared. She built strong client relationships and brought luxury brands into new spaces.
- Showcased cultural storytelling as her superpower, linking Black style and resilience to fashion advertising success. (18:06)
Restlessness and rejection of comfort: Despite promotions and six-figure salaries, Bevy frequently left roles at the peak, motivated by a search for freedom over money.
- “Freedom has always been far more important to me than money.” (00:27, 16:22)

5. The Pivot: Walking Away from Success

Bevy describes the emotional breaking point—realizing a “glamorous” life felt hollow.
- “It was so hollow. That's the perfect word. It was very hollow. It was a grind.” (30:05)
- “Going to Milan and Paris six times a year. It was a grind.” (30:13)
Dramatically “jumping off” at Rolling Stone: After 11 months, she quit, played “I Did It My Way,” and braced for uncertainty.
- “Regrets? I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention.” (30:47; quoting Sinatra)
The aftermath: Two years of “blissful but broke”—using savings to travel, study, and build her creative toolkit, even when it meant facing financial hardship.
- “Broke but not broken. I was blissful but broke.” (32:20)

6. Reinvention and Resilience

Cultivating the next act: Bevy created “Dinner with Bevy” to foster new creative and celebrity connections, which led serendipitously to TV opportunities at Bravo and beyond.
Key moment: Despite an underwhelming first TV contract, she negotiated for her worth, even walking away until Andy Cohen personally recruited her.
- “We always have a choice. I'm gonna choose not to do it.” (35:17)

7. Owning Identity, Culture, and Confidence

Bevy’s confidence and rootedness in Harlem never wavered, even in elite, predominantly white spaces.
- “Where I'm from, Brooke Shields wouldn't get a second look. Where I'm from, I'm cute, I'm beautiful, I'm the bee's knees.” (20:44)
She sees herself as a “projector” (in Human Design terms): “Everything comes to me. They cannot pursue. They must receive.” (40:04)

8. The Power of Connection and Purpose

Her core pillars for career and income:
- “Culture, communications, connectivity, and community. Duh. That's the way I make my money. That's it.” (42:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I just knew I could do with a lot less. I knew I didn't need a six figure salary to take care of one person in Harlem.” (00:10)
“I wasn't trying to be them...That also helped when I had to go to Milan and Paris and sell fashion advertising.” (21:16)
On leaving Vibe: “I was restless. I was done with it. I didn't want to leave. I tried to get Vibe to give me another job at Vibe.” (21:45)
“Broke but not broken. I was blissful but broke.” (32:20)
“Do it scared. Do it delusional. Do it when everyone's telling you that you shouldn't do it. Do it anyway.” (43:53)
“I'm living proof that it gets greater later.” (40:58)

Important Timestamps

Upbringing & Harlem roots: 01:47–04:03
Early work in fashion, lesson in ambition: 04:11–06:18
Mentors & networking: 06:29–08:44
Vibe years & storytelling power: 15:24–19:26
Owning cultural history and identity: 19:26–21:29
Leaving Vibe and Rolling Stone: 21:45–27:54
Collapse and pivot in Milan: 28:09–29:12
Defining hollow success: 30:05–30:16
Blissful but broke era: 32:10–33:28
TV break at Bravo & negotiation: 33:36–36:55
On mentors, human design & “projector” type: 40:04–40:19
Advice for those at a pivot: 43:53–44:00
Rapid-fire, messiest moments: 42:44–44:29

Advice & Reflections

On pivots and reinvention: “Do it scared. Do it delusional. Do it when everyone's telling you that you shouldn't do it. Do it anyway.” (43:53)
For new graduates: “Literally, you got to go out and make relationships. It's all about connection and community.” (42:19)
Before 35: “Have a lot of sex with men who adore you. And I don't care what your body looks like. They have to worship you.” (43:32)
Walk-on song: Odyssey’s “Native New Yorker” (44:04)
Confidence: “I'm not riding in cargo. I need first class, sweetie.” (25:50)

Closing Energy

This episode vibrates with Bevy Smith’s humor, honesty, and wisdom. Her faith in the power of uniqueness, culture, and taking risks—no matter your age or bank balance—will inspire anyone navigating the “messy parts” of their own career.