The Nikki Ogunnaike Interview with Throwing Fits

Summary

Podcast Summary: Throwing Fits – The Nikki Ogunnaike Interview

Episode Details:

• Title: The Nikki Ogunnaike Interview with Throwing Fits
• Host/Author: Throwing Fits
• Release Date: February 12, 2025
• Guest: Nikki Ogunnaike, Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire Magazine and Host of the Nice Talk Podcast

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1. Introduction to Nikki Ogunnaike

The episode begins with the characteristic banter of the Throwing Fits hosts, Lawrence and James, introducing their guest Nikki Ogunnaike with a series of humorous and creative compliments highlighting her prowess in the media industry.

[00:00] Lawrence Schlossman: "She’s the copy queen, first lady of the looks, the article admiral, the EIC MVP putting in that hard work."

[00:39] James Harris: "Incredible. Like, really incredible. That is better than I could have ever imagined."

2. Fit Check and Fashion Insights

The conversation swiftly shifts to fashion, with Nikki and James engaging in a playful "fit check." They discuss their personal styles, favorite accessories, and the importance of maintaining a fashionable appearance even during athletic activities like running.

[01:41] James Harris: "I have 12 piercings, 13 piercings. So the mix is like measuring. There's some 14 carats in here."

[02:35] James Harris: "I feel like everything needs to go together. Like, we had to put the earrings back in."

Nikki emphasizes the balance between personal style and practicality, highlighting how accessories like earrings and watches are integral to her identity.

3. The Role of Editor-in-Chief in 2025

Nikki delves into her role as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of Marie Claire, discussing the expanding responsibilities in the modern media landscape. She underscores the importance of maintaining the magazine's DNA across various platforms, including print, digital, podcasts, and newsletters.

[11:56] James Harris: "Ultimately, they are sort of the steward of the brand and of the DNA, and they make sure that everything feels cohesive across website, podcast, newsletters, print issues."

Nikki compares the role to iconic EICs of the past, like Tina Brown and Graydon Carter, who were synonymous with their respective brands, illustrating the enduring nature of the EIC position.

4. Marie Claire vs. Other Magazines

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on what sets Marie Claire apart from other women's magazines. Nikki highlights the magazine's commitment to tackling women's rights and world issues, a legacy that dates back over 30 years, which distinguishes it from competitors who have only recently adopted similar stances.

[08:10] James Harris: "We lean heavy into women's world issues, women's rights, abortion rights. We've been doing this for 30 years."

Lawrence probes whether other magazines have shifted their focus in response to societal changes, to which Nikki asserts that Marie Claire has always been ahead of the curve.

5. Challenges and Proudest Moments

Nikki shares her challenges in managing a diverse team, particularly inheriting existing staff versus building her own. She reflects on her proudest achievement—rebranding the Power Play summit from "Power Trip" to extend its reach beyond just travel-focused events.

[22:32] James Harris: "We did this summit called Power Play. I rebranded it from Power Trip to focus on smaller moments that didn’t rely just on the plane."

Nikki describes Power Play as a networking platform designed to connect and empower women across different cities, fostering community and professional growth.

6. Power Play Events and Content Strategy

The hosts discuss the integration of experiential events like Power Play into Marie Claire's media ecosystem. Nikki explains how these events generate valuable content and enhance the magazine’s presence both online and offline.

[24:42] James Harris: "As print becomes sort of in flux, people want to connect in person, have community. That's what we're doing with Power Play."

Lawrence raises concerns about balancing content with experiential aspects, to which Nikki responds by emphasizing that content remains paramount and that events are designed to complement, not overshadow, the magazine’s editorial mission.

7. Social Media and Digital Engagement

Nikki addresses the shift towards digital media and the challenges of maintaining engagement on platforms like Instagram. She notes that podcast clips and video interviews tend to perform better, indicating a preference for deeper, more engaging content over superficial posts.

[15:17] James Harris: "People like the video, they like the interview. They love reels. The reels agenda. People love it."

Nikki advocates for a balanced approach, integrating traditional media strengths with innovative digital strategies to retain and grow readership.

8. Trends in Modern Media and Fashion

The conversation explores the pitfalls of modern media, particularly the fear of oligarchic influences and the struggle to speak truth to power. Nikki asserts that Marie Claire remains steadfast in its mission despite fluctuating engagement metrics.

[35:03] James Harris: "I think it's not necessarily going to do like, It'll get maybe 10,000 uniques versus like 1 million uniques. But that won't stop us from doing it."

The hosts also touch upon fleeting fashion trends and the importance of authenticity over chasing superficial styles, with Nikki advocating for living a fulfilled life and allowing clothing to complement rather than dominate one's lifestyle.

[74:27] James Harris: "I think it's more about just living your life and taking time with your wardrobe, not feeling like you have to buy every single trend."

9. Personal Stories and Reflections

Towards the end of the episode, Nikki shares personal anecdotes about managing relationships and maintaining a balanced life away from the relentless pace of social media. She highlights the grounding effect her long-term relationship has had on her, contrasting it with the often superficial connections prevalent in the media industry.

[82:40] James Harris: "It's grounding because I don't necessarily have to be like, I was talking to you guys."

10. Conclusion and Future Directions

In the closing moments, the hosts and Nikki reflect on the evolving landscape of media and fashion, reiterating Marie Claire's commitment to meaningful content and community-building initiatives. They express enthusiasm for future collaborations and events that continue to empower women in various spheres.

[95:40] James Harris: "We talked to a bunch of stylists who were styling women and getting them ready for the C Suite. And then people talking about their power picks."

The episode wraps up with playful banter, leaving listeners with a sense of warmth and anticipation for upcoming issues and projects from Marie Claire.

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Key Takeaways:

• Leadership in Media: Nikki Ogunnaike exemplifies modern EIC responsibilities, balancing traditional editorial integrity with digital innovation.
• Commitment to Women's Issues: Marie Claire's enduring dedication to women's rights and substantive world issues sets it apart in the magazine industry.
• Integrating Experiential Events: Initiatives like Power Play enhance community engagement and generate rich content, supporting Marie Claire's multifaceted media presence.
• Navigating Digital Landscapes: Effective use of social media and podcasts is crucial for maintaining relevance and engagement in today's media environment.
• Authenticity Over Trends: Emphasizing authentic living and personal growth over fleeting fashion trends fosters a deeper connection with the audience.

Notable Quotes:

• James Harris on Leadership:

  "[11:56] James Harris: 'Ultimately, they are sort of the steward of the brand and of the DNA, and they make sure that everything feels cohesive across website, podcast, newsletters, print issues.'"

• Nikki Ogunaki on Marie Claire's Mission:

  "[08:10] James Harris: 'We lean heavy into women's world issues, women's rights, abortion rights. We've been doing this for 30 years.'"

• Discussion on Media Pitfalls:

  "[35:03] James Harris: 'I think it's not necessarily going to do like, It'll get maybe 10,000 uniques versus like 1 million uniques. But that won't stop us from doing it.'"

• On Authentic Style:

  "[74:54] James Harris: '...living your life and taking time with your wardrobe, not feeling like you have to buy every single trend.'"

• About Social Media Engagement:

  "[15:17] James Harris: 'People like the video, they like the interview. They love reels. The reels agenda. People love it.'"

This episode provides a comprehensive look into Nikki Ogunnaike's leadership at Marie Claire, her vision for modern media, and her insights into maintaining authenticity and integrity in a rapidly evolving industry.

Transcript

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Throw gang. We are joined by the byline boss bitch, the word count wizard. The madame of the masthead must be in therapy. How she's dropping these issues, call her the Mexican army. How she's drafting these essays. The walk mean but the talk nice. The copy queen, first lady of the looks, the article admiral, the EIC MVP putting in that hard work. Yeah, she pitching a content. You icky, no fun sloppy. She Nikki Ogunaki, your clickbait is brick. Takes her drip, make pricks break digital content, get the dough and cream. That's that eclair. Oh, you're not fucking with Marie Claire. How about you? Marie declared he's nuts. All these top stories but no subhead. She puts the OG in blog a little boy, but when she pods, she goes nuts on Mike. Editor in chief of Marie Claire magazine and host of the Nice Talk podcast, Nikki Ogunaki. Nikki, how the hell are you?

[James Harris]

Incredible. Like, really incredible. That is better than I could have ever imagined.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Is that.

[James Harris]

You know, I've been waiting for this moment. So it's like you manifested it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We're going to talk about.

[James Harris]

We had to do the yap agenda. So that's why. Keep it going.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that just going to be January or yapping all year long?

[James Harris]

We're yapping all year. Okay, for sure.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The yap.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The year of the yap.

[James Harris]

The year of the yap. That was incredible. Thank you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Return of the yap.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Does that qual qualify as nice talk in your book?

[James Harris]

That is very nice talk in my book for sure.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Nice talker. Don't talk to me at all.

[James Harris]

Talk to me. Nice.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Thank you so much for coming through, Nikki.

[James Harris]

Thank you.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The pleasure is all ours.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We know as an editor in chief, you are a busy, busy woman. Especially on the eve of New York Fashion Week. It's men's year. Fashion Week.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. So even so, the two farts. Two farts. There it is, screaming.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We still have a week. We don't. We don't.

[James Harris]

It's February 6th. Well, Mark shows February 3rd, so that sort of like kicks things off. That's not.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We all get dressed for Mark.

[James Harris]

We always get dressed from.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Speaking of which, Nikki, let's do a quick fit check. What did you wear to POD with us today?

[James Harris]

Okay, should I start from earrings? Should I start from the world is yours?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay. Where you want.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You got a lot of earrings.

[James Harris]

I do have a lot of earrings. I have 12 piercings, 13 piercings. So the mix is like measuring. There's some 14 carats in here. You guys know 14 carats in LA.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Just diamonds.

[James Harris]

Absolutely. We've got some Maria Tash in there. Yes, we love Maria.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We do.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right here.

[James Harris]

Perfect.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Just the one.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Just. I like you showing off your one.

[James Harris]

I'm like, that's that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You can see.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I went back to try because I was like, babe, I kind of want. Inspired by Jalen Hurts. I was kind of like, I want some bigger. Some bigger Marie Pass joints.

[James Harris]

It's so good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's too big, though.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Going Barry Bonds mode.

[James Harris]

I know. Just like one giant.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He said, what do you think, guys with straights with two rings, two small hoops.

[James Harris]

Yeah. I mean, it's not for me necessarily. Say less. It's not for me. I had a moment where I took all of my earrings out and I was like, my face looks just, like, so boring and like, I can't do this haircut and have no piercing. So I feel like everything needs to go together. Like, we had to put the earrings back in.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

When you run, because I know you're a big marathoner and runner, do you just leave everything on?

[James Harris]

Everything is in. I usually run in and I didn't. This isn't even on purpose, but I usually end up running in some sort of, like, personal jewelry. Yeah. And earrings and everything.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like a wide receiver with the fucking tennis diamonds.

[James Harris]

Absolutely.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Got to stay fly regardless of the activity.

[James Harris]

I mean, whether I would run. Exactly. So sweatshirt actually is athletic because I'm hosting an event with them this evening.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Plug sponsor, though.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

This will come out and we will be long gone.

[James Harris]

Well, don't worry. We'll figure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It was a great event.

[James Harris]

So many people.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It was so sick.

[James Harris]

It was.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Honestly, Justin Bieber was there.

[James Harris]

It was incredible.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's your dream guest.

[James Harris]

And Haley Bieber and the baby.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She's in New York right now.

[James Harris]

Oh, she really?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Tell her for the event.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

For the.

[James Harris]

Obviously for the event. The pants are Nelly Lotan. Okay. And then the shoes are Jordans. They're at the Yoon like ambush.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh, cool.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All right. Yeah, you can see the swoosh flying off the back.

[James Harris]

And then the jewelry is vintage Cartier and Tiffany and Measury.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What about that big old.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Oh, yes. The coat is a sample sale find from Prada.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, nice.

[James Harris]

It's a men's coat actually.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Acquired in Milan.

[James Harris]

No, in New York. They have, like, an incredible sample sale here, which I don't know actually if I should be saying that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Sounds like broke. Have you been to the. The outlet in Milan? Because apparently that's, like, worth the track.

[James Harris]

Yes, the outlet in Milan is really good. The Outlets outside of Paris is really good. Like, hold on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But that out. The sample sale here in New York is that like, you know, if you know, you know, like insiders.

[James Harris]

Only if you get an invite.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Only. Got it.

[James Harris]

You get an invite.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Gatekeeper.

[James Harris]

Not me. Prada.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Was there a bag or some.

[James Harris]

There's a balaclava over there. That's Janessa Leone.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that the biggest women's trend of this winter is the balaclavas, the shiesty for women?

[James Harris]

My boyfriend wears, what? He's a bike rider. So he wears a shiesty all the time. He's like, what? Like, why is this.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But like the cashmere balaclavas, like, hood.

[James Harris]

Yeah, they love the. Yeah, exactly.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

All that feisties for her.

[James Harris]

She stays, she stays.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I love it. And the bra. Panties.

[James Harris]

Oh, bra and panties. Bra is notori.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Panties. Amazon. Maybe some like, random Amazon brand. Like, who knows?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Not skims Prime.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Not skims. This is a show that is brought to you by.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Guest.

[James Harris]

Sorry, Guest opinions are my own. Or cut it. I don't know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No, no, it's. We'll keep it in. But you just know you're talking to two skims lovers.

[James Harris]

Really?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yes, ma'am.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure.

[James Harris]

That's it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They don't sponsor the video.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

They also. Wait, when is this coming out?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All good. Anyway, moving on. You're sipping on a topo, Chico. What were the sun? What were the sunnies?

[James Harris]

Oh, Gucci. I do. I love a lot of men's clothes. I do. Yeah. I like a lot of the. I think this stuff often, design wise is better for men.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Really?

[James Harris]

Yeah, it's really. I don't know. When I worked at gq, they, like the boys there introduced me to like a whole bunch of new sort of brands and it was like, like the.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Advertisers in the magazine, Gucci, like Gucci so much cool.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Spawn.

[James Harris]

Ferragamo. Totally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Other Ferragamo slabs.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Especially the new shit.

[James Harris]

Absolutely. But I don't know, I think the men's stuff, there's. It's. I don't know. I just find it more interesting sometimes.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

So you'll go to like a men's boutique and just shop straight up or.

[James Harris]

Yeah, I'll go to a men's boutique. I'll go to, like, the men's side of, like, the whole story. Yeah, Love a sample sale. Yeah. Because half the time that coat, I found like a little tag in it and it was clearly like the Runway sample.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, wow.

[James Harris]

That a guy wore. And I was like, okay, great. Like, that's a tiny man who was wearing that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

If it's Prada. Yeah.

[James Harris]

You know, a very tiny man walking down the Runway. So it's great. It works for me.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It just buttons the opposite way. But no one even.

[James Harris]

Who cares?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Who gives a.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All right, fit check. Drink check complete.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Topo chico.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sipping on a Topo chico. Fit check complete now. Drink check complete. Let's get into the meat and potatoes, the only podcast that matters. In addition to Nice talk. Nikki, who is Marie Claire, and why does she have a magazine named after her?

[James Harris]

Marie Claire is that bitch. No, I'm kidding. Marie Claire is Nikki's that bitch, period. Um, Marie Claire. You know, when we think about, like, who we're writing for and who that woman is, like, the. The PR answer is she's a woman of style and substance and power, and, like, that's sort of our top line. But when we think about who we are, like, covering and who we are writing for, like, she really is that kind of woman. Like, she cares about world events. She needs to get dressed and look good. She's like a C suite, exact kind of woman, or wants to get there. And so everything that we serve her, wherever it is, is just to make her life easier.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You're describing Nicole Kidman and baby girl.

[James Harris]

Absolutely. I want to be baby girl.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who does it. Yeah, we're not. We don't have a carpeted room. Sorry, what? What do you have a cup of milk maybe?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You got to put that on your rider ahead of time. Yeah, sorry.

[James Harris]

I just.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I could get you a saucer for the topo.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Spoiler alert.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What separates Marie Claire from other women's magazines?

[James Harris]

I think it is that. That, like, women's world issues, sort of like that part of the coverage that we do, and we lean heavy into it, like, we're happy to tackle women's rights, abortions rights. Like, we clearly have, you know, a stance on these things, and we don't shy away for it from it. Like, we've been doing this for 30 years. I think a lot of brands have just come around to it in the last maybe, like, five or 10 years, but this has been a part of our DNA.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Not just because it's fashionable.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Not just because it's cool. And all of a sudden, everyone, like, cares about these things. Like, this has been a part of the DNA from the beginning.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And did that shift with other magazine doll all of a sudden caring about, like, women's rights or world events happen? What at the beginning, Trump won.

[James Harris]

I. Yeah, I would say, like, the Obama days were the heydays, right. And we were all just sort of like, this is great. Like, nothing's ever good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, who knows? No housing strikes.

[James Harris]

Exactly. And then, like, Trump hit or like, the rumblings of the beginning of Trump coming on hit, and we were all like, oh, like, this is getting really, really real. And I think that the point of a magazine and the point of a brand right now is sort of to speak truth to power when we can and use our platforms. And Marie Claire always had that sort of platform to be able to do that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But since you guys have been doing it, since I was always part of the DNA, and then all of a sudden, like. I mean, I'll say it, like, Teen Vogue all of a sudden wrote, you know, something about gaslighting under the Trump administration, and that went, like, crazy viral. Were you ever like, what the fuck? Like, we've been doing this?

[James Harris]

I mean, my ego would say yes. Right? Like, I wasn't at Marie Claire when that was happening, but it was a. It was a thing for me when I got to Marie Claire, to be like, hey, we do this. Like this. We're not new to this. Like, this is something we've always been doing. True to this. And it's important that people know that they can come here and get this sort of stuff.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[James Harris]

In addition to, like, my fit checks and what I'm wearing and the newsletters and all of that good stuff as well.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Podcasting.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I feel like a few vaunted women's fashion lifestyle magazines have been covering Melania Trump's outfits recently. What's the Marie Claire company line on covering the First Lady's fashion choices?

[James Harris]

I think that there are a lot of things that we could be covering otherwise, and so we will be doing that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay. That was very well put.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

When you see a competitor, like, run a story about Melania where it's clear, like, we are. Whether it's rage baiting or clickbait or whatever, like, what's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Or it's all mahopening the was that. Is your just, like, the choice of, you know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Just the choice, you know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yo, shout out the copywriters, man. Come on.

[James Harris]

But is your, like, headlines are tough.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think Sheena from Vanderpump, right? That has this all happening. Like, you gotta. You gotta rework that. It's all happening on your forearm tattoo.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yo, Peyceena, what's your gut. What's your gut reaction? Are you reading that stuff? Or are you just, like, shaking your head or what?

[James Harris]

I mean, I'm reading everything right, because it's important, I think, to have an understanding of what everyone around me and what other brands around us are doing. But we also know, and I know where I want to draw the line. And so that's your job. That's literally my job. That's why I was hired. And I feel like Marie Claire is a place where I can truly sort of stand strong in that ethos and be like, I don't. It's. It's fine. Like, let the other brands cover it if they want to. We don't necessarily have to do that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

When they go, Melania, we go somewhere else. What? So what? But, like, on a macro level, just media speaking, politics aside, what is the role of an editor in chief of a magazine in 2025?

[James Harris]

I mean, there are so many different things that I think an editor in Chief does in 2025, and that's why I think the job is bigger than it ever has. But ultimately, I do think that they are sort of the. The, like, steward, I guess, of the brand and of the DNA, and they make sure that everything sort of feels cohesive across website, podcast, newsletters, print issues. If we have them, we have to. So print issues and just making sure that everything still feels cohesive and true to the DNA of the brand.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do they also kind of have to be, like, the face of the magazine in almost, like, play the role of influencer both for the brand that they work for and their own personal brand?

[James Harris]

I think that that is always going to be a part of it. Right. But I don't think that's new. Like, if you look at, you know, these brands in the 80s, you look at somebody like, yeah, who is it? Like Tina Brown? Or you look at Graydon Carter like, they were faces of the brand. They just weren't on social media, but they were, like, out and about. Graydon has multiple restaurants that he was, like, you know, working out, like, that sort of thing. They're very much so a face of the brand, and it hasn't gone away.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Sorry, go ahead. No, no. Do you relish that?

[James Harris]

Do I relish that or is you.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Like, this is just the baggage that comes with the dream job? That might be too binary. But where, how, like, what's the thing?

[James Harris]

Yeah, I think it depends on the day, honestly, like, when I get hate mail, I'm sort of like, not bad job.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Well done.

[James Harris]

Don't hate it. Thanks for the feedback.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How much hate mail do you get?

[James Harris]

Not A ton. I got one yesterday.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, like a handwritten letter?

[James Harris]

No, it was like a. Somebody went and found my Squaresp website.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

What?

[James Harris]

And sent me personally a note. They said it was. We were writing a demagogic plot pamphlet.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And I was like, who's your demagogue?

[James Harris]

You, Me, the woke media.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I don't know if you altered Nikki.

[James Harris]

Yes. And it was very much like you. If. If Marie Claire is going to do this and they need. If they are going to be political, then they need to tell us. And I'm like, it's literally in the tagline. Like, that's never changed. Anyway, so when you get the. The hate mail, it's kind of like, I don't know. I wish that I could be sort of like, behind the scenes. But I'm also like, okay, we're on the right path, so maybe me being in the forefront is. Is helpful in that way.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you, like. Do you feel like you kind of have to strike a balance between promoting the work of the team and Marie Claire and then kind of like promoting yourself? Are you like, oh, like, last three posts, the hit grid were all fit picks. Let me post some article. Or, like, vice versa. Like, I gotta get a fit off.

[James Harris]

Well, it's. It's a m. Because I think that, like, what's interesting about this role right now for me is, like, if you follow me on Instagram, you probably have followed me because of, like, the things I've personally written places. So, like at Elle or Glamour, and you follow me for my outfits. But I'm not, like, personally writing anymore that much.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, with that profile.

[James Harris]

I did write the profile of Alex Cooper, but generally I'm not writing that much anymore. So people aren't coming. Like, for me, Nikki, I would expect them to come for Marie Claire. And so it's important for me to show off the work that the team is doing because it's really good and they work really hard.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, then here's a question. What performs better, the fit picks or Marie Claire editorial?

[James Harris]

Does anything perform now on social? Is anyone seeing.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Have you been adding music to your post?

[James Harris]

Have I been posting carousels? Yeah, I'm doing everything. Like, trying, but yeah, like, I don't know. I think that on Social, what I actually have been seeing perform is the clips from the podcast.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah.

[James Harris]

People like the video, they like the interview. They love reels. The reels agenda. People love it. So that has been working. But everything else, I'm like, is this thing on? Hello.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Do you see yourself as like a podcaster? Like, straight up, like. Because that's how we.

[James Harris]

I would like to.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We don't really do much else.

[James Harris]

I would like to be seen as a podcaster. I love it. I think it's so fun. Nice. Talk has been such a fun outlet for me. We get to talk. I get to talk to really cool people and spend an hour with them and just sort of like, shoot the. Which is so fun.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who's been. And this is a good. There's a question we get asked all day. Who's been your favorite guest so far? How long and. Sorry. How long you've been doing it?

[James Harris]

First of all, I've been doing it for about a year. A year now.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Welcome, sister.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think it's really like, you found your groove.

[James Harris]

Yes. Yeah. Only, like, so we've been doing it in seasons, but I think we're gonna go only. Well, actually. Talk to me.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No. Be careful what you wish for. Okay.

[James Harris]

So we've been doing it in seasons. Each season is 12 episodes brought to you in part with a partner, a sponsor. But there is an opportunity to go always on, which means 50.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You said it. Always. You want to be always on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How much?

[James Harris]

Feels like a lot, but also feels fun.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's the break between seasons?

[James Harris]

Couple weeks, a month.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It feels fun because you haven't had to do it.

[James Harris]

Because I have a break. Yeah, because I have a break.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Our advice. We kind of regret not to make it about us, but it's our show.

[James Harris]

But give the advice.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We regret not being a seasonal show.

[James Harris]

Really?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Because.

[James Harris]

So what seasons looked like for you guys, do you think?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I don't know. Because we kind of like, booking is a tough. Booking's tough. Finding room in everyone's schedules. It's always like a, you know. Oh, how's Tuesday? It was Thursday.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We did that dance. Right.

[James Harris]

Wrong day. I was like, see you tomorrow. You're like, it's on Thursday. Let's see you Thursday.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

See you Thursday.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I panicked. I was like, oh, did I say Wednesday? No. But I don't know. It's tough. I don't know what that would necessarily look like. Maybe, like, we took maybe three, four weeks off from guest episodes around the holidays just because no one. We couldn't book anyone because everyone's on holiday on holiday.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

And we're real people. We would like to spend time with their families.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We started. We started working and recording again on January 3rd, but it's like that stuff didn't come out until January, whatever, 12th or something.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Because we just had to, like, stack.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And Go to Miami.

[James Harris]

Yeah, well. And go to Miami.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, we had to go to Miami.

[James Harris]

Exactly.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. It's a. It's. It's a. Definitely be careful what you wish for a situation. But listen, if that changes the bottom line for nice talk.

[James Harris]

So that's the thing. I think it would be helpful to have more just out there. I think, you know, the brand Marie Claire for a while has been, like, was really quiet. And so in the last, like, year or two, it's really been my mission to, like, get some heat around it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Make a noise, I think.

[James Harris]

So.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Make a noise.

[James Harris]

Gotta make some noise. I think that it's been important to get, like, some heat around it and get some eyeballs on it. And one of the ways to do that is through nice talk. It's through newsletters. So, yeah, we kind of have to go all in.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What clip went the craziest? Like, which Guess. And what. And what did they say?

[James Harris]

There are two. So my. One of my favorite guests thus far is Lena Waithe. She came on and she talked about not having imposter syndrome, which I think is something that, like, a lot of women struggle with, but she was like, I don't have it. I've never had it. Yeah, exactly. And so that went super viral. And then the other thing that's going viral right now is a clip with Ashley Tisdale. I guess she stole the entire wardrobe from High School Musical.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Hell, yeah.

[James Harris]

So she was telling me about how she has everything and you have to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wait until the statute of limitation was up before her grand larceny, so it's a felony.

[James Harris]

Took all of the wardrobe, which she's like, yeah, I have it. And it was like, what are you doing with it? She's like, I don't know. I thought I was going to wear it all. And now maybe I'll give it to my kids, but it's just, like, sitting in storage. But that she earned it. Yeah. I mean, three movies, right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who's been your least favorite guest? Who sucks?

[James Harris]

Who sucked?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

A wet blanket.

[James Harris]

Anyone sucked. But, you know, you guys watch Roni. Real Housewives.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Old or new?

[James Harris]

New.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I watched a little bit of last season. I haven't watched this season. I've heard mixed things. I actually was at Watch what Happens live. Oh, and a question was asked to Andy. Yo, what's up with Roni?

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And he admitted he's like, the ladies know they got work to do.

[James Harris]

Oh, really? Okay.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Shape up or ship out.

[James Harris]

Wow.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

At this point, that's who we're there for.

[James Harris]

Jenna's really Good. Raquel is really good. So I bring it up because I. Bryn, on my podcast earlier, she's been.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The lightning rod of a lot of talk.

[James Harris]

She's had a tough season, and in the moment, I really liked talking to her, and I was like, listen, Bryn, like, I. I get it, right? Like, I. I can see. I watched. I've watched a lot of reality tv, so I can see how she would be a lightning rod and why. But this finale has been tough, and I'm kind of like, ooh, was that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Not really.

[James Harris]

Was that a good idea to have her on? I'm not sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Did your episode come out, like, kind of?

[James Harris]

It came out, like, maybe a couple. I'd say it came out earlier towards my season of my season, so it was probably like, a month ago, two months ago.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wait, what do you mean, your season?

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

This timing is everything.

[James Harris]

Surprise. Breaking news.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, I mean, yeah, I think, like, speaking of, like, reality tv, we talk about social media, how you got to put yourself out there and present multiple facets of your life. Is there anything in your life that's off limits that will never hit grid?

[James Harris]

You probably won't see a lot of my boyfriend on grid. Philippe is in the neighborhood. You live in Bed Stuy.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right.

[James Harris]

So you probably, like, I've seen him.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

In a Shisty Place.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Possibly riding his bike around, but he's like, I'm not your content.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, wow.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Was that. Is that something that gets brought up, like, day one, first date type? Because you must be familiar with your reputation.

[James Harris]

Yeah. You know, he wasn't actually. When we. We've been together for a while. We've been together for 10 years. So the reputation has, like, sort of grown as the years have gone.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You've changed because you have a great man behind you.

[James Harris]

Exactly. Behind every strong woman. Yeah. So he's just kind of like, I. I'm not big on social media, just in general, so you probably won't see a lot of him, which is like, fine, no one needs to see him.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Does he have. Does he. Is he a fit picture? Is he your Instagram boyfriend?

[James Harris]

Begrudgingly.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Begrudgingly. He takes the best pictures.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's that?

[James Harris]

He takes the best pictures.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

They always do.

[James Harris]

Coming from an Instagram husband. Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Get me behind any lens.

[James Harris]

Help me out.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You and Jenna, it's like, okay, now your turn. Here you go.

[James Harris]

I know you guys like, you, like, that's fair.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I'm, like, acting like I'm not the main offender here, but we're going to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Talk more about your Social media and non social media boyfriend in a little bit. But just back to keeping it professional until that topo chico is coursing through the veins. You're ready to spill the tea. You've been editor in chief for about a year and a half.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right. What's been your proudest moment so far?

[James Harris]

Oh, that's such a good question.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thanks.

[James Harris]

I've had a lot of really proud moments. We do this summit called Power Play. Power Play Power Trip. It used to be Power Trip. Don't worry. It used to be Power Trip, but I rebranded it when I got here to Power Play and our mission. So the reason that I wanted to rebrand it is because I wanted to do smaller moments that did not rely just on the plane, which is the trip part, taking people back and forth across the country. So play we took. It took place in LA the first time we did it. We're doing it in Atlanta in May.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Sick.

[James Harris]

And so the idea is to, like, travel like the editors, go into these locations and get to know the people and the women in that space and really bring the event to them, rather than making everyone travel to either of the democratized. Yeah, exactly.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So that's been a power and play to you.

[James Harris]

Exactly.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And what do you do?

[James Harris]

So it's a mix of things. We usually start with some sort of. Either this last one, we had Rupi Kaur do a poem reading for us and then we did a breathwork exercise and then we had a series of panels where we talked about. It was a bunch of different things we talked about. Tina Knowles came on and told us about Sacred and like working on the hair care line with Beyonce, Sophia Bush and her partner, Nia Betts, her work partner. I should say not life partner. Right. Best friend, Nia Betz talked about going in business together and what they've been, what they've been doing in Detroit. So it's really just like a networking opportunity. Courtney Cox was our sort of keynote, keynote conversation. And we talked about home court and what she's been, how she's been building that business. And then we all had cocktails afterwards and it was fab.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Can the boys come to power?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. What's the deal?

[James Harris]

No, no boys.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Damn.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Not very repressive. Inclusive of you.

[James Harris]

You have enough spaces, you're fine.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We have enough power.

[James Harris]

Do throwing fits.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, no.

[James Harris]

Yeah. No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's like experiential events that have, like sponsors powering them. Is that low key? Kind of like the future of media or at least a necessary component of a media business.

[James Harris]

I Think it's part of it for sure. As print become sort of in flux, like, who knows what that's gonna look like? And I do think that people want to get off their phones, get off their devices, connect in person, have community. Like we've sort of talked about with New York Fashion Week and all of that, it's important to have these spaces and these opportunities for women to meet. And that's like, what we're trying to do with Power Play.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

At what point does a media company, low key, become a production agency? Because we see. We. We. The context here is that we joke that, like, GQ just, like, throws parties now. Brought to you by XYZ Tequila. That's not going to exist in nine months. And it feels like that's like a huge moneymaker.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And the content that comes out of that, it's all like, it's. It's just like a nice little package that you can sell the sponsor for, I don't know, seven figs, eight figs, whatever. But at what point does, like, I don't know, does the experiential almost outweigh, like, the content?

[James Harris]

I mean, I would hope it doesn't outweigh the content. That's the goal, right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You get a lot of content out of, like, the. Right, yes.

[James Harris]

So we get a lot of content if doing it smart, like, well, you get a lot of content out of the event, and that sort of continues to power the work that you're doing. Like, no pun intended. So for us, like, the Power Play content that we're getting, we're getting profiles of women. We do a power issue. We have a lot of social media content, and that stuff will live in a hub on site. So if people aren't at the event, they can go and read that stuff as well.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

As eic, do you kind of have to, like, play in the brand partnerships arena where it's like, yo, we're gonna do all this amazing. Like, you guys want to get involved?

[James Harris]

I'm. Yes, but, like, that's the fun part. Like, I would love to be able to go to Topo Chico and be like, hey, can you do my. Can you to be the water for our event? Like, that sort of stuff, I think is very. Has always been the case. Like, that's not necessarily.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So that's always been the case for an EIC is to, like, kind of straddle both editor and business, I think.

[James Harris]

So. A good. A goodie.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I see.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He makes money.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, yeah.

[James Harris]

Usually for their staff and for the work that they're doing absolutely.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. At Power Play doesn't get litty after hours. A bunch of the girl boss attendees go hit Chippendales in the mail. Strip club.

[James Harris]

Yes. No, I'm kidding. No, it's just like, you know, everyone's having drinks, they're having cocktails, talking shit about guys. You know, that's what the best deals.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's what the best deals happen.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right?

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

So the best kind of network.

[James Harris]

I have an editor who's at Copenhagen Fashion Week right now, and she was like, I just ran into somebody who told me that, like, like, Power Play has been a really good international networking opportunity for her. So when I hear stuff like that, I'm like, yeah, okay. Like, we did it. Like, yeah, for sure.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The mission statement.

[James Harris]

Yeah. So the.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The reverberations on Power Play are starting to, like, really resonate. And you're starting to see the ripple effect.

[James Harris]

Yeah, we're starting to see the ripple effect. And the goal is to take it around to see just like a broader experience rather than just like LA and New York.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's the next one?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Atlanta.

[James Harris]

Besides Atlanta is the next one. And then after Atlanta, it'll be either Miami or Detroit, depending on sponsors.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Sure.

[James Harris]

So if you want to come in.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

On Power Play, Chrysler, Bang her line.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Or whatever crypto psychos in Miami wanna. Melania Coin dollar sign Melania.

[James Harris]

Don't even think about deep seek.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Bang her life. What's been the hardest moment or challenge that you faced in your year and a half?

[James Harris]

Managing people is tough.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Were you not? Were you not? What were you? You're at Harper's.

[James Harris]

Before I was at Harper's Bazaar.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Were you a writer?

[James Harris]

I was the digital director.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay, so you still managed people.

[James Harris]

I managed people, but I didn't manage, like a team of 20. Oh, wow. And I didn't manage for better or for worse. I didn't manage a team that I. I hired most of the people on my team at Bazaar, a lot of people at Marie Claire. I inherited you. It's not always.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

This is in my human capital.

[James Harris]

Who are these people? No, it worked out. It did work out. And I think the thing is that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Clean house or I don't.

[James Harris]

You know, I came in and I was sort of like. Like, I. I work with the people. I'll just work with the people. And then I've had people like friends and whatever afterwards be like, why didn't you clean house? And he's like, I didn't know that was an option.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No one informed me I would find.

[James Harris]

Everyone I Didn't know we were doing that anymore.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Play not the power.

[James Harris]

Like, I didn't know, like, as good millennial bosses, we were going in and just like, cleaning house.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Get to manage a lot of Gen Z and, like, take mental health days.

[James Harris]

And Gen Z has a lot of emotions. But I love my Gen Z ers. They really hard workers and they very like, oh, you ate that down. I mean, I did eat that down. I did eat that. So it's very, like, they have a great energy, the ones on my team. Right. Like, they have a very good energy. They're all very hardworking and they're funny.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do they help you keep your ear to the streets? About, like. So I need 15 minutes on my schedule about Skibidi Toilet.

[James Harris]

Skibidi Riz. No, it's not them. That's my nephew. He's 11. Yeah, dude, no, I'll get him shoes when he's. Exactly. He's a baby. But no, Gen Z is. Is cool. I like my Gen Z hairs.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you feel like you've become a better manager of people?

[James Harris]

I mean, that would. I think my team would have to tell you that. I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All right.

[James Harris]

I. I think so. I think, like, I'm a really fair and honest way in the comments team and be nice or else. I think that, that, yeah, I think that I'm a very fair boss. I think I'm very straightforward. I'm sort of like, it's not even about being like, no nonsense, but it very much is. Like, I'm gonna tell you what it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is, which, honestly, so much better that than, like, being fed bullshit and you just continue along your merry way, but you're doing it wrong.

[James Harris]

Right. And, like, I'm called the best policy for a reason. Exactly. And I'm decisive and I'm very much like this for the most part. Like, this is what I want. But like, everyone, I expect everyone to come to the table with ideas. Like, the first thing I said when I got to Marie Claire was, this was a group project. Like, we're all working this together. Like, we all have to, you know, get this thing to fly together. So, like, be prepared to come and bounce ideas off of me.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right. What of. Of the myriad of topics you guys cover, which gets the most clicks?

[James Harris]

Oh, the royals. Yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What the hell?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Is that shocking at all?

[James Harris]

No, it's not. If you've worked in women's media long enough, online, most people will tell you that they have a secret stash of just like royals traffic that is keeping things humming.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you have a royal correspondent camped out at Buckingham Palace?

[James Harris]

No, but we do have somebody who has relationships with the butlers and. And all. Yeah, and the pr. Like. Yeah, she's good. She. She knows the people. They know her. They is the royal celebrity and royal.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What just happened with Harry? Something just happened, right? He like, settled a lawsuit or something.

[James Harris]

Oh, oh, another Nazi costume.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I was saying you should have Prince reviewed. Elon Musk Nazi salute.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Give us the real. Yeah. Is that. Was it the real deal or did he have stuck?

[James Harris]

That is like absolutely never gonna happen.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No bad ideas in a brainstorm.

[James Harris]

Yeah, just bounce them off me. Yeah, totally. I'll tell you the truth. I will tell you the truth. But it's been. It's. That part is actually really interesting because that was the case when I was at Elle. When I was at. At Bazaar and now Emory Claire. Like people care about like Princess Beatrice and the name of her kid.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Do you.

[James Harris]

Her second kid.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Personally.

[James Harris]

I personally do not care at all.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you have King Charles bit locked and loaded?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh, sausage fingers.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Should. Right?

[James Harris]

We should.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Who knows? Who knows? But we do. I mean, there are. There are shells, as we call them. We get things ready to go. That's definitely a part of the strategy.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Got to be prepared.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who's the latest obituary you drafted?

[James Harris]

I don't even know. I don't. I mean, when I was at Bizarre and we. It was like Queen Elizabeth Watch. For sure. That's probably.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It has been. It had been first many years.

[James Harris]

Who was it?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wait, who was it? Someone died recently and they'd outlived their obit. Their originally original obituary writer, David Lynch.

[James Harris]

Oh, really?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Of course.

[James Harris]

Wait, that's crazy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's so Lynchian.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Was it David Lynch?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I don't know, but that sounds.

[James Harris]

He was 90, 89.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

If someone.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You. Well, he had emphysema, right?

[James Harris]

So I think he was 79.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. I don't think he was as old as the queen. Maybe Elizabeth.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, Jimmy Carter. That's who it was.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Jimmy Carter.

[James Harris]

Carter.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Two of his obituary writers.

[James Harris]

Oh, damn.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Flexing nuts at the funeral. What?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Shout to my biggest haters funeral just to flex.

[James Harris]

Dude.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What?

[James Harris]

What?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Topic gets no clicks, but it's still important to cover and still like, you know, care about women's rights. Politics.

[James Harris]

Politics. A little bit. A little bit. I think that we just sort of like we fight that good fight. We know we have to fight that good fight. Right. But it's like when we do something. Yeah. It's the duty. It's. But it's like, okay, Project 2025, like it's here, it's coming for us and people are like, what's Princess Beatrice baby's name? And we're like, Project 2025, what is the baby's name?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What is the baby?

[James Harris]

I have no clue, actually. I'm like, Kippington, that's none of my business.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Honestly. I feel like there is a narrative now where it's like the resistance has been like, like non existent compared to eight years ago when there was like, you know, the Million Woman March, like the pussy hats, like people are like up in arms. And now it's people just kind of like from a, from a. Behind the, the chart beat perspective. Is that the case in terms of like traffic and what people are reading?

[James Harris]

No, I think that's more the case of like the, like the outrage on social media. Like people who were making that sort of content on social media. Like, like we will always do that coverage whether it gets clicks or not. Like we'll always do it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But being able to analyze like actual readership, are you seeing like less interest or engagement with like educating yourself or fighting against, you know, the powers that be?

[James Harris]

I mean, I'm gonna be really honest with you. Those weren't our top charting things anyway, so like, I don't really care.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So maybe this, either way, people kind of not, not giving a shit about America, Pax Americana coming to an END and Project 2025 being implemented is like, maybe true.

[James Harris]

I don't know that it's true. I just think that it's not necessarily going to do like, It'll get maybe 10,000 uniques versus like 1 million uniques. Right. And so that's the sort of thing, the like dichotomy that we're, we're dealing with, but that won't stop us from doing.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, it doesn't deter you from doing the duty as we've been.

[James Harris]

Yeah, for sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Which, yeah, it shouldn't. I'm just saying, like, you know, you have a unique perspective where it's like, oh, here I can actually see what people are like reading and clicking on.

[James Harris]

Oh yeah, no, everyone wants to know like what the haircut is. What the, you know, the, I don't know, Prince. What the fuck Prince William is doing these days?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But why does the Prince William go to Turkey and get a hair transplant?

[James Harris]

That's the good question. You should have him on, ask him about it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That would be great. Actually, the first question we asked.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, you'll have to post about it on Marie Claire.

[James Harris]

Absolutely.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It'll do gangbusters what do you think are like the. The modern. The p. Pitfalls of modern media and then what is Marie Claire like? How do you avoid them because you've been in this game for so long.

[James Harris]

I think the pitfalls of modern media currently are being scared of the sort of like. Of having like a. It's a genuine fear. I understand it. But there is a sort of like the oligarchy, the broligarchy is like real and sort of navigating that is. Is tough. And I don't know if that's necessarily like a pitfall, but it is something that like everyone is going to have to deal with. And so. So getting scared before anything actually happens I think is going to be. Is a huge detriment.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right. Let's wait for Jeff Bezos to buy Marie Claire before and then.

[James Harris]

And then we'll see if he runs it into the ground, but not a second sooner.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Have you had. Sorry not to keep going back. Just like, have you had like anti zucker. Anti like stuff be like shadow band or suppressed on Facebook or ig? You're like, yo, why the isn't this doing numbers?

[James Harris]

Well, who knows, right? Because that's. Because. Will they ever say if I'm being shadow banned?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, no.

[James Harris]

I don't know. There's a. You know. But it's interesting to see if you're not playing in like the rage bait or if you're doing. If you're doing like a very measured sort of story on Project 2025, how that could like possibly flop on Instagram. But if you're like, this is going to ruin your entire life for the next 50 years, then that would probably do better.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It's flopping on X, I'll tell you that much right there. You ain't seen that one time.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What isn't flopping on X?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Racism.

[James Harris]

Yes. Misogyny.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

All the.

[James Harris]

Yeah, we love it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

All the funniest. All the funniest memes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, here's a question about media. So you guys do four digital issues a year. You do two print issues a year. We hear, yo, print is back. Print is dead. Is print back or not back? Which is.

[James Harris]

I mean, print is period.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's great. It.

[James Harris]

Print exists and that is like what it should be like. We're not. Print can't be the end all be all. And that's sort of how we ended up in this situation in the first place. Like, brands would have done better and sort of thinking about an entire ecosystem. And that's what we're doing when we talk about experiential and, you know, pods. All Pods, newsletters, all of the things. It's like you need to create the ecosystem. You guys know this. You do this. Like, you need to create the ecosystem. It can't just be print. It can't just be your website. It has to be. Everything is.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, that's actually like the. That's the answer. Right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But it's still. Is print still a necessary part of the ecosystem?

[James Harris]

I think it is. I think it's a fun. It's sort of like a marketing tool. It's sort of like, you know, merch to an extent. If it'll just sit on your coffee table.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

And that's how you get marquee talent. Right. You gotta offer.

[James Harris]

Absolutely. Like, the celebrities still want. Yeah, print celebrities are still print only.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Because why Flex, dude.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But, like. But why?

[James Harris]

I. I don't know why. Especially if everything ends up online anyway.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Boy, that's fair.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Do you have a dream cover star?

[James Harris]

O. Oh, totally. Rihanna.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

1,000%.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That'd be a banger.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you think. Do you think Rocky's gonna be okay?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

O.

[James Harris]

I don't know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I also don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You think he should have taken that plea deal and jeopardize his Gucci and Puma contracts?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And. And versus facing 24 years.

[James Harris]

Do you think he's gonna get 24 years?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think that's what he's up.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Have you been following along, like, the testimony?

[James Harris]

The one piece of news that I followed along. Real Housewives, Beverly Hills.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Erica Jane's son had to testify.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Really?

[James Harris]

Yeah, I think he was like. I think he was like the officer, like some sort of. He's somehow mixed in. He's a cop. Yes, he's a cop.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

What?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The son of a billionaire housewife is a cop?

[James Harris]

It was not Tom Girardi's son.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay, interesting.

[James Harris]

Anyway, so that's, like, the most that I know about.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, Rihanna was in the Carroom sitting next to Rocky's mom is what I saw recently.

[James Harris]

That's our man.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

She's gotta stick beside him.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, that's. It's. It's. It's actually gonna be really interesting to. Not that we need to talk about this too much. I'm really curious to see how this is gonna go.

[James Harris]

Same.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Because he took a big risk, which I get, though, because obviously the indoor. He's not making music, so the endorsement deals are really like, the livelihood. But then again, it's like, we got.

[James Harris]

Any money that's not his money.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, true. I mean, they sign a prep. I guess they're not married.

[James Harris]

They're not married. So that's not his mom status.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What would you do with Rihanna? Like, do you. Are you. How involved are you with the. With the covers?

[James Harris]

Very involved. I don't know. Rihanna's the kind of person that I would, you know, talk to the stylist, we talk to hair, makeup team and be like, what do you guys want to do? How do we want to create this experience together? I think that she would probably come to the table with, like, a bunch of ideas. I think so. Yeah. Whatever.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

What do you think of this weird cottage industry where it's like, the COVID star controls almost like, the narrative, whether visually or editorially, like, completely. And the magazine is just like, here's the real estate.

[James Harris]

I think it's really tough. I think what we. We gotta take some power back. Like, and I don't know that magazine editors necessarily can anymore. I don't know if it's, like, too far gone.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

But it should be a collaboration between both parties.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Ideally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Ideally, the editorial side of it, where it's like, like, oh, and they're being interviewed by their friend or a fellow celebrity.

[James Harris]

Listen, sometimes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Which works for Interview, but, like. But then for other cover star or cover profiles, it's like, what's your favorite color?

[James Harris]

It's like, who cares? I think that. I think that all depends. Right? Like, sometimes being interviewed by your friend is probably more interesting than anything you're going to tell a reporter. And that friend may be able to get, like, stuff out of you that I couldn't. But then there are some people who, like, really should be, like, considered and studied. And those are the sorts of people that I'm like, okay, let's send a real reporter, a real interviewer to. To do the story.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Are shooting covers a year and a half into your tenure? Have you got it down to a science, or are they still always. Because in our limited experience working in media and, like, being adjacent to covers. He wrote a cover story. I've been on, like, cover shoots. It's always like, the. Everything that can go wrong goes. Absolutely, man.

[James Harris]

Oh, it's always chaos. It's always nothing. Nothing is smooth. It's always chaos. And it's always. Because you're dealing with so many different people and teams and opinions. Politics, all of it. All advertisers, all of it. Politics, advertise, everything. And you. It's always a new batch of people that you're dealing with.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who was the biggest?

[James Harris]

No one's been Particularly tough. I ain't. Well, I'm not gonna say who, but.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, well, wait.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Someone.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay. You've been. You've been here for. We could probably figure this out for 18 months. So two covers a year.

[James Harris]

Take a guess. So it's been three years, but lots of digital issues.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, oh, oh. Digital.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Are the stakes lower for the digital?

[James Harris]

No, no, they can't be. I think that everything has to be treated equally as important. But there is a case where, you know, my goal is to get more opportunities to do cover stories so everything doesn't feel so precious. So, like, everything weighs on this one opportunity that we have have or the two opportunities that we have a year. But yeah, I mean, you know, you win some, you lose some.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you. How do you. When you're approaching a big celebrity and you have to break the news that it's a digital cover, are they bummed.

[James Harris]

It'S not breaking the news? We're gonna shoot you for the May digital cover. Do you want this?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Are they like, what the not print.

[James Harris]

Digi did you only we say we have these five opportunities, six opportunities a year.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

When is your project?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, okay.

[James Harris]

That's a. That's May. Ok. Okay. That's a digital issue. And if you don't like it, then.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Can we talk about the latest cover star, the absolutely leader of the Daddy gang, Alex. How is. How is Alex?

[James Harris]

Father. Father.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Father.

[James Harris]

Daddy. Father. Father.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Father Cooper.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Father Cooper.

[James Harris]

Alex.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

God bless.

[James Harris]

Alex is exactly what you would think she is. I think that she is. And I wrote this in my story. Like, I think that she is very much so. Somebody who she called herself. She said that sometimes people may think that she's difficult to work for because she really sticks to her guns. She knows what she wants, she knows what she needs. And I think that that is completely true. That was the case when we were working on this project. I wrote this in the piece. I found that to be slightly annoying because I too, know exactly what I want and what I need for this cover. And it's two women sort of like figuring it out and how we're going to do this together. Exactly. You know, and so we're gladiators in the arena. Boom. So we're trying to figure that out. But I do think that we. We came together. I think the photos are beautiful. I think it's the best she's actually ever looked. So I'm really proud of that. And then the interview was great. She gave me hour and a half and we talked about, you know, everything from like, what it was like to leave barstool sports and the worst like career advice she's ever gotten to. You know what she's like when she decides to turn off and working with her husband and all that good stuff.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What do you think of the. What's unwell? Is that the, the network, the new media empire. The network. Like, what do you think? Did you guys talk about like the. The next gen that she's like kind of becoming the production, whether it's Alex, Earl or Halle.

[James Harris]

Yeah, all those girls. We talked about it a little bit. Her thing. It seems like she's moving into this sort of space where she wants to obviously still have call her daddy, but she wants to create new talent basically or foster new talent. She wants to make stars. It feels a little bit like a studio model to me. So she's like getting these people. They'll feel they'll have her at their disposal. So she's like, here's what you need to do to make a good podcast to be a good podcast, but then.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Move on the time singular. I've seen a lot of Halle Bachelder clips on my tick tock. Right. And listen very open about her drug use, by the way.

[James Harris]

But it all works, right? But that's what people want to see and that's what makes podcasting good, I think. Oh, I don't know. You know, these are the. Like I really did so Alex, obviously I knew to an extent, like I know caller Daddy, I follow. I saw like her Vogue weddings article and that sort of thing. But I did at one point I had to ask my Gen Z social media editor, like, who are your friends of color who listen to Alex Cooper and why do they listen to Alex Cooper and that sort of thing? And she was like, I don't really have that many friends of color who listen to Alice Cooper, but they get it. She's fun, she's interesting, she feels light, she feels free, like honest, you know, to about her opinions. All of those things throw gang.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Longtime listeners of this show will know that we love and wear skims personally. And we couldn't be more excited to have them on board as an official advertiser of the only podcast that matters.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's right, Lawrence. And you know the big V days coming up. I got my tuxedo picked out for the Dave and Buster's date. And to go along with my formal wear, I'll be wearing my best freshest straight up the packaging pair of skims that look so good on me, but look even better on the bedroom Floor.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I know everyone at home is wondering the same thing. Yes, they make the goods look good, and you can take that as a personal endorsement from the only podcast that matters.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Send a fit pick of them to Lawrence's DM so that he can approve.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Please do not, but please shop Skims Men's and [e-mail] or just go to the new Skims New York City flagship on fifth Avenue and let them know we sent you. After you place your order, select podcast in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. And if you're looking for the perfect gift for your valentine or for yourself, Skims just launched their best Valentine's Day shop ever. Available in sizes for women, men's kids, and yes, even pets.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you think that her.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

What?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Her drink is gonna be a success?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that a hangover?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I think it's called unwell and it's like a hangover cure, right?

[James Harris]

I think it'll be fine, probably. Right.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Like, she's clearly building an empire. I mean.

[James Harris]

Yeah, I think that'll be like one piece of it. Yeah, I think that'll be a piece of it. I don't know that I would have gone into like a drink necessarily. Maybe.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It seems like a lot of people are doing it because it's pretty easy to do, right?

[James Harris]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So slap your name on it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yep.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Call it lover girl, some white label.

[James Harris]

Except that is working. Actually. That's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That is Carl.

[James Harris]

That's in Whole Foods, so.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, you mentioned that, you know, consulting with your 11 year old nephew and also like the Gen Z, the gen, the zoomers at work. Generally speaking, should young people aspire to work in media?

[James Harris]

Totally. 1,000%. Because we need less U.S. podcasters. Sorry.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

All right. That's how you really feel?

[James Harris]

No, we just need, like, we need people who are going to tell stories and tell them well. And that happens. No, this is media. But that happens mid. We are. You know, it happened happens. It happens on podcasts, it happens on tv, it happens in local news. Like we need local journalism to talk.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

About people versus, like zoomers trying to be influencers and individuals.

[James Harris]

Yeah, like. Like go to an organization that will teach you, like, how to do really good reporting. Like, go to a place that will teach you like, media literacy. That is something that like, you need to know. And I don't know if that's necessarily like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No.

[James Harris]

Taught in schools, so.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Not. Not with the current lack of educational.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oversight, you know, was it ever taught in schools? I never took a media literacy class.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's because you're being taught real stuff.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Like how to report. Like not how to report, but like okay, how to write a good book report. Like how to learn. How to learn how to like go to Encyclopedia Britannica and look something up and not just like go to Wikipedia. Weird. Like AI Bot at the top of Google.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Ooh, are we gonna start seeing AI articles coming up Marie Claire?

[James Harris]

No, no. I think that we self efficient. Yeah. Can't put me out of a job. I think that we will figure out how to use AI. We probably will use it. I know. Like, so Marie, so who. What where is our sister company and their sister brand are building a chatbot using AI so that'll crawl the website, give them recommendations on like best brown shoes or best black shoes or something that I think will be great and continue to be used. But I don't know that like a writer will ever take the place of or AI will ever take the place of.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're not adamantly no AI in media, but you are like let's. You're not banning it, but you're like, we got to figure out how to implement it.

[James Harris]

Totally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

To our organization.

[James Harris]

Yeah. AI is processes. AI is a tool that can be used, has been used for helping people shop. Shop for helping people to find things that they need. Like that's always been a tool. I think that's been around and obviously will continue to be around. But I think it's important to your point about like people going into media, like it's important to create media that AI can crawl. That is good, right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who else besides Marie Claire in. In media do you think is doing it right?

[James Harris]

Who do I think is doing it right? And who would wear and who where. I really. I do like gq. I think what they're doing is interesting over there.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh, you get invited to the parties?

[James Harris]

Of course I get invited. As a former editor. Of course. I. I really like what they're doing over gq. I think will has been a really good example of like what a modern editor in chief should look like wearing chrome.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Step one, wear chrome.

[James Harris]

Not as much leather anymore. He's gone back to like the suits and ties, which I find to be interesting with some chrome hardware.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Always the only guy who could get a fucking country club blazer made by Chrome hearts in the world. It looks good. I can't.

[James Harris]

Him and Sam Hine.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

So yeah, I think GQ is really smart. I think.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

In what ways? Like kind of world building. Like world building for sure. The experiential and like yeah, we joke about it, but that is like, you're fucking making money.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You know, creating a world that people want to be a part of.

[James Harris]

1000 want to pay for. So world building. Yes. But I do think that their stories, for the most part, are really good, and they respect the written word. And there's a lot of, like, Zach Baron. Exactly. Zach Baron. There's a lot of, like, rigor that goes into the work that they're doing over there. And so I respect that 1000%. What else do I really like?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Like, what's your personal media diet even?

[James Harris]

Like, what is my media diet? You know, I'm reading a little bit of everything right now. There's sort of the, like, figuring out what other people are doing. I love the Cut. I love New York Magazine. I think what Lindsay and David are. David, right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yes.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We'll have AI fact check.

[James Harris]

AI will confirm. I think what they're doing is incredibly smart and a part of the blueprint of.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

At the Cut specifically or All New York Magazine.

[James Harris]

All of New York Magazine, I think. Shout Out.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Brock.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That cover story on the yo.

[James Harris]

Did you like that? Okay. I was talking to somebody about that yesterday. What did you think?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Did you like the article?

[James Harris]

Yes.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Fascinating.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I texted him was like, yo, like, you're very brave for going into these places where people are strapped up and wasted.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And in a gunslinger celebratory mood. Like, props to you, bro.

[James Harris]

Yeah. I was talking to a few people about that. That story, and then the story that Emily did, similar to Brock's story about going into these spaces, and we couldn't. I was like, you know, they're getting a lot of flack for it. But I. It. And it. The writing. I didn't read Brock's, but I read Emily's. And the writing felt a little blase, I guess I would say. But I wasn't sure if that was, like, a bad thing or a good thing or how we should be covering, like, the tone things now. Yeah, the tone for sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I. I think I read a little bit. We're talking Emily Sundberg, Feed Me. Former podcast Shout Out. Emily. I think that she was, like, kind of party reporting. Like, here's who was in the room. And that's interesting to know. Right? Like, oh, wow, this person was there and they were cozing up to that person. Rocks is more like, this is like the takeaway that I think people are making is like, it's 80. It's the 80s again. Yuppies. Conservatives are cool. It's about, like, the pursuit of wealth and personal gain at all costs. It's about, like, you know, kind of this gaudy, like, very conspicuous consumption once again. And I was like, so, Brock, why are the drugs so bad? That they were like. They were like, you know, it's crazy. I didn't see a single person doing drugs. I'm like, what the.

[James Harris]

Where they're all drinking.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, you're all drinking like High Noons and.

[James Harris]

Oh, that's disgusting.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, it was entertaining.

[James Harris]

Something real. Drink something real.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But I think that, like, it. You know, it's early, right. To see inauguration, but I think that that was that the New York magazine profile or cover story. Sorry. Was kind of like maybe a. A peek at what's. At what's to come.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

In terms, like, youth, conservative movement.

[James Harris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, now being the establishment.

[James Harris]

Right. So when we talk about, like, the point of media. Right. Like, that. Those sorts of stories, I find to be the point of media to give, like, a critical snapshot or. And when critical. When I say critical, I don't mean, like, one side or the other. I mean just, like, really thinking about it. Like a thoughtful sort of. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Beyond superficial. Beyond.

[James Harris]

Yeah, exactly. Of, like, what is going on. And so I think that oftentimes media brands, like a GQ or Marie Claire or whatever New York mag, they get that access because these places still want to be a part of this course. So we get that access that, like, other places may not necessarily get.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

They claim that, like, you know me, there's this media psyop, but they want that.

[James Harris]

Of course, Trump is like the failing New York Times, but he won't stop talking about it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

But I will say to the story that. That Brock wrote, it was extremely entertaining. And this is easy for me to say as a straight white man, but for me, I'm like, I'm going. It's like, I want to. I want to be entertained. And it was.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. One ticket to the freak show.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Seriously.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Up.

[James Harris]

I guess the thing of media, though, is, like, when do we. Like, when do we stop looking at it as a. Like a freak show and, like, do something about it or. This freak show has gotten.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, to me, it was eye opening. It's like, oh, like, this is. They are very much just like, yeah, we won, like, suck my dick from the back.

[James Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

And also rejecting the older generation, too, because that was like, the thing that Brock presents, this dark contrast, which is like, here's the party for, like, the boomer losers that, like, traveled from Florida, and then here, there's like, the rich yuppies that are like, you know, these are actually. These are who you need to worry about. The next Masters of the Universe. Not like, you're racist and, you know, in a terrible fit.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I guess everyone.

[James Harris]

There's always a terrible. Yeah. Okay, cool.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Yeah. Do you feel the shift at all, whether it's the audience or the writers kind of moving away from, like, traditional institutions to more, like, outlets and platforms like Substack and that are, you know, pushing those individuals?

[James Harris]

No, because those writers, whether you like substack writers, still want to write for Marie Claire. They still want to write for New York Mag Bazaar. Like, there's a. Writers are writers, as I see them. So I think that substack is just a portion of the, like, of the way that they're making their money.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you discover writers through substack?

[James Harris]

Totally. Yeah. Yeah. So Jess Graves is one. She does the Love List. I don't know if you guys have read that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. She's on the charts with us. The fashion and beauty chart.

[James Harris]

Absolutely.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She above us.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

There's only. There's only one cup of Joe Media.

[James Harris]

We love Joanna. She's really. Oh, gee. Oh, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She. Joanna Coleman.

[James Harris]

No, Joanna Goddard.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh.

[James Harris]

Oh, no. Joanna Goddard is like, an OG blogger from, like, Glamour Days. Like, she.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She created a media empire of her own.

[James Harris]

Yeah. On Substack, but she started at Glamour, so I think that's interesting.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The. Well versus the unwell.

[James Harris]

Exactly. Yeah. But she. I don't know if she'll write for magazines anymore, but I think that, like, if somebody reached out to her and was like, hey, Joanna, would you write something for me? Like, she has a respect and a reverence for, like, old media. Yeah. And then somebody like Jess, you know, she's gonna start doing a column for me. Oh, nice. And I think that we obviously see how this relationship can be mutually beneficial.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Interesting.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Absolutely.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Again, you're not. You're not, like. Because it feels like some people are just, like, lying in the sand. Like, you're either with us or against us, but you're like, no.

[James Harris]

Like, no. And I. And I think that's a very silly way of thinking. I have to. Because I look at the way that, like, print media used to treat digital media. Right. Like, I was a bloggers in the front row.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Pejorative. Yeah. Tommy in the front row.

[James Harris]

And it's like, okay, guys, like, relax. And I. I. Tabby's hat. Tav's giant bow.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Brian next to Hannah.

[James Harris]

Right. And it's like, okay. Brian is the editor in chief now. So, like, now what? Who cares? Like, and I wasn't editor in chief. He was or is. I think he might be the editor.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What? Of Zempic Monthly.

[James Harris]

Like, God damn, you went hard.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Pretty sure he's just rich. Full time influencer.

[James Harris]

No, the perfect Katie Grant's magazine.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think at one point he was Brian boy. Yeah.

[James Harris]

Yeah, that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Can't wait for that panty chat.

[James Harris]

Stop. But I think that, you know, to think that like any editor is above a substacker is like stupid.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Pretty regressive. Or just like you're going to repeat the same mistakes you made that maybe brought media to the brink.

[James Harris]

Yeah. And like, let's not do that if we all want to have jobs in the future.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Speaking of which, you spent time at both American media powerhouses, Conde Nast and Hearst. What are the biggest differences in your opinion? Like that separate the two.

[James Harris]

Oh, that's really interesting, Conde. For better or for worse, like really drinks their own Kool Aid. And I think that that sort of like, we are amazing.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Because they can't afford Dom Perry on anymore.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

They gotta get them as a sponsor for the next party.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Dude, super bowl party brought you by.

[James Harris]

Cool. I think that they are like, we are cool. We are cool. We are it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

And like they like to smell their own farts.

[James Harris]

Sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that too. Yeah, sorry, continue.

[James Harris]

No, I was gonna say I think that that can be helpful sometimes. Like if you walk around like you have a big swinging dick. Right. Like, people are like, yeah, okay, sure, Roger.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We see you like wipe that thing out.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You gotta believe it to be it. Right?

[James Harris]

Kinda to an extent. Yeah. It's like, I think that they really believe the work in the work that they're doing. They're like, we are Vogue, we are gq. We are, you know, ARC Digest, whatever.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Whatever's left.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We are Pitchfork.

[James Harris]

We are Will Welch. But I think that that is all extremely helpful in getting talent and getting people to want to work there. Like it continues. The lore is self fulfilling itself. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Labor, talent. Not like.

[James Harris]

No, both.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Both for sure. I think they're. Yeah, there's still that sort of like, like, oh, if so and so asked me to be a part of this event. I want to be a part of that event because it's a part of this major company, the ivory tower. 100%.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's still Hurst. We got money.

[James Harris]

Hurst is a great company to work for. I think that like, they are very. They've always been really smart. The way that they did digital was incredible. Like really, really cool.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Cosmo, I feel like, was always, like.

[James Harris]

Almost a Pioneer 100% and a cash cow. Like, yeah, Cosmo makes a lot of money for that company. And. And it was always nice to be able to go to a company that was like, not necessarily. Sort of like the politics were just a little different. Right. It wasn't necessarily, internally speaking. Yeah. It wasn't necessarily about, I don't know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Clout.

[James Harris]

Yeah, I guess, like. Yeah, it wasn't necessarily about clout. It was more about, like, just doing really good work.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Backed by Hearst Venture funds.

[James Harris]

Backed by, like, all the things that Hurst owns.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right.

[James Harris]

So, like, when you diversify in that way. Yikes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They had a big interest in Sackler and something big Pharma.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

I didn't know that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hey, who didn't? Come on, it's America, baby.

[James Harris]

You know? But I think when you diversify in that way, that's always helpful from a business standpoint.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who had the better cafeteria?

[James Harris]

Hearst.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

1,000. Well, actually, let's say this. So Conde Four Times Square.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay. That you weren't at One World Trade.

[James Harris]

No, I was at both.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Fabulous. Great. Cafeteria, Conde World Trade. No.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

So cutting corner owners.

[James Harris]

Hurst. Great. Great. Through and through.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who had better perps?

[James Harris]

I think that all depends on, like, the brand that you work at in.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Terms of, like, the corporate guard and expense account and all that stuff.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Or like, what people will give you. So I don't think that, like, the people who work at Vogue are necessarily getting the same or, I don't know, people who don't work at Vogue are not getting. You know what I'm saying?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Totally.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Pitchfork. Yeah. Ga Ticket.

[James Harris]

No, they're probably getting.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No, they're getting.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

They're not getting free sneakers.

[James Harris]

Right. Yeah. They're not getting, like, the Drip, but they're getting front row seats. No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sure.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Vip.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Artist pass.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Better parties.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Hearst doesn't, like, really throw parties.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What about, like, a company holiday party?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh, who.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Which got crazier.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

She's like, I can't remember.

[James Harris]

Not. Yeah, I know. Too much fun. No, Not. Neither were, like, particularly amazing.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Okay.

[James Harris]

Conde's event has been, like, in their cafeteria for the past few years. Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's the. Like the Christmas party.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Or a holiday party.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Thanks. Woke. Sorry.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Maybe I will sign up for the paywall just to rent out a venue.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. What the hell?

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So wait, because they want to, like, keep it, like.

[James Harris]

Well, because I think the thing is, like, who. Who? No, like, who wants to go to a holiday party? Really?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Open bar.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I never turned out a free drink.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're talking.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You're talking to the wrong person.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

If you like co workers.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You want to go? All right.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's the Marie Claire holiday party like?

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah, we had a company holiday party. So Future owns Marie Claire. Like the rapper Percocet, the Peret strippers and Peretz. Future is this company out of London. They own Wallpaper. Who. What? Where? Us. Kiplinger. The Week. Week Junior. But that party was at, I think, like, a Mexican restaurant. It was really fun. We all had, like, really lethal margaritas. It was a blast, actually.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nice.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I love a lethal Mark.

[James Harris]

Great.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, you know, sounds like a Future song.

[James Harris]

Exactly.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Lethal margaritas.

[James Harris]

Future on the COVID I would love to have Future on the COVID Has.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

There been a man.

[James Harris]

No, Future wouldn't be on. No, Future wouldn't be on our cover.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

But has a man ever been on the COVID of Marie Claire?

[James Harris]

Not to my knowledge. No. It's not for you guys.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hey, it's not too late.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yep.

[James Harris]

Not too late.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, we're available.

[James Harris]

Absolutely.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's the reputation of throwing fits in the hollowed halls of whether Conde Hurst or Future?

[James Harris]

Well, there's probably not a reputation in future. Sorry, guys, but damn. Listen, you guys are pioneers.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No, I. I agree.

[James Harris]

Wouldn't you say?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, I just. I. I was also just. I'm always curious about, like, our reputation. So let's talk about you manifesting this.

[James Harris]

Absolutely.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right. Like, first and foremost, like, do we have a rep in women's media?

[James Harris]

No, I don't think you guys have.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I love that.

[James Harris]

No, I wouldn't say you guys have. I wouldn't say that you guys have a rep in women's media, but I do think you have a rep in the podcasting space.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Too dangerous for the airwaves.

[James Harris]

I mean, kind of. Oh, no, I wouldn't say that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, we're not. We used to. We used to be.

[James Harris]

Yeah. I feel like you guys are kind of. Kind of aggressive. We.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right now.

[James Harris]

No, right now. And. Yeah. No. Did you say to me, nikki, you are, like, in the past, maybe.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

When we were at Barstool.

[James Harris]

Right. And so that's like a different vibe. I probably wouldn't have. Come on if you guys were.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We're nicer now that we can.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How's it. How do we. It's been just over an hour. How would you rate us so far?

[James Harris]

I'm having a blast.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Podcaster.

[James Harris]

I feel great. Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Cool.

[James Harris]

You have really good questions. You've done your research.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you so much. Yes. A quick scroll through Instagram.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We write these questions together. I'd like to, but.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, so you do too.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Thank you, Nikki. Sorry, go back to the old me.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You manifested. You manifested this yap sesh. What's wrong with you?

[James Harris]

Yeah, what's wrong with me? I don't know. I think, like, I like listening to you guys. I like that it's a longer, you know, podcast. I think a lot of women's podcasts are like 30 minutes, 25 minutes.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Your 40 minutes show is shorter.

[James Harris]

Mine is shorter. Mine's like 30, 40 minutes are stronger. It's because you guys like to hear your own.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You have like a. Yes. And you have like a Listers. This is not a shot at you, but it's like you have the time to have this. I mean, you're very busy, but you're.

[James Harris]

Yeah, of course. Yeah. Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Courtney Cox.

[James Harris]

Yeah, Courtney Cox isn't going to give me two hours, but I do think that in the men's space, like, they're just longer.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Well, so there's not that many men's fashion lifestyle podcast.

[James Harris]

Who would you guys say is your competitor?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I don't think there is.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No one fucking cup of Joe or whatever.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, Joanna.

[James Harris]

Do you have her on?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, you are.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You are. You are now.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

But, like, based on the numbers, because, like, you know, like, you know, obviously we know how much. How well we do on Substack. Like, she has, like, a media empire that she independently runs, and that is extremely impressive.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Especially when you start thinking about the fucking bottom line.

[James Harris]

She's been building it probably for the last 15 years. Probably.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Awesome.

[James Harris]

Yeah, very impressive.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you have a. You manifested being a guest on our show? Do you have a guest that you would love to manifest to be on your show besides us?

[James Harris]

Besides you guys and Rihanna. Who else? The thing about Nice talk that is good is that it can. It can sort of like, run the gamut. So I could talk to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Which is a mark of a great podcast.

[James Harris]

Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. So, I mean, yeah, Rihanna would be great.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You just love Rihanna.

[James Harris]

I'm obsessed with Rihanna. I'm like. And the thing is, like, I really like her because it's not about, like, the music. I've. I don't. I actually don't need new music from Rihanna.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's not eight, right? You don't want R8.

[James Harris]

No.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It might never come anyway.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Rocky are on the same timeline now.

[James Harris]

Who cares? Like, it's not about that. I just think she's, like, such a vibe and she's really funny and she's talk about like housewives and that'd be great.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's your favorite housewife? Let's rank your housewives real quick, right?

[James Harris]

Top three, like franchise or franchise?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Franchise.

[James Harris]

Salt Lake.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh my God.

[James Harris]

The best. The best right now. Killing it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you like Broadway Win?

[James Harris]

I love Bronwyn. I had somebody yesterday was like, oh, it was. Chloe Feynman was on Watch what Happens Live. And she's like, bronwyn's not for me. I'm like, I don't get that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She got a little. Her shtick. She started out great.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And I think kind of plateaued a little bit towards the end of the season.

[James Harris]

Really?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Just her like, prim, like primness. Like I'm gonna actually talk about.

[James Harris]

Blah, blah, blah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sorry. Not talk about her. Well, she said this about you, and I'm gonna take that to her.

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, stop.

[James Harris]

Well, that's like the little like bit of self producing that they all do. It's like, I'm gonna stir the pot and you're gonna figure every housewife is.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Too self aware these days.

[James Harris]

Way too self aware.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We need more Ramona singers.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Can I tell you? So, so I. When I was at Watch what Happens Live, I asked Andy a question. I said, do you think Jen Shaw, when she's released because her release date just got pushed up, has a career at Bravo when she's free?

[James Harris]

Totally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No. Was Andy's answer.

[James Harris]

I'm kidding, no.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And like the audience laughed because it was like, oh, haha, she's so crazy. And then that Roni question got asked and they came back to me and he's like, you know why? Why? It's because Teresa, she signed a piece of paper that her loser husband put in front of her or whatever she didn't really know was going on. Kind of victimless crime. Jen Shaw knowingly ripped off old people and sick people. He's like, I draw the line there. She is not coming back.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

She's canceled.

[James Harris]

Really?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Not even for a special. Like one to one in the club.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He said he was. Seemed pretty adamant. But also, you know, it's Andy coming, I'm sure.

[James Harris]

Yeah, that'd be. I would.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That put so many asses in seats.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The projected ratings might change.

[James Harris]

Yeah. But I also wonder if any of those women would like, film with her.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

True.

[James Harris]

Like the FBI was at their store. I'd be like, absolutely not.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The FBI was at the lip filler.

[James Harris]

At the lip bar. And they were all like, what this? It's Too real now. Like, it's too real. So Salt Lake City, Beverly Hills, and then I think Atlanta will come back swinging. It's married to Madison.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, okay.

[James Harris]

Get into it. It's good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But you put Southern hospitality. That's like a sleeper Bravo hit for you right now.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Southern hospitality sleeper hit. It's really good. I think it's giving, like, old school vanderpump. Before they got their apartments, before they knew the cameras, all of that stuff. It's incredible. Yeah. And then, I don't know. I. Summer house is great. I'm friends with Gabby. I think that'll be fun. So where does she work? She works at this Place Blanc. It's a biannual fashion magazine.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Did she work at, like, Nast or Hearst?

[James Harris]

She title before she was a Bustle.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[James Harris]

She was a Bustle. And then she was at Grazia at one point as well. So she's sort of been in the fashion mix for a while.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you have any desire to go to a summer house party?

[James Harris]

Yeah, I have been invited to them. I just haven't been in town.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[James Harris]

I think I would.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You want to roll with?

[James Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

West guy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Are they fun? Have you been yet? Would you go?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. What would you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

So would you have gone if you were in town?

[James Harris]

I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Feels like a.

[James Harris]

Do you think they're actually fun or, like, how many people are really there? Or is it like 30 people?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think it's fun. And then everyone's like, all right, everyone, like, everyone move to the bouncy castle.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh.

[James Harris]

Oh, that's not fun.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It's a produced party, obviously, because it's television.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. So it's probably, like. You're probably giddy being there, but then it's like, did I actually have fun doing that? There wasn't, like, a party. I don't know.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Speaking of not a party. New York Fashion Week right around the corner.

[James Harris]

I hate you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Whether men's, women's, whatever. What significance does New York Fashion Week have in fashion, if anything?

[James Harris]

I think it does have a significance in fashion. I will say, I think that, like, a lot of people have been shitting on New York Fashion Week of recent. But I.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Five minutes before we started, with us.

[James Harris]

Right before you guys know. But I think. I think it's been sort of, like, the sentiment, what is it for? Why do we do it? But I do think that there is. It's an opportunity for these brands to, like, really show off what they're doing. And, like, it may not have to happen in a giant show experience. But I do think that when everyone is around for that week or two, and we're all in the mood to do these things anyway, we can like turn up for these brands and support them.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is it on the women's side of things? Because on the men's side it's like, okay, there's some must sees and yes, like a lot of people are in town, it is somewhat combined with like market week. So you have a lot of like showrooms and buyers and, and store homies in the mix. On the women's side of things, is it like, is there like emerging talent that is bubbling up? Is it established, like playing politics, like you have to go to the show, you have to kiss the ring or have your ring kissed.

[James Harris]

Have my ring kissed. I think New York, of all the brand, of all the cities is probably the most that has like the emerging talent portion of it, which is cool. And it, it sort of makes me wonder like why more men or men's designers don't just like, sort of get in the mix and like we all just do it together over.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It's very expensive the week to do a fashion show.

[James Harris]

Totally. But like people do it, they figure it out. Or they have like a showroom appointment. Like I'm saying that like, it shouldn't just be confined to that one day. Like if you know Christopher John Rogers and whomever are showing on like a Thursday, then like get some men's rooms, men's showroom appointments that day too and have it feel, feel more like a co ed experience.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. The CFDA has dropped the ball consistently for the past 10 years.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I don't know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I mean, that is on them.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You tell us. Because you're probably more experienced in the know. Like the Council of Paris Fashion Week is legitimately supporting and organizing that entire 100 institution. Whereas like New York, it's like scattered. It's all over the place. You have, if New York fashion branded itself as the place for emerging talent, it feels like it could maybe, you know, have more grip to it and more like, I don't know, energy. But if you're emerging talent, you can't fucking afford to show in New York City.

[James Harris]

Yeah, that's, it's sad. That's really disappointing. I think that, you know, the only part that like we can do sort of like the three of us in this room and anyone like the people who are in this mix is just like continue to, to show up.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, support and.

[James Harris]

Yeah, to support and be like, at the very least, I Care, Right.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, I won't be here.

[James Harris]

Where are you going?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I'll put the team on my back.

[James Harris]

Carry it normal.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Going to Uganda.

[James Harris]

Oh, that's incredible.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

For what?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

See some gorillas? See some humanitarian work?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

To see something you're gonna witness.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I don't think they're like, yo, yeah, we want this fashion podcaster to build this school. No. Killed dozens of children.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Build a podcast studio. And you get on that.

[James Harris]

Please teach them how to pod.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Each one. Teach one.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Are there. Are there trends in fashion you think need to fucking stop right now.

[James Harris]

I can't talk about personal style, like, any. Anymore.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh, you're over it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Writ large.

[James Harris]

Writ large. The obsession with finding your personal style.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Preach.

[James Harris]

Rather than just like living a life and letting your clothes come to you and figuring out how clothes fit into your life. Like, I really think there is a hunger that is happening on the Internet to, like, think, what is my personal style?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Putting the cart before the horse.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Like, go outside.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Go.

[James Harris]

Go outside. Live your life and then figure out how clothes fit inside.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You need to coat a coat.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Seven ways to wear a jacket. One. Put it on.

[James Harris]

Put it on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Go outside 337.

[James Harris]

You're a scarf. Like, that's it. Like, you know, it's. There seems to be a. A fervor around this conversation right now. Yeah. And I'm like, interesting. It's not that deep.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What are they? Like, what are the dominant, like, through lines on. On the women's side of this, like, find your personal style.

[James Harris]

It's. Everyone thinks that they should have personal style.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

And then agree. I. I just don't think that it's that deep. And maybe it's because it comes to me naturally and I enjoy clothing. I don't know if I'm speaking from like a clothing privileged place, but, like, it's not. It's just not that deep to me. Really.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think also one of the. One of the easy answers, like, well, it takes time. So, like, you gotta. You can't.

[James Harris]

You can't rush it. Like, you can't rush it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You gotta wear.

[James Harris]

You have to put together some. Some like, absolutely horrible outfits. And then, you know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Some bricks and then just like, okay, that's not my personal style. But, like, that didn't. That was a flop. And then from there you figure it out. But it's not like watching somebody on Tick Tock and then saying, that's my personal style. That's not how it works.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I'm gonna copy that person.

[James Harris]

Yeah, I'm gonna copy for my personal style. How? Like that doesn't make sense.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So the guy said we call it Explore Page fits.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Oh, my gosh. Yes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Which, you know.

[James Harris]

Yeah. And you're. And then that's when it's like, why is everyone wearing the exact same thing?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Why are you wearing your hat like that, bro?

[James Harris]

Why are you wearing your sweater like that?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Why the you wearing your sweater like that?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We are. It's funny that we're talking about this because we.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Denim boots and some chunky knits.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

This happens every so often and it.

[James Harris]

Embarrassing you guys into it.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I don't. I don't give a.

[James Harris]

You.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

He looks great.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I'm just trying to promote young designers of color. Conor McKnight and me too.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

With caro research.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Harris]

Like in me too.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Or cartic. Cartic research.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Now you changed cartic research. Yeah, not me. Anyway, what about trends you love?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Do you want to see more of?

[James Harris]

What do I want to see more of? I don't know. I just think, like, on the flip side of the, like, hunt for personal style, I think it's more about just like, living your life and taking time with your wardrobe, not feeling like you have to buy every single trend like that sort of like, really not necessarily under consumption, but like an appropriate amount.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Of consumption, you know, can't be your only hobby. Shopping and buying.

[James Harris]

Right. Clothes. Finding, like leading a fulfilled life and then fitting clothes into that, I think is something that people should continue to do.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do you. On the women's side of things? Because this has been kind of a recent development in the menswear scape. Is that like the trend, the micro trend. One is a media scop. Just like, get clicks and. And also a retail psyop. And two, you know, obviously directly related. It's like a single item. Like.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Boat shoes are a trend.

[James Harris]

No, that's a shoe.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Buy the boat shoe.

[James Harris]

That's a shoe.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right. Like, quarter zips are trend by the quarter zip.

[James Harris]

Right. And it's sort of like, am I supposed to wear the boat shoe for like, one season, then be over?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

She mean in a one week.

[James Harris]

One week. Like, micro trends is something that I hate. And I like the how. Yes. The hyper, like, activeness of these trends. Especially on tick tock, where it was.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right.

[James Harris]

Poo poo core is in. And now it's like. No, I'm kidding. But it's like, it's like blueberries dress.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like a lot of y'all on that.

[James Harris]

Trend where it's like stroke, you know.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

But it's literally blank core.

[James Harris]

Anything Anything would have been some recent.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

One ones, some actual recent ones that.

[James Harris]

Like, you're like, I. I. The one that, like, was the nail in the coffin, I think that really killed this sort of, like, Coors lifestyle was mob wives. Oh, yeah, that's the mob wife aesthetic. I think that was the last one that everyone was like, you know what? We're.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's past summer.

[James Harris]

That was this past winter.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

I think everyone was like, we. That's enough. We're done here.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You don't see a lot of dress, like, core.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Why do y'all on that?

[James Harris]

Pile it on. Pile it all.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

A lot of y'all writers out there.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We see you. So personal style. I mean, do you think that you're. Have you. Have you ever had a style phase that you look back on and cringe, which is part of your personal style?

[James Harris]

Of course. Yeah, of course. If I don't look back on things and think, like, oh, that was weird. That was funny. Then, like, what. What was I getting dressed for? That's the point, right? Like, you get dressed, you try. It doesn't work. You try it again. Like, you have fun with your clothes. Sometimes they're great, sometimes they're not. Like, it doesn't have to be this, like, deep exist existential crisis. All totally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

When it comes to clothes, is your man's into clothing?

[James Harris]

He is to an extent. He really likes Noah. Like, honestly, the clothes just fit him really well. He's very tall.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

6 3. Should have been a Hooper.

[James Harris]

He's. He's. He's. Well, he's 5 11. So he says, I'm like. I don't know. Taller than me, actually.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You know, I love five'eleven really tall. I agree.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, he.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yes, Ma.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He's a giant.

[James Harris]

I'm five.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Climb that tree, girl.

[James Harris]

You know? No, I'm five five, so, like, that's tall enough for me. Okay, sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Clothes fit him.

[James Harris]

What's really tall?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like five eleven.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Five ten and a half, probably.

[James Harris]

I would say screw.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, probably not like six. Three is tall.

[James Harris]

That's too tall. I don't need that, you know? So five. He just has, like, long arms. Whatever. So Noah fits him well.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Gangly motherfucker.

[James Harris]

Exactly. And so that's. That's his goal, too.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're dating company exactly as. As he. Have you affected his personal style at all in your 10 years together?

[James Harris]

Yeah, I think so.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Yeah, for sure.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Buy him stuff. Send him links.

[James Harris]

Send him links. We go over things together. Oh, okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We go over things together.

[James Harris]

He's like, do you like this or. This is what I'm thinking about. All right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You don't lay out as close for him in the morning.

[James Harris]

I can barely lay out.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Every day is the first day of school.

[James Harris]

He calls me Mom.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Listen, let's say whatever. We don't kick shame on this.

[James Harris]

That won't make the grid. But, yeah, we, like. We talk about, like, his style and that sort of stuff. Noah is, like, really nice and super generous. So, like, you know, floating. That's nice. So that's great for him.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Noah. Not J. Crew.

[James Harris]

Noah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nice. That Noah Barber collab. Did he get his hands on that?

[James Harris]

He didn't, but he has this one Noah jacket that he wears and gets stopped on the street every time he wears it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is there a Popeye on the back?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No, that's also a barber.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I know, I know.

[James Harris]

No, no. That I would have said no.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay? Grown men should not be wearing no cartoons.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Unless it's a. Unless it's a Rick and Morty sweatsuit.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

From the weed shop.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But he's off social media. Like, what's the best part about dating someone who's not so into and consumed by social media?

[James Harris]

It reminds me that I don't necessarily have to be like, I was talking to him the other day about Charlie xcx, and he was like, oh, no. I was talking to him about Sabrina Carpenter. That commercial that she's. That's on right now. The Dunkin Donuts commercial where she's, like, shaking the s. I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Espresso.

[James Harris]

Yeah. He was like, this girl's everywhere. And I had no clue who she was until you told me who she was. And I was like, yeah, she had, like, a huge year this past year. And he was like, no. And he was like, remember when you told me about Charlie xcx? And he's like, yeah, brat. And he's like, no. He's like, I like that album Vroom that she came out with.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I was like, so he's hit. He's like, oh, he was early on 2017 or whatever.

[James Harris]

He's just like, so.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

It's like a blissfully unawareness.

[James Harris]

It is fabulous. It's so amazing to watch and see. He's just like, I don't. I don't need it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wow. I can exist without independent of.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Can be a real person.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's grounding.

[James Harris]

It is. It's extremely grounding because it's. You know, I spent a lot of time on my phone, or I'm like.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Does he get after you about that, by the way? Is that, like, okay.

[James Harris]

Always get off your phone.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Was that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Were you kind of looking for someone who wasn't like. Because that's always like, oh, dream man. Like, 200 followers. Was that, like a requirement when you were on the market?

[James Harris]

Market? I had just come off of a relationship with a guy who was also a writer, and I was like, I should probably not do that again.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Let's talk about that a little bit. Dating in this industry, we love to ask people when you were single. It was a nightmare.

[James Harris]

Not a nightmare. It was just sort of the thing that, like. Like, to be perfectly honest, there weren't a lot of straight guys in my mix.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Sure.

[James Harris]

When I was like, an assistant at InStyle. So, you know, you had the couple of guys that you would date, and then you're just sort of like, I don't. I don't think this.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

There was a spreadsheet about the shitty men in media was so bad.

[James Harris]

There was a spreadsheet that was a whole other side of media that I heard of, but it was just like, I don't. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Did you ever date anyone or were you ever with anyone that was like, super popping on socials and, like, what was like. Okay, never intentionally.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Like, no one could be bigger than Nikki.

[James Harris]

Like, no, never. It's my show. I also. Yeah. I don't know if that is some, like, heaven forbid that, you know, me and Philippe break up, but I don't know if that's something that I would intentionally seek out. Would. You're. Are you married?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

He is.

[James Harris]

You are. Yes. I know your wife. Would you seek that out?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Probably not.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Because, like, to have. To have and maintain a huge following requires a lot of watering of that lawn that.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, a waste of time and.

[James Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And it's like, you know, even if that is like, a Persona that is external facing and not who you are, like, off camera, like, you're still the same person.

[James Harris]

Right. Exactly. To an extent. And that's.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Or you become. You live long enough to become the villain.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Two Face becomes, you know, one. Two Face becomes One Face. That's a bar.

[James Harris]

Sure, sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How much money do you make?

[James Harris]

A lot. No, I'm kidding. I. No, I make a nice amount and enough.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

EICs are still getting paid in 2025.

[James Harris]

Well, I mean, I wouldn't go that far. We're making it, like, enough.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All right. What do you like to spend your hard money on? Clothes.

[James Harris]

Jewelry.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Jewelry.

[James Harris]

Mostly bling bling.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Watches.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What jewels do you do, like, on guys?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh, you didn't do your watch. Your cardier watch.

[James Harris]

Oh, yes, my cardier watch. Your tank. My tank, Yes.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I love those. That's like a. It's a blue guy, right?

[James Harris]

Black.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The black.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Black are sick.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They color.

[James Harris]

Well, yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, exactly. Ah, see, there it is.

[James Harris]

Woke. Okay. I like to spend money on watches. What's your rotation? I've got a nice assortment. I have like a good ap Royal Oak, like a vintage one.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I like to wear EICs. Getting paid dog. Hell yeah.

[James Harris]

That. I have a couple. Like a. My first big wash that I got was a Cartier Panther. Beautiful Friends at girl Watch, obviously, shout out to Bryn. And then I got a Cartier roadster after that. Yeah. So there's like a nice mix of stuff.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Fab four, you know, you're a watch girly.

[James Harris]

I love that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You're a dime piece.

[James Harris]

Yeah, I'm a dime piece.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What? What, What? What watches do you like to see on dudes?

[James Harris]

Nothing too big. I don't like a huge. That's not too big.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's not.

[James Harris]

I don't. You don't wear a watch? Did you ever wear watches?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No. I got a phone.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

He hates watches.

[James Harris]

Also.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

You got to realize that in the. I feel like the women's space, like in a lot of this is Shout out brand of the show. Very cool. Very. I don't even want to say trendy because obviously these are classic timepieces. The watch nerdom in our world is. And there's guys who do well. Shout Out, Mike Nouveau and whatever. It's just so.

[James Harris]

But he's a nerd too.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yes. And. And one who's self aware. And he's self aware about that. It's just so. It's like car guys. It's even like menswear guys.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And those are the nerds. And then you have like the jocks, like the crypto guys, the big. The small dick guys that are like, overcome. Like, you know, they're like, oh, yeah. You see the.

[James Harris]

That I don't like that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And not. Not in a way that. In a way that kind of.

[James Harris]

It's not endearing. And that's the thing, I think that's. That is cool about like, what Bren's been able to build. And like the guys that sort of like, are similar to Bren is there is a sort of a welcoming atmosphere that they've created that like. And other watch experiences that I've been to. It's just been about like, who knows most about the complications. And I'm like, are they cute?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Yeah, I don't give a. About the movie.

[James Harris]

Is it cute? Do I like it?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Does it autist? What other. What about other jewelry? What do you like to see on guys? You mentioned we talked about the double hoop. You're not into it.

[James Harris]

A single earring?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

A single earring?

[James Harris]

No, I don't have any. I don't have any. Well, here's what. I don't love lots of those. You know, those like brown beads. Are you wearing brown beads?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

No.

[James Harris]

Okay, great. Don't. Don't do that.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

He's wearing brown Bottega.

[James Harris]

Oh, well, we love Bottega.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, we do you love Woodbury Common outlets? We do like the, like the Buddhist.

[James Harris]

Yeah, I'm not big to that. Yeah, I'm not big.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Kieran Culkin core.

[James Harris]

Yeah. He must be stopped. Like, I think it's very cute and I love it, but like that's a lot of. You're wearing my. Dude.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. What do you think of a Lori Herschleifer hers jewelry collection?

[James Harris]

Oh, she's just like so all. They're all so loaded. It's just like fascinating to see all of the things. I don't know that I would ever wear that much jewelry.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

She created that.

[James Harris]

I know, but it's like a look.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Now that like people are. She's the. The blueprint.

[James Harris]

Yeah, totally. I just. It. It feels very cumbersome. Like from a practicality standpoint, I'm like, that's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You have to fly private.

[James Harris]

Well, absolutely. She's not taking the train anywhere. Not like ride the subway to Long Island.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Watches, jewelry.

[James Harris]

Anything else that I spend my money on? No, that's kind of it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Your man's travel, food.

[James Harris]

Oh yeah. Eating out, food, drinks, like that, sort of.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Do you have a spot that you're not going to? Gatekeep.

[James Harris]

Gatekeep everything. No, I'm, you know, like any given night, not any given night, but like you'll often find me at Saro. Like it's around the corner. Yeah, it's around the corner from my place. So I'm like there often.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

There's a lot of great places to eat.

[James Harris]

Yeah. So it's a lot of like bedside, the like New York restaurants. I was talking to somebody about this last week.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Manhattan.

[James Harris]

Yeah, Manhattan. I want to like try corner store, but I know if I go to corner store, I'm going to be like mildly disappointed. Maybe so. Yeah. So it's just that sort of thing when it comes to like the food, like dining experience. Like there's nothing worse to me than having a bad Meal that I've paid for.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Oh. Expectations weren't.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Are you okay if the food is mid but the vibe or like the.

[James Harris]

No, I want good food first and foremost. Don't give me a loud room. Don't give me. It's too loud. Like I need good food.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And the meal. And good acoustics and good lighting.

[James Harris]

Good acoustics and good company.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Good company.

[James Harris]

Yes. You know, I'd like to eat by myself sometimes. It's fine.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

But are you like eat by yourself at the bar?

[James Harris]

At the bar.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's your best. What's your bev of choice these days? Dirty martini, blue cheese olives. Fail. Who was.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Who are you?

[James Harris]

Who's this?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All the girls.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

All the girls on Alex Cooper's every dumb.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Delay martini.

[James Harris]

Well, I do like a martini. Me too. But I like a mascara negroni.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's the martini order?

[James Harris]

I don't want to say it now.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, sorry.

[James Harris]

It's dirty. But not blue cheese olives. Those are gross.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's disgusting.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I hate blue cheese olives. But I want an extra dirty box. Good. Jin Jin.

[James Harris]

Okay, 10. You know, so one is one to two of those. That's about it. Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

One martini, two martini, three martini, floor.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Four martinis are like tits. One's not enough. Two is perfect.

[James Harris]

And three is too many.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Four is never happy.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Four, please. See a doctor to be seen. Medical professional.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

In your dreams.

[James Harris]

Yeah. And then. Yeah. Wine. I used to work at a wine store when I first New York. So I'm pretty into wine.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Are we still doing ch.

[James Harris]

Reds?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What are we.

[James Harris]

No, I even more basic and I'm still doing like an organic like orange or white. I know orange wine.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean I like it.

[James Harris]

It tastes.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I'm with you. I mean, I even like chilled red.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like I want my wine to taste like a foot. Yeah. As an adult, what's the brokest you've ever been?

[James Harris]

When I first moved to New York. Yeah, totally. When I was an assistant.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Ice cube sandwiches. What are you talking about?

[James Harris]

No, no, it was like, oh, I made like. Like a eggs. Like eggs for dinner.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right. Or like you hit the event. Like we used to hit the event to one be able to drink and then chase the sliders around.

[James Harris]

Like stand by the door, wait for the sliders to come out.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

That's chase them like Pac Man.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I don't think I should know you like they one last slider that's just congealed and cold and they bring it to you and you're like, yes, please.

[James Harris]

Yes, please. Or I lived in. I used to live right around here. And it was three of us in an apartment above that Starbucks on Delancey.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah, exactly. The treasure Trenches. The trenches. And there was a dollar pizza place and also a Subway. And I spent a lot of time at that subway.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Get the foot long, you split it in half.

[James Harris]

Exactly. A turkey sandwich.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you for sustaining my 20s. Jared.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Jared Fogel, we salute you. I don't know what he's up to. Is he doing okay?

[James Harris]

Jail.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I'm kidding. In jail for child pornography.

[James Harris]

For how long? Forever.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Forever. Yeah, I know, I know you like children, but turns out he really supported my 20s.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Damn FAL.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Love the kids screaming with that. We've got to ask you last question. Do you have any constructive criticism you'd like to give us? Yeah, the show started with pedophilia, where she goes, not a little boy, but she goes nuts on Mike.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, that was hard.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you. It ended with pedophilia with Jared Vogel.

[James Harris]

Maybe. Maybe less.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like a good foot long.

[James Harris]

Y. Maybe less of the pedophilia.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

So scale back.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's.

[James Harris]

A key takeaway. Constructive criticism.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, you're.

[James Harris]

Because you're a podcaster, you don't ask enough questions.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Well, that's the. It's a play by. Like in sports. Right. You have a play by play and a color commentary guy. So James asked the questions and I do follow ups when necessary or just interrupt.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Can we tell you something funny? No.

[James Harris]

Why?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Because this is the established operate.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

When we.

[James Harris]

We.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We had a New Yorker profile on us in like 2020 and the writer called me the straight guy.

[James Harris]

Oh, really?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And then.

[James Harris]

Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, no, that part. Yeah.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

But I'm into girls.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I like.

[James Harris]

But you're very funny too.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, thank you.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

He's hilarious.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But a lot of people read that and like, wait, Lawrence is gay?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah, like, damn, Jenna's a beard.

[James Harris]

And how did that make you guys feel?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I felt.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I was like, if you. If you listen, you might need to go back to school to learn how to comprehend what you are reading. That is exactly.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yes, it is a pretty fairly common. I mean.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

I mean, I. But the idea that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What you're talking comedy.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Not that we're necessarily a comedy duo, but.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay, so why don't you ask more questions?

[James Harris]

Yeah, okay. That's about it though.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's it.

[James Harris]

This was fun.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Did you feel the. So vibes are good. Not too much interruption.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Are you gonna go back to the women's media Illuminati and be like, yo, these guys?

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Actually, we get a hood pass for the women's.

[James Harris]

Yeah, More women.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Legacy media.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We have so many women on the show.

[James Harris]

You do have a lot of women on the show. I would say that now of woke because of the woke media.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Good fight.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Yeah. Right. We're sorry. We're allies.

[James Harris]

You better.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We're feminists. We're allies.

[James Harris]

Absolutely.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

More women on the show. More. So we've only had one dude on in 2025, but we'll only do women.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

January 30th.

[James Harris]

This is now a women's fashion podcast. I'm taking over.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's the thing is that there is a very, like, the men's fashion world, and even the subset of that is men in fashion who would perform well on a podcast. Pretty slim pickings there.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So we do always want to, like, be involved in the women's fashion space. Just like you guys won't have us.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

We love women.

[James Harris]

How do you want to be involved?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, invite us to power play.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Y.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Straight up.

[James Harris]

We want to be the stars of a women.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Put us on a panel.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

And people will immediately ask for their money.

[James Harris]

They'll be like, please do not ever do that again.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you, Nikki. Thank you for coming onto the only Podcast matters. Where can the kids follow you?

[James Harris]

You can follow me on all social media platforms at Nikki Ogun and on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She's a gooner.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Yeah. Wow. General Gooner.

[James Harris]

We finally met her and it's kind.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Of sick that gunna is in your name.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You know, he didn't stitch. And also.

[James Harris]

I don't either.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nope.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Clarifying right at the buzzer, I think people weren't sure if you were a rat or not.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All right, so Nikki oon n I k k I o g u n.

[James Harris]

N o g u n o g.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What did I say? Ogun. Sorry.

[James Harris]

Yep. Get it right. And on. Nice talk. Wherever you get your podcast and Marie Cla and Marie Claire, obviously. Mar.com.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What do you want to plug? You want to plug the Alex Cooper content?

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah. Everyone go check out Alex Cooper cover story. Yes. Father Cooper. Cover of our mogul issue January issue online. Now.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who else is featured in the mogul issue?

[James Harris]

Gloria George. She's a tiktoker who has these darkest shade videos. She swatches, like, makeup on her skin to see if these brands are, you know, making cosmetics for dark skin tones. But, like, everyone, basically. She sort of. She, like, sometimes is like, fuck these brands. I don't know what they're doing. And then, like, Hailey Bieber will be like, hey, can you come help us formulate our products. So Gloria George is in it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We're not putting on the dark shades.

[James Harris]

No. I would hope.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

I would hope.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Bowser's.

[James Harris]

We talked to a bunch of stylists who were styling women and getting them ready for, like, the C Suite. And then people talking about, like, their power picks. Oh, and Hoda Copy did an exit interview with us. So she talked about leaving the town. Today's show.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

Damn.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Shout out. Hoda. How drunk was she? Not drunk at all.

[Nikki Ogunaki]

The rider wasn't. Eight bottles of Pinot Grigio and a.

[James Harris]

Bunch of blue stuff. It's a dirty martini. Filthy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, filthy. Nikki, thank you for coming onto the only podcast that matter. Chef, take us out.