Not Alone

I posted a video in my car saying I stopped getting my nails done and my life got better. That was it. One less appointment, one less thing to manage. I thought I had cracked the code, and the code was nails.
Then the internet lost it. Twice.

The first time, women were relieved, like nobody had told them opting out was allowed. A year later, it came back and turned into something else entirely. First, I was broke for not doing my nails. Then, I was rich for not doing my nails. My little video ended up next to Carolyn Bessette in think pieces, and I am over here just trying not to drive to a salon.

So I called Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton, who built Chillhouse from one SoHo salon into the brand that created the press-on category.

She said the part I had not thought about at all: when I skip my nails, it gets called quiet luxury. When a woman of color skips hers, it can read like she is not keeping up. Same bare nail, completely different verdict.

I had become the poster child of a trend I never signed up for, and I had not once considered whose hand it was on.

We stayed there for a while. Why we go after each other so hard over our own faces. Whether we quietly judge other women, which she answered honestly instead of pretending she does not. What her mother's spa in Queens had—a room full of women talking for hours—that we do not really have anymore. Why she builds loudly and improves quietly. And what it is actually like to build a company with the man you are married to, which is its own thing entirely.

At the end, I asked her what women are not saying out loud right now. She said she wishes we could fully own being who we want to be and not feel bad about it. We can change, we can stay the same, and we can do whatever we want.

I think a lot of women need to hear that right now.

Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton is the founder and CEO of Chillhouse, the self-care brand she built from a single SoHo salon into one of the most influential beauty companies of her generation.

She is the woman behind Chill Tips, the press-on line that helped redefine what nail care even is. An Inc. Female Founders honoree and one of WWD's 40 of Tomorrow, she partnered with Kiss Beauty Group in a deal that keeps Chillhouse independent, staying on as CEO with her team and her SoHo flagship intact.

She is a wife, a mother, and a proud Colombian-American—the daughter of an esthetician who started with a single chair in Jackson Heights and grew it into four stores. The Queen of Chill.

Cyndi's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/cyndiramirez

Chillhouse Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chillhouse

Valeria's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky

Valeria's TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky

Not Alone's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod

Not Alone's TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod

Shop my look from this episode:
https://shopmy.us/collections/6367477

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:
0:00 – I posted one video about my nails
2:16 – Why she called the Queen of Nails
3:37 – The year it came back and changed shape
5:37 – Becoming the poster child she never signed up for
6:39 – The part that did not sit right with her
7:52 – Are we bored, or is everything a trend?
8:57 – Who actually wears bare nails
10:06 – The question nobody wanted to ask out loud
11:01 – Valeria pushes back: status or race?
12:23 – Why beauty is so loaded
12:41 – Burgundy hair, black eyeliner, and needing a flag to carry
14:15 – So I'm trending now?
15:29 – Wait, I have a choice
15:36 – Russian mother, Colombian mother, same rules
17:10 – Her mother's chair in Jackson Heights
17:38 – What those rooms full of women had
19:18 – Building Chillhouse and self-care as a necessity
21:04 – Why people still crave the salon
25:59 – Holding two truths: organic and Botox
28:08 – The Botox conversation she was scared to have
29:18 – Why she talks about what she gets done
30:33 – The magazine where Valeria did not recognize her own face
31:15 – Cyndi's teenage modeling years
31:56 – Do you judge other women? Be honest
33:44 – Judging as a mirror, not a verdict
33:54 – Each other's greatest critics, each other's greatest teachers
34:46 – The real takeaway from the bare-nail discourse
35:07 – Recession indicator to status symbol
36:42 – The poster child of having fun with beauty
37:45 – Finding a personal style and dressing like a chameleon
38:29 – Being the face of the brand
40:09 – 2020: putting nails in women's hands at home
41:21 – The pivot, the pandemic, and making payroll
43:12 – The intuition she never second-guessed
43:43 – Why intuition is the business skill
47:28 – Build loudly, improve quietly
50:35 – When vulnerability goes too far
52:34 – Leaving New York to find solid ground
53:51 – Building a company with the person you married
57:06 – The real version of building with your husband
59:02 – The coach they needed and the next version of themselves
1:00:34 – Rapid fire
1:02:28 – What women aren't saying out loud

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I posted a video in my car saying I stopped getting my nails done and my life got better. That was it. One less appointment, one less thing to manage. I thought I had cracked the code, and the code was nails.
Then the internet lost it. Twice.

The first time, women were relieved, like nobody had told them opting out was allowed. A year later, it came back and turned into something else entirely. First, I was broke for not doing my nails. Then, I was rich for not doing my nails. My little video ended up next to Carolyn Bessette in think pieces, and I am over here just trying not to drive to a salon.

So I called Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton, who built Chillhouse from one SoHo salon into the brand that created the press-on category.

She said the part I had not thought about at all: when I skip my nails, it gets called quiet luxury. When a woman of color skips hers, it can read like she is not keeping up. Same bare nail, completely different verdict.

I had become the poster child of a trend I never signed up for, and I had not once considered whose hand it was on.

We stayed there for a while. Why we go after each other so hard over our own faces. Whether we quietly judge other women, which she answered honestly instead of pretending she does not. What her mother's spa in Queens had—a room full of women talking for hours—that we do not really have anymore. Why she builds loudly and improves quietly. And what it is actually like to build a company with the man you are married to, which is its own thing entirely.

At the end, I asked her what women are not saying out loud right now. She said she wishes we could fully own being who we want to be and not feel bad about it. We can change, we can stay the same, and we can do whatever we want.

I think a lot of women need to hear that right now.

Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton is the founder and CEO of Chillhouse, the self-care brand she built from a single SoHo salon into one of the most influential beauty companies of her generation.

She is the woman behind Chill Tips, the press-on line that helped redefine what nail care even is. An Inc. Female Founders honoree and one of WWD's 40 of Tomorrow, she partnered with Kiss Beauty Group in a deal that keeps Chillhouse independent, staying on as CEO with her team and her SoHo flagship intact.

She is a wife, a mother, and a proud Colombian-American—the daughter of an esthetician who started with a single chair in Jackson Heights and grew it into four stores. The Queen of Chill.

Cyndi's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/cyndiramirez

Chillhouse Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chillhouse

Valeria's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky

Valeria's TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky

Not Alone's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod

Not Alone's TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod

Shop my look from this episode:
https://shopmy.us/collections/6367477

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:
0:00 – I posted one video about my nails
2:16 – Why she called the Queen of Nails
3:37 – The year it came back and changed shape
5:37 – Becoming the poster child she never signed up for
6:39 – The part that did not sit right with her
7:52 – Are we bored, or is everything a trend?
8:57 – Who actually wears bare nails
10:06 – The question nobody wanted to ask out loud
11:01 – Valeria pushes back: status or race?
12:23 – Why beauty is so loaded
12:41 – Burgundy hair, black eyeliner, and needing a flag to carry
14:15 – So I'm trending now?
15:29 – Wait, I have a choice
15:36 – Russian mother, Colombian mother, same rules
17:10 – Her mother's chair in Jackson Heights
17:38 – What those rooms full of women had
19:18 – Building Chillhouse and self-care as a necessity
21:04 – Why people still crave the salon
25:59 – Holding two truths: organic and Botox
28:08 – The Botox conversation she was scared to have
29:18 – Why she talks about what she gets done
30:33 – The magazine where Valeria did not recognize her own face
31:15 – Cyndi's teenage modeling years
31:56 – Do you judge other women? Be honest
33:44 – Judging as a mirror, not a verdict
33:54 – Each other's greatest critics, each other's greatest teachers
34:46 – The real takeaway from the bare-nail discourse
35:07 – Recession indicator to status symbol
36:42 – The poster child of having fun with beauty
37:45 – Finding a personal style and dressing like a chameleon
38:29 – Being the face of the brand
40:09 – 2020: putting nails in women's hands at home
41:21 – The pivot, the pandemic, and making payroll
43:12 – The intuition she never second-guessed
43:43 – Why intuition is the business skill
47:28 – Build loudly, improve quietly
50:35 – When vulnerability goes too far
52:34 – Leaving New York to find solid ground
53:51 – Building a company with the person you married
57:06 – The real version of building with your husband
59:02 – The coach they needed and the next version of themselves
1:00:34 – Rapid fire
1:02:28 – What women aren't saying out loud

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Piquet was born into Formula 1 royalty. Her father is Nelson Piquet, a three-time world champion. Her partner is Max Verstappen, a four-time champion. She has millions of followers watching her life, and most of them think they know her. They don't.

This is the first time Kelly has sat down for a real conversation, and she goes places she never has before. She talks about growing up inside a name that opened every door, then walking away from it at eighteen to move to New York and become nobody. About the version of herself who climbed Kilimanjaro on a whim, and where that fearlessness went. About what it actually takes to protect your own identity inside the most-watched relationship in sport, to build a modern partnership where two ambitious people refuse to disappear into each other. About raising children in the glare of it all, and why she's decided that not every meaningful moment deserves an audience.

It's a conversation about being seen versus being known, about holding on to yourself when the world has already written your story, and about the quiet cost of a life that belongs to everyone but you.

Kelly's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellypiquet

Valeria's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky

Valeria's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky

Not Alone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod/?hl=en

Not Alone's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod

Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/6233292

What We Talked About:

0:00 - The F1 first lady
3:00 - Meeting Kelly first, the world second
4:16 - Why she finally said yes to this
5:05 - Growing up around greatness
6:40 - Breaking free from a name that wasn't hers
7:05 - Going to New York to be nobody
9:00 - The plane, the headphones, taking over the city
11:00 - The UN dream, Tanzania, Kilimanjaro
13:44 - Leaving fashion, going home, regrouping
16:50 - The thing she refuses to shy away from
17:00 - The price of being visible
20:00 - The part of herself she fought hardest to keep
22:33 - Modern partnership, and two people not managing ego
26:29 - Criticism, lies, and the line around her children
31:47 - The season of experience, and slowing down
34:11 - What motherhood made her say no to
44:19 - Raising grounded kids in a privileged world
49:40 - Rapid fire, and the F1 first lady title
52:47 - Valeria's takeaways: your story is yours to hold❤️

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Nutrafol, the #1-selling hair growth supplement brand. Start from within to see thicker, fuller hair in 3-6 months. Use code VALERIA for $10 off your first month at https://nutrafol.com

In this episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with board-certified dermatologist and lifestyle medicine expert Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd for an eye-opening conversation about hair health, supplements, stress, and what it means to take a whole-body approach to hair thinning.

From postpartum shedding to perimenopausal thinning, Dr. Heather breaks down why hair changes and why it takes time to see results. She also helps break down why so many women feel confused by the supplement space. She shares what to really look for in your supplements - from clinical trials and randomized controlled studies to third-party certifications like NSF. 

Valeria opens up about her own postpartum hair experience, and the women discuss the emotional toll hair changes can take. Dr. Heather also shares simple, actionable shifts, like five-minute meditation, daily walks, and realistic habit-building, that make wellness feel less overwhelming and more sustainable.

Learn more about Nutrafol: https://nutrafol.com

Dr. Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drheathermd/Dr. Heather’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drheathermd

Valeria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/Valeria’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky

Not Alone’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod/Not Alone’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod

Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/3551713

What We Talked About:

0:34 – Valentine’s Day, stress & post-holiday burnout

1:45 – Getting Motivated for 2026

2:45 – Meet Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd

5:38 – Why she chose dermatology

6:50 – What is lifestyle medicine?

9:05 – The truth about supplements (and doctor skepticism)

10:29 – Why hair takes 3–6 months to respond

12:30 – Stress, sleep & actionable daily habits

15:00 – Why baby steps beat perfection

17:30 – How to read a supplement label (efficacy + safety)

18:55 – What NSF certification actually means

20:25 – Counterfeit supplements & buying safely

23:09 – The importance of randomized controlled trials

25:20 – Types of Hair Thinning

26:07 – Active Ingredients in Nutrafol

28:22 – Supplement stacking: helpful or harmful?

30:00 – Should you be getting blood work?

35:24 – Dr. Heather’s 3 supplement rules

37:10 – The psychological impact of hair thinning

38:38 – How can supplements fail us?

40:58 – Gray hair: is innovation coming?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode, Valeria revisits some of her most powerful and revealing conversations with iconic women in modeling - going beyond the runway & behind the camera to explore identity, resilience, motherhood, and the experiences that shaped who they are today.

Kelsey Merritt opens up about growing up in the Philippines with a strict mother, navigating the modeling industry as a biracial woman, and how her immigrant family values gave her thick skin. Next, Jasmine Tookes reflects on being raised by a young single mother, always knowing she wanted to be a model, and building confidence in an industry where she was often the only Black woman in the room. Finally, Miranda Kerr joins Valeria for a deeply honest conversation about life after Victoria’s Secret. Her motherhood journey - as a mom of four boys, miscarriage, breastfeeding, aging, and more. Miranda shares how her priorities have shifted and tells us more about her brand, KORA Organics. 

Together, these conversations peel back the layers behind globally recognized faces to reveal the real women underneath - their values, doubts, lessons, and quiet strength.

Follow The Women -

Kelsey MerrittInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseymerritt/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelseymerritt

Jasmine Tookes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtookes/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jastookes

Miranda KerrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirandakerr/KORA Organics: https://koraorganics.com

Valeria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/Valeria’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valeria.lipovetsky

Not Alone’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notalonepod/Not Alone’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notalone.pod

Shop My Looks: https://shopmy.us/collections/3871837?tab=collections

What we talked about:

0:00 – Introduction

1:57 – Kelsey Merritt: growing up Filipina & being scouted online

4:05 – Kelsey Merritt: Strict immigrant parents & modeling feedback

6:03 – Kelsey Merritt: Identity, representation & being “the first”

11:16 – Kelsey Merritt: Commercial vs high fashion modeling realities

14:49 – Kelsey Merritt: Discovering independence in New York

18:04 – Kelsey Merritt: Beauty standards in the Philippines

24:25 – Introducing Jasmine Tookes

26:13 – Jasmine Tookes: Dreaming of Victoria’s Secret from childhood

28:03 –Jasmine Tookes: Modeling young & having a protective mom

33:18 – Jasmine Tookes: Being the only Black model in the room

35:21 –Jasmine Tookes:  Motherhood & identity shifts

39:23 – Jasmine Tookes: Daddy issues & family boundaries

42:52 – Introducing Miranda Kerr

45:34 – Miranda Kerr: Choosing not to return to Victoria’s Secret

47:06 – Miranda Kerr: Motherhood & breastfeeding

49:02 – Miranda Kerr: Miscarriage

52:17 – Miranda Kerr: Raising boys & navigating teen years

56:06 – Miranda Kerr: Wellness, skincare & aging with gratitude

1:00:49 – Final reflections
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices