The Messy Parts Podcast

The format of The Messy Parts podcast is a familiar and well-traveled route for thousands of shows. In podcasting, as in life, it isn’t so much that you tried something novel and fresh, but more that what you tried, you are good at.

That’s the case here with creator/host Maryam Banikarim on her eight-month-old show, The Messy Parts.

Ms. Bankikarim says: “Whether you’re at the top, or striving to get there, you may have noticed the one thing people rarely talk about: how hard it is to achieve success. The Messy Parts is the answer — a podcast where you’ll hear about the twists, turns, and pivots that shape extraordinary careers.”

Ms. Bankikarim promises deeply honest, vulnerable conversations, and she doesn’t disappoint. I like her interviewing style, and I think listeners will as well. She doesn’t pander, doesn’t allow the guest to take over her show, always nudges the guest toward the key messages of the show, and isn’t afraid to challenge a guest, without the histrionics of ginning up controversy for attention.

What I learned about host Maryam Bankikarim is that she’s a transformative leader across media, hospitality, and tech. Her impressive powerhouse resume features more than 20 years in the C-Suite at companies like Hyatt, NBC, and Nextdoor — and she has a vast, influential network to match.

Past guests include Katie Sturino (Founder, Megababe), Gwen Whiting (Co-Founder, The Laundress), Irina Novoselsky (CEO, Hootsuite), Ana Gasteyer (Actress/Comedian), and dozens of other successful founders, executives, and industry leaders who share their unfiltered career journeys.

The premiere episode featured Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe, discussing building a‬ ‭self-funded brand, the real struggles behind Instagram gloss, and how “letting the messy parts‬ ‭hang out” became her superpower.‬ ‭ The Messy Parts launched with intimate 35-minute conversations recorded at historic‬ ‭Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center, June 9, 2025.

This show explores career pivots, leadership challenges, entrepreneurship realities, getting fired and bouncing back, mental health in high-pressure roles, extended job searches, and the personal struggles that shape extraordinary careers. Every episode delivers actionable insights from guests who’ve lived the experience.

The Messy Parts knows who its audience is — 64.8% women with 88.7% under 44 years old, and 89% college-educated professionals.

One of my favorite episodes is the November 24th show with event planner Marcy Blum, who has organized lavish celebrations for LeBron James, Kevin Bacon, and countless billionaires she can’t ID due to NDAs. Blum is one of those guests an interviewer loves — outspoken, a little cranky, a straight shooter, and someone we often call “a character.” It’s a fun ride. I admired Ms.Bankikarim’s decision to run a highlight clips show right before Christmas. It’s a podcast strategy that other indie podcasters should consider. The clips show was enjoyable and made me want to listen to some of the episodes I missed, which is the point of this strategy.

Perhaps the most impactful show (for me, anyway) was the October 13th, 2025 episode with Journalist Danielle Belton, who was hospitalized multiple times for bipolar disorder while she was building her career. Belton shares her childhood that was riddled with anxiety, falling into a deep depression after a failed marriage, and drinking tequila at work to power through panic attacks. Belton hit rock bottom in her mid-twenties and moved home to her parents’ basement, where she started over and got a job folding sweaters at Macy’s. In the show, she explains how writing an anonymous blog during Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign led to other jobs that ultimately landed her a dream gig — editor-in-chief at HuffPost — and why she eventually walked away from it.

Maryam Banikarim does a lot right in her show. She plays a clip of the interview at the top of the show to create interest, and she explains the premise of the show so that new listeners can ground themselves quickly.

The Messy Parts is a modern business podcast that doesn’t break any new ground, but is just so adept at what it does that innovation isn’t needed. Unlike some successful execs who jump into podcasting without quite understanding the medium, Maryam Banikarim paid attention, designed a show that played to her strengths, and identified a core audience who can glean value from her show.

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