In this episode, I’m sitting down with my friend and boss, Javier Leiva. He’s the creator of the hit podcast Pretend, where he spends his time interviewing con artists, cult leaders, and undercover feds. We talk about what happens when a "true story" is actually a total fantasy, how he cornered a famous con man in a Vegas hotel, and why he’s so deep in this world that he actually blurred his house off Google Street View.

The Top 4 Things We Talk About:

• The $800 Confrontation: How Javier tracked down the world’s most famous con man at a conference just to call out his lies with a giant microphone.
• Stage Fright to Stardom: The surprising reason Javier started the show—it actually came from being too scared to talk to his own team at work.
• "Street View" Paranoia: Why Javier is so deep in the world of con artists that he literally erased his home from Google Earth.
• Podcasts vs. Netflix: Why massive streamers like Hulu and Netflix are treating indie podcasts like a "testing ground" for their next big documentaries.

Resources 🔗

• Pretend Podcast on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod
• Pretend Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio/home
• Listen to Pretend: Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2vaCjR7UvlN9aTIzW6kNCo?si=d1f5a09e011146e9 Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretend/id1245307962

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

Let’s be real: if a business looks perfect on Instagram, someone is probably lying to you. I’m Kayleigh Bain, and I’m obsessed with the stories people don't put in their press releases. All Up in Your Business is where I sit down with local founders, non-profit leaders, and total badasses to talk about the messy, complicated, and usually hilarious reality of building something from scratch. No filters, no fluff—just the real stuff that connects us.

In This Episode: Erica Rooney

For the very first episode, I’m joined by my friend and total powerhouse, Erica Rooney. She’s an author, speaker, and the founder of Her Collective, but she’s also the first person to admit that even "machines" have their breaking points.

The Top 4 Things We Talk About:

• The TikTok Meltdown: Erica tells the story of the one reel that almost took her out (and why I loved seeing her finally "crack").
• Leaving the C-Suite: Why she walked away from a massive corporate career to start something that actually matched her values.
• The Podcast-to-Book Pipeline: How she used her own podcast as a research tool to write a book endorsed by Mel Robbins.
• Tyra Banks & Signs from the Universe: That one time she got a call to interview a finance icon and met Tyra Banks in her very first week of business.

Connect with Erica:

• LinkedIn: Erica Anderson Rooney
• Web: ericaandersonrooney.com
• Community: joinhercollective.com
• Instagram: Erica | HER Collective

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

Welcome to the All Up In Your Business Podcast with your host, Kayleigh Bain!

How many times have you wondered about the story behind your favorite local spot? Every Wednesday, Kayleigh—founder of Honeygin Marketing and a champion of authentic storytelling—deep dives into the stories of local and small business owners, thought leaders, and non-profits in Raleigh, Durham, and beyond.

Expect candid conversations about:

• Where the idea for the business came from
• The origin of the name
• Hard lessons learned along the way
• Advice for new entrepreneurs

Tune in to celebrate the incredible stories you don’t often hear.

Now, let’s get All Up In Your Business!

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here