Nathalia Benitez-Perez is the Director of the Mayor's Office of Civic Organizing for the City of Boston. She moved from Colombia to Spain to Boston, worked doubles at a restaurant while carrying a full course load at UMass Boston, organized campaigns across East Boston, and built programs like Block Parties, Spooky Streets, and Love Your Block — all with a team of three. In this episode, Nathalia sits down with Tom, Lorenzo, and Antonia to talk about what happens when the path that looks like falling behind actually leads somewhere meaningful. This one's for anyone who can't afford to separate the paycheck from the purpose.

TIMESTAMPS:
01:30 Colombia to Spain: Growing Up Between Countries
03:45 The 2008 Financial Crisis Changed Everything
05:50 Moving to the U.S.: New York, Florida, and Starting Over
08:10 Transferring to UMass Boston
12:00 The Brutal Schedule: Classes, Restaurant Doubles, and Two Days for Homework
14:30 "I Was Not Special at UMass Boston — It Was All of Us"
16:20 Why Unpaid Internships Were Impossible
18:03 Finding Purpose in Community Work
20:00 What Makes East Boston Special
22:15 Sunday Colombian Food Runs with Her Brother
24:00 Campaigns, Neighbors, and a Different Kind of Networking
25:00 "I've Always Been a Fixer" — Where That Instinct Comes From
27:30 Growing Up in a Household of Strong Women
30:00 Latina Identity, Hospitality, and Putting Others First
32:38 How Constant Moving Affected Friendships
35:00 Finding Home and Choosing to Stay in Eastie
38:00 "I Have Found My Community"
40:38 "I've Learned to Trust Myself More Than the Plan"
42:30 How to Join a Community: Talk to Your Neighbors
44:45 What the Office of Civic Organizing Actually Does
46:30 Block Parties, Spooky Streets, and Love Your Block
49:00 Law School Was Always the Plan — Until It Wasn't
51:00 Director at 25: "Pretending Not to Be Scared"
53:15 Why MBA, Not Law School: BU Questrom
55:00 Working for Mayor Wu as a Woman and Fellow Newcomer
59:00 "Instead of Forcing the River, Let the Current Carry You"
61:00 Advice for Anyone Who Feels Behind

—

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Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide. The Reality Gap Pod is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

The office siren trend is all over TikTok — pencil skirts a little too short, one button undone, Bayonetta glasses, full femme fatale energy. It looks incredible on your For You page. But what happens when you actually wear it to work?

This week, we're joined by Stephanie Niles — NYC-born lawyer who's worked in investment banking, big law, and civil service — to break down the real gap between how TikTok influencers role-play corporate America and what actually flies in a real office.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:28 – Today's topic: the office siren trend & meet our guest Stephanie Niles
• 2:13 – OOTD: the crew shows off their fits (snake skin, real fur, and corduroy)
• 6:27 – So what actually is the office siren trend?
• 8:09 – TikTok influencers are role-playing corporate America — not living it
• 9:17 – Is return-to-office fueling the trend?
• 11:12 – Where did you learn how to dress for work? (Family, mentors & getting pulled aside)
• 13:30 – "It's like a dirty Halloween costume of someone playing work"
• 14:06 – Intent vs. impact: your outfit as a suit of armor, not a sword
• 18:10 – The jeans test: reading the room and office dress code politics
• 20:53 – Fashion as self-expression vs. conformity — and the double standard women face
• 22:22 – Accessories first: a safer way to show your personality at work
• 24:10 – Office fashion as a metaphor for work itself
• 25:37 – Do you plan outfits for the week? + shopping for your "work wardrobe"
• 29:07 – Word association: cleavage at work = "vulnerable"
• 30:00 – Is office siren actually empowering?
• 34:08 – Finding the balance: creativity without sexiness
• 35:05 – "If you're questioning the outfit, don't wear the outfit"

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Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide. The Reality Gap Pod is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

#OfficeSiren #OfficeSirenTrend #WorkFashion #OfficeFashion #CorporateFashion #WhatToWearToWork #OOTD #WorkOOTD #CapsuleWardrobe #DressCode #TheRealityGapPod #RealityGap

What if the job you think is a dead end is actually your biggest career asset?

In this episode, Tom's cousin Pete joins the pod to talk about why grit beats polish, what he actually looks for when reviewing grad school applications (hint: it's not your GPA), and the real tradeoffs of taking the scenic route in your career. Plus, Lorenzo opens up about how getting DOGE'd has him rethinking his own path.

If you're stuck in a job that feels like it's going nowhere — this one's for you.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – Meet the "Better Barry" (and the Brady Bunch intro)

2:01 – Who is Pete? Woods Hole, Birkenstocks, and cracking gas

5:06 – Why geology? Field trips, fossils, and finding your thing

9:00 – Everyone went to grad school... except Pete

11:06 – The odd jobs era: valet, babysitting, and gas station hot dogs

13:00 – "Soul-crushing": what the field technician job actually looked like

15:41 – Day one: "Here's a broom, start sweeping"

17:18 – How hating your job becomes the best motivation

19:08 – The last-minute call that changed everything

22:15 – Plot twist: the dead-end job got him into Scripps

23:45 – What Pete looks for when reviewing MIT applications

26:48 – Reality Gap #2: Passion vs. building the "perfect" resume

29:42 – Antonia's passions: travel, food, and doing the dirty work

33:09 – Pete's brother, studying abroad, and 40 countries later

36:52 – Lorenzo reflects: what Pete's story means for his own path

39:28 – Getting DOGE'd and learning to see setbacks as opportunities

43:00 – 100 applications, 99 rejections: Pete's real journey to tenure

45:13 – The tradeoff no one talks about: starting a family at 40

48:00 – Pete's advice: why you should travel while you can

53:11 – Grit over polish: final thoughts

55:02 – Shameless plug for The Search + wrap-up

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Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide. The Reality Gap Pod is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

#TheRealityGap #CareerAdvice #CareerChange #NonLinearCareer #Grit #GritOverPolish #JobSearch #CareerJourney #FindingYourPath #WHOI #MIT #AcademicJobs

This week, we're putting Antonia in the hot seat. As a college senior months away from graduation, she's navigating the gap between what her parents expected (one of us had to be a doctor, right?) and the path she actually chose. We get into sibling dynamics, why she followed Lorenzo to the same high school AND college (or did she?), the four career options her parents grew up with versus the infinite choices she faced, and the unlikely people who actually shaped her direction. Plus: we got our first fan voicemail and Antonia has some things to clarify about cheese.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Lorenzo on pre-workout and sibling torture stories

2:04 Does Antonia just copy everything Lorenzo does?

3:08 Antonia's major: marketing, hospitality, and tourism

3:44 Bonding on the hour-long drive to high school

4:56 Dad's a surgeon — did Antonia ever want to be a doctor?

5:26 "Point blank period, I was never gonna be a doctor"

5:54 Four career options: how their parents' system worked

6:25 First-gen confusion: "I never met anyone who studied public health"

8:08 Antonia as the creative one vs. Lorenzo the numbers guy

9:06 The 2015-2018 influencer era and middle school dreams

12:14 Specialist vs. generalist career paths

13:23 Ms. Hale: the learning specialist who changed everything

16:47 Lorenzo: "Antonia outshined me at both schools"

17:52 Blazing your own trail as a generalist

19:10 Antonia's new internship at her dream company

20:33 Creator marketing and why influencers matter

23:54 First day outfit: raspberry pants, not gray slacks

26:37 How she got the job: two years of relationship-building

29:50 The fear of becoming "another cubicle"

34:18 Why she actually picked GW (hint: it's about bread)

35:45 OUR FIRST FAN VOICEMAIL

37:16 Antonia sets the record straight on cheese

41:24 Who was your Ms. Hale?

—

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Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide.

The Reality Gap Pod is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

#RealityGap #CareerPodcast #GenZ #CollegeSenior #CareerAnxiety #Graduation2025 #FirstGen #SiblingDynamic #Marketing #FindingYourPath #CareerAdvice #PodcastClips #YoungProfessionals #CollegeLife #GWU

Before you update your resume. Before you start networking. Before you apply to a single job. You need to answer one question first: Who are you?

In Episode 3, Tom walks Lorenzo through nine self-reflection questions designed to help you understand what you actually want from your career—and what makes you valuable to an employer. These questions map to the three pillars of a job they defined last episode: economic security, personal fulfillment, and learning & growth.

The 9 Questions:

1. What do you like doing?
2. What do you not like doing?
3. What energizes you?
4. What drains you?
5. What feels meaningful even when it's hard?
6. What are you good at?
7. What are you not good at?
8. What do you want to get better at?
9. What do you want to learn next?

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome back
00:13 – Recap: the three parts of a job
01:05 – Why nine questions (formerly eight—math is hard)
02:47 – Have you ever done this kind of self-reflection?
05:07 – The quintessential DC experience: Hill internships
06:52 – The nine questions, listed
07:46 – Personal Fulfillment questions begin
09:02 – Q1: What do you like doing?
14:23 – Q2: What do you not like doing?
19:51 – Q3: What energizes you?
23:27 – Q4: What drains you?
32:54 – Q5: What feels meaningful even when it's hard?
38:24 – Economic Security questions begin
39:29 – Q6: What are you good at?
48:27 – Q7: What are you not good at?
54:56 – Growth & Learning questions
1:06:43 – Q8 & Q9: What do you want to get better at / learn next?
1:08:38 – How to use your answers: identifying industries and roles
1:10:57 – Tips: Be honest, non-judgmental, do it with a friend
1:14:27 – Next episode preview: Research

Write to Us social@realitygappod.com

Try the nine questions yourself—then tell us what surprised you. What did a friend see in you that you didn't see in yourself? We want to hear from you.

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The Search by Reality Gap Pod is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

#TheSearch #JobSearch #KnowYourself #CareerAdvice #SelfReflection #RealityGap #CareerPodcast

Before the strategy comes the survival. Before the networking comes the self-awareness. Before everything else comes this question: Are you actually okay?

In Episode 2 of The Search, Tom and Lorenzo tackle what nobody wants to talk about—the emotional chaos of job searching. The waves of hope followed by the mornings where you don't want to do anything. The LinkedIn doom-scrolling. The comparison trap. The moments where you catastrophize: "I'm never going to get a job."

This episode introduces three principles that will anchor the entire series:

1. A mindful approach — noticing when your thoughts and feelings are driving your actions vs. when you're actually in the driver's seat
2. Prioritize, focus, sequence — doing the right thing in the right order instead of trying to do everything at once (spoiler: multitasking is BS)
3. A real definition of "job" — not just work, but something that provides economic security, personal fulfillment, AND opportunities for learning and growth

Tom and Lorenzo also get into the survival vs. strategy debate: What if you need income now? Can you be strategic when you're stressed about rent? The answer involves oxygen masks, flight attendant Tom, and some real talk about securing your foundation before you can build anything on top of it.

Plus: Lorenzo shares how shifting to "networking first, applying second" is already changing his results—and Tom opens up about the grouchy mornings that still hit even after landing a new role.

Write to Us at social@realitygappod.com

What emotions are you riding right now? What's helped you stay grounded during your search? We want to hear from you—your questions might be featured in an upcoming episode.

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Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide.

The Search by Reality Gap is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

#TheSearch #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #JobHunting #RealityGap #EmotionalHealth #MentalHealthAtWork #JobSearchTips #CareerPodcast

THE SEARCH EP 1: Meet Your Hosts (and Why We're Here)

Special Launch Announcement: We're borrowing The Reality Gap's Wednesday slot this week to introduce you to our newest series, The Search by Reality Gap.

Starting next week, The Search will release every Monday, and Reality Gap returns to its regular Wednesday schedule.

Why the interruption? Because job searching can't wait—and neither could we.

About This Episode

Tom and Lorenzo are launching The Search: a series about the real strategies, emotional survival tactics, and creative approaches it takes to find a job in 2025. No toxic positivity. No "just hustle harder." Just honest conversations between two people who've been in the trenches.

In this first episode, Lorenzo and Tom introduce themselves, share their job search stories, and preview what's coming: research strategies, the power of elimination, time management, networking that actually works, and building your brand without cringing too hard.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to The Search
00:42 – Why we made this series
02:22 – Lorenzo's story: Tufts, three concentrations, and a plan
03:02 – "Then it got DOGEd" – losing the FDA fellowship
05:44 – How the ORISE fellowship process actually worked
07:28 – Fellowship applications vs. job hunting: prescribed paths vs. chaos
08:07 – The post-graduation scramble
22:45 – Tom's layoff and what he learned in three months
23:13 – What to expect from this series
24:50 – When your peers are in totally different positions
26:52 – Why you're probably being too hard on yourself
27:20 – Series preview: research, networking, marketing yourself
29:55 – Outro

Write to Us at social@realitygappod.com

Going through your own search? We want to hear from you. What's working? What isn't? What questions do you have? Reach out and your question might be featured in an upcoming episode.

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Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide.

The Search by Reality Gap is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.

#TheSearch #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #JobHunting #RealityGap

Lorenzo takes the mic in this spotlight episode to share his journey from pre-med biology major to food policy advocate — and how a single class changed everything. We get into why nutrition is the "unsung hero" of preventative health, what happened to the American lunch break, and why we're all eating out of slop bowls now (yes, that's Merriam-Webster's 2025 Word of the Year).

Plus: the worst foods to bring to the office, why ties were a terrible invention, and a call for your best slop bowl recipes.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

→ World Central Kitchen (José Andrés' nonprofit): https://wck.org/

→ GW Global Food Institute & "The World on a Plate" course: https://globalfoodinstitute.gwu.edu

→ "Living the Slop Life" – Emma Goldberg, The New York Times (May 2025): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/style/ai-slop-slop-bowls-shein-slop-hauls.html

→ Merriam-Webster's 2025 Word of the Year: "Slop": https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year

📩 What's your go-to slop bowl combo? What should you NEVER bring to the office for lunch? Email us: social@realitygappod.com

#TheRealityGapPod #TheRealityGap #CareerPodcast #LunchBreak #WorkLifeBalance #FoodPolicy #SlopBowl #Slop2025 #Slop

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Want to share your own career mess? Got an idea for an episode? social@realitygappod.com

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Learn more at https://realitygappod.com

Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide.

The Reality Gap Pod is a production of Signal + Pattern LLC. Registered trademark.