Brutally Anna
Welcome to Brutally Anna — the podcast where we stop pretending we’re fine and start telling the f*cking truth. I’m Anna, a writer, accidental influencer, and self-appointed spokesperson for the women who feel too much, think too hard, and talk to themselves in the shower. This isn’t a self-help podcast. It’s a self-honesty one. Each week, I dive into the mess of being a human — the shame, the silence, the spirals — and say the things we’re all thinking but too afraid to post. From heartbreak to ambition, mental health to creative burnout, loneliness to the urge to completely disappear... nothing is off-limits. If it’s brutally honest, we go there. No fake pep talks. No toxic positivity. Just the deeply uncomfortable, strangely funny, painfully freeing truth. If you’ve ever felt like you’re too much or not enough — you’re in the right place. Pull up a chair. Let’s get brutal. New episodes on Wednesdays.
Episodes
November 14, 2025 • 17 mins
This week, I’m closing the chapter on Brutally Anna by talking about mile 20—of the New York City Marathon, yes, but also of life. I ran that race back in 2017, and the thing about a marathon is you always know how far you have left. In life, you don’t. And this year felt like mile 23 for me: mentally brutal, spiritually draining, career-wise confusing, and laced with the kind of disappointment that makes quitting look like relief....
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November 7, 2025 • 25 mins
In today’s episode, I’m talking about why I think the word “soulmate” is kind of bullshit—not because love isn’t real, but because we use that word to trap ourselves in relationships that aren’t actually right for us. I share how I once assigned the title “soulmate” to practically every man I dated in my twenties, what finally shifted when I met my husband, and why I now believe the strongest, healthiest relationships aren’t about ...
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October 31, 2025 • 22 mins
This week’s episode is about how I think I accidentally found the cure for doom-scrolling: doing nothing—on purpose. Lately I’ve been trying to detach from my phone because I realized that constant productivity and comparison are killing my joy. Somewhere along the way, “rest” got rebranded as “laziness,” especially for women, and I’m done with that. So instead of polishing hardware or checking off my to-do list, I’ve been wanderin...
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October 24, 2025 • 25 mins
In this episode, I talk about what it’s really been like trying to get pregnant after spending my entire twenties doing everything in my power not to. I share how I went from never tracking my period to obsessing over ovulation sticks and smiley faces, and how coming off Zoloft for the first time in years forced me to actually face my hormones head-on. I get into my PMDD, the endless trial-and-error of antidepressants, the small li...
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October 17, 2025 • 24 mins
Somewhere along the way, we started believing that if no one saw it, it didn’t happen — that joy requires an audience and meaning needs proof. In this episode, I talk about the psychological cost of living life through a camera roll: how documenting our memories actually weakens them, how performance has replaced presence, and why so many of our “best days” — including my wedding — end up feeling hollow when we live them for others...
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October 10, 2025 • 25 mins
I’ve ghosted more people this year than any other year of my life — and I don’t feel bad about it. The truth is, when you start building something of your own, people come crawling out of the woodwork. Old acquaintances suddenly want to “catch up,” but what they really want is a favor, a contact, a shortcut. For a long time, I said yes to everyone because I thought it made me kind. I thought giving without limits was the price of b...
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October 3, 2025 • 22 mins
This week I’m talking about the art of dining alone, and why sometimes community is just you, your fork, and the courage to sit there unapologetically. Spoiler: I went out for sushi by myself, got seated in the middle of strangers’ dates, and somehow ended up in an accidental fake date with a man named Brad. We’ll also get into why friendships fade, why I don’t want a “big circle,” and why a Friday night on the couch with Dave, Saw...
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September 26, 2025 • 24 mins
It’s been a couple months since I dropped into your ears, and I wanted to be honest about where I’ve been. I hit pause on podcasting to rethink my career, launch my Substack (maybe both), and figure out if this mic was really the best place for me to share. In that break, I realized two things: one, I hate editing video clips more than anything in the world, and two, I still love the freedom of just talking to you like this.
So, I...
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July 16, 2025 • 17 mins
This week, I respond to a listener who knows her marriage is over—but can’t shake the guilt of being the one to end it. We talk about why women are taught to feel like the villain when they choose themselves, how shame is inherited, and what it really means to leave a life that was never built for you.
If you’ve ever thought, “But he’s not that bad,” or “Who will I be if I walk away?”—this one’s for you.
Also: why toilet paper ho...
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July 9, 2025 • 27 mins
This week’s episode is brought to you by: the delusion that a man who lies to you repeatedly is still somehow “99% amazing.”
In this episode, I unpack:
Why 99% perfect still isn’t enough when the other 1% is gaslighting
What it really means when you say “he’s so great, except…”
Why “second chances” are often just “I’m scared to be alone” in a trench coat
The emotional equivalent of playing a rigged slot mac...
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July 2, 2025 • 26 mins
Let’s talk about thongs, grief, people-pleasing, and the radical act of not going to the damn party. In this episode, I unravel why I stopped molding myself into someone else’s ideal — whether it was for a man, a friend, or an aesthetic. I also talk about loss, what a photographer taught me about timing, and why your “no” doesn’t need an excuse (or a follow-up text). If you’ve ever contorted yourself to be chosen, approved of, or i...
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June 25, 2025 • 34 mins
This week, I’m talking about what it feels like to be unwanted—by men, by friendships, by jobs, by the popular girls with the trendy names who never wanted to sit with you at lunch. I share what growing up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants taught me about invisibility, advocacy, and watching my mom try to return a pot to Kmart in broken English while I stood there, 7 years old, already learning what it means to feel small.
I t...
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June 19, 2025 • 25 mins
She’s 32, never had a boyfriend, and just dropped thousands to fund her own proposal — hotel, flowers, the ring he gave her. Meanwhile, he’s out here liking thirst traps and asking her for money for designer watches. In this episode, I unpack the heartbreak of watching someone you love choose delusion over dignity — and why trying to save them might actually be a way of avoiding your own sh*t.
Also in this episode:
• The differenc...
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May 19, 2025 • 78 mins
On this week's episode, former director of Betches Media turned content creator Nicole Pellegrino shares her journey as we delve into her candid and often humorous takes on marriage, millennial life, and her rescue doLouie. She opens up about the impact of her mom's passing, her parents' divorce, and why she strives never to take life too seriously, because, in her words, "we're all just floating on this rock."
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May 12, 2025 • 78 mins
Fashion and beauty influencer, Kristina Zias, dives into her 13-year journey from being called 'cringe' to becoming a body positivity queen featured on The Drew Barrymore Show and People Magazine. We discuss juggling motherhood, cross-country move, and running her own business and why her delusional confidence has led her to achieving (and running!) races and experiences she never thought she once could.
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May 5, 2025 • 57 mins
This week, I'm joined by comedy powerhouse Zarna Garg as she recounts her transition from practicing law (where her clients mostly ended up in jail) to becoming one of Variety’s '10 Comics to Watch.' Known for her razor-sharp wit, cultural insights, and brutally honest takes on life as an immigrant mom, Zarna dishes on her zig-zag journey. Imagine litigating to realizing you’re better at telling jokes about your mother-in-law than ...
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April 28, 2025 • 53 mins
From his humble beginnings playing with Barbies, dealing with bullies, and rocking TJ Maxx instead of Abercrombie, Bran shares how he went from the "fat, poor, gay kid" to our internet gay bestie. Bran recounts his first Grindr hookup (complete with crabs) and dishes on his modern-day love life: think more situational-ships than relationships. We get real about his epic mental health breakdown, panic disorders, and how therapy and ...
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April 21, 2025 • 54 mins
My guest this week, Noelle Downing, shares her journey of finding joy and purpose after experiencing significant loss at a young age. Despite the loss of her mother to cancer at age seven and her father to a heart attack at age sixteen, Noelle has cultivated a life filled with optimism and creativity. She talks about her early beginnings as a content creator, her side hustles, and the perseverance that led to her success. Noelle al...
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April 14, 2025 • 45 mins
Comedian, social media sensation, and bestselling author Anna Akana joins me this week as she discusses her journey from dealing with the tragic loss of her sister to suicide to becoming a comedian where she found solace in making others laugh. We dive deep into the challenges of dating in LA, dealing with grief, the quirks of menstrual products, and the importance of allowing yourself to be bad at something before you get good. Pl...
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April 7, 2025 • 41 mins
Creator of Pilates Body Hotties and former Love Is Blind cast member Raven Ross joins me this week to talk about her transformative journey from a self-described shitshow to the wellness maven she is today. Raven reflects on life in her early twenties working three jobs, the impulsive decision to join 'Love is Blind,' and navigating public scrutiny while staying true to herself. She delves into her early passion for pilates, her st...
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Mark as Played
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