In this special solo episode of Building Boldly, Ariana takes you behind the scenes of her end-of-year whirlwind from dancing at a midnight party during Art Basel Miami Beach to sitting in a small D.C. conference room listening to dissidents and power players talk about censorship, freedom, and the urgent fight for democracy. Along the way, Ariana shares what Art Basel taught her about creative longevity, relationships, and showing up in rooms your future self belongs in, plus the biggest lessons from launching the first season of Building Boldly, including the unexpected YouTube traction that pushed an episode past 100K views. She reflects on what it really takes to build something meaningful (while also writing a book proposal and going through IVF), and offers an end-of-year prompt to help you honor the work you’ve already done, and what you want to carry forward into 2026. A grounding and energizing listen for anyone building a creative life who wants to end the year softly.
Connect:
Website: https://www.arianamakonnen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianaaustin/
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Follow the podcast: @buildingboldlypodcast
Watch the full episode on YouTube: @waxandgold
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Produced by: Wax & Gold Media
