Email: neill@outloudculture.com
Born into a large Italian family and raised by divorced parents in Westchester, New York, 24 year old Allison (Ally) Petitti moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2016 in dreams to be in the entertainment industry. Ally joined USC’s Music Industry Bachelor of Science program. After graduating from USC and with a big passion for music, she was immediately hired as an administrative assistant at Interscope Records.
With new episodes of “Trying to Figure it Out” dropping each Tuesday, Ally shares the most genuine version of herself and also invites guests to share diverse, interesting stories. They connect on relatable topics such as, mental health to toxic relationships, trauma, addiction, body culture and more. As an impressive feat, Ally’s first podcast guest included the widely popular actress, dancer & content creator Jordyn Jones (10M+ followers on TikTok & 7.9M+ followers on IG), and her second guest being Brooklynne Webb (11M+ followers on TikTok).
Ally creates a safe and open space where she and her guests organically grapple with the myriad daily tribulations and annoyances that threaten to “impede, deter, or outright destroy” them, as she herself has stated. From the brain tumor she was diagnosed with in 2021, to debilitating bouts of depression and anxiety brought on by both the diagnosis and several abusive relationships, alcoholism in her family and her parents’ divorce, Ally holds nothing back. She is a true example that there is “light at the end of the tunnel”, providing advice and guidance for so many going through similar struggles in young adulthood and beyond. She hopes to serve as a positive voice in creating change in the stigma around mental health. She is also very passionate about getting into modeling and building herself as a relatable, influential and empowering woman in the entertainment industry. On her free time, Ally loves listening to all types of music genres, cooking, hiking, golfing, pilates, yoga, movie nights, video gaming, shopping and playing with her adorable mini–Australian Shepherd, Bowie!
Ally welcome to OLC! It’s a pleasure to have you here. So why did you always want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?
- I grew up in a family where multiple family members worked in entertainment. My dad has worked in TV and sports since I was born. I have always loved the entertainment industry and spent years trying to figure out what my niche in the industry would be. I love music more than anything and majored in music business at USC and have worked in the industry for over 6 years. I took 3 months off this year and really reflected on where I wanted my career to go and what I wanted to do to make an impact in the entertainment industry. I have always been open about my experiences and my stories. I never hold back when talking to friends or family and have been in therapy for years. After going through one of the hardest years of my life I ended up leaving my job at the time and spending a few months trying to decide what would be next for me. In that time I realized how much I wanted to do something with my experiences and share them. I reached out to my mentor and she said that I should start a podcast and create a space to open up about everything I want to open up about and that was really when the idea came to fruition. Once I decided I was going to do it there was no stopping me and within 6 months Trying To Figure It Out went live!
So tell me about your incredible podcast “Trying To Figure It Out”?
- I started Trying To Figure It Out after going through one of the hardest years of my life. Even further from that I have been through a lot in my life but so has everyone. I really just wanted to create a space to talk about these things not in a therapy setting but in a space to dive into all subject matters. It is not only specific to my experiences. The podcast focuses on mental health, toxic friendships, toxic relationships, abuse, sexuality, sex and more. The podcast has taken off so fast and I am so grateful for that. It truly is a space to come together and continue to figure out life as we all try to do every single day.
You’ve had some amazing guests on your podcasts, which episode was the most memorable for you and why?
- This is such a hard question for me to answer! I am so grateful for every single guest I have had because each and every one of them have been so open and honest with me and I am so appreciative of that. I would say my most recent interview with cast members Colby, Madlyn and April from The Ultimatum on Netflix was one of my favorites because we actually traveled to Houston to interview them and it was the first time we took Trying To Figure It Out on the road. They were so amazing and such a pleasure to interview. Additionally, my interview with Haley Jakobson was really special to me because I try so hard to create a safe space for my guests to share and she ended up creating that for me and for the first time ever I came out and shared a very personal piece of information about being a survivor of abuse.
Who is someone you’d love to have as a guest and why?
- I have interviewed so many amazing guests this season and in my experience thus far there is no dream guest. I am so grateful that the guests I have interviewed have been so open and honest with me and the dream guest for me would be anyone who is willing to continue that momentum and be honest, authentic and help inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. But that being said, J. Cole would be an absolute dream for me to interview.
How do you ask or find guests to be on your podcast, and are any ever reluctant to be on because it’s such a personal topic?
- I have been really lucky to have found guests by reaching out via DM’s and through friends. I have met a lot of people through this process and am still trying to continue on this path of finding more guests who are willing to share such important stories. So far, no one has been reluctant to share. It has actually been the opposite. People have been really excited to open up and I think part of that is taping in my home studio has made it such a comfortable and safe space for people to open up so wholeheartedly.
You’re a big advocate for mental health, why is this subject so important to you, and why did you want to start a platform to discuss topics of mental health?
- This is such an important subject to me not only because I have struggled with my mental health for much of my life but also because mental health is so stigmatized and isn’t so comfortably talked about on a public platform. Sharing is healing for me and I wanted to create this space for myself but also for others, so we can all go through it together, feel less alone and be less hard on ourselves for not having life “all figured out”.
So what are some quick tips or advice you can give to Gen Z, to help them when they are feeling incredibly anxious or struggling with their mental health?
- I would say first and foremost give yourself so much empathy and compassion. Something I have been really focusing on lately is not being so hard on myself and giving myself the love I need in a hard moment. Additionally, if you are struggling do your absolute best to reach out to someone and that does not need to be a therapist. It can be a friend, family or even go out and listen to my podcast or other podcasts that focus on mental health to feel less alone. Lastly, filling your days with the things that make you feel even just a little bit better whether that’s going on a walk, cooking at home, having a movie night with a friend can all be great tools and resources to slow your mind down and give your body the rest and break that it may need in a really stressful / anxious time.
What advice can you give to someone who wants to start their own podcast, how do they begin and how do they start garner listeners?
- My best advice for someone wanting to start their own podcast would be to just tape an episode. You don’t need a super famous guest, you don’t need anything special. First step is to sit down and record and see what you come up with. That is what I did and the rest of the ideas all came flowing after. I am 4 months in and am still learning lessons every day but what I am most proud of is that I said I was going to start this podcast and I did it and have been consistent with it. With regards to gaining listeners, you just have to trust the process and keep posting content on all platforms and believe that if you have stories to share the listeners will follow. Post the content that you want to see and there will be people out there who want it too. There is a space for everyone and that is the beauty of social media!
Where can people find you and listen to this amazing podcast?
- You can follow me on Instagram @allypetitti and on TikTok @allypetitti and you can tune into Trying To Figure It Out on all platforms you get podcasts from and even more importantly my YouTube page for the video versions:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVvxtc1JyzMY5mjIpy_2xg
Trying to Figure it Out Podcast: Spotify I Apple Music I YouTube
