IVY RIVERA
name: ivy rivera
occupation: radio tv personality
age you feel: i feel my age which is 23
CAREER
GGNYC: tell us a bit about how you got into what you're doing now
IR: when i was a teen i was very into celebrity news, so i started a blog, and while i was creating this blog i felt like my voice wasn't being heard the way i wanted it to be... so i thought to myself "how can i give a listener or viewer my exact point of view, where they don't have to question my actual tone". that got me to pursue an internship at brooklyn college in the radio department, which helped me land my own radio show two years ago. my show is called tea-time radio, it airs from brooklyn college, its syndicated to a network in washington dc and it's also a podcast on itunes.
GGNYC: what has radio brought your way since?
IR: it has opened up doors for other correspondent work for different outlets like BET Networks and Latina Magazine. i really can't even speak on any strategy for all this because i'm still trying to figure it out myself!
GGNYC: our path is always being revealed to us! tell us some topics you discuss on the show
IR: since my show is once a week, i always do highlights of what happened during the week leading up to the new show. things like celebrity news and anything that has gotten a buzz on social media. i always bring in guests and discuss fun topics. it's a really dope show, i'm proud to say it's definitely funny and entertaining!
GGNYC: what's your favorite work as a host that you've done so far
IR: well, the thing that i'm most proud of so far just happened, which was me hosting inside the cypher for the BET hip hop awards. i went behind the scenes and gave the viewers all-access to this legendary cypher that has gone down for 10 years. i got to meet rap stars like busta rhymes, black thought and defsquad to name a few. it was an unforgettable and humbling experience. i feel blessed.
GGNYC: that's amazing! where do you see your brand in five years
IR: {laughs} man! ideally i'd be sitting on millions! but i really can't answer that because each year i say this is my year, this is my year, and life switches gears on me... the good thing is that i continue to discover myself which is what matters. in five years i'll hopefully be closer to my dreams than i am now! who knows, maybe i'll act-- i like to keep my lanes completely open.
STYLE
GGNYC: there's a fire in your apartment and you can only save three items from your closet, what are they
IR: my fur coat, my biggie sweatshirt and a pair of high-waisted jeans
GGNYC: what's one thing that you would want to pass down to your future daughter
IR: i'd pass down this ring my dad bought me for my 16th birthday. it has so much sentimental value that i'd want this for her. i'd like it to be a family jewel
GGNYC: whose closet would you raid
IR: laura govan! i love her style. she is so fly! i love looking at her instagram. she's very versatile.
GGNYC: who would you want to do a clothing brand collabo with
IR: that's a good question! i would collab with nasty gal. they have so many fly things.
GGNYC: what is one beauty product you cannot live without
IR: my eyebrow pencil! i cannot live without it. my eyebrows need to be on fleek at all times {laughs} ... if you're eyebrows are jacked up you could have been a 10 but missed it be an eyebrow (pun intended)
JUST FOR FUN
GGNYC: what's your favorite song to be seduced to
IR: because i have such a vivid memory of it, it would have to be janet jackson's anytime any place... {laughs}
GGNYC: what's your favorite sound
IR: a candle burning... the little crackling sound it makes. i think it's sexy
GGNYC: name your poison: twitter, snapchat, instagram, facebook...
IR: damn! i am super addicted to instagram! i don't even have a snapchat because i promised myself i didn't want another social addiction because i know myself. im on instagram all the time for no reason!
GGNYC: tell us one of your favorite accounts to follow on instagram
IR: the game... he's so funny and loves to start trouble. it's so entertaining! i also think he's so fine! even though he looks like a pitbull, but he's so fine!
GGNYC: bey is featuring you in her next big single, what do you name the track
IR: if she's featuring me - first of all she's making a mistake {giggles} because my ass cannot sing! but i can be her hype man. we can call it poppin' bi**es only
GGNYC: tell us a spot in nyc that you love
IR: i'm still exploring nyc even though i was born and raised here... but to chill and eat i love sea which is in williamsburg. if i want to turn up i'll go to the griffin on a monday
LETS GET PERSONAL
GGNYC: describe your best sex in one word
IR: unexplainable
GGNYC: finish this sentence: when i was a kid ________
IR: i was really daring. i was very open to trying new things... i did things my way no matter what. but at the same time i was a good kid. so there was balance.
GGNYC: when was the last time you had a good cry and what was it about
IR: actually it was a few months ago, i had stayed over my best friends house and we had been talking about our dreams and aspirations. i must have manifested something, because the next morning i get up and get this random email from MTV. and i got so chocked up! happy tears
GGNYC: we believe in the power of manifestation! now tell us what scares the shit out of you
IR: me... i scare myself because i hold the key to my future. i know that i can be easily distracted because i'm passionate about everything in my life and i can't multitask. so if i'm dedicating my attention to one thing i can lose the other. its a weakness. and i pray that i learn to maintain a balance as my career continues to flourish.
GGNYC: what's something about yourself that you're currently working on
IR: my patience and learning to compromise. i'm very impatient and that bites me in the ass... especially in love. in this industry its difficult to have something steady with somebody... and me, i'm a little crazy! i blame it on being latina {laughs} ... so my impatience and my pride can lead me to giving up on things with someone easily. even if i dont want things to end.
GGNYC: what's something you've done for love that might be seen as crazy
IR: i booked a ticket to los angeles... it was a long distance relationship. i had to show him that i was there for him and loved him, so i saved up my coins and flew out there to see him. but when i got there it was so crazy because it was so wack... we argued so much. he was texting girls next to me, it was ridiculous. he was such an asshole! that kinda left me scarred. i'm cautious about going out of the way for men like that again.
GGNYC: what's one thing you've made peace with about yourself
IR: that i'm really a work in progress... i've made peace with learning who i am and accepting my imperfections. i think once you're in-tune with yourself everything in life is easier because you know what works for you.
GGNYC: last question, what would you tell your 14 year old self
IR: don't be intimidated by what other people have, because i was always insecure about the next girl--- her looks, her outfits, if she had more money than me... and it just turns out that years down the road you look at the same girl and you think to yourself why the hell was i jealous of her?... i would teach my younger self to have more confidence in what she has.