From Wall Street to Human-Centric Podcasting: Big Law Veteran Launches ‘MY FIRST YEAR’ Podcast Series

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sophia Media, a Rhode Island–based independent media company, has officially unveiled MY FIRST YEAR, a brand-new collection of interview podcasts focused on transformative personal journeys. The series is created and executive produced by Sophia Media founder Joyce Sophia Xu. Xu is a former Big Law partner who has devoted over two decades to establishing and leading top global derivatives law practices. Now she brings a new creative vision to life: a podcast series providing a human-centered, soulful antidote to hyper-polarized public discourse and AI-driven content.

With more than 60 interviewees representing a broad spectrum of backgrounds, the series examines themes of love, grief, identity, connection, healing and self-discovery. Current shows include MY FIRST YEAR (The Anthology), where listeners can find pilot episodes on different “first year” experiences, and five different themed podcasts – MY FIRST YEAR IN AMERICA, MY FIRST YEAR AS A MOTHER, MY FIRST YEAR AS A FATHER, MY FIRST YEAR WITH MY DOG AND MY FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE.

To bring this ambitious series to life, Xu assembled a premier production and creative team. The team includes senior producers Gabbie Watts, Samira Tazari, and Rosabelle Heine, who had honed their craft at places such as NPR, iHeartRadio, and Wondery, a talented group of co-hosts, creative director Shareen Anderson, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and founder of the Mystic Film Festival, and composer Nana Simopoulos, a leading creator in world fusion and modern global jazz.

“I came into this project with a deep curiosity about real, unfiltered human stories,” said Xu, who co-hosts most of the episodes, “but I didn’t know I was going to witness so much beauty of the human spirit. I’ve come away from every interview moved, inspired, and optimistic. Much of my legal career has involved matters of the mind—connecting the dots through logic and reason. With MY FIRST YEAR, I get to focus on matters of the heart. I get to build a platform for genuine, heart-centered human connection. That feels particularly important and consequential to me in this era of rampant AI-generated content and polarizing public discourse.”

Developed following Xu’s pandemic transition from New York to Rhode Island, the series launched this summer and is now streaming across all major podcast platforms. Listeners can explore episodes and show details at SophiaMedia.co/MyFirstYear.

About Sophia Media
Sophia Media is an independent media company dedicated to enhancing human connection one conversation at a time.

Press Contact

Yanni Yang
Sophia Media
Yanni@SophiaMedia.Co

MY FIRST YEAR (The Anthology) Video Trailer

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