Next Gen NYC's Ava Dash on Finding Independence, Owning Mistakes, and Forgiving Her Parents

August 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Ava Dash grew up in a family where her father, Damon Dash, made his first million at 19 and her mother, Rachel Roy, ran a corner office. But what she really wanted was to pay her own bills. “Being independent for me has always been so important,” she tells Carl Radke on More Life. That drive for self-sufficiency became the organizing principle of her young adulthood — and the key to repairing a fractured relationship with her dad.

Independence as a Path to Better Relationships

Dash says she and her father didn’t have a strong bond until she was about 21. The turning point wasn’t a heart-to-heart conversation; it was financial independence. “At that point he wasn’t paying for anything for me anymore,” she explains. “I was able to just be around him in the capacity of like, you’re my dad and I want to be here because I love you and I want to hang out with you. Not because I feel like I have to, not because you’re holding something over my head.”

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of More Life with Carl Radke

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (01:48) **More Life Mantra & Ava's "What's Meant for Me" Philosophy** - Carl explains how "more life" evolved from a drunken catchphrase into a sober mantra, and Ava shares her core belief that rejection is a sign something wasn't meant for her.
2 (03:34) **Why She Started Modeling: From $12/Hour Retail to a $2,000 Day** - Ava reveals the financial motivation that launched her modeling career after working at Brandy Melville.
3 (04:24) **Who Ava Is Beyond Her Famous Parents** - Ava addresses the assumptions people make about her because of Damon Dash and Rachel Roy, and what they get wrong.
4 (07:17) **A Glimpse Into a High-Powered Childhood** - Ava describes her early years, from watching her mom be "the boss with the corner office" to attending concerts and fashion shows with her dad.
5 (11:04) **The Turning Point: Gaining Independence from Her Dad** - Ava explains how cutting off financial dependence at age 21 was the key to building a healthy, authentic relationship with her father.
6 (15:22) **The Divorce: Happy as a Kid, Conflicted as an Adult** - Ava reveals she was actually happy when her parents divorced at age eight, while Carl grapples with the conflicting feeling of being the product of a failed marriage.
7 (17:04) **Growing Up Fast: The "Second Mom" Role** - Ava details the heavy responsibilities she took on as an older sibling, including potty training her sister.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Carl Radke

Show Notes

Ava Dash grew up with two seriously accomplished parents, but from a young age, she was determined to build a life and identity of her own. The Ford model and Bravo Next Gen NYC star sits down with Carl for an honest conversation about fighting for her independence, growing up fast, and learning to see her parents — hip-hop legend Damon Dash and fashion designer Rachel Roy — as people rather than just her parents.

Ava opens up about her parents’ divorce, taking on a “second mom” role to her younger siblings, and the moment she realized that becoming financially independent changed her relationship with her dad. She also talks about learning to forgive, letting go of grudges, and finding peace with the things she can’t change.

Plus, Ava gets candid about what she’s learned from being on reality TV, owning a mistake from Season 1, navigating a breakup in front of the cameras, what she’s looking for in her next relationship, and the Bravolebrity who gave her advice along the way. And, of course, she shares some behind-the-scenes Next Gen NYC goss.

Sponsors:

AG1: For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at DRINKAG1.com/RADKE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices