A Cup of Culture: Recent Episodes
Chhavi Mehra
Let's take a world tour and listen to some inspiring women from all around the world over a cup of coffee or tea.
In this episode, you’ll hear from your favorite host Chhavi, who will do the final wrap of season 1 of “A Cup of Culture” podcast. She will share some exciting news and big milestones like the number of downloads the podcast has had since its launch (thanks to all of you!), and the different countries people are tuning in from. Towards the end, she’ll also be playing some beautiful Moroccan tunes so you can experience Morocco with her.
Help her reach her $200 goal by supporting her “Buy Me a Coffee” campaign. These funds will her buy a good camera to record high-quality videos for all of you.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Lisa Malambri, who started modeling right after high school, and that allowed her to travel the world before putting her roots down in Los Angeles to pursue acting. During this time, she met her husband, an actor, who was being invited to a number of gaming events, and as her plus one, Lisa began to meet industry professionals and cultivate friendships, which kickstarted her career in hosting and commentating for esports.
Lisa shares how being a woman in this industry continues to be a battle she fights everyday because it’s heavily gatekept by men. She also opens up about her recent diagnosis of ADHD, and how that has encouraged her to slow down and take better care of herself, given the demanding nature of her work and the responsibilities that come with being a mother and a wife.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- Just because someone is acting differently doesn’t mean it is about you. Everyone is fighting their own battles. So have empathy for that.
- Do the best you can without letting other people’s behaviors impact you.
- If you want to get into the gaming industry, pick a game you love, learn it inside out, and make good content. And if you are a girl or a woman who is interested in this industry, know that you absolutely have the power to get your foot in the door.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Sarah Harvey, a chronic illness healer and a life coach who shares how the word “chronic illness” is often misunderstood in the medical community as a condition that is “incurable” or “persistent,” though she believes that “a chronic symptom diagnosed as an illness … is a way for our body to express itself because we’re not hearing it.”
Having been chronically ill herself, a trip to India where she learned about Ayurveda and “asanas” (yoga practices) was really transformative for Sarah; she not only healed herself, but now helps other people navigate through their healing journeys by identifying patterns and misalignments in their lives. Sarah also draws an interesting correlation between chronic illness and people-pleasing, and shares practical tips on how to set healthy boundaries.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- When you struggle to set healthy boundaries, tune into yourself and say, “Is this a full body yes for me?” If it’s not a “full” yes, it’s a no.
- Filling up our cup doesn’t always mean you do nothing. It can also mean pushing yourself to explore things that heal you, for example, a drive to the mountains.
- “How you treat yourself is a mirror reflection of how you’re going to allow someone else to treat you.”
Additional resources:
- If you’re interested in joining her workshop, click here.
- Also, check out her podcast, Not So Chronic.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Aliza Kazmi, born to immigrant parents in the Bay Area, is a former educator and a fierce advocate of empowering unheard and overlooked voices. As a brown Muslim woman growing up “in the thick of 9/11,” Aliza experienced a deep level of racism, sexism, and Islamophobia, and was constantly treated as an “other” or labeled as a “terrorist.”
Her different intersecting identities and a social psychology class she took in middle school sparked her curiosity to explore topics like implicit biases and learn how to combat those. Aliza currently works as the co-executive director at HEART, a national anti-harm, faith-driven organization with a mission to uproot gendered violence and advance reproductive justice, rooted in ethical frameworks and advocacy supporting health and safety of Muslim communities.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- Irrespective of your intersecting identities (whether you’re Black and Muslim or Queer and Muslim, etc.), you’re still Muslim and you belong.
- Engage on social media, read books, and connect with new and different people and surround yourself with like-minded people.
- Find safe and brave spaces where you can be yourself and be vulnerable, and ask questions from people who are willing to listen and receive you how you are.
Few additional resources:
- Request a workshop with HEART
- Sign up to join our reader community for the soon-to-be-published Sex Talk: A Muslim's Guide to Healthy Sex and Relationships
- Educational resources by HEART
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Colina Bruce, who has over a decade-long experience working in the nonprofit sector, specifically in education. Having grown up in an environment where she was oftentimes the only Black woman in her classroom or that her peers of color weren’t sought out due to lack of access and opportunity, shaped Colina to become a passionate advocate of education access and equity for all students.
Colina is now the CEO and founder of Noir Lux Candle Co., a Seattle-based candle-making company. She launched her candle-making business during the peak of the pandemic when people picked up different side hustles. Her biggest cheerleaders are her husband, her daughter, her mom, and her village of friends and family who believe in her vision.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- “What’s for you is for you. What you do nobody else can do the way that you do it.”
- Dream! But find a way to make that dream sustainable.
- You don’t have to commit to doing something fully until you feel ready to make that decision.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Kaylynn Parker, a licensed mental health therapist based in the state of Washington, who served eight years in the military as an aircraft mechanic. However, on her second deployment, she began to struggle mentally and emotionally and soon found out that she was “narcoleptic, and not remembering portions of my day is not safe not only for me but also my coworkers” so Kaylynn was medically retired from the Airforce.
During this time, she also sought a therapist whose support prompted her to become a mental health therapist too, though her road to becoming one wasn’t easy being a first-gen college student. Today, one of Kaylynn’s modalities involves being very honest and transparent with her clients to support them through anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other life challenges.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- If you don’t think a therapist is the right fit for you, you have the right to request a different one.
- You’re not alone. You might have more things in common with people with shared trauma than you might realize at the time.
- Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a “massive strength.”
Few additional resources:
- If you’re thinking about self-harm, please seek help here.
-
If you are from a minority background, here’s a some tools for you:
-
Therapy for Black Girls
- Multicultural Counselors
Music attribution:
-
Music provided by Lofi Girl
-
Listen: bit.ly/lofigirI-playlists
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from yours truly Chhavi, your host of “A Cup of Culture” podcast where she shares how her anxiety can sometimes get in the way of continuing to produce awesome podcasts with the support of all of you. She also shares some pieces of advice offered to her by her friends to help her through such difficult times. And most importantly, she hopes that you take a moment to breathe, take it all in, and celebrate how far you’ve come in life.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Sage Ke'alohilani Quiamno, a passionate DEI advocate since she first started to notice systemic disparities in education and access to opportunities for people from historically excluded backgrounds in her school. As a young woman of color and as a Native Hawaiian, Sage struggled to find a sense of belonging in different workplaces when she realized that she wasn’t getting paid and promoted like her white, male colleagues.
In her role as a global DEI leader at Amazon, Sage strives to bring everyone together through an Indigenous lens and an ever-evolving inclusive framework. Sage is also a board member of the Hawai’i People's Fund, a grassroots organization that helps fight for social change in Hawai’i on issues like environmental justice, women’s health, and white supremacy.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- Educate yourself about the culture and history of Hawai’i. If you visit Hawai’i, donate a small portion (5-10%) of your travel budget to organizations like Hawai’i People’s Fund to give back to the Hawai’ian land, to the people, and the communities who are working tirelessly to keep Hawai’i beautiful.
- Support women of color and people of color by reading and supporting their content to pay ode to the DEI language and framework they’ve provided us with.
- Inclusion is a daily practice.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Diana Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Canadian entrepreneur born and raised in Montreal, who decided to reunite with her love – her love for food and cooking during the pandemic. Her Instagram live about her fluffy dumplings prompted her audience to ask her, “Oh, are you gonna sell this?” Thanks to social media, support from family and friends, and rising conversations about people supporting home businesses, “Hungry Diana” was born.
Diana describes her fluffy dumplings as – If soup dumplings and steamed dim sum buns had a baby! In her catering, Diana has been very intentional about showcasing more Vietnamese food as a nod to her culture. What’s one food item she’d be happy to eat for the rest of her life? Rice and eggs, she says, because it’s so comforting and reminds her of her childhood.
Craving some fluffy dumplings? Head over to @hungrydiana now and place your orders!
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- Take the leap. It’s scary, but you won’t regret it.
- Learn from your mistakes. Get back up. Once you get there, you get even more passionate about what you love, and it just never stops.
- Be intentional about pronouncing the names of cultural foods right out of respect to the food, the culture, and the people of that country.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Eula Scott Bynoe, a DEI advocate and “a revolutionary energy” who isn’t afraid to speak up about issues that don’t benefit everyone. Though she has had quite a few “hiccups” with white women in her life, today, one of her biggest challenges is how to parent and survive the workplace, especially after having lost both her husband and her mother in 2020. “I’ve had tons of support,” she adds, though she struggled at first to ask for help.
Both Eula and her son are now on a path of healing and share an understanding that, “When we are in bad moods or we’re having a hard time, it’s a group effort, it’s a group move.” A trained doula and birth educator, Eula also shares her insights on how doula care can help in both a positive labor and overall birthing experience, recalling her own personal experience.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- Find a support group because it can allow you to show up for you and others and vice-versa.
- Be super patient with yourself, especially during times of loss and grief.
- Ask for help. Sometimes, it may not show up in the way you want. Other times, you may not need it because you are well capable of doing it on your own; you just need to step into your full power.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Caroline Guzman. Born to Colombian parents in New York City, Caroline shares a deep curiosity for animals, though her path to turn this curiosity into a career wasn’t easy. “There are companies that pay you three months later, how can you not be anxious?” She adds. From thinking about becoming a theater actress to behind-the-camera journalist to finally realizing that she loves taking pictures of wildlife and educating people about the environment – led her to become a wildlife journalist. Caroline credits her college capstone project for her feature in the WaterBear Network, think of Netflix but for animals.
Catch her behind the lens at @imcarolineguzman and also check out her YouTube wildlife series, “Wild Urban Tails.”
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- Think of caring for the planet as “This is how we take care of us.”
- Question everything around you. What is it made of? Where does it come from?
- You don’t need to go far to see the wildlife. You might just find them at your nearest trail, or your nearest park, or who knows even your own backyard!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, you’ll hear from Faten Triki. Born and raised in Tunisia, Faten moved to France to pursue her master’s in marketing. Her nickname in high school, “The future photographer” and the pictures she took of her friends and the places she traveled to together had sown a seed of photography in her. “I love being behind the camera,” says Faten, who decided to pick up her photography in 2020 (during the peak of Covid-19). Today, Faten, who was once “wasn’t good at talking to strangers,” is among the most appreciated and beloved photographers in Paris.
And if you’re in or around Paris craving some beautiful photos of yourself, check out Faten’s Insta handle @fatentriki and support her @artists.of.paris page.
Her few nuggets of wisdom:
- You get better by doing the thing you want to do.
- Start as soon as possible. Start now!
- Try different things because they might just become a hobby.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message
In this episode, I briefly introduce myself and talk about what "A Cup of Culture" is. It's a podcast with only one goal in mind: To chase and empower the stories of amazing, badass women from around the world who are making the world a better place. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and join me on this journey across the globe!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/acupofculture/message