Flourish with Floriana

Welcome to a special episode of our podcast where we're joined by Maddie Dougherty, a dedicated MSc Candidate specializing in Health Promotion at Western University. Together, we're peeling back the curtain on the master's experience, revealing five invaluable insights we wish we had known before embarking on this academic journey. From navigating research to balancing work and study commitments, Maddie and I share our firsthand experiences and hard-earned wisdom to help you thrive in your own master's program. Whether you're just starting out or already deep into your studies, this episode promises to equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to succeed. Tune in and let's conquer the challenges of master's together!

In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the journey of pursuing a PhD with Varsha Vasudevan, a passionate PhD candidate. Varsha shares her firsthand experiences, challenges, and triumphs on the pathway to obtaining a doctorate. We explore the decision-making process behind embarking on a PhD, the academic and personal growth along the way, and the invaluable lessons learned. Join us as we uncover the joys and complexities of navigating the exciting world of doctoral research with Varsha.

In this episode, join us for an inspiring journey with Demo Kaltabanis as he shares the keys to soaring beyond socioeconomic challenges and realizing academic dreams. Discover the resilience, determination, and transformative mindset that propelled Demo to overcome obstacles and reach new heights in education. Get ready to be uplifted and motivated as we delve into his empowering story of triumph against all odds. Tune in for a conversation that proves dreams can indeed take flight, even in the face of adversity. In this episode, you'll learn: Resilience Strategies: Explore practical approaches and resilience techniques that Demo employed to navigate and overcome socioeconomic challenges. Mindset Shifts: Discover the transformative mindset shifts that played a crucial role in Demo's academic success, and how you can apply them to your own journey. Triumph Over Adversity: Gain insights into Demo's personal triumphs over adversity, showcasing the power of determination and perseverance in the pursuit of academic dreams. Practical Tips for Success: Uncover actionable tips and advice for overcoming obstacles on your own academic journey, drawing inspiration from Demo's experiences. Empowering Stories: Hear firsthand accounts and empowering stories that illustrate the limitless potential within each individual, regardless of socioeconomic background. Thanks for tuning in! Make sure you hit the follow button for more episodes that unlock the secrets to overcoming obstacles and reaching your educational goals. With gratitude, Floriana

In this episode, I speak with the lovely Boshra Bahrami. Originally from Iran, Boshra served as a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist, working with children and adults facing various communication impairments. Boshra decided to move to Canada two years ago, where she pursued her Master's of Science Degree in Speech-Language Sciences at Western University. I came across Boshra's work through a Western News article titled, "Why learning animal sounds can be crucial to children's language development". As an auntie, I didn't realize that mimicking the sounds of cats and dogs had the ability to promote language development and cognition to the little ones in my life. I was so intrigued that I reached out to Boshra, and a wonderful connection was made! Boshra and I discuss her experiences in the field of Speech Language Pathology, and she walks me through a day in her life. I hope you enjoy this episode and learn something new about this incredible field! Please feel free to hit that like button if you like these career chat-style episodes :)

As a first-year graduate student, I wanted to take this episode to share my tips & advice on how to prepare yourself for grad school. If you're thinking about attending, or if you have been accepted & about to attend, or if you're currently in the midst of your program, I hope you learn something useful from this episode. I know it's not easy, but I share with you my biggest lessons on how I got clear on my decision to attend grad school in the first place and the resources that I lean on to help me get through it. Follow me on Instagram @flourishwithfloriana to help you along your journey! Wishing you all the best in your studies! Believe in yourself. You're amazing, you're intelligent & you got this :)

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Tim Pychyl on procrastination. A faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), Dr. Pychyl and his students devote their attention to understanding why and how we can sabotage our best intentions with needless delay. In addition to numerous journal articles, conference presentations and edited books such as Procrastination, Health & Well-Being (2016) and Counseling the procrastinator in academic settings(2004), he is the author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Positive Change (Tarcher/Penguin, 2013). As a university professor, Dr. Pychyl is a passionate and talented teacher who has received numerous awards including Canada's prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship. Given his interest in integrating research and teaching, he has taken his research focus on procrastination beyond journals and books to include a comic strip and podcasts at his website procrastination.ca.

Welcome back to Season 2 Episode 1 of Flourish with Floriana!! Season 1 was truly great and iconic. For my return, I have brought one of my best friends, Tamara (aka TAM), to discuss all things SUMMER. What do we need to implement into our lives to truly flourish this year? We give you a 5-step guide to follow to be THAT PERSON for the summer time (and all the time of course). Love you!! Follow me on Insta @floriana.sherifi :)

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) Shauna Wallace joins me in a discussion about how food and fitness have become methods of self-punishment. Founder and Clinical Director of Equilibrium Psychotherapy, Shauna's practice uses a holistic and trauma-informed approach to compassionately address which thoughts and actions around food, body and movement are keeping individuals stuck. In this episode, Shauna highlights the importance of integrating food and movement in a non-judgmental, sensitive and custom-tailored way. You can follow Shauna on Instagram @equilibriumpsych. To chat with Shauna and book a consult, you can email her at shauna@equilibriumpsych.com Disclaimer: The information in this episode should not be relied on as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health pertaining to disordered eating and exercise, always consult with a physician or other health-care professional.

What transforms an ordinary day into an extraordinary one? You do. Your mindset. Your eyes. Your gratitude. Your appreciation for life. Our limited time on Earth is reason enough to find little moments of happiness for yourself within your ordinary routine. What's ordinary about waking up to a new day? It's EXTRAordinary because you have been blessed with a new opportunity to live in this world. To feel the sun on your face. To tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. You see what I did there? I just showed you how to unlock the ordinary by adding in that “extra”. Through gratitude and your mindset. Your life is only as good as you believe it to be. There is beauty around you, you just need to be willing to see it. You can follow me on Instagram @flourishwithfloriana to let me know what you thought about this episode. I hope it brought a smile to your face and acts as a beacon of light in your day.

In this episode, I have Pirouz Kiani discuss his experiences with being a Masters of Chemistry student in Calgary. He provides some insight into how he had to let go of familial pressures and find his true passion. Pirouz gives great tips on how he stays focused in grad school and on top of his student game through some techniques, self-awareness and a productive routine. Let us know how you enjoyed the episode on my Instagram @flourishwithfloriana

In this episode, I have Senada Kiani join me in a discussion about imposter syndrome. She shares her experiences with imposter-like feelings in the workplace and how they affected her mental health. We share stories about the workplace and offer solutions to overcoming these imposter feelings. Whether you are a working professional, student and/or in a relationship, this episode will resonate with your feelings of inadequacy. Your feelings of never being good enough for that role, that grade, or that partner/friend. I hope that this episode helps you incorporate daily practices and habits to affirm that you are worthy and that you are deserving of all the success and happiness that you have.

In this episode, I discuss the negative impacts of mindlessly scrolling on social media (also known as zombie scrolling). We spend so much time swiping and scrolling through an abundance of online content, but we are learning so little. In this day and age where technology is at our fingertips, if not used appropriately, it can become harmful. When used in healthy doses and with intention, social media can be used as a wonderful tool to network and engage with those in the fields that interest us. We can also learn and expand our knowledge. Let's start to be more mindful of where we devote our time and energy, and start living life with more intention as opposed to living on autopilot.

In this week's podcast episode, I chat with Social Media Marketing Manager, Brittany. She is the business owner behind SociallyHer which is a boutique social media agency based in Dallas, Texas. Brittany chats all about her social media tips and tricks for small business owners and for those who are looking to grow their presence online. Make sure to follow her on Instagram @sociallyher. We also recorded this episode via video recording which you can find on my YouTube channel (Flourish with Floriana)!

In this episode, I chat with Mental Health Professional & Advocate, Nedrita Shemshedini on her new business, Spill the Tea Wellness Cafe. Nedrita talks about her passion for providing mental health support to the community, her “why” behind it all, and she explains the power that lies within being authentic and vulnerable. She discusses the barriers to mental health services and how she plans to overcome them with the launch of her new cafe that is dedicated to serving others and giving back to the community.

In this episode, I invited Arta Sherifi to speak about her expertise in Human Resources. Arta is the Vice President of Human Resources at Herjavec Group and she has 10+ years of experience in the field. She provides incredible insight into her role, and she discusses the impact of mentorship and the challenges she faced throughout her career. She also encourages job applicants to be themselves in interviews, and how they can confidently ask for a salary that they deserve. This episode will benefit every listener who needs advice when it comes to their career. If you have any questions or you're in need of help, please follow & reach out to me on my Instagram: @flourishwithfloriana

This episode is part of my new mini-series called, What Albanians Don't Talk About. This mini-series is dedicated to cover taboo-topics that Albanians do not publicly share. Many of us are still carrying childhood experiences into adulthood. Growing up in an Albanian household, it was evident that dating outside of the culture was not encouraged. While many may argue, “Hey it's 2021 - times have changed!”, I'm here to tell you that they have not. There are people from different cultures who face shame, guilt and opposition when it comes to dating outside of their culture. For this episode, I invite my dear friend, Narti Burani, to share his personal experiences with dating outside of his culture. He brings a fresh perspective to this topic, and despite his own struggles, he encourages others to love who they want to love. It's important to have conversations like these in order to help others know that they are not alone and how they can build up the courage to stand for who they love and how they want to live their lives.

The holiday season is upon us my friends, and it's time to get merry and bright. This season is all about gift-giving, which I love to do, however when was the last time you ever gifted yourself something during the holiday season? When was the last time you ever scheduled a nice date for yourself during this time? We are always the first to give, to take the shirts off our back, to put our sweat and tears into the holiday dinners, but where's the self love? Where is that holiday spirit when it comes to ourselves? In this episode, I provide you with 10 top self-care gifts that you can give to yourself this year. These gifts are a combination of items that you can buy and activities that you can do in the comfort of your own home. I know the holidays are a time to spend with family and there are gifts galore, but I also believe in the importance of giving the gift of love, compassion, and time to yourself. I hope you make the time this season to be with yourself and find some true joy in between all the craziness! Don't sweat the dinners, or the gifts for others. You made it to the end of another year. The greatest gift that many others were unable to experience. Be thankful for your life, be thankful for all of the growth and progress that you have made this year, and be grateful for all of the healthy loved ones around you. These gifts, the ones that have no price tag, are the most worthy of them all.

My friends, why do we feel so uncomfortable when it comes to discussing our wins? Are you aware of the positive impact that you make on a daily basis? Why is it so easy for us to support our loved ones but shrink ourselves? I'm tired! I deserve, you deserve, we ALL deserve to take up more space. In this episode, I discuss some practical ways that you can positively reflect on your accomplishments through positive self talk, the High Five Habit, and writing out a list of all that you do. We are caught up in the mistakes that we have made in the past, or the worrying thoughts for the future, but you are missing out on the here and now. You will never reach success, because success is in every present moment. It's in the here and now. There is no peak. It's a journey. I hope you enjoy this episode and that you learn to take up some space. Speak highly about yourself. Recognize the positive impact that you have, and how your presence is valuable to this life.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage. But what about me? Where do I fit into this mix? More often than not, our identity gets entangled in the roles of wife and mother, forgetting the person that we were before. In this episode, I chat with Emma Lumani Strazimiri about marriage, motherhood and the importance of putting oneself first. The only way that you can be there for others in the most healthy and loving way is if you provide health and love to yourself. Emma sheds some light on how motherhood has changed her and why so many mothers need to remember to make time for themselves.

In this episode, I talk about the evolution of marriage and what it has transformed into today. How much are we expecting out of our partners, and at what point should we start expecting ourselves to show up? I talk about some of my own flaws and the moments where I had to stop and take accountability for my own ridiculous expectations. No human is perfect and it takes real self-awareness and self-respect to be able to make your happiness your own responsibility. The more that you rely upon your partner and the more that you demand them to meet every expectation, the less control you have over your life. You are giving them complete power and placing your wellbeing directly into their hands. We wouldn't dare to do this from a friend, a family member, or a work colleague, so why should our partners be the exception? Recognize that you are two separate individuals that are perfectly capable of seeking alternative ways of finding peace and joy. To expect that out of one single person is unrealistic and unattainable. You will always be disappointed. Count on yourself, surround yourself with people who bring you joy, but never expect them to do the internal work for you.

Why were our dreams only the biggest and the brightest when we were kids? What happened along the way, and why are we undermining the value of creativity? In this episode, I dive into these questions and provide some insight on ways that we can all give ourselves the time and space to explore our creative side, let the juices flow, and get immersed in the process. I hope you find something so engaging that you forget yourself.

The relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship in your life. It is the most important and it needs to be nurtured. The same way that you check in with your best friends and family members is the same way you need to check in with yourself. Even more so. In this episode, I shed some light on how I incorporate daily check-ins with myself and how much it has helped me. I hope it will help you too, and make you realize how little time you dedicate to you alone. You matter! I matter! We got this.