Midnight (R)Evolution

On today's episode with talk with Chuan-Chi Chan.  Chi is a lighting designer, Local 52 lighting programmer, and one of the most unique and interesting people I have ever met.  Whether she is exploring different forms of art, rock climbing with friends, or developing her own podcast, Chi moves through life with determination, authenticity, and insatiable curiosity.  Today we talk to Chi about her journey with her own mental health, including her diagnosis with Type 2 Bipolar Disorder. Content Note: Mental Health, Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation, Bipolar Disorder.

In August's episode we talk with Marina Bluvshteyn.  Marina is a vivacious person wearing many hats in life —including being a dog mom of 2, boy mom of 3, and operations manager in the healthcare sphere. She is passionate about her various identities, including being a Ukrainian New Yorker. In her own words she: “stands by science, facts, equity, and Oxford commas.” She moves through life with a smidge of confidence, a dash of determination, and no shortage of utter hilarity.  In today's episode Marina talks about the importance of nurturing a relationship, and her evolution with learning how to actually do it!

In this special one-on-one episode, Malasa and Katherine take a meandering journey: wrestling with vulnerability,  reflecting on our place in generational cycles, and what it means to evolve within the grander schemes of life.  What starts as a somewhat amorphous idea for a Mother's Day episode turns into an incredibly honest conversation about our individual and shared past, present, and future. Note that midway through the episode, a name has been bleeped out for privacy.

On episode 20 we get to hear from Lorraine Buhannic.  Lorraine is a talent leader and executive coach.  She works as a Chief People Officer at Orchard and is a leadership coach and consultant for individuals and companies.  Born and raised in Paris before transplanting to New York City, Lorraine is the eldest of five siblings, a passionate home-cook and farmer's market devotee, a fan of crossword puzzles, and a Brooklynite.  In her own life and in her coaching, Lorraine centers the deepening of self-understanding, striving to live the fullest expression of herself.  Today we talk to Lorraine about how her journey led her to choosing single motherhood.

On today's episode we talk to Neha Thatte.  Neha is a director of innovation in the sustainable consumer products space, and a mom to a precocious and delightful two-year-old boy.  When she's not mommy-ing or working, you might find her 'dressed to the nines' and sharing drinks in a nice bar with her husband.  Today we talk to Neha about unlearning harmful narratives to find freedom and self-worth.

We are back! On today's episode we talk about why we took a long break. Katherine opens up about her recent experiences with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks - and outlines her ongoing journey back to her Self. We discuss different methods of recovery and healing such as acupuncture, Internal Family Systems therapy, and the importance of stillness and rest.

On today's episode, we talk to Min Um-Mandhyan. Min is a working mom to an active ten-year-old boy and a wife to a person she calls: "the most optimistic person on the planet." In addition to her professional career, she is serious about her running, racking up 800 miles last year during the pandemic. Min currently works at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine as the senior director of alumni relations and development. Prior to her work in higher education, she worked in the sexual assault/domestic violence field in New York City. Though Min often has a calm demeanor, she brings a relentless passion to her life and work and is focused on creating equity by uplifting those who are less heard. Today we talk to Min about the myth of "imposter's syndrome."

On today's episode we talk to Elly Correia. Elly is a former personal trainer with deep interests in body image, wellness culture, and movement; she is a senior customer success manager at a start-up, a wife, and a dog-mom to two German Shepherds. Like most of us, Elly has had challenges and realizations over a lifetime-journey towards personal growth and self-love; and she generously shares her story in the hopes of normalizing and connecting with others. We talk with Elly about how perfectionism has manifested in her life, and how she has reconnected with her intuition to combat it. Content Note: Discussions around disordered eating.

On today's episode, we talk to Malasa's sister: Mallika Jois. Mallika is an amazing Advanced Practice Nurse specializing in Palliative Care and Hospice. Before she entered this field, Mallika had many years of experience as an intensive care and trauma nurse. Nursing can be a grueling field, and one thing that helped her persevere was developing her yoga practice; she is now also a certified yoga teacher. Mallika's thoughtful and sincere approach allows her to connect with and care for others; she now uses this gift to treat her patients as they deal with terminal diagnoses and transition from the physical world. We talk to Mallika today about how she understands, and even embraces, concepts around death and dying.

Valérie Thérèse Bart is a proud, self-proclaimed "Franco-VietnAmericaine." Born in France to Vietnamese refugee parents, she and her family eventually made their way to the US. Valérie draws on her multi-faceted origins to enrich the storytelling through her work as a costume and sometimes scenic designer for theatre, opera, film, and television. Valérie is also a wife, mother of two young children, and an activist in her many circles. In this episode, Valerie explores how her origin story has shaped who she is today. *Episode Note: a medical term was misidentified. The correct terminology is Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

It's season 2, ya'll! Today we talk to Dr. Anum Saeed. Anum Saeed is a Cardiologist, Lipidologist and physician scientist. Through her advanced training she unravels ways to keep hearts healthy and prevent cardiovascular disease. Though her work digs deep into medical science you may also see her playing tennis, spending meaningful time with family, or sharing thoughtful inspirational quotes. She pauses to notice the beauty of nature, to bring her full presence to connect with friends, and contemplate the deeper meaning in life. Dr. Saeed spends just as much time caring for spiritual life as she does a physical one. Today we talk to Anum about the intersection of spirituality and science. Image Description: A graphic slide with a photograph of a woman with long dark hair, sunglasses, and a smile reaching one hand up to a large white rose above, tipping its face down to greet her. Text in pink and white over dark blue reads: Midnight Revolution: Episode 13: I Hope You Believe. With Malasa and Kaherine, and special guest Dr. Anum Saeed." Small text to the right of the photo reads: "I hope that from this day on you believe in yourself. Believe even when no one else does. Believe that the human mind and body are the finest and most adaptable machines capable of immense work, love, and kindness. Believe in your gifts whether it's your talent, your patience, your wealth, your time, your jokes, your strength, or your love, and give it to the service of those who need it the most - there are plenty. Find your mission and stay on. Don't think small: this year, go big."

On Today's episode we talk to Arizona Newsum about the importance of deep, plutonic relationships. Arizona is a Black, queer creator, Italian-speaker, soccer fan and footballer, moped enthusiast, world traveler, dog lover, film and television producer, art department coordinator, and an advocate for social change. She has coordinated for numerous productions including Orange is The New Black and Power, and has produced shorts and documentary series including Driver Radio Jamaica. Today we talk to Arizona about the people in our lives that we choose.

On Today's Episode we talk to Dr Nithya Natrajan. Nithya is a mother of three, a Family Medicine physician, and an entrepreneur. She melds her medical training with special training in infertility, gynecologic care, lactation counseling, and breastfeeding medicine in her own practice - Blossoming Mamas. She is also on the inaugural board of the Center for 4th Trimester Care, a Content Expert and writer for the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education, and a moderator for Dr. MILK. Nithya co-hosts Masala Chai with Dr. Aunties (a YouTube Channel focused on 4th trimester care and parenting) and Vestal Spark: Igniting the Firestorm (a podcast about reclaiming feminine intuition and finding balance). Today we talk to Nithya about how empowering people who give birth is at the heart of how we heal our society.

It's March and our Tenth Episode! We thought it was only fitting to chat with Jessica Ennis. Jess is the essential friend that completed our trio of besties in high school. She was integral to that time when we began to explore our identities and values together - and our friendship has continued to evolve and remains a touchstone for all of us today! Jess is a doctor of veterinary medicine, an entrepreneur, a wife and mother of two, a creative in music, art, and food, and an all-around lover of animals and people. We talk with Jess about what brought us together in those early years, and what she does now and why.

On today's episode we talk to Sheyam Ghieth. Sheyam is one of those people that challenges and inspires you in every way, simply by living and breathing her own brilliant truth. Whether it's creating art that celebrates the word 'queer' in Arabic, offering generous feedback, highlighting meaningful and often overlooked causes/people/events, or drawing (literally drawing) philosophical lessons from the neighborhood cat, Sheyam shows us what the journey to living authentically is all about. We talk to Sheyam today about what it means to her to push past fear in order to live and speak your authentic truth.

This early drop is in honor of anyone struggling this holiday season. On today's episode we talk to special guest Kim Chu about grief. She shares her experiences as a caretaker for her parents, the experience of a parent with dementia, and of loss. Kim describes how she has used creativity and art to move with and through her experiences. Kim Chu is a mama of two amazing children, a lifestyle birth and family photographer, and an early childhood arts educator. She's passionate about capturing the authentic art of the moment- the beautiful, the messy, and all that's in-between. Whether it is seeing the beauty of a moment through a lens, or writing heartfelt personal essays, Kim is constantly finding the joy and light in life—even in times of darkness. You can find Kim @kimberlychuphoto.

This episode completes the two-part series where Malasa and Katherine ask each other the question: what do you do and why? In episode 7 we focus on Katherine's journey to becoming a set designer, as well as how challenges have inspired her to live wider than her job.

This episode covers the first of a two-part series where Malasa and Katherine ask each other the question: what do you do and why? In episode 6 we focus on Malasa's personal journey in medicine as well as the big picture context of our systems of education and healthcare that reflect our society's often misaligned priorities and principles.

Malasa, Katherine, and special guest Maria K. Fabila talk about Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) identity, how it has informed their friendship and their lives, and how it has evolved from their high school days to today. Maria is an artist, mother, and wife, a nature nerd, an activist, a roller skater, music lover, and a constant doodler. On Instagram, she describes herself as a "wobbly dancer, and scrappy idealist." Maria currently works as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator on Tongva land, AKA the Los Angeles area. Whether she is spreading the word on fast fashion, promoting Indigenous sovereignty, or observing bugs with her kids, Maria's AAPI identity as a Filipino-American informs how she moves through the world. You can find Maria @so_swooky and @mmmkf.

Malasa and Katherine, and special guest Abbey Day, talk about what Creativity means to them, how we are all creative beings, and how we can harness creativity to empower ourselves and each other in big and small ways. Abbey Day fosters creativity in her personal and professional life - from working in museum education, to teaching kids at her school about art and meditation, raising a rambunctious free-spirited daughter, guiding yoga classes on the side, and carrying around watercolor pens and pads of paper to sketch quotidian scenes in Hawaii - Abbey finds inspiration every day.

Malasa and Katherine and special guest Mirelle Phillips talk about what Daily Peace means to them, and how they attempt to navigate the messy everyday to drop into the moment. About Mirelle: As the Founder and CEO of Studio Elsewhere, a design and technology company that develops interactive, multi-sensory hospital environments to aid in the diagnostics and treatment of brain diseases, Mirelle literally studies and reimagines the idea of Daily Peace in her work. You can find out more about Mirelle via Instagram @studio_elsewhere @mirelle_phillips.

Malasa and Katherine talk about personal struggles with fear of failure, perfectionism, and fixed mindset, and the hard-earned shifts in narrative that can unlock our minds.

Malasa and Katherine introduce both their friendship's and their podcast's origin stories, and answer the question: Why Are We Friends?