Own Your Currency

In 2014, Cierra Kaler Jones became a household name after Ciera was crowned with Miss New Jersey title as the second woman of color. Success did not come overnight, and Cierra candidly shared her personal struggles during and after her stardom. Following acclimation, she dedicated her year of service to offering free visual and performing arts lessons to students along the East Coast and advocating for equality in education. And she represented the great state of New Jersey in Miss America. As a great storyteller, she was a featured speaker at the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans and the Ted Talk series. Currently, Ciera is a rising scholar in social justice, minority, and urban education. She focuses on highlighting and amplifying the compelling stories of women of color that are often erased, distorted, or overshadowed by dominant, stereotypical, and deficit-based narratives. It was this very passion that led her to found the "Unlock Your Story" coaching and consulting business. She is "Dancing Her PHD." Please follow her on Instagram to find out more. Here is my conversation with Cierra.Follow Unlock Your Story @unlockyourstory and follow Cierra _cierrajade_

Dear Shakers,I am super pumped to have my first guest, Rashaida Melvin, an educator, entrepreneur, and dancer! Growing up in an environment where there was only one black teacher compelled Rashaida to realize the importance of an educational program where diverse voices are adequately reflected. She pursued a path to design an education system that is inclusive towards kids of different racial, ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds.Rashaida is a true diva. No matter what she does, she never gives up on her passion. She turned her passion into a business and became an owner of the DivaDance Studio. DivaDance Studio's philosophy is confidence and community building. Since Rashada took the reins of DivaDance Studio, she increased the clientele and featured on Good morning Washington. As an entrepreneur, Rashada truly appreciates the value of customers' feedback so that she can create a home where all aspiring dancers build confidence and friendship. Here is my conservation with Rashaida Melvin.My biggest takeaway from this conversation is that regardless where we are in live, we should always strive to keep our passion and hobbies alive! Because we never know that one day those hobbies can become our new ventures. Please Subscribe!

Welcome to own your currency podcast. I am your host Rayhan Asat, a lawyer, entrepreneur, and blogger.This is a platform to learn and engage with the stories of those who are pursuing excellence with hard work, resilience, and joy! Each story is unique, colorful, and full of life. By leaning into our individual experience, embracing our stories, we live our truth. Only then can we design our lives as we desire. In a series of conversations with my guests, we deconstruct their path to owning their currency and seizing the joy!For the first episode, I invited my friend Gabriela Esmeral to share my vision for Own Your Currency Podcast. Please subscribe to receive new episodes. For my blog, please visit ishkeup.com; Follow me on Instagram @ishakeup_rayhan and follow Gabriela @gabyesmeral