The NDINI Podcast

In this episode, I will share the three key points you will need to remember to be able to build sustainable habits. These key points are way more effective long-term more than the temporary nature of relying on motivation and willpower alone. This episode wraps up our Habits series, as well as the year for the NDINI Podcast. I have a very special message at the end of this episode, so be sure to watch and listen until the end! I am eternally grateful to you for the support that you continue to give me, and that you continue to give this platform. I wish you the very best over this holiday season. I wish you a blessed,  safe, and peaceful holiday season, and I will see you in the new year!  Much love, Sandra

One of the things that I have learned in learning about behavior design is the power of habits, and that habits really are the foundation of success.  I didn't expect my learning about habits to literally be life changing. And so once I started down this path and started learning from BJ Fogg, I learned that he has one non-negotiable, -- the Maui habit.  And what the Maui habit is, is that every morning, as soon as you wake up, you say to yourself, "This is going to be a great day."  Regardless of my hesitation or what I had thought at that time, I started doing it. And I can tell you that it has fundamentally shifted how I go through the day. When the very first thought in your mind is 'this is going to be a great day,' your mind articulates itself to looking to make it a great day.  But to be completely honest, not every day is a great day. And there are days where I wake up, and I know it's going to be challenging, I know I've got a very busy schedule ahead, I know there are hard things that I'm going to face, or I am going through hard things or I'm fighting with my husband or whatever it is. And sometimes those words to say it's going to be a great day just feels really hollow.  To answer this issue and struggle, I talk about the story of BJ Fogg's sister in this episode -- a story he shared in his book. This story tells of how she was able to overcome her situation despite all the unfortunate tragedies in her life that came one after the other. Here you will learn the words she said to herself that was able to change her mindset and completely change her life for the better. In Dr. Wendy Wood's book, 'Good Habits, Bad Habits' she talks about how we underestimate the power of habits when it comes to resilience, when it comes to being able to carry us through hard things. This year has been such a great example of hardship. Regardless of who you are and what you do, you have been impacted in some way by the events of this year. And now more than ever, is when our habits are what will carry us through.

If I tell you, “Whatever you do today, don't think about a pink elephant.” What's the first thing that happens in your mind? Don't think about a pink elephant -- now you're thinking about the pink elephant. And that's exactly the same thing that happens with habits. Your mind is the key. In this episode I talk about the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment that was done in 1972 and its significance on how to deal with issues of self-control, especially when it comes to changing habits. What is the strategy?  Trying to focus on changing a bad habit gung ho just keeps that bad habit in your mind, making it a continuous struggle. If you're trying to change a behavior, trying to change a habit, the best way to actually do that is not to focus on the bad habit, and instead focus on creating a new habit.  If you want to hear more examples of this strategy, including my own personal experience on this, listen in and maybe you can try something that works for you. 

How do you start to ‘break' a bad habit? First of all that terminology -- 'break' a bad habit -- we need to change that. Think about how long it took for you to ingrain that as a habit. It didn't just happen overnight. You've been doing it over and over for a time, you don't just stop doing it overnight. It's something that, in the words that I've been taught in my coaching -- you start to untangle a bad habit. If you've ever tried to take apart something that is tangled, what's the easiest way to start to undo it?  You untangle it bit by bit. If you try and yank, it gets even tighter and knots even tighter. Think about that as the same with your habits. You have to unravel them bit by bit, piece by piece. Otherwise, it just tightens even more. And so if you want to start to untangle a habit that you don't like, you go back to the Fogg Behavior Model. In this episode, I break down the steps on how to untangle your bad habits by understanding how they are formed in the first place. This reverse engineering process is based on the Fogg Behavior Model that I have shared in our previous episodes, so please make sure to check it out first if you haven't yet. 

One of my coaches said to me, "Everything you have, or you don't have in your life is because of your habits." I've never thought about it like that. I knew your habits were important. I knew that there are good habits and bad habits, but I've never thought about the fact that my life was being created by my habits. And once I understood that, then I went on this quest to try and find how and why habits are created, why do some habits work and some habits don't.  In this episode, I want to share with you how a habit is created and the science behind it.  To understand this better, I refer to the Fogg Behavior Model, which I talked about in last week's episode. Please check that out first if you haven't yet. “The brain doesn't distinguish between a good habit and a bad habit. To your brain, it just remembers that there was some release of dopamine, something that made it remember that it should do this thing. And so if we're talking about trying to create good habits, or the habits that we want to do, how do you do that? Well, at its simplest, it really is about feeling good.”

Before we start this week's podcast episode, I highly encourage all of you listeners to check out the video of this episode on our website, NDINI.COM or on our YouTube channel, NDINI Media. The reason I mention this is because this episode contains valuable visuals of the Fogg Behavior Model, and it would greatly help you understand it if you could actually see the illustration and diagram that I talk about. I wanted to talk today about something that for me, has literally changed my life. If you are somebody who's ever tried to create a new habit, you wanted to work out more, you wanted to eat healthier, you wanted to work on building a business, you wanted to study harder at school, but you just found yourself sabotaging or not sticking to it, this is for you.  For the longest time I've talked about habits and how habits really are the foundation of everything -- how everything you have or don't have in life is based on your habits. But like everybody else, I am human. I try to implement good habits, but then I get stuck and only keep up with it for a month, or a week. That was until I read this book called Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.  Here's the thing, if you don't know what you're working with, how can you change it? So if you're looking to change your behavior, but you don't actually understand how behavior works, it's gonna be very hard to do that. BJ Fogg has a model where he defines what behavior is that will help us understand it for us to be able to change it and systematically form habits.  In this episode, I talk about the The Fogg Behavior Model and its eye-opening mind-blowing revelations about behavior and how we can form habits. 

The key to your success doesn't lie in you believing, or stepping into your fear, or in rubbing crystals so you can “manifest”. The “secret” to success is self-discipline. My friend Vitale Buford recently shared this powerful quote: “Self-discipline is the highest form of self-love.” Most people are allowing distractions, procrastination, excuses to chip away at their dreams. They're choosing to settle for an “okay” life, and yet with self-discipline, it is absolutely possible for them to achieve the life of their dreams. Self-discipline is about doing what you NEED to do when you need to do it so that you can do what you WANT to do when you want to do it. Self-discipline is about doing what needs to be done even when you don't feel like it. ESPECIALLY when you don't feel like it.

This week, we continue our conversation with Africa Media Executive, Broadcaster & Creative Industry Specialist, Leslie ‘Lee' Kasumba. In this second part of our conversation with Lee, she gives her definition of purpose, and talks about the challenges she had to overcome in life, and shares some valuable insight on excellence and embodying excellence in everything you do. 

Leslie ‘Lee' Kasumba was born in Cuba and raised in South Africa. Her father initially wanted her to become a doctor, but Lee found her passion in another field which would later make her name known in the African media and entertainment industry. At the young age of 19, Lee began working as a DJ and producer for the biggest radio station in South Africa, YFM. She also functioned as the editor at Y Magazine during the 8 years she worked there. She also wrote for Centric Magazine, hosted the Price of Fame panel with Quincy Jones, and even interviewed Tony Blair for the first ever 'MTV Base Meets'. Lee has served as a TV host for Emcee Africa, and also hosted the African Live 8 music concert, and presented the Key Note address to the United Nations at the Global African Hip-Hop Summit.  Her radio show, “Arambe” was the biggest radio show to come out of South Africa and the first to actively promote and support South African nationals. Lee has also worked internationally as an on-air personality both as a host and panelist, including being a panelist for Big Brother Africa. Lee is also regarded as having played an important role in Hip hop in Africa, having been labelled the 'First Lady of Hip hop' in South Africa. She's hosted several hip-hop battles and travelled around the continent as TV host for Emcee Africa, interviewing various International hip hop acts like Damian Marley, K'naan, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Missy Elliott, among others. She's also the First African woman to be featured in XXL Magazine. Lee also emceed Beyoncé's concert in South Africa, and has been a judge at several music awards as well. In this episode, Lee talks about her career, how she started, and where it led to. She shares how all her experience in the creative and entertainment industry, the highs and lows, the blessings and the challenges, has shaped her into what she is now.  Identifying as a ‘global citizen', Lee talks about being the bridge between the creative industry and sociopolitical change. She discusses important issues like how the creative industry has done a better job of uniting Africans in ways that politics can't do, and the need of a cultural shift as Africans to move towards true unity. 

We're down to the last quarter of the year.  If you're like me, this is when “the wheels come off the bus” so to speak!  All the good habits, and all the goals I've been working towards go out of the window. If this sounds like you…. BUT you want this year to be different, then this is for YOU! I've been there so many times – ending the year disappointed in myself, and even further from my goals than when I started the year. I'm sharing some of the things I've learned that I think will help to make this year different for you.  It doesn't matter how close or far you are from your goals.  Using these 9 tips will absolutely help you to make these last 90 days your best! … And it will set you up to go into the new year feeling inspired, and ready to take on the new decade! Let's finish 2020 STRONG!

This week, we wrap up our Quick Fire Q&A series with bestselling author, CEO of Motivating the Masses Inc., and global motivational speaker, Lisa Nichols. You can watch Lisa's two-part interview in Episode 107 and Episode 108 where she shared her phenomenal story and life-changing message of courage and determination. In this Quick Fire conversation, we get to know more about Lisa and some of her interesting quirks. She also shared a very interesting story about he time she travelled to Swaziland (the Kingdom of Eswatini) with her son -- an experience that she called “a very embarrassing mommy moment” that involved the queen. This is a conversation you shouldn't miss!

This week on our Quick Fire series, we have CEO and founder of Curlshoppe, Natasha Sheppard.  Natasha joined us in Episode 118 where she shared her story and journey to becoming an entrepreneur, and talked about her goals, dreams, and challenges, and her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. As a child growing up, Natasha's hair was consistently relaxed by her mother to make styling easier. She was even convinced that her hair was naturally straight (or ‘wavy' at most) and ironically always wanted curly hair. Through many chemical relaxers and weekly wash-blowdry-straighten routines, her hair got more and more  damaged, until she finally decided to cut her hair short. Doing this started to reveal her true natural curls the moment she started growing out of the relaxers.  As years went by, eventually Natasha could not resist the urge anymore to do the “big chop” -- to cut all of her hair off -- so she could grow out her true curls from scratch. Doing her own research on how to grow her curls and have proper hair care, she decided to start sharing her journey (via blogging, YouTube and Instagram), and continued learning until she became more confident in herself embracing her new found natural hair. Natasha eventually learned enough to create her own formula and people started buying her products. This led to building her brand, Curlshoppe, which she now co-owns with her best friend, Rowan McAnoy.  After being able to create her own business and brand, a lot of people would ask her how she was able to do it. With her own experience and strategies in this field, she and her partner Sanjay created Hustl works, a platform to help aspiring entrepreneurs start their own businesses.

This week for our Quick Fire series, we have Strategy and Growth Consultant and founder of My African Corner, Chioma Ifeanyi-Okoro. Chioma joined us in Episode 115 where she shared her story on how she became a CPA, and eventually fully going into entrepreneurship. Chioma is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) with over 8 years of experience working with corporate and nonprofit organizations.  As a growth coach and consultant, Chioma has helped a lot of professionals and entrepreneurs build creative strategies and grow their revenue. In 2018, She was named by Elevate Tech Fest as a Leader in the Canadian Innovation ecosystem and nominated for a Toronto Region Board of Trade Business Excellence Award for Young Professional of the Year. Her work had been featured in a number of publications including Canada's top outlet for senior executives and professionals (The Globe and Mail) and PayPal. She has also spoken in stages and universities. She currently sits on the newly formed CPA Emerging Leaders Advisory Board and is a mentor to various startups, business owners and professionals across the world. Chioma is also the founder of My African Corner, a platform dedicated to accelerating entrepreneurs and professionals in the Black community. This platform holds various events like BUILDfest, which is focused on experiential education on business, and Dajara, which focuses on helping students and new graduates.

For our Quick Fire episode this week, we have motivational speaker, coach, entrepreneur, and author of 'A Walk In My Stilettos', Makini Smith. Makini joined us in Episode 122 where she shared her personal journey and how she had come to write her book. Makini was a straight A student when she was in high school, but her turbulent youth and environment at that time ended up causing her to become a mother at a very young age. She had to prove herself to her family and to society that she was not going to be just a statistic. She went back to school.  Despite having to work full time to support herself in college and being a single mother of two small children all at the same time, Makini graduated with honors. Her challenges would not end here as she had to deal with difficult and toxic relationships after. She also had to deal with anxiety, depression, and health issues because of this. But Makini rose through all these challenges and was able to provide for her children and be present to raise them by becoming an entrepreneur. Makini shares how the passing of her sister greatly affected her change in perspective in life. Witnessing how her sister had made a difference in many people's lives, this inspired her to do the same.   Makini shared her journey in her book ‘A Walk In My Stilettos' which has become a source of inspiration for many. She has also written several other books to help provide the tools needed to overcome self-limiting thoughts of doubt and fear, as well as to integrate the importance of gratitude in this process. Makini Smith has also become an international speaker gracing platforms in Canada, the United States and Africa with her transparent storytelling of real life testimonies. Her authenticity and relatable message empowers women to walk boldly with their head held high. As an extension to her books, Makini also hosts a podcast called A Walk In My Stilettos Podcast.

Joining us this week in our Quick Fire series is mother, entrepreneur, and life coach Robina Abramson-Walling. Robina joined us in Episode 120 where she talked about her life journey of discovering herself to her core and her pursuit of purpose and happiness. Robina worked as a nurse, got married and had children, then left her job to focus on raising her children. She had done what was expected of her and was living a life of how other people thought she should. One day she woke up and realized that she didn't even know who she was anymore. She had given so much to everybody else that she stopped caring about herself. At this point, she knew that she had to make a decision to change. Robina searched for ways to help herself, one of which was going to the gym. Eventually, this led her to go all the way  into fitness competitions. But even when she was competing, she realized that she was not happy. She needed to recreate who she was. Despite the backlash and self-doubt, Robina decided to follow her heart and not her brain. She started building her character and mind by not only being physically healthy, but also mentally and spiritually. With the help of books, meditation, and surrounding herself with the right kind of people, she was able to develop the right mindset that helped her truly find her passion. Robina is a mother of 4 children, a lifestyle entrepreneur with Arbonne, and a health and life coach. Her goal is to help women get unstuck in life and empower them to reinvent and recreate who they are and who they want to be. She started her own podcast called Unstuckable.

Joining us this week in our Quick Fire series is Keynote Speaker, Inclusion Consultant, and Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief of ByBlacks.com, Camille Dundas Camille joined us in Episode 113 where she shared her journey from becoming a career journalist, and to pursuing her own path as an entrepreneur. Starting at an early age, Camille loved reading and writing. Some of her fondest memories are of mornings spent reading the weekend newspapers from cover to cover with her father.  As a teen she got exposure to working for a local TV network….and she was hooked!  She knew she wanted to be a journalist.   Camille's journalism career started when she was just 15 years old when she got a gig as a part-time newspaper columnist. At 16, she was commissioned to write a biographical poem about Nelson Mandela. She got to read the poem and present it to the late South African leader in 1998, which is a memory she treasures. She spent more than 10 years as a news writer and producer for leading Canadian news programs such as CBC National, CP24 Breaking News and CTV's Canada AM. Living in Canada, Camille had a strong desire to create a platform for the black community in the country to promote their businesses.  Camille and her husband Roger Dundas came up with the idea for ByBlacks.com. Since its inception, the platform has evolved into a full scale online magazine featuring stories of inspiring people from the Canadian black community.  Camille was recognized by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for her media activism; and the ByBlacks team has won national media awards. She has been recognized as one of the ‘100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women'. In 2016 Camille made a career jump from TV news to the tech industry, becoming a consultant for global social media management leader Hootsuite. She now uses her storytelling skills to show organizations how they can leverage social media as part of their digital transformation strategies. Camille and her husband Roger, who are parents to two young children, are also business partners in publicity and marketing firm Konvo Media. She is also passionate about women's rights, and mentoring underserved groups. She is a prolific public speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops across all sectors.

In this week's Quick Fire episode, we have inspirational and motivational speaker, life coach, and expert spray tan therapist Maria Michelle Lee. Maria joined us in Episode 111 where she talked about the challenges and struggles she had to overcome to ultimately find her purpose. She shared her reflections on her experience joining fitness competitions, as well as about her beautiful family, and the people that inspired her. Maria owns Brown Sugar Spray Tanz, offering natural luxury spray tan services, specializing in spray tan education, certification, & competition tans. She does the best of both worlds -- mentoring many women to be their best mentally, spiritually and physically, while expertly doing their spray tan sessions. If you want to know how that works out, you'll want to hear it straight from Maria as she talks about how this began, and how she has found her purpose doing it.  Struggling though living as a ‘people pleaser,' Maria got burned out to the point of considering ending her own life. With the help of a friend and some divine intervention, she was able to overcome this critical point in her life, and come to realize her purpose. Maria understands that so many people go through this kind of sadness and struggle, that she made it her goal to do everything she can so that nobody would ever go through such an experience. Maria herself started in the fitness industry, joining fitness competitions professionally. She even aimed for one competition after every child she had -- she has three children -- and did one more competition for her 40th birthday. With her knowledge and experience in this field, she knows well about how athletes could “look good on the outside, but don't feel good on the inside,” as she had experienced this herself. Maria also helps people overcome body and self-esteem issues, and ultimately finding their true happiness.  Maria's goal and focus is to build a tribe of empowerment, by teaching women how to love themselves through Mirror Workshops, Vision Board Sessions and Mindest Coaching programs.

It's time once again for our Quick Fire series! And to start it off, we are having Canada's Queen of R&B, Jully Black.   Jully joined us in an awesome 2-part interview in Episode 104 and Episode 105 where she shared her journey in her music career, life lessons throughout her experience, as well as her goals and purpose.  In this candid conversation, we get to know Jully a bit more, including the time she answered the door for the pizza delivery man “in her panty.” She shares everything from her favorite popcorn to wanting to have dinner with God and Bob Marley. Jully is truly hilarious and you definitely should not miss this quick fire interview! 

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Francisca experienced inequality from birth. She had experienced all types of harassment and discrimination that are considered a norm for the culture and society that she lived in. Growing up, she had been a sibling with the lesser share, a molested student and employee, and a wife in a toxic marriage struggling to raise her child. Having endured this reality, Francisca started to understand the root cause of this inequality and began a lifelong commitment to taking a stand and speaking up against gender inequality.  Francisca believes in Maternal Power, the sacred bond created when a child begins its journey in its mother's body, intricately bound by a connection even stronger than the umbilical cord. She is convinced that the untapped potential of maternal power is a transformational force in the struggle for gender equality.  In her first published book, Mother, Behold Thy Son, Francisca shares her most personal experiences to show how mothers can use storytelling — coupled with their innate maternal power — to not just help their sons to reject toxic masculinity, but also to model how their daughters can become true equals. In this conversation, Francisca talks about how we are all victims of the same system -- a system in our culture and society that propagates generational inequality -- and how important it is for us to be aware of it, and ultimately work to change it. Francisca also talks about the role of music in her advocacy for change. She plays the Mbira and speaks highly of its therapeutic quality and how her children taught her to play it.They produced a twelve track album with her three children where they sing songs that are meant to transform undesired social, economic, and political realities. Aside from publishing her book, Francisca is a double winner of the Nunavut Iqaluit Status of Women Gender Equality Competition held in 2015. She was recognized as one of 57 mobilizers for gender equality and represented Canada at the Women Deliver 2019 Vancouver Conference.  Mother Behold Thy Son is available internationally on Amazon.

“We become the stories we tell ourselves. So whatever story you're telling yourself is the story you recreate for yourself.” - Mpumi Nobiva This week we have the privilege of welcoming back Mpumi Nobiva. Our first NDINI interview with Mpumi was a little over 2 years ago. A lot has happened in her life since then, so she came back to give us an update.   When we last spoke to Mpumi, she was living her dream working for a prestigious company in Los Angeles, and living in a gorgeous high rise apartment.  She was on a plane almost every weekend travelling across the globe to speak on stages in front of thousands of people.  Mpumi talks about how she was so focused on being a “success” without realizing why I was so driven.   “Because I was so fixated on this idea of success, and because I was so driven, what I wasn't realizing is that the motivating force of my success was fear.” - Mpumi Nobiva But it all came at a very heavy price.  Mpumi opened up about the weight of success, and the toll it took on her mental health. She talks about the challenges of trying to reconcile the dream life she was living, with the very real poverty that her family was still living in.  She also talks about the ‘black tax' - the burden of being the one who “made it”, and the burden that brings with it.   “There's real weight when you encounter something. It impacts your energy level in such a real way I wish we knew how to express so that we can relieve ourselves from that.” - Mpumi Nobiva Mpumi talks about the weight of carrying other people's suffering, the feelings of guilt about her success, and the societal pressures.  At the peak of her success, Mpumi had a physical and mental breakdown.   “I needed to step away from all of this because I needed love. I needed to love myself.” - Mpumi Nobiva Mpumi realized she needed to time to heal, and to find her true self.  This included taking time away from social media, and to surround herself with real relationships and support. This included seeking help through therapy.  Therapy helped her start to understand more about herself, and the reasons behind her suffering.  This included what she came to know was generational unprocessed trauma. “Solitude means you're able to exist independently and be of your own independent essence and have your own stature... and that takes real work for an African girl who grew up not knowing how to love herself.” - Mpumi Nobiva Telling her story to the world has inspired many.  Mpumi's story is one of being born in poverty, a mother who sacrificed her life to provide for her family, being raised by her grandmother; and then being given the opportunity of a lifetime through The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.   Through hard work, determination, and to keep a promise she made to her grandmother, Mpumi has become an Award-Winning International Speaker and Communication Strategist. She has spoken at the White House, congressional fundraisers, corporate functions and nonprofit initiatives in several countries.  Mpumi is now on a new journey with a fresh perspective in her life.  She has always been very vocal in speaking about HIV/AIDS awareness, and has expanded her work to support other causes impacting women and children in South Africa. In particular she is choosing to focus on supporting mental wellness.  “We need to deconstruct what success means for the African. We need to deconstruct what religion is for the African. We need to deconstruct what spirituality is, what mental health is for the African.” - Mpumi Nobiva

In this second part of our conversation with Tendai, shares the impact of the success of Cook Off, especially now that the film has made it to Netflix. She expresses her optimism of the film industry in Zimbabwe and her dream to inspire young women. Tendai graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa with a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Media & Writing and Drama. During and after her studies she acted in several student short films, and even did musical stage productions as a conceptualiser, song writer, co-director and actress. Having worked as a runner in film production, Tendai gained experience in editing, and on-set management. With radio production skills training, she has also published scripts on national radio. Shot in 2017, Zimbabwe's political and economic situation were not exactly ideal, and the film had a meagre starting budget of just $8,000. Tendai shares their challenges during filming, and how they were able to pull it off with much collaboration, hard work, and efficient creative decisions and opportunities, like repurposing the existing set of Zimbabwe's version of Top Chef to be used for their film. An article from The Guardian details the grueling experiences of the cast and crew during filming, including barely covering food on set, having no running water, experiencing power cuts, and even getting choked on tear gas dispersed in an anti-government protest. Despite the extremely difficult filming conditions and process, the film was well received and officially selected as part of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2018, the Seattle Film Festival 2018, and others. Tendai won Best Actress at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival in 2018 for her role in Cook Off. She has also received the honors of National Arts Merit Awards Outstanding Actress (NAMA) in 2019. Cook Off is now streaming internationally on Netflix.

Tendai graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa with a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Media & Writing and Drama. During and after her studies she acted in several student short films, and even did musical stage productions as a conceptualiser, song writer, co-director and actress. Having worked as a runner in film production, Tendai gained experience in editing, and on-set management. With radio production skills training, she has also published scripts on national radio. In this candid conversation, Tendai shares that she had only landed her first TV role in 2016 after three years of constant auditioning. She continued to get TV projects, although much of her roles as a Zimbabwean woman weren't lead roles. Tendai's defining moment in her career arrived when she was cast as lead for the 2017 Zimbabwean independent film, Cook Off directed by Tomas Brickhill. This feel-good romantic comedy film about a single mother whose life is turned upside down when her son enters her into a reality TV cooking competition.

Struggle and success are just two of the many things people can relate to. Spread across our lifetime and in varying degrees, we all have our own struggles and successes that are instrumental in telling our story. This week we revisit our conversation with the phenomenal and unapologetically authentic Vivian Kaye, the Founder and CEO of KinkyCurlyYaki. What does it take to build a business by yourself from the ground up? How does being ‘real' fit in this hyper filtered world? Discover how Vivian's authenticity and grit became her brand and why she's passionate about sharing her (not-so) secret to success with the world.

Tombi was raised in an underdeveloped part of Zimbabwe. Her mother was a part-time housekeeper and her father was a builder. She grew up helping her parents and brothers, and studying at the same time. Having witnessed the life of her mother's employers, including hearing the stories of their child who was going to college at that time, Tombi was inspired and had her own dream of becoming a doctor someday. “Most of the time our schools don't teach us to know (what you want to do) because they expect you to just figure it out in your head. Honestly, it doesn't come out that way. You need exposure to know what you want to do.” - Ntombizodwa Makuyana Tombi became a MasterCard Foundation Scholar, and through this support she has been able to realize her dreams and goals to get an education while discovering her passion for science. She was able to pursue her studies in Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences with a degree in medicinal biochemistry. Tombi also has her sights set on possibly pursuing her MD-PhD. Aside from teaching middle school at Boys & Girls Clubs of East Valley, Tombi is also doing research to understand how the immune response can be used to detect and alter cancer development.  Tombi co-founded Female Dreamers, a project in Zimbabwe that aims to empower girls and women to be economically independent by providing them quality education and teaching them poultry-rearing skills. The initiative won several awards including the Changemaker Award at ASU in 2018, Venture Devils 2018, the Millennium Fellowship with United Nations award 2018, the Pitchfork Award 2019 for Global Change and Global Impact Project, and was presented at the Clinton Global Initiative 2018.   In this conversation, Tombi talks about her early life and education, pursuing her degree in Biochemistry, and her dream to go to be a doctor. She also talks about the mentality of some cultures and societies that has limited expectations of women, the valuable skills that parents need to teach their children, and some practical skills she wished her parents taught her growing up. “Incomplete information really kills us as children, because we end up having to explore it on our own. And exploring sometimes comes with mistakes, some of them you have to pay for the rest of your life.” - Ntombizodwa Makuyana

“If we don't know about our past, we can't learn from it, and we can't also be inspired to effect a similar change today.” - Tamara Mariam Dawit Tamara Mariam Dawit is a producer and director based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She runs Gobez Media, producing Ethiopian film, TV, digital and music content. She has produced content for CBC, Bravo, MTV, Radio Canada, Discovery, and NHK, among other networks. She directed the short film Grandma Knows Best, and her latest feature documentary Finding Sally, released in April, 2020. In this conversation, Tamara talks about why she chooses to work on projects with some aspect of social justice and human rights her. Tamara was raised in Canada, but it wasn't until her 30s when she moved back to her home country that she had stumbled upon a photo of her aunt Sally. The family was hesitant to talk about Sally, but she was slowly able to convince her grandmother and aunts to share her story. This prompted Tamara's desire to dig deep and share the forgotten story of her aunt in the form of a documentary film, Finding Sally. In Finding Sally, Tamara tells the incredible story of her aunt who  became a communist rebel with the Ethiopian people's Revolutionary Party at the age of 23, despite being an aristocrat. Idealistic and in love, Sally got caught up in her country's revolutionary fervour and landed on the military government's most wanted list. She went underground and her family never saw her again. Tamara hopes that Finding Sally can be a plea for freedom of speech and critical thinking, and also an indictment of silence in general in Ethiopia. She also talks about the film industry in Ethiopia, the challenges of being a filmmaker, and shares valuable advice to aspiring filmmakers. 

f you look up ‘resilience' in the dictionary, you'll likely find a picture of Nomndeni Mdakhi next to it!   Nomndeni is a serial entrepreneur who has had more than her fair share of ups and downs.  But one thing is clear - she has made it her mission to inspire and uplift others, and in particular African women.   Nomndeni is the Founder of Agenda Women - a platform focused on bringing women together to learn and grow.  She is also the Edits Communications, which is a PR, Branding and Talent Marketing Agency based in Johannesburg.   While most people are familiar with the vivacious, go-getting Nomndeni, few know the tragedy and deep loss she has experienced in her life.   Nomndeni was raised in a large extended family. Her grandfather built a home with 24 rooms to keep the close knit family together.  She grew up living with her grandparents, uncles, and aunts around her. Unfortunately, at a young age, she experienced a series of losses in the family. She witnessed members of her family pass away from different causes, one after the other in a short span of time.   “It's not often that this story comes up, and it's such a significant part of my story and narrative. It shaped a lot of who I am. It shaped a lot on how I see the world.” - Nomndeni Mdakhi  In this very candid conversation, Nomndeni shares how despite experiencing so much grief, loss, and trauma, she is still able to have such a positive outlook on life.  She also talks about how she turned to therapy as part of her healing.   “Sometimes I feel like we really fight battles that we don't need to fight, and we forget the essence of human existence, which is love.” - Nomndeni Mdakhi  Now a successful entrepreneur and mother of two, Nomndeni talks about being a working mum  while raising her children, and how her perspective on parenting has changed through the seasons of her life. She also talks about how marriage and friendships all played important roles in the different chapters of her life, and how she was able to move on when they ended.    “We need to be intentional about how we show up for the different aspects of who we are.” - Nomndeni Mdakhi  Nomndeni also talks about why she left the corporate world to pursue entrepreneurship. Her first business venture in 2009 was a DJing school with her longtime friend DJ Zinhle.  “I really believe that every experience I have gone through and will go through is God showing me something. You will never understand someone else's inability to succeed, to get themselves out of a bad marriage, to get themselves out of grief, until you have been there.” - Nomndeni Mdakhi 

“Guaranteed, an African child will always be an achiever. I would just say that instead of defining what that achievement for them should be, allow them to discover that.” - Phyllis Mugadza Phyllis was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. She was raised in a family that placed high importance on education.  She was a natural academic achiever -- the ‘forever head girl' as her peers refer to her.  At a young age, Phyllis' mother would take her to her office to allow her to experience a workplace environment.  She'd even give her small tasks to do.  All of this instilled confidence in Phyllis, and she says it taught her valuable life lessons that she carries to this day. “It's not just about achieving great grades, going to school just to pass that exam, and getting all your A stars.  You have to become a well-rounded individual.” - Phyllis Mugadza Constantly taking initiative and actively looking for opportunities for her academic growth and education, she was able to join an academic enrichment program through Yale University called Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS). This experience exposed her to the liberal arts, which she took an interest in.  Phyllis was also part of the Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS), where she got to visit Yale University for the first time. Phyllis shares how her high school education prepared her by giving her opportunities to lead. She talks about the importance of extracurricular activities, and taking initiative.  She says this helped to expose her to many amazing opportunities. “These gaps in our education system, this lack of opportunities… I began to see those gaps as opportunities. It taught me a lot about taking initiative.” - Phyllis Mugadza Currently in her junior year at Yale University, Phyllis is actively involved in helping new scholars. In this episode, she talks about why she chose to study engineering, her journey so far as a university student, and how she found her voice as an African woman at Yale. Phyllis also shares her thoughts on the challenges of being an academic achiever facing the pressure of high standards and high expectations, and the impact of this pressure on mental health. “Allow your children to change their paths and routes. There's going to be a constant redefining of their purpose. The more they're exposed to, the more they discover what they feel they should be doing in this world.” - Phyllis Mugadza

These recent weeks have been challenging for us as black people. Regardless of where in the world you are, it has been difficult for us not to see and not to be impacted by what has gone on in America, in Canada, and what is going on in the world at large.  And a lot of the conversation that is being had is around racism, and in this particular moment in time, I understand that all lives matter. I do understand that. But the focus at this particular moment in time, whether it be in America and Canada and other countries around the world is Black Lives Matter. And I say, ‘Black Lives Matter'. But it doesn't mean that only black lives matter. All lives matter. But at this point in time, at this point in history, we are discussing the fact that black lives do matter. 

“A lot of what we know, we actually need to unlearn to relearn the correct way... A lot of people don't understand that it's the simple things that can change your life.” - Makini Smith Makini was a straight A student when she was in high school, but her turbulent youth and environment at that time ended up causing her to become a mother at a very young age. She had to prove herself to her family and to society that she was not going to be just a statistic. She went back to school.  “A lot of people are struggling with a lot of issues on their own, in secret, feeling ashamed. And shame loves secrecy.” - Makini Smith Despite having to work full time to support herself in college and being a single mother of two small children all at the same time, Makini graduated with honors. Her challenges would not end here as she had to deal with difficult and toxic relationships after. She also had to deal with anxiety, depression, and health issues because of this. But Makini rose through all these challenges and was able to provide for her children and be present to raise them by becoming an entrepreneur. Makini shares how the passing of her sister greatly affected her change in perspective in life. Witnessing how her sister had made a difference in many people's lives, this inspired her to do the same.   “We create this community of connection through being vulnerable. A lot of people are afraid to be vulnerable because they see it as a weakness, but I've learned that it's a strength.” - Makini Smith Makini shared her journey in her book ‘A Walk In My Stilettos' which has become a source of inspiration for many. She has also written several other books to help provide the tools needed to overcome self-limiting thoughts of doubt and fear, as well as to integrate the importance of gratitude in this process. Makini Smith has also become an international speaker gracing platforms in Canada, the United States and Africa with her transparent storytelling of real life testimonies. Her authenticity and relatable message empowers women to walk boldly with their head held high. As an extension to her books, Makini also hosts a podcast called A Walk In My Stilettos Podcast. “Fear and faith are both beliefs in the unknown. So if you have a choice, if you can choose, why not choose faith?” - Makini Smith

In this episode, we get to learn a little bit on how two specific parts of our brain work, and how we can make the most of it. Sandra shares The 3 steps on how to make a compelling vision, as well as her 5 'Core Desired Feelings'.

Robina Abramson-Walling, didn't know who she was to her core most of her life. She worked as a nurse, got married and had children, then left her job to focus on raising her children. She had done what was expected of her and was living a life of how other people thought she should. One day she woke up and realized that she didn't even know who she was anymore. She had given so much to everybody else that she stopped caring about herself. At this point, she knew that she had to make a decision to change. “I believe that times are changing. Nobody wants to be sleepwalking through life anymore. And if they are sleepwalking, they just don't know how not to do it. They don't know things are possible. Everything starts with a decision” - Robina Abramson-Walling Robina searched for ways to help herself, one of which was going to the gym. Eventually, this led her to go all the way  into fitness competitions. But even when she was competing, she realized that she was not happy. She needed to recreate who she was. “I believe that the more you spend building your mindset and building your thought process, the better you're equipped to develop whatever life that you want.” -  Robina Abramson-Walling Despite the backlash and self-doubt, Robina decided to follow her heart and not her brain. She started building her character and mind by not only being physically healthy, but also mentally and spiritually. With the help of books, meditation, and surrounding herself with the right kind of people, she was able to develop the right mindset that helped her truly find her passion. Robina is a mother of 4 children, a lifestyle entrepreneur with Arbonne, and a health and life coach. Her goal is to help women get unstuck in life and empower them to reinvent and recreate who they are and who they want to be. She started her own podcast called Unstuckable. “I really believe that you can create the life you've always wanted. It's just a matter of you being bold enough to decide.”-  Robina Abramson-Walling

This week, we talk to one of the honorees in Forbes Africa's ‘30 Under 30 List', Hadeel Osman. Hadeel Osman has worked in the media and fashion industries for over seven years. She had studied in Malaysia and the US, and had also worked in the United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe. But when she decided to return to Sudan in 2016, she found it hard to find visual inspiration from the streets. With limited resources, issues with infrastructure, and “mostly brown everywhere” as she described, Hadeel wanted to be part of the change and inspire visual creativity in her country. “I wanted to inspire visual creativity… to help other entrepreneurs and other creators to create that standard… I wanted to be one of the people that are pushing this agenda that we as the people, we need to celebrate ourselves, our colors, our truths, our culture in all its diversity, and also have that addressed in a commercial aspect.” - Hadeel Osman This desire led Hadeel to create DAVU Studio, a multi-disciplinary creative studio that fuses design, art, education and sustainability. “DAVU stands for Designing A Visual Utopia. Coming to Sudan, you don't really see a lot of visual inspiration… it's hard for me to get inspiration. I couldn't see a lot of what I wished I could see… I wanted to design my very own visual utopia with whatever I had.” - Hadeel Osman   DAVU Studio offers an array of creative services in the form of art and creative direction, concept development, branding, styling and most importantly, informal education through interactive, immersive and creative workshops. Through this, she has had the opportunity to work with Sudanese visual artists and designers, and was commissioned by the Sudan Independent Film Festival to train costume designers, jewelry designers and filmmakers. In this episode, Hadeel talks about her journey in her career, the misconceptions about Sudan, and the status quo of visual creativity in her country. She shares her inspiring dream-come-true story of wanting to be in the ‘30 Under 30' list since she was 12. Hadeel also shares some valuable advice to the aspiring youth of Sudan, as well as her goals and dreams.

As a child growing up, Natasha's hair was consistently relaxed by her mother to make styling easier. She was even convinced that her hair was naturally straight (or ‘wavy' at most) and ironically always wanted curly hair. Through many chemical relaxers and weekly wash-blowdry-straighten routines, her hair got more and more  damaged, until she finally decided to cut her hair short. Doing this started to reveal her true natural curls the moment she started growing out of the relaxers.  As years went by, eventually Natasha could not resist the urge anymore to do the “big chop” -- to cut all of her hair off -- so she could grow out her true curls from scratch. Doing her own research on how to grow her curls and have proper hair care, she decided to start sharing her journey (via blogging, YouTube and Instagram), and continued learning until she became more confident in herself embracing her new found natural hair. Natasha eventually learned enough to create her own formula and people started buying her products. This led to building her brand, Curlshoppe, which she now co-owns with her best friend, Rowan McAnoy.  After being able to create her own business and brand, a lot of people would ask her how she was able to do it. With her own experience and strategies in this field, she and her partner Sanjay created Hustl works, a platform to help aspiring entrepreneurs start their own businesses. In this episode, Natasha shares her story and journey to becoming an entrepreneur, specifically with hair care and products. She shares her goals, dreams, and challenges, as well as her own advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. “Just be really passionate in what you do… If your passion is there, you are going to make a great product or service. Whatever you're putting out is going to be the best you, as long as you're happy doing it. Expect the hard work. Expect things to go wrong and push through. But if your heart's in it and you know that you are doing a good job in the best that you can be, they will all work out in the end.” - Natasha Sheppard

“Sometimes being a hero is acknowledging that you need help. Sometimes being a hero is acknowledging that you need to just sit and be still.” - Sandra Chuma How are you? Really, how are you? Normally we ask that question, but we don't really mean it. It's courtesy. It's a greeting. But now more than ever, we truly must ask each other, “How are you today?” for it's true intent and meaning. With the state of the world right now, I just wanted to remind you that the fact that we are where we are doesn't change our goals. The goals and dreams that you had at the beginning of the year don't change. The only thing that changes is the WHEN and the HOW.  In my case, my big goal this year is Woman On Fire Summit which was scheduled for April 5th.  As you know, we had to postpone, as did so many other vents.  In all of our months of planning, I never imagined we'd have to postpone.  And of course I never could have imagined that the world would literally be shut down! But what I know for sure is Woman On Fire Summit will happen when the time is right. For this week's episode, I also wanted to use this as an opportunity to share some wisdom from our phenomenal Woman On Fire Summit speakers -- Stephan Speaks, Gabby Bernstein, Lisa Nichols and Anna & Lindy from LovePowered Co.   “Obstacles are detours in the right direction. Even the most difficult obstacles can be divine intervention.” - from The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein This episode is a reminder and a love letter from me to you to remind you that everything is going to be okay. We just have to trust. And as Gabby Bernstein would say, “The universe has our back.” 

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is a fantastic example of never, ever, ever give up on your dreams.   She was born and raised in Uganda. While she won awards for plays that she wrote while in high school, she didn't think of creative writing as a career, instead becoming an English teacher. But she longed to write, and decided to take the very daring step of going to the UK to do a Masters degree in creative writing.  In 2003, initially inspired by her father's battle with schizophrenia, Jennifer started writing what would become her first published novel ‘Kintu'. Jennifer was also intrigued by the way the western world characterizes Africa as a “place of madness”.  “I need the world to know about Uganda. That is very important to me. Someone has gone out telling the world about Uganda, and all they said is Idi Amin, HIV, and homophobia. But I know Uganda. That is not Uganda. So I'm going to tell the world, and I'm going to insist and scream out loud. This is who we are -- we are both beautiful and ugly. We are wonderful and not so good. We are everything that other people are.” - Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi Jennifer approached several publishers when she had finished the book.  But despite winning major awards, including the Commonwealth prize, the international publishing world didn't take any notice.  In fact she was told by one publisher that the books was “too African”! “When you read African novels, you can tell when an author is writing for the whole world. You try to explain things that are obvious to the immediate culture. Well I didn't. When I read western literature, no one tries to think ‘Okay there are African readers. Let me make things easier.' No. ” - Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi Jennifer eventually won the Kwani Manuscript Project in 2013, and the book was published in 2014 by Kwani. In 2018, Jennifer was awarded the Wyndham-Campbell prize, which is considered the richest price in literature.   Jennifer has also recently published Manchester Happened, a collection of short stories. Her second novel,The First Woman is expected to be published in August 2020. 

“The more we do for other people, the more there's a ripple effect that just creates change within the different environments that we function in.” - Chioma Ifeanyi-Okoro Chioma is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) with over 8 years of experience working with corporate and nonprofit organizations.  As a growth coach and consultant, Chioma has helped a lot of professionals and entrepreneurs build creative strategies and grow their revenue. In 2018, She was named by Elevate Tech Fest as a Leader in the Canadian Innovation ecosystem and nominated for a Toronto Region Board of Trade Business Excellence Award for Young Professional of the Year. Her work had been featured in a number of publications including Canada's top outlet for senior executives and professionals (The Globe and Mail) and PayPal. She has also spoken in stages and universities. She currently sits on the newly formed CPA Emerging Leaders Advisory Board and is a mentor to various startups, business owners and professionals across the world. Chioma is also the founder of My African Corner, a platform dedicated to accelerating entrepreneurs and professionals in the Black community. This platform holds various events like BUILDfest, which is focused on experiential education on business, and Dajara, which focuses on helping students and new graduates. “My biggest goal in life is just to help people see their value, to help people truly see themselves for what they are.” - Chioma Ifeanyi-Okoro In this episode, Chioma shares her story on how she became a CPA, and eventually fully going into entrepreneurship. She talks about her motivation and goals that drives her different ventures and platforms in business, the challenges, and her dreams. Chioma also shares the most valuable things that she has learned through her experiences, as well as some advice of her own.  

“Bilingualism is a fundamental gift that every parent should give to their children” - Faridat Audu  It's funny isn't it how sometimes our inspiration to do something comes in the most random or unexpected way. For Faridat Audu, the inspiration to become bilingual came in grade school when she admired her friend's sister, who she thought was so elegant and sophisticated in part because she spoke French. This admiration inspired Faridat to move to Côte d'Ivoire for University, and to immerse herself in the language. This life-long interest has led to academic degrees for Faridat, and to her becoming a bilingual teacher and author, and most recently CEO of a company focused on promoting bilingualism. “I want my children and my children's generation to be able to visit each other's country and be able to speak this language… without having any stress. That is my mission. That is what I call bilingualism in children.” - Faridat Audu In this episode, Faridat gives us insight on language learning of kids and adults, as well as learning strategies. She also talks about the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the language education space, the importance of mindset, and the awareness of giving your child a global gift of learning to speak another language. “I love to impact passion in children. I love to give a certain gift to children, that makes me happy. I love it when I give something to people, and I look back and I see them and I see something that I've contributed to their lives, it makes me feel accomplished, especially children.” - Faridat Audu

Camille Dundas loved reading and writing from an early age, and some of her fondest memories are of mornings spent reading the weekend newspapers from cover to cover with her father.  As a teen she got exposure to working for a local TV network….and she was hooked! She knew she wanted to be a journalist.   “You have to do the small things first for people to trust you to do the bigger things.” - Camille Dundas Camille's journalism career started when she was just 15 years old when she got a gig as a part-time newspaper columnist. At 16, she was commissioned to write a biographical poem about Nelson Mandela.  She got to read the poem and present it to the late South African leader in 1998, which is a memory she treasures.   Camille spent more than 10 years as a news writer and producer for leading Canadian news programs such as CBC National, CP24 Breaking News and CTV's Canada AM. Camille also had a strong desire to create a platform for the black community in Canada to promote their businesses.  Camille and her husband Roger Dundas came up with the idea for ByBlacks.com. Since its inception, the platform has evolved into a full scale online magazine featuring stories of inspiring people from the Canadian black community.  Camille was recognized by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for her media activism; and the ByBlacks team has won national media awards. She has been recognized as one of the ‘100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women'. “Media portrayals inform your perceptions, and your perception will inform your reality, and your reality informs your biases.” - Camille Dundas In 2016 Camille made a career jump from TV news to the tech industry, becoming a consultant for global social media management leader Hootsuite. She now uses her storytelling skills to show organizations how they can leverage social media as part of their digital transformation strategies. Camille and her husband Roger, who are parents to two young children, are also business partners in publicity and marketing firm Konvo Media.   In this episode, Camille talks about her journey to becoming a career journalist, and eventually “pursuing her own ideas on her own terms” by becoming an entrepreneur. Using her strong storytelling and journalistic background, Camille wants to contribute to changing the ‘norm' of media for black people.   “I want to be remembered as somebody who allowed everybody else to tell their truth from their point of view.” - Camille Dundas Camille is also passionate about women's rights, and mentoring underserved groups. She is a prolific public speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops across all sectors. “I am a woman of unshakable confidence… but I am also a woman who is unfinished -- who is a work in beautiful progress.” - Camille Dundas

“I'm Christian and I believe that God places us in different phases of our lives for different reasons, and the biggest dream I have is to be able to meet my calling or my purpose.” - Dr. Nina Lum At a very young age, Dr. Nina Lum was exposed to how life changing a career in medicine could be. Her mother is a paediatrician in her native Cameroon. Growing up Nina was familiar with the late-night knocks on their door from frantic parents with a sick child. She'd watch as her mother tended to the child, and then marvel when a few days later that child was fully back to health. Inspired by her mother's example, Nina decided to pursue medicine as a career. But with only one medical school in the whole country, Nina soon came face to face with crushing disappointment – she was not accepted into the Cameroonian medical school. “You will meet and encounter difficulties. You will be restricted, and to a certain degree succumb to it, but never be oppressed by it.” - Dr. Nina Lum Undeterred, she pursued a Plan B, and then a Plan C, and was contemplating a Plan D when she was finally accepted into medical school in the Caribbean. Nina talks about the many challenges, but also triumphs, of her journey to becoming ‘Dr Nina'. She also shares the big dreams she has for the future, and her plans to give back to her home country. “Coming out of residency, I made a conscious decision that I was going to prioritize my health and wellness as much as my clinical practice, because I've had to learn the hard way that if I didn't take care of myself, I was never going to be able to take care of other people.” - Dr. Nina Lum Dr. Nina also hosts a podcast called The IMG Roadmap. Her podcast is dedicated to guiding International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with success blueprints for this unique pathway, offering practical tools equipping IMGs with applicable strategies to achieve their “US doctor goals”.   

Maria Michelle Lee is an inspirational and motivational speaker, a life coach -- all that while being an expert spray tan therapist. She also owns Brown Sugar Spray Tanz, offering natural luxury spray tan services, specializing in spray tan education, certification, & competition tans. Maria does the best of both worlds -- mentoring many women to be their best mentally, spiritually and physically, while expertly doing their spray tan sessions. If you want to know how that works out, you'll want to hear it straight from Maria as she talks about how this began, and how she has found her purpose doing it.  “I had to break down to break through to become unapologetically me.” - Maria Michelle Lee Maria struggled through living as a ‘people pleaser' and getting burned out to the point of considering ending her own life. With the help of a friend and some divine intervention, she was able to overcome this critical point in her life, and come to realize her purpose. Maria understands that so many people go through this kind of sadness and struggle, that she made it her goal to do everything she can so that nobody would ever go through such an experience. “I'm going to live to be happy in spite of what other people think. I'm going to tell people that they can be happy too.” - Maria Michelle Lee Maria herself started in the fitness industry, joining fitness competitions professionally. She even aimed for one competition after every child she had -- she has three children -- and did one more competition for her 40th birthday. With her knowledge and experience in this field, she knows well about how athletes could “look good on the outside, but don't feel good on the inside,” as she had experienced this herself. Maria also helps people overcome body and self-esteem issues, and ultimately finding their true happiness.  “There's always help. Whether you want it or not, there's always help.” - Maria Michelle Lee In this episode, Maria talks about the challenges and struggles she had to overcome to ultimately find her purpose. She shares her reflections on her experience joining fitness competitions, as well as about her beautiful family, and the people that inspire her. Maria's goal and focus is to build a tribe of empowerment, by teaching women how to love themselves through Mirror Workshops, Vision Board Sessions and Mindest Coaching programs.

Whitney Madueke is a lawyer, who was admitted as a Barrister in the High Court of Nigeria. But after studying law, she realized that law wasn't her passion. What she really loved was fashion and beauty. So she packed up her bags and moved to New York to pursue her passion.   Making the transition wasn't easy though – she's had to work hard to create her brand, and there were times she even thought about giving up on her dream. But nothing could stop her determination as she overcame all the challenges of pursuing her dream.  Whitney is now a successful influencer on social media. She also does modeling, speaking, and has partnerships with some major fashion brands. She creates content on beauty and style, as well as tutorials for makeup, hair, and fashion. “When you practice, you learn what works for your face, not what works for another person. So you're not literally copying another person's style or their face on yourself. You're learning the skills while applying it so you know whether it enhances your own beauty.” - Whitney Madueke In this episode, Whitney talks about her journey and challenges. She also shares her own experience, tips, and advice on becoming a fashion and beauty influencer. More importantly, she talks about what it takes to gain a following. “Collaboration really helped, but also staying true to yourself. People do read fakeness, or you trying to be someone else. People grow and change in different ways, but I think there should always be that essence that doesn't ever change... That really helps you grow a following.” - Whitney Madueke

We've had so much feedback on my interview with the incredible Lisa Nichols, in fact it's probably the most we've ever had! But I completely understand why because it was such a phenomenal interview. Lisa shared so much wisdom and stories of inspiration from her personal experiences. If you haven't seen it yet, then you're missing out on something truly amazing! You can listen to Lisa's interview on Episode 107 and Episode 108. Lisa Nichols is one of the world's most requested motivational speakers, so getting her to sit with me for an interview was no easy task. In this episode, I talk about the story behind this interview and how I got to make it happen. You will also get to see some behind-the-scene moments and see what it's like when we prepare for an interview, and how we made the most of what we had in that special moment with Lisa. I also wanted to give my reflection on some of the amazing things that Lisa said. The one that resonated with me the most was what she said about being obedient to your calling. "I am obedient to my gift. I am obedient to my calling at whatever the cost. I don't measure my obedience based on what it will cost me." - Lisa Nichols She said how so many of us have gifts. So many of us hear the calling of the work that we're supposed to do, but the first thing that we look at is the cost. We look at how hard it's going to be and how much inconvenience it is going to cost us. We worry about not gaining the support of friends and family. We all hear the calling. We all have the gifts that we could make use of, but very few of us are willing to live with the cost and inconvenience that is required for you to fully step into everything that you were meant to be. Lisa's grandmother used to tell her that “your conviction does not live on the same block as your convenience.” Your calling will require sacrifice one way or another. This is something Lisa understood well throughout her experience, making her the person that she is today -- inspiring us all. Lisa Nichols will be our keynote speaker in Woman On Fire Summit happening on April 5, 2020 in Toronto. 

She's one of the world's most requested motivational speakers.  Her platform has reached more than 80 million people worldwide, and continues to grow.  She's a bestselling author, and is CEO of a multi-million dollar publicly traded company.   It's hard to believe that Lisa Nichols was once a struggling single mother living on public assistance.  It's even harder to believe that this phenomenon who dazzles audiences on stages across the world was once told by a teacher to find a desk job and never speak on a public platform.   But all of this is part of Lisa's story.  She is a testament to how courage and determination can literally change your life.   "My job is to show up and shine, and then to lend my light to whomever wants to sit and be touched by my light. And anytime I dim my light and dim my shine, I'm actually being more selfish than of service." - Lisa Nichols Lisa's phenomenal story and life-changing message has seen her make appearances on The Oprah Show, The Today Show, The Dr. Phil Show, and The Steve Harvey Show – just to name a few. Lisa's also made it her mission to impact the lives of teens. Through her non-profit foundation Motivating the Teen Spirit, she has touched the lives of over 270,000 teens.  Lisa has authored several books, including her two recent New York Times best-sellers, “Abundance Now” and “No Matter What”. As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc., Lisa has developed workshops and programs providing resources and tools for personal transformation, and encouraging others to share their message in a powerful and impactful way. Lisa has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Humanitarian Award from South Africa, The Ambassador Award, and the LEGO Foundation‘s Heart of Learning Award. As if that wasn't enough, to honour this phenomenal woman, the City of Henderson, Nevada named November 20th Motivating the Teen Spirit Day.  The City of San Diego named April 25th Motivating the Masses Day, and the City of Houston, Texas named May 9th as Lisa Nichols Day for her dedication to service, philanthropy and healing. This conversation was a long time coming, and Lisa did not disappoint. This interview was packed with inspiration, life lessons, powerful messages, an abundance of wisdom…and LOTS of EMOTION.   In Part 1 of this incredible conversation, we get to know Lisa and her early struggles.  And she shares how she defines being “extraordinary” in a way most people may not realize. "I'm an ordinary woman who simply chooses to pick one or two or three extraordinary decisions to make each day. And if I make enough extraordinary decisions enough days in a row, then I create an extraordinary experience. If I create enough extraordinary experiences enough days in a row, then I might experience an extraordinary lifestyle." - Lisa Nichols

She's one of the world's most requested motivational speakers.  Her platform has reached more than 80 million people worldwide, and continues to grow.  She's a bestselling author, and is CEO of multimillion dollar publicly traded company.   It's hard to believe that Lisa Nichols was once a struggling single mother living on public assistance.  It's even harder to believe that this phenomenon who dazzles audiences on stages across the world was once told by a teacher to find a desk job and never speak on a public platform.   But all of this is part of Lisa's story.  She is a testament to how courage and determination can literally change your life.   "My job is to show up and shine, and then to lend my light to whomever wants to sit and be touched by my light. And anytime I dim my light and dim my shine, I'm actually being more selfish than of service." - Lisa Nichols Lisa's phenomenal story and life-changing message has seen her make appearances on The Oprah Show, The Today Show, The Dr. Phil Show, and The Steve Harvey Show – just to name a few. Lisa's also made it her mission to impact the lives of teens. Through her non-profit foundation Motivating the Teen Spirit, she has touched the lives of over 270,000 teens.  Lisa has authored several books, including her two recent New York Times best-sellers, “Abundance Now” and “No Matter What”. As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc., Lisa has developed workshops and programs providing resources and tools for personal transformation, and encouraging others to share their message in a powerful and impactful way. Lisa has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Humanitarian Award from South Africa, The Ambassador Award, and the LEGO Foundation‘s Heart of Learning Award. As if that wasn't enough, to honour this phenomenal woman, the City of Henderson, Nevada named November 20th Motivating the Teen Spirit Day.  The City of San Diego named April 25th Motivating the Masses Day, and the City of Houston, Texas named May 9th as Lisa Nichols Day for her dedication to service, philanthropy and healing. This conversation was a long time coming, and Lisa did not disappoint. This interview was packed with inspiration, life lessons, powerful messages, an abundance of wisdom…and LOTS of EMOTION.   In Part 1 of this incredible conversation, we get to know Lisa and her early struggles.  And she shares how she defines being “extraordinary” in a way most people may not realize. "I'm an ordinary woman who simply chooses to pick one or two or three extraordinary decisions to make each day. And if I make enough extraordinary decisions enough days in a row, then I create an extraordinary experience. If I create enough extraordinary experiences enough days in a row, then I might experience an extraordinary lifestyle." - Lisa Nichols

Elsa Isaac is a professional wardrobe stylist based in New York. She has styled personalities like Lenny Kravitz, Phylicia Rashad, Brooke Shields, Katie Couric, and Marie Forleo, to name a few. Originally from Eritrea, her family moved to Canada when she was 4. Despite living most of her life in Canada, she shares that she has lived her life through immigrant eyes, coming from an immigrant household. Elsa was interested in fashion and style at a very young age, even styling her own Barbie dolls. She had already known that she did not want to take the expected ‘immigrant path' of becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, and “followed her gut” on what she loves best. She even took classes outside of school like sewing to improve her skills in relation to her passion. “We know we've changed over the years, but when I walk inside client's closets, they are holding on to outfits and pieces that they've had since college or high school. You've evolved probably 10 times over since then, so it's really being on top of it enough to really evaluate who you are in this moment.” - Elsa Isaac Elsa got her start in the styling business dressing musicians for music videos in Toronto, eventually expanding and moving to New York in 2006 to work on magazine & commercial shoots as well. In this episode, Elsa talks about what it means to be a stylist, the process, the misconceptions, the challenges, and how her work empowers people to feel their most confident.  “When a woman understands that she has grown to a level that she's been working towards, and yet she doesn't feel as confident and as powerful as the work she's put out, there's a disconnect and we start to hide... You are your work, there's no separation.” - Elsa Isaac We also get to know a little more about Elsa on her Quick Fire round. She talks about the people that inspires her, as well as her insights about her own personal style and how it changes through her new role of being a mother. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: Elsa's experience growing up in Canada in an immigrant household How she decided to pursue her passion and improved the necessary skills How she got started in her career as a stylist  How knowing the business aspect is as important as the creative aspect The misconceptions and challenges of being a stylist Elsa's Quick Fire round answers The people that inspire her Elsa's personal style and how it changes with her role as a mother Her “I am…”

“There's something about what I do -- with music, especially -- that really connects people. Understanding that music, especially in my travels, is a universal language.” - Jully Black In this 2-part episode, we are featuring Canada's Queen of R&B, Jully Black.  Jully is an award-winning R&B and Soul singer-songwriter. She was named one of the 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever by CBC Music in 2013. She's collaborated with artists like Nas, Choclair and Kardinal Offishall.  She's also written songs for Destiny's Child, Sean Paul and Missy Elliott, among others. All this before releasing her debut album “This Is Me” in 2005.  Jully has also released a number of original songs independently and collaborations which had garnered awards and nominations. Her second album, “Revival” (2007) was certified gold in Canada and won the Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Jully's third album “The Black Book” (2009) was also nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards. Apart from her music and TV career, Jully has also ventured into theater acting having appeared in the Toronto production of Da Kink in My Hair in 2005. She is currently also part of the Tony Award-winning musical Caroline, or Change playing the role of Caroline. Jully started 100 Strong & Sexy with the goal of women's self-development focusing on fitness, spirituality, discipline, accountability, self care and self worth. She has also co-founded Empowered In My Skin with Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson to empower women around the globe and help them live purposefully in the comfort of their own skin. In this episode, Jully shares her journey in her music career, insights, and life lessons throughout her experience, as well as her goals and purpose. Don't miss this truly phenomenal conversation with Canada's Queen of R&B! “I recognize that a career is what you're paid for, a calling is what you're made for. I want to live my life to what I'm actually made for -- custom designed for.” - Jully Black IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: How Jully started her music career Her experience working and collaborating with different artists throughout her career The stories behind her songs and music The great influence and inspiration she got from her mother's life and story How the evolution of the music industry affected her career and how she dealt with it How Jully pursues her passion to help and empower women About playing the main role in her latest musical theater debut Her “I am…”

Known as “Canada's Queen of R&B,” Jully Black is an award-winning R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She was named one of the 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever by CBC Music in 2013. She had already worked with various artists like Choclair and Kardinal Offishall as early as 1997, and written songs for Destiny's Child, Nas, Sean Paul and Missy Elliott, among others, before releasing her first solo album “This Is Me” in 2005.  Jully has also released a number of original songs independently and collaborations which had garnered awards and nominations. Her second album, “Revival” (2007) was certified gold in Canada and won the Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Jully's third album “The Black Book” (2009) was also nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards. Apart from her music and TV career, Jully has also ventured into theater acting having appeared in the Toronto production of Da Kink in My Hair in 2005. She is currently also part of the Tony Award-winning musical Caroline, or Change playing the role of Caroline. Jully started 100 Strong & Sexy with the goal of women's self-development focusing on fitness, spirituality, discipline, accountability, self care and self worth. She has also co-founded Empowered In My Skin with Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson to empower women around the globe and help them live purposefully in the comfort of their own skin. In this episode, Jully shares her journey in her music career, insights, and life lessons throughout her experience, as well as her goals and purpose. Don't miss this truly phenomenal conversation with Canada's Queen of R&B! IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: How Jully started her music career Her experience working and collaborating with different artists throughout her career The stories behind her songs and music The great influence and inspiration she got from her mother's life and story How the evolution of the music industry affected her career and how she dealt with it How Jully pursues her passion to help and empower women About playing the main role in her latest musical theater debut Her “I am…”

For this week's Quick Fire round, we have former Olympian, University of Miami Sports Hall of Famer, fashion designer, ad motivational speaker Tabia Charles Collins. Tabia joined us in Episode 94 where she talked about her journey to becoming an Olympic athlete, and the aftermath of her unfortunate accident that ended her Olympic career. She shared what this meant for her, how she struggled and dealt with this reality, how she moved on, and has now dedicated her life to change other people's lives by being a living example. “Athletics builds character, discipline, hard work, and confidence… From athletics, I have made amazing connections. I have started different businesses. And for me, that's even greater than just saying ‘I am an Olympian.'” – Tabia Charles Collins In this episode, we get to know a little more about Tabia as she answers our Quick Fire questions, including what she considers as her ‘super power', and why she thinks that marriage can be so amazing. YOU WILL LEARN: Tabia's ‘superpower' How she describes herself in 3 words Her favorite gift to give and receive Her favorite thing to eat Her favorite place she ever visited Her favorite item of clothing Her favorite time of day and why The two people she would like to have dinner with What she can't get through the day without The screensaver on your phone What she carries with her all the time Her worst habit What she wishes she had more in life Why she thinks marriage can be so amazing

For this week's Quick Fire round, we have corporate executive, author, professional bodybuilder and inspirational speaker Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson.  Nkechi joined us in Episode 92 , where she shared her experience as a professional bodybuilder, and the challenges it brought to her life. She talked about how her best friend and a life-changing book helped her overcome these challenges, making her the phenomenal woman that she is now. “When you show up, show up with empathy and compassion and love, and watch how that experience is just going to magnify and just be the best experience you could have imagined.” – Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson Nkechi, along with R&B superstar Jully Black, founded Empowered in My Skin to help other women around the world live purposefully in the comfort of their own skin. The organization works to help women find their power by helping them tap into their unique intuitive talents and creative potential. The goal is to help them to become true leaders in every aspect of their lives. Nkechi now brings her message about living fully and authentically into the corporate world.  In this ‘not-so-quick-fire' episode, we went off-tangent quite a lot with anecdotes, side stories, memories, but all nothing short of so much wisdom and valuable life lessons! Nkechi had so much to share. She was very open and straightforward, and also very funny. I'm sure you'll have fun watching this episode as much as I did doing the interview! YOU WILL LEARN: How Nkechi would describe herself in 3 words  Who she thinks of when she hears the word ‘successful' Her favorite book Her favorite gift to give and receive Her love for perfume What she loves about where she lives The amazing stories behind every house they have lived in Her favorite item of clothing Her favorite time of day and why The two people she would want to have dinner with and why Her favorite thing to eat  What she can't get through the day without Her favorite app What she carries with her everyday Her choice for the theme song of her life  Her worst habit What she wishes she had more in her life

For our Quick Fire round this week, we have Monique London, owner and creative director of the all-natural and organic beauty brand London Ivy. Monique joined us in Episode 90 where she not only talked about her beauty brand and her life as an entrepreneur, but also how she provided a space where black women are given room to take off their armor, reset, learn, and leave feeling celebrated by creating Black Beauty Brunch. “I am not the exception for you. You don't just have ‘Monique, the black friend.' Monique is a black woman that represents the fact that black women are all different.” – Monique London In this episode, we get to know a little more about Monique as she answers our Quick Fire questions, as well as an in-depth explanation on why she wants to meet (and know more about) Denzel Washington. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: Monique's favorite book Her favorite gift to give and receive What she loves about where she lives Her favorite item of clothing Her favorite time of day and why The two people she would like to have dinner with What she can't get the day through without Her favorite place she ever visited Her worst habit Her pick for the theme song of her life

Happy New Year, everyone! The beginning of a brand new year is not the only reason we at NDINI are celebrating, but because the first episode of 2020 also happens to be our 100th episode! How awesome is that! Looking back to the beginning, I had the idea of starting this platform for so long but never stepped in and took action until just a few years ago. This was because I was too afraid. I had always questioned myself, “Who am I to be doing this? Will people watch my interviews and stories?” But after finally taking the plunge and starting to converse with so many amazing and phenomenal women, I had learned that just like me, they too had to face fear and overcome it.  “Fear is our number one enemy. It's the one thing that stops us from stepping into our greatness, stepping into our calling, stepping into everything we were meant to be.” - Sandra Chuma In this special episode, I talk about our journey from before the first episode until reaching a hundred. I talk about the fears I had to face, the fears that came true and happened, and how I took action and overcame it leading to what NDINI has become now. I have cried many tears and have been challenged in ways I had never imagined. It's been a very challenging journey, but also at the same time a very fulfilling journey. The growth I have experienced throughout this journey is amazing -- the amazing people I have met, the people that supported and continue to support this platform, the lives that have changed and been inspired through the stories that we tell -- all of which are the reason we reflect and celebrate this special milestone of reaching 100 episodes. Furthermore, I talk about my dreams for NDINI, because I believe that this platform is going to go beyond telling stories and inspiring people. Also, I definitely did something different in this episode, something I've never done before. Long-time NDINI followers would know about our Quick Fire Q&A segment where I ask our guests questions to give us a chance to get to know them even more on a lighter note. For this 100th episode, I got to answer my own Quick Fire round! Make sure you watch till the end. I just want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for being with me on this journey for the last 100 episodes. Thank you to every single who has sent me messages of encouragement on the days I just didn't think I could carry on to continue this platform, on the days I just didn't know what I was doing. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for listening, watching, sharing, and supporting us. And a huge thank you to the women who have willingly given us their time to share their stories, to share inspiration to this community. Don't forget that we are also celebrating by giving away our first eBook for free! Make sure you grab a copy! You can do that by clicking on the eBook banner on our home page, or by visiting last week's episode.