Be You Not Them

Welcome to this week's mini pick me up episode! These little joys of fun are bite size tidbits that feature a question tying into each weekly episode. We will both answer the question and pitch it right back to our listeners!

This week, our question highlights what we discussed in Episode 11 which was all about sharing our cultural backgrounds and the struggles we face being immigrants or part of immigrant families. This week we wanted to shed light on what we PRAISE about our own heritage and thus, we ask one another:

What is something of your cultural heritage that you are proud of?

We not only share the amazing characteristics of our people but also the FOOD. We had a hard time keeping focus as we daydreamed about all the amazing dishes both of our cultures have to offer. YUMMM!

We'd love to hear your answers to this question! As always, you can hit us up on the typical channels below! Make sure to subscribe and leave a review as well. We would really appreciate it!

Resources:

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CULTURAL STEREOTYPES ARE NOT FUN . We have asked this for ourselves for various aspects of our lives from friendships, relationships, even how we network with others; however, this week we discuss this in light of the potential struggles immigrant women face when establishing themselves in the United States. We share our own struggles being raised in different cultures and how we sought belonging in the United States. Let's dive into this deep convo!

[2:07] Where is Natassia From? Nat shares her cultural roots and where her parents are from

[4:52] Nina, the mixed mutt. Nina dives into what makes up her afro-latina & middle eastern background

[7:25] The struggle of being an immigrant. Nat dives into some of the struggles both her and her family faced moving to the United States which included:

• Getting teased for their accents
• Being bullied
• Feeling like a fraud
• Battling through feelings of shame
• Hiding her cultural background to fit in

[12:22] Facing ridicule. Nina asks Nat to share if she faced ridicule because she was racially different but looked Caucasian

[15:40] Community exclusion. Nat shares her experience in moving to Connecticut and thinking it was a safe haven because of the Brasilian community that was there; however, she faced exclusion within her own cultural community as well

[17:41] Race vs. Appearance. Nina shares how her own father, being Afro-Caribbean but was fair skinned and faced exclusion as well. This same struggle continued for Nina as she didn't know where she could fit in herself.

[22:27] Cultural Stereotypes. Based on their experiences, Nat & Nina share how there are not only stereotypes in America in how cultures perceived to be but also stereotypes within their own cultural communities.

[36:20] Praise Who You Are. Nina and Nat discuss praises of being culturally different and how that has shaped them who they are today and offer some takeaways:

• Being from more than one culture is not a NEGATIVE
• Don't try to fit in a box based on your culture, just don't
• Be more self-aware when you come upon a stereotypical thought of someone's culture (don't judge a book by its cover, lets stop this cycle)
• Don't let anyone shame you for your culture

Welcome to this week's mini pick me up episode! These little joys of fun are bite size tidbits that feature a question tying into each weekly episode. We will both answer the question and pitch it right back to our listeners!

This week, our question highlights what we discussed in Episode 10, which is all about finding your voice in the workplace and raising your hand for opportunities.

What is something you wish you could have told yourself at the beginning of your career? What is the advice you can give to a younger you?

We both share what we could go back and fix, learning how to promote ourselves better and being ok with not having all of the answers. Why does it take us so long to figure these things out?!

We'd love to hear your answers to this question! As always, you can hit us up on the typical channels below! Make sure to subscribe and leave a review as well. We would really appreciate it!

Resources:

Find more silliness & love at beyounothem.co

Slide into our DMs on Insta @beyounotthempodcast

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IT'S TIME TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE SPOTLIGHT. This is something we both used to struggle with since we were young. Remember in school when you knew the answer to a question but still never raised your hand? Well, that follows us into our career if we don't get rid of that fear and self doubt. So this episode is all career-centric and we'll give you tips on how to find your voice in the workplace!

[3:00] What Do We Mean By Raising Your Hand? We ain't talking about physically raising your hand here, but standing up for yourself.

[6:00] Why Do We Hold Ourselves Back? It's easier said than done, right? Why is speaking out at work so hard, specifically for women? We discuss the typical reasons why we hold ourselves back - from the need to be perfect to avoiding conflict. Natassia shares an excerpt from The Confidence Code

[9:30] Natassia's Story Of Volunteering Herself For A Promotion. This is a story that shows that even if you don't end up getting the outcome you want, there can be an opportunity that can present itself when you step up to the plate and let your voice be heard.

[13:40] Nina Opens Up About Intimidation Holding Her Back. Nina shares how she has struggled with voicing her opinions and instead ran away from the situation, which has led her to learning that she won't .

[20:00] Steps To Take To Find Your Voice in Your Career

• Using a mentor in your field as a soundboard
• Put your accomplishments on a platter
• Start small and set goals for yourself - how can you step up this week?
• Sometimes you need to be BOLD
• Ask yourself what you can take charge in
• Let go of projects and things that do not serve your purpose

Our challenge for you this week… set a goal to do one thing that makes you heard at work. Whether it's volunteering for a project or voicing your opinion during a meeting. Let us know how it goes! You've got this <3

Resources: Book referenced in this episode is The Confidence Code

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Remember… BE BOLD!!!

Baklava,

Nat & Nina

Mini Pick Me Up - Being Body Positive

Welcome to this week's mini pick me up episode! These little joys of fun are bite size tidbits that feature a question tying into each weekly episode. We will both answer the question and pitch it right back to our listeners!

This week, our question highlights what we discussed in Episode 9 which was all body positivity and what social norms, upbringing, etc., have shaped our thoughts with our bodies. We want to reshape that narrative and therefore ask our listeners the following:

What is your least favorite physical feature? What is something positive you can see in that feature?

Is it possible to see something positive about that one physical feature that is no bueno to you? YES, it took Nina a hot minute (maybe almost the entire episode but she got there) but it is possible! Both Nat and Nina share their own disliked features and how they flipped the script to make these features something that they are proud of.

We'd love to hear your answers to this question! As always, you can hit us up on the typical channels below! Make sure to subscribe and leave a review as well. We would really appreciate it!

Resources:

Find more silliness & love at beyounothem.co

Slide into our DMs on Insta @beyounotthempodcast

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YOUR BODY IS YOUR BODY AND NO ONE ELSES. This week we dive into loving our bodies, no matter WHAT! Yes, we know….easier said than done but we want to flip the switch from picking ourselves apart in our minds to affirming all the love and acceptance we have with our bodies, right here, right now. Not sure where to start in flipping that switch? This episode we not only dive into how to do this but also share what molded our own body perspectives throughout the years.

[3:30] The Root of Body Perception. Nina and Nat discuss their body challenges over the years diving into cultural, family and personal experiences. They share not only the negative chatter in their minds but also turning points for leaning into loving where they are at.

[14:18]: The Role of Antidepressants. Nina shares her weight battle with antidepressants and why she just had to chuck the scale.

[19:27] Impact of Body Praise Movements. Nina asks Nat about how she felt with the "real women have curves" movement and how that may have impacted her and vice versa.

[23:05] The Tricky Subconscious. Does our own conscious color the way we think of our own bodies and others? Nina and Nat dive into this question and share how they viewed other women in comparison.

[25:12] Get to the Root. As always we have to touch on uprooting bad habits and defining where your perceptions come from:

• Where is your body affirmation rooted in?

• Who is supporting you or putting you down?

[26:22] The "Real" Woman. Nat and Nina define what a "real" woman is and provide some body positive takeaways:

• Start with loving where you at and that the health journey you begin embarking is for you
• Throw out the damn scale
• Practice positive body affirmations
• Stop comparing yourself to others
• Detoxing from social media and its false standards
• Uproot your underlying lies that have formed these perceptions
• Love your fellow females

Resources:

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Raising a glass to the beautiful woman you are!!!! <3

Baklava,

Nat & Nina

Welcome to this week's mini pick me up episode! These little joys of fun are bite size tidbits that feature a question tying into each weekly episode. We will both answer the question and pitch it right back to our listeners!

This week's question is more of a demand. Well, not a hard one! Picture something that makes you smile.

Well... what is it?? We share what first popped in our heads (surprise to no one, Nina pictured petting a dog). How do you feel after picturing and daydreaming of that thing that makes you smile?

We'd love to hear your thoughts and your answer to this week's question! As always, you can hit us up on the typical channels below! Make sure to subscribe and leave a review as well. We would really appreciate it!

Resources:

Find more silliness & love at beyounothem.co

Slide into our DMs on Insta @beyounotthempodcast

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Now go out and think of happy things <3

Baklava,

Nat & Nina

THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING GRATITUDE. Ooooh guys, this is something that both of us are very passionate about and we put into practice in our everyday lives! While it may seem corny to say, "There's so much to be grateful for"... the fact of the matter is, that it's TRUE. We'll discuss the benefits of being grateful and what helps us stay positive even when times get rough.

[1:00] Why Gratitude is A Choice We start off this episode off by explaining what we mean by gratitude and what we mean by telling you that it's a choice you have to make.

[3:18] What Are You Grateful For? Nina & Nat share examples of things that each of us are grateful for in the present moment. This is to highlight that something big doesn't have to happen for you to be grateful - it's important to acknowledge the smaller joys as well.

[9:00] Being Grateful For Where You Are. This is for our ambitious ladies out there! The importance of being present and grateful for where you are in your journey.

• Bring yourself out of that negative loop whenever things are out of your control.
• How to flip the script and look at the positive side of something that upsets you.

[16:15] Sharing What Works for Us & Our Gratitude Practices

• Nina shares how she sets her daily gratitude practice. What have you been put in the position with to be grateful for? Examples of how to flip the switch on negative situations and send more positive energy.
• Natassia shares how visual cues help her stay grateful and always ending her day with reflecting on what she was grateful for that day. Finding balance when things are out of your control.

[23:08] What does gratitude really mean? Thinking from a place of abundance. Having a positive attitude and working to not default to the negative.

[28:40] What Is Your Daily Routine and How Can You Fit In Some Gratitude? Is there something you're struggling with that you can be grateful for and understand another side of it? It's not something that's easy - we are all Works In Progress.

Resources:

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You know what we're grateful for? YOU! <3

Baklava,

Nat & Nina

Welcome to this week's mini pick me up episode! These little joys of fun are bite size tidbits that feature a question tying into each weekly episode. We will both answer the question and pitch it right back to our listeners!

This week's question kinda calls you out a bit...What are some areas right now in your life that you are settling in?

Nat & Nina share their struggles in health and we are not only talking physical health but more significantly, mental health too. The timing for this episode is especially relevant as we are all in quarantine and trying to figure out this temporary normal (that may be a new normal….who knows at this point).

We'd love to hear your thoughts and your answer to this week's question! As always, you can hit us up on the typical channels below! Make sure to subscribe and leave a review as well. We would really appreciate it!

Resources:

Find more silliness & love at beyounothem.co

Slide into our DMs on Insta @beyounotthempodcast

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You ain't got time to get comfortable girl! You are worth more and deserve to THRIVE.

Baklava,

Nat & Nina

#7 - Never Settling

YOU ARE WORTH IT. Feel like you keep compromising your non-negotiables for others? Are you in a job or relationship that keeps draining your precious energy? Sometimes we stay in these scenarios out of fear or to appease others; however, we are here to tell you that ISH needs to stop. In this episode, we share our experiences of areas we may have settled in, what we learned, and provide tips on how to call yourself out when you are settling. This one is toughie but as always, it is out of love to see you THRIVE.

[4:30] The foundation of settling. We start off this episode by seeing how our family relationships contribute to some of our settling patterns.

[7:34] Cue in "Love is a Battlefield". Nina and Nat discusses Nina's repetitive pattern in settling in romantic relationships. Nina opens up in sharing:

• How being cheated on was her wake up call
• Where her worth was rooted
• What role did loneliness play
• Moments where she was the happiest
• Conundrum of being ambitious but yet settling for less (ooof, red flag brought up by Nat)

[17:19] The limit of what you compromise. Nat shares her experience in settling in a relationship and vowing never to compromise her non-negotiables ever again. She discusses:

• Opposite mindsets
• How important your core values are
• Elevating what is important to you
• Waiting versus settling

[21:08] Energy vampires. We discuss how settling extends into friendships and discuss what questions we need to ask ourselves when reflecting upon our friendships.

[22:11] Settling happens in work too! We discuss some key points to uncover whether or not you are settling in your job including company values and your work environment.

[23:00] Why people settle. We highlight that fear, complacency and the "what" if anxiety as three foundational issues that contribute to settling patterns.

[26:17] Clues that you are settling. Don't know if you are settling in a job, relationship or friendship? We identify the following to determine what is not right for you:

• Check in with your energy
• Ask yourself if you are making excuses
• Reflect on if your prioritizing your self-care

[30:49] Sweet little gems we want you to leave you with. How can you combat settling? We share the following tips:

• Get to the ROOT CAUSE...I know, we are like a broken record with this but you gotta uproot those bad roots to make way for planting new seeds of success (ooo sage Nina up in here)
• Define your core values? Ask yourself what matters to you the most and let that guide you
• Reflect on who you are surrounding yourself with. Again, your THRIVE TRIBE is everything as discussed in Episode 6.