Collective Drift: Celebrating International Women, Culture, and Travel

What are the top travel hacks Saving money and staying fit & healthy during COVID19 w/ Dr. Sheba King

How to save up for traveling? What are the best hacks to traveling on a budget? What does it feel like to travel more than half of the world? What precautions to take when traveling during COVID? How to follow a healthy diet all the while traveling and eating delicious food? How to get motivated for working out? What is the true essence of self-care? 

In this podcast, we got to know the ever so lovely Dr. Sheba, who is a health, fitness, and nutrition coach. She's also the co-founder of "Road to 100 Countries" and has visited 108 countries and counting all over the world with her husband! Born and raised in New York, Sheba is a true New Yorker by heart, but her parents originate from Trinidad. Sheba is super passionate about health and traveling, pursuing her dreams all the while visiting numerous gorgeous countries. She's also a new mom of an 11-month-old and is getting to experience mom-hood as time goes by. Let's get into the interview now to know more about Sheba!

This episode of the Collective Drift podcast is sponsored by Truist. Truist is here for better. BB&T and SunTrust formed Truist with a shared purpose—to inspire and build better lives and communities. With our combined resources, collective passion, and commitment to innovation, we’re creating a better financial experience to help people and businesses achieve more. Go to https://www.truist.com​ for more information.


Read my favorite questions in the interview here: 
https://www.Kadealo.com/collectivedrift/



Where to find Erica and Collective Drift
https://www.instagram.com/collectivedrift/
https://www.youtube.com/collectivedrift

Collective Drift is now a part of Kadealo
https://www.Kadealo.com

Where to find Dr. Sheba
https://www.instagram.com/getfitwithdrsheba/?hl=en
https://drsheba.com/
https://roadto100countries.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RoadTo100Countries/
https://www.instagram.com/roadto100countries/?hl=en


The Collective Drift podcast was created by Erica Knowles to celebrate all women, the beauty of their cultures, and international travel experiences. I believe that women possess magic, that gives them strength and grace to change the world. We learn how to tap into our power in various ways based on our cultural backgrounds and our journeys. Join me and an amazing collective of multicultural, multiethnic, and multigenerational women that are artists, cultural leaders, and travel enthusiasts as they tell their stories about their culture, their tribe of women, their passions, their art, and their favorite international experiences. Welcome to Collective Drift.

What are the top travel hacks Saving money and staying fit & healthy during COVID19 w/ Dr. Sheba King

How to save up for traveling? What are the best hacks to traveling on a budget? What does it feel like to travel more than half of the world? What precautions to take when traveling during COVID? How to follow a healthy diet all the while traveling and eating delicious food? How to get motivated for working out? What is the true essence of self-care?

In this podcast, we got to know the ever so lovely Dr. Sheba, who is a health, fitness, and nutrition coach. She's also the co-founder of "Road to 100 Countries" and has visited 108 countries and counting all over the world with her husband! Born and raised in New York, Sheba is a true New Yorker by heart, but her parents originate from Trinidad. Sheba is super passionate about health and traveling, pursuing her dreams all the while visiting numerous gorgeous countries. She's also a new mom of an 11-month-old and is getting to experience mom-hood as time goes by. Let's get into the interview now to know more about Sheba!

This episode of the Collective Drift podcast is sponsored by Truist. Truist is here for better. BB&T and SunTrust formed Truist with a shared purpose—to inspire and build better lives and communities. With our combined resources, collective passion, and commitment to innovation, we’re creating a better financial experience to help people and businesses achieve more. Go to https://www.truist.com​ for more information.


Read my favorite questions in the interview here:
https://kadealo.com/collective-drift/s2-e2-what-are-t…vid19-w-dr-sheba/



Where to find Erica and Collective Drift
https://www.instagram.com/collectivedrift/
https://www.youtube.com/collectivedrift

Collective Drift is now a part of Kadealo
https://www.Kadealo.com

Where to find Dr. Sheba
https://www.instagram.com/getfitwithdrsheba/?hl=en
https://drsheba.com/
https://roadto100countries.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RoadTo100Countries/
https://www.instagram.com/roadto100countries/?hl=en


The Collective Drift podcast was created by Erica Knowles to celebrate all women, the beauty of their cultures, and international travel experiences. I believe that women possess magic, that gives them strength and grace to change the world. We learn how to tap into our power in various ways based on our cultural backgrounds and our journeys. Join me and an amazing collective of multicultural, multiethnic, and multigenerational women that are artists, cultural leaders, and travel enthusiasts as they tell their stories about their culture, their tribe of women, their passions, their art, and their favorite international experiences. Welcome to Collective Drift.

What is the importance of prayer and spirituality? What is self-care to you? How can you feel closer to God? How do Nigerian values and culture impact a child's upbringing? How effective are Balinese herbs? Why is it important to learn about different cultures? How to break the ice with people of different cultures? How important are exercising and prayer in the morning? What is a must-see on a trip to Nigeria?

In this interview, we got to interact with the ever-so-sweet Sope Aluko, a devout Christian, mom of two, and an actress. Sope was born in Nigeria, raised in the UK, but she also lived on five different continents. She’s known well for her role as a shaman in Black Panther, which has a beautiful story behind it, a true miracle from God. Follow us through this interview to learn more about Sope, her Nigerian upbringing, her spirituality, the importance of prayer, her experiences of living on five different continents, and her view on acting. Let’s get into it!

Collective Drift is taking up AARP's challenge to reinvent what it means to age.  Remember, what you do after 50 can be just as amazing as what you've done before 30. It's time to disrupt aging. This is the second of 3 episodes in partnership with AARP highlighting amazing women from around the world who have disrupted aging. Go to aarp.org/disrupt-aging to learn more.

Keep reading on Kadealo.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift
https://www.collectivedrift.com
https://www.instagram.com/collectivedrift
https://www.youtube.com/collectivedrift

Collective Drift is now a part of Kadealo
https://www.Kadealo.com

Where to find Sope
https://www.instagram.com/sopealuko
https://twitter.com/sopealuko
https://www.facebook.com/Sope-Aluko-461432133872601

What is it like to grow up and live around the world? How can I explore cultures around the world? What does it feel like to be a multiethnic woman? What does it mean to be multicultural? How can I be accepted by people of different cultures? How can I invest my time into different types of art?

In this interview, we got to talk to the amazing Vanessa Selk, who can definitely be called “a woman of the world”. Born in Spain and coming from Guianese and German parents, Vanessa has traveled and lived all around the world. Her insight into so many cultures is admirable, that's why I loved listening to her perspective in this interview. Apart from that, Vanessa is an independent cultural producer and political arts consultant. She has also written and directed theater plays, organized film and art festivals, as well as exhibitions, while also being involved in international affairs as a former diplomat at the United Nations and for the French government.  

Vanessa’s current mission is the Tout Monde Foundation, which she recently founded. The Tout Monde Foundation is a non-profit organization and public charity supporting Caribbean contemporary visual and performing artists through socially impactful projects dedicated to our 3E-values: Ecology, Education and Equal Rights. Learn more here: https://www.tout-monde-foundation.org/ . 

This is the final episode of season 1 of the Collective Drift podcast. We are looking forward to season 2. Make sure that you have subscribed to Collective Drift on your favorite listening site.

Here are a few of my favorite parts of the interview:

Collective Drift (CD) / Vanessa Selk (VS)

CD: How would you describe yourself?

VS: I'm definitely a citizen of the world. I do not belong to one particular country, or a city, or even a particular community. I really feel at home wherever I am at the moment. And every time I travel, I feel like I belong wherever I go because my goal is to adapt to the local culture, understand it, and generally try to speak the language as best as possible. Though it's not always as easy when you're an international citizen and work for a government at the same time.

CD: How has your upbringing allowed you to be so open to being a citizen of the world?

VS: I think I became open to this because my parents are very open-minded. I like to call them Bohemians because they love to travel. Both of them were already traveling when they were young, and that's when they met each other in Spain and where I was born. Then afterward, they continued traveling and they really wanted me to learn the importance of both of their cultures considering that I’m half German and half French Guianese. That’s why my parents agreed to live in both regions and countries.

Read more https://www.collectivedrift.com/post/vanessas


Where to find Erica and Collective Drift

https://www.collectivedrift.com/

https://www.instagram.com/collectivedrift/

https://www.youtube.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Vanessa

https://www.instagram.com/vandagem_art/

[email protected]

https://www.tout-monde-foundation.org/

The Collective Drift platform was created by Erica Knowles to celebrate all women, the beauty of their cultures, and international travel experiences. I believe that women possess magic, that gives them strength and grace to change the world. We learn how to tap into our power in various ways based on our cultural backgrounds and our journeys. Welcome to Collective Drift.

In this podcast interview, we got to talk to the amazing Evelyn Onyejuruwa, better known as Evelyn O. She is the Founder/CEO of Ankara Miami. Born in Nigeria and raised in Florida, Evelyn has been investing great time and effort into representing and redefining the beautiful African cultural trends through Ankara Miami, a special events company that specifically carries out events for black or culture-focused businesses. Evelyn also manages Ankara Delights, a shop and series of pop-up shops specializing in African print fabrics, apparel, and hand-crafted goods. Being in the retail industry, Evelyn loves visiting markets around the world and exploring various fashion trends in the African Diaspora. Take a cultural fashion trip with Evelyn and Collective Drift in this interview, as she tells us about the wonderful African fashion and her love for the rich Nigerian culture!

This episode of the Collective Drift podcast is sponsored by Truist. Truist is here for better. BB&T and SunTrust formed Truist with a shared purpose—to inspire and build better lives and communities. With our combined resources, collective passion, and commitment to innovation, we’re creating a better financial experience to help people and businesses achieve more. Go to truist.com for more information.

Here are a few of my favorite parts of the interview:

Collective Drift (CD) / Evelyn Onyejuruwa (EO)

CD: So Evelyn, how would you describe yourself?

EO: Well, I think I am a multi-dimensional creature. I’m a weird mix of reserved and social at the same time. But aside from that, I describe myself as a visionary. I have a lot of grand ideas. I have a lot of things that I like to collaborate on. And I just try to find out  how to work with different types of people and deal with different types of cultures and demographics, etc. I gravitate towards being consistent, being able to adapt to different types of people, and being able to watch my surroundings. 

CD: Where does the idea behind “Ankara Miami” (Florida’s premier African fashion week) come from?

EO: The overall idea is related to my culture. I was born in Nigeria. I've been primarily raised here in Florida, but I do go back and forth. It started when I won the Nigeria Florida cultural pageant back in 2011 in South Florida. The thing that I loved about it was that it wasn't based on beauty, body, and things like that. This pageant was based on promoting the culture, so it was quite different. It was just young women representing the area that they're from by mixing in tradition with modern fashion and showcasing the beauty of what our culture is.

Read more: https://collectivedrift.com/post/evelyno

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift

collectivedrift.com/

instagram.com/collectivedrift/

youtube.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Evelyn

instagram.com/evelyno11

twitter.com/EvelynO11

Where to find Ankara Miami

ankaramiami.com

instagram.com/AnkaraMiami

facebook.com/AnkaraMiami

Where to find Ankara Delights

509 S 21st Ave STE 101

Hollywood, FL, USA

ankaradelights.com

instagram.com/Ankaradelights

What gives you joy? How do you find joy? What helps you feel better? How can I get through my depression? What do I need to do to feel happy? What makes you happy? Why am I depressed? What can help ease my stress? Can travel make me feel better? How can faith in God help me? Will having faith help improve my mood? Will taking a trip help? What do I need to do to get out of this slump? Will I feel better after going on vacation?

This podcast interview is with the very joyful and happy Dawn Kelly. She is a world traveler,  mom, mentor, publicist, and owner of an amazing smoothie shop The Nourish Spot in Jamaica, Queens, New York. In this episode of the Collective Drift podcast, Dawn tells us about how she’s been able to overcome difficult situations; her trips to Cape Town, South Africa and Phuket, Thailand; and her relationship with her daughter Jade. I especially love how Dawn’s love of international travel has inspired her daughter’s career and love of travel.  Dawn even brings back international recipes to The Nourish Spot. Dawn is at a minimum resilient. Listen to this episode of Collective Drift to learn Dawn’s blueprint for getting through a dark time in your life because she has definitely succeeded and continues to succeed. Her energy is contagious so watch out!

Collective Drift is taking up AARP's challenge to reinvent what it means to age.  Remember, what you do after 50 can be just as amazing as what you've done before 30. It's time to disrupt aging. This is the second of 3 episodes in partnership with AARP highlighting amazing women from around the world who have disrupted aging. Go to aarp.org/disrupt-aging to learn more.

Here are a few of my favorite parts of the interview:

Collective Drift (CD) / Dawn Kelly (DK)

CD: You’re 58, but you feel like you’re 12 years old. Tell us more about that?
DK: I'm still a kid at heart. I'm still full of wonder and curiosity. I'm still full of joy. I love to laugh. I love to play, I love to hug. Although we can't hug during COVID. I like to explore and learn different things. So you know, I've heard ages just a number. And I believe that the way I live, my life showcases that that is actually true. It's how you feel? Not what number characterizes your age?

CD: How are you embodying that?
DK: I like to have fun. I’ve traveled the world. Before COVID, I was always in some foreign distant land. I love to learn. So I'm always engaged in some kind of learning program. And I actually learned that at AARP; AARP taught us that learning is a lifelong journey.  I started working at AARP, when I was 23 years old, I believe. I was still young and naive about a lot of things.

Read more: https://www.collectivedrift.com/post/dawnkelly

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift
https://www.collectivedrift.com/
https://www.instagram.com/collectivedrift/
https://www.youtube.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Dawn
https://www.instagram.com/prmaven17/

Where to find The Nourish Spot
The Nourish Spot, 107-05 Guy R Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY
https://the-nourish-spot.business.site/
https://www.instagram.com/thenourishspot/

The Collective Drift platform was created by Erica Knowles to celebrate all women, the beauty of their cultures, and international travel experiences. I believe that women possess magic, that gives them strength and grace to change the world. 

(ep 14)  Where can I find inspiration? With fashion and culture photographer Celia D. Luna

What inspires you? How can I be inspired? What should I look for, for inspiration? How can women influence me? How can I be more creative? What inspires your creativity? What is your passion? How do little things help spark your interest? Who can help me be more of me? How do you find yourself? 

I really enjoyed this interview with small business owner, artist, photographer, and mom, Celia D. Luna. It completely reminded me of the time that I spent in Peru. She was born in Ayacucho, Peru. While I didn’t spend time in Ayacucho, you can’t really go to Peru and experience it’s culture without knowing about the amazing place. The women from Ayacucho have a significant presence in the major Peruvian festivities such as Inti Raymi, which celebrates the sun god. I remember seeing the women with their top hats, wide colorful skirts, white blouses and boots.  

This episode of the Collective Drift podcast is sponsored by Truist. Truist is here for better. BB&T and SunTrust formed Truist with a shared purpose—to inspire and build better lives and communities. With our combined resources, collective passion, and commitment to innovation, we’re creating a better financial experience to help people and businesses achieve more. Go to truist.com for more information.

In this interview Celia tells us about how her mother from Ayacucho inspires her. Celia is an entrepreneur and  photographer whose mother owned a travel and tourism company. Through this Celia got to experience and see many different cultures. She also talks about life as a small business owner and the women and brands she photographs with from around the world that are telling their stories.  Sustainability is very important to Celia and she loves working with brands that are proactive about protecting the environment. She tells us about her connection with her daughter who is now exploring photography as well. We wrap up the conversation with Celia’s favorite travel experiences and her favorite places in Miami.  With her mother’s influence on her to be powerful, her love of travel, and her ability to stay grounded through meditation, Celia inspires us.

Here are a few of my favorite parts of the interview. 

Collective Drift (CD) / Celia D. Luna (CL)

CD: Who is Celia D. Luna?

CL: I guess I'll describe myself as this creative person that wants to communicate her message visually. And my message right now is about sustainability. I'm very into saving our planet and I want my photos to say that. Also girl empowerment, that also comes through very naturally. I was raised by a single mom; so, I've always had this big connection with women that kick ass. So that's what I do.

CD: What did your mom teach you about being a strong woman?

CL: I was born in Ayacucho, which was a little town in Peru. And she was in charge of a travel and tourism company. So she was a Boss Lady. So that's the first impact that I have from her, or the first connection that I relate to her...

Read more:
collectivedrift.com/post/celiadluna

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift

collectivedrift.com

instagram.com/collectivedrift

youtube.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Celia

celiadluna.com/

instagram.com/celiadluna

facebook.com/celiadluna

In part 1 of this interview, we got to know Sandra Christmann. We talked to her about her past, her career, her experience with kite surfing, the women who have influenced her, and the steps she has taken to help the people in need. We touched on the topic of her international travel experiences briefly, so let’s dive into it properly now! In part two of our interview with Sandra, she dives into her spiritual connection to Kenya; getting married in Venice, Italy; spending time with her best friend in Paris, France; and all the best places to visit in Düsseldorf, Germany. Please note this was recorded prior to the COVID19 pandemic.

Collective Drift is taking up AARP's challenge to reinvent what it means to age.  Remember, what you do after 50 can be just as amazing as what you've done before 30. It's time to disrupt aging. This is the part two of the first of 3 episodes in partnership with AARP highlighting amazing women from around the world who have disrupted aging. Click HEREto learn more disrupting aging with AARP!

Click HERE to make sure that you get our upcoming episodes.

So, what is a question Sandra would ask other women?
“What is your challenge? And how do you feel as a woman?”

To Sandra, what is female strength and what does it mean to be a woman?
“A woman’s strength lies in her emotions, her bravery, and her delicateness. Being a woman gives you a natural charm that helps you exude friendliness and welcome people with a smile.”

Read more HERE


Where to find Erica and Collective Drift
https://www.collectivedrift.com
https://www.instagram.com/collectivedrift/
https://www.youtube.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Sandra
https://www.instagram.com/sandrachristmann/
Art Düsseldorf

Places mentioned
Königsallee
Kunstsammlung K21
Media Harbour
Museum Kunstpalast
Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
Old Town
Oberkassel
Ponte dei Tre Archi 

Countries mentioned
Kenya
Italy 

Cities mentioned here
Shimoni, Kenya
Mombasa, Kenya
Rome, Italy
Florence, Italy 
Marche, Italy
Venice, Italy
Paris, France
Düsseldorf, Germany

Click HERE to make sure that you get our upcoming episodes!

How does one find their true passion? What can you do to have a fulfilling life even at an older age? How can one find the best opportunity to help others? Are women who do not get to travel not aware of their privilege? How do women influence women? What does it feel like to be a German woman? What is something you wish another woman would’ve told you? These are all the questions that our interviewee Sandra Christmann answers wonderfully in this first part of the interview! Being acquainted with such topics and spending her life finding her passion, she’s the best person you can go to for these answers.

Collective Drift is taking up AARP's challenge to reinvent what it means to age.  Remember, what you do after 50 can be just as amazing as what you've done before 30. It's time to disrupt aging. This is the first of 3 episodes in partnership with AARP highlighting amazing women from around the world who have disrupted aging. Go to aarp.org/disrupt-aging to learn more. 

Sandra Christmann is a 52 year old woman that disrupts aging by 1000%! She’s a mother, an   art powerhouse, kitesurfer, world traveler and philanthropist. Sandra was born and raised in Essen, Germany.  She studied German linguistics, media and Italian in Düsseldorf where she still resides. At the age of 25 she was fortunate to give birth to her favorite person in the world, her daughter Lana. Soon after that, she started working as a PR and marketing manager. Despite being good at marketing, she couldn’t find the necessary drive in it. She wasn’t content with the said job and decided to find something where her heart would feel at peace. Then, many of Sandra’s friends, who were artists themselves, prompted her to direct her attention to art. That’s when she started working at one of the most famous museums, focusing on classic modern and contemporary art, The Kunstsammlung in Düsseldorf. She spent 13 years there as the general manager responsible for sponsoring. After turning 50 years old she made another life changing move. She became the head of strategic alliances for the startup art fair Art Düsseldorf. So don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t get a new job after 50 or that only millennials can work for startups!

Click HERE to read more!

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift

collectivedrift.com

instagram.com/collectivedrift/

youtube.com/collectivedrift

Where to find Sandra

instagram.com/sandrachristmann/

Art Düsseldorf art-dus.de/

Aid Kenya Watoto aidkenya.org/

Click HERE to make sure that you get our upcoming episodes!

Exploring Race and Femininity in Caribbean and Mexican Cultures with Perez Art Museum Miami’s Curator, María Elena Ortiz

Click HERE  to make sure that you get our upcoming episodes!

What is it like being the only woman in the workplace? What is Classism vs. Racism like in Latin America? How does race impact art? Why should artists be funded by the government? What is it like being an Afro Latina in Mexico? How does surrounding yourself with a positive company affect you? What is it like to live in Mexico?

In this interview with María Elena Ortiz, a curator at the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), we learned so much about Afro Caribbean art and culture. She shared her adventures around the English speaking Caribbean; growing up in a progressive Puerto Rican household; living in Mexico and Miami, and what it’s like for her to be a Black Puerto Rican woman in the art world.

This episode is sponsored by the Knight Foundation on behalf of PAMM’s Fund for African American Art. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the Coronavirus pandemic and the current fight for valuing Black lives in America and the world. However, it is timely as we had a great discussion on the dynamics of race in the Caribbean and art.

María Elena is originally from Puerto Rico, born in San Juan and raised in Carolina by her mother and father. She’s lived in Mexico City, Mexico and currently resides in Miami, FL, USA. María Elena has spent an extensive amount of time in the Caribbean Islands conducting research on Afro Caribbean Art for her book and PAMM exhibition both titled “The Other Side of Now”.


CLICK HERE to read more and to get all of the links for Maria's recommendations.

So, what is a question María Elena would ask other women?
“How do you feel today?”

How does María Elena define a woman?
“To be powerful, and to own our power and use it.”

Make a donation for Perez Art Museum Miami Fund for African American Art (All donations go towards an endowment for purchasing art from the African Diaspora):
https://pamm.org/artfund

Where to find Maria
https://instagram.com/contemporarychica/

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift
https://collectivedrift.com
https:/instagram.com/collectivedrift/
https://youtube.com/collectivedrift

Click HERE to make sure that you get our upcoming episodes! https://collectivedrift.com/stayintouch

The Collective Drift platform was created by Erica Knowles to celebrate all women, the beauty of their cultures, and international travel experiences.