Femme Hive

“I just want to be happy.” Raise your hand if you have either heard someone say this before or if you yourself have expressed this wish to those around you.

Being happy is a very valid goal to have in life and on this episode we are exploring why most of us aren’t there yet.

To help us uncover some happiness myths, we are joined by Stephanie Harrison, Founder & CEO of The New Happy, a company with the mission to redefine happiness. A former Deloitte consultant and Product Marketing Manager at LinkedIn, Stephanie used to listen to society’s narrative about the things that we should do in order to be happier and she was really surprised and disappointed when that didn’t work. She then went on to earn her Master’s in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania to further research the concept of happiness.

Today, Stephanie shares with us why most of us are blocking ourselves from finding true happiness by following the “Old Happy” cultural narratives and why these narratives are particularly cruel to women. Stephanie believes that if we as a society shifted our mindsets towards the “New Happy’, scientifically proven approach, we would be able to create a world of equality, justice, safety, and joy where everyone would be much happier.

This week we have an additional bonus episode for you. Earlier this year, our host Thamina was interviewed by Davidson Hang for his podcast, The Davidson Hang Podcast.

As Founder of the "Asians in Sales" Community at LinkedIn and former Women@LinkedIn co-lead, Davidson and Thamina are both very passionate about Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. On this episode, they talk about the Black Lives Matter movement, their role as allies to the Black community, and what it means to have a growth mindset. Thamina also spends some time talking about her upbringing in Germany and some cultural differences between Americans and Europeans.

There is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health. If you are struggling, you might feel too embarrassed to ask for help. You don’t want to be a burden to your loved ones or you don’t even know how to find a good, affordable therapist. Sound familiar?

On today’s episode we turn to Mackenzie Drazan, Founder of the mental health non-profit TEAM and CEO & Founder of the startup MiResource. After losing her sister to suicide freshman year of university, Mackenzie has dedicated her life to defeating the stigma surrounding mental illness and increasing access to mental health care.

We talk about how mental health awareness is gaining some momentum during this global pandemic and how someone with mental health problems can involve their loved ones in their healing process. Mackenzie and Thamina also vulnerably share their own experiences with PTSD and anxiety attacks.

If you are on the fence about whether you should seek professional help, Mackenzie provides some helpful pointers and tips on how to take better care of yourself.

Trigger warning: This episode contains information about depression, anxiety and suicide which may be triggering to survivors and loved ones.

As college students and young professionals we oftentimes think that either the major we choose in school or our first full-time job will define our professional trajectory for the rest of our lives. There is this self-inflicted burden among us young ambitious people setting an unrealistic expectation that we have to have everything figured out by the time we graduate college or within the first few years of our young professional life.

Loretta Falcone is the living and breathing testament that we actually do not have to have everything figured out. Loretta is a NASA scientist and is currently planning NASA's first robotic mission to the moon (casual!). She was also part of the team that discovered the correct rotation of the planet Uranus, which baffled the scientific community at the time. From working for NASA to being a former ballerina, living in Italy, being a full-time mom, and TEDx speaker, Loretta has been reinventing herself over and over again throughout her life.

On this episode, we explore the importance of humility, vulnerability, and believing in yourself. Loretta shares how she helped doctors identify the rare disease of her son and how she was able to overcome her fear of space. One of the biggest take-aways: Let go of your ego!

Are you one of those people who just applies to 100+ jobs, hoping that something will stick? Do you see recruiters as the enemy? Are you a college student or recent grad who wants to find out how you can stand out as an applicant?

This week, we are talking to Career Strategist Lizzie Jones. Lizzie is the the Founder of “Hey Lizzie Ann”, a career consultancy for early-in-career tech professionals. As a former recruiter at Amazon and Expedia, Lizzie knows exactly how you should approach your job search and how you can increase your chances of landing your dream job.

On this episode we address the network gap many first-generation college graduates and immigrants are confronted with when searching for jobs. Lizzie and Thamina also talk about common misconceptions job candidates have about the job of a recruiter. Did you know that the relationship between an applicant and a recruiter is actually a mutually beneficial partnership? Additionally, Lizzie gives some helpful insights to encourage women to become more confident about applying in the first place and negotiate their salary. Lastly, she provides some great examples of how college students and recent grads can significantly improve their resumes.

You have an emergency fund, you are investing in a 401(k) or other type of retirement account and you have some savings. Now what?

For this week's episode we brought back Financial Coach and Founder of Common Wealth Coaching, Lesley Chen-Young (now Ihionkhan because Lesley got married whoop whoop), for another insightful conversation on personal finance. Once you have the basics of how to manage your money down, that's when the real fun begins and you can start dreaming big.

Lesley and Thamina are talking about aligning your financial goals with your personal values, the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement and whether real estate is a feasible investment option for young adults in their 20s. Additionally, we are addressing the super scary biological reality of thinking about the financial implications of starting a family one day. Thamina and Lesley also share some tips on how to live below your means and live off only 60-70% of your salary.

You have always wanted to be your own boss? You have a passion or a great idea but are too afraid of failure? You are wondering whether entrepreneurship is for you?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you cannot miss out on this week's episode with the Founder and CEO of Foodpunk, Marina Lommel. With the help of data and science, the award-winning German startup Foodpunk is creating the future of nutrition. The company's founder, Marina, who was recognized as one of the Top 100 Founders across Germany, Austria and Switzerland and who is also the author of four books on low-carb and keto diet, is providing some really interesting and very genuine insights on how to start your own company and what scaling a startup looks like. Marina also shares how she grew into the role of CEO and her big plans for Foodpunk's future.

Gender gaps in workplaces can lead to difficult and uncomfortable situations. While this issue is common in many industries, the gender disparity in STEM fields is particularly wide. Though the gap has been closing in recent years, there are still many workplace issues that can arise from male dominated spaces in STEM.

Sammi Siegel has been interested in gender equality efficacy for many years. In 2012, she co-created a petition to have a woman moderate the presidential debates, which garnered over 180,000 signatures! Today she speaks about her role as a software engineer working at Duolingo, and gives insight on how to handle microaggressions in the office and push past gender stereotypes and discrimination.

One of the most common events that knocks people down is a tough breakup. Everyone has been through, or knows someone who has been through one. We all agree breakups are terrible, but how do we get through them in one piece and move on with our lives? Grab some junk food and put on a rom com? Maybe. But a lot more goes into the healing process after a relationship ends.

Aishu Nag, a young professional working at a health services and innovation company in Washington D.C, joins us to talk about the end of her long-term relationship. She very vulnerably shares how she got through the initial blow and the tough following months, all while adjusting to a new city. Whether you have just broken up with someone or are happily single, Aishu’s advice can be useful for anyone grappling with grief and disappointment of any kind.

You're finally holding it in your hands: That college degree you have been working so hard for. You cannot wait to start making money and conquering the real world. But one thing is still missing: Your dream job.

So how do you put yourself in a position to be noticed by recruiters and hiring managers? How do you overcome your fear of networking with more senior people? How do you proactively seek out opportunities for personal development?

To answer those questions, we turn to Basant Shenouda. Basant is an incoming Global Sales Associate at LinkedIn and the Founder of #basantblast, her online identity, career, and personal branding consulting service. Basant's online content has taught millions the value of personal branding through content creation and storytelling since she was 21. By vulnerably sharing how she has overcome being rejected by dream companies such as Google, Salesforce and LinkedIn, Basant has gained 7 million views online and spoken in China, Nigeria, the United States and Germany on how to make your career dreams a reality.