Hair Stories With Chantel

Arpit Kaushik was born in Delhi, raised across 10 cities, and built a career leading teams of 400 people across continents. He co-founded an innovation software company backed by IKEA. By every measure, he was winning.

Then a cycling accident changed everything. A car door opened. He hit the ground, went into a coma, and was given a 2% chance of survival without severe neurological damage. He beat those odds.

What came next is what this conversation is really about.

On the same day his software company went into voluntary liquidation; which happened to be India's Independence Day; Arpit registered Dill House. A one-man, alcohol-free, 100% natural perfume company built from grief, brain injury, and the deep belief that beauty lives in the small, quiet moments most of us rush past. He calls them gentle moments.

We also get into his hair story; Sunday oil rituals in India, coconut oil and family, and the uncle who was a dermatologist who he thought would always have his back on the hair loss front. (He did not.)

This one will slow you down in the best way.

Find Arpit & Dill House: dillhouse.co.uk

Links to his poetry book: https://amzn.eu/d/06ixsyrW

LinkedIn

Personal IG

Biz IG

In this episode of Hair Stories With Chantel, Drew opens up about finding her authentic hair self in high school, crying every day at a teaching job she quit after a month, following a vision of four degrees she barely believed in, and doing research on childhood trauma that she has now submitted to the House of Representatives; all while being a mom and a doctoral student in integral transpersonal psychology.

In this episode you'll discover:

✂️ How Drew went from perms to paper bag curls to a shaved head to locs; and what each chapter meant

📚 The vision of four degrees she received before she even finished her bachelor's; and how she followed it anyway

🌱 What it means to follow breadcrumbs when you can't see the full path yet

🤝 Why she believes handholding;,in business and in life;is about to become more important than ever

💛 Her message for anyone who is trying to get through something hard right now

🎧 Follow the channel for more real stories from real people.

From cosmetology school to author and entrepreneur; Diana shares the story behind the pivot, the passion that never left, and why your experience is never wasted. A conversation about hair, flow state, and becoming the captain of your own ship.

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Website

Her book

Paula Carnell was bedridden with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, told she'd never recover. Then her husband built a beehive. A stranger with a lolloping dog became her mentor. And when Paula discovered conventional beekeepers were feeding bees sugar (the same toxin that made her sicker), everything changed. She refused to feed her bees sugar, started giving them minerals instead, took the same minerals herself, and walked the Dorset Coast Path three years later. This conversation covers natural beekeeping, why what kills bees also kills us, going gray and wild-haired in your 50s, soil depletion, regenerative agriculture, and why being yourself is the most revolutionary act. If you've ever felt disconnected from nature or your own body, Paula's story will remind you: we're all part of the hive.

🐝 Connect with Paula in her Skool community to learn more about natural beekeeping and regenerative living.

Connect with Paula Carnell:

• Her Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/spiritual-beekeeping/about?ref=fa0470c87da0434ea65eb7a86f38ca47

• Follow her journey of "being" and her mission to save the bees on Youtube https://youtu.be/dTsJUWAQFfI?si=HpzPBJ-7Gh88kr3B

• Watch her Tedx Talk: https://youtu.be/RI4LCGMM-gA?si=LJaPwmCOIb21YwHP

Connect with Carin:

• Follow for more conversations on holistic hair care, community, and the power of sharing our stories.

https://linktr.ee/Chantel

#Beekeeping #HolisticHealing #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #NaturalBeekeeping #MineralHealth #WisdomOfTheHive #AuthenticBeauty #PlantMedicine

A Hair Disaster, Herbal Healing & Creative Rituals: Dance, Tea, and Making Things by Hand

Hansheng shares a dramatic hair story: frequent dyeing for a K-pop cover dance crew led to damaged hair, and applying relaxer over recently dyed black hair caused severe breakage, prompting a nearly shaved head and a horrified mom’s reaction. Carin and Hansheng discuss dancing’s long-term benefits, recognizing dancers by movement, and the intimacy of doing family and friends’ hair, including cutting hair at home and a love for hair color. The talk expands into hobbies and sensory preferences (journaling paper, art materials), pets’ intuition, and reflections on city life versus Taipei’s quieter, greener urban atmosphere. Hansheng explains his mother’s herbalism rooted in caring for his sick grandmother, shares herbal soups and tinctures, contrasts preventive Eastern approaches with U.S. healthcare, and describes personalized herbal treatment that improved magnesium levels, ending with mutual appreciation and notes on cooking; especially carbon-steel woks and cooking over fire.

00:00 Hair Story Setup

00:55 Dance Crew Dye Days

01:46 Relaxer Disaster

03:31 Shaving It Off

05:25 Dance Crew Memories

12:10 DIY Haircuts Talk

17:39 Color Work Obsession

20:35 Neurodivergent Texture Talk

22:49 Pets Join The Chat

27:33 Missing Taipei Nights

42:56 Creativity Takes Practice

48:43 Tea And Hospitality

52:56 Herbalism Origins

55:19 Immigration And Herbal Soups

58:37 Food Medicine And Vitamins

01:00:12 Magnesium Mystery Solved

01:04:18 Herbal Diagnosis And Period Soup

01:07:40 Soap Making And Pain Remedies

01:12:41 Tinctures And Lost Knowledge

01:18:57 Foraging Gardening And Culture

01:22:20 Fire Cooking Memories

01:30:13 Woks Carbon Steel And Gear Tips

01:37:43 Gratitude And Closing

Links

Biz YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4bbWpAeVdbO7skin-xmN8w

Website: https://theartcollectiveinternational.com/

ACI Skool: https://www.skool.com/theartcollectiveinternational-5768/about

IG: https://www.instagram.com/artcollectiveinternational

Personal

https://www.youtube.com/@LeeHanshengStudios

Mike Pirie on Growing Up in South Africa, Cybersecurity, Crypto Scams & Building New Skool Communities

Mike Pirie is a cybersecurity and technology leader with a risk-first lens on crypto; and one of the most unexpectedly fascinating life stories you'll hear. From being raised in a beach lighthouse hostel in Port Elizabeth to navigating apartheid-era schooling, mandatory military service, and eventually landing in South Carolina, Mike's path is anything but linear.

In this episode of Hair Stories with Carin Chantel, we get into the real stuff: Flock of Seagulls hair, painting himself with oil-based paint as a kid, and the honest journey of a receding hairline. But also; crypto. Mike entered in May 2020, grew a portfolio fast, got burned by scams, and turned those hard lessons into communities that help everyday people (especially busy parents) navigate decentralized finance with real security guardrails.

We also talk about his spiritual life, reiki mastery, a decades-long journaling practice, a bipolar misdiagnosis he only learned about two years ago, and what it means to parent a 27-year-old and a 21-month-old at the same time.

In this episode:

• Growing up in South Africa during apartheid & attending multiracial private school
• How mandatory military service led him into forensics, tech, and eventually Microsoft
• International career stops: Israel, the UK, Canada, and beyond
• Entering crypto in 2020; the wins, the scams, and what he learned
• Building crypto communities on Discord, Patreon, and now Skool
• Launching "Mystical Mic" a community rooted in spiritual practice
• "Palmetto Tech" tech support for solo entrepreneurs and mompreneurs
• Journaling, poetry, creativity, and trusting intuition
• A misdiagnosis that changed everything







Mike’s YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@cryptoeasewithmike

Follow him on Skool https://www.skool.com/@mikepi

Mystical Mike Skool

Follow Carin Chantel

Album photo by: Hannah Pirie

HanSheng Lee discusses his professional and personal journey, highlighting his current work with the Art Collective International (ACI), a creative ecosystem designed to uplift and support artists. Lee delves into his childhood experiences growing up as a dual citizen of Taiwan and America, which involved a deep connection to nature, food, and art. He reflects on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his plans to open a tea house, which ultimately led him to focus on ACI. Lee talks about his multifaceted approach to art and his entrepreneurial background, stressing the importance of collaboration, creativity, and kindness in business. The conversation also touches on the supportive community found on the Skool platform, contrasting it with the toxicity often present on other social media platforms.

His personal youtube

Business youtube

Skool Community

Website

Unlocking the Power of Decision-Making & Personal Authenticity with Ian

In this engaging episode, Ian shares his journey from Ohio to coaching and building 'The Fire Games' in Manchester. He emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships, joy in decision-making, and the need to confront life's challenges head-on. Ian reflects on his early ambitions in science and creativity, his unique approach to personal branding through his hairstyle, and his transformative experiences in business coaching. He discusses the critical role of confidence, agility, and authenticity in achieving success and fostering deep connections. Listeners are encouraged to take inventory of their lives, challenge perceived limitations, and live without regret.

Unfiltered Wisdom: Heidi Clements on Ageism, Sobriety, and Writing.

In this interview, writer and producer Heidi Clements discusses her journey from a childhood marked by aloof parenting to a successful career in television production. She reflects on her struggles with body dysmorphia and the societal pressures placed on women as they age, explaining why she now uses social media to advocate for the visibility of women over 50. The conversation highlights her decision to embrace her natural hair and her past experiences working on shows like Baby Daddy and A Current Affair. Clements also touches on her sobriety, the challenges of the entertainment industry strike, and her current efforts to sell scripts that authentically represent older women. Ultimately, she emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and the necessity of prioritizing one’s own needs over the expectations of others.

Note: This was recorded in 2024.

Heidi on Instagram

Get on her Substack

Sami Skinner has been doing hair for 20 + years; and it all started with a bad haircut at a Supercuts. In this episode, Sami walks us through the accidental path that led her to cosmetology school, what it took to go all in on hair, and how she built a loyal clientele from the ground up. We also get into the business side nobody talks about ; S-corps, separating your money, retirement at 19, and knowing when to raise your prices.

Recorded in 2024.

Sami opens up about becoming an educator after a decade of quietly doing the work, finding her voice on social media, and the inner work that came after losing her dad. Real, honest, and packed with things you'll want to write down.

Find Sami at:

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