In this intimate conversation, host Asal Zara sits down with Deva Dwahba to share a deeply moving story about walking away from Hollywood's superficial pressures to find true purpose and inner peace. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com.

Once an aspiring actress in Los Angeles, Deva survived life-altering physical accidents and the harsh realities of the entertainment industry. At the height of her pursuit of fame, a sudden moment of clarity made her realize that chasing external success was costing her soul. She left everything behind, traveled to India, and began a life dedicated to spiritual healing, unconditional love, and serving thousands of children.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Surviving severe hardship and reclaiming your life after physical and emotional pain

• The harsh realities of the entertainment industry and choosing self-worth over fame

• The pivotal wake-up call that changed her life trajectory forever

• Walking away from everything you know to find unconditional love and true identity

• Finding deep purpose and dedicating your life to serving others

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.

https://www.youtube.com/@hersideofthestoriesofficial/?sub_confirmation=1  

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

#womensstories #findingyourself #spiritualjourney #lifeafterhollywood #personaltransformation #hersideofthestories

The Cost of Chasing Fame: Why I Walked Away From Hollywood | Deva Dwahba

In this personal reflection, Asal Zara shares her thoughts on motherhood, self-care, and the pressure many mothers feel to always put themselves last. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

She explores why so many mothers feel guilty when they take time for themselves, whether it is going to the gym, meeting friends, having a quiet coffee, or doing something that brings them joy.

Motherhood changes the way we see our time. Asal reflects that being a loving mother doesn't mean losing your identity, needs, friendships, or happiness.

In this episode, she talks about:

• Why mothers often feel guilty for taking time for themselves

• The pressure to become the “perfect mother”

• Why sacrifice is not the only measure of love

• How children learn from the way mothers treat themselves

• Finding balance between motherhood and personal identity

• Learning to question guilt instead of automatically believing it

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.

https://www.youtube.com/@hersideofthestoriesofficial/?sub_confirmation=1  

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF48yYZQFDQ 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W0k5ggovv8 

Why Mothers Feel Guilty Taking Time For Themselves #motherhood #momguilt #womensstories

Leigh Arnold is an actress, mother, and one of Ireland’s recognised television personalities. In this episode of Her Side of the Stories, Leigh shares the experiences that shaped her identity, from growing up in Ireland and discovering acting, to motherhood, relationships, and learning who she truly is. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

She reflects on building confidence, stepping into different roles throughout life, and finding her own voice beyond others' expectations.

In this episode:

• Leigh’s childhood in Ireland and the influences that shaped her

• Finding confidence through acting and creativity

• Balancing motherhood, career, and identity

• Learning to understand herself through life’s transitions

• Reinventing herself and embracing a new chapter

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Leigh Arnold’s Story of Reinvention and Finding Herself Again #womensstories #selfdiscovery #personalgrowth

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

Have you ever looked back at a relationship and realized the signs were there from the beginning? Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

In this solo reflection, Asal Zara explores why we sometimes notice small moments, feelings, or patterns but choose to explain them away. The comment that stayed with us, the feeling we pushed aside, or the instinct we decided not to trust.

This episode explores:

• Why we understand situations differently after they end

• How intuition and self-awareness connect

• Why we sometimes ignore what we already know

• What relationships teach us about ourselves

• Learning to listen to our own voice

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Why We Ignore the Signs We Already Feel #relationships #selfdiscovery #emotionalwellbeing

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

Queen Diambi grew up between Belgium and Congo, later building a life in Europe and the United States as a wife, mother, and professional. Along the way, she wrestled with questions of identity, belonging, and the parts of her African heritage she had never fully been taught. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

In this conversation with Asal Zara, she reflects on the collapse of the life she had built, reconnecting with her father and ancestral roots, discovering at 48 that she came from a royal lineage, and eventually being asked to take responsibility for her people. What followed was not simply becoming a queen, but learning what that role meant for her identity, confidence, and sense of service.

Topics discussed:

• Growing up between Belgium and Congo

• Identity, belonging and African heritage

• Rebuilding after a major life change

• Reconnecting with her father

• Discovering her royal lineage at 48

• Returning to her ancestral home

• The moment she was asked to become queen

• Learning to feel worthy of the responsibility

• What leadership and service mean to her

Queen Diambi’s story is about more than a crown. It is about reconnecting with where you come from, accepting every part of who you are, and understanding that sometimes the next chapter of your life begins when the one you built no longer fits.

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

The Life Before the Crown | #queendiambi #womensstories #identityandbelonging

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

Why do you feel lonely even when you have friends, family, children, messages, and

people around you? Sometimes loneliness has less to do with being alone and more to

do with feeling unseen. You might spend your whole day talking, helping, organizing,

and being needed while still feeling as though nobody truly knows what is happening

inside you. Please visit our website for more information:

http://www.hersideofthestories.com

In this direct-to-camera reflection, we look at emotional connection, why strong women

often become the people everyone depends on, and why saying “I’m fine” for years

sometimes leaves little space for others to know us. Feeling unseen in relationships,

constantly adjusting yourself around other people, or being loved mainly through the

roles you play can leave you feeling disconnected even in a full room.

This reflection explores:

- Why being surrounded is different from feeling seen

- Why capable women sometimes feel deeply lonely

- How hiding parts of yourself affects emotional connectionWhy opening up starts with one honest sentence

- How identity and finding yourself connect with belonging

- Sometimes the question is not how many people are around you. The question is where

you feel most like yourself.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Feeling Lonely Even When Surrounded by People

#loneliness #emotionalconnection #feelingseen

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

Why do so many women grow up feeling responsible for everyone around them? In this conversation, Asal Zara speaks with Professor Claire Delahey about the expectations girls absorb from childhood and how those early lessons continue into relationships, motherhood, money, work, confidence, and family life. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

Professor Delahey reflects on how girls learn to help, please, care, and keep other people comfortable long before they fully understand those expectations. She also explores how these patterns affect boundaries, self-worth, parenting, relationships, financial decisions, and the invisible work women often carry.

Topics covered:

• Why Girls Learn to Please Others

• How Gender Roles Start in Childhood

• Teaching Girls to Say No

• Raising Children With More Freedom

• Beauty, Confidence and Self-Worth

• Love, Money and Equality in Relationships

• The Invisible Work Women Carry

• Weaponized Incompetence at Home

• Mother Guilt and the Pressure to Be Perfect

• Why Women Judge Other Women

• Financial Independence in Relationships

• What Equality Looks Like in Everyday Life

Professor Delahey also explains why equality is often shaped by small everyday choices inside homes and relationships, not only by larger political questions. The discussion moves from childhood expectations to money, parenting, domestic work, beauty standards, and the pressure many women feel to do everything well.

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Why Women Learn to Put Others First #womensstories #womensexperiences #genderroles

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

Why do we replay conversations, analyze someone’s tone, or assume a change in mood means we did something wrong? In this solo episode, Asal Zara reflects on why overthinking often starts as an attempt to feel prepared, safe, and certain about what comes next. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

Asal explores how learning to read other people’s moods early in life sometimes turns into constant analysis later on. She looks at why silence feels personal, why uncertainty feels difficult, and why people sometimes keep thinking long after there is no new information left to find.

She also reflects on the difference between useful reflection and going around the same thought repeatedly. The deeper question is not always whether you made the right decision. Sometimes the real question is whether you trust yourself to deal with whatever happens next.

Topics covered:

• Why We Replay Conversations

• Reading Into Tone, Silence and Small Details

• Fear of Rejection and Uncertainty

• Childhood Patterns and Reading the Room

• Why Other People’s Moods Feel Personal

• Reflection vs Repeating the Same Thought

• Looking for Certainty Before Making Decisions

• Why Not Every Feeling Needs an Explanation

• Taking Action Instead of Analyzing Everything

• Accepting That Some Questions Stay Unanswered

• Building Self-Trust

• Trusting Yourself With What Happens Next

You do not need every answer in advance. Sometimes peace starts with trusting yourself to handle what comes next.

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Why We Overthink Conversations And How To Trust Ourselves Again #womensstories #selftrust #personalgrowth

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

Mandana Karimi has spent much of her life starting again. She grew up in Iran questioning the rules around her, left her country without a clear safety net, built a modeling career across Asia, became a familiar face in Indian entertainment, stepped away from Bollywood, rebuilt professionally, and repeatedly refused to stay inside identities other people chose for her. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

In this intimate conversation with Asal Zara, Mandana reflects on childhood, family, freedom, belonging, ambition, relationships, fame, and the price of building a life entirely on your own terms. She shares how leaving Iran shaped her independence, how India became another home, and why success did not stop her from questioning who she wanted to become next. Her life has continued to change publicly too. In 2026, Mandana announced she was leaving India after almost 16 years there, describing the move as another new beginning.

Topics covered:

• Growing Up and Feeling Different

• Questioning the Life Expected of Her

• Leaving Iran and Starting Again

• Building a Life Without a Safety Net

• Finding Belonging Across Different Countries

• From Modeling to Indian Entertainment

• What Fame Changed

• Marriage, Identity and Starting Over

• Walking Away From Bollywood

• Building a New Career

• Speaking Up About Iran

• Why Mandana Keeps Choosing Freedom

Mandana’s story is about more than leaving places behind. It is about refusing to let a country, career, relationship, or public identity decide who she has to remain.

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became.

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Mandana Karimi on Freedom, Identity & Starting Again #womensstories #mandanakarimi #reinvention

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================

“I don’t feel like myself anymore.” Asal Zara keeps hearing the same words from women living completely different lives. Mothers, wives, business owners, caregivers, women going through divorce, and women whose lives look happy from the outside all describe the same feeling. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

In this solo episode, Asal reflects on why women sometimes stop recognizing themselves inside lives they helped build. She shares her own experience of moving countries, leaving home young, traveling through more than 40 countries, and constantly learning how to adapt.

She explores how childhood roles follow us into adulthood, why capable women often become the person everyone relies on, and how putting yourself last slowly starts to feel normal. Asal also questions what “finding yourself” means and why reconnecting with yourself often begins with small, honest choices rather than dramatic life changes.

Topics covered:

• Why women say “I don’t feel like myself anymore”

• How adapting shapes identity

• Childhood roles that continue into adulthood

• Motherhood, relationships and responsibility

• People-pleasing and belonging

• Why capable women stop asking for what they need

• The difference between functioning and feeling present

• Listening to yourself again

• Small ways to reconnect with who you are

• Finding yourself without changing your whole life

Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see.

Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

Finding Yourself Again When You Don’t Feel Like Yourself #womensstories #personalgrowth #selfdiscovery

🔗 Stay Connected With Us.

Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories

Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/ 

Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766 

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561

Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] 

=============================

🎬Suggested videos for you:

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP69EOwXBI 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CEAXcLUwM 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWTm_8R43c 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jFUpLzdtRA 

▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMwaDofLTo 

=================================