How to Womxn: Buck the System. Live your Truth.

My guest today, Lara Americo, is an artist and journalist living in NYC. Their work focuses on the experience of being a trans-feminine person and issues related to the transgender people. 

Lara says “Living in this world as a trans-feminine person of color is revolutionary. Existing in a society that routinely denies your existence  is a direct action to colonization.  I buck the system by living an authentic life. This is something that is hard for both transgender and cisgender people, alike.  The patriarchy exists because gender roles and the hierarchy related to binary gender exists. My existence proves that gender is arbitrary and the patriarchy is arbitrary.”

In this episode Lara shares her story of courage, sacrifices, pain and the purest form of love she’s experienced. 

Lara’s Instagram - instagram.com/laraamerico

Deepshikha’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam/

When Heidi was told at age 7 that she cannot become a priest, she was devastated. All she wanted to do was to help people find God and be on stage every single week.  It was the best job in the world. However, there was a problem. She was a girl and girls could only become a Nun. Not a priest.

Lucky for womxn today, she instead became a Body Mind Coach specializing in Empowering Womxn to Lead From Within. What that means is truly tapping that inner wisdom, the God(dess) within and leading an aligned life. Growing up in the patriarchal culture she realised that real reverence is reverence for yourself first.

In this conversation, we chat about what leading from within looks like. Heidi and I also talk about why it’s important to heal the patriarchy, after we smash it!

You can find more about Heidi here - www.heidimetro.com

Get her free PMS training here - https://www.heidimetro.com/pms-free-training

Find Deepshikha on Instagram - www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam

Lisa shows womxn of influence how to keep enough bandwidth in reserve so they always have the capacity to unabashedly embrace each new level of success, turn curveballs into home runs, and stay grounded in what matters most! She draws from her 15 years of mental health experience as a clinical social worker and her trauma survivorship to provide education, training, and supervision for coaches who are committed to safe and ethical practice. She and Deepshikha speak about how bucking the system by being a leader, healing trauma and her first great act of bucking the system by leaving the cult she was raised in.

Find Lisa here - https://lisakuzman.com and https://instagram.com/coachkuz

Find Deepshikha here on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam/

Email deepshikha at [email protected]

TW/CW - This episode has a trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault. If you have experienced sexual assault, you are not alone. Organizations like Pathways to Safety can provide resources to empower you to survive and heal, no matter where you are in the world. https://pathwaystosafety.org/sexual-assault/

My guest today, Sarah Zerkel (also known as Zerkie) is a tough-ass, unapologetic woman first and foremost. By trade, she's a conversion copywriter for online business owners. In December 2019, Zerkie went through a horrible experience that has shaped her life forever. She's not one to open up about personal matters on the internet but has a story that she feels convicted to tell in the hopes it can offer hope to other women and sexual assault victims.

She is here to tell us that healing from sexual assault is a journey and one of the many ways we can heal is by using the power of our voice.

She says “This is not something that defines me but is HAS shaped me. The things that define me are my kindness, my empathy, my ambition, and my love for my family and friends.”

After the incident Zerkie dove in deep to things that made her feel connected to herself and explored talents and passions she hadn't given time to before. One of those is her online shop: "Chicacantina" where she sell her designs printed on various products--100% of the proceeds go to anti-rape and Domestic Violence causes in Chile.

You can find more about Chicacantina here - https://www.instagram.com/chicacantina/

Connect with Zerkie here - www.instagram.com/therealslim.zerkie/
www.sarahzerkel.com

To connect with Deepshikha, email her at [email protected] or you can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam/

Making your health and your career a priority is a bizarre concept for womxn to understand. Practically speaking we get it, but when it comes to implementing it in our life, we have a hard time. Especially if you are a mom. The societal definition of a “good mom” isn’t someone who puts her health and career first.

But is that true?

What would life look like for you if you really did put yourself first? Your health, your career, your well being. How would your levels of fulfillment change? Would you slide into the “bad mom” category or will you experience a better relationship with your kids and your family/friends?

My guest, Nagina Abdullah and I talk about ‘putting yourself first’. Nagina shares how she was able to lose 40 lbs and build a super successful business by taking care of herself first.

We also talk about what it takes for womxn to create a super successful business (it may not be what you’re thinking!)

Find Nagina here:

https://masalabody.com
https://www.instagram.com/masalabody/

Share this episode on Instagram and tag me at https://www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam/

I’ve known Divya for 30 years! She and I were inseparable all through Elementary to Middle School. It wasn’t a surprise to me that she was destined to do great things in her life but when I caught wind of her starting a Pad Yatra (Menstrual Awareness Journey) on a popular radio show in the capital of India, New Delhi during the auspicious religious festival, I was gobsmacked. In a good way!

I always loved her badass attitude but now I respected and loved her even more for talking about this sensitive and triggering topic in India. This adventure for Divya did not come without challenges but also has many surprising moments.

Inside this episode, I am talking to my school best friend on how womxn in India are standing up to patriarchy. Don’t be surprised if this hits too close to home or if you feel “wow, I didn’t even know this was a challenge for womxn across the world!” Patriarchy is spread deep, far and wide and we are smashing it one brick at a time!

Find Divya here - instagram.com/rjdivyaa

Find Deepshikha here - https://www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam/

We want to hear your stories too. Send us YOUR stories of how you’ve redefined how to womxn. Send it to me on instagram or email them to me at [email protected].

We’ll be dedicating an entire episode (the finale) to your stories of courage and inspiration. I look forward to hearing from you.

In this episode I am talking to Brielle Cotterman, TEDx Speaker, Publicity Expert and Celebrity-Maker and survivor of attempted murder and domestic violence. 

Brielle is an advocate for a world where intimate partner abuse is not tolerated and survivors are met with empathy. She shares her story on how she overcame domestic violence & attempted murder and now how she is living her life as an advocate by creating a media empire empowering women around the world to claim their story and claim their power!

Find Brielle here - www.briellecotterman.com

Brielle’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/briellecotterman/

National Domestic Violence website (for US) - https://www.thehotline.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1.800.799 (SAFE) 7233

List of Domestic Violence Hotlines in some other countries - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_domestic_violence_hotlines

Womxn in patriarchal societies are taught that their identity comes from fulfilling the needs of others. Those who request or stand up for their needs are often labeled "Bitches.”

Is this core wound of the Divine Feminine causing you to play small?

In this episode, I talk about how womxn around the world are shrinking themselves to fit the needs of others and giving up their desires and often their identities, in the bargain.

The answer to question “Are you playing small” lies in 3 simple, yet profound questions. Use these questions as Journal Prompts to open your pandora’s box to more fulfillment:

1. In what ways are you not living your life to its fullest potential?
2. Where are you shrinking yourself to fit the needs and desires of other people while ignoring yours?
3. How and where are you not expressing yourself fully?

Share your takeaway from the episode by tagging me on Instagram @deepshikhasairam

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Valerie Rein, psychologist and author of the bestselling book “Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment”

Dr. Valerie Rein has discovered Patriarchy Stress Disorder (PSD) and created the only science-backed system for helping women achieve their ultimate success, happiness, and fulfillment by healing the intergenerational trauma of oppression.

We talk about the deep rooted effects of Patriarchy on womxn, the invisible barriers it creates to Womxn’s happiness and fulfillment and why it is absolutely necessary that we break these barriers

Find me on Instagram - www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam

Find Dr Valerie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drvalerierein/

For additional resources related to Dr. Valerie Rein’s work visit - https://www.drvalerie.com

Inside Episode 1, host of How to Womxn, Deepshikha Sairam, shares her story of how she bucked the “patriarchal” system and created her own definition of “how to womxn”

Deepshikha was born in an era where being “born a girl” was nothing less than a sin. Raised in a patriarchal culture where practices like female infanticide and dowry system were common, she like many other womxn received mixed messages about what it meant to be a womxn.

She tried to follow the typical template that was handed over to her but she reached a point where she refused to follow it any more. She wanted to create her own choices, her own life.

She decided to buck the so-called “system” and is now living her extraordinary life. She hopes her story will inspire and empower other womxn to look at their own choices and re-define for themselves on how to womxn.

Follow Deepshikha on Instagram at www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam to continue the conversation on How to Womxn.