Not So Perfect

Your identity is not defined by your gender, your race, or where you are from. No one gets to decide your identity but you. Today's guest is Ari Watkins, and in this episode, we talk about finding alignment and remaining grounded through uncertainty. We also dive into Ari's teaching journey, including why she loves being a teacher, her life living abroad, and the importance of having a routine.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How Ari's story began [1:35]
• Why she decided to stay in Thailand for so long [3:17]
• Her favorite thing about being a teacher [6:55]
• Whether living abroad was what Ari expected [10:30]
• What it was like moving in the midst of a pandemic [13:55]
• How to stay grounded in an uncertain world [16:35]
• How living abroad has affected Ari's mental health and how she has used social media to help her through tough times [20:20]
• How living in Asia as an Asian-American has caused Ari to question her identity [30:30]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Ari:

@alongwithari Website

Podcast

In today's solo episode, I'm giving advice to my younger self and telling her that everything is going to be okay. Through this, I hope to help you through your own journey of discovery by sharing the lessons I have learned through my lived experiences. Listen in as I explain why your problems will not disappear as you get older—they will simply change, and you will adapt to these changes as they come. You will learn why you are enough just the way you are, how to find a healthy balance between relying on yourself and asking for help when you need it, and why you should not fear failure.

In this episode you'll hear:

• What I would tell my younger self [1:35]
• Why your problems will not disappear when you get older [3:10]
• How to accept your emotions and pay attention to your feelings [4:15]
• Why you are worthy and more valuable than the likes you get on social media [5:50]
• Why other people's opinions don't matter [7:25]
• How to learn to love yourself [10:00]
• The importance of living in the present [13:20]
• Why you are not meant to have your whole life figured out [15:50]
• Some words of advice from our community [17:30]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Today's guest is Anoushka Florence of The Goddess Space. We talked about the feminine, the dark feminine and how you can live every day with intentionality. We dive into Anoushka's spiritual journey, the practice of mirroring, and how motherhood is teaching Anoushka to mother herself.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How Anoushka began her spiritual journey [2:35]
• When she truly felt at home with herself [4:54]
• How to connect to the feminine [9:10]
• What the dark feminine is and why we shouldn't be afraid of it [12:10]
• How motherhood has changed Anoushka's connection to the feminine [14:39]
• How we can use the environment and the people around us to learn more about ourselves [19:35]
• What healing means to Anoushka [21:55]
• The process of birthing a book [24:35]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Anoushka:

@thegoddessspace

Website

Today's guest is Vivienne Okafor — a content marketer, brand strategist, and coach. In this episode, she shares how she is helping individuals find clarity in their brand story, as well as the steps they can take to better communicate their message.

We discuss why it's essential not to put too much pressure on your creativity and the importance of shifting your mindset so that you no longer question your ability to achieve your goals. You will learn how to make those hard decisions, why rejection is critical to growth, and how to better tell your personal story.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How Vivienne got into the industry she is in today and what it means to be a content strategist [1:25]
• How she is balancing her major career pivot [6:21]
• Why we should not put pressure on our creativity [11:35]
• The biggest obstacles and hurdles Vivienne has had to overcome while creating her business [12:42]
• Why rejection can actually be a good thing [26:18]
• The biggest lesson in rejection [29:50]
• How to better tell your story by discovering your "why" [34:50]
• An imperfection Vivienne has learned to love [43:35]
• The importance of truly caring about the people in your life [49:55]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Vivienne:

@thevoguide

Website

Resources:

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

What does it mean to be human? What are the benefits of journaling? Why is it important to spend time alone? These are some of the questions that are answered in this episode.

In this episode, I'm joined by Chelsea Yamase — a model, photographer, social media influencer and acroyoga teacher with a focus on mindfulness, movement and creativity. We dive into Chelsea's story, her journey to becoming the person she is today and how she uses writing as a tool to cultivate a deeper understanding of herself.

In this episode you'll hear:

• What Chelsea said really captured her audience's attention on social media and helped get her to where she is today [4:59]
• The reason she didn't become a full-time online digital creator sooner [8:59]
• Chelsea's inspiration to travel and the one person who influenced her imagination the most [11:10]
• Her thoughts on spending time alone in order to reconnect with your own calling, and how she does this in her own life [17:21]
• The role that travelling and self-growth have played in helping Chelsea become the person she is today [19:03]
• A common struggle that she often has to give herself grace with [23:08]
• How self-growth and personal development has changed the way Chelsea speaks to herself [30:25]
• Her thoughts on journaling and how to use writing as a tool for gaining clarity [35:53]
• What to keep in mind when deciding who to follow on social media [47:33]
• Where Chelsea finds the courage and power to step outside of her comfort zone [49:55]
• Her advice on how to honor the person you currently are while working towards becoming someone better [53:04]
• What Chelsea considers the essential core of being human [55:40]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Chelsea:

@chelseakauai

Website

Resources:

Lady of the Sea

In this episode, I'm joined by Carmen Huter — an award winning travel photographer with a mission to inspire others to create, explore and live a more meaningful life. We talked about the 'not so perfect' side of travelling, setting boundaries as a public figure and how to build the courage to start over. Carmen also shared her experience with self-doubt and the struggles that she has to face as a female photographer.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Carmen's experience moving back to Austria from New Zealand, and why she says the pandemic restrictions actually turned into a positive for her [3:08]
• The reasons a decision that she made at the age of 15 that turned out to be "life changing" [5:58]
• A time when the real possibility of life opened itself up to Carmen [7:36]
• What the "not so perfect" side of travelling looks like, and some examples from trips that she has taken [12:08]
• Why Carmen transitioned from the corporate world to become a creative [19:00]
• The biggest secret to entrepreneurship that she discovered along the way [22:34]
• Some of the struggles that Carmen has faced as a full-time female photographer, and the boundaries she needed to set as a public figure [27:41]
• How to build the courage to start over if something isn't working [37:19]
• Where self-doubt still shows up for Carmen [45:31]
• What really inspires her to be creative, and how she finally gained belief in her creativity [48:30]
• Carmen's advice on fostering body positivity [54:21]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Carmen:

Website

@carmenhuter

How can I give up plastic? What is fast fashion and why is it a problem? In this episode, I'm joined by Elana Jadallah (@elanaloo) — a photographer, educator, marketing strategist and environmental advocate for a conversation about sustainable living and plastic pollution. We discussed how you can take responsibility for your personal role towards the current state of the planet and the action steps you can take right now to make a positive impact in the world.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How photography, marketing and sustainability all connect to form what Elana does today [4:55]
• A big awakening that Elana had around sustainability, and how we can all go from aware to activated [9:40]
• The action steps we can take to start playing a bigger role in the health of the planet [21:06]
• What she considers to be the single most important lesson she's learned about living a more sustainable life [24:59]
• Why Elana feels that the donation and recycling systems are flawed [33:13]
• What really happens to the plastics that are found in our oceans, and how to reduce your own single-use plastic consumption [45:24]
• Helpful resources to educate and bring awareness to the issues that exist [55:05]
• The reasons that she doesn't like the term "zero-waste", and what she prefers to use instead [59:26]
• Why giving yourself grace in this process is so important [60:36]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Elana:

@elanaloo

Website

Resources:

Elana's Resources & Free Sustainability Guide

Greenpeace

A Plastic Ocean (Documentary)

Mission Blue (Documentary)

The True Cost (Documentary)

50 Minutes to Save the World

Books Mentioned:

How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum

How can I stay motivated to exercise? What are the common misconceptions about meditation? What is the "right' way to meditate? These are some of the questions that are answered in this episode.

In this episode, I'm joined by Shona Vertue — a personal trainer, yoga teacher and ex-elite gymnast with over 400k followers on Instagram and one of the most popular yoga channels in the UK on YouTube. We talked about the westernisation of yoga, the impact of social media on the practice and why you should be exercising for reasons other than fat loss.

In this episode you'll hear:

• What motivated Shona to go back to University and study Psychology
• How she looks back at her experience of being an elite gymnast at such a young age [7:18]
• How people use coping mechanisms during stressful times, and the role that exercise plays in this for Shona [9:18]
• A breakdown of her programme, The Vertue Method, and why it's so unique [13:40]
• Shona's thoughts on why we all need to be exercising for more than just our physical appearance, and what frustrates her the most about the fitness industry [16:31]
• How we can begin to reframe exercise in order to stay motivated long-term [18:48]
• The impact of Instagram on the practice of yoga, and how you can use yoga to honor your body [25:48]
• Common myths about meditation that need to be "busted" and what Shona's meditation routine looks like [32:16]
• Whether or not she feels that meditation should be used as a form of escape [38:04]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Shona

@shona_vertue

Website

Youtube Channel

The Vertue Method

Books Mentioned:

Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty by Nancy Etcoff

The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women by Naomi Wolf

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Vivekananda Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu Hatha

Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svātmārāma

How can I pursue my passion? How do I make my dreams a reality? If you feel a pull towards the unconventional path and don't know where to start, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I'm joined by Rachel Bowler — a model, content creator, storyteller and self-love advocate. Rachel left the security of her 9-5 dental nurse job to pursue modelling full-time and become a content creator.

We both know how terrifying it can be to pursue the unconventional path — having to overcome not just our own limiting beliefs and self-doubt but also the worries and fears of our loved ones. In this episode we unpack the difference between being a dreamer and actually living out your dream. We talk about the importance of building a support network, having clarity around your goal, practicing affirmations, and so much more.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How the modelling industry negatively impacted Rachel's relationship with her body, and how she began her journey into self-love and empowerment [5:15]
• What new perspectives she has gained from travelling the world and spending more time outdoors [13:01]
• How Rachel's mindset helped her pursue what she wanted in life [19:01]
• Her recommendations for building self-belief, and a practical exercise she uses to reprogram her subconscious mind [24:47]
• What Rachel feels is the single biggest thing getting in the way of people achieving their dreams [29:48]
• Tips and strategies for anyone wanting to go down a different path in life [34:52]
• Why she believes keeping a side hustle is key when starting out in a new venture [35:45]
• How to keep things in perspective and make those small steps needed, each and every day [40:47]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Rachel

@rachelbowler_

https://rachelbowler.com/

What would you do if you weren't afraid? Would you travel the world, start a business or move across the country? In this episode, I'm joined by Hannah Rheaume — a social media travel influencer, photographer and yoga teacher for a whole-hearted conversation about self-discovery, embracing fear and practicing vulnerability.

We dive into how travel has helped both Hannah and I to become the independent, confident and self-reliant women we are today — and how 2020 has changed the way we want to travel in the future. We also talk about the importance of going inward and connecting with yourself through yoga, meditation and journaling.

In this episode you'll hear:

• The way that travel has filled a certain void for both of us [6:44]
• How 2020 forced Hannah to get real about why she really travels [10:26]
• How you can discover yourself when travelling isn't an option and what her current yoga practice looks like [16:44]
• Why clearing your mind is such a powerful tool for bringing out your creativity [22:48]
• What Hannah's relationship with her own body looks like right now, after an almost 30-year journey [24:22]
• The reason why fear can actually be a good thing, and a big bold move that Hannah recently made while not letting fear stop her from doing it [40:59]
• How vulnerability has helped Hannah not only connect with herself, but with others [50:48]
• A recent experience she had with a "troll", and the positive reframe she used to put it in perspective [53:58]

Where To Find Us

@tajaroraa

@notsoperfectpodcast

www.tajarora.com

Not So Perfect FB Community

Get your copy of my book 'Little by Little'

Where to Find Hannah

@hannahrheaume

Women and the Wilderness Podcast

https://womenandthewilderness.com/

Resources

Travel article written by Taj

Taj's episode on Hannah's Podcast

Books Mentioned:

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown