By Bold Media
A PODvocative person is one who confronts the unconventional with courage. Each week, NYC-based millennials Farheen and Sheetal will host a “PODvocateur” to share their unique perspectives. Through
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The podcast currently has 22 episodes available.
Sonya was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29, with no family history. She found out she had cancer while she was out of town and doing a self examination in the shower. That self breast exam changed her life. Soon after, Sonya underwent chemo and treatment, and decided to shave her head to take control of potential side effects. Frustrated with her headware options, she then founded her own turban company and has since been featured in magazines and on runways.
Sonya has an incredible outlook on life and shares how she reframed her perspective in times of hardship. We absolutely loved learning from her resilience, and we’re confident you will too.
Footnote: Throughout the episode, we talk about some things that are specific to the Ismaili Muslim community. Firstly, we mention “Hazir Imam” or “the Imam." Hazir Imam is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and Ismaili Muslims consider him to be their spiritual leader. Additionally, we refer to “Didar,” which Sonya attended in Atlanta. Didar is a special and rare event for Ismaili Muslims as this is when they get to see their Imam in person and earn guidance and blessings.
In this week’s episode, we’re so excited to host Aaron! Aaron and his family became stronger as a unit in the face of adversity. Aaron’s older brother is both blind and deaf, and suffers from many other health issues as well. As a result, Aaron spent significant time in and out of hospitals growing up. This fueled his long-lasting passion for medicine, improving the patient experience, and eventually starting a mentorship organization called Prescribe it Forward.
Aaron chats with us about what growing up with his brother was like, what the Ismaili community has done well (and what it hasn’t) to include his brother, and how we can all be more empathetic to differently-abled individuals.
Content Warning: Bullying
From a young age, Aashna faced insecurities about her appearance and her body, feelings exacerbated by bullying and unwanted comments from peers in Jamatkhana, in addition to media and its unachievable beauty standards. It wasn't long before Aashna realized that her environment was negatively impacting her mental health, and she had to make a change.
Aashna embarked on a journey to body acceptance (not 'body positivity'). She learned to make difficult decisions about which individuals she needed to leave behind and which habits and practices worked well for her and her mental health.
Aashna shares how she has since learned to prioritize herself, find people who lift her up, and nurture her mental wellbeing. She shares her tips with us, as well as the important difference between body positivity and body acceptance.
Content Warning: Military Combat, Sexual Assault, & Domestic Violence
Noor James was the first-ever Ismaili female West Point Academy graduate. She then served abroad as a First Lieutenant in the armed forces, where she was sexually assaulted, far from her family and support system.
After returning to the US and earning her law degree, Noor married, but quickly realized her marriage was not safe for her after she was physically harmed by her partner. Noor’s decision to divorce impacted her mental health as she tried to understand her next steps.
Shortly thereafter, Noor was happily in an interfaith and interracial relationship. After feeling sick on a trip, Noor found out that she and her boyfriend were expecting. Noor shares the rollercoaster of emotions she felt: happiness and excitement, but also anxiety about what her family and community members would think. Additionally, during another pregnancy later on, Noor suffered a miscarriage, and describes the impact this had on her emotional well-being.
Noor’s story is full of resilience at every turn. We hope all of you learn from her and her immeasurable strength.
For the third episode of our motherhood series, we bring you a powerful story surrounding IVF and the challenges that accompany this process.
At first, Tazim wasn't sure whether motherhood was right for her. She had a career and a life that she loved, and didn’t know if children were in the cards. Once she did decide that she wanted to be a parent, she wasn't able to get pregnant right away. She then pursued In Vitro Fertilization.
In addition to the physical toll that IVF takes on the body, Tazim dives into the challenges that we don't often hear about. She shares how she had to tell her boss and all-male team at work that she would be late everyday due to her doctor's appointments. She shares how she pursued therapy to help her decide if she wanted to put her body through IVF a second time to give her son a sibling. She shares her internal conflict when deciding what to do with her embryos still in storage.
Tazim's story is not uncommon, but it is often not discussed. We hope her story educates and inspires our listeners.
At barely 23 weeks pregnant, Neelum was rushed to the hospital one night after significant bleeding. She was going into labor 5 months early.
Neelum talks us through how she felt robbed of a traditional pregnancy, a baby shower, creating her child's nursery, and even packing a hospital bag. She also shares the significant obstacles her child had to overcome during his months-long stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The health challenges faced by both Neelum and her son were considerable, and she shares how we can better support mothers in positions like hers. She talks us through her emotional and nontraditional path to becoming a mother, and her resilience permeates throughout her story.
We are so excited to bring you the first guest of our motherhood series. Over the course of eight weeks, we will be spotlighting women whose paths to motherhood deviated from the traditional image.
Today, we sit down with Aliya, who is the dictionary definition of resilience. Originally from Dallas, she moved to the Bay and got married at a relatively young age. When she realized the relationship was no longer fulfilling her, she pursued a divorce, but she always knew in her heart that she wanted to be a mom. So, she did her research, talked to other women and single mothers who had pursued similar paths, and had her son on her own. The journey, however, was not without its hardships. She shares how friends, family, and community members reacted, and what her and her son's relationships with the Ismaili community have been like.
She is a brilliant, inspirational woman that we can all learn so much from. We’re so thankful she shared her story with us.
It's our first episode of Season 2!
Fazila is an ER doctor that served on the front lines during the height of the pandemic in New York City. She tells us how this impacted her mental health, after already having struggled with anxiety and depression throughout her life. She also shares her experience of working abroad in hospitals in Tanzania.
Plus, Fazila waited until nearly age 40 to get married and talks us through her decision to wait. She details the process of freezing her eggs and how it empowered her to control and take charge of her future. She gives advice for women who may be considering the IVF method. Her story is full of resilience, strength, and inspiration.
In this bonus episode, we sit down with Nadia from Indian Matchmaking to reflect on her time on the show and her life since it aired.
She dives into how she landed a spot on the reality show, how her family and friends reacted, and whether she was happy with the way that she was portrayed. She also shares what was "real" within the show, and whether or not cameras on dates hindered her from establishing connections. And, she opens up about the discrimination she faces, and faced on the show, for being Guyanese.
Plus, Nadia answers some listener questions!
It’s our season finale! Join our co-hosts as they look back on their most challenging, most rewarding, funniest, and cringiest moments of Season 1. These two also share how this season has changed them, inspired them, and surprised them.
Plus, find out what to expect in Season 2!
The podcast currently has 22 episodes available.