Real Talk With Ru

Mikayla Hughes-Shaw is a pageant queen – violinist playing – journalism writing – curly haired – suicide awareness advocate. 

Crowned Miss Iowa 2018 under the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program, she is taking a year off to fulfill her role.  Mikayla is currently a third year student at the University of Iowa pursuing a bachelor's of arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a certificate in Critical Cultural Competence.

Mikayla is also a Senior Assistant Editor of LOVE Girls Magazine 

Working with the magazine has inspired her to pursue the art of storytelling in a new way, by telling her story of dealing with a mental illness. Depression and suicidal thoughts ruled her life for most of her 17th year, and she is using her platform to help others. With the help of Royal Neighbors, she started an organization called "How About H.O.P.E.?" (Helping Others and Providing Encouragement).

Andrea Olson, a 4-time ADDY® award-winner, began her career at a tech startup, and led the strategic marketing and sales efforts at two global manufacturers. Andrea is the CEO of Prag'madik, a Customer-Centric Operations Consultancy.

Andrea has authored two books and over 200 articles, which have appeared in a variety of publications including Industry Week, Metals & Manufacturing Outlook, Global Manufacturing, and Manufacturing Business Technology, to name a few.

Sameer Gardezi is a Muslim American writer who has worked on such critically acclaimed shows as Aliens in America, Matthew Perry's Mr. Sunshine, The Goodwin Games, Modern Family and the Untitled Trevor Noah Project, which he created.

Currently, Sameer just wrapped up the digital series East of La Brea which he created and executive produced along with Paul Feig and Powderkeg.

Sameer is also the CEO of BTR Media which uses a writers room process to develop content from diverse voices.

In this weeks holiday episode, Rumaisa discusses how to use your stress over the holidays towards productivity.  The holidays may not be so joyous for everyone, however there are ways to shift! 

Tune in and hear how you can create a vision for yourself to get the results that you want!

Farrakh Khawaja is a US Army Veteran whose background is in marketing and sales.  He is the Co-Founder and Director of Mandala Integrative Medicine.  His previous positions include International Marketing Manager at Dish Network.

By adopting an Integrative lifestyle, Farrakh was able to overcome his anxiety and PTSD he was struggling with.  Farakh's mission is to build awareness of integrative medicine and it's practices across the U.S.

Anna Dolce traded her Miss Georgia (Europe) crown and national fame for a $40 shot at the American Dream. After getting her start in the restaurant industry, Anna observed that often the biggest missing piece in hospitality industry is in fact, the hospitality. Fueled by deeply rooted culture of hospitality and social connectedness she grew up with in Georgia, Anna went on to help business owners lead from the heart and build businesses that last. Today, leveraging her background in show business, hospitality and entrepreneurship Anna coaches celebrities, elite athletes and entrepreneurs on how to live a life on their terms.

Jeff Hobbs inspirational story of perseverance and overcoming adversity has been featured in the Comcast SportsNet television production series, "GUTS: The Jeff Hobbs Story" and the PBS special, "Heart of a Champion." He has appeared in some of the nation's most prominent newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, and the Miami Herald.

Born with spastic quadriplegia, the most serious and disabling form of spastic cerebral palsy, Jeff's muscles involuntarily and continuously contract, making issues of balance and movement a challenge. Despite these difficulties, Jeff has always loved and sought to compete in the world of sports.

After being rejected from numerous teams – including those with a no-cut policy - Jeff carved his own path. His hard work and dedication led him to compete at the collegiate level. The inspirational affect he had on teammates, competitors, and spectators alike was universal, and at the end of his collegiate career, an annual race was renamed in his honor.

Currently, Jeff travels the country as a professional speaker.

Writer, seeker, wife, mama, giant fan of love and connection.

After leaving a career in corporate healthcare in 2016, Sarah set out to find work that better aligned with her sense of passion and purpose. She now serves as a consultant for start-up nonprofits and small businesses who focus on serving marginalized populations.

When she is not serving in the consultant capacity, she is busy writing, reading, giving big love to her people, listening to podcasts, practicing yoga and leaning as hard and as far as possible into an authentic, honest life. It was this part of her life - the part that craves the real, raw pursuit of substance and spirit - that led her to create The Beautifull Project.

After a lifetime of obsessively pursuing a "fix" for her body, she has leapt at another way of living... one that has nothing to do with her numerical relationship with gravity or the size of the fabric that clothes her.

Instead, she seeks to be full, to take up space, to move in the world with as much substance as her greatness requires.