00:00 – Introduction: The Story Behind Pink Shoes and Jilbab
00:56 – Why Kiran Wrote the Book
02:00 – The Reality of the Hijab Journey
04:10 – What Writing Taught Her About Herself
05:08 – Why We Need to Share Our Struggles
06:21 – Writing a Memoir and the Power of Editing
07:44 – How to Start Writing the Book Inside You
09:16 – Learning to Accept Yourself in Hijab
10:12 – Raising Daughters Differently
11:23 – Hijab Parties and Making Faith Joyful
11:52 – Muslim Women, Visibility and Stereotypes
15:47 – Learning to Take Up Space
16:35 – The Pressure to Be the "Perfect Muslim"
18:01 – Judgement, Anger, and Inner Work
19:37 – Giving Your Children Permission to Be Themselves
20:41 – Coaching, Self-Awareness, and Emotional Growth
21:13 – What Empathy Actually Looks Like
24:03 – Why "Just Be Grateful" Can Be Harmful
26:37 – Holding Space for Other People's Pain
27:05 – The Limiting Beliefs We Carry
28:01 – How Coaching Uncovers Hidden Stories
29:07 – Muhammad AlShareef and Rewiring Beliefs
31:32 – Parenting on Autopilot
32:00 – Breaking Generational Patterns
33:11 – Why Some People Change and Others Stay Stuck
35:05 – Art, Imposter Syndrome, and Being Seen
37:22 – Humility vs. Self-Limiting Beliefs
39:19 – Why Women Need to Own Their Achievements
41:33 – Building a School Wellbeing Department
42:03 – The Human Need to Be Heard
43:42 – Teaching Emotional Awareness to Children
44:17 – The Four-Step Emotional Regulation Framework
46:44 – Can We Teach Emotional Regulation If We Never Learned It?
48:50 – Why Kiran Introduced Journaling in Schools
51:16 – Helping Young People Find Meaning and Purpose
55:08 – Burnout, Achievement, and Running on Empty
57:13 – The Crash That Changed Everything
58:16 – Learning to Listen to Her Body
1:00:16 – When Rock Bottom Becomes a Mercy
1:02:30 – The Fear of Being Truly Seen
1:03:27 – What She Would Tell Her Younger Self
1:04:35 – Final Reflections and Where to Find Kiran
"Perfection belongs to Allah. The rest of us are just learning to trust the process." "You can be grateful and grieving at the same time. Those emotions don't have to compete." "If you don't give your children permission to be themselves, they may never learn how."
ABOUT THE GUEST Kiran Shah is an award-winning author, artist, NLP practitioner, hypnotherapist, educator, and wellbeing leader based in the UAE. She is the author of Pink Shoes and Jilbab, a reflective memoir exploring identity, faith, ambition, and the modern Muslim woman's experience. Alongside her creative work, Kiran serves as Head of Wellbeing at an English-language school in Dubai, where she develops programmes focused on emotional awareness, resilience, belonging, and personal growth. She is passionate about helping women and young people overcome limiting beliefs and live more authentic, purposeful lives.
📖 Buy a copy of Pink Shoes and Jilbaab
https://www.amazon.ae/Pink-Shoes-Jilb...
ABOUT THE HOST Alveena is a writer, podcaster, and psychology MSc student exploring the intersection of mental health, psychology, and Islamic spirituality. Her work blends academic insight with lived experience to explore identity, belonging, and healing. Through her writing and podcast, she shares personal reflections that bridge science and spirituality, encouraging honest self-inquiry and wholehearted living.
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