What does it mean to choose joy in a world that keeps trying to harden us? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Jamal Taylor, founder of Let Me Educate You and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker whose life and work are rooted in truth, compassion, and courage. Jamal shares his journey through childhood homelessness, surviving abuse, and the long road toward healing, forgiveness, and self-grace. Jamal reflects on learning to be “joyously imperfect,” the role of therapy and faith in reclaiming his voice, and why kindness toward oneself is essential when life feels overwhelming. He speaks openly about using his platform to educate from the heart, standing firm in the face of backlash, and believing that joy itself can be an act of resistance against dehumanization. This conversation explores trauma, identity, truth-telling, and the quiet power of choosing love and humanity even when the world feels heavy. Sometimes healing begins when we allow ourselves joy. Sometimes resistance looks like love.

Follow on Instagram:

Host: @shahd.alasaly

Guest: @lemmeeducateyou

#SAWT #Podcast #JoyAsResistance #HealingJourney #SpeakingTruth #CommunityVoices #TEDxSpeakers

What happens when success looks right on paper, but doesn’t feel right inside? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Mohammed Mubarak, a Tampa Bay trial attorney and TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Mohammed shares how growing up in the Florida panhandle as the child of Middle Eastern immigrants shaped his values, strengthened his faith, and pushed him to lead with humanity first. Mohammed reflects on his mother believing in him before he believed in himself, the pressure that forges resilience, and the mindset he calls “embrace the suck” when life gets hard. He also opens up about the moment he realized his work no longer matched his moral compass and why he walked away from the safer path to build a firm that fights for people against powerful systems. This conversation is about integrity, energy, and the decision to live in alignment, even when it costs you comfort. At the end of the day, legacy is not what we owned. It is who we helped.

Follow on Instagram:

Host: @shahd.alasaly

Guest: @mo_money_esq

#SAWT #Podcast #Integrity #PurposeDrivenWork #ServingCommunity #TEDxSpeakers #TrialAttorney

What if restoring dignity started with something as simple as water? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Marcia Hall, founder of Mr. Bubbles and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Raised in Tampa by a mother who shared what little she had, Marcia’s story is shaped by community care, lived empathy, and an unwavering belief in showing up for others. Marcia shares how one question from a unhoused woman changed her life and led to the creation of mobile shower units that offer more than cleanliness. They offer dignity, visibility, and hope. Through her work, Marcia reminds us that compassion is not complicated and that humanity does not disappear in hardship. This conversation is about care, community responsibility, and the power we all carry to make someone feel seen. Sometimes change begins with saying, “I see you, and I care.”

Follow on Instagram:

Host: @shahd.alasaly

Guest: @mrbubblezinc

#SAWT #Podcast #CommunityCare #HumanDignity #CompassionInAction #TEDxSpeakers #PurposeDrivenWork

What if making change didn’t require a title, a platform, or a big moment? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly speaks with Dyma Abuoleim, founder of 200 Muslim Women Who Care and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Dyma shares how a lifelong commitment to service, leadership, and collaboration shaped her journey and led to building a powerful giving community rooted in consistency and care. Dyma reflects on growing up as a helper, finding purpose beyond routine, and responding to moments of division by choosing action instead of silence. She speaks honestly about faith, identity, and the responsibility of showing up for neighbors through small, steady acts that add up to real impact. This conversation is about collective effort, community strength, and the belief that anyone can participate in building a better world. Change doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be lived.

Follow on Instagram:

Host: @shahd.alsaly

Guest: @dyma2002

#SAWT #Podcast #CommunityGiving #EverydayPhilanthropy #CollectivePower #TEDxSpeakers #ServiceAndImpact

What if healing wasn’t something you went through alone, but something you offered forward? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alsaly sits with Katherine Spitznagle, a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker whose life has been shaped by survival, mentorship, and purpose. A 19 year breast cancer survivor still in treatment, Katherine shares how helping others became a form of healing and how mentorship transformed her journey. From late night phone calls across time zones to pink pearls passed from survivor to survivor, Katherine reflects on the quiet ways care travels, how community shows up when words fall short, and what it means to hold space through some of life’s hardest moments. This conversation is about resilience, faith, and the power of being present. It is a reminder that purpose often reveals itself through service and that even in uncertainty, we can help others feel less alone. Sometimes healing begins when we choose to carry hope for someone else.

Follow on Instagram:

Host: @shahd.alasaly

Guest: @rockstarmillennials

What keeps you grounded when everything around you changes? In this episode, Shahd Alasaly speaks with Dr. Michelle Elena, founder and executive director of MAR, Mindful Action for Regeneration, and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Michelle shares how family, chosen community, and time spent in nature shaped her path and helped her rebuild after moments of loss and uncertainty. From founding multiple nonprofits to creating healing spaces through environmental work, Michelle reflects on resilience, renewal, and the quiet strength found in community. She opens up about surviving hurricanes, leaning on neighbors, and learning that healing does not happen all at once, but in seasons. This conversation is about staying present through chaos, noticing what supports us, and trusting that renewal comes even when we cannot see it yet. Listen with care. Take a breath. Let the message settle.

Follow on Instagram:

Host: @shahd.alasaly

Guest: @michelle_ellena_

#podcast #community #resilience #natureandhealing #tedxspeaker #conversationsthatmatter

In this episode of SAWT, she shares how growing up as the oldest of five shaped her leadership early on. From starting a Save the Rainforest campaign as a teen to leading her youth group in the 30 Hour Famine to fight global hunger, compassion has always moved her to action. With a background in International Affairs and a master’s in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, her work is grounded in understanding communities, culture, and the real tools needed to create meaningful impact. This is a conversation about empathy, responsibility, and choosing to step into the work, even when there’s still so much to learn.

Our Voice Our Story