Second Curvers

My guest today is the incredible Taban Shoresh, a former child genocide survivor who suffered imprisonment as a four-year-old with her family, during the Saddam Hussein regime.

Over time Taban adjusted to life here, but the trauma of her experiences never fully left her. She married at a young age and settled into her university studies and subsequent career. Little by little. She came to realize that the relationship she was in was highly abusive and she feared for her life once more. Somehow, however, she finds the courage to escape.

By 2014, she set up the Lotus Flower, a not-for-profit for women and girls impacted by conflict and displacement. Since its launch, it has supported ISIS survivors in three camp based centres. And to date has helped over 40,000 women and girls.

Points of discussion:

• Introduction (00:00)
• Going back to Taban's childhood (02:43)
• Coming to the United Kingdom (08:51)
• Embracing both Kurdish and British culture during teen days (10:30)
• Leaving abusive marriage (15:08)
• Epiphany moment (24:09)
• The genesis of Lotus Flower organization (32:27)
• How does Taban manage her foundation and life (38:46)
• Taban's advice on how to go through hardship (40:01)Closing words by Dee (41:58)

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message at Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected]

Fiona Oakes is renowned as a British endurance runner and vegan athlete. She is the fastest woman in the world to run a marathon on all seven continents and the north pole. She has competed in over 100 marathons and set five marathon course records around the globe, including the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Fiona has been vegan since the age of six. She participates in endurance sports to demonstrate that her diet is not prohibitive to performance and to raise awareness of her Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary, which she founded in 1996. At her sanctuary, she cares night and day for 500 rescued animals to which she has devoted her life.

She has some really important things to say about 'modern veganism' and was a sage reminder of the fact that, like all things, a choice to do better for others is often very simple. It's only that, as humans, we make it complicated.

Thank you to Fiona for sharing her incredible life story with us all this week. I hope you will enjoy hearing from her as much as I did.

*** If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected] I would love to hear from you!

Points of discussion:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:44) Fiona reflects on though childhood

(05:13) What changed to get you running?

(06:45) The genesis of Fiona's veganism

(14:10) Moments of change during the North Pole marathon

(18:33) What have you learned about yourself(20:47) What has changed in veganism from when you started promoting it?

(24:55) What does luxury mean to you?

(25:44) What does the change mean to you?

(27:43) What have you learned working with the animals all these years?

(31:03) Fiona's advice to a person that feels a bit stuck

(33:18) Key takeaways by Dee

My guest today is Coss Marte born and raised on the lower east side in New York, the son of Dominican immigrants and raised by a single mother who struggled to support her family.

My guest today is Gerad Kite, internationally recognized as an acupuncture master and a fertility expert. Gerad trained in five element acupuncture of which he is now a master and teacher based in London. He started the first-ever NHS acupuncture service in the UK in 1993, based at King's college hospital, predominantly working with patients with AIDS and terminal illnesses.

Gerad is a renowned author. His latest book 'The Art of Baby Making' came out in 2020, and he has gained a reputation as the daddy of all fertility experts. Gerad has gone through much change in his life and enabled many to make lasting change in theirs. His discovery of acupuncture was a true epiphany and in our conversation, he tells me all about that moment and the life-changing journey he embarked on.

I loved learning about his early approach to work and his rigid mindset, how limiting that eventually was and how somewhere like San Francisco in the 80s could offer such a world of liberation and change. Gerad reminded me that we are so often more programmed to think and behave in a certain way than we realise. And that something, often is about taking a risk. "It doesn't have to be a big risk but take a step outside of the box and take a risk," he says.

Points of discussion:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:44) What was it like to leave London and move to San Francisco?

(04:53) How did you change your mindset and go into acupuncture?

(09:11) Five element acupuncture

(11:39) After the years of training and practice in acupuncture, what shifted in you?

(18:09) How Gerad became a fertility expert

(22:03) What are seasons teaching us about changes in life?

(25:19) How to get back to the mindful living

(26:00) Why do people struggle with change?

(28:26) One piece of advice from Gerad

(29:15) Future focus and plans

(30:09) Key takeaways by Dee

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected]

As I've discovered in the last couple of months, from speaking to all of my extraordinary guests, sometimes it takes a week to decide our destiny. Sometimes it happens in a moment. And sometimes it's an ongoing journey of discovery.

As we come to the close of another year, this is such a valuable message for us to remember. There is so much possibility ahead of us if we can only listen to our instincts, trust the process, lean into challenge and change, and not be afraid of our power.

So my invitation to you today is to take my guests as your inspiration. To ask what is stopping you, to listen, truly listen to the answer, and then go forth into a new year ready for change.

Thank you, happy new year, and I look forward to sharing more incredible stories with you in 2022. If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected]

My guest Andrew Foreman is a former banker, who after his MBA at Harvard Business School, decided to resolve a problem he experienced to make charitable giving smarter. Fast forward he took the leap, made a business pivot and became an entrepreneur. Today Andrew is co-founder and CEO of Givz, a high-growth tech platform created to resolve this problem.

Andrew shared the story of his journey from banker to entrepreneur. During the transition there were many highs and lows. He described how he was feeling during the tough times of business challenges and things not working. 

Points of Discussion:

• Introduction (00:00)
• How did you decide to start a business? (01:47)
• Being called a wantrepreneur fueled Andrew’s fire (03:35)
• What was the emotion around not going back to banking? (05:45)
• Beginnings of Givz and how it looks today (07:05)
• What were the big business pivots and how did you cope with them? (09:11)
• What were the changes for you as a business leader? (12:48)
• How do you deal with uncertainty? (13:51)
• After becoming a parent, how did that change you as a person? (15:17)
• Who were the people who influenced you? (16:57)
• What is your superpower? (19:08)
• What did you learn about yourself that you are going to bring forward? (20:36)
• What do you feel is your purpose in life? (21:55)
• Key takeaways (23:32)

Additional Resources:

 

More about Andrew Forman

Learn more about Givz

Follow me Instagram

Visit my website

 

Cassius Rayner is a multi-award winning filmmaker, writer and lecturer. His passion is producing film content using iPhones, capturing stories globally on a variety of social issues. He embraces new technology and runs workshops in smartphone video. He is the founder of the Go Film It, a video production company and also He is also a lecturer at ScreenSpace Ealing Studios in mobile filmmaking. Most recently he won the award for Best Short Film for Dead Eye at the Stockholm Film Festival.

Cassius has been working as a camera operator and director in film since 1992. He was 30 years old when his life suddenly changed, when he was stabbed by two youths in South London. They hit a major artery and he would have bled to death had it not been for an off-duty nurse who found him and saved his life.

Points of Discussion:

Introduction (00:00)

What passed through your mind during your near-death experience? (01:45)

How did you feel about life during the recovery process? (05:18)

Did that trauma send you into a new direction? (07:24)

How did you emotionally cope with recovery? (08:24)

What did you learn about the gangs and these sorts of behaviours? (11:11)

Career pivot and the work with marginalized young people (19:45)

Mobile filmmaking and opportunities that come with new technology (29:05)

How has Covid affected you and your work (32:35)

How do you feel about change? (36:04)

What are you looking forward to? (37:38)

Key takeaways (40:45)

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected]

Today, my guest is Annee de Mamiel, world-renowned skin health specialist, and founder of natural skincare range De Mamiel - activated by science and designed to treat the impact of stress on the skin.

Annee de Mamiel grew up in rural Australia. And after an early career in the pharmaceuticals industry, she pivoted into finance and excelled as a trader on the financial markets. She also pursued her love of sport and became one of Australia's top women triathletes. Then, the sudden death of her dear mentor made her question her life and, as a result, she made some quick and drastic changes. Later, following her cancer diagnosis, she continued to change and evolve her purpose. Today we discuss her journey, her challenges, and her epiphany moments.

Points of Discussion:

Introduction (01:00)

Why the pharmaceutical industry? (1:29)

Highlights of finance career (03:45)

Time of career change (06:10)

Was it a risk to leave the world of finance and money? (08:05)

Cancer diagnosis and coping with it (09:05)

Changing aspects to survive (15:07)

Setting up a business and new road (19:15)

What have you learned about yourself by building a business? (22:45)

Interconnections between three elements and where does imbalance lie (24:30)

Annee's secret of living a healthy life (26:40)

How do you handle change, and how do you feel about it? (30:50)

What would you say to a 20-year-old self? (32:15)

Key takeaways (33:04)

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected]

I welcomed Emma Slade, who after studies in Fine Art went into banking, becoming a successful financial analyst. Some years ago, she was in Jakarta on a business trip when she was held at gunpoint. After this profound trauma, she went on a journey which led her to make some fundamental changes in her life. Emma shared the story of how the moment of intense fear made her aware that she wanted to do more with her life. It changed her priorities and gave her the sense that being alive is not to be taken for granted.

She talked about how yoga helped her in the process of letting go of many things and of the role that Buddhism played in her life from a young age. In 2014 she has ordained a Buddhist nun in Bhutan.

Points of Discussion:

• Introducing (00:52)
• The change after trauma (01:31)
• About yoga, meditation and Buddhism (04:30)
• How do you keep the continuity? (10:53)
• Do you believe in chance? (11:50)
• Becoming a Buddhist nun (12:54)
• Epiphany of motherhood (14:04)
• About happiness (20:49)
• Advice for the people who are trying to escape the prison of themselves (22:30)
• About change and uncertainty (26:10)
• How do you use your previous experience in your work today? (29:27)
• How can people find purpose today? (35:33)
• What is your biggest concern in the world today? (38:06)
• The question people ask you the most (40:02)
• Key takeaways (42:17)

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at [email protected]

Jill Sherer Murray is an author, award-winning journalist, life coach and founder of "Let go for it" a lifestyle brand that enables people to enhance their lives by learning how to let go of what is holding them back.

Jill is the author of "Big Wild Love: the unstoppable power of letting go," published in 2020. Her TEDx talk about letting go now has over 3 million views.

Today we talk about how the changes in her life have forced her to look in the mirror and answer some very hard questions. Jill shared a pivotal moment when she decided to end a long relationship that wasn't working. Despite the pain, she learned that the biggest love story we have is ultimately with ourselves. Jill decided to throw herself into embracing change and taking true responsibility for her choices.

Points of Discussion:

Introduction (01:01)

The pivotal moment (03:05)

How did you adjust to the change? (06:52)

Why do you think human beings struggle with change? (12:27)

Moving forward, both physically and emotionally (15:55)

How did you change your approach to dating? (17:39)

How slowing down due to Covid affected us psychologically (20:25)

How to own your own choices (22:24)

The hardest part of change (24:25)

The fundamental role of instinct and intuition (30:27)

The powerful combination of loving yourself and letting go (35:42)

Advice for someone who is facing major change (39:11)

What is your mission in life today? (41:37)

Key takeaways (43:50)

Additional Resources:

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/deedoubleespresso/

Visit my website: www.dee.biz

email: [email protected]