Summary

A conversation with image consultant Virginie Tolly. about the importance of dressing and presenting oneself authentically. We discuss how clothing and appearance can impact self-expression, confidence, and the way others perceive us.

Takeaways

• Dressing authentically and presenting ourselves in a way that aligns with our inner selves can enhance self-expression and confidence.
• Clothing and appearance play a role in creating trust and connection with others.
• Choosing and wearing clothes can be a creative process and a form of self-exploration.
• Empowerment comes from feeling secure and at ease in our own skin. Body dysmorphia and negative body image can be influenced by societal pressures and judgments.
• Self-care, self-love, and embracing one's unique body shape are important for building self-confidence.
• Challenging societal beauty standards and embracing individuality can lead to greater self-acceptance.
• Practical tips for building self-confidence include trying on clothes you're afraid to wear and creating a Pinterest board of styles you love.

Sound bites

• "The more congruency we bring between the inner and the outer, the more trust we create for people when they approach us and when they want to talk with us."
• "Sometimes I feel shy to actually put them on and go out wearing them. It might be something that's just like a little bit wild and I know that it's gonna, you know, capture people's attention and like put me in the spotlight a little bit."
• "If you dress up well on top with good colors, good clothes, well groomed, you're going to feel, or you create more trust for your interview and you're going to feel more secure when you speak."
• "So most of the time nowadays when I look in the mirror, I am like, oh damn, I am beautiful."
• "Am I taking care of myself? Am I eating well? Am I moving my body well? Let you know, like, am I loving myself?"
• "We have a pouch there because it's supposed to protect our reproductive organs."

Virginie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vi_style_coaching

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

summary

In this conversation, Dora Johansson and I (Kim Gajraj) delve into the importance of safety in authentic self-expression, exploring how trauma responses can hinder this process. We discuss the significance of self-compassion, the role of women's circles in fostering acceptance, and the connection between voice and womb wisdom. The conversation emphasises the need for inner safety to facilitate growth and healing, and the empowerment that comes from liberating one's voice.

takeaways

• Safety is foundational for authentic self-expression.
• Trauma responses are not our enemy; they protect us.
• Self-compassion is essential in the healing process.
• Understanding what we need to feel safe is crucial.
• Creating safety within empowers us to express ourselves.
• Women's circles can dissolve shame and foster acceptance.
• The link between womb wisdom and voice is profound.
• Each individual's voice and gifts are needed in the world.
• We must practice self-responsibility in our feelings of safety.
• Liberating the voice can lead to deeper self-awareness.

Sound Bites

• "Trauma responses are not our enemy."
• "We need to feel safe to express ourselves."
• "What do I need to feel safe enough to let go?"
• "Creating safety within empowers us."
• "I feel safe in spaces where I can be seen."
• "Self-compassion is key in healing."
• "Our voices are needed now more than ever."
• "We all carry individual gifts that are needed."

Chapters

00:00
Exploring Authentic Self-Expression and Safety

09:49
Understanding Trauma Responses and Authenticity

19:59
The Role of Safety in Healing and Growth

29:53
Liberating the Voice and Womb Wisdom

More from Dora Johannsen

Follow Dora on Instagram: @dorasophiarose

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

An empowerment trap: it’s great to know our potential and envision where we could be- but if we compare ourselves to that future version we’ll never move forward. 

A real rock bottom I encountered a couple of years ago: what happened and how I rose from the ashes.

The most effective way to embody the change we want to see in ourselves

And lessons in self-worth in the dating scene

All of this and much more… at my birthday party no less!

Join for this very extra special episode of This Activation Show recorded live at my birthday party!

The intention of this podcast is to activate you to actually do and say the things that mean you embodying the most expressive, most vibrant, most shiny version of you. 

The world teaches us to put up walls between us and our loved ones, between us and our wildest dreams. 

I believe that our main mission in this lifetime is to tear those walls down. 

Find, claim and own the shiniest, multi-colour, liberated expression that IS us in our essence. 

When we do this, we become magnetic. 

We command the spaces we walk into. 

We claim undivided attention. 

Effortlessly. 

No more shame, no more apologies. 

Not arrogant either. 
 We just bask in the feeling of being witnessed for who we truly are. 

And it feels safe because we know we’re worthy of that. 

My Expression Re-wiring Formula helps you reprogram your relationship to expressing yourself freely so that you feel confident and calm doing do, even when you’re at the centre of attention. 

You can work on it with me in a couple of different ways right now. 

One is my 16-week Amplify program where you work with me online from home. 

The other is my 5-day Unchained Voice immersion where you come play with me in-person in Sweden, near Stockholm.

Both are for people who know that there is so much more inside them than is currently being expressed to the world, and are ready to claim the full-spectrum, multicolour version of themselves. 

The world needs more of you and so do you!

Book a call with me to discover your main blocks to free self-expression and talk about whether it’s a good fit to work with me: https://calendly.com/kimgajraj/voice-creativity-activation-call

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

In this episode, I pair up with image consultant Virginie Tolly to speak with Susan Hamsis, the founder of Inclusiverse about the importance of self-expression and inclusivity – especially in the workplace.

We discuss the challenges faced by minorities in expressing themselves and how it affects their mental health.

We also explore unconscious bias and the need for role models to create a more inclusive environment.

Susan shares her company's approach to addressing these issues through training programs, education, and mentorship.

The episode ends with a discussion about an upcoming lunch and learn event - note that the date of this has been changed to Monday 27th May! You can sign up here: https://inclusiverse.se/webinar/

Keywords: self-expression, inclusivity, workplace, minorities, mental health, unconscious bias, role models, training programs, education, mentorship

Takeaways

• Self-expression is crucial for individuals to feel comfortable and authentic in the workplace.
• Unconscious bias can hinder inclusivity and prevent individuals from fully expressing themselves.
• Role models play a significant role in empowering individuals to embrace their true selves.
• Training programs, education, and mentorship can help create a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
• Open and honest conversations about diversity and inclusion are essential for growth and understanding.

Sound Bites

• "I think we in Sweden, but all in the Western world are losing a lot of work talent because people cannot be fully themselves in the workplace." - Susan Hamsis
• "If someone else has already cut off the woods and broadened the pathway, then you can have more space for your wings." - Susan Hamsis
• "Role models are important for teaching us things that no book can teach us because we need to see it modeled in real life." - Kim Gajraj

Links
Susan Hamsis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-hamsis-b356a362/
Virginie Tolly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginie-tolly-2655923a/

Inclusiverse website: https://inclusiverse.se/

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

Kim Gajraj and Fanny Norlin discuss their collaboration on the song 'Fire in Me' and the power of feminine expression in music. 

They reflect on their creative process, the impact of their collaboration, and the unique qualities they bring to their music. 

They emphasize the importance of authenticity, self-expression, and supporting each other's unique talents. The conversation highlights the transformative and empowering nature of their song and the intention behind it.

You can listen to the song Fire In Me on Spotify and other major channels: https://open.spotify.com/track/1g1nFEibHkJhztP4FaR7Kh

Fanny's website: https://www.fannynorlin.com/
Kim's website: https://www.kimgajraj.com/

Keywords:
collaboration, music, feminine expression, authenticity, self-expression, empowerment, feminine leadership, sisterhood, rap 

Takeaways:
- Collaboration allows for a deep connection and the ability to create something that makes sense
- Authenticity and self-expression are key in creating powerful music
- Supporting each other's unique talents creates space for individual expression
- The transformative and empowering nature of music can uplift and inspire
- Creating an experience through music can have a profound impact on the audience

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

We're often aware of parts of ourselves that we'd like to bring out more. Or ways of being human that we didn't quite learn for ourselves yet.
Whether it's learning to set strong boundaries, express our sensuality, be more playful...
We humans were born to grow and develop over time, and exploring new parts of ourselves is one of the greatest things about being alive.

This episode of the Activation Show explores the process of embodying different aspects of ourselves and integrating them into our lives. I reflect on my own journey of self-discovery and share insights on how to find our own flavour of qualities we admire in others. 

I think it's so important to be in touch with the different sides of ourselves and choose intentionally who we want to be, how we want to show up. 

How do we do that in a way that feels authentic?
How can music and other art forms help us?
How can other people help us?

That's what this episode is all about. 

This is one of my quirky and creative  solo voice art episodes. I hope you enjoy!

Keywords

embodying, integration, self-discovery, modeling, choice, creativity, self-expression, personal growth

Takeaways

• Embodying different qualities and aspects of ourselves allows us to integrate them into our lives and become more fully expressed.
  
  
• Witnessing and modeling for each other is a powerful way to learn and grow.
  
  
• Choosing intentionally who we want to be and surrounding ourselves with inspiring individuals can have a profound impact on our own personal growth.
  
  
• Creativity and self-expression are important practices for stepping into new aspects of ourselves and finding our own unique flavor.

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

Why do we hold back from saying what we really mean?

How can we hold our radical self-expression and our deep sense of need and want to belong? 

How can we choose to belong to groups that can actually receive and accept and enjoy our radical self-expression? 

and also, when we find these groups where there's this resonance, this match, how can we also in moments hold our self-expression in service of what's bigger than us and gracefully dance and play between these two perspectives?

In this conversation, I discuss with Pamela von Sabljar the topic of radical self-expression and the reasons why people often hold back from saying what we really mean. 

We explore the fear of hurting others, the need for belonging, and the societal conditioning that discourages individuality. 

We also delve into the consequences of not expressing oneself, how it feels and how it affects us and our lives.

Featured in this episode: Pamela von Sabljar. Pamela is a new breed speaker, facilitator and mentor working at the evolutionary edge. She practices dialoguing, sensing, creating and leading from this ever-emergent edge. She calls this living from Eros. https://www.pamelavonsabljar.com/

Also mentioned in this episode: the link between ALS, anger and boundaries discussed by Gabor Maté and Stephen Bartlett, The Diary of a CEO

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

In this episode, I explore the concept of the inner good girl and how it affects our authenticity and self-expression. I share my personal experiences of staying with my parents over longer periods and the challenges of navigating boundaries and expectations. I talk about softening the inner good girl and embracing imperfection. And speak into the connection between the inner good girl and artistry, particularly the voice. I also dive into the role of creativity in expressing our true selves and overcoming the inner critic. 

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to the Inner Good Girl

05:06
Staying with Parents and Inner Good Girl

11:21
Softening the Inner Good Girl

25:04
The Voice and the Inner Good Girl

34:00
Embracing Imperfection and Authenticity

39:16
Creativity as a Path to Self-Expression

44:02
Overcoming the Inner Critic

45:27
Conclusion and Invitation to Amplify Program

Mentioned in this episode are:

- Lovisa Ahlsen and her powerful "Awakening Feminine Leadership" program (https://www.lovisaalsen.com/signatureprogram)

- Struthless (YouTube) on perfectionism and the 70% rule (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxA69uUGEUI)
 
- "Make no distinction between work and play" - a quote by Alan Watts (https://alanwatts.org/)

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

In this conversation, I discuss with facilitator, social theorist and bodyworker Raven Connolly what it means to express ourselves authentically. We explore:

•  the tension between individual expression and social harmony, 
• judgment and projection
• the need for  spaces that celebrate authenticity and provide support for personal transformation
• the loneliness of the human condition  
• the fluidity of authentic expression
• practical tools for balancing our need to feel expressed in our uniqueness with our need to feel belonging

If you want to get in touch with Raven, you'll find her at [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]

Welcome to the very first episode of The Activation Show: A voice art podcast to help you speak and live your truth.

My name's Kim Gajraj and in this podcast I combine my passions of voice art and personal development to explore themes that relate to bold, authentic self-expression and daring to shine in the world.

In episode 1, I break down the process of daring to do the things that matter most:

- What does it feel like to move through the resistance and do the thing?
-  How can we help ourselves feel brave?

My hope is that through listening to this podcast, you feel activated and inspired to take space and shine.

Everything you hear in the podcast is created by me! The Activation Show feels like a beautiful way that my inner artist, coach/mentor, speaker and CEO can all meet and dance together.

If you like it, I'd love to know! As you'll hear, the process of creating this podcast was an example of me being at my edge. And became very juicy material for this first episode!

Mentioned in this episode are:
- Denise Duffield-Thomas: coach, author and business mentor
- Amalia Wahlström: artist, graphic designer, copywriter
- The Comfort Stretch Panic model: Ryan, A. and Markova, D. (2006)
- Rising Higher Meditation: YouTube channel by Jess Shepherd

Thanks so much for listening! Come find my other stuff:
Spotify music channel (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qgo1V0bZP3uJdnXoosDpA)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimgajraj/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygajraj/)
Website (https://www.kimgajraj.com)
The Amplify program to speak and live your truth: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/amplify)
The Joyful Jammers program - the most fun way to learn music: (https://www.kimgajraj.com/joyful-jammers)

You're always welcome to email me at [email protected]