The Blue Room

This in-depth and intimate episode with SamGwan The Artist (Tonya Paris), we explore how art is truly a healing and therapeutic practice. Tonya shares so much wisdom as she takes us through a journey of her early life, from young mom, to military, to an RCMP officer, and all of the heartbreaks, losses and healing along the way. 

Now Tonya is a full-time artist who is contracted for major projects locally and globally, and who’s lucrative art pieces are sold across the world. With Indigenous and Indigenous Black heritage, her artwork tells the story of the history and experiences of her people. Her determination and hard work allowed her to make a living out of being an artist, and she is able to provide herself with a comfortable life where she does not deny herself the pleasures this life has to offer (Heyy Taurus sis!).

This emotional, raw and honest episode of trials and triumphs will keep you engaged from the beginning to the end. We can never get enough of Tonya’s stories!

@fantanesh.attomsa

@theblueroom.podcast

Back for the THIRD time, the one and only Tia Upshaw! She is a local serial entrepreneur, author, award winner, keynote speaker, mother, leader and friend. If you are feeling stagnant in your business, job, relationship or any are of your life, this episode is for you!

Tia brings straight-to-the-point advice to get you motivated to move from stagnation to inspiration. She shares real-life stories and experiences about how she went from knocking door-to-door for cleaning clients, to scaling her company past $1 Million dollars. She also shares about her recent endeavors starting a non-profit organization, and how challenges and doubts still come into play all the time. But she shares how she overcomes those low moments and how you can too, by not dwelling on one thing for too long and moving from a space of self-pity to action.  

This episode could not have come at a more perfect time, and definitely one you do not want to miss!

The key to our success lies in our authenticity. However, we still manage to spend so much time trying to make ourselves small, fit into boxes and adjust ourselves to make other people comfortable or fit into their expectations of who we should be. What would happen if we felt comfortable to be our true selves - fully, wholly, without shame or regret? That is where our power lies. When we begin to embrace ourselves and express our true selves, success flows. We develop a sense of ease. We vibrate differently.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with the epitome of someone who radiates a love of life - Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Makena Mbogori. In this episode, we dive into our own journey of re-discovering who we are, embracing our authenticity and truly loving and accepting who we are.

@fantanesh.attomsa

@theblueroom.podcast

This is not your typical banking/financial literacy episode! In this session, I sit down with Peter Owusu, Atlantic Regional Manager for Black Community Business Development with TD. 

Even though Peter works in the financial industry, he offers a down-to-earth, grounded and relatable perspective on money matters. We have true heart-to-heart conversations about our relationships with money; when our first views around money began and share personal stories about money matters. 

We also explore the relationship between finances and our mental health and why it's important, and Peter offers easy and accessible tips to start improving your financial health starting now.

Motivational speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster and Navy Man, Randall Mitchell, joins me for an enlightening conversation on what it takes to be a leader, our desire for healthy relationships and the many paths in entrepreneurship. 

We explored our curiosity and vulnerabilities around dating vs. being single; We chatted about what it means to be a good leader; We also shared our dreams, hopes and goals for the future -  and how all these pieces are intertwined with our self-development.

How do you have a healthy relationship if you’ve never seen one? What are the qualities of a good leader? Do we have the human capacity to love unconditionally? How do we stay motivated and driven towards our goals?

@fantanesh.attomsa

@theblueroom.podcast

Business owner & mutual funds advisor Meghan Better sits with me and shares her journey of exploring family planning and freezing eggs. 

We chat about everything from the challenges of dating as a young, educated, goal-oriented woman, to having the desire to have a family, and the different reasons why people may want to explore different avenues for parenthood. 

Is family planning time-sensitive? 

How can we maximise biology? 

We chat about the process of exploring freezing eggs, cost, sperm donors, timelines and more.

@fantanesh.attomsa

@theblueroom.podcast

It’s time for a good ol’ fashion kiki! 

Two of my closest girlies, Sarah & Kuda, get together for some girl talk. 

We tried to keep things deep and reflective, but these girls bring so much light, fun and laughter to the table. In this episode, we reminisce on memories, dating, the trajectory of our friendship and the roles we play in each other's lives. 

@fantanesh.attomsa

@theblueroom.podcast

Are ya’ll OK? How has this last year been for you?

My biggest lesson in 2023 is that we do, in fact, have time. It's just up to us what we decide to spend it on, and it reveals a lot about what's important to us. If you feel like 2023 has been a lot of disruption, breaking open and revealing - both globally and internally - then let’s talk about it. 

In this episode, I’m sharing experiences and lessons of 2023, the process of building emotional walls, my soul-searching trip to Ethiopia and my recent understanding of “Time” - 

Welcome to Season 2!

@fantanesh.attomsa

@theblueroom.podcast

Connecting culture to wellness: An Afrocentric approach to health

In this episode, Tanya & I have a candid conversation about body image, self-love & the journey to choose surgery.