The Modest Atelier Podcast

The Modest Atelier Podcast

By Modest AtelierBusinessReligion & SpiritualityEducationSelf-ImprovementCareersIslam
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The Modest Atelier Podcast episodes

  • EP. 09 - Insights from a multi-faceted creative, Hanan Abdel-Khalek

    If you’re someone that finds themselves trying to juggle many projects or passions at once, this episode is the one for you. In this week’s episode, we speak with London based creative, Hanan Abdel-Khalek (@hananithink).

    We discuss the importance of focus in your work and passions and why it’s important to cut out the noise.

    We also explore Hanan’s many roles as a multi-faceted creative - being a journalist, jewelry designer, podcaster, ethical/sustainable solution consultant and more.

    We also discuss Hanan’s accessories brand that she, among many things, utilizes to explore her creative side and showcase her Egyptian roots. The brand @youngnevertiti (young·never·ti·ti) is an Egyptian meets Western Pop art accessories brand, which apart from offering amazing jewelry pieces, acts as a creative outlet for Hanan

    A really authentic conversation around ethical & sustainable consumption in regards to fashion and the modest fashion industry.

    We touch on fast fashion and its impact on the environment, how we can be more conscious in our purchases

    Her podcast and why she set it up as a means to connect and discuss real issues with creatives and interesting personalities

    The importance of knowing who you are as a Muslim woman and not wavering from who you are despite the successes that may come your way

    41 min
  • EP. 08 - Hiba Balfaqih, the woman who turned her grief into a 'smashing' success
    Welcome! Get ready, because in this weeks episode you’re in for a real treat, with our guest Hiba Balfaqih, psychologist, ShEO, serial entrepreneur and coach. Packed full of tactical, actionable steps and hacks that you can implement today, the same ones that Hiba uses when coaching her clients, this episode is not one to miss!
    After the loss of two family members and a diagnosis with a chronic disease, Hiba decided to change her life and live it on her own terms.
    With a masters degree in psychology, Hiba embraces her no-so-typical approach to psychology and coaching, with her goal and tactics being very action and results driven, rather then you’re standard theoretical based psychology. 
    Apart from her work as a physiologist and coach, Hiba is also a serial entrepreneur, having set up businesses since she was 16. She is the ShEO, of START UP FACTORY, a one stop shop for all business needs, focusing on helping the average person get all the knowledge and support they need to start a business.
    31 min
  • EP. 07 - Sit down with with Franka Soeria, co-founder of Modest Fashion Week & Think Fashion

    “The reason I’ve been able to grow this far is because I’m a listener”

    Joining us in this weeks episode, is the young and inspiring fashion entrepreneur, Co-Founder of the iconic Modest Fashion Weeks, Franka Soeria, who sits down with us to chat about her journey setting up Think Fashion & Modest Fashion Weeks with her co-founder Ozlem Sahin, the lessons she’s learnt through some of her most difficult struggles & failures, and her key advice and insights for aspiring female entrepreneurs. 

    Apart from being a successful Founder, Franka is also a global fashion consultant, adviser to several government bodies, and writer.

    For those that may not know, Modest Fashion Week is regarded as the global event of modest fashion, having launched 5 international Modest Fashion Weeks, across Istanbul, London, Jakarta, and Dubai, with a 6th instalment set for December 2019 in Amsterdam.

    From a young age where Franka’s father began instilling a sense of discipline and hard work, Franka began writing scripts and screen plays as early as 9 years old. Later on, following a lost 500-page screen play, Franka shifted to journalism in the fashion & modest fashion industry, which allowed her to build her network and connections within the industry. After working in a range of areas from styling, the brand constant, to event manager, Franka set up her start-up Alahijab. Despite the start-up failing, Franka was able to further build her connections within the modest fashion industry, which formed the foundations for setting up Modest Fashion Week. After moving to Turkey, Franka noticed the large modest fashion seen, but was baffled by the lack of connection between Turkey, and her home land of Indonesia, (two of the largest markets for modest fashion), which inspired her to get together with her co-founder and connect the global modest fashion industry, through her agency Think Fashion, #MARKAMARIE, Modest Fashion Week worldwide

    To skip straight to Franka’s advice for female entrepreneurs and how she has stayed motivated & persistent in her work whilst building her amazing companies, please skip to 25:00.

    To register and attend Amsterdam Modest Fashion Week 2019, visit the link - https://www.modestfashionweeks.com/en/register/ 



    47 min
  • EP. 06 - Accountant by day and blogger by night, a true hustler at work, with Zahraa Berro
    Accountant by day and blogger by night, Zahraa Berro is a prime example of a determined hustler at work, pursuing her passion for blogging & helping inspire other Muslim woman through her platform online in the process .
    Zahraa goes into detail with us about her experiences as a content creator and ambassador, how she got started on her journey, the importance of staying true to yourself and blocking out the noise of others trying to bring you down, to stay committed to your passion and your purpose. She also offers her advice for other women already in the space or looking to dip their toes in the realm of content creation and working with brands as an influencer/ambassador. She also really unpacks, step-by-step how her journey as a blogger evolved and grew.
    As a digital content creator who works with brands regularly, Zahraa challenges the notion that you need hundreds of thousands of followers, or even tens of thousands of followers before you can start working with brands and start to really have an impact. Through hard work and determination, Zahraa was able to create connects and work with brands with as little as a couple fo thousand followers. The take away being the need to focus on the quality of your content, rather than the numbers. Zahraa takes us through her process on how she did this and how you can also apply this to your own personal brand or business.
    We also touch on Zahraa’s story behind her putting her hijab on and her experience post-9/11 as a Muslim women growing up in the U.S., exploring the ways that she manages the hateful comments around her, making sure to block out the noise and negativity, and not letting it affect her.
    Zahraa’s story really highlights the potential for Muslim woman to pursue what they love without limitations, as she works to inspire Muslim women that anything is possible when you put your mind to it and want it bad enough.
    To see more of Zahraa's work, visit her instagram page @zahraa_hberro
    48 min
  • EP. 05 - Dulce by Safiya: The raw truths on what it takes to building a successful brand, staying true to values, and trusting yourself- with Safiya Abdallah
    We are blessed in today’s episode to be joined by designer Safiya Abdallah, who established herself as a renowned, highly sort after designer after setting up her label Dulce by Safiya. After relocating from Sunny SoCal to the UAE, Safiya became determined to create a label that shied away from the typical norms, creating truly unique designs that erase the invisible lines women create to differentiate themselves based on a scarf and start celebrating the similarities between them. With a mixture of Latin and Arab heritage, Safiya draws inspiration from her childhood icons as well as cultural influences.The inspirations Safiya brings to her brand from her childhood also rings true in the naming of the label “Dulce by Safiya” which was sentimentally influenced by the name Safiya’s grandfather would call her by as a child, “Dulce” meaning sweet.
    Since establishing her label, she has been featured on the runways of Dubai Modest Fashion week and has dressed the likes of Muslim hijabi rapper Neelam Hakeem, model & fashion blogger Ascia, pop singing sensation Gwen Stefani, E! news presenter Catt Sadler, and actress Lindsay Lohan.
    In our discussion with Safiya we run through her journey in setting up Dulce by Safiya, uncovering some of the raw truths around what it takes to build a successful brand. As a mother we go into how Safiya manages her time between her work and her children, making sure to keep a healthy balance between the two.
    We discuss how a potential collaboration with a well know actress, which would have been very prosperous, would have also involved Safiya compromising her values to make the collaboration a reality, which Safiya goes on to stress the importance of staying true to your values and not allowing certain business opportunities to compromise the morals and principles that you live by. Safiya also touched on the importance of trusting and believing in yourself, going into detail with us around pieces and designs that she had second-guessed, and not included in her collections, only to later have these same pieces and designs become some of her brand’s most successful, in-demand outfits.
    Safiya was kind enough to share her advice and top tips for other aspiring business women and fashion designers looking to make their mark in the industry.
    37 min
  • EP. 04 - With Amina Khan on building a healthy lifestyle as a Muslim woman
    “Don’t sacrifice your values, the things that are important to you, it’s important to stay true to them”
    In this week’s episode we’re joined by Amina Khan, an award-winning fitness psychologist and health coach. Amina's personal passion for health and fitness came from her own 60-pound weight loss journey 8 years ago. She then started Amanah Fitness, which provides women with a modest solution to get fit at home, to share her message that fitness is for everyone of all cultural backgrounds, regardless of how you dress or look!
    Amina is a CanfitPro Certified Group Fitness Instructor and was named Canada's Canfitpro Fitness Professional of the Year - Fitness Instructor Specialist in recognition of her global impact on health education. 
    In our interview with her, she unpacks for us her journey from being 60-pounds overweight to getting on track to a health and fit lifestyle, setting up Amanah Fitness, her research into why Muslim’s are more prone to unhealthy & unfit lifestyles, and some amazing actionable step-by-step things you can do today, to get on track to a healthy lifestyle, in the easiest, most convent way possible. 
    Amina has also offered our listeners access to Amanah Fitness’ FREE 5-minute, 5-day fitness challenge for Muslim families to get active at home with NO equipment - so NO excuses! To join the challenge, click the link here https://www.amanahfitness.com/5min
    You can follow more from us on Instagram @modest.atelier or visit our website www.modestatelier.com. for questions, please let us know via DM or by emailing [email protected].                                    
    New episodes every Wednesday.
    1 hr 4 min
  • EP. 03 - Living life on your own terms, with Dr. Sahar Shafi
    Dr Sahar Shafi is a Periodontal & Implant Surgeon based out of SoCal. Dr Sahar talks everything around her career journey, how to work out if a career path you’re interested is right for you, how she uses social media as an outlet to discuss topics important to her whilst connecting & supporting other women, her daily routines, marriage, her plans for the future, and more. A must listen for anyone trying to decide on a new career path or thinking of making a change.
    You can follow more from us on Instagram @modest.atelier or visit our website www.modestatelier.com. for questions, please let us know via DM or by emailing [email protected].
    New episodes every Wednesday.
    35 min
  • EP. 02 - How this woman from Western-Sydney is changing the game and Redefining Modest Fashion with Nawal Sari
    Welcome back ladies! In Episode 2 we sit down with Nawal Sari, diving deep into how her journey to redefining modest fashion started, what the collaboration process with brands that she works with is like, her recommendations for growing a following the right way and more. We also kick off our Speed Round Segment where Nawal answers the burning questions you sent in for us to ask her.
    31 min
  • EP. 01 - In Conversation With Lisa Vogl, Co-Founder Of Verona Collection
    Given this woman’s incredible story from reverting to Islam, to breaking free from her abusive situation, to raising her two boys as a single mother, whilst setting up an incredible modest fashion brand, which has become the first modest fashion brand to retail in a major U.S department store - We felt it only fair to have, Lisa Vogl, Co-Founder of Verona Collection, as our first guest.
    We sat down with Lisa, to talk everything about her journey to Verona Collection, her experience as a survivor of domestic violence, how she manages her time between running her company and raising her two boys, her advice for other determined female entrepreneurs, and much more.
    33 min

About The Modest Atelier Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The Modest Atelier Podcast, your go to place for straight up advice & guidance from some of the most influential & successful Muslim women and professionals. Dedicated to…