The NDINI Podcast

“I’m Christian and I believe that God places us in different phases of our lives for different reasons, and the biggest dream I have is to be able to meet my calling or my purpose.” - Dr. Nina Lum

At a very young age, Dr. Nina Lum was exposed to how life changing a career in medicine could be. Her mother is a paediatrician in her native Cameroon. Growing up Nina was familiar with the late-night knocks on their door from frantic parents with a sick child. She’d watch as her mother tended to the child, and then marvel when a few days later that child was fully back to health.

Inspired by her mother’s example, Nina decided to pursue medicine as a career. But with only one medical school in the whole country, Nina soon came face to face with crushing disappointment – she was not accepted into the Cameroonian medical school.

“You will meet and encounter difficulties. You will be restricted, and to a certain degree succumb to it, but never be oppressed by it.” - Dr. Nina Lum

Undeterred, she pursued a Plan B, and then a Plan C, and was contemplating a Plan D when she was finally accepted into medical school in the Caribbean.

Nina talks about the many challenges, but also triumphs, of her journey to becoming ‘Dr Nina’. She also shares the big dreams she has for the future, and her plans to give back to her home country.

“Coming out of residency, I made a conscious decision that I was going to prioritize my health and wellness as much as my clinical practice, because I’ve had to learn the hard way that if I didn’t take care of myself, I was never going to be able to take care of other people.” - Dr. Nina Lum

Dr. Nina also hosts a podcast called The IMG Roadmap. Her podcast is dedicated to guiding International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with success blueprints for this unique pathway, offering practical tools equipping IMGs with applicable strategies to achieve their “US doctor goals”. 

Maria Michelle Lee is an inspirational and motivational speaker, a life coach -- all that while being an expert spray tan therapist. She also owns Brown Sugar Spray Tanz, offering natural luxury spray tan services, specializing in spray tan education, certification, & competition tans.

Maria does the best of both worlds -- mentoring many women to be their best mentally, spiritually and physically, while expertly doing their spray tan sessions. If you want to know how that works out, you’ll want to hear it straight from Maria as she talks about how this began, and how she has found her purpose doing it. 

“I had to break down to break through to become unapologetically me.” - Maria Michelle Lee

Maria struggled through living as a ‘people pleaser’ and getting burned out to the point of considering ending her own life. With the help of a friend and some divine intervention, she was able to overcome this critical point in her life, and come to realize her purpose. Maria understands that so many people go through this kind of sadness and struggle, that she made it her goal to do everything she can so that nobody would ever go through such an experience.

“I’m going to live to be happy in spite of what other people think. I’m going to tell people that they can be happy too.” - Maria Michelle Lee

Maria herself started in the fitness industry, joining fitness competitions professionally. She even aimed for one competition after every child she had -- she has three children -- and did one more competition for her 40th birthday. With her knowledge and experience in this field, she knows well about how athletes could “look good on the outside, but don't feel good on the inside,” as she had experienced this herself. Maria also helps people overcome body and self-esteem issues, and ultimately finding their true happiness. 

“There’s always help. Whether you want it or not, there’s always help.” - Maria Michelle Lee

In this episode, Maria talks about the challenges and struggles she had to overcome to ultimately find her purpose. She shares her reflections on her experience joining fitness competitions, as well as about her beautiful family, and the people that inspire her.

Maria’s goal and focus is to build a tribe of empowerment, by teaching women how to love themselves through Mirror Workshops, Vision Board Sessions and Mindest Coaching programs.

Whitney Madueke is a lawyer, who was admitted as a Barrister in the High Court of Nigeria. But after studying law, she realized that law wasn’t her passion. What she really loved was fashion and beauty. So she packed up her bags and moved to New York to pursue her passion.  

Making the transition wasn’t easy though – she’s had to work hard to create her brand, and there were times she even thought about giving up on her dream. But nothing could stop her determination as she overcame all the challenges of pursuing her dream. 

Whitney is now a successful influencer on social media. She also does modeling, speaking, and has partnerships with some major fashion brands. She creates content on beauty and style, as well as tutorials for makeup, hair, and fashion.

“When you practice, you learn what works for your face, not what works for another person. So you’re not literally copying another person’s style or their face on yourself. You’re learning the skills while applying it so you know whether it enhances your own beauty.” - Whitney Madueke

In this episode, Whitney talks about her journey and challenges. She also shares her own experience, tips, and advice on becoming a fashion and beauty influencer. More importantly, she talks about what it takes to gain a following.

“Collaboration really helped, but also staying true to yourself. People do read fakeness, or you trying to be someone else. People grow and change in different ways, but I think there should always be that essence that doesn’t ever change... That really helps you grow a following.” - Whitney Madueke

We’ve had so much feedback on my interview with the incredible Lisa Nichols, in fact it’s probably the most we’ve ever had! But I completely understand why because it was such a phenomenal interview. Lisa shared so much wisdom and stories of inspiration from her personal experiences. If you haven’t seen it yet, then you’re missing out on something truly amazing! You can listen to Lisa’s interview on Episode 107 and Episode 108.

Lisa Nichols is one of the world’s most requested motivational speakers, so getting her to sit with me for an interview was no easy task. In this episode, I talk about the story behind this interview and how I got to make it happen. You will also get to see some behind-the-scene moments and see what it’s like when we prepare for an interview, and how we made the most of what we had in that special moment with Lisa.

I also wanted to give my reflection on some of the amazing things that Lisa said. The one that resonated with me the most was what she said about being obedient to your calling.

"I am obedient to my gift. I am obedient to my calling at whatever the cost. I don't measure my obedience based on what it will cost me." - Lisa Nichols

She said how so many of us have gifts. So many of us hear the calling of the work that we’re supposed to do, but the first thing that we look at is the cost. We look at how hard it’s going to be and how much inconvenience it is going to cost us. We worry about not gaining the support of friends and family. We all hear the calling. We all have the gifts that we could make use of, but very few of us are willing to live with the cost and inconvenience that is required for you to fully step into everything that you were meant to be.

Lisa’s grandmother used to tell her that “your conviction does not live on the same block as your convenience.” Your calling will require sacrifice one way or another. This is something Lisa understood well throughout her experience, making her the person that she is today -- inspiring us all.

Lisa Nichols will be our keynote speaker in Woman On Fire Summit happening on April 5, 2020 in Toronto. 

She’s one of the world’s most requested motivational speakers.  Her platform has reached more than 80 million people worldwide, and continues to grow.  She’s a bestselling author, and is CEO of a multi-million dollar publicly traded company.  

It’s hard to believe that Lisa Nichols was once a struggling single mother living on public assistance.  It’s even harder to believe that this phenomenon who dazzles audiences on stages across the world was once told by a teacher to find a desk job and never speak on a public platform.  

But all of this is part of Lisa’s story.  She is a testament to how courage and determination can literally change your life.  

"My job is to show up and shine, and then to lend my light to whomever wants to sit and be touched by my light. And anytime I dim my light and dim my shine, I'm actually being more selfish than of service." - Lisa Nichols

Lisa’s phenomenal story and life-changing message has seen her make appearances on The Oprah Show, The Today Show, The Dr. Phil Show, and The Steve Harvey Show – just to name a few. Lisa’s also made it her mission to impact the lives of teens. Through her non-profit foundation Motivating the Teen Spirit, she has touched the lives of over 270,000 teens. 

Lisa has authored several books, including her two recent New York Times best-sellers, “Abundance Now” and “No Matter What”.

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc., Lisa has developed workshops and programs providing resources and tools for personal transformation, and encouraging others to share their message in a powerful and impactful way.

Lisa has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Humanitarian Award from South Africa, The Ambassador Award, and the LEGO Foundation‘s Heart of Learning Award.

As if that wasn’t enough, to honour this phenomenal woman, the City of Henderson, Nevada named November 20th Motivating the Teen Spirit Day.  The City of San Diego named April 25th Motivating the Masses Day, and the City of Houston, Texas named May 9th as Lisa Nichols Day for her dedication to service, philanthropy and healing.

This conversation was a long time coming, and Lisa did not disappoint. This interview was packed with inspiration, life lessons, powerful messages, an abundance of wisdom…and LOTS of EMOTION.  

In Part 1 of this incredible conversation, we get to know Lisa and her early struggles.  And she shares how she defines being “extraordinary” in a way most people may not realize.

"I'm an ordinary woman who simply chooses to pick one or two or three extraordinary decisions to make each day. And if I make enough extraordinary decisions enough days in a row, then I create an extraordinary experience. If I create enough extraordinary experiences enough days in a row, then I might experience an extraordinary lifestyle." - Lisa Nichols

She’s one of the world’s most requested motivational speakers.  Her platform has reached more than 80 million people worldwide, and continues to grow.  She’s a bestselling author, and is CEO of multimillion dollar publicly traded company.  

It’s hard to believe that Lisa Nichols was once a struggling single mother living on public assistance.  It’s even harder to believe that this phenomenon who dazzles audiences on stages across the world was once told by a teacher to find a desk job and never speak on a public platform.  

But all of this is part of Lisa’s story.  She is a testament to how courage and determination can literally change your life.  

"My job is to show up and shine, and then to lend my light to whomever wants to sit and be touched by my light. And anytime I dim my light and dim my shine, I'm actually being more selfish than of service." - Lisa Nichols

Lisa’s phenomenal story and life-changing message has seen her make appearances on The Oprah Show, The Today Show, The Dr. Phil Show, and The Steve Harvey Show – just to name a few. Lisa’s also made it her mission to impact the lives of teens. Through her non-profit foundation Motivating the Teen Spirit, she has touched the lives of over 270,000 teens. 

Lisa has authored several books, including her two recent New York Times best-sellers, “Abundance Now” and “No Matter What”.

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc., Lisa has developed workshops and programs providing resources and tools for personal transformation, and encouraging others to share their message in a powerful and impactful way.

Lisa has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Humanitarian Award from South Africa, The Ambassador Award, and the LEGO Foundation‘s Heart of Learning Award.

As if that wasn’t enough, to honour this phenomenal woman, the City of Henderson, Nevada named November 20th Motivating the Teen Spirit Day.  The City of San Diego named April 25th Motivating the Masses Day, and the City of Houston, Texas named May 9th as Lisa Nichols Day for her dedication to service, philanthropy and healing.

This conversation was a long time coming, and Lisa did not disappoint. This interview was packed with inspiration, life lessons, powerful messages, an abundance of wisdom…and LOTS of EMOTION.  

In Part 1 of this incredible conversation, we get to know Lisa and her early struggles.  And she shares how she defines being “extraordinary” in a way most people may not realize.

"I'm an ordinary woman who simply chooses to pick one or two or three extraordinary decisions to make each day. And if I make enough extraordinary decisions enough days in a row, then I create an extraordinary experience. If I create enough extraordinary experiences enough days in a row, then I might experience an extraordinary lifestyle." - Lisa Nichols

Elsa Isaac is a professional wardrobe stylist based in New York. She has styled personalities like Lenny Kravitz, Phylicia Rashad, Brooke Shields, Katie Couric, and Marie Forleo, to name a few.

Originally from Eritrea, her family moved to Canada when she was 4. Despite living most of her life in Canada, she shares that she has lived her life through immigrant eyes, coming from an immigrant household. Elsa was interested in fashion and style at a very young age, even styling her own Barbie dolls. She had already known that she did not want to take the expected ‘immigrant path’ of becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, and “followed her gut” on what she loves best. She even took classes outside of school like sewing to improve her skills in relation to her passion.

“We know we’ve changed over the years, but when I walk inside client’s closets, they are holding on to outfits and pieces that they’ve had since college or high school. You’ve evolved probably 10 times over since then, so it’s really being on top of it enough to really evaluate who you are in this moment.” - Elsa Isaac

Elsa got her start in the styling business dressing musicians for music videos in Toronto, eventually expanding and moving to New York in 2006 to work on magazine & commercial shoots as well.

In this episode, Elsa talks about what it means to be a stylist, the process, the misconceptions, the challenges, and how her work empowers people to feel their most confident. 

“When a woman understands that she has grown to a level that she’s been working towards, and yet she doesn’t feel as confident and as powerful as the work she’s put out, there’s a disconnect and we start to hide... You are your work, there’s no separation.” - Elsa Isaac

We also get to know a little more about Elsa on her Quick Fire round. She talks about the people that inspires her, as well as her insights about her own personal style and how it changes through her new role of being a mother.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• Elsa’s experience growing up in Canada in an immigrant household
• How she decided to pursue her passion and improved the necessary skills
• How she got started in her career as a stylist 
• How knowing the business aspect is as important as the creative aspect
• The misconceptions and challenges of being a stylist
• Elsa’s Quick Fire round answers
• The people that inspire her
• Elsa’s personal style and how it changes with her role as a mother
• Her “I am…”

“There’s something about what I do -- with music, especially -- that really connects people. Understanding that music, especially in my travels, is a universal language.” - Jully Black

In this 2-part episode, we are featuring Canada’s Queen of R&B, Jully Black. 

Jully is an award-winning R&B and Soul singer-songwriter. She was named one of the 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever by CBC Music in 2013. She’s collaborated with artists like Nas, Choclair and Kardinal Offishall.  She’s also written songs for Destiny’s Child, Sean Paul and Missy Elliott, among others. All this before releasing her debut album “This Is Me” in 2005. 

Jully has also released a number of original songs independently and collaborations which had garnered awards and nominations. Her second album, “Revival” (2007) was certified gold in Canada and won the Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Jully’s third album “The Black Book” (2009) was also nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.

Apart from her music and TV career, Jully has also ventured into theater acting having appeared in the Toronto production of Da Kink in My Hair in 2005. She is currently also part of the Tony Award-winning musical Caroline, or Change playing the role of Caroline.

Jully started 100 Strong & Sexy with the goal of women’s self-development focusing on fitness, spirituality, discipline, accountability, self care and self worth. She has also co-founded Empowered In My Skin with Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson to empower women around the globe and help them live purposefully in the comfort of their own skin.

In this episode, Jully shares her journey in her music career, insights, and life lessons throughout her experience, as well as her goals and purpose. Don’t miss this truly phenomenal conversation with Canada’s Queen of R&B!

“I recognize that a career is what you’re paid for, a calling is what you’re made for. I want to live my life to what I’m actually made for -- custom designed for.” - Jully Black

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• How Jully started her music career
• Her experience working and collaborating with different artists throughout her career
• The stories behind her songs and music
• The great influence and inspiration she got from her mother’s life and story
• How the evolution of the music industry affected her career and how she dealt with it
• How Jully pursues her passion to help and empower women
• About playing the main role in her latest musical theater debut
• Her “I am…”

Known as “Canada’s Queen of R&B,” Jully Black is an award-winning R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She was named one of the 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever by CBC Music in 2013. She had already worked with various artists like Choclair and Kardinal Offishall as early as 1997, and written songs for Destiny’s Child, Nas, Sean Paul and Missy Elliott, among others, before releasing her first solo album “This Is Me” in 2005. 

Jully has also released a number of original songs independently and collaborations which had garnered awards and nominations. Her second album, “Revival” (2007) was certified gold in Canada and won the Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Jully’s third album “The Black Book” (2009) was also nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.

Apart from her music and TV career, Jully has also ventured into theater acting having appeared in the Toronto production of Da Kink in My Hair in 2005. She is currently also part of the Tony Award-winning musical Caroline, or Change playing the role of Caroline.

Jully started 100 Strong & Sexy with the goal of women’s self-development focusing on fitness, spirituality, discipline, accountability, self care and self worth. She has also co-founded Empowered In My Skin with Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson to empower women around the globe and help them live purposefully in the comfort of their own skin.

In this episode, Jully shares her journey in her music career, insights, and life lessons throughout her experience, as well as her goals and purpose. Don’t miss this truly phenomenal conversation with Canada’s Queen of R&B!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• How Jully started her music career
• Her experience working and collaborating with different artists throughout her career
• The stories behind her songs and music
• The great influence and inspiration she got from her mother’s life and story
• How the evolution of the music industry affected her career and how she dealt with it
• How Jully pursues her passion to help and empower women
• About playing the main role in her latest musical theater debut
• Her “I am…”

For this week’s Quick Fire round, we have former Olympian, University of Miami Sports Hall of Famer, fashion designer, ad motivational speaker Tabia Charles Collins.

Tabia joined us in Episode 94 where she talked about her journey to becoming an Olympic athlete, and the aftermath of her unfortunate accident that ended her Olympic career. She shared what this meant for her, how she struggled and dealt with this reality, how she moved on, and has now dedicated her life to change other people’s lives by being a living example.

“Athletics builds character, discipline, hard work, and confidence… From athletics, I have made amazing connections. I have started different businesses. And for me, that’s even greater than just saying ‘I am an Olympian.'” – Tabia Charles Collins

In this episode, we get to know a little more about Tabia as she answers our Quick Fire questions, including what she considers as her ‘super power’, and why she thinks that marriage can be so amazing.

YOU WILL LEARN:

• Tabia’s ‘superpower’
• How she describes herself in 3 words
• Her favorite gift to give and receive
• Her favorite thing to eat
• Her favorite place she ever visited
• Her favorite item of clothing
• Her favorite time of day and why
• The two people she would like to have dinner with
• What she can’t get through the day without
• The screensaver on your phone
• What she carries with her all the time
• Her worst habit
• What she wishes she had more in life
• Why she thinks marriage can be so amazing\