Mind Pretty Soul

It's a different kind of episode this month, as the women that inspire me are... you! I recently asked you to send in your questions and dilemmas, and I've answered a few of them in this episode.

A trigger warning as I touch on a dilemma concerning emotional abuse. If you need support, please consider the below resources:

It's just me in this episode, and it's an interesting one to say the least! I take you through my day as I open my naturopathic health and beauty clinic, Botanical Mission. Expect to hear sounds of the London underground (get the Girls Aloud reference?), a few special guests including the FIRST man on Mind Pretty Soul and many fluff ups - this isn't your usually polished and well-edited episode!

In this episode, I’m joined by Schae Graham, who you’ll remember from the episode titled Self-Care, Wellness and it’s Cultural Nuances.

It was criminal to not release the full interview seeing as we had a lovely chat about our beauty and self-care routines, fitness and body image. Our conversation around body image was particularly interesting. We touched on the pressures to be thicker when you’re someone who’s slim. We also touch on the idea of body neutrality and just being okay with your looks at the very leasts

In the thick of the pandemic, I had stress expert and former ICU nurse Heather Thatcher on the podcast to talk about the health consequences of stress and how one can best manage their stress levels.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Sabrina Mubiru, who is the epitome of self-care and wellbeing.

"Why?" I hear you ask. Well... she's been an NHS nurse for 10 years and 5 years a midwife, and she's fully into the holistic side of things. Whether it's reformer pilates, acupuncture, herbs and supplements, alternative therapies, gut health or anything that'll make her glow, she's all over it.

In this episode, Sabrina and I cover everything from her experience being a key worker during the peak of the pandemic to why we're committed to being soft life babes. No more “strong black woman” trope!

On the cusp of the big 3-0, I released “Leaving our 20s and Loving our 30s with my Girlfriends” to reflect on the years that are now behind us as well as those that we’ve yet to experience. Having turned 30 now, this episode is all the more precious to me.

In this snippet, my girlfriends and I touch on everything from marriage to motherhood to mental health.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Angela Muruli, a global development practitioner, specialising in gender equality in Nigeria. Her expertise lies in working with civil society organisations, governments and the private sector on women's political empowerment and ending violence against women and girls.

Angela’s also a freelance makeup artist and has worked with the likes of MAC, NARS and MDMflow.

We talk about her incredible work, as well as her move and adjusting to life in Nigeria.

In this episode, I’m joined by dancer, body confidence advocate and founder of The Curve Catwalk, Trina Nicole.

Trina Nicole’s incredible work is dedicated to encourage physical acceptance, celebrate all forms and increase the visibility of larger bodies in a joyful state, making it the norm and not an act of rebellion or political.

We talked about her work with Nike as their latest EMEA Ambassador, as well as her dancing for the likes of Lizzie and Beyoncé.

Welcome to the first Soulful Snippet, a series of snippets from previous episodes, out on the 15th of each month.

Professional coach Vicki Moore gives a refreshing and realistic, albeit inspiring, perspective on taking massive leaps and going for your dreams. Whether it’s quitting your corporate career and pivoting or starting the business you’ve been dreaming of for years, Vicki Moore has

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And just like that, we’re in a new year!

Despite what 2020 and 2021 threw at us, I pray that 2022 is a much kinder year to us all. May it be a year where we revel in ease, bask in joy and soak up every good thing that life has to offer.

With that said, considering how the last couple of years have gone, I know better than to spout some fake positivity and insist that 2022 will be our year and act oblivious that we’re in the middle of a pandemonium…

Therefore, in this episode I talk about how to navigate any bumps on the road to achieving our goals this year - call it a rainy day strategy if you will.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dija Ayodele, a highly respected skin health specialist, and the founder of the two time Aesthetic Award winning and Vogue Beauty Finalist Black Skin Directory; founded in 2018 as a means to better connect people of colour to professional skincare in all of its facets. Dija also writes a column for Glamour Magazine, and her work as an educator and authority in diversity has seen her lead panel talks with the likes of the House of Commons, Stylist Live, The Financial Times and Refinery29.

As all 1991 babies embark on the next chapter of life - their 30s - I thought I’d gather my girlfriends and have an episode dedicated to reflecting on our 20s and discussing our hopes for this new decade of our lives.

I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that September’s a month that gives connotations of new beginnings and a fresh start. September’s the month that we’d have returned to school after the summer holidays. Considering how impactful our childhoods are on us to this day, it’s no surprise that September still evokes that warm, fuzzy feeling!

In this episode, I talk about my plans for beginning anew for the rest of the year. I also talk about Stoicism, nipping worrying about the future in the bud and some of my goals for the rest of the year.

As I recover from Covid-19, here’s a snippet from an unreleased episode with medical herbalist extraordinaire, Nirvana Safa. We talk about herbs, particularly adaptogenic herbs from maca to ashwaghanda to rhodiola, that support the body amidst the stresses and demands of busy city living.

Before trying or introducing any of these herbs into your diet, please consult a practitioner before introducing things like herbs and supplements to your diet.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with two incredible women - Schae Graham, a beauty and fashion influencer who hails from the Bay Area in California, and Tahmina Begum, a journalist of Bangladeshi origin and the writer of one of my favourite newsletters, The Aram.

We talk about self-care and wellness through their respective cultural lenses, and so expect conversation around beauty standards, self-care practices, spirituality and more.

It’s a super quick one from me this episode. I talk about the commodification of self-care and wellness, and how it looks like spending £7 on protein smoothies, pricy jade rollers and £20 yoga classes. It’s quite the contrast from the origins of self-care where activists, particularly black and women’s rights activists, turned to self-care for survival.

Granted I love these things (I’m a sucker for a smoothie after my reformer pilates class!), however it’s important to not allow the idea of self-care to be lost in marketing messaging and spending as it’s an action after all…

How I see it is this - treat yourself to CBD oils or that lavender scented sleep-spray or jade roller, but let’s get the actions down first. For me, some of the things that make up self-care are journalling, turning inwards and listening to my body, self-discipline, setting boundaries and great sleep. Nevertheless, to get the great sleep my body truly needs, I felt the need to buy a weighted blanket and a blackout eye mask recently!

The articles I quote in the episode:

In this episode, I’m joined by an incredibly special guest - my sister, Hamda Issa-Salwe. Though I see her as my baby sister, she is of course an individual in her own right! She’s a businesswoman, being the owner of Ayeeyo’s Blends offering a signature blend of traditional Somali tea spices, directly inspired by Somali tea culture.

Hamda also works in the music industry, having worked in merchandise and branding, as well as being a freelance journalist with her words having graced publications from Fader to Gal-dem to BuzzFeed.

Expect to hear fun chit chat about our shared childhood memories and then things take a deep turn.

In this episode, your ears have the pleasure of just hearing my voice alone… just joking... not about the going it alone thing, but you get it... I hope? Anyway, I talk about the concept of romanticising your life and the importance of cherishing even the most mundane aspect of our lives, especially during the ongoing Covid19 pandemic.

Whether romanticising your life looks like putting on a cute outfit and some makeup for your daily coffee shop trip or plating your breakfast in a way that rivals the fanciest of restaurants, do you!

In this episode, we discuss something never covered on the podcast - children! I was joined by Ayaan Ali, a mother of two and the founder of My Positivity Cards, positive affirmation cards designed for children. It’s Ayaan’s passion for children’s emotional wellbeing, literacy and having spotted a gap in the market for resources specific to Black and Brown children that led her to create My Positivity Cards.

Here comes the first episode of 2021! 

I’m joined by the lovely Sahra-Isha Muhammad-Jones, founder of ASRA Run Club, a running community which aims to provide Muslim women with a safe space. Sahra-Isha talked about journalling, how ASRA has adjusted to the many London lockdowns, her favourite Gambian and Sierra Leonean plant based dishes and the importance of listening to and honouring your body.

We couldn’t end the year without reflecting on it, right? This episode will take you down memory lane with snippets from my guests this year from Vicki Moore to Flo Adepoju (27:36), but not before my chat with Zinah Nur Sharif who had an eventual 2020! In this episode from 01:47, Zinah talks about how she got married and moved to two countries this year, with stints in Istanbul and London. It was a wholesome conversation, as we talked about our love for Christmas movies including the new Jingle Jangle, adjusting to her new life in Seoul and her hopes for 2021.

In this episode, I’m joined by professional coach, Vicki Moore. She uses her experience to help people to overcome the obstacles that are prohibiting them from creating the life they want, specifically relating to a career change, a major relocation or achieving an ambitious goal.  Vicki and I talk about how to navigate the change and uncertainty the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to many of our lives, changing careers and how to achieve your goals, no matter how big. You can find Vicki on Instagram @Moore.2.Life and her website http://vickimoorecoaching.com/.

In an industry where most beauty brands boil down to a handful of common denominator conglomerates, I truly relish launches from those that are niche and independent with a great backstory. One such brand is MDMflow, founded by Florence Adepoju, also known as Flow. MDMflow is far from your ordinary beauty brand, so expect to find hip-hop inspired lipsticks in shades ranging from black to blue to bright oranges. With that said, in this episode, Flow and I talk about where she finds inspiration, how the beauty industry doesn't receive as much respect as other industries and her beauty routine.

It’s okay to admit that you may not find the world an easy place to live in at the moment. From political events to the ongoing pandemic, not to mention any personal issues we might be experiencing, many of us are stressed to full capacity. This is why I’m joined by stress expert and former ICU nurse, Heather Thatcher on this episode.

With all eyes currently on the Black Lives Matter movement, I invited a very special guest, my cousin Sahra Qaxiye. A Minnesotan photographer, Sahra and I talk about how she's using her photography to document the protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd. We also talk about radical self-care at a time where it's needed now more than ever. 

In this episode, I speak with Ladan Takow, founder of Takow Network and Takow Coffee. Ladan, a woman of many talents, is also a barista, public speaker and human rights activist. As you listen, you'll notice how infectious Ladan's cheerful personality is!

Ladan and I talk about self-care during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, her must-attend Coffee With Ladan events, the launch of her coffee brand and how she's building a lasting legacy by connecting women with one another.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the impact it's having on peoples' mental health, I thought I'd forgo guests and have a solo episode to talk about how I'm managing things whilst staying at home. From working out regularly to trying out new recipes in order to feel a sense of direction and accomplishment, so far it's going well. 

Nevertheless, in this episode I talk about my own mental health, and how a particularly tough time inspired me to create Mind Pretty Soul. I explain my mission to help women feel good about themselves, and that it's essentially my 'why' that keeps me going.

Finally, I'd like to note that I wrongly quote the World Health Organisation. I said that one in four women in the world will be affected by a mental health disorder in their life, and this should be one in four people instead. 

In this episode, I chat with veteran beauty blogger Safiyah Tasneem. ⁣ We talk about what blogging is like now compared to when she first started, our mutual love for a turmeric face mask and By Kilian’s Love Don’t Be Shy which Rihanna is rumoured to smell like.⁣

In this first episode, I speak with my friend Faiza Sheikh, founder of Happier You, a CBT based app designed and developed by therapists for anxiety, depression and stress.⁣⁣

⁣Faiza and I discuss her journey from being a Project Manager in the tech industry to using this experience to achieve her vision of helping people access free mental healthcare. We also talk about life in busy London and how to avoid pouring from an empty cup.⁣⁣