You Did That! celebrates black sheep and the pivotal stories that changed their trajectory in leadership, relationships, athletics, and more. Highlighting the first-or-only ones in their community, these success stories are both singular and universal. Hosted by Sara Stanizai, a coach, licensed therapist, and sought-after speaker, You Did That! is all about blazing your own trail when you’re not sure where you’ll end up.
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January 23, 2024Episode 1748 min
Ep 17 Reclaiming Identity and Navigating Trauma with Linda Thai
Welcome back to You Did That!. In today's episode, we are joined by the insightful and inspiring Linda as our special guest. Linda shares her experiences and perspectives on cultural differences, historical trauma, and the impact of colonialism. Join us as we engage in a thought-provoking and meaningful dialogue on addressing trauma from a holistic and cultural perspective. This episode is sure to provide valuable insights and reflections on the impact of trauma and resilience.
Linda Thai LMSW (she, her) is a trauma therapist who specializes in cutting edge brain- and body-based modalities for the healing of complex developmental trauma. As an educator and consultant, she is gifted with the capacity to contextualize, synthesize and communicate complex and nuanced issues pertaining to trauma, attachment and the nervous system, including the impact of oppressive systems upon identity, mental health and wellbeing. Linda is passionate about breaking the cycle of historical and intergenerational trauma at the individual and community levels, and deeply believes in the healing power of coming together in community to grieve. Born in Vietnam, raised in Australia, and now living in Alaska, Linda is a former child refugee who is not only redefining what it means to be Vietnamese, to be Australian, and to be a United States-ian....she is redefining what it means to be wounded and whole and a healer.
Main Topics:
Navigating Cultural Boundaries and Racism
Transforming Depression into Inspiration
Fear, Safety, and Seeking Refuge
Ongoing Trauma for Marginalized Communities
Balancing Teaching and Personal Growth
Learn more about the artist Linda Thai:
Website: www.linda-thai.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindylou99/
November 7, 2023Episode 1631 min
Ep 16 How to Dream When You're Awake with Artist CoolReve
Welcome back to You Did That!. In this episode, we are joined by CoolReve, secretly named Hawa. She is an Afghan artist that focuses on graphic design and is the owner of a streetwear brand. Her journey is a wellspring of inspiration, from navigating collaborations to staying true to oneself. Discover the value of personal connections, celebrating success, and blocking out negativity. Join us for an uplifting exploration of CoolReve’s artistry and the invaluable lessons she's gained along the way.
Main topics discussed:
Why you need to be discreet when sharing personal information
How to have your own back if it feels like no one else does
Pursuing your art when people expect something else from you
How experimenting and adapting will save your life
Learn more about CoolReve:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolreve/
Website: https://www.coolreve.com
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
October 10, 2023Episode 243 min
EP 15 Am I Famous Enough? Writing a niche book with Alo Johnston
Welcome back to You Did That!. In this episode, we have a special guest joining us, Alo Johnston (he/him), to share his incredible journey of self-discovery, writing, and navigating the publishing world. Discover how his writing took a unique turn, defying the traditional self-help book genre, and how his expertise in working with transgender individuals brought a fresh perspective to his work.
Alo Johnston is a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of Am I Trans Enough?: How to Overcome Your Doubts and Find Your Authentic Self. He particularly loves working with trans, queer, and non-monogamous clients. He is based in downtown Los Angeles and when he’s not working he’s often busy exploring the restorative power of naps.
Main Topics:
Embracing unexpected support and openness to new experiences
The process of writing and publishing a book
Understanding diverse gender transition experiences
Creating a unique Self-Help Book with a different approach
Personal journey and unexpected joy amidst challenges
Learn more about the Alo Johnston:
Website: alojohnston.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetranstherapist/
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
September 12, 2023Episode 141 hr 23 min
Ep 14 How To Be A Multi-Passionate Creator with Parisa Parnian
Welcome back to You Did That!. In this episode, Parisa, a visionary artist and entrepreneur, takes us on a journey through her experiences in the fashion industry and the challenges she faced while promoting inclusivity - at a time 20 years ago when no one knew what that word meant. We explore how the fashion industry has become more inclusive over time, the financial benefits of diversity for corporations, and the impact of Rainbow Capitalism on Parisa’s career.
Parisa Parnian is an Iranian-American multi-disciplinary visual artist and culinary creative. She uses art, design, food and performative storytelling to build bridges and connect communities. As a multi-passionate creative, Parisa has been combining her extensive experience in fashion + lifestyle design, event curation, and food/culture-related art installations and events in LA, NYC and SF/Bay Area for over twenty years. Parisa plays with and subverts the colorful layers of ancestral traditions of the SWANA and Latin American cultures through her creative and interactive culinary and art projects. She tells the stories of modern life from the lens of the diaspora and Third Culture Kids, as well as from her lived experience as a part of the QTBIPOC community. In addition to the visual art and culinary projects Parisa is currently working on in collaboration with art and culture organizations and brands, she has a few of her own projects under way. Most notably are her recent projects at the intersection of Persian/SWANA and Mexican/Latinx cultures. This includes Perxican, a Persian-Mexican spice blend and cultural platform to explore “layered” or “mixed” identities and Aziz Amor- a DJ-driven party in downtown LA that is a mashup of SWANA/Middle Eastern and Latinx sounds, cocktails, visual art and vibes featuring women and non-binary talent.
Main Topics:
Challenges and Struggles in the Creative Industry
Taking risks and leaving toxic work environments
How knowing yourself will protect you in the long run
The underground club scene in New York City
Organizing your thoughts when you’re passionate about different fields
Learn more about Parisa Parnian:
Website: www.savagemuse.com
IG profiles:
Food/Culture: @savage_taste
Aziz Amor: @aziz.amor.la
Art/Design: @savagemuse
Pérxican Spice Blend: Persian-Mexican layered spice blend and social platform to explore our "mixed" or "layered" identities.
Aziz Amor Party: Monthly mashup of Middle-Eastern and Latin music, cocktails and vibes featuring women/non-binary DJs, visual artists and creatives from the SWANA and Latinx diasporas.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
August 22, 2023Episode 1352 min
Ep 13 Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air: College Friends to Co-Poets
Welcome back to You Did That!. In this special episode, we will be diving into an incredible anthology of poetry titled "Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air" written by six talented authors who have a variety of immigrant and refugee backgrounds. Throughout the episode, we'll explore the power of poetry as a means of self-discovery and self-expression. From feeling boxed-in as "the smart one" to navigating the pressures of med school, they have all found solace, confidence, and creative freedom within the pages of their book.
They'll also take us on a journey through their writing circle and the publishing process.
Book Summary:
From the scents of a bustling street market in India to the warmth of stories rooted in Venezuela to snippets of college days shared at MIT, the poetry in this book features an ache for grounds no longer walked upon. With a range of distinct styles and voices, the poets’ nuanced self-expression amounts to a piece that is both a prayer and a rebellion. Their words, introspective and reminiscing, witty and thoughtful, are an ode to that which makes them who they are and where they come from. Simultaneously, their voices are a rejection of dangerous stigmas, cultural taboos, and oppressive systems. In both verse and image, Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air is a bold and unfiltered collection recounting moments, tears, and dreams that have been generations in the making.
Main Topics:
Committing to a writing circle with your college besties
Publishing essentially your diary - that your family will read
Staying equal as a team of six authors without competing
How to write and publish your book idea
Learn more about the authors of Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air:
Websites:
http://oadnbta-poetry.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60394934
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oadnbta.poetry/
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
June 27, 2023Episode 1240 min
EP 12 Beyond Labels: Embracing Multidimensional Identities
In this episode of You Did That!, I welcome Ryan Alexander Holmes, a Chinese and African American actor and content creator who is bringing mixed ethnicity identity to the mainstream. He believes that it's crucial to opt-out of the mainstream narrative and to embrace one's unique qualities. We've been on some panels together, so I know this is going to be a great episode.
Main topics discussed:
Looking Beyond Appearances
Overcoming Fear
Identity Crisis
Finding Your Voice
Learn more about Ryan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalexh/
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
May 30, 2023Episode 1137 min
EP 11 Navigating Business and Relationships in the LGBTQ Salon Industry with Cal
In this episode of You Did That!, I welcome Cal, the Co-Founder of a trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ forward hair salon and community space. Cal works to learn the opportunities, resources, and needs in his community, build connections, and support healthy interdependence. He looks forward to finding more opportunities to embolden the LGBTQ+ community in Long Beach and beyond.
Main Topics
Salon Benders and LGBTQ-forward hair salon
Recognizing the importance of getting administration and people
Learning the power of observation and navigating conflict
Importance of external supports and equitable practices in business
The transition to feeling reflected within the community.
Learn more about Cal:
IG/Facebook
Visit Salon Bender's website: https://www.salonbenders.com/
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
May 9, 2023Episode 1032 min
EP10 Honoring Rhythms in Entrepreneurship and Relationships with Christina
In this episode of You Did That!, I welcome Christina, a Professional travel blogger, entrepreneur, writer, lingerie store owner, sensual movement teacher, and mother to a wild one. Christina is faithfully attached to being a multi-hyphenate kind of woman. After giving birth to her first child, she decided now would be the appropriate time to upend her life and start all over. So she sold almost everything she had to travel across the US with her husband and two-year-old in tow to "live a wilder life."
Main Topics Discussed:
Honoring your rhythm
Prioritizing meaningful memories over an overcrowded itinerary
Blogging and influencing as a career
Everyday Adventures
The importance of believing in oneself and starting over later in life
Is there a piece of advice that when you were first starting, would have been helpful to you?
I think in terms of traveling, the advice I would give to anybody who's traveling with friends or family, is to always honor your rhythms. And so it's so much more important to have memories together than to try to fit everything in. And I guess to know your intention. Like, when I travel with my father who's older and disabled, we're not going to do much, but I know what the intention is that it's to be together and to be in this new environment together.
What's your favorite thing you've learned about yourself through your experiences?
You know, how capable I am as a person, as a woman. I guess what stands out is that I'm proud that I'm 40 now and I just completely started over and I started this thing. That I did it and that I'm successful at it, that I was able just to do it one little step at a time, and that I have a thriving business now. That's what stands out for me is that I guess I'm at an age where most people would be kind of sinking into their work and like rising. And for me, I just started over and that's maybe more common than we think. And it's just not talked about that a lot of people are continually starting over and that that's okay and that you can find your groove later on and there's no endpoint for it because this is a very creative endeavor for me. And so to continue to find out what I want to be doing for my creative work, for my financial work, what actually will sustain my family, has been probably the most rewarding thing, even more than the travel, which is just funny. I think most people focus on that. I got to travel, and that is it. I actually enjoy working. If I had nothing to do, I would be really unhappy. I like to create, so that's been like, immeasurably satisfying.
Who are your role models or supporters on this journey?
I want to be honest, I didn't know anybody who did this. And I didn't have anybody guiding me on how to start my blog other than looking to other bloggers and taking the typical online course that's very popular now. I've had many mentors in my life and many teachers and people have inspired me, but this is pretty much the first time where I did something where there was no compass, there was no guide. There was just kind of a lot of chutzpah, which is really just like a total determination and also a belief in myself that I could do it that was not easily attained. What would your younger self think if they saw you now?
I think she would think I'm pretty rad.
Learn more about Christina:
Website: www.liveawilderlife.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/liveawilderlife
I hope you enjoy this episode!
If so, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
April 11, 2023Episode 948 min
EP9 How to Tap Into Your Unique Leadership Strengths with Julianne Guinasso and Poonam Natha
In this episode of You Did That!, I welcome Julianne Guinasso and Poonam Natha of Level Up Leaders, a leadership development and employee management company created by therapists, for therapists. In 2014, Poonam and Julianne became office neighbors and quickly bonded over the idea that taking care of therapists would provide the clinical outcomes their bosses and communities craved. As fellow LMFT's, they believe that, more than any other factor, relationships at work predict employee performance. Mastering relational leadership through cultivating a culture of TRUST is what combats turnover, overwhelm, and disengagement.
Nurturance, growth, and integrity are the driving forces in Poonam's way of being. Poonam helps you navigate the path to your success as a leader and the health of your practice or organization by prioritizing the working relationship.
Julianne's leading values are courage, curiosity, and service. She knows that by focusing on the energetics of relational trust in the workplace and by leading with emotional fluency, your employees can provide the highest clinical care.
Main Topics Discussed:
How to be a therapist leader
Pivoting from working at an agency to owning your own practice
The five leadership archetypes, and how to tap into your strengths
How each leader in an organization can complement each other’s unique strengths
Building culture beyond the pizza parties
Learn more about Level Up Leaders:
Visit their website: www.levelupleaders.org
Follow them on Instagram: www.instagram.com/levelupleaders
What’s your Leadership Expertise? This is the relational quality you demonstrate with ease. This skillset is what everyone seeks you out for. It’s the aspect of your leadership that cultivates TRUST with those around you. Take this 2-minute free leadership assessment to find out!
March 7, 2023Episode 843 min
EP8 Already Home: Recipes from Habiba Syed’s Afghan-American Kitchen
In this episode of You Did That!, I welcome Habiba Syed, an Afghan-American English instructor, food writer, and recipe developer known as @cheftaloo on Instagram. As a teacher at Queensborough Community College, she “advocate[s] for first generation and BIPOC students to acquire and habituate college level skills by utilizing an empathetic pedagogical lens.”
Main Topics Discussed:
Engaging the Afghan diaspora through culinary adventures
Having a strong sense of ownership over your native cuisine
How to successfully publish a cookbook in 2023
Highlighting Afghan joy through food writing
Creating sustainable changes in your life that unlock the genuine YOU
Has there been growing interest in traditional food from the Afghan community?
Habiba: Yes. Food means home for us. The conversations start out on the surface level, but eventually bring to mind stories about being in Grandma’s kitchen and one’s upbringing. It also invites very politicized debates about the “most authentic” recipes. I get yelled at on social media for putting certain ingredients in certain dishes, but I have to admire the sense of ownership that people have over their cuisine. For many people, there’s only one version of something, because that version is what they enjoyed in their childhood.
Tell me about the moment you decided to make food writing and recipe development part of your career.
Habiba: This idea has been simmering for some time. I have lots of friends and family who know about my interest in identity politics mixed with culinary adventures. I think the “official” moment was when my grandmother passed last year. Much of what I remember about food, the kitchen, and my sense of childhood are associated with my grandma. It became my calling to preserve her recipes—her legacy.
What were some of the challenges you faced while building this platform?
Habiba: I knew that this wasn’t a place I was familiar with, but I was willing to learn all I could through attending workshops and connecting with people in the space. Because the publishing world had changed so much in the past few years, I knew I had to do things that were outside of my comfort zone. For cookbook authors, publishers are looking for more than a creative mind and writing skill. Beyond ideas, they’re looking for platforms. They’re looking for marketability. It’s tough to reconcile the artist with the salesperson, but it’s been something I’ve been continuing to work on.
Which has been more challenging for you: teaching or food writing?
Habiba: Teaching in the traditional space has always been challenging. But now that I’m writing a cookbook, I had to really learn how to switch from sounding academic to sounding relatable. I’m highlighting Afghan joy: our happiness, resilience, perseverance, and survival.
What has surprised you the most about this process?
Habiba: I have been growing in ways I didn’t know were possible. I always ask what my goals are for any given project and whether my discomfort is greater than my confidence. My answer is always, “No.” My discomfort is not greater than my passion for this endeavor. I promised that I would take this on until it comes to fruition. It’s been difficult at times because I have to deal with my limitations, but my failures teach me lessons I never could have learned otherwise.
Learn more about Habiba Syed:
Follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/cheftaloo
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