In this episode, Kea Wakesho Simmons, the visionary behind Traverze Culture and the Journey Back to Eden Expo, discusses her journey from Charleston, South Carolina to becoming a world traveler and advocate for Pan-Africanism. Kea shares her experiences in the US Army, her travels to countries like South Korea, China, Japan, Ethiopia, and how they shaped her views on culture and Black empowerment. Simmons also delves into the mission of the Journey Back to Eden initiative, aiming to foster deeper relationships and cultural exchanges between Africans in the diaspora and the continent. Kea is using her platform to inspire global connections and cultural understanding.

00:00 Introduction to See Life Different Podcast

01:06 Meet Kea Wakesho Simmons

02:02 Kea's Journey and Military Experience

04:39 Discovering Pan-Africanism

06:50 First Impressions of Kenya

08:35 Journey Back to Eden Initiative

16:30 Future Plans and Legacy

18:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Join me this New Year’s Eve in the cradle of humanity— Magical Kenya. This is your chance to connect with 200+ like-minded travelers, with an exclusive 12-day experience available for 50 adventurers. Locals are welcome too and can secure their spot for a 2-day pass! Make a Deposit: $200 (non-refundable) or pay in full by visiting https://bit.ly/jbezaakirah

Have Questions? Email:  info@tverze.com.

For Disability Pride Month, Zaakirah shares her journey as a retinoblastoma eye cancer survivor and introduces Erin Perkins, who has Usher Syndrome. Erin details her experiences with hearing and vision loss and the creation of her business, Mabley Q, which aids businesses in becoming more accessible. They discuss the challenges of living with invisible disabilities, their personal stories, and how both have used their experiences to educate and inspire others. The conversation also touches on the importance of advocacy, allyship, and the need for better support and understanding for people with disabilities.

00:00 Welcome to the See Life Different Podcast

00:43 Re-release and Updated Statistics

01:20 Introducing Erin Perkins and Her Journey

02:14 Zaakirah's Personal Story

03:37 Erin's Experience with Usher Syndrome

06:25 Challenges and Advocacy in the Workplace

09:42 Navigating Disabilities in Daily Life

15:32 Understanding Usher Syndrome and Retinoblastoma

26:29 Final Thoughts and How to Connect

Watch On YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/8T3I8tf-_OI

Links Mentioned:

zaakirahnayyar.com

Seeing Life From a Different Lens TEDx Talk

RisingTideSociety.com

MabelyQ.com

Previous Episode Mentioned:

Momatrician Dr Lulu on Therapy, Suicide, and Depression

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/12013829

In this episode of the See Life Different podcast, you'll hear inspiring stories from retinoblastoma survivors, Leia Hunt, a two-time unilateral retinoblastoma survivor and founder of Leia's Kids, Grace Padilla, a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate and Genevieve McCarthy, the president of the Canadian Retinoblastoma Society, and Know the Glow partner, also a unilateral retinoblastoma survivor. They discuss their battles with cancer, advocacy for pediatric cancer awareness, and how their journeys have influenced their careers. Important themes include resilience, the global impact of retinoblastoma, and the necessity of community support.

00:41 Understanding Retinoblastoma

01:14 Leia Hunt: A Survivor's Journey

04:33 Grace Padilla: From Survivor to PH.D NeuroScientist

13:20 Genevieve McCarthy: Advocacy and Parenting

18:00 The Importance of Community and Support

18:12 Mental Health Awareness and Resources

18:41 Advocacy and Personal Stories

27:52 Legacy and Reflections

Links

https://zaakirahnayyar.com/podcast

One World Retinoblastoma Conference Adult Survivor Panel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhhHWVG5P6g&t

leiaskids.org

knowtheglow.org

https://www.rbcanadaresearch.com/

wechope.org

https://www.rbsociety.ca/who-we-are

https://www.cancer.org/

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Did you know that 1 in 4 U.S. adults have a disability? That's about 61 million Americans. An estimated 10% of the US population has a non-apparent disability.

Globally, over a billion people currently live with a disability.

Although 15% of people worldwide identify as disabled, disability still remains ignored and misunderstood by non-disabled people.

In this episode of the See Life Different podcast, host Zaakirah Muhammad discusses 'The Anti-Ableist Manifesto' by Tiffany Yu, a powerful book aiming to dismantle stereotypes and promote disability inclusivity. Tiffany, founder of DiversAbility, shares her journey from a career in financial services to becoming a disability advocate. She highlights the importance of community and social connection, offering actionable steps for fostering inclusive environments in professional and personal spaces. Reflections on the impact of non-apparent disabilities, the value of Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the significance of allyship are thoughtfully explored. Tune in to learn how you can make a positive impact in creating a disability-inclusive world.

05:58 Host Introduction

06:14 Guest Introduction and Disability Employment Awareness Month

06:46 Career Journey and Disability Advocacy

10:56 Personal Story and Overcoming Challenges

17:52 Building Community and Diversability

24:20 Actionable Steps for Anti-Ableism

32:25 Book Launch and Future Plans

34:34 Legacy and Conclusion

Tiffany Yu, is the founder of Diversability and creator of the viral Anti-Ableism TikTok Series. She is the cofounder of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, serves on the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Working Group, and was a co-chair of the World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit. Her TED Talk, How to Help Employees with Disabilities Thrive, has over one million views. Get your copy of the book at your favorite book seller. https://tiffanyyu.com/book

LinkedIn post referenced: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tiffanyayu_disabilityinclusion-ndeam-disabilityemployment-activity-7246912898596253696-DGrI?

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q92_P2LY-CQ

For show notes visit https://zaakirahnayyar.com/podcast

In this special edition podcast episode, Zaakirah Muhammad shares insights into what it's like to be a TEDx speaker. Reflecting on her journey from a childhood eye cancer survivor to a brand cultivating strategist, Zaakirah discusses the path that led her to become a TEDx speaker. She emphasizes the importance of setting intentions and shares three key factors that contributed to her TEDx experience. Tune in for an informative discussion on the behind-the-scenes of being a TEDx speaker.

Today, I'm excited to share the behind-the-scenes journey of becoming a TEDx speaker. Discover the insights into TEDx talks, the application process, rehearsals, and final preparations.

[00:02:18] Becoming a TEDx speaker.

[00:05:40] TEDx speaker script changes.

[00:10:39] TEDx speaker application process.

[00:13:41] Overcoming challenges to inspire others.

[00:16:14] Prepare for your own talk.

Three tips: Dig deep into your passion, connect with like-minded individuals, and focus on developing your personal brand. Look up your favorite influencers who have been on the TEDx stage - there's always something to learn from their journey, especially what happened after the talk went live.

Transform into a storyteller by digging deep into your passion, connecting with like-minded individuals, and focusing on personal brand development.

Join Zaakirah's email list to learn more about preparing for a TEDx talk. https://bit.ly/masteryourtalk

Watch Zaakirah's TEDx Videos: https://zaakirahnayyar.com/tedx

Stay updated in the See Life Different Thought Leadership community for insights on overcoming mental challenges in public speaking. Subscribe for branding, love, empathy, and storytelling content!

http://zaakirahnayyar.com/join-woc-creatives-membership-community-content-branding-mentor?

Zaakirah is a retinoblastoma childhood eye cancer survivor, brand strategist, and TEDx speaker.

In this episode, Zaakirah discusses the importance of email marketing, why entrepreneurs should be taking advantage of it, and how it can help entrepreneurs grow their brands, and build relationships with their customers. She explains that email marketing is a form of direct marketing that keeps customers informed about the latest offerings and helps to convert social media followers into loyal customers. Zaakirah then shares her personal journey of starting her own marketing agency and realizing the need for effective email marketing to convert social media followers into loyal customers. Tune in to learn more about the power of email marketing and how to implement it in your own business. You will learn more about the what, why, and how of email marketing and about the strategies and benefits.

00:06:30 Email marketing builds relationships and drives conversions.

[00:07:12] Zaakirah as a social media manager.

[00:12:25] Growing your email list.

00:13:47 Utilize email sequence for engagement.

[00:16:33] Lead magnets and giveaways.

[00:20:17] Automating email sequences.

00:23:27 Segment and automate your email marketing.

00:23:35 Email marketing tips for success.

[00:24:19] Revu as a newsletter.

[00:28:16] MailChimp's e-commerce integration.

[00:30:45] Resending emails for better open rates.

00:31:41 Email automation is important for engagement.

00:35:32 Focus on action, not replies.

[00:36:30] Converting subject lines for emails.

Join Rising Tide Society an international community of entrepreneurs - https://risingtidesociety.com/

Sign up for Zapier - customizable automation workflows for anything in your life or business

https://zapier.com/

Get your 14 day trial of the email all in one platform for creatives

Create a Converkit Account https://convertkit.com?lmref=py-cuw

Start your email marketing and e-commerce journey with

Mailchimp: http://eepurl.com/cyyeKj

Get 50% off email marketing platform FloDesk https://flodesk.com/c/0M2WWN

Clarene Mitchell is a full-time solopreneur in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With 30 years of experience in the area of or in the communications and media sector, she changes the trajectory of lives and businesses one LinkedIn profile at a time, whether through results-driven, one-on-one coaching, corporate training, ghostwriting services, or speaking engagements.

Zaakirah and Clarene share their expertise in brand strategy and LinkedIn training, respectively. They share their passion for empowering marginalized voices, particularly disabled and differently abled black and indigenous women of color. With a combined experience of over 40 years in the media industry, they discuss the importance of storytelling and how it can be effectively utilized on LinkedIn. They also share their own journey, their experiences, and the importance of storytelling in the ever-changing digital marketing landscape. Join them as they dive into the strategies and techniques for leveraging LinkedIn as a media expert.

[00:08:23] How they met. [00:10:17] LinkedIn's misconception as a job platform. [00:14:22] Creator Mode features. [00:20:08] Power of storytelling on LinkedIn. [00:24:27] Leaning into LinkedIn's features. [00:26:01] LinkedIn Audio Events vs LinkedIn Live. [00:32:57] LinkedIn's Creator Accelerator program. [00:33:55] Endorsements and LinkedIn engagement. [00:39:17] LinkedIn News Digest and Insights. [00:42:11] Building authentic networking relationships.

Connect with Clarene on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarenemitchell/

Connect with Zaakirah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaakirahmuhammad/

Music: Saturday Night by Producer Northern Lights