The Power of Service and Community with Dr. Victoria Medeley: Vulnerability, Allyship & Self-Love cover art

The Power of Service and Community with Dr. Victoria Medeley: Vulnerability, Allyship & Self-Love

The Power of Service and Community with Dr. Victoria Medeley: Vulnerability, Allyship & Self-Love

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 In this powerful episode of The Season of Self-Love Podcast, host Nyomi Banks sits down with Dr. Victoria “Dr. V” Medvec—speaker, mental health advocate, organizational psychologist, and author of Act Like an Ally, Work with an Ally—to explore how service, vulnerability, and allyship all connect back to self-love. Dr. V shares her deeply personal journey with mental illness, cancer, and alopecia—and how choosing to shave her head and “own” her baldness became an act of radical self-acceptance. She also talks about burning out in traditional workplaces, then creating a company that actually honors humanity, flexibility, and mental health. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
  • How living with invisible and visible challenges shaped Dr. V’s purpose
  • Her decision to shave her remaining hair and why she sees that as winning, not losing
  • What it means to build a workplace that doesn’t require people to sacrifice their well-being
  • The moment she pulled her wig off on stage during a talk and reintroduced herself, fully vulnerable
  • Why vulnerability is a bridge to deeper connection, not a weakness
  • How to give from a place of overflow instead of depletion
  • The real meaning of allyship—and why “ally” is not a label you give yourself
  • How her book Act Like an Ally, Work with an Ally is literally two books in one, designed to be read in partnership
Key Themes & Takeaways:
  • Vulnerability as Strength: Sharing your story (cancer, mental health, alopecia, grief) can unlock connection, support, and healing—for you and others.
  • Self-Love & Service: Serving others from a full cup is part of self-love; serving from depletion leads to resentment and burnout.
  • Allyship as Action: Ally is a verb, not an identity. True allyship is a two-way partnership between the ally and the person they’re supporting.
  • Daily Check-In Practice: Ask yourself:
    • What’s one thing I did today that served others?
    • What’s one thing I did today that served myself?
About the Book: Act Like an Ally, Work with an Ally is a dual-sided book: one side for allies, one side for partners (those receiving allyship). The two sides reference each other and are designed to be used together—perfect for teams, leaders, and anyone committed to real inclusion. Learn more at: madelysolutions.com/allyship This episode is for you if you’re:
  • Navigating your own healing while still wanting to serve
  • Curious about real-world allyship (beyond buzzwords)
  • Ready to embrace vulnerability as a pathway to deeper self-love and community


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"Thank you for spending this time with me on The Season of Self Love. Remember, self-love isn't selfish – it's sacred. You are worthy of the love you so freely give to others.

If today's episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs this reminder. And don't forget to rate and review the show – it helps us reach more beautiful souls.

Connect with me on Instagram @TheRealNyomiBanks and @TheSeasonofSelfLovePodcast
visit theseasonofselflovepodcast.com for resources and our downloadable workbook.

Until Monday – keep choosing YOU.
This is your girl, the goddess Nyomi Banks. Stay in your season."
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