A Cup of Culture Chhavi Mehra

In this episode, you’ll hear from your favorite host Chhavi, who will do the final wrap of season 1 of “A Cup of Culture” podcast. She will share some exciting news and big milestones like the number of downloads the podcast has had since its launch (thanks to all of you!), and the different countries people are tuning in from. Towards the end, she’ll also be playing some beautiful Moroccan tunes so you can experience Morocco with her. 

Help her reach her $200 goal by supporting her “Buy Me a Coffee” campaign. These funds will her buy a good camera to record high-quality videos for all of you.


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In this episode, you’ll hear from Lisa Malambri, who started modeling right after high school, and that allowed her to travel the world before putting her roots down in Los Angeles to pursue acting. During this time, she met her husband, an actor, who was being invited to a number of gaming events, and as her plus one, Lisa began to meet industry professionals and cultivate friendships, which kickstarted her career in hosting and commentating for esports.

Lisa shares how being a woman in this industry continues to be a battle she fights everyday because it’s heavily gatekept by men. She also opens up about her recent diagnosis of ADHD, and how that has encouraged her to slow down and take better care of herself, given the demanding nature of her work and the responsibilities that come with being a mother and a wife.

Her few nuggets of wisdom:


Just because someone is acting differently doesn’t mean it is about you. Everyone is fighting their own battles. So have empathy for that.
Do the best you can without letting other people’s behaviors impact you.
If you want to get into the gaming industry, pick a game you love, learn it inside out, and make good content. And if you are a girl or a woman who is interested in this industry, know that you absolutely have the power to get your foot in the door.


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In this episode, you’ll hear from Sarah Harvey, a chronic illness healer and a life coach who shares how the word “chronic illness” is often misunderstood in the medical community as a condition that is “incurable” or “persistent,” though she believes that “a chronic symptom diagnosed as an illness … is a way for our body to express itself because we’re not hearing it.”

Having been chronically ill herself, a trip to India where she learned about Ayurveda and “asanas” (yoga practices) was really transformative for Sarah; she not only healed herself, but now helps other people navigate through their healing journeys by identifying patterns and misalignments in their lives. Sarah also draws an interesting correlation between chronic illness and people-pleasing, and shares practical tips on how to set healthy boundaries.

Her few nuggets of wisdom:


When you struggle to set healthy boundaries, tune into yourself and say, “Is this a full body yes for me?” If it’s not a “full” yes, it’s a no.
Filling up our cup doesn’t always mean you do nothing. It can also mean pushing yourself to explore things that heal you, for example, a drive to the mountains.
“How you treat yourself is a mirror reflection of how you’re going to allow someone else to treat you.”

Additional resources:


If you’re interested in joining her workshop, click here.
Also, check out her podcast, Not So Chronic. 


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In this episode, you’ll hear from Aliza Kazmi, born to immigrant parents in the Bay Area, is a former educator and a fierce advocate of empowering unheard and overlooked voices. As a brown Muslim woman growing up “in the thick of 9/11,” Aliza experienced a deep level of racism, sexism, and Islamophobia, and was constantly treated as an “other” or labeled as a “terrorist.”

Her different intersecting identities and a social psychology class she took in middle school sparked her curiosity to explore topics like implicit biases and learn how to combat those. Aliza currently works as the co-executive director at HEART, a national anti-harm, faith-driven organization with a mission to uproot gendered violence and advance reproductive justice, rooted in ethical frameworks and advocacy supporting health and safety of Muslim communities.

Her few nuggets of wisdom:


Irrespective of your intersecting identities (whether you’re Black and Muslim or Queer and Muslim, etc.), you’re still Muslim and you belong.
Engage on social media, read books, and connect with new and different people and surround yourself with like-minded people.
Find safe and brave spaces where you can be yourself and be vulnerable, and ask questions from people who are willing to listen and receive you how you are.

Few additional resources:


Request a workshop with HEART
Sign up to join our reader community for the soon-to-be-published Sex Talk: A Muslim's Guide to Healthy Sex and Relationships
Educational resources by HEART


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In this episode, you’ll hear from Colina Bruce, who has over a decade-long experience working in the nonprofit sector, specifically in education. Having grown up in an environment where she was oftentimes the only Black woman in her classroom or that her peers of color weren’t sought out due to lack of access and opportunity, shaped Colina to become a passionate advocate of education access and equity for all students.

Colina is now the CEO and founder of Noir Lux Candle Co., a Seattle-based candle-making company. She launched her candle-making business during the peak of the pandemic when people picked up different side hustles. Her biggest cheerleaders are her husband, her daughter, her mom, and her village of friends and family who believe in her vision.

Her few nuggets of wisdom:


“What’s for you is for you. What you do nobody else can do the way that you do it.”
Dream! But find a way to make that dream sustainable.
You don’t have to commit to doing something fully until you feel ready to make that decision.


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In this episode, you’ll hear from Kaylynn Parker, a licensed mental health therapist based in the state of Washington, who served eight years in the military as an aircraft mechanic. However, on her second deployment, she began to struggle mentally and emotionally and soon found out that she was “narcoleptic, and not remembering portions of my day is not safe not only for me but also my coworkers” so Kaylynn was medically retired from the Airforce.

During this time, she also sought a therapist whose support prompted her to become a mental health therapist too, though her road to becoming one wasn’t easy being a first-gen college student. Today, one of Kaylynn’s modalities involves being very honest and transparent with her clients to support them through anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other life challenges.

Her few nuggets of wisdom:


If you don’t think a therapist is the right fit for you, you have the right to request a different one.
You’re not alone. You might have more things in common with people with shared trauma than you might realize at the time.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a “massive strength.”

Few additional resources:


If you’re thinking about self-harm, please seek help here.
If you are from a minority background, here’s a some tools for you:


Therapy for Black Girls
Multicultural Counselors

Music attribution: 

- Music provided by Lofi Girl

- Listen: bit.ly/lofigirI-playlists


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