Her Side of the Stories

with Asal Zara

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form podcast about extraordinary women — and the lives that made them who they are. Hosted by Asal Zara and filmed in the forests of Ibiza, each conversation goes beyond what happened to explore what was happening inside her while life was happening outside. Childhood. Family. Love. Ambition. Identity. Loss. Success. Shame. Reinvention. The contradictions we rarely hear once the public story has been polished. Guests range from globally recognised women to extraordinary people you may never have heard of. The life doesn’t need to be relatable. The fe

  1. 4d ago

    Why do the people who appear happiest sometimes hide the deepest pain?

    What happens when you achieve something the world celebrates, but still feel alone? Alyz Henrich won Miss Earth 2013 and became known worldwide as a beauty queen. But behind the crown, the public appearances, and the attention, she struggled to understand who she was and why she felt so lonely. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com In this episode of Her Side of the Stories, Alyz joins Asal Zara to talk about growing up in Venezuela, leaving home at a young age, finding success in beauty pageants, and the pressure of living in the spotlight. She shares how her childhood shaped how she handled emotions, how her relationships affected her confidence, and how difficult experiences led her to question the life she was living. Alyz also talks about receiving support, rebuilding her sense of self, motherhood, and learning to speak openly about her feelings. In this episode: • Growing up in Venezuela and learning to hide her feelings • Becoming Miss Earth and the pressure of public attention • Feeling lonely while surrounded by people • Love, heartbreak and personal identity • The difficult years after winning the crown • Finding support and starting again • Learning to express emotions and ask for help • Motherhood, belonging and personal growth • What Alyz hopes others take from her storyHer Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side. Behind the Crown: Loneliness, Identity and Starting Again #missearth #womensstories #findingyourself 🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. ✅ Important Link to Follow 🔗 Connect With Our Guest https://www.instagram.com/alyzhenrich1?srtk=MXB3eWNjZ3JjeXdmNQ==  🔗 Explore the location: Nômade Temple Ibiza, a beautiful retreat surrounded by nature in Portinatx, Ibiza https://www.nomadetemple.com/ibiza  🔗 Stay Connected With Us. Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/  Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766  Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561 Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

    Why do the people who appear happiest sometimes hide the deepest pain?
  2. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    Why Can't You Stop Thinking About Someone Who Hurt You?

    Have you ever caught yourself replaying a conversation from years ago, thinking about what someone said, what you should have said, or why they treated you the way they did? Sometimes the person isn't even part of your life anymore, yet somehow they're still taking up space in your thoughts. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com In this solo reflection, Asal Zara explores why we keep returning to painful conversations and experiences long after they've happened, and how easily our minds can get caught in the same thoughts over and over again. There's a difference between thinking about something because we still need to understand or resolve it, and repeatedly revisiting something that we can no longer change.Asal looks at how to recognise when reflection has turned into rumination, why we sometimes keep having arguments in our heads with people who are no longer in our lives, and how a small shift in perspective can help us stop giving so much attention to things that have already happened.Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side. Why Can't You Stop Thinking About Someone Who Hurt You?#LettingGo #Overthinking #EmotionalHealing #MindsetShift #InnerPeace

    Why Can't You Stop Thinking About Someone Who Hurt You?
  3. Oct 20

    Why Is Being Loved Never Enough When You Don't Feel Chosen?

    Finding Belonging, Love, and Yourself Again #findingyourself #selfworth #womensstories What does it feel like to fit in everywhere but never truly feel you belong? Growing up in eight countries, Mariel became good at adapting to new people and places, but often struggled with loneliness and understanding who she was. In this episode of Her Side of the Stories, she joins Asal Zara to talk about childhood, her changing relationship with her mother, self-worth, love, and how early experiences shaped her adult relationships. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com Mariel also shares how she built a successful career in the entertainment industry, working at Ford Models and later in casting. Despite her achievements, she began questioning whether she was happy. She talks about her ADHD diagnosis, health struggles, leaving her career, and finding a new direction in life. The conversation also covers her marriage to William, including an emotional connection outside their marriage that led to honest conversations about trust and intimacy. Mariel reflects on how they worked through this period together, her experiences with female friendships, and how becoming a mother has influenced her relationship with her own mother and the way she raises her daughter. In this episode: • Growing up in eight countries and searching for belonging • Her changing relationship with her mother • How childhood shaped her adult relationships • ADHD, career success and personal identity • Health struggles and leaving the entertainment industry • Meeting William and learning to express her feelings • Female friendships, trust and connection • Motherhood and changing family patterns • Marriage, emotional connection and rebuilding intimacy • Finding self-worth and accepting who she is Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

    Why Is Being Loved Never Enough When You Don't Feel Chosen?
  4. Oct 18 ·  Bonus

    Overcoming Self-Doubt: The Power of Taking Action

    Have you ever known exactly what you wanted to do, only to spend the next hour convincing yourself it was a terrible idea? You start questioning your instincts, imagining what other people might think, and waiting until you feel confident enough to make a decision. But what if confidence isn't something that comes before we act? Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com In this solo reflection, Asal Zara explores why we doubt ourselves, how overthinking can turn a simple decision into something unnecessarily complicated, and why even confident people experience fear and uncertainty. Sometimes the problem isn't that we don't know what we want. It's that we keep allowing imagined opinions, possible failures and unanswered questions to make us question what we already know. Drawing on her own experiences of leaving places, starting again, travelling alone and making decisions that didn't always make sense on paper, Asal reflects on the difference between being fearless and learning to trust yourself enough to act despite being afraid. But how do you know when self-doubt is useful and when it's simply holding you back? And how do you make decisions when nobody can guarantee that things will work out? Asal explores why certainty often comes after taking action, how other people's opinions influence our choices, and why trusting yourself doesn't mean having every answer. In this episode: Why even confident people experience self-doubt How overthinking makes simple decisions feel complicated Why we worry so much about what other people think The difference between confidence and being fearless Why certainty often comes after taking action How other people's opinions can make us question ourselves Why waiting until you feel ready can keep you stuck When self-doubt is helpful and when it holds you back Two questions to ask yourself when you're unsure what to do Why trusting yourself starts with the next honest step Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women's lives from the inside. Alongside these conversations, Asal Zara shares personal reflections on the thoughts, fears, relationships and everyday contradictions that shape how we experience life. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side. Overcoming Self-Doubt: The Power of Taking Action #selfdoubt #selfconfidence #overthinking

    Overcoming Self-Doubt: The Power of Taking Action
  5. Oct 13

    he Got Her Life Back. But Something Never Came Back With It.

    At 23, Ilaria Norsa was enjoying her life in Milan's fashion and music scene when an unexpected stroke left her unable to move the left side of her body. A doctor told her she would never walk again. In this honest conversation with Asal Zara, Ilaria shares what happened next and how she slowly found her way back to the life she loved. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com Ilaria Norsa is the Fashion Director of L’Officiel Ibiza, a stylist, and one of Milan’s most recognised fashion personalities. She is also the founder of INAN Studio, an Italian accessories brand focused on conscious design. Beyond her fashion career, Ilaria shares a personal story of resilience, family, motherhood, and rebuilding her life after unexpected challenges. Recovery took patience, rehabilitation, and support from the people around her. But learning to walk again was only one part of her story. Ilaria also opens up about how her relationship changed after her illness, experiencing two pregnancy losses, and the fear and uncertainty she faced before becoming a mother. She reflects on her mother's long illness and passing, the love and support of her father, and the things she wishes she had understood about her mother while she was still alive. Now raising her own daughter, Ilaria shares how motherhood has changed the way she sees her family, her past, and herself. In this episode: • Growing up in Italy and working in Milan's fashion world • Experiencing an unexpected stroke at 23 • Hearing a doctor say she would never walk again • The long process of rehabilitation and regaining independence • How illness affected her relationship and family • Facing two pregnancy losses before becoming a mother • Her mother's illness, passing, and the grief of losing a parent • Understanding her mother differently after having her own daughter • Building a life between Milan and Ibiza • Learning to appreciate life without trying to control everything Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side. Ilaria Norsa: Rebuilding Life After a Stroke #womensstories #resilience #personalgrowth

    he Got Her Life Back. But Something Never Came Back With It.
  6. Oct 11 ·  Bonus

    What Are We Actually Afraid Of?

    Why do we keep saying yes when we're already exhausted? Why do we struggle to ask for help, hide what we really think, or worry so much about being judged? Sometimes, these behaviours come from fears we learned long before our lives changed. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com In this solo reflection, Asal Zara talks about the real fears behind our everyday decisions. The fear of failure is often a fear of humiliation, rejection, abandonment, or not feeling good enough. We might avoid speaking honestly, struggle to trust others, or keep everyone happy because those behaviours once helped us feel safe. But what happens when we are still protecting ourselves from situations we no longer live in? Asal explores how childhood experiences shape our emotional patterns, why our bodies sometimes react to the present as though the past is happening again, and how we start recognising when an old fear influences a new decision. In this episode: • Why fear of failure is often about rejection or embarrassment • How people-pleasing leaves us exhausted • Why asking for help or trusting others feels difficult • The fear of speaking honestly and being judged • How childhood fears affect our adult relationships • Why we sometimes feel unsafe even when our circumstances have changed • Learning to question whether our fears are still protecting us Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side.

    What Are We Actually Afraid Of?
  7. Oct 6

    She Got Everything She Worked For — So Why Did She Feel Guilty?

    What happens when something you worked hard for becomes difficult to celebrate because of how it makes someone you love feel? In this episode of Her Side of the Stories, filmmaker Kelley Kali speaks with Asal Zara about success, relationships, self-worth, and the moment she realized she had been making herself smaller without even knowing it. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com Kelley talks about growing up in a mixed-race family, finding confidence through community, studying at Howard University and building a career in filmmaking. Her work eventually brought major achievements, including a Student Academy Award, but success also created unexpected tension in her marriage.  She describes feeling guilty for her own success and spending more time reassuring her partner than celebrating what she had achieved. Over time, Kelley realized she had started dimming her light to avoid making someone she loved feel uncomfortable.   Kelley also talks about leaving a marriage that looked good from the outside, processing her emotions later, choosing joy, and refusing to let difficult experiences define her. In this episode: • Growing up in a mixed-race family • Finding confidence through community • Howard University and belonging • Moving from archaeology into filmmaking • Winning the Student Academy Award • Losing her father and questioning her purpose • Learning to celebrate herself • Feeling guilty about success • When success affects a relationship • Realizing she had been dimming her light • Choosing herself and ending her marriage • Why pain does not have to become your identity Kelley Kali is an award-winning filmmaker and director whose work includes Lalo’s House, I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking), Jagged Mind and Kemba. Her filmmaking focuses strongly on storytelling with social impact. Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side. 🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. https://www.youtube.com/@hersideofthestoriesofficial/?sub_confirmation=1   🔗 Stay Connected With Us. Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/  Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766  Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561 Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

    She Got Everything She Worked For — So Why Did She Feel Guilty?
  8. Oct 4 ·  Bonus

    Why Your Mind Always Assumes the Worst

    Someone does not reply. Your partner goes quiet. A meeting feels awkward. Within seconds, your mind has created an explanation, and somehow you are at the center of it. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.hersideofthestories.com In this solo episode, Asal Zara talks about why we take things personally, how overthinking turns small moments into bigger stories, and why insecurity often changes the meaning we give to an event. The problem is not always what happened. Sometimes the pain comes from what we assume happened. Asal explains why separating facts from assumptions matters, especially in relationships, work, and moments when we already feel unsure of ourselves. She also shares three simple questions that help create space between what happened and the story your mind has added. In this episode: • Why your mind fills in missing information • Why we take other people's behavior personally • How insecurity affects thinking • Overthinking in relationships • The difference between an event and the story we add to it • Why words shape how we experience difficult moments • How to separate facts from assumptions • Three questions for more emotional self-awareness Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form interview podcast exploring extraordinary women’s lives from the inside. Each episode explores the experiences, relationships, identities, turning points, and choices that shaped who they became. Her Side of the Stories explores the inner lives behind the lives people see. Her Voice. Her Truth. Her Side. 🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. https://www.youtube.com/@hersideofthestoriesofficial/?sub_confirmation=1   🔗 Stay Connected With Us. Her Side of the Stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hersideofthestories Asal Zara Instagram: http://instagram.com/imasalzara/  Asal Zara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-zara-aa845766  Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0NdDte4w6fgcuZZwZH1rpi?si=5u1ARRWURf2ynKa0n3Fe8g  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/her-side-of-the-stories/id1890695561 Website: http://www.hersideofthestories.com

    Why Your Mind Always Assumes the Worst

About

Her Side of the Stories is a cinematic long-form podcast about extraordinary women — and the lives that made them who they are. Hosted by Asal Zara and filmed in the forests of Ibiza, each conversation goes beyond what happened to explore what was happening inside her while life was happening outside. Childhood. Family. Love. Ambition. Identity. Loss. Success. Shame. Reinvention. The contradictions we rarely hear once the public story has been polished. Guests range from globally recognised women to extraordinary people you may never have heard of. The life doesn’t need to be relatable. The fe

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