Podcast Noor

www.youtube.com/noor⁠

~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~

www.threads.net/ays

www.instagram.com/butchware

Some Questions Asked in This Episode:

What does it mean to be queer and Muslim to you today? How would you have answered that when you were younger?

What does community care look like for yourself?

What is Hijab to you?

And so how do you advise people who are navigating compartmentalizing their identities, or hiding parts of who they are, especially from family?

What role did writing play in your life?

How have you redefined your anger?

⁠www.ays.media/podcastnoor/

34. Dr. Butch Ware: Is Capitalism Your Religion? Thinking With Your Heart, Finding a Spiritual Guide, The Weaponization of God and the Devil, and More.

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Dr. Butch Ware: Is Capitalism Your Religion? Thinking With Your Heart, Finding a Spiritual Guide, The Weaponization of God and the Devil, and More.

Welcome back to Podcast Noor, enjoy a live podcast recording with Dr. Butch Ware! This conversation was recorded as part of a live event, our Virtual Ramadan Iftar in April 2023, where we gather hundreds from around the world to share an evening breaking fast and sharing conversation.

Dr. Butch Ware is a historian of West African Studies at UC Santa Barbara. His teaching focuses on Islamic thought, anti-slavery movements in West Africa and the African Diaspora. Dr. Ware is also the author of “The Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa.”

This conversation is very spiritual and there were so many times that I was broken wide open. We get into things like the difference between the mind and the heart, and how to engage your heart as your thinking organ. We talk about how, for a lot of people who claim to be practicing a specific religion or faith tradition, their religion is actually capitalism. We get into how to find your spiritual guides, and I even dare ask the question, “Who do you think the Devil really is?” rather than “what” the Devil is - what is the idea of the devil? What does it actually represent?

Dr. Ware talks to us about the weaponization of God, and how sometimes parents use God as a weapon in their toolbox to try to control kids to obey them. In that sentiment, he also talks about his learnings in which he found that there really is no such thing as a “Muslim child”, and you can replace ‘Muslim’ with any sort of faith tradition. The power in that message is a really, really important one and one that I benefited from and I think it could do a lot of healing for others.

I’m so happy that a lot of you have been sharing with me that you have been enjoying these spiritual conversations because I am very openly on this journey, asking these really big questions. So, here is Dr. Butch Ware.

PS, since this was Live, you’ll hear me reference the Q&A portion but I did not keep it for this podcast recording because it was too long. Next time I guess you’ll just have to be there!

Welcome to this episode of Podcast Noor.

Transcripts + Listening: ⁠www.ays.media/podcastnoor/butchware

🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman

~ Follow Butch Ware ~

www.linktree.com/butchware

~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~

www.tiktok.com/@noor ⁠⁠

www.youtube.com/noor⁠

~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~

www.threads.net/ays

www.ays.media/podcastnoor/

Some Questions Asked in This Episode:

How do you engage with your Heart as a thinking organ?

Who do you think the Devil really is?

Do you sense that faith communities feel stuck today?

How could one go about engaging a spiritual guide?

What happens when you ask yourself: What is the role I am playing in social injustice?

33. Is The Climate Crisis a Spiritual Crisis? Ayisha Siddiqa and Sophia Li on Sustainability as a Birthright, The Role of Ego in the Climate Crisis, and Personality Cults in Activism

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 05:41:30 +0000

Is The Climate Crisis a Spiritual Crisis? Ayisha Siddiqa and Sophia Li on Sustainability as a Birthright, The Role of Ego in the Climate Crisis, and Personality Cults in Activism.

The climate crisis is REAL, and it’s impacting all of our lives. It’s been on my heart to have a climate focused episode on Pod Noor but I wanted to make sure the conversation was one my listeners were really going to connect to.

So the question I had been asking myself was: “Is the climate conversation, a spiritual one?” And because everything and everyone is interconnected, the answer I found was: Yes, of course it is. I wanted multiple perspectives and stories on this topic so - yay! Another Podcast Noor panel :)

The first person who came to mind for this conversation is one of my dearest friends, Sophia Li.

Sophia Li is a Chinese-American award-winning climate journalist and advocate. Her life’s work is to make talking about issues such as climate justice, human rights and web3 more accessible, more digestible, and more human. Harvard even named her one of the top climate communicators of 2022.

Sophia is also the co-founder of STEWARD, a Digital Art collection and community that partners with conservation, environmental justice and Indigenous nonprofits and global artists to protect the major ecosystems of our natural world.

And around the time I knew I wanted to have this conversation, I saw a powerful cover of Time magazine’s Women of the Year issue featuring a young activist by the name of Ayisha Siddiqa.

Ayisha Siddiqa is a human rights and land defender from the tribal lands of Mochiwala and Mahsan in Pakistan. She is the co-founder of Polluters Out and Fossil Free University. Her work focuses on uplifting the rights of marginalized communities while holding polluting companies accountable at the international level. she’s a climate advisor to the UN secretary general and a research scholar at the NYU School of Law, working to bridge the environmental and human rights sector with the youth climate movement. She’s also an incredible poet.

There are many layers to this storytelling session. We dig into: the role of ego on climate change, how the war on terror has hurt the planet, the harmful assumptions of being and “activist,” personality cults, and of course how climate change is a spiritual issue.

We recorded this in partnership with our friends at CitizenM Bowery; overlooking the hustle and bustle of the Lower East Side from the iconic rooftop at CloudM.

PS: Stick around because our post interview conversation went even deeper with the role of spirituality and religion in climate change so I recorded some on my phone to share with y’all. :)

Welcome to this episode of Podcast Noor.

📍This episode was recorded at our favorite studio in the sky, CloudM at CitizenM Hotel, Bowery, NYC.

Transcripts + Listening: ⁠www.ays.media/podcastnoor/ayisha-sophia

🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman

~ Follow Ayisha Siddiqa ~

www.instagram.com/ayisha_sid

Polluters Out: www.pollutersout.org

Fossil Free University: www.fossilfreeuniversity.org

~ Follow Sophia Li ~

www.instagram.com/sophfei

STEWARD: www.steward.eco

~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~

www.youtube.com/noor⁠

~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~

www.threads.net/ays

Some Questions Asked in This Episode:

What was your entry to the climate conversation?

Can you define land defender and water defender? How can we all engage in this?

What role does ego play in the climate crisis?

What role does art play in this conversation and movement?

www.pamm.org/en/exhibition/jason-seife-coming-to-fruition

32. Franklin Sirmans and Jason Seife on Critique as Collaboration, The Cultural Responsibility of Museums, Becoming Friends with Your Critics, and Colorblindness as an Artist

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Franklin Sirmans and Jason Seife on Critique as Collaboration, Becoming Friends with Your Critics, The Cultural Responsibility of Museums, and Colorblindness as an Artist

Recording from Miami, Podcast Noor is back with another panel, between an Artist and an Art Critic/Curator; and we're here to talk Critique as Collaboration.

When I asked previous Podcast Noor guests, Painter Jordan Casteel and former Gallery Director Sarah Hoover, who I need to sit down with in Miami,

They both enthusiastically responded with the same name: Franklin Sirmans.

Franklin Sirmans is an art critic, a writer, a curator - and he's also the Director of one of the coolest art museums in the country: Miami's Pérez Art Museum, also known as PAMM. And since this storytelling session would be taking place at PAMM, I asked Franklin if he would be down to be in-conversation with one of the artists showing at the museum, someone who he thinks would be great for our Podcast Noor listeners.

He responded without hesitation: Jason Seife.

Jason Seife is an interdisciplinary Miami-based artist, effortlessly weaving his beloved Cuban and Syrian heritage into the intersection of Fine Arts and Graphic Design. He's worked with some of the largest names in the music business including Kanye West, Pharrell Wiliams, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj, designing everything from album artwork to jewelry to merchandise. In his newest body of work, titled "Coming to Fruition" Jason references old Persian carpets, centering his Middle Eastern heritage and the intricate details found in mosques and traditional Islamic art.

PS: Stay till the end to hear a special guest question from my little brother, Yaseen; really the best question of the interview!

"Coming to Fruition" is on view at PAMM through March 2024

Transcripts + Listening: www.ays.media/podcastnoor/franklin-jason🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman~ Follow Franklin Sirmans ~www.instagram.com/franklinsirmans

~ Follow Jason Seife ~www.instagram.com/jasonseife ~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~ www.facebook.com/noor www.instagram.com/noor www.threads.net/noorwww.tiktok.com/@noor ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/noor⁠~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~www.instagram.com/ayswww.threads.net/ayswww.ays.media/newsletterSome Questions Asked in This Episode:How do you approach critiquing a body of work that is also critiquing something that's happening in society?

How do you feel about the term collaboration?

How do you carry the responsibility of critiquing?

So what does being in your body during the process look like for you?

(Special Guest question from my little brother!!)

www.ays.media/podcastnoor

31. Hawa Hassan on Grandmother Representation, Moving to the USA at Seven Without Her Mother, Food Storytelling, and Building a Hot Sauce Line

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 09:30:00 +0000

Hawa Hassan on Grandmother Representation, Food Storytelling, and Building a Hot Sauce Line

Hawa Hassan is a dynamic chef, a recipe developer and a James Beard award-winning cookbook author. She's the founder and CEO of Basbaas Sauce, a popular line of sauces inspired by her home country of Somalia. Her first cookbook-meets-travelogue, “In Bibi's Kitchen,” shares recipes and stories from grandmothers—or “bibis”—in eight African countries bordering the Indian Ocean. She also shares recipes and stories on her Food Network show, “Hawa at Home”.

Hawa is the ultimate storyteller. She was born in Somalia at the beginning of the civil war, and was the only family member who received sponsorship to come to the U.S. at age 7. Her life is full of miraculous adventures and we will get into them. We recorded this episode during the holy month of Ramadan, and just before, Hawa attended our annual At Your Service Iftar Dinner (which you can watch at www.ays.media/noordays). Now, we're cozied up on a Saturday afternoon in our Mandarin Oriental suite, overlooking Central Park. It is my honor to share this slice of Hawa's extraordinary life.

📍 This episode was recorded in our comfy Mandarin Oriental Suite in Central Park, NY

Transcripts + Listening: ⁠www.ays.media/podcastnoor/hawahassan ⁠

🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman

~ Follow Hawa Hassan ~

⁠www.instagram.com/hawahassan⁠

⁠www.instagram.com/basbaasfoods ⁠

Hawa’s Book, “In Bibi’s Kitchen” + Basbaas Foods:

⁠https://linktree.com/HawaHassan⁠

~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~

⁠www.ays.media/newsletter⁠

⁠⁠www.youtube.com/noor⁠

~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~

⁠www.instagram.com/ays⁠

⁠www.threads.net/ays⁠

Some Questions Asked In This Episode:

Do you remember how you were feeling when you were reunited with your mother?

How did you come to start choosing or start wearing the hijab at a young age?

How did you end up in New York?

How did you use food as a tool to piece together your story?

How does conflict impact the food of a place?

How does your Mother show up in the BasBaas Sauce process and “In Bibi's Kitchen” cookbook?

What is your wish for future generations who feel disconnected from their ancestors and their elders?

www.instagram.com/bobbyhundreds

30. Bobby Hundreds on Building Brands Around Community, Reclaiming Power with Web3, and Staying Relevant + Consistent, and Listening to Young People

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 13:33:37 +0000

Bobby Hundreds on Building Brands Around Community, Reclaiming Power with Web3, and Staying Relevant + Consistent, and Listening to Young People.

The last time I sat down with my friend Bobby Hundreds in New York City, I was interviewing him on stage for his memoir book tour. The conversation around his book, “This is Not a T-Shirt,” was so connected with him and with the audience that I remember vividly thinking - this would make a great podcast episode! One pandemic later - we are finally here.

Bobby Kim also known as Bobby Hundreds, is a bestselling author, photographer, artist, and the creative force that drives The Hundreds, a world-renowned streetwear brand. His work has been seen and worn by millions and he is known for his ability to shift culture. From his upbringing as one of the only Asian-American kids in a mostly white and Latino community to his Southern California, punk adolescence to the brand’s explosive success.

Bobby has become the bridge between generations in streetwear and design. Collaboration has always been his thing. Bobby's latest book recently dropped and it’s titled: “NFTs Are a Scam.”

This is a big reunion for Bobby and I, and it feels like we picked up right where we left off. I hope you enjoy this storytelling session on building brands around community, reclaiming power with Web3, and staying relevant.

This conversation is also featured in our latest At Your Service short film “NOOR D’AYS”, documenting how we build AYS. you can check out on Youtube and www.ays.media/noordays

Transcripts + Listening: www.ays.media/podcastnoor/bobbyhundreds

🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman

Some Questions Asked in this Episode:

How do you engage with the hunger for community from younger generations?

How does Web3 / NFTs play a role in serving community, and how does it affect relevance?

How do you think about self-worth when building community?

Does the promise of Web3 actually serve community?

~ Follow Bobby Hundreds ~

www.thehundreds.com

www.twitter.com/bobbyhundreds

Bobby’s Book, “NFT’s Are A Scam”:

https://thehundreds.com/collections/nfts-are-a-scam-nfts-are-the-future

~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~

⁠⁠www.youtube.com/noor⁠

~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~

www.ays.media

https://secretsofdivinelove.com

29. Seth Godin on Creating Significance, Indoctrination and Fear, Finding Leadership Opportunities, and Why He Won't Write a Memoir

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:30:00 +0000

Seth Godin on Creating Significance, Indoctrination and Fear, Finding Leadership Opportunities, and Why He Won't Write a Memoir

Seth Godin is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and thought leader. To us, he’s a dear friend and teacher. He’s taught Adam how to juggle, shared life lessons with us through his adventures of building canoes, and his mentorship and guidance has played a huge role in how we build At Your Service. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world (www.seths.blog), he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Practice, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. In fact, Adam actually studied Seth’s books in business school.

Last year, Seth spearheaded an incredible collaborative book project called The Carbon Almanac alongside 1,000 volunteers. It is must read for facts and what we can do about climate change. His latest book “Song of Significance” might be my favorite and to Seth, his most important work yet.

As always, At Your Service

Transcripts + Listening: www.ays.media/podcastnoor/sethgodin

☕️ This episode is sponsored by our friends at Ahmad Tea:

⁠www.ahmadteausa.com⁠, @ahmadteausa: ⁠www.instagram.com/ahmadteausa⁠

Some Questions Asked in this Episode:

Can you share the origin story behind Song of Significance?

What is your relationship with authenticity?

How does authenticity to self contribute to meaningful work?

Do you think you'll ever write a memoir?

What is your relationship with story, evolution, and rethinking things?

How are some ways people get in their own way recognizing self-worth and value?

How do we sing a Song of Significance?

What does the word "Service" mean to you?

🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman~ Follow Seth Godin ~

www.seths.blog

Seth's Book, The Song of Significance: www.sethgodin.com

The Carbon Almanac: www.thecarbonalmanac.org

~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~ www.facebook.com/noor www.instagram.com/noor www.tiktok.com/@noor ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/noor⁠~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~www.ays.mediawww.instagram.com/ayswww.ays.media/newsletter

28. Timothy Goodman on His Artistic Process, Being a Recovering Misogynist, Honoring His Loneliness, and the Audacity of Trying

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:45:31 +0000

Timothy Goodman on His Artistic Process, Being a Recovering Misogynist, Honoring His Loneliness, and the Audacity of TryingTimothy Goodman is an award-winning artist, graphic designer, author and public speaker. His art and words have populated walls, clothing, books, galleries, and magazines, most recently in Time Magazine. He's worked with brands like Apple, Nike, Google, Netflix, Tiffany's, Sundance, the New Yorker, the New York Times, and more. Timothy regularly partners for nonprofits and schools creating art for communities in New York. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and regularly speaks around the world at different creative conferences. Make sure to grab a copy of his latest graphic memoir, I Always Think It's Forever. Transcripts & Listening: ⁠⁠www.ays.media/podcastnoor⁠⁠ Some Questions Asked in this Episode:How did the journey of becoming a “recovering misogynist” start?What was your process in approaching telling your story through this medium, and telling this story in such an intimate way?If you didn't get this book out, What would your insides look like today? What are the conversations you had with your mother about your memoir?Why is doing the work and why is going to therapy worth it for you today?How did you find your design and your approach? I really want to know in the most intimate sense, what is this language?What is your relationship with your word of the year, “Service?” What questions are you asking yourself this year because of it?🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man / @portugaltheman~ Timothy Goodman ~Follow Timothy: ⁠www.instagram.com/timothygoodman⁠Find Timothy's Book, I Always Think It's Forever⁠: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/I-Always-Think-Its-Forever/Timothy-Goodman/9781668003695⁠~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~ www.facebook.com/noor www.instagram.com/noor www.tiktok.com/@noor ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/noor⁠~ Follow At Your Service @ays ~www.ays.mediawww.instagram.com/ayswww.ays.media/newsletter

27. Lindsay Peoples and Samira Nasr: Advice to Journalists, The State of Fashion Media, and The Role of Editor-in-Chief

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:30:49 +0000

Lindsay Peoples and Samira Nasr: Advice to Journalists, The State of Fashion Media, and The Role of Editor-in-Chief

I love facilitating panel discussions and for this season of Pod Noor, we decided to bring that collective energy here. For this week’s episode, I spoke with the two of the most innovative and prominent magazine editors: Lindsay Peoples and Samira Nasr.

Lindsay Peoples is Editor-in-Chief of The Cut Magazine. Also, one of the nation’s rare Black Women Editors-in-Chief. Lindsay was previously the EIC of Teen Vogue, and the youngest EIC of a Conde Nast magazine. Lindsay also co-founded the Black in Fashion Council, which has enlisted the support of the human rights campaign to provide benchmarking around corporate policies and practices that are pertinent to the inclusivity of black employees.

Samira Nasr is the editor in chief of Harpers’ Bazaar Magazine, and the first Black Woman to hold the title. Samira was previously at Vanity Fair, where she served as Executive Fashion Director. In Her own words she is “The proud daughter of a Lebanese father and Trinididadian mother, and her worldview is expansive and anchored in the belief that representation matters.”

I have been in awe of both of these women for years, witnessing up close the way they have broken barriers both in journalism and in fashion; and here it is, on Podcast Noor, that these two powerhouses are in a conversation like this for the FIRST TIME.

Welcome to our first podcast panel!

At Your Service,

Noor

Some Questions Asked in This Episode:

What do you feel is the responsibility of an editor in chief of a media publication today?

What resources do fashion magazines have at their disposal? What are the additional resources needed?

Do you find yourself still encouraging people to pursue journalism?

What do we need to be talking more about with young storytellers?

What are you feeling about your places in fashion and in this industry today?

How do we (do we?) prevent tokenization in fashion?

☕️ This episode is sponsored by our friends at Ahmad Tea:

www.ahmadteausa.com, @ahmadteausa: www.instagram.com/ahmadteausa

📍This conversation was recorded at CloudM Rooftop at CitizenM Hotel, Bowery NYC: @citizenmhotels

🎶 Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man @portugaltheman

Transcripts & Listening: www.ays.media/podcastnoor

Follow Lindsay Peoples @lrpeoples: www.instagram.com/lrpeoples

Follow Samira Nasr @samiranasr: www.instagram.com/samiranasr

Follow At Your Service @ays: www.instagram.com/ays

~ Follow Noor Tagouri @noor ~

www.facebook.com/noor

www.instagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

www.youtube.com/noor

26. Jonathan Van Ness (JVN) on Hair, Gender, and the Obsession to Control Bodies

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 09:45:18 +0000

Jonathan Van Ness (JVN) on Hair, Gender, and the Obsession to Control BodiesQueer Eye star, Jonathan Van Ness, also known as JVN, is a hairstylist by trade turned personality, author, comedian and entertainer.JVN and Noor first met on Jonathan’s brilliant podcast “Getting Curious” to discuss Noor’s investigation: Sold in America: Inside Our Nation’s Sex Trade.They bonded even further over their mutual love for ice skating and gymnastics, practicing together until the pandemic hit.This is their first reunion since, and Noor has a lot on her heart. This is intimate storytelling session gets “curious” about all things HAIR, gender, and the obsession to control people’s bodies.⠀This interview was recorded at CloudM rooftop at @CitizenM Bowery, NYC ♥️Always,At Your ServiceQuestions asked in this episode:How is your heart? (how is your hair?)What is the big deal about the dead cells that lay on top of our scalp?Was hair ever personal or was it always, was there always a factor of it being something to be talked about, analyzed, something that represented something bigger than the self?How does hair play a role in our bigger story of who we are in this moment?What is a question you’re asking these days?Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The ManTranscripts & Listening:www.ays.media/podcastnoorFollow JVN:www.instagram.com/jvn~ All socials @noor ~www.facebook.com/noorwww.instagram.com/noorwww.tiktok.com/@noorwww.youtube.com/noor

25. A. Helwa on How to Embark on Your Spiritual Journey, and “Secrets of Divine Love.”

Tue, 30 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

A. Helwa on How to Embark on Your Spiritual Journey, and “Secrets of Divine Love.”

A. Helwa is a writer, poet, and has a Master Degree in Divinity. Helwa is the *anonymous* author of the brilliant book, Secrets of Divine Love: A Journey into the Heart of Islam.

One night, I proposed on Instagram a potential Secrets of Divine Love book club. I read the first few pages of the book years prior, and I knew I couldn’t read this deeply spiritual book alone.

My DMs were flooded with the sentiment of people who were also waiting for the right time and group to read the book with. So, a couple days before Ramadan began, we shared a sign up for the first AYS book club and 1100+ people signed up!!

This book club has become a loving and curious community, with A. Helwa’s words bringing us all together — Helwa even joined the book club herself!

This storytelling session digs into questions to ask and tools to use when embarking on your own spiritual quest. May this conversation serve as a gift and companion to you, wherever you may be.

In this episode, I ask all my curious questions, and we even took questions from, YOU! So look out for those around the 1:00:00 mark!

Themes and Questions Include:

How is Your Heart? What does it feel like, look like, to embark on a spiritual journey?

How does your family, community react to embarking on your own journey?

How do we navigate disconnection and absolutism that my truth is the Only Truth?

A spiritual journey while getting lost in a desert, literally.

What is a question you’re asking yourself these days?

What is book is currently serving as your companion?

If You Really Knew Me, You’d Know…

"Secrets of Divine Love" by A. Helwa

24. Hisham Matar on “Moving On” From Tragedy, Documenting Family Stories, and Connecting with Art

Tue, 23 May 2023 10:22:27 +0000

Hisham Matar on “Moving On” From Tragedy, Documenting Family Stories, and Connecting with Art⠀Hisham Matar is a Libyan American author and professor best known for his Pulitzer Prize winning memoir “The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between”. It’s gripping tale of Hisham’s life long investigation into his father’s disappearance.⠀Hisham’s award winning novels include: In the Country of Men, Anatomy of Disappearance, and A Month in Siena.⠀In this episode session of Podcast Noor, we dig into the following questions:⠀What does it really mean to move on from tragedy?⠀How do we look at paintings as companions?⠀What is Hisham’s journey and practice of writing a book?⠀What does banning books mean for a society?⠀How can creating art be part of your fate and destiny?⠀How did Hisham’s memoir, “The Return” come to life?⠀What role does Diana, Hisham’s wife, play in his writing?⠀How do we begin to document the unspeakable, so the stories don’t get lost?⠀How do other men react to Hisham’s story and open up about their own relationship with their fathers?⠀What does it really mean to “move on?”⠀What has Hisham learned about committing to the present moment?⠀What did Hisham’s father teach him about how to debate and have a conversation?⠀And how do we truly move forward after tragedy and “find closure”?⠀Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man⠀Follow Hisham:www.instagram.com/hishamjmatar⠀Transcripts & Socials:www.ays.media/podcastnoorwww.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor⠀~ All socials @noor ~www.facebook.com/noorwww.instagram.com/noorwww.tiktok.com/@noorwww.youtube.com/noor

Trailer: Podcast Noor Season 2 Returns Tuesday May 23

Tue, 16 May 2023 16:47:33 +0000

Podcast Noor returns Tuesdays, starting May 23.

In between investigative series, award-winning journalist Noor Tagouri uses Podcast Noor as an outlet to explore topics she’s curious about, with people whose work she admires.

Noor's most recent series, "REP: A Story About the Stories We Tell," explores the concept of representation and objectivity in media, and was nominated for a 2023 Webby Award: Best Limited Series.

Season 2 of Pod Noor features some of the stories Noor collected shortly after producing "REP" and as she embarks on her next investigation ...

As always, At Your Service

Storytellers:

Hisham Matar

A. Helwa

Jonathan Van Ness

Lindsay Peoples and Samira Nasr

Timothy Goodman

Seth Godin

Hawa Hassan

Jason Seife and Franklin Sirmans

Bobby Kim

Ayisha Siddiqa and Sophia Li

Dr. Butch Ware

Lamya H.

Seun Kuti

Sarah Bahbah

Theme Music: "Thunderdome (W.T.A)" by Portugal. The Man

Transcripts & Socials:

www.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor

Editor’s Note 11: “REP” has been Nominated for a Webby Award!!

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:57:11 +0000

Our investigative podcast “REP” is nominated for a WEBBY AWARD: BEST LIMITED SERIES!! ⠀It’s YOUR VOTE that can bring us home for the People’s Voice Award.⠀In so many ways, REP has already won; it has connected us to so many of You.⠀An award like this honors and recognizes the work we do with At Your Service Media and makes it easier to continue these efforts.⠀If you have time, it would mean the WORLD to us if you voted for REP.⠀Voting links:www.ays.media/repbit.ly/voteforrep

(Trailer) The Process (2020)

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 16:00:00 +0000

"The Process" has a new home! Our 2020 audio/video series can now be found in its own Channel/Show:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-process-with-noor-tagouri/id1657893922

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65OensScjCjbGS7F3cvaDD?si=828365dfdac34858

With a lineup driven by award-winning journalist Noor Tagouri’s infectious curiosity, The Process passes the mic to the people who have the lived experience. From transitioning careers, to hosting a dinner party, to reviving a heritage brand — Noor uncovers just how our favorite people do it all, and reminds us that in anything we pursue, the ups and downs are just part of The Process.

The Process is available to listen below:

www.noortagouri.com/theprocess

(Trailer) Rep: A Story About The Stories We Tell (2022)

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 19:24:45 +0000

Rep is a bold, wide-ranging podcast, brought to you by journalist Noor Tagouri. ⠀ Noor began by examining the misrepresentation of Muslims in US media and how this impacts American culture. She discovered a fuller exploration of the ever-evolving story of America, which challenged the stories we’ve known…and revealed how the stories we tell affect all of us. ⠀

Rep is a thoughtful investigation of our beliefs and understandings and how they exist within the dynamic of politics, pop culture, and public opinion. ⠀

This is a story about the stories we tell.

Welcome to Rep.

Rep Voices include:

Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam

Bella Hadid

Hasan Minhaj

Huma Abedin

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

40+ more public figures, experts and academics

Search for “Rep” by iHeartMedia & At Your Service on your Podcast App, or visit www.ays.media/rep for more info.

Editor’s Note 10: Welcome to My New Investigative Series, Rep

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:58:36 +0000

Hi Friends, On Monday, myself, At Your Service, and iHeartMedia announced our investigative podcast series, Rep. The trailer is posted anywhere you listen to your podcasts, and at www.ays.media/rep

Before the first episode drops on Monday April 4, I sent the final cut to some friends and family whose opinions I really trust. One of them, my close friend Rachel Aschalew, who is a brilliant human and equally brilliant storyteller. At first, Rachel was calling me to tell me about my mom’s voice in the episode, so I recorded it to encourage my mom to start her cooking show!! But I’m so glad I recorded because what I really received was some of the most meaningful feedback on my work.

I’ve described this process of creating Rep as emotional, exhausting; but I never realized what that meant until it was reflected back to me through Rachel. Rachel has always seen me, it’s why we’ve become so close, her big heart is how we started Family Dinner during COVID, and we’ve been collaborating with her company RARE to hose our intimate family dinners for larger groups.

We have a beautiful Iftar dinner coming up that Rachel is helping us produce in celebration of Rep, so to say the least, Rachel has been there for this journey. For Her to discover me even more through Rep is EXACTLY my intention for listeners.

So, with that, welcome to Rep.

You can listen to Rep, by At Your Service and iHeartMedia anywhere you get your podcasts,

and at www.ays.media/rep As always, at your service

23. Jordan Casteel on Demanding Space, Painting Race, Being My Neighbor, and Much More.

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 13:26:55 +0000

For our #23 Jordan Episode, I interview... Jordan!

Jordan Casteel is a painter, a professor, a storyteller, a gardner, and my dear friend. This is a different kind of Jordan Casteel interview, while we do get into the art of things. I am so pleased to introduce you all to Jordie, the person. You see, Jordan and I moved up to the same area of the Catskill Mountains in the same week. Fate brought us together earlier than this but as life unfolded during this pandemic, Jordan and I found home in each other. Shortly after that, Jordy painted Adam and I at our new home, what an honor!! This is a deeply personal storytelling session and it is our season finale as we wrap this year up. I love you all.

Thank you so much for listening. And welcome to this session of podcast Noor.

For more Jordan Casteel, you can visit her site jordancasteel.com and follow her on instagram @jordanmcasteel.

Please rate and review the podcast it’s a great way to show support and give feedback, I read each and every review. And as always, AYS.

Editor’s Note 09: Maybe It’s Time To Rethink That; Questioning Beliefs

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 16:16:53 +0000

I’ve been more quiet online these days. Which means I am deeply putting everything I have into this new investigative series. I am rethinking everything I have ever believed and I hope something in this note resonates with you. I so look forward to sharing Jordan Casteel’s story session with you all tomorrow. If you would like to support this podcast — leaving a rating and review would mean so much. I read every single note and appreciate you all so deeply. As always, AYS.

22. Schuyler Bailar on How Transphobia Impacts Us All, Mind Body Connection, Knowing Yourself, And More.

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 14:58:15 +0000

Schuyler Bailar is an Author, Activist, Life Coach and was the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. By 15, he was one of the nation’s top-20 15-year-old breast-strokers. By 17, he set a national age-group record. Schuyler graduated from Harvard University, studying Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology. Schuyler documented his transition on social media, garnering a community of hundreds of thousands and consistently advocating for trans inclusion, body acceptance, and mental health awareness. Most recently, he released his first middle-grade novel, Obie Is Man Enough.

Follow Schuyler on social media

www.instagram.com/pinkmantaray

For more resources you can visit pinkmantaray.com/faqs

Editor’s Note 08: It’s Raining in LA

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 17:55:01 +0000

I’m deciding to be friends with my friends, featuring a soundscape of a rare rainy day in LA. ALSO: thanks to your support over the years, my family’s ISeeYou Foundation is fundraising to open our first community food pantry! Help us accomplish our goal:https://www.gofundme.com/f/build-a-community-food-pantry-with-us

21. Marwa Atik on Building a Hijab Company, Renewing our Choices, Reclaiming our Power, and More.

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 20:02:02 +0000

Marwa Atik is an LA-based advocate & designer. In 2009, and at 18 years old, she co-founded the brand VELA with her sister, a fashion forward line of scarves. ⠀ Marwa is a style icon. I call her an OG because when I first started wearing hijab around the same time Vela came to life, she was the only person I knew doing what she was doing - creating a product that made people who wear the headscarf feel incredible without compromising on style. ⠀ Now, over a decade later, VELA serves thousands of women around the world, constantly innovating in the hijab space and creating stunning curations of collections throughout the year. ⠀ This is a long overdue conversation - Marwa and I started building our careers around the same time and have been each other’s cheerleaders from the beginning.

I’m so thrilled to welcome you to this episode of podcast noor. ⠀

For more Marwa and VELA:

www.instagram.com/marwaatik

www.instagram.com/velascarves

www.velascarves.com ⠀

Follow Noor:

www.instagram.com/noor

www.instagram.com/ays

www.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor

20. Mona Chalabi on Creativity in Data, Data’s Effect on Culture, Money Anxiety, and More.

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:47:59 +0000

Mona Chalabi is a data journalist, and not a traditional one. Her work is typically presented through brilliant illustrations many of us have shared on Instagram. She makes data cool and accessible, easier for people like me to understand. Most recently, she is the host of a TED podcast called Am I Normal? Mona is a storyteller and her language is data. Number-focused data is something I’ve struggled with understanding and that’s why I was very curious to host this session. Welcome to this episode of Podcast Noor. For more Mona Chalabi, you can listen to her podcast “Am I Normal?” Wherever you get your pods.

Follow Mona:

www.instagram.com/MonaChalabi

Listen to her podcast “Am I Normal?” wherever you get your podcasts.

19. Gazan Girl on Palestine in Media, Colonization, Intergenerational Trauma, and More.

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 12:28:38 +0000

This week's storyteller is Lara E, also known as Gazan Girl. Lara is a Palestinian American international lawyer and activist, and a resource that I use when learning and educating myself on Palestinian current affairs. She acts as counsel in international disputes and dedicates a large part of her legal practice to human rights work, including accompanying asylum seekers in asylum proceedings before French jurisdictions. ⠀ Lara also has a weekly podcast called The Palestine Pod that she co-hosts with Jewish American comedian Michael Schirtzer. They talk all things Palestine, and of course in this conversation, we also talk all things Palestine. We go into an analysis of the Media's representation of the Palestinian struggle; we go into Lara's personal story, her family story, intergenerational trauma, and we get into detailed descriptions of her favorite Palestinian dish, which is also one of my favorite Palestinian dishes.

All this and more on Podcast Noor. ⠀

Follow Lara:

www.instagram.com/gazangirl

www.twitter.com/thegazangirl ⠀

Follow Noor:

www.instagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

More Podcast Noor:

www.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor

www.ays.media

18. Huma Abedin on Shame Culture, The American Ideal, Active Participation, and More

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 14:40:51 +0000

Noor Tagouri in conversation with Huma Abedin on Shame Culture, The American Ideal, Active Participation, and More. ⠀ You may know Huma as the person who has been Hilary Clinton’s right hand, arm, and more, since 1996. And/Or maybe you know her from headlines relating to her former husband and then US representative Anthony Weiner and his sexting scandals. But in the following storytelling session we are being reintroduced to Huma Abedin: ⠀ A mother, adventurer, writer, someone who enjoys talking to strangers and talking about her faith as a Muslim woman. ⠀ Huma is a BTS kinda person. And while we get deeply into faith, controversial politics, mental health and the problem around asking people “why they stay?” in harmful relationships — the intention of this conversation is rooted in openness, reflections, and story. ⠀ As Huma says about why she decided to now take a center stage: “If you let someone else tell your story they are writing your history.” ⠀

Welcome to this episode of podcast Noor. ⠀ As always, at your service. ⠀

Follow Huma:

www.instagram.com/humaabedin ⠀

Support Huma’s Book “Both/And” https://www.huma-abedin.com/#page-section-6167648b59a8cf7edeb47983 ⠀

Follow Noor:

www.instagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor⠀

More Podcast Noor: www.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

Editor’s Note 07: On Manifestation

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 12:41:55 +0000

My favorite solo episode yet. I recorded this after I received a message on Instagram last week asking if I could speak on manifestation.

“Manifestation” is a concept that has helped propel me into the work I do today. And as I reflect on what that really means today — it looks a lot different than I thought. ⠀

Manifestation: it doesn’t have to be specific, it just has to be open.

Enjoy xx ⠀

More PODCAST NOOR: www.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor ⠀

Follow Noor Tagouri:

www.instagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

www.facebook.com/noor

17. Gary Vaynerchuk on Humility, Evolution, Being a Child of Immigrants, and MUCH More.

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:04:40 +0000

Gary Vaynerchuk, AKA Gary Vee is an entrepreneur, investor, and leading mind in business, marketing, and internet culture. In addition to running VaynerMedia and being a top personality on the internet, Gary is a best selling author, in-demand speaker, and evolving leader. A few years ago, Adam asked me to connect with Gary at SXSW, where we were both speaking. Since that day, Gary and his team have been guides, mentors and teammates to Adam and I in different ways. It’s clear that his team’s positive, innovative, always-giving attitude starts from the top, with Gary. In my opinion, this leadership and team culture is one of the most underrated aspects of Gary’s world, and that’s exactly what I wanted to dive into. In this conversation, Gary and I get into humility, evolution, being the children of immigrants, and so much more. This is a really special episode — with unlocks all around. I can’t wait for the next one.

I hope you enjoy!

Follow Gary:

www.instagram.com/garyvee

www.twitter.com/garyvee

Support Gary’s New Book, 12 And A Half:

https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/get-ready-for-my-best-book-yet-and-an-exciting-announcement/

Follow Noor:

instagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

www.ays.media

16. Amber Hikes on How to Be an Accomplice rather than an Ally, and The Power of Language

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 12:11:00 +0000

Amber Hikes (whose pronouns are they/she) is a social justice advocate and community organizer. They are the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at the American Civil Liberties Union where they provide vision, leadership, and direction for the ACLU’s nationwide strategy to support equity, diversity, and inclusion. This conversation is full, and full of my own learning. We get into what it means to be an accomplice vs. an ally, the power of language, approaching work through a lens of intersectionality, and more. I am left after this conversation, feeling more hopeful, feeling more clear, having a better understanding of what liberation means for myself, my community and the communities at large, and how we can all be of better service to one another. I hope you enjoy this one xx Follow Amber: www.instagram.com/amber__hikes www.twitter.com/amberhikes Follow Noor: www.instagram.com/noor www.noortagouri.com/newsletter

15. Amanda White On Alcohol Culture, Sober Dating, Anxiety, and More

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:15:10 +0000

Amanda E. White, LPC is a licensed therapist and the creator of the popular instagram account, @therapyforwomen. She is also the founder of the group practice, Therapy for Women Center located in Philadelphia, with therapists across the country. She is the author of the book Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love. Her work has been featured in dozens of publications including Forbes, The Washington Post, Shape and Women's Health Magazine. In this episode, Amanda and I unpack a lot, from Alcohol Culture, Sober Dating, Anxiety, and More.

Follow Amanda:

www.instagram.com/therapyforwomen

Follow Noor:

www.instagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

www.noortagouri.com/podcastnoor

www.ays.media

Editor’s Note 06: “Follow 4 Follow”, A Poem

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 17:13:26 +0000

“Follow 4 Follow”, A Poem by Noor Tagouri. Originally posted on instagram.com/noor

14. Rakia Reynolds on Cancel Culture and PTSD, Thoughtful Storytelling as a Communications Strategist, And More

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:59:39 +0000

Rakia Reynolds is a sought-after mind in strategic communications. As the founder of Skai Blue Media, she’s a thought leader, taste-maker, branding expert, and a “professional confrontationalist”. To me personally, Rakia has been a mentor, a friend, and an amazing teammate. Working with Rakia and her team was so aligned and intentional for our team, and it’s been so exciting building, learning and growing with each other.

In this episode, we talk about Cancel Culture from various perspectives, PTSD around culture and youth, how to approach storytelling thoughtfully as a storyteller and a communications strategist, and more. If you are a leader, storyteller, or curious about culture, this one if for you, enjoy!

Follow Rakia:

www.skaibluemedia.com

www.instagram.com/rakiareynolds

www.twitter.com/rakiareynolds

Follow Noor:

www.noortagouri.com

www.insagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

www.ays.media

13. Maytha Alhassen on Muslim Representation in Media, Our New Project, and More

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 10:41:17 +0000

Dr. Maytha Al Hassen is a historian, journalist, social justice artist, and mending practitioner. She uses this work to bridge the worlds of organizing, academic research, media engagement, artistic expression and spiritually-guided healing practices. As an artist and organizer, Alhassen has performed and written extensively about the Muslim experience. She has written and produced on the award winning TV series ‘Ramy,’ and will be joining AYS as a researcher on our new, untitled investigative project.

Our intention with this project is to remain open, listen to YOUR stories of how the misrepresentation of Muslims in media has impacted your lives, and to find us all answers we’ve been looking for, for a very long time. There is no one we would rather have to help guide us through our upcoming findings. 🙏

www.maythaalhassen.com

The Blueprint For Muslim Inclusion: https://pillarsfund.org/content/uploads/2021/06/SOURCE-The-Muslim-Blueprint.pdf

Follow Noor:

www.insagram.com/noor

www.tiktok.com/@noor

Editor’s Note 05: Welcome To AYS's Newest Investigative Project

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 10:38:37 +0000

Welcome To Our Newest Investigative Project; The project of a lifetime. Formerly Titled SSSS, Now Titled, "Rep: A Story About the Stories We Tell"

This investigative series was born from questioning where I picked up the ‘shame’ I felt around my identity of being Arab, Muslim, and American. Our industry, the media industry, has played a monumental role in the shame so many of us have carried throughout our lives when existing as who we are.

This investigation is more than a critique into how the American media’s misrepresentation of Muslims, it is about how the stories we have been telling ourselves about ourselves are not ones we always chose for ourselves. It’s about how there are feelings we, in America, have still not fully processed and then proceeded to wage war against the feeling: terror. It is getting clear answers about who we are as a people and the stories we choose to rewrite moving forward.

If America’s biggest export is its story, then how do we reclaim and rewrite the actual truths we know we’ve all been carrying. Pre and post 9/11.

This investigation will be led by our AYS Team with me, Dr. Maytha Alhassen, Zaron Burnett III, and each of YOU who choose to participate, in coproduction with iHeart Media. This will be a community led investigation and your stories, your voices, will be a critical part of our research.

Listen to Rep Anywhere You Podcast

www.ays.media/rep

Editor's Note 04: When I Say Yes To Everything, I’m Missing Out On The Full Divinity of An Idea

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 14:16:51 +0000

For when you think you don't work enough, for when you work too much, for when you need something new, for when you're figuring out what works for YOU.

www.noortagouri.com/linktree

Editor's Note 03: to the one who didn’t show up with hijab today

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 11:16:59 +0000

i love you

Editor's Note 02: If You Really Knew Me, You'd Know I'm Still On This Journey.

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 09:30:00 +0000

If You Really Knew Me, You'd Know That I'm Still On This Journey.

Trusting Your Brain To Show Up For You Pt. 2

-Stories

-Importance of taking time off

-Your story is not boring

-I hope You choose You

12. MARINA on Being a Nonconforming Pop Star, Redefining Success, Getting Political, and More

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 08:26:11 +0000

Marina Diamandis also known as MARINA and previously known as Marina and the Diamonds is a Welsh/Greek political pop star. She’s an incredible song writer with a voice that stops you in your tracks. It’s only after you get past the need to dance to her music that you realize in almost every one of her songs - she’s giving you a very important message. I’ve been listening to Marina’s music since high school…keeping lyrics like “if you are not very careful, your possessions will possess you.” as daily mantras. She just released her 5th studio album: Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land and has come back with evolved messages and music you won’t be able to sit still too.

For more MARINA you can listen to her music wherever you jam!

Check out her website www.marinaofficial.co.uk and on Instagram at @marinadiamandis

11. Nedra Tawwab on Gaslighting Loved Ones, Setting Boundaries, Finding Peace, and More

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Nedra Tawwab on Gaslighting Loved Ones, Setting Boundaries, Finding Peace, and More.

Nedra Glover Tawwab, MSW, LCSW, is a New York Times best-selling author, licensed therapist, sought-after relationship expert, and one of my favorite people to follow on IG. She has practiced relationship therapy for 14 years and is the founder and owner of the group therapy practice, Kaleidoscope Counseling. Every day she helps people create healthy relationships by teaching them how to implement boundaries.

Nedra’s philosophy is that a lack of boundaries and assertiveness underlie most relationship issues, and her gift is helping people create healthy relationships with themselves and others. Nedra earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She has additional certifications in working with families and couples and in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, plus advanced training for counseling adults who've experienced childhood emotional neglect.

For more Nedra Tawwab you can get her book: Set Boundaries, Find Peace wherever you get your books.

Her website is nedratawwab.com,

and my favorite Instagram account: @nedratawwab

10. Heather McGhee On: Us vs. Them, The Role of Racism in US Economy, and More.

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Heather McGhee On: Us vs. Them, The Role of Racism in US Economy, and More.

Heather McGhee is a strategist and the strategy she designs and promotes are solutions to inequality in America. Her new book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together is now available from One World, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Heather’s 2020 TED talk, “Racism Has a Cost for Everyone” reached 1 million views in just two months online. In the coming year, she will launch an original podcast on how to create cross-racial solidarity in challenging times.

Heather has testified in Congress, drafted legislation, and developed strategies for organizations and campaigns that won changes to improve the lives of millions. For nearly two decades, she helped build the non-partisan "think and do" tank Demos, serving four years as president.

For more heather McGhee you can get her book The Sum of Us, wherever you get your books!

Check out her website heathermcghee.com,

Instagram @heathermcghee

Twitter @hmcghee

Editor’s Note 01: Burnout

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Burnout, A Poem

9. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson on Diversifying High Fashion, Styling Vogue Cover, Rethinking Beauty Standards, and More.

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 12:36:03 +0000

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson is the fashion stylist we all need in our lives. She is the first Black woman to style a Vogue cover, and her light has shone long before that. Gabriella is the fashion director of Garage magazine, curating and styling spreads that always create some noise. She tells stories through her styling, and focuses on diversifying representation in high fashion. I met Gabriella at a Prada dinner in Milan, she greeted me like we were old friends and we immediately started dishing stories…..luckily for you all! She does that here too. We talk about breaking into an industry as a person who doesn’t meet the typical standard of fashion, navigating what it means to finally get hired for jobs when it seems more trendy to hire BIPOC. And of course, Gabriella’s fashion inspirations, and fashion aspirations.

I hope you loved this episode with Gabriella Karefa Johnson. You can continue following her journey on instagram at @Gabriellak_j.

———

It would mean so much if you could rate + review PODCAST NOOR! I love reading what you have to say, and it is a great way to support.

You can also stay connected with me by subscribing to my newsletter: noortagouri.com/newsletter

And of course follow along on social media:

instagram.com/noor

tiktok.com/Noor

facebook.com/noor

youtube.com/noor

twitter.com/ntagouri

8. Mari Andrew on Turning a Hobby Into a Career, Healing Through Writing, How to Share, and Much More

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:12:59 +0000

Mari Andrew is a writer and illustrator who has been inspiring me for years. Her illustration career started as a hobby in 2015 as a form of self expression. She documents her stories through reflections and some water color on paper. Mari’s way with words and colors are a source of comfort to an online audience of over a million, sharing with us stories about grief, relationships, heartache, friendship, trying careers on, illness, and real self love.

In 2018 Mari released her New York Times best selling book: “Am I There Yet? The Loop-de-loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood” and a guide book companion in 2019. Most recently, Mari has published her latest book: “My Inner Sky: On Embracing Day, Night, and All the Times in Between.” It’s the perfect book for this moment as we all need a little more encouragement for present thinking. Mari has also become a hospital chaplain, something I’m very excited to talk to her about.

Welcome to this guided storytelling session of PODCAST NOOR with Mari Andrew on: The Healing Process of Writing, How To Share Almost Everything, and More.

You can support Mari's work here: https://bymariandrew.com/book

Video version of this conversation:

youtube.com/noor

facebook.com/noor

——

It would mean so much if you could rate + review PODCAST NOOR! I love reading what you have to say, and it is a great way to support.

You can also stay connected with me by subscribing to my newsletter: noortagouri.com/newsletter

If you want to go the extra mile, join my Patreon community: patreon.com/noor

And of course follow along on social media:

instagram.com/noor

tiktok.com/Noor

facebook.com/noor

youtube.com/noor

twitter.com/ntagouri

7. A-Trak on Staying Creative, Pivoting in Work, Dealing with Fatigue, and More

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 09:47:37 +0000

Alain Macklovitch, aka A-Trak is a Canadian DJ, turntables, record producer, and founder of record label Fools Gold. He started young, winning his first DJ Championship at the age of 15 and collecting 4 more world championships by 18. He is known for using highly technical turntable skills and scratching into his genre-spanning work. His craft caught the attention of Kanye West and A-Trak became Kanye’s original tour DJ. This led him to start Fools Gold where he continues to develop the careers of several artists. One, early on, being Kid Cudi — you remember your favorite Cudi song Day + Night? We have this classic thanks to A-Trak.

One of my favorite things about Alain is he is so multifaceted. I love talking to him about tech and politics. He is an artist, a leader, a mentor, a brother (who he also makes music with,) and his constant evolution with all of these things is exactly why he is where he is today. We will be talking about all of this and more!

Video version of this conversation:

youtube.com/noor

facebook.com/noor

——

It would mean so much if you could rate + review PODCAST NOOR! I love reading what you have to say, and it is a great way to support.

You can also stay connected with me by subscribing to my newsletter: noortagouri.com/newsletter

If you want to go the extra mile, join my Patreon community: patreon.com/noor

And of course follow along on social media:

instagram.com/noor

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facebook.com/noor

youtube.com/noor

twitter.com/ntagouri

6. Rebecca Walker and Lily Diamond on YOUR Story, and Much More.

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 13:58:29 +0000

Rebecca Walker has contributed to the global conversation about race, gender, power, and the evolution of the human family for three decades. Since graduating from Yale, she has authored seven bestselling books on subjects ranging from intergenerational feminism and multiracial identity to Black Cool and ambivalent motherhood.

Rebecca has written, developed, and produced film and television projects with Warner Brothers, NBC, Amazon, HBO, and Paramount, and spoken at over four hundred universities and corporate campuses internationally, including Harvard, Out and Equal, Museum of the African Diaspora, and TEDxLund. When Rebecca was 21, she cofounded the Third Wave Fund, which makes grants to women and transgender youth working for social justice. She was named by Time magazine as one of the most influential leaders of her generation―and continues to teach her masterclass, The Art of Memoir, at gorgeous and inspiring places around the world.

And Fun Fact: She is also happens to be the daughter of author Alice Walker, who wrote one of my favorite books, The Color Purple.

Lily Diamond is a writer and advocate harnessing the power of digital media to democratize wellness and empower women through storytelling, accessible practices for inner and outer nourishment, and revolutionary acts of self-care within our earth and human communities. She is the creator of internationally beloved blog Kale & Caramel and author of bestselling memoir-cookbook Kale & Caramel: Recipes for Body, Heart, and Table, celebrated as one of the top cookbooks of 2017 by the New York Times, The Independent, Cooking Light, mindbodygreen, and more.

Lily’s writing has been featured in VICE, Healthyish, the Huffington Post, Refinery29, and more. Her work is informed by two decades of study, certification, and teaching in the art and practice of meditation and psychosomatic therapies. She is a devoted co-conspirator to organizations decolonizing food and wellness for all. Lily was educated at Yale University and lives in Maui, Hawai‘i, where she grew up, on occupied native Hawaiian land.

Together, Lily and Rebecca wrote “What’s Your Story? A Journal for Everyday Evolution.”

Video version of this conversation:

youtube.com/noor

facebook.com/noor

——

It would mean so much if you could rate + review PODCAST NOOR! I love reading what you have to say, and it is a great way to support.

You can also stay connected with me by subscribing to my newsletter: noortagouri.com/newsletter

If you want to go the extra mile, join my Patreon community: patreon.com/noor

And of course follow along on social media:

instagram.com/noor

tiktok.com/Noor

facebook.com/noor

youtube.com/noor

twitter.com/ntagouri

5. Akin Akman on Building AARMY With an Athlete Mindset, Unlocking Your Power, and More.

Tue, 25 May 2021 11:18:16 +0000

Akin Akman is someone who some don’t believe is human. He is widely considered the world’s most successful group fitness coach over the last several years. His commitment to his athletes and his craft is practically unbeatable. We do in fact know he’s human though, because of his humanity. He is the co-founder and chief fitness officer of AARMY, a boutique fitness studio with in person and online practices. People go to AARMY to change their lives. Akin is an intentional coach and teacher who can turn even the most dedicated couch potato to an athlete.

Akin was a young tennis prodigy who started playing at 7, Training under legendary Hall of Fame Coach Nick Bollettieri. at 17 Akin sustained two serious injuries that led to his tennis career ending and healing journey starting. Bollettieri pushed Akman to reinvent himself as a Coach. Throughout this process he learned the importance of mental coaching, even more than physical coaching. And that is his secret sauce with his athletes, me included.

Akin trains our brains to train our bodies — and I think that is the biggest obstacle to overcome with pushing through exercise. In his own words, an athlete is a professional mover. And we were born to move. So, as professional movers, we are all athletes. We talk about who is an athlete, what it means to push through the struggle of doing what your body needs, how terrible injuries can turn into great journeys, and what it’s like to be one of the world’s best coaches.

You can follow Akin on Instagram @Akiniko and learn more about AARMY at www.aarmy.com

Video version of this conversation:

youtube.com/noor

facebook.com/noor

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4. Ib Hamad on Dreamville, Working with Friends, Building a Community, and More

Tue, 18 May 2021 08:41:44 +0000

Ibrahim Hamad is one of the forces behind some of the best artists of our time, J. Cole, Ari Lennox, Bas, JID and more. He is the co-founder of the label Dreamville that he started with Cole after evolving their college friendship into a business partnership. Ibrahim, also known as, Ib, is Sudanese American, born in Paris, and thanks to his dad’s UNESCO job, lived all over the globe. He ended up in the most diverse county in the world - Queens, New York, where he turned his passion for music (aka putting people onto the great music) into an actual career. He didn’t know where it would take him. And following his intuition, building the right team, and staying true to the dream of Dreamville with J. Cole has led him and his team to building an empire that supports the power of story, community, and connection.

You can enjoy J Cole's and Dreamville's work:

www.dreamville.com

Video version of this conversation:

www.youtube.com/noor

——

It would mean so much if you could rate + review PODCAST NOOR! I love reading what you have to say, and it is a great way to support.

You can also stay connected with me by subscribing to my newsletter: noortagouri.com/newsletter

If you want to go the extra mile, join my Patreon community: patreon.com/noor

And of course follow along on social media:

3. dr. Yaba Blay on The Battle of Bi-Cultural Identity, The Story of America, Doing Work That Traumatizes You, and More

Tue, 11 May 2021 13:23:14 +0000

dr. Yaba Blay is the teacher we all needed growing up. dr. Blay, that’s doctor with an intentional lower case "dr." describes herself as the anti-academia-academic. Meaning, another system that needs reform.

dr. Yaba is a Ghanaian American scholar, speaker, cultural worker, producer and author. She wrote and art directed the stunning photography book: "One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race", that was originally self-published in 2013 and now rereleased with Beacon Press. She was also a consulting producer on CNN’s "Who is Black in America?"

The conversation we have is a much needed one. One, I personally needed. Tears are shed and some healing goes on. You know, typical PODCAST NOOR style.

We talk about being first gen and the battle of bicultural identity, the story we were told about America, what it means to do work that traumatizes you, the relationship between corporations, how they approach anti racism work..and so much more.

You can enjoy “One Drop” by purchasing wherever you get your books!

Video version of this conversation: