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During her childhood, Karlyn Percil experienced bullying and sexual abuse. Without understanding how to deal with her trauma, Karlyn unconsciously carried it throughout her life, which formed into self-sabotaging narratives that ultimately affected her relationships with other people and herself. Eventually recognizing that she needed to make a change, Karlyn worked towards accepting and loving herself. She developed programs and stayed disciplined until she was able to regain her own power and tap into her full potential. Today, Karlyn Percil is a successful entrepreneur who focuses on sharing the lessons from her journey with women around the world.  1.33 - Karlyn’s childhood 4.10 - Karlyn’s child sexual abuse 5.39 - What self bullying looks like 8.10 -  The institutionalization of our lives and breaking free 14.45 - How to create a conscious contract with yourself 17.20 - Amy’s reflection  18.10 - Reflecting on your SIMUs 23.07 - How Karlyn reclaimed her power 29.16 - Karlyn’s businesses evolve 32.09 - How to help others understand the impact of stepping into your healing 35.25 - How to discover your purpose 36.30 - Remember to be audacious Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

When Leigh Mitchell was three months old, she was given up for adoption. Her adopted parents divorced when she was only a year hold, causing disruption to the stability she felt from an early age. In school, Leigh struggled to find her stability, suffering from learning disabilities and constantly moving from place to place. Eventually after finding her footing in high school, Leigh watched her father buy a resort and suffer from a nervous breakdown that changed the course of his life. As a business owner herself today, Leigh has spent years helping both herself and others heal from similar traumas. In adulthood, Leigh managed to reconnect with her biological parents, putting together estranged pieces of her identity and began counselling to better understand how her traumas had affected her life. Today, Leigh is a thriving entrepreneur as the founder of Women in Business Network, a group of 30K+ women created to support female business owners.  1.41 - Leigh’s adoption and childhood 4.30 - Leigh moves back in with her mom 5.10 - Leigh’s learning disabilities 6.20 - Leigh’s stepfather has a car accident, family moves to Mississauga 7.20 - Leigh’s relationship with her biological parents 8.05 - Leigh starts hanging out with older crowd 9.10 - Leigh’s weekends with her adoptive father 10.14 - Leigh’s adoptive father buys a resort, sees her father have a nervous breakdown 11.52 - How Leigh’s trauma affected her 12.57 - Amy’s reflection on Leigh’s story 13.57 - Leigh goes to college instead of university 14.44 - Leigh gets her driver’s license 16.21 - How Leigh found and met her biological parents 18.55 - Leigh gets an explanation for her adoption from her father 21.55 - Leigh experiences postpartum depression after having her first child 22.17 - Amy’s second reflection 23.17 - Leigh starts seeing a psychiatrist  24.59 - How Women in Business Network was born 25.42 - How our businesses are often reflections of ourselves 26.21 - How to deal with rough days in business 29.58 - Self care for entrepreneurs 32.50 - Making decisions 33.56 - Leigh’s dedication 35.21 - Amy’s takeaways Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Farah Nasser is an award winning journalist who has dedicated her voice to elevating people of colour. Recently, Farah opened up about her personal experience with the stillbirth of her son Hussain, live on Global News. Throughout this episode, Amy and Farah trade stories about what it was like growing up as children of immigrant parents, and their pregnancies with their twins. Farah talks about the moment she found out that one of her twins had passed away in her womb, and the psychological effects it had on her as she continued to carry both twins. Today, Farah discusses her stillbirth openly to raise awareness on the subject and remembers Hussain fondly with her husband and two children.  1.32 - Farah’s childhood 2.51 - How Farah felt growing up as a child of immigrant parents 6.05 - The first time Farah was called a “paki” 8.21 - When Farah got married and decided to have kids 9.46 - Farah finds out she was having twins 10.32 - How Farah’s pregnancy went 11.12 - Farah lost one of her twins 13.26 - Amy’s reflection  14.43 - The pregnancy build up, Farah gave birth and found out how her twin passed away 16.33 - Farah’s labour 18.02 - The importance of talking about stillbirths 19.22 - Group therapy 21.17 - Why Farah and her husband decided to tell her son about his brother 22.54 - What life looks like now for Farah 24.38 - Amy’s reflection on loss 25.31 - What Farah is seeing in working moms today 28.03 - The need for protectionism 29.35 - Farah’s episode dedication Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

After Avery Francis was promoted to her dream job, she was sexually assaulted at a work social. Put in a precarious position as part of the company’s HR department, Avery made the difficult decision to come forward and take action. However, although the individual was let go, Avery could not let go of the feeling that she was unsafe at her workplace. Months went by and she slowly became more and more depressed, suppressing her emotions of the incident, rather than dealing with them. After an emotional breakdown, Avery took a leave of absence where she found art therapy and began to move through the trauma that had occured. Upon arrival back to her job, Avery made the decision to leave the company to continue her pathway to thrive. Today, Avery is the founder of Bloom, a full service workplace design consultancy. 1.34 - Avery’s childhood 5.04 - Dropped out of school and had to pay her parents back. Ended up in recruiting. 7.02 - How Avery started her career after university 7.40 - Avery became the Director of Talent at Rangle.io  8.58 - Started to distance herself from her colleagues 9.27 - Avery’s promotion 10.05 - The work social, celebrating her promotion 10.57 - Avery’s sexual assault 16.15 - Avery turns blame inwards, how the assault affected Avery’s sense of self 17.56 - The dinner after the assault 18.27 - What action Avery took afterwards 19.04 - The action Rangle took 20.57 - How Avery felt at work after her assault 21.43 - Avery’s rock bottom 24.08 - Amy’s reflection 25.10 - Tools Avery used to heal  27.52 - Avery’s take on art therapy 29.50 - Sexual assault is often not a one-off situation 30.15 - Why Avery came forward  31.16 - Amy’s second reflection 32.32 - What happened next? 34.10 - How Bloom was born 35.18 - What thriving means to Avery 37.05 - Avery’s advocacy for BLM 42.40 - Who Avery honours on the website 43.00 - Amy’s final reflection Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Fortunate to have several parents due to divorce, Jodi Kovitz came from a large family that shaped her view on making lemonade out of hard situations. As Jodi grew up, she adopted the mindset of always trying to find the positive out of pain. After having her daughter Lilly, Jodi and her husband divorced. A family lawyer at the time, Jodi hit a breaking point where she recognized that the life she was living was not the right path for her. This sparked a metamorphosis, where Jodi recognized the negative behaviours she was manifesting and began to see that their impacts were bigger than herself. After realizing the behaviours were happening, Jodi focused on her self development to heal the wounds that would change her life and create a bigger impact. Today, Jodi Kovitz is the Founder and CEO of #MoveTheDial, the host of the Joyful Sundays podcast, and a certified meditation instructor.  1.32 - Jodi’s childhood, first experience with her parents   2.57 - How Jodi’s parents' divorce impacted her   6.24 - Jodi’s advice for anyone going through divorce.  7.55 - Jodi’s co-parenting relationship with her daughter’s stepmom   9.30 - Why Jodi became a family lawyer   12.00 - Jodi asks for a business development budget to build a collaborative family law practice   12.50 - Jodi realizes that the life she was living was not the right path for her   15.34 - Jodi’s life changing experience in Arizona   19.12 - How to hold space for people with severe mental health issue   19.43 - Amy’s first reflection on self love and physical manifestation of disease   21.19 - The start of #MoveTheDial   23.40 - Pausing operations of #MoveTheDial due to COVID-19   24.22 - Jodi’s meditation process   27.49 - Jodi’s grieving process for #MoveThe Dial   29.26 - Joyful Sundays   33.43 - Jodi’s dedication for the episode   34.32 - Amy’s final reflection   Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

A self-made millionaire, Tahani Aburaneh came from extremely humble beginnings. After being born to Palestinian parents in a refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, and is supported by international aid groups, Tahani was married against her will at age 15 to her cousin and sent to Canada without speaking a word of English. Determined to not be defined by her circumstances, she finished high school and managed to complete a business diploma from Conestoga College. Eventually, Tahani managed to leave her marriage and went on to build several successful businesses and a thriving real estate empire. Today she is also the author of Real Estate Riches: A Money-Making Game Plan for the Canadian Investor, and is one of the country’s leading experts on real estate investing. Show Notes: 1:40- Tahani talks about life in her refugee camp felt like 2:18- Tahani talks about her childhood. Emphasis on her relationship with her dad 2:55- Tahani’s arranged marriage 5:40- Tahani explains the “why” behind moving to Canada and how she reconciled with the decision. (To support her family in the refugee camp) 7:00- Tahani’s Dad's letters 7:13- Tahani’s life when she came to Canada + her husband 8:03- Excitement over going to school + learning English 10:20- How Tahani balanced her wife and home duties with school + her part-time job 11:17- Numbness wore off and Tahani starts questioning her life and decisions 12:12- Tahani talks about her marriage 13:04- Amy’s first reflection 13:42- Rock bottom 14:97- Tahani’s brother passed away + mom suffering from illness 15:45- Tahani talks about her real estate career starting + her first home purchase with no down payment 17:06- Gratitude and mindset shift 18:09- Tahani talks about her new “why” her two kids being her inspiration behind her hustle 19:07- Amy's second reflection 22:49- Her inspiration to help women 24:25- disadvantages of not promoting women at the forefront of investing 29:23- Tahani dedicates the episode to her parents 30:06- Amys conclusion Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

When Samra was 16, she was forced into an arranged marriage with an older man that she did not know. She was shipped to Canada, barely speaking english, and was forced to perform a role of wife and mother that she was not ready for. Although culturally, Samra’s marriage was accepted by her immediate family members and community, she knew that something wasn’t right. She had bigger hopes and dreams to get an education, build a career, and create a life for herself that was free from her family duties. After ten years of enduring abuse, while slowly saving up money from a small babysitting business, Samra was finally able to attend University and things started to change. At the University of Toronto, Samra was celebrated for her intelligence and found the resources and strength to leave her husband. Today, Samra has graduated at the top of her class, been named one of the top 100 most powerful women in Canada, and her book “A Good Wife: Escaping The Life I Never Chose” is a bestseller.  Show Notes:2.15 - Samra’s childhood 6.45 - The mentality of accepted norms  8.39 - Samra’s arrange marriage 9.58 - Samra arrives in Canada with her new husband 13.45 - Samra describes her first 5 years in Canada 14.27 - Samra tries to end her life 17.40 - Amy’s initial reflection to Samra’s story 18.19 - How Samra pulled herself out of abuse 22.28 - What kept Samra going, Samra started going to school 24.48 - Samra finds the on-campus health and wellness center  26.21 - Samra starts to push back, her husband abuses her to the point where she decides to leave 29.43 - Samra graduates top of her class with awards 30.30 - Cultural backlash of divorce 32.11 - Rock bottom moment 33.02 - How to capture and listen to your inner voice 37.15 - Samra’s kids become her partners 38.53 - Amy’s second reflection 40.45 - How Samra is doing today, how can people be more inclusive 44.53 - Samra dedicates the episode to her younger sister 46.33 - Amy’s final conclusion, resources for victims of abuse Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Two years ago, Brenda was pregnant with twins. A few months prior to her due date, Brenda was hospitalized for 30+ days before being thrust into an emergency C-section. Due to the hospital’s capacity, her twins were transferred to another NICU - away from Brenda for the first few days of their lives. When Brenda met her twins for the first time, they were wearing masks and hooked up to IVs. After Brenda was able to take them home with her and her husband two months later, everything seemed out of place. Nothing was the way that Brenda thought it would be and soon after, she began to realize that something was seriously wrong. About a year later, Brenda was diagnosed with PTSD from her traumatic birth experience, and slowly she began to accept her experience and heal.  1.22 - Brenda’s Childhood 3.43 - Life after University and getting pregnant with twins 5.07 - The pregnancy 7.20 - Pregnancy complications 10.05 - Unexpected early birth 12.08 - Post-birth in the NICU 16.45 - Brenda realizes there’s something off 19.40 - Brenda becomes a doula 21.56 - Brenda’s diagnosis of PTSD 22.32 - Amy’s reflection on Brenda’s story 24.08 - Brenda’s treatment  27.46 - Brenda’s attachment to the idea of perfection 31.50 - Amy’s concluding thoughts 33.14 - How Brenda is doing today 37.05 - Brenda’s dedication 39.11 - Amy’s key takeaways Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

When Blair was a child, her parents divorced. Her dad was struggling with addiction, and to Blair, when her father left, she felt like he stopped loving her. Fast forward to her adult life, Blair fell into abusive relationships, where she gave in to the wrong people, seeking the love she felt she lost. When she left her relationship, Blair found herself at rock bottom. She was effectively homeless, and called everyone that had expressed interest in working with her business to make enough money to put down a rent deposit. From the day she moved in, things started looking up. Blair worked her way up and eventually made a trip to Vancouver, where she gathered the strength to call her father and begin putting their relationship back together.  1.15 - Blair’s childhood 6.20 - How Blair left her abusive relationship 8.40 - Blair’s rock bottom moment 8.50 - Blair’s dad came back into her life 10.14 - Amy’s reflection on Blair’s story 11.43 - How Blair and her dad rebuilt their relationship 16.19 - How Blair’s trauma affected her view of alcohol and drugs 17.54 - Blair’s father is diagnosed with terminal illness 18.59 - Blair’s father’s apology letter 22.27- Amy’s second reflection on Blair’s story 24.12 - What happened next 28.50 - How to unleash love in moments of pain 33.26 - Amy’s conclusion Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Growing up in a family rooted in alcoholism, at a young age, Katie Koslowski’s parents dedicated themselves to trying to save her Uncle, after her other Uncle jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. As a child, she knew there was something going on, but no one wanted to talk about it. When her Grandmother went into a coma, at age five, Katie tried to comprehend the surrounding stress and anxiety that was storming, while feeling like her parents were distracted from raising her. When Katie moved into her teenage years, she didn’t have any sense of support, and fell into consistent peer pressure, which led to her alcoholism. Alcohol led to drugs, and Katie found herself involved in several sexual assaults and abusive relationships. Today, Katie has dedicated herself to supporting other women overcome the abuse they’ve experienced.  1.34 - Katie’s childhood 5.24 - How Katie’s childhood affected her life 9.05 - Amy dissects how how alcoholism can act as a filler for voids 9.45 - How Katie’s upbringing affected her relationships 14.32 - Amy reflects on Katie’s story. 15.14 - Katie walks in front of a moving cab on September 19th, 2009. 17.04 - The turning point. 19.00 - Katie’s change. 19.52 - Amy reflects on Katie’s rock bottom moment and turning point.  22.39 - Tools and resources Katie used in her healing process.  26.00 - Katie’s next chapter. 30.05 - What is wrong with the word ‘trigger.’ 32.10 - Amy’s final reflection.  33.57 - How Katie is doing today. 38.30 - Amy’s key takeaways. Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to Calm After The Storm, this is your host Amy Syed. I am Founder and CEO of FindyourHCP, 15minuteaday.ca and an activist. I am a survivor of domestic violence, terminal cancer and Grief. Thanks for joining us on this journey through other’s declarations. In this episode of Calm After The Storm: Survivorship and Other Stories with Amy Syed, we speak with Laura Tucker, Leadership Coach at Free Your Inner Guru. Tune in as we tackle topics like: 2:01 - Laura’s background 4:08 - Being the eldest and the only daughter 7:26 - Becoming rebellious outside her home 11:20 - College life 15:56 - Embarking on her mental health journey 20:22 - Reflecting on what life is “supposed to look like” 21:36 - The difficulty of pursuing a teaching career 28:49 - Training, Sales and Antidepressants 32:46 - Getting a morality check 36:16 - Life in Kelowna, BC 40:25 - The Secret 45:26 - “From peak to pit” 1:00:12 - Life after Sedona 1:04:10 - Discovering new therapeutic methods 1:13:59 - The biggest lesson she learned 1:18:22 - Laura’s dedication Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to Calm After The Storm, this is your host Amy Syed. I am Founder and CEO of FindyourHCP, 15minuteaday.ca and an activist. I am a survivor of domestic violence, terminal cancer and Grief. Thanks for joining us on this journey through other’s declarations. In this episode of Calm After The Storm: Survivorship and Other Stories with Amy Syed, we speak with Melissa Punambolam, Life Designer at Life Designer Consulting.Tune in as we tackle topics like:1:14 - Being a life designer 2:48 - Melissa's childhood5:37 - Being her mom’s protector 9:33 - What she learned in counselling12:00 - Her teenage years15:05 - Reflecting on her mom's decisions and choices16:38 - Life in her 20's20:21 - Differentiating between healthy and unhealthy anger23:18 - How she copes with unhealthy anger27:01 - Feeling and healing shame29:44 - Her current relationship with her parents34:23 - Melissa's dedication Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to Calm After The Storm, this is your host Amy Syed. I am Founder and CEO of FindyourHCP, 15minuteaday.ca and an activist. I am a survivor of domestic violence, terminal cancer and Grief. Thanks for joining us on this journey through other’s declarations. In this episode of Calm After The Storm: Survivorship and Other Stories with Amy Syed, we speak with Danielle Lewis, owner and lead designer behind Danielle Lewis Designs.  Tune in as we tackle topics like: 1:35 - What Danielle is up to today 2:34 - Growing up as an old soul 8:12 - Finding her husband 11:14 - Navigating infertility at a younger age 15:00 - Experiencing her miscarriage 18:26 - Using her intuition and finding a different outlook 20:55 - Advocating her fertility plan 23:32 - A growing family 25:31 - Reflecting on her journey 28:36 - Discussing infertility misconceptions  31:32 - Danielle’s dedication Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to Calm after the Storm, this is your host Amy Syed. I am Founder and CEO of FindyourHCP, 15minuteaday.ca and an activist. I am a survivor of domestic violence, terminal cancer and Grief. Thanks for joining us on this journey through other’s declarations. In this episode of Calm after the Storm: Survivorship and Other Stories with Amy Syed, we speak with Leanne Monaghan, owner and executive director of Staying Alive Fitness. She is a Registered Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, Pilates, kickboxing, fitness, Yoga Instructor and Lifestyle Coach.  Tune in as we discuss topics such as: 1:50 - What Leanne is up to today 7:36 - A challenging childhood with an alcoholic father 13:02 - A trip to Mexico 18:50 - Telling her family about being raped 22:18 - Getting diagnosed with cervical cancer 31:14 - Recovering and gaining inspiration for the gym 33:26 - A crucial shift in her mindset 35:35 - The start of Staying Alive Fitness 39:28 - Leanne’s dedication Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to Calm after the Storm, this is your host Amy Syed. I am Founder and CEO of FindyourHCP, 15minuteaday.ca and an activist. I am a survivor of domestic violence, terminal cancer and Grief. Thanks for joining us on this journey through other’s declarations. In this episode of Calm After The Storm: Survivorship and Other Stories with Amy Syed, we speak with Allison Venditti, a return to work expert, about her experience going through numerous head injuries, concussions, seizures and navigating a changing healthcare system. Tune in as we discuss topics such as navigating the healthcare system, transitioning to self-employment and finding new meaning to life. Allison Venditti has spent over a decade in Human Resources, coaching and consulting and in a super niche specialty as a return to work expert. She has interviewed over 2000 applicants for jobs, helped over 800 people return to work after maternity leave, injury and illness and coached individuals into more senior roles, new careers and new businesses. She has worked with companies ranging from 5 – 10,000 employees in industries ranging from consumer packaged goods, marketing, banking, tech, startups, engineering, non-profit, health care and government. 1:30- A little about Allison 4:32- “Just take Tylenol” 9:32- Confronting the hard truth 15:02- Navigating through short and long-term disability 16:46- Joining a Brain Injury Program 23:49- How Allison felt through behavioural therapy 27:36- Hiring and becoming an advocate for yourself 32:13- Allison’s dedication Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome back to calm after the storm. Today we're going to be talking to an extraordinary Individual by the name of Brianna Cordero, a human trafficking survivor and survivor consultant on the Halton and Hamilton Coalition Against Human Trafficking. In this episode, we deep dive into her experiences leading up to human trafficking in Canada and her inspiring journey towards a fresh start with her son. 2:51 - Growing Up Bullied by Family 7:02 - Dating and Life Expectations from Catholic School 8:30 - Married and Stuck in the States 13:02 - Help from the Hospital and Hotel Staff 20:10 - Handling a Custody Battle for Her Son 23:27 - Experiencing Homelessness  25:29 - Creating a Career as a Survivor Consultant 29:15 - Human Trafficking in Canada Today 33:25 - Breanna’s Dedication  Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to the third episode of Calm After The Storm, a podcast that explores various themes of survivorship and how each speaker has thrived. This podcast is hosted by Amy Syed, Founder and CEO of Findyourhcp.com. In today's episode, we chat with Nneka MacGregor and Shalleena about violence against women, how they overcome it and the important work they’re doing now. 1:35 - A little bit about Nneka and Shellina today 3:42 - Deep diving into Nneka’s childhood 11:31 - Dealing with Abuse (Nneka) 14:19 - Modelling what love is for Nneka’s children 19:06 - Shellina’s upbringing 24:40 - Seeking shelter (Shellina) 27:29 - the healing continuum 36:16 - post-traumatic growth and consent 46:21 - declarations, not stories 51:00 - dedication for trans folx, Black and indigenous peoples Nneka MacGregor is Executive Director of the Women's Centre for Social Justice, better known as WomenatthecentrE. She is a survivor and started the organization as a way to channel her anger, disappointment and energy at systems that were fundamentally broken. She and Shelleena, mobilize survivors, who are the true experts, to use their lived experience to bring about change, so that others don't experience the trauma they have endured.  Nneka and Shelleena can be reached at nneka@womenatthecentre.com and www.womentatthecentre.com CONTENT WARNING: Information shared in Calm After The Storm podcast can be graphic in nature. We recommend you review the details of our podcast before tuning in. We appreciate you tuning in and we hope that the story shared with you today is inspirational and helps to get through tough times that you may be facing. For additional information or support, please visit 15minutesaday.ca Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)

Welcome to the first episode of Calm After The Storm, a podcast that explores various themes of survivorship and how each speaker has thrived. This podcast is hosted by Amy Syed, Founder and CEO of Findyourhcp.com, a technical platform that matches healthcare practitioners to employers on demand. In today's episode, Amy shares her experiences in grief, domestic violence, and terminal cancer with her sister Mehvish Syed, an animal and nature enthusiast who spends her day job cultivating support for cancer research and care at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.  5:04 - Amy’s childhood, growing up with South Asian descent and losing her father 14:32 - Taking on responsibility and being busy as a coping method 16:38 - Marriage, pregnancy and abuse 23:03 - Navigating through hardship 33:35 - How meditation helped her treatment 37:04 - Starting a new life and thriving 42:43 - Living in the moment, practising gratitude  46:02 - Honouring her father and a friend Amy Syed is a serial entrepreneur who has created other businesses and currently also coaches people who have no time for self-care to create habits and optimize their daily lives via 15minutesaday.ca. She is a speaker and chair of the board of directors at the Period Purse. When she is not working or volunteering, she has 5 beautiful children and a supportive partner with whom she spends her time and energies to grow the future.  Visit Amy at: 15minutesaday.ca , @amy.syed @calmafterthestormpodcast  CONTENT WARNING: Information shared in Calm After The Storm podcast can be graphic in nature. We recommend you review the details of our podcast before tuning in. We appreciate you tuning in and we hope that the story shared with you today is inspirational and helps to get through tough times that you may be facing. For additional information or support, please visit 15minutesaday.ca Support the show (https://www.amysyed.ca/calmafterthestormpodcast)