Spelade
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Nigerian-born, Texas-raised Ajiri Aki thought joy was for the privileged few. And that she would never be smart, rich, famous, or beautiful enough to attain it. That was until she moved to Paris and learned that every day joy was all around her, in the design, the food, the flowers, the markets, the conversations, the architecture, the parks—even at the kebab stands during the strikes! In this intimate interview Ajiri gets vulnerable and shares her becoming journey, from believing joy was out of bounds, to learning how to experience joie de vivre, every day.
In this conversation we discuss:
Ajiri's Nigerian-American upbringing and why she left Texas.What she was ashamed about revealing in the blog post she wrote during the pandemicHow her vulnerability lead to the idea for her book, Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good LifeWhat the metaphor “using the good china,” is really about.How you can experience joy, even in the midst of unhappinessWhy connection is the undercurrent for joy.Why the table is an ideal place for stories and souls to collide. How Ajiri’s lifestyle is her “total work of art.” What prompted Ajiri to shave her head, and what that act taught her.What it means to be a Black woman representing rest, beauty and joy today.Healing generational trauma through rest and joy.About Ajiri:
Ajiri Aki's mom loved to collect vintage dishes and glassware and trained young Ajiri's eye to spot delicate designs and expert craftsmanship. But these fine treasures were hidden in a wooden cupboard and never used. Every day moments just weren't special enough. Ajiri lost her mom sadly to cancer when she was just twelve. With that loss, a chance to use the good china together. After earning her masters in decorative arts and pivoting many times professionally, Ajiri moved from the USA to Paris where, in 2018, she channelled her childhood loss into a mission with her French lifestyle brand, Madame de la Maison, an online boutique filled with treasures to gather stories and souls with joy and beauty every day. In April 2023 she published her second book, Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life.
Mentioned in this episode:
Madame de la Maison
A Case for the Good China
Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life.
To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:
Speak Pipe
Credits:
Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Editing Matthew Jordan
Music © Fabrice Fortin
Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?
Book a free discovery call here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How do you find your place professionally when you feel like a square peg in a world of perfect circles? When you've always had big feelings and boundless creativity but no clear way to channel them? Add to that the challenge of making a career for yourself overseas, in another language, and with a different code of conduct? Such is the imaginative and inspiring becoming story of my guest, the illustrator and comedian, Jessie Kanelos Weiner.
In this conversation Jessie and I discuss:
What childhood was like growing up with youth pastor parents in Chicago.Why her first crack at Paris was a miserable flop.How a chance encounter put Paris back on the map. How she used her creativity to find work in Paris. How her "bad" photos put her on the watercolor path.How her experience as a food stylist impacted her creative eye.How she was able to process the grief from her miscarriage through her art. Why watercolor is a perfect medium for self-expression and self-healing. Why she decided to become a stand-up comedian after watching Jimmy Kimmel.How to feel confident in the process of becoming a more full-version of yourself.About Jessie Kanelos Weiner:
Jessie Kanelos Weiner is a bilingual illustrator, author and paper cut animator based in Paris. She has five publications under her belt, including the two bestselling travel guides, "Paris in Stride: An Insider's Walking Guide" and “New York in Stride: An Insider's Walking Guide” and she’s currently working on a new book with Rizzoli. Her work has been featured in such storied publications as Vogue, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. She posts humorous critiques on her illustrated blog, the Francofly. Jessie also teaches art at The Paris College of Art. She did the original art for this very here podcast (!!) and you can catch her stand-up routines each week in Paris.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://jessiekanelosweiner.net/
Francofly
https://www.instagram.com/jessiekanelosweiner/
Blast off Comedy
To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:
Speak Pipe
Credits:
Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Editing Matthew Jordan
Music © Fabrice Fortin
Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?
Book a free discovery call here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It’s easy to compare yourself to an ideal and feel discouraged and demoralized. Like you’re falling behind, flawed, or missing something essential to fit it and succeed.
But the curated version of reality never tells the full story. Be it the story of someone’s career, a celebrated industry, or even the archetypes of a city.
Some people work to free themselves from the claws of comparison, and some people work to free others. This episode's guest, travel and culture journalist, Lindsey Tramuta, does both.
In this raw and honest conversation Lindsey and I discuss:
How she found herself in Paris 15 years ago and how her move impacted her mental health.Where her mission to dispel misleading stereotypes and create more accurate and inclusive narratives stems from. How her previously perceived weaknesses have become the source of her strength and unique voice.The difference between an expat and an immigrant and why we often mistake the two terms.The limiting beliefs she fights against in the pursuit of creative self-expression and fulfilment.Why she got so triggered when French President Emmanuel Macron tried to console Kylian Mbappé after France’s World Cup defeat. The next book project she’s working on.About Lindsey:
Lindsey Tramuta is a Philadelphia native who moved to Paris over fifteen years ago. She writes regularly for publications like the The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Fortune Magazine, and Vogue, and she’s the bestselling author of two gorgeous and fascinating books on modern-day Paris. Her first title, The New Paris explores the people and places redefining the paris culinary scene, and her most recent release, The New Parisienne, is an empowering book that pokes holes into the idealized, unrealistic image of La Parisienne and instead recasts the Parisian woman as they truly are, in all their complexity and diversity. Lindsey also hosts the fantastic podcast, The New Paris.
Mentioned in this episode:
Lindsey Tramuta's website
The New Paris Podcast
Episode 107: On Macron and the World Cup Final
The New Parisienne: The Women & Ideas Shaping Paris
The New Paris: The People, Places & Ideas Fueling a Movement
Living Abroad Helped Me Cope With My Tourette Syndrome
To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:
Speak Pipe
Credits:
Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Editing Matthew Jordan
Music © Fabrice Fortin
Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?
Book a free discovery call here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What part of ourselves are we hoping to understand better, or express more fully, when we choose a particular career or project?
That's what this conversation with documentary filmmaker and editor Jessica Menéndez explores.
Jessica was born and raised in Guatemala, moved to America when she was ten, and then made her way to Paris permanently to study film shortly after graduating from Vassar College (where we went to school together). Despite identifying her dream career ages ago, life hasn't unfolded in a straight-forward path. After two decades working as an editor, Jessica finally released her first solo documentary through the French-German production company, Arte. Titled, Kim Novak, l'âme rebelle d'Hollywood, the film tells the story of Hollywood actress for the first time through the prism of the post #metoo era. In this interview we talk about the relationship between identity, language and place, how courage and sacrifice play out in the pursuit of ambitious dreams, and what it means to finally have more women’s voices and stories emerging in cinema.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kim Novak, l'âme rebelle d'Hollywood
Vertigo
Kim Novak
To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:
Speak Pipe
Credits:
Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Editing Matthew Jordan
Music © Fabrice Fortin
Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?
Book a free discovery call here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On Becoming tells the true transformation stories of inspiring women entrepreneurs, creatives and innovators. Instead of merely focusing on where they are now, we’ll peel back the onion and take a lovingly honest look at their becoming journey. We’ll hear about how they made difficult decisions in the pursuit of deep self-expression and fulfilment, especially when they wandered off course and deviated from the classic path. Listen to find out how their hidden journeys can help unlock your own potential.
Subscribe now to listen to the first season, which launches on June 15h.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
