Refreshingly Human

What if there was a way to realise the subtle nuances in intolerance and ignorance? Join 2 brown girls one South African the other British, as they deep dive into experiences of racism and ignorance as multicultural women of color.In this episode, we dive deep into the complex issue of racism and its subtle manifestations. Our guest, Bola, shares her personal experiences and reflections on growing up in the UK.Racism becomes the ‘Norm’Bola highlights how racism can be deeply ingrained in society, often going unnoticed or dismissed as the norm. She discusses the importance of education and awareness, acknowledging that as children, we may not have been fully aware of the racism around us. However, as we grow older, we start to realize the significance of racial issues and the need for education and understanding.Breaking free from the cycle of IgnoranceThe conversation delves into the sensitive topic of racial segregation in South Africa, where Hannah shares stories of maids being treated differently and the separation of people based on race. She emphasizes the importance of breaking free from such molds and expanding our perspectives to embrace diversity and different cultures.Having the tough conversations with loveBola and our host, Hannah, reflect on their own experiences and acknowledge the need for open dialogue and uncomfortable conversations about racism. They recognize the discomfort and defensiveness that often arise when discussing race, but emphasize the importance of facing these issues head-on.Tune in to hear this thought-provoking discussion on the complexities of racism, the need for education and awareness, and the importance of embracing diversity. Let's keep the conversation going and strive for a more inclusive and understanding society."Racism is subtle and sometimes you do not realize or others do not realize they are being racist because they just see it as that's the way it is. And that's why I think it's complex and it's not so easy to define. Because it has made it so complex."Bola, The Refreshingly Human Podcast, S7 E4

Did you ever really think about the implications on our identity growing up in a different country from the generations before us?Crossing the boundaries of culture can present significant challenges for children as they navigate the experience of being immersed in one culture at home while encountering a distinct culture in their broader environment. This situation often results in varying expectations and role models, which can send conflicting messages about social norms and have a complex impact on the development of one's identity.In this episode of "Refreshingly Human," Hannah engages in a conversation with TJ Wey about her upbringing in America as the child of immigrant parents. They discuss how zhe learned to selectively adopt aspects of zir family heritage and the dominant culture, emphasizing the following points:The profound impact of encountering racial profiling and micro-aggressions from a young age.The process of reconciling conflicting information about societal expectations as we grow up and its influence on our identity development.The significance of the #VeryAsian movement, which encourages individuals to embrace their Asian identity to the extent they desire and selectively incorporate elements from various sources.The changing landscape for multicultural children in terms of available resources that aid in integrating their diverse cultural backgrounds. "My Mom would say that I was her retirement plan. That’s where I felt like I really had to unpick it. Because it’s really easy to say, 'Here are the parameters to be a good Asian,' and follow that. However, when it starts hindering you from pursuing your own aspirations, you have to ask yourself, 'Okay, which aspects of this framework aren't serving me, and how can I forge my own path?'"TJ Wey, The Refreshingly Human Podcast, S7 E3

Have you had a conversation about the color of your skin growing up?Hannah Pillow did not, because she grew up in South Africa, where the color of her skin was ‘Normal’. But she soon discovered that in England, Brown meant: Different.Hannah sheds light on her journey from South Africa to England and the realization of her identity as a brown person.Growing up in a multicultural bubble: Hannah reflects on her upbringing in South Africa, where she belonged to a close-knit Indian South African community. Despite living in a country with a majority of people of color, she highlights the remnants of the damaging apartheid era that still linger, shaping the cultural dynamics within the society.The Burden of Otherness: Moving to England introduced Hannah to new experiences of being "othered" by both individuals of her own race and British people. Curiosity and Tokenism: Joining a white family through marriage, Hannah encountered curiosity about their culture, often feeling like a representative of all brown people, which she felt was too much to place on her.Join Hannah in this thought-provoking and entertaining podcast as we embark on a journey of self-discovery, cultural exploration, and candid conversations. Through personal anecdotes and insightful discussions, Hannah aims to challenge stereotypes, promote empathy, and celebrate the vibrant tapestry of humanity. Share your own experiences of prejudice and racism, and let's create a space where diverse voices can be heard. Tune in to the Refreshingly Human Podcast, and together, let's break barriers and embrace our shared humanity.

Have you experienced growing up in a community that strongly emphasized cultural identity?For those of us who have, we learned from an early age the societal roles and expectations imposed upon us as girls and women. Breaking free from those predetermined notions and discovering our authentic selves can be a lengthy process.In Hannah's case, this exploration led her to distance herself from her family, husband, and country of birth, embarking on a solo journey.Hannah Pillow engages in a conversation with TJ Wey, delving into her transformative quest for liberation, which involved breaking away from an Islamic family, becoming an entrepreneur in her chosen country, and establishing a company that empowers women to embrace greater freedom and possibility worldwide. Key elements of her narrative encompass:Growing up within an Islamic family, navigating cultural expectations for women, and navigating her complex relationship with her mother.Opting for marriage as a means of escaping her family, only to find herself trapped in another unhealthy environment.Emancipating herself from her cultural background through divorce and renouncing her religious affiliation.Discovering a genuine escape route by secretly pursuing a teaching qualification and acquiring a visa to leave her home country.Returning to her childhood surroundings with a life and identity she can genuinely be proud of, having crafted it on her own terms."There was very little room for me to be a human being growing up. There were so many things that weren’t allowed because of this controlled environment that I was growing up in, because reputation was so important within the community. And reputation would often be disguised as wanting the best for me because of religion; that came with a lot of expectations that I had to be a clone of my mother. This is basically the influence of what I should be.” Hannah Pillow,S7 E1, Refreshingly HumanKeep up to date with Hannah and the podcast:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/releasingtheshouldspodcast/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HannahPillow12

Do we need to tolerate our families’ choices, opinions and mindset issues as the Blacksheep and rebels? Look, every family has a Blacksheep, or two, or three, but does that mean we need to accept the labels and boxes that are put on us? How do we go back to the family and hold space for our badass selves?In this episode I will give you 4 steps on dealing with your family as the Blacksheep and rebel so that you can go home and return feeling like the fucking badass that you are and not feeling like you need to apologize for who you are!Leave us a review on iTunes here to help us become the #1 podcast for rebels and Blacksheep:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/refreshingly-human/id1473583656Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refreshinglyhumanpodcast/?hl=enFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/HannahPillow12--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

https://linktr.ee/refreshinglyhuman ‘I felt like a failure, I felt like I failed being a human because I needed this pill’ I missed an important exam, I had a car full of hijabs to help keep my mother of my back, I had tension headaches and chest pains… I needed help. This is my experience with taking anti-depressants, let’s remove the shame of needing medical help to assist our mental health. Loving the podcast? Leave us a rating and review here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/refreshingly-human/id1473583656 Flashback episode with CBT practitioner Sarah: https://anchor.fm/breakthroughthis/episodes/S3-E9-Emotions-All-your-feelings-are-Valid--With-CBT-Practitioner-Sarah-Kilcullen-ene65c --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Luke’s episode on the Haunting of Hill house made me cry…. I get so emotional when I watch both Luke AND Nellie’s episodes. In this episode I dive into how I can relate both characters and their ghosts to my own life? Let us know who you relate to and why on Instagram @Refreshinglyhumanpodcast Facebook: Refreshingly human podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Let's talk about the lessons I took away from living with a culture that was completely different from mine.  This short series will highlight my new line of work. If you are a white person who needs help with cross cultural communication then you can find me on instagram @revolutionaryconversationguru and join an exclusive Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1203299186852321 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

There is so much going on in the world, it can leave us feeling drained and hopeless. But I truly beleive that if we pull together collectively as HUMANS we can create immense changes to big injustices. I was asking myself, but what can I do? So I brought on someone, with first hand experience, to share with us the little things that we can do to make a BIG impact.  What is the one thing you are going to do to stand up against injustice? Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Amir Yass identifies himself as the Queer Muslim. Today he openly shared his coming out experience but then we moved a step further to find out who Amir Yass is behind the labels. I can not tell you how much I love this guy, he is Refreshingly real, passionate and such a kind human being. What is the one thing that surprised you about Amir? You can find Amir here: https://www.instagram.com/amiryassofficial/ Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

We live in a world that is consistently changing, from sex and sexuality to race and culture, how do we keep up? Sex advocate Leanne Matthews and Communications Expert Hannah Pillow put their heads together to brainstorm the best way to communicate about difficult topics and how to navigate a situation where we might have offended someone. You can find Leanne here: https://www.instagram.com/lea_sexpositive/?hl=en Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Were you taught to feel shame about sex and your sexuality? Lee Hopkins of the Patterns of possibility podcast, dives deep into how he overcame his shame with sex and sexuality and found his way to being sexually confident. You can find Lee here: https://www.patternsofpossibility.com/coaching Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Did you grow up in a male dominated culture? Amal and myself dig deep into our experiences growing up in this culture. Amal talks about the deconstructing she had to do and how she claimed her sexuality back after a lifetime of being shamed. You can find Amal here: amalpk755 Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Szebastian is the ‘almostNakedCEO’, INTENTIONAL Entrepreneur-Maker, Mental*, Non-Binary Networking Octopus-Human, Multi-Cause Philanthropist, Child-Abuse & Domestic Violence Subscriber and Unapologetic Chimp 3.0 Szebastian gets Refreshingly real and honest about their experience with sexual abuse as a child, their take on moving forward, and shares some valuable advice for anyone in a similar situation. “As far as my parents were concerned they were leaving me with my uncles… The purpose of what they were leaving me with them for, the entire opposite was happening.” – Szebastian Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Leanne Mathews is a Sex advocate who is so passionate about Sex, open communications around sex and sexual educations. She has years of experience speaking openly about sex, in this episode she finds the line of humanity from our past episodes and sheds important light on the common issues throughout the season so far. We touch on so many important aspects about open communication, such as finding the right person in your social circle to confide in, why open communications about sex is the heart of the issue and how to break stereotypes related to sex. “What you discuss in your social groups can be as important an education as what you learn in school or from your parents.” – Leanne Mathews. Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Throughout this season we bashed on sex education during our era. So I brought on UK educator Martin Edwards to shine light on what is happening in education now and my god, he blew my mind. Do you think things are getting better or severely more complicated? "We need parents to have these conversations and know what their children are doing online." – Martin Edwards Let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

How comfortable are you with speaking about sex? Do you blush when it's brought up or shy away from the topic? Dan gets Refreshingly honest about why he enjoys talking about sex. He also gives some insight to his own inner cirlces relationship with sex, talks about growing up Jewish and identifying as Queer.  Can you relate to this episode? Let us know! Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Phil gets Refreshingly honest about being a horny teenage boy, how he had to overcome shame related to sexuality and accept his sex drive for what it really is. Can you relate to this episode? Let us know! "I loved having sex, I loved exploring, I loved getting better over time and figuring out what to do.” Phil Drysdale You can find Phil here: https://www.instagram.com/phildrysdale/?hl=en Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message https://www.refreshinglyhuman.co.uk/ Facebook: Refreshingly Human --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Is sex before marriage that bad? How has what we were told about sex affected our relationship with sex today? Kathy gets refreshingly open about sex and her own sexual experience. Let us know what you think! "The first time can be so awkward, it was painful..." Kathy, it's all about evolving. You can find Kathy here: https://linktr.ee/itsallaboutevolving/ Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message www.hannahpillow.com Facebook: Refreshingly Human --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message

Sex, we all do it, well most of us anyway. Are you comfortable talking about sex? Do you have healthy discusions about your sexuality?  On season 5 of Refreshingly Human podcast, we talk about Sex Education, we answer sex quesitons and Hannah asks questions that most might be afraid to ask!  Season 5 oficially kicks of on the 22nd March 2021! Join us! "The first time can be so awkward, it was painful..." Kathy, it's all about evolving.  "I like how you substitute that, my school didn't give me a textbook so I'll go find a real life example." Hannah Pillow, Refreshingly Human. Send me a voice message on anchor: https://anchor.fm/refreshingly-human/message www.hannahpillow.com Facebook: Refreshingly Human --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refreshinglyhuman/message