Being Human with Leana Deeb

In this episode, Leana sits down with Iskra Lawrence, model, mental health advocate, and founder of Saltair, one of the fastest-growing body care brands in the country. Iskra takes it back to growing up in a small town in England, entering a modeling competition at 12, and being watched by agencies through puberty while her changing body was treated like a problem. She opens up about developing an eating disorder, being told she was too curvy for straight-size modeling and too small for plus-size modeling, and the breaking point when she realized she was never the problem. The industry was. She shares how she rebuilt her sense of self through affirmations, began pitching herself directly to brands at 19, and eventually created a career on her own terms. Iskra also gets candid about losing herself postpartum during the pandemic, unexpectedly losing her Aerie contract, and how a five-minute shower became the inspiration for Saltair. She breaks down why she still does not take a salary from the company, why she prioritizes long-term financial security over a luxurious lifestyle, and what it means to build generational wealth. Leana and Iskra also talk about motherhood, ambition, being the breadwinner in a marriage, finding a partner without ego, and why having a successful career does not mean having everything perfectly together. Leana and Iskra get into: → Entering the modeling industry at 12 years old → Being told she was too curvy, too commercial, and too womanly at 14 → Developing an eating disorder while trying to control her body → Being rejected by plus-size agencies for being too small → Realizing she was never the problem, the industry was → Cattle calls, rejection, comparison, and body dysmorphia → Using mirror affirmations to rebuild her self-worth → Why women are taught to view attractiveness as currency → Pitching herself directly to brands at 19 → Her dad eventually quitting his job to work alongside her → Loving pregnancy but completely losing herself postpartum → Losing her milk supply during the formula shortage → The five-minute shower that inspired Saltair → Losing her Aerie contract and feeling disposable again → Why owning her own company gave her control over her future → Faith, ambition, and her “why not me?” mindset → Why she does not take a salary from Saltair → Moving to New York with $15,000 and living with five models in a one-bedroom apartment → Choosing future financial security over luxury today → Why women need to talk more openly about money → Her goal of retiring her parents and creating generational wealth → Redefining what success actually looks like → Motherhood, dishes in the sink, missed workouts, and giving herself grace → Being the breadwinner in her marriage → Finding a partner without ego → Writing letters about things that felt too difficult to say out loud “At that breaking point, I realized I was never the problem. The industry was the problem.” — Iskra Lawrence TOPICS DISCUSSED (00:00) Preview + Intro(01:22) Starting Modeling at 12 Years Old(03:20) Developing an Eating Disorder in the Modeling Industry(08:02) Body Dysmorphia, Mental Health & Rebuilding Self-Worth(12:33) Postpartum Identity Loss & Finding Herself Again(14:32) How Saltair Was Born(17:24) Moving to Austin & Stepping Away From Her Old Life(18:56) Losing Her Aerie Contract & Feeling Disposable Again(23:13) Faith, God & the “Why Not Me?” Mindset(26:31) Building Saltair Without Taking a Founder Salary(30:35) Money, Sacrifice & Building Long-Term Financial Security(34:27) Redefining What Success Actually Means(37:42) The Reality of “Doing It All” as a Working Mom(41:31) Being the Breadwinner in Her Marriage(43:43) Communication, Partnership & Writing Each Other Letters(47:45) What Does It Mean to Be Human? Stay connected with Leana Deeb: Instagram: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpodcast TikTok: @leanadeeb / @beinghumannpod Stay connected with Iskra Lawrence: Instagram: @iskra / @saltair TikTok: @iskra / @saltairbody Thank you to our sponsors! Go to curehydration.com/Leana and get 20% off your first order with promo code LEANA. Take control of your health with Superpower. For a limited time, listeners get $50 off their Superpower membership. Head to Superpower.com and use code LEANA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode, Leana says the things she has been sitting on for a while. She opens up about the plastic surgery trend taking over social media, why she thinks it is dangerous for women to project it onto each other, and the moment she realized getting her lips done at 18 was never going to fill the gap she was trying to fill. From there she gets into feminism and whether it actually makes room for every woman, what the conversation around Afghanistan gets wrong about Islam, and why she believes covering up gave her power back rather than taking it away. She talks openly about being a former hardcore feminist who thought the hijab was oppressive, and what changed. She closes with the softer half of the conversation: why beauty is something God loves, and the everyday habits that make her feel most in tune with her feminine. Leana gets into: → The plastic surgery trend on social media and why she felt she had to speak on it → Why this is not a jab at women who have had work done, but at women projecting it onto others → The money argument: what a surgery budget could do as an investment instead → God designing you uniquely and what it means to change that → Picking apart your face and body even when nothing is wrong with either → Getting her lips done at 18 and the cycle of wanting to keep going → Why you will never feel enough externally if you do not feel enough internally → What feminism actually fought for, and what subjective feminism has become → Whether feminism accepts every woman regardless of what she chooses for her body → Afghanistan, Iran and forced hijab, and why she does not stand with it → Covering the eyes is not in scripture, and extremist groups do not represent Islam → Education, business and why a woman's money is her money in Islam → Why showing your body to be accepted might be its own form of oppression → Knowing exactly what attention her old clothes were bringing her → How covering up felt like taking her power back → Head covering in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and why modesty is not male centered → Mary, peace be upon her, and living in alignment with the women of that time → Studying the Quran, the Bible and the Old Testament side by side → Why every person practicing a faith believes theirs is the truth → Being okay with being disliked and living in your truth anyway → Letting go of attachment to this worldly life → Why beauty is loved by God and does not need to be hidden from yourself → Her full list of habits for feeling feminine: natural fibers, skincare, cleanliness, food, movement, and getting ready for no one but you "If you don't feel enough inside, you're never going to feel enough externally, even if you get the work done." - Leana Deeb TOPICS DISCUSSED (0:00) Intro and What We Are Covering Today (0:38) The Plastic Surgery Trend That Inspired This Episode (1:54) What That Money Could Do Instead (2:32) Didn't God Design You Beautifully? (3:29) Why It Is Never Enough (4:07) Getting My Lips Done at 18 (4:45) Where Are the Feminists? (5:42) Forced Hijab Is Not Islam (6:20) Education, Business and a Woman's Money (8:01) Is Showing Your Body to Be Accepted the Real Oppression? (8:58) I Used to Be the Biggest Man Hater (10:16) How Covering Up Gave Me My Power Back (10:54) Head Covering in Islam, Christianity and Judaism (11:13) Mary, Peace Be Upon Her, and the Veil (12:48) Everyone Believes Their Faith Is the Truth (14:04) It Is Okay to Be Disliked (15:01) Not Being Attached to This Worldly Life (15:58) God Created Beauty and God Loves Beauty (16:36) Habits to Feel In Tune With Your Feminine (22:37) Outro Stay connected with Leana Deeb: Instagram: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpodcast TikTok: @leanadeeb / @beinghumannpod Thank you to our sponsors! Make your house smell amazing at aurahouse.com and use code LEANA for 10% off your order  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Leana sits down with Patty — known online as Lean Beef Patty — one of the most recognisable women in the fitness space. But this conversation goes far beyond fitness. Patty opens up about her journey through an eating disorder, losing her identity after quitting gymnastics, navigating social media without losing herself, and why she still drives the same Prius. She is funny, refreshingly self-aware, and genuinely one of a kind — and this episode captures all of it. This one is for every woman who has ever felt like she lost herself and had to figure out who she was all over again. Leana and Patty get into: → How Lean Beef Patty got her name — and why it was actually the runner-up option → Growing up doing gymnastics for 12 years and what that level of structure did to her identity → The period after quitting gymnastics where she felt completely lost and without purpose → Her experience with an eating disorder — what it felt like, how it started, and the long road to getting help → Why she tried to trick her therapists — and what finally made her decide she actually wanted to get better → How losing her gymnastics identity led to self-punishment and what eventually helped her let it go → Her psychology degree, why she did not need it — and why she is still glad she went to school → What it was like going to the gym for the first time and how her relationship with training has shifted now that it is her job → How she navigates mental health as a public figure — and why she rarely talks to friends about how she is feeling → Her morning habits, walking, and why keeping a routine is the foundation of her mental peace → Why she lives simply, still drives the same car, and genuinely does not care about material things → Her take on success — and why the answer is peace, not money or status → Baggy clothes, not wanting to be looked at, and the difference between self-validation and seeking outside validation → Boundaries, small friend groups, and how she learned to stop communicating with anger → Her thoughts on God, religion, guilt, and where she stands with faith right now → Her clothing brand Lean Beef Tees and the cow painting that started it all → What it means to be human — and why her answer is simply: raw "To be human is to be raw. Just being yourself. Whatever that is." — Lean Beef Patty TOPICS DISCUSSED (00:00) Intro & How Lean Beef Patty Got Her Name(01:43) Growing Up on a Farm, Gymnastics & Her Family(08:39) Going to the Gym for the First Time & How Her Relationship with Training Has Changed(12:58) Her Eating Disorder — What Happened & The Road to Getting Help(18:47) Losing Her Identity After Gymnastics & Finding Herself Again(22:35) Mental Health Practices, Meditation & Walking(25:14) Faith, God & Her Relationship with Religion(29:35) Her Clothing Brand, Painting Cows & Tapping Into Her Inner Child(40:35) Living Simply, The Same Prius & Why She Does Not Care About Materialism(42:51) What Success & Peace Actually Mean to Her(44:54) Social Media, Boundaries & Her Small Circle of Friends(53:18) Baggy Clothes, Validation & Not Wanting to Be Looked At(55:40) What It Means to Be Human Stay connected with Leana Deeb: Instagram: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpodcast TikTok: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpod Stay connected with Lean Beef Patty: Instagram, TikTok & YouTube: @leanbeefpatty Shop: leanbeeftees.com Thank you to our sponsors! use code LEANA for 15% off the Premium Starter Kit at https://BranchBasics.com Go to https://curehydration.com/code and get 20% off your first order with promo code LEANA. Head over to https://Superpower.com and use code LEANA for $20 off your $199 Superpower membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode, Leana gets into one of the topics she lives by — discipline and how to actually stick to your word. Not the aesthetic version of discipline you see online, but the real, practical, day-by-day habits that have changed how she shows up in her work, her training, her relationships, and her relationship with herself. She shares the exact systems, mindset shifts, and daily habits that took her from someone who consistently fell off track to someone who genuinely commits to herself — and keeps that commitment. This one is for every woman who knows what she needs to do but keeps getting in her own way. Leana gets into: Why committing to yourself changes everything — including your confidence and your aura How to build a daily plan that actually works using Google Calendar and the five daily prayers as anchors Why a consistent sleep and wake schedule is more important than how many hours you get The night routine that tells your body it is time to rest — and why scrolling before bed is working against you Why picking up your phone first thing in the morning spikes your cortisol and sets your whole day back The apps she uses to lock her phone and protect her focus — Opal and Brick How to set up your environment so that good habits are easier than bad ones Eating as a non-negotiable — why your food directly affects your mood, your energy, and your habits Work blocks, doing the hardest task first, and how to structure your day for real progress How affirmations rebuilt her relationship with herself when she did not even like who she was The 10 rapid-fire habits that will change your life Why natural fiber clothing — linen, cotton, hemp, bamboo — actually affects how you feel in your body Praying your prayers on time as the foundation everything else is built around Why negotiating with yourself is the fastest way to lose respect for yourself Learning the scripture of your faith and why it brings a different kind of peace and purpose to your days "When I made the decision to commit to myself, everything started flowing. I started to feel less stressed, less overly anxious. All it took was a little bit of attention to where I'm going wrong." — Leana Deeb TOPICS DISCUSSED (00:00) Intro — What Discipline Actually Looks Like(01:14) Starting With a Plan — Google Calendar, Prayer Times & Structuring Your Day(04:00) Sleep Schedules, Night Routines & Why Scrolling Before Bed Is Hurting You(06:30) Morning Routines & Why Your Phone Is the Worst Way to Start the Day(08:30) Food, Energy & Why What You Eat Drives Everything Else(10:30) Work Blocks, Doing the Hardest Task First & Finding Your Purpose(13:00) Preparation & Systems — How to Actually Stay Consistent at the Gym(14:30) Mindset, Affirmations & Building a Relationship With Yourself(16:00) 10 Rapid-Fire Habits That Will Change Your Life(18:00) Natural Fiber Clothing, Prayer on Time & Learning Your Scripture Stay connected with Leana Deeb: Instagram: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpodcast TikTok: @leanadeeb / @beinghumannpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Leana sits down with George Heaton — founder of Represent, one of the leading luxury streetwear brands in the world, built from a bedroom operation printing t-shirts for friends into a 15-year global business. George opens up about losing himself in his early 20s, the trademark dispute that nearly took the brand down, going nearly two years without knowing if Represent would survive, and why he still lives with doubt every single day despite everything he's built. This one is for anyone building something from nothing, anyone questioning whether discipline can really be taught, and anyone wondering what's actually on the other side of "overnight success." George and Leana get into: Looking in the mirror and not recognizing himself in his early 20s, and what pulled him back Why he avoided being the face of his own brand for years, and what it took to build that confidence Falling in love with art through his brother, and how a leadership video game unexpectedly shaped his approach to business Printing his first t-shirts and never having a plan B Building Represent with his brother for five years before it was even a real company Writing the brand's mission statement around quality and family — and why "the best product" always came before margin The trademark dispute that put the brand's entire future at risk, and living for two years not knowing if it would survive Losing hope daily during that period, but never stopping training — and using it as fuel instead His mother's influence and the quiet pressure of never wanting to let her down Believing in himself over any higher power, and how that differs from Leana's own journey into faith Their contrasting views on God, karma, the afterlife, and where meaning actually comes from His actual daily routine — from 5:30am wake-ups in the UK to running a business across two time zones now Why he dislikes the word "sacrifice" and prefers to think of it as leverage Treating discipline like a muscle — hard to build, easy to maintain once it's there Loneliness in the early years, and choosing to pour that energy into the brand instead of filling the void elsewhere Cutting off friendships and relationships that didn't align with where he was going How the 24/7 product line and Represent's activewear side actually started — almost by accident, during COVID Redefining success beyond money — health, freedom, and being able to take care of the people around him Living on minimum wage for the brand's first ten years, and staying at his parents' house until 27 Comparison, competition, and why he actively looks for someone "on his tail" to stay sharp What it means to lead a creative team without controlling every decision His closing answer to Leana's recurring question: what does it mean to be human? "If you're at rock bottom and you don't know what to do with yourself, the first thing you can do is work on you." — George Heaton TOPICS DISCUSSED  (00:00) — Intro: Meeting George Heaton & Represent (01:39) — Building the Confidence to Be the Face of the Brand (12:35) — Mass Appeal vs. Exclusivity & Protecting the Brand's Identity (18:00) — Fitness, Resilience & Building a Culture Around Discipline (25:14) — Faith, God, Karma & the Afterlife (39:19) — Moving Countries, Chasing a Feeling & Building a Life Outside the UK (42:13) — Legacy, Leadership & Staying Ahead of a Changing Industry (53:24) — Ten Years on Minimum Wage & Redefining What Success Means (58:24) — Creative Control, Team Culture & Trusting His People (01:02:43) — Patience, Standards & the Rules That Run the Brand Stay connected with Leana Deeb:  Instagram: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpodcast  TikTok: @leanadeeb / @beinghumannpod Stay connected with George Heaton:  Instagram: @georgeheaton  Brand: @representclo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices