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Breaking Free
Creating Sisterhood with Maria Brito
Has there ever been a time in your life that you felt confused, alone, and at a complete loss about what comes next? Sometimes we have to take it upon ourselves to reach out and create a community around us in order to be able to learn, heal, and grow.
My guest today is Maria Brito. Maria hails originally from the island of Puerto Rico and is known as Mama Maria to her nearest and dearest. She works as a women’s empowerment coach, a breath doula, and a yoga instructor.
Today, Maria and I talk about the power that comes from a woman healing herself and why it’s so important to give people the tools they need to empower their growth. We touch on why women so often feel unworthy, how healing is an ongoing process, and how critical it is to cope with our childhood trauma.
Tune in and listen to episode four of Breaking Free. Learn how Maria’s journey through a deeply troubled childhood and a nomadic marriage brought her to the courageous, wise 50-year-old she is today. Maria and I chat a bit about our mutual love for my home country, Jordan, being a student of life, and what it’s like to be a project manager by day and a priestess by night.
In this episode, you will learn:
- The book Maria draws her inspiration from the most (02:04)
- A bit about Maria and her background (03:33)
- How it’s normal to continue to struggle, and that healing takes persistent effort (12:42)
- How Maria dealt with the trauma of her teen years (15:46)
- Why Maria felt compelled to create her own sisterhood when she moved back to the US from abroad (21:52)
- A little about Maria’s newest program (26:10)
- How Maria now feels the inner peace she’d been striving toward (28:27)
Some questions I ask:
- What makes you happy? (01:22)
- How did you cope before you discovered the path to healing? (07:41)
- What was the moment that you realized you needed to surrender, to pray, to realize that you are worthy? (11:40)
- What were the physical difficulties you dealt with growing up? (13:51)
- How have you grown and improved your marriage? (18:24)
- What was it like to keep a corporate day job while doing soul work alongside it? (23:53)
- Have you always been a student of life? (27:16)
- How did you come to be known as Mama Maria? (31:40)
Connect with Maria:
Let’s connect!
Resources mentioned:
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60. Better Communication
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35:10||Season 3, Ep. 59From Yale to Managing Director of a leading tech platform: My guest, Hala Siraj, shares her story and insights on the joys and challenges of being a working motherin a world that expects "Women to work like they don't have children, and raise children as if they don't work" which is a recipe for Mommy guilt.Discussed in this episode:Growing up in a household where both parents worked and had high expectations for their daughter's career (2:00)The importance of having a support system when balancing motherhood and career, and letting go of the need to be perfect (5:30)Overcoming the struggle for perfection by using the "different people in the front seat of the car" analogy (11:15)Finding comfort in knowing that other successful women also struggle (14:30)Being a role model for her daughters and finding purpose in her work (16:45)Opinions on co-parenting and the challenges of balancing responsibilities (19:00)Experiencing guilt and pressure to fulfill the expectation of being a "perfect" mother, can cause Hala to stay up all night after missing a playdate to exercise (21:40)How Hala's previous job in investment banking prepared her for her current role (25:45)Dealing with doubts and stereotypes as a young female managing director (30:30)Connect with Hala:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halagrams/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hala-s-273a1737/ Email: hala.siraj@talabat.com Let’s connect!FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInWebsite58. Total Wellness
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40:28||Season 3, Ep. 56“In the summer of 2021, Hadeel decided it was time for a drastic change after her mental health had deteriorated and her friends had moved on without her. She realized she needed to stop living for other people and start living for herself. We talk about how she was able to overcome her depression, social anxiety, and eating disorder when she began listening to her own body and mind, as well as seeking professional support. Hadeel discovered many tools that continue to help her keep a balance in her life and listening to music is one of them. She is now pursuing an MBA with a focus on Social Innovation and following her passion in radio which is where I first heard her and knew I must have her on my podcast to share her inspirational journey of growth. Discussed in this episode:The turning point of Hadeel's life was when her mental health deteriorated and her friends abandoned her (1:47)How self- blame lead to Hadeel's depression and eating disorder (4:55)How to shift your focus to things you can change and let go of matters that are not in your control (6:57)Being alone differs from feeling lonely (14:07)The tools that help Hadeel resist falling back into the trap of societal and familial expectations (17:55)Hadeel shares valuable rules she now lives by (26:25)How music can be healing and helps process your emotions (29:25)A brief exploration of Drill rap music (34:07)Connect with Hadeel:https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hadeel-marzouq-15b050180https://www.instagram.com/hmarzouq/References:The obstacle is the wayLet’s connect!FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInWebsite55. The confidence to speak up
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37:59||Season 3, Ep. 53In this episode of the Breaking Free podcast, I explore conflict management and decision-making with special guest Kimberly Best, a highly experienced family mediator, facilitator, and author. Kimberly sharesher wealth of knowledge by offering valuable tools and techniques for effectively dealing with conflicts. She explains why blaming others is a common but ineffective approach and instead focuses on the importance of finding alternative solutions that benefit all parties involved. Additionally, Best provides guidance for making difficult decisions, including end-of-life issues, that you can use in your own lives. With practical advice on managing conflicts at work, with partners, or with children, you're sure to walk away from this episode with a better understanding of how to handle these situations in a constructive and empathetic manner.Discussed in this episode:Understanding mediation and how to find resolutions when facing conflict (1:30)Distinctions between Couple Therapy and Mediation (5:00)How blame doesn't help and takes away your power and agency (6:25)Advice from a book by William Ury on how to untangle the People from the Problem in order to find an effective solution (10:30)Parent struggles with teens and how to move forward after the conflict (15:00)Why understanding your own triggers, helps you respond better next time (19:00)Find out your values and understand the values of those close to you (20:38)A way to develop self-awareness in the moment with a keyword that helps you step back and regroup (23:30)Feelings of shame that surface when people are told that they have disappointed others (30.22)Kim's book HOW TO LIVE FOREVER is a guide to writing the final chapter of your life story (31:00)Connect with Kimberly:Website:https://www.bestconflictsolutions.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlybestmediator/FB: https://www.facebook.com/bestconflictsolutionsInsta: https://www.instagram.com/kimberly_a_best/Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberly_a_bestBook: How to live forever https://amzn.eu/d/61JorTcReferences:William Ury's book: https://www.williamury.com/books/getting-to-yes/Values test: https://www.viacharacter.org/Let’s connect!FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInWebsite52. Creating physical harmony
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