In this episode of Amplify Your Potential, I sit down with Sana Farooqui, founder of Simple-Switches.com, to talk about what it really means to live a non-toxic lifestyle. We discuss the small, practical swaps that make a big impact, how to read product labels without getting overwhelmed, and why detoxing your home is an act of self-care and faith from an Islamic perspective.

Connect with Sana on Instagram at @simple.switches and visit her website to learn more about creating a healthier, more intentional environment.

Hey all! I'm here with the incredibly talented Mariam Ahmed, a San Diego-based poet and author of the new collection Hidden Parts, published by Broken Tribe Press in January 2025. Mariam holds an MFA in Poetry from San Diego State University, and in this episode, we dive into the stories, silences, and truths behind her writing. We talk about identity, healing, and what it means to share the parts of ourselves we often keep hidden. It’s a beautiful, thoughtful conversation — you won’t want to miss it.

You can follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/myfavoritemariam

To purchase her book, please go to Amazon: https://a.co/d/03dqBrV

Hey all — this episode has been a long time coming. I’ve been wanting to shine a light on Muslim women entrepreneurs for a while now, and this conversation is exactly that. It’s all about support, storytelling, and showing up for the women building incredible things.

Back in March (yes, March — life’s been lifing, y’all), I recorded a conversation with the amazing Sara Ahmad. She’s a powerhouse — a serial entrepreneur who’s doing the most in the best way. We talked about her digital marketing agency Ekko Media, the heart-centered women’s space she founded called Ummati Community, and her upcoming venture, a food-focused social media app called Bite Reel.

Sara’s building with purpose, and I know so many of you will resonate with her vision as I have.

You can connect with her on Instagram: @ekkomediainc

To connect with me or to be a guest on my podcast, please message me on IG @thedraasiyah

Join me for a great conversation with Uneeb Khan from Muslim Matchmaker! You might recognize him from the show that aired earlier this year on Hulu—I watched it last month and was really drawn in by the journeys of everyone searching for their better half. In this episode, Uneeb shares his experience being part of the show and what it was like behind the scenes.

We also dive into some other interesting topics beyond the matchmaking world. Full disclosure—I was battling a cold while recording, so I had to cut out a lot of coughing (you're welcome 😅), but the final episode turned out amazing!

Give it a listen, and don’t forget to subscribe or follow so you don’t miss future episodes!

To follow Uneeb, please check out his two IG accounts - one that features his podcast, Salaam Nerds and the other that's his own account.

https://www.instagram.com/salaamnerdspodcast

https://www.instagram.com/watchwithneebz/

Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to the podcast! On today's episode, my friend Dr. Meira Yasin and I dive into mental health, the effects of mental health, especially within the cultural context, and her work to help people as a coach. Dr. Yasin and I also get into the nitty-gritty of why people are still single today, some of the most common issues in finding a spouse and how we need to reflect on ourselves during this process. This podcast is an hour and a half, one of the longest podcast episodes here on AYP, but it's chock-full of gold for all of you! Please listen and share it with everyone you know!

A little bit about Dr. Meira Yasin:

Dr. Meira Yasin is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She has worked in the mental health space since 2017 and recently transitioned to a role as Clinical Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her areas of interest include holistic wellness, global mental health, caring for vulnerable populations, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and helping people become the best version of themselves. She also does life coaching for women, focusing on holistic wellness, overcoming stress and being overwhelmed, and letting go of the past to help women level up in their journey to love and marriage.

You can find her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/meira.yasin/

If you liked this episode, please send me an email to podcast@aypinstitute.com or follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah

Welcome back to the AYP podcast!

I am back in 2025 with a brand new episode, with my guest and good friend, Zunera Ghaznavi! In this episode, we have a candid chat about her background in drugs, being a data scientist. We talk about what she does, how she finds out and understands trials and the research that goes behind the medicine we take, and then we talk about women empowerment all while discussing Islamic thoughts. Please enjoy this episode! If you would like to get in touch with Zunera, you can find her on IG at https://www.instagram.com/zuneraaah/

If you want to know more about her work, you can find her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuneraghaznavi/

If you would like to follow me on IG and DM me about being a potential guest on my show, please click here: https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah/

Welcome back to the podcast! Today, my guest is Sabha Fatima, who I met virtually a few months ago. We finally met in person when she visited Southern California for a conference back in July. From there, we became fast friends and I've gotten to know more about her, and how at such a young age (she's only 22), she started her own AirBnB business called Rest Assured Rentals. This episode chronicles her journey of how she started this business, the challenges she's faced, the successes she's seen and her main purpose of starting this business, because there is always a WHY with anything we do. Sabha leaves us with words of wisdom and encourages us that we can do anything we put our mind to if we are excited about it and have a purpose. Join in and listen to how she started her business, and see how you can learn from her if you're interested in starting your own AirBnB business as well.

You can follow Sabha on her IG, https://www.instagram.com/restassured_rentals

Feel free to reach out to her there if you have any questions or want mentoring from her. Thanks for listening and as always, please share this episode with everyone you know and follow my podcast so you can get notified of new episodes. It helps my podcast grow.

Health and wellness encompass not just what we put into our bodies when it comes to food but everything else, too - our spiritual health, physical health, mental well-being, mental acuity (having a better mindset), and emotional well-being are essential in upgrading our lives. Join me as I talk about how taking care of yourself in these areas will help you amplify your life so you can be a better version of yourself each day when you choose yourself. We cannot be influential leaders or entrepreneurs or have financial well-being if we aren't focusing on other areas of our lives that need our attention.

While this is a long episode, I hope you enjoy every minute of it. I share bits and pieces of my life and I thank all of you for subscribing and listening to my podcast. Leave me an email and let me know what you think - podcast@draasiyah.com.

Welcome to another episode with my friend and colleague, Dr. Sonya Sharififard! We talk about support systems, the importance of having a good support system, mentorship and more. This episode was actually recorded last June, a little while after my mom's passing (hence you will hear me speak on this in the beginning of the podcast), but I did not have the chance to share our episode until now. Please enjoy this amazing episode!

Join me on this episode - it's a solo episode again where I talk about what's going on with the phenomenon that I've been noticing (and not just me, all of my single and married friends included) with single men and women and issues with connecting, creating relationships and more. Today, more people are single than ever, and its becoming harder for people to find each other despite their future spouse being right under their noses. I share what I think is happening, why and my own experiences being single, ready to mingle and what needs to be done to hopefully bring people together.

Feel free to follow me on IG and on TikTok for more videos and reels on this topic, on my Chais, Chats and Rishtas series on TikTok and more.

https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah

https://www.tiktok.com/@thedraasiyah

Join me on today's episode as I talk about the importance of creating a life plan, which is similar to a business plan. I call it the business life plan for this reason.

I go through the steps on why we should create a life plan, and then the steps to get it going. Have pen and paper, feel free to pause the episode as you need to, to reflect and write and create your life plan today.

If you want to share your life plan with me, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram - my LinkedIn is https://www.linkedin.com/in/draasiyah

My instagram is https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah

Follow/Subscribe to this podcast, follow me on my social media accounts and share this episode with everyone in your life today!

We are back with another episode (long overdue!) and this time, my guest, Sylvia Baffour and I speak on the topic of emotional intelligence. She speaks on the importance of EQ and how to adapt this into our lives. We talk about some of our own experiences with using emotional intelligence with others as well. The conversation flows beautifully between us and Sylvia definitely dropped some gold gems during the show. Please join us and listen in on our conversation.

If you want to know more about Sylvia Baffour, you can check out her website here:

https://sylviaspeaks.com/meet-sylvia/

Sylvia has also written her book, I Dare You To Care and I think it's a fantastic read! You can get her book here: https://sylviaspeaks.com/product/i-dare-you-to-care/

In this episode, my friend Urmi Hossain and I speak on culture, identity, and women's empowerment. Most importantly, we address our cultural identities and how this affects who we are to others, our families, and ourselves. Here is a little more about Urmi.

Urmi is a self-published author and polyglot. She is a YouTuber, blogger, mentor, and speaker and advocates for women's empowerment. Urmi is currently volunteering with two big organizations, 100 Women in Finance and Women in Leadership, respectively. She is a big proponent of self-investment and a lifelong learner.

Urmi has written several books that can be purchased on Amazon that you can find here:

Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth from Interracial Struggle https://a.co/d/hvP0hTn

Your Italian Summer: A Survival Guide https://a.co/d/3NQbj2z

Let's Talk about Branding Yourself - A WELL-PROVEN GUIDE TO BUILDING A PERSONAL BRAND FOR LONG LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS: Learn how to create a strong personal brand that will bring long-term success https://a.co/d/9zIMR2t

You can also check out her website here: https://www.myways.ca/

If you would like to follow her on Instagram please go to https://www.instagram.com/urmamio/

Urmi is also on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urmihossain/

In this episode, my friend Tissa Richards and I speak on unshakeable leadership and creating effective teams. Tissa also wrote a book called No Permission Needed. We also discuss brand identity and loyalty, how to pitch ourselves, and our superpowers. We also talk about the value we bring to others.

While this is a business-oriented leadership episode, I know you will enjoy our conversation.

Here's more information about Tissa Richards:

Tissa Richards is an award-winning author, repeat software founder and CEO, and a sought-after leadership expert and keynote speaker with a mission to create unshakeable leaders, teams and organizations. She speaks to and trains executives at Fortune 500 and hypergrowth organizations – including Nasdaq, NYSE and Forbes – guiding them to create blueprints for individual and organizational success, develop high-performance cultures, and to diversify c-suites and corporate boardrooms. Learn more at www.tissarichards.com

You can purchase her book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Permission-Needed-Leadership-Potential-Self-Doubt-ebook/dp/B0BF7G3X5H

Welcome to Episode 11 of our podcast, where we embark on an inspiring journey with the incredible Jeanieva Faith. Join us as we delve into Reiki mastery, explore the art of cultivating deep and meaningful friendships, and celebrate the essence of women's empowerment.

In this enlightening episode, Jeanieva, a true beacon of positivity, shares her profound insights into the transformative power of Reiki healing. Discover how this ancient practice can help restore balance and harmony in your life, fostering physical well-being and emotional and spiritual growth.

But that's not all! We also dive deep into the art of crafting rich and lasting friendships. Jeanieva unveils the secrets to nurturing connections beyond the surface, creating bonds that withstand the test of time.

And, of course, we celebrate the strength and resilience of women as we discuss the importance of empowerment. Jeanieva's journey is a testament to the incredible heights that women can reach when they support one another.

So, prepare to be inspired, enlightened, and uplifted as we explore these topics and more in Episode 11. Jeanieva Faith's wisdom and warmth will leave you with a renewed sense of purpose and a heart full of hope. Tune in now and let the journey begin!

To contact Jeanieva Faith and learn about her Reiki and dance programs in West Covina, CA, please visit her website: http://www.jeanievafaithofficial.com/

You can follow her on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jeanievafaithofficial

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the show. This short episode explains why I've been MIA these last few months and why I haven't posted my content weekly. I've had a rough year with the loss of my mom, so I've been in grieving mode. I talk about the importance of talking to your loved ones about their last wishes and to ensure that things are in place before anything happens.

You can reach out to me via my Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah or email me if you would like to know more about the podcast or reach out if you liked an episode at podcast@draasiyah.com.

Thanks for listening! Please share, like, and follow/subscribe. This podcast can be heard on every platform where podcasts are played.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another fun episode. My good friend, Quene Foree, is on my show, and I'm so excited for you to hear our conversation. The episode was recorded in late January before my mom ended up in the hospital, and I had to go on hiatus. I'll talk more about this in my next episode. Anyhow, Quene is someone I would love for you to listen to as we talk about happiness and what that means in life. Happiness isn't about material things but internal peace and well-being. She also does a mini meditation during the episode you don't want to miss.

Quene is a happiness coach, has her own podcast called P's and Q's and is a professional poker player. She has her own YouTube channel that documents her poker plays at various places and shows how this game is played. In addition, Quene is also a health advocate. You can follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/queneforee/

You can also find her on YouTube, her cleanse and her podcast interview here: https://lnk.bio/Queneforee

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of Amplify Your Potential. On today's episode, my friend and fantastic guest, Janet Walters, talks about ageism and confidence. If you're over 40, finding work and changing careers can be challenging. Ageism is a real and discriminatory practice that occurs daily, especially to women who want to find work and change the trajectory of their careers. To top this off, our confidence can dwindle, leading to a cycle where we can feel unmotivated to do anything. Janet gives golden nuggets based on the stories she shares with me in this episode. You don't want to miss this, so please listen to this episode and let us know your thoughts!

To get in touch with Janet Walters, you can find her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/janetbwalters/

You can also email her at toastmasterjanet@gmail.com to connect with her.

Here's my Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah

Please share this episode with others! Thank you for your support!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my podcast! I'm sorry I've been a bit MIA but there's going to be another episode coming up about why. Those closest to me know what's going on and why.

With that said, please join in and listen to this episode with my friend and guest, Melissa Mendoza D'Amico. She's an entrepreneur and talks about how she finds time to run her business while also being a mom. We also talk about finding our purpose, and honing our intuition. It's a great episode and one you wouldn't want to miss. If you're a mom, you'll probably relate to this episode more so especially if you're looking to become an entrepreneur yourself.

You can follow Melissa on Instagram and message her there (cause she's always on social media!): https://www.instagram.com/melissamdamico/

Please follow/subscribe, share this podcast, and rate it 5 stars! Every rating and subscribe/follow helps push my podcast to the top.

Feel free to follow me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah and on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draasiyah

Welcome back after a long hiatus! My friend and colleague, Dr. Misty Resendez is my guest on this episode. We talk much about leadership, showing up in different spaces, and Dr. Misty's journey in achieving her own goals. We talk about how leaders can lead others, and touch upon impostor syndrome.

I mentioned Quiet Leadership by David Rock - you can purchase it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nBASUS

Here's a bit more about Dr. Misty Resendez:

Dr. Misty Resendez has over 18 years of professional experience in business administration and leadership methodologies. She has practiced in for-profit and non-profit arenas holding both clinical and management roles, allowing her to utilize her expertise coaching and mentoring leaders to increase organizational performance. An avid educator, Dr. Misty spends much of her time teaching both business and community leaders the importance of cultural diversity, leadership, and inclusion—focusing on the impact these necessities have on overall success at work, at home, and abroad. She often presents her research and expertise at national and international leadership conferences. Dr. Misty’s experience enables her to strongly grasp the interworking of people and the organization to positively affect cultural diversity and inclusion, organizational change, and leadership development.

You can find her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-misty-resendez-8a124640/

Let me know what you think about this episode! You can find me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draasiyah/ or on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thedraasiyah

Feel free to share this episode with others you know and please give this episode and the podcast a 5 star rating! I'd appreciate it!