What do you do when the bottom falls out - when the life you thought you had is suddenly gone?
That’s the question at the heart of this episode of Extraordinary Conversations with askChenai.
Chenai and Vimbai sit down with Nadia Riepenhausen, a Swiss and Zimbabwean communications strategist, truth-teller, and fierce advocate for radical authenticity, to walk through the unflinching journey that shaped her voice, her work, and her survival.
This conversation doesn’t just skim the surface. It talks about rebuilding when the foundations have been ripped away, more than once, diving straight into the parts most people hide:
Growing up mixed race in Zimbabwe, in a German household, and navigating a childhood split between cultures
Being abruptly cut off at university, and having to survive without a safety net
Moving to London at 20 with just $200 in her pocket, and figuring out how to keep going anyway
Losing a job and rebuilding when your professional identity feels shattered
Learning to trust your own voice again and having the courage to post your thoughts online
And yes… her unexpectedly strategic (and slightly questionable) zombie apocalypse plan
This is not a neat “bounce back” story. It’s an unfiltered look at the grit it takes to start over. Whether you’re clawing your way through your own survival chapter or pausing to look back on how far you’ve climbed, Nadia’s story is a reminder: the hardest chapters can become the most beautiful, if you dare to write the next page.
To learn more about Nadia, follow her on LinkedIn here
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