Sandhiya Sophie Argent shares her experiences with using her name Sophie versus Sandhiya, including mispronunciation, assumptions about her heritage, and questioning. This episode also explores diversity, equity and inclusion from a legal perspective.
Sandhiya Sophie Argent is a media lawyer who has advised on some of the biggest scripted and non-scripted programmes in the UK and internationally. She also writes and discusses issues around race, identity, diversity and being mixed heritage.
Hena Naranbhai discusses the role of astrology when choosing a name, her decision-making process when she chose her childrens' names, and the influence of Indian culture and traditions on the rise of the wellness industry.
Hena Naranbhai, Finance Transformation & Technology Specialist. Has an extensive background in the Financial Services industry both as an Accountant and Technology Program Director. She is a 2023 We Are the City Rising Star winner and has been shortlisted for multiple awards in technology and leadership.
Hena is also passionate about paying it forward and frequently volunteers her time to mentor others through a number of social enterprises and charities, including Cajigo, TechUp and UN Women UK Delegate.
In this episode, Alyssa Jaffer shares her experiences with correcting people on the pronunciation of her name and how she thinks getting someone's name right is a true sign of respect.
Alyssa (a-lee-sa) is a content writing and communications expert hailing from California, with two degrees in journalism and years of professional experience in content marketing.
Alyssa is an active advocate for gender equity, learning and professional development in the business. Alyssa is also a public speaker on topics she's passionate about, including women's career development, wellbeing and marketing.
A creative and a writer at her core, Alyssa is also a freelance journalist with content articles published by Stylist, AllBright, The Drum and more. See her published writing portfolio at alyssajaffer.com/writing
In this episode, Carlotta Elena Goodwin Thorp shares her experiences of discovering that her family surname was changed by her grandparents to be more English, Spanish responses to her Italian-spelled Spanish name, and the journey she's been on with her name.
Carlotta Elena Goodwin Thorp is a multilingual Head of Communications and C-Suite Executive Assistant.
In this episode, Sonya Barlow shares her experiences of her name not matching with people's assumptions of what she should look like, the privileges of having a marketable name, and how LMF Network's name evolved following the domain name being stolen.
Sonya Barlow is an award-winning founder of the social network LMF Network, author of Unprepared to Entrepreneur, and public speaker on inclusion, tech, travel, and trends. Sonya writes for global publications, such as Metro UK, Sifted, Trip Advisor, Telegraph, Canvas 8, Hello Mag, and Lonely Planet. She hosts The Sonya Barlow Show, a YouTube-based travel and tech talk show, and The Everyday Hustle on the BBC. Sonya lives in London and documents her digital nomad lifestyle as a content creator on YouTube and Instagram. She is a British Pakistani, neurodivergent woman with ADHD living her best life. The LMFNetwork networking and mentorship app is the first of its kind, titled if Linkedin and Bumble had a baby and releases in 2024.
In this episode, Jade discusses how her name and name-related stories link with her cultural heritage, the power of names, whether we place too much importance on names, and reflections on ADHD, if it should be labelled a 'superpower', and ADHD coaching (jadhdcoaching.co.uk).
Jade Goldsmith is an ADHD coach, neurodiversity advocate and marketeer. Although born in London, she is ethnically Lebanese/Palestinian-British, and also comes from Jewish heritage.
In this episode, Pascalle discusses why she decided to use the name Catherine in a way to reinvent herself, her journey with reclaiming her name, and advice in relation to public speaking.
Pascalle is an accomplished speaker, actress and CEO of PresenTales where she helps senior leaders and execs to deliver their stories with impact and passion.
In this episode, Em discusses her decision to change her name, to feel more reflective of her. The episode also explores the 'mixed-other box', providing a mirror to Em's experiences of never fully fitting in.
Em Bayley-Melendez is a tech career changer having studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Bristol. She now works as a graduate iOS developer and is also the Founder of She Chats Tech a women in tech organisation that aims to inspire women who are exploring tech or working in tech that come from non-tech backgrounds.
Identity has always been confusing for Em who changed her name in 2016 to combine both her British and Venezuelan surnames. It has impacted how she views herself on a personal level but also within the wider society.
As a British-Venezuelan she has often felt like she did not fit neatly into either culture. This is why she’s so passionate about celebrating who she is now as an adult and hopes to one day visit South America and connect with her heritage.
In this episode, Viya shares the inspiration behind her name and her childhood recollections of aunties and uncles singing a song (Madilu System - Biya) to her, which she learned that she was named after. Viya also shares her experiences of name mispronunciation, and the importance of reputation building and how a name is so much more than just a combination of letters.
Viya Nsumbu, founder of VMN Communications, is a reputation expert committed to authentic communications. With experience spanning multinational corporations, arts, culture and politics, we advise brands and senior leaders at their most critical moments. Over the course of her career, Viya has provided strategic counsel to and led campaigns for Unilever, PayPal, the UK’s Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board, The Ford Foundation, and UN Women. She is a regular speaker, mentor, and has served as a judge at the Purpose Awards EMEA. She is a Trustee at UP Projects, a socially-engaged public arts charity.
Assumptions about gender, ethnicity, and so much more are made just from seeing someone's name. Imagine walking into an interview, and someone expecting to see someone totally different to who you are... This episode explores Ramat Tejani, founder of The Inspiration Box, speak about her name-related experiences of mispronunciation, misspelling, and assumptions. The episode also covers top tips for public speaking and Ramat's reflections on her recent TEDx talk.
Ramat is a multi-award winning marketing strategist, TEDx speaker, community builder and storyteller who also happens to be a woman in tech.
She is the CEO (that's the Chief Encouragement Officer) at The Inspiration Box, an organisation dedicated to encouraging intentional personal development. She's a pocket cheerleader for anyone that needs it, and believes in the power of helping others to discover, embrace and nurture the truest version of themselves. She periodically hosts her own podcast, Growing Through Life (available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts) and every other week shares gems with her community to help them embrace intentional personal growth and self mastery. Her passion to help others extends into her day job at Google, where she is the Strategic Partnerships Lead for EMEA in the Diversity Recruiting team. In this role she is focusing on strategies to diversify the talent pipeline at Google.
Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram:
The Inspiration Box on LinkedIn
Names throughout history have had religious references and ties. In this episode, Adeyele Ezeli reflects on names from a faith perspective, sharing her personal stories of how her name brings her closer to God. Names can be a positive affirmation and a reminder of your parents' intentions for you, which may be especially helpful during times of struggle.
Adeyele Ezeli hosts the 'I Have the Floor Podcast', after making the decision to bring her personal journals online. Through this she unravels tales of her struggles, victories, and life's pivotal moments.
In this episode, Professor Funke Abimbola MBE shares her experiences with being asked if someone can call her 'Dave', Yoruba naming traditions and her reflections on progressing society and self-promotion.
Professor Funke Abimbola is a London-based Partner at Korn Ferry, a global organisational consultancy. She focuses on delivering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) solutions to clients across the EMEA region. Her professional experience spans over 20 years with a first career as a corporate lawyer in the UK and subsequent careers in C-suite leadership roles within global pharmaceutical companies alongside providing DEI expertise.
The impact of Funke's inclusive leadership and DEI work has been recognised by the UK’s Prime Minister and the Financial Times. She was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s 2017 birthday honours list for services to diversity and young people. The University of Hertfordshire and the University of Kent have both awarded Funke honorary doctorates to recognise the impact of her leadership and her alma mater, Newcastle University, appointed her as Professor of Practice for her DEI efforts, impact and contributions. Funke is the proud mother of a 20-year-old son who is a future software engineer studying Computer Science at university. Together, they host a podcast series called The Power of Privilege and Allyship podcast, showcasing exceptional role models who have used their privilege to maximise the impact of their allyship to transform lives.
In this episode, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Siwan Smith, discusses her experiences with having a Welsh first name despite being Liverpudlian, the issues of making assumptions based on a name, growing up with her name being persistently mispronounced, and the story of the Welsh Princess, Siwan (Joan) of Wales.
Siwan is an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager for Arup, a multinational organisation within the built environment sector. Outside of Arup, Siwan also holds the role of Associate Director for Diversity & Inclusion at Anchored In, working to make innovation more inclusive within the UK, and volunteers time to support LMF Network.
Previously holding roles as Head of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion for Merseyside Police, and Knowledge Transfer Manager - Diversity & Inclusion for KTN, leading on activities for Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation and Young Innovators programmes, Siwan is passionate about enabling and empowering underrepresented groups into business, innovation and employment, and ensuring equitable treatment for all.
In 2021, Siwan was announced as a winner in WeAreTheCity's Rising Star Awards for Diversity, and as runner up for Women's Business Club Diversity & Inclusion Award, and in 2022 Siwan was shortlisted as a Finalist for the Ladies First Inspirational Woman Award, and was recognised in Diversein's 130 Women Who Break The Bias list 2022.
In this episode, hear from Brin, Founder and CEO of Además Consulting, about her experiences of persistent name misgendering, misspelling and being called the wrong name, like 'Bin' and 'Brian'! The discussion also covers the impacts that neurodiversity can have on 'getting names right', and contrasts this with the privilege some individuals with Anglicised or common names may experience and therefore have never needed to consider how to get someone's name right.
Brin is a cross-cultural communication expert, and shares her knowledge about this space during the discussion. The episode ends with a discussion into social mobility, and Brin and Maya share their experiences and insights on this topic.
Brin is the Founder and CEO of Además Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specialising in trade internationalisation between Australian and Europe. Además is a strategy, communications and trade agency bringing businesses to the world. It is a boutique strategy, communications, and trade internationalisation agency, specialising in developing global business partnerships. Passionate about DEI and immigrant rights, Brin volunteers with the International Workers of Great Britain Union and regularly shares insights about building culturally diverse and inclusive workplaces. Brin grew up in rural Australia and has lived in the UK, Italy and Spain. She speaks native English and has a strong working proficiency in Spanish.
Subscribe to be the first to hear name-related stories from across the world, and follow @thatsmyname_pod on Instagram.
Today's episode explores Bashar's experiences with his name in a Western environment, his potential projections about his name and assumptions about what other people might be thinking, and how he links the meaning of his name to how he navigates through life.
Bashar (@bashar_salha) is a Ph.D. candidate in art and a creative director who has overcome incredible odds to pursue his passion for art. Originally from Syria, he immigrated to pursue his dreams of higher education and creative expression. Bashar's name represents the thin line between the East and West that he experienced and now lives in. He sees himself as the one who frequently delivers good news to people, As his name implies, and he is determined to fulfil the meaning of his name through his work.
Subscribe to be the first to hear name-related stories from across the world, and follow @thatsmyname_pod on Instagram.
In this episode, Subira Jones, shares the meanings of her name, Subira, how this has been significant at points throughout her life, including extreme burnout. Subira and Maya also discuss burnout and techniques to avoid it, which Subira supports people around the world with as the Corporate Hippie.
Subira Jones aka The Corporate Hippie (@the.corporate.hippie_), founder of MPWRD Consulting, is an ex-investment analyst and former stress addict on a mission to prevent an epidemic of burnt out professionals. If there were a pageant for Burnout, she would have been crowned queen for four consecutive years, from completing her final year of university with her mum in a coma, to being diagnosed with MS early into her career as an investment analyst. The meaning of her name has been reflected in her life, seeing her go from being a Universal Credit recipient to being awarded Young Business Person of the Year.
Subscribe to be the first to hear name-related stories from across the world, and follow @thatsmyname_pod on Instagram.
In this episode, learn about Taiwanese naming traditions, Eve Lin deciding to use the name Eve when living in the US, and names in Taiwan reflecting the state and history of the country.
Eve is a creative B2B digital marketing professional with a passion for art, food, and cats. She is from Kaohsiung, Taiwan and currently resides in Michigan. She helps companies build their authentic brand online, and develops effective digital marketing strategies. In her spare time, she likes to draw, hang out with family and friends, and her cat!
Subscribe to be the first to hear name-related stories from across the world, and follow @thatsmyname_pod on Instagram.
In this episode, Nat discusses Hispanic and Spanish naming traditions, her reflections on the impacts of Spanish colonisation on naming traditions, and her numerous names.
Natalia Cortazar is the CEO and Founder of The Good Egg - an award-winning boutique agency that works hard to create a kinder, more human space for Influencer Marketing. Through hard work, dedication and word of mouth, Nat has a highly international team spanning across the UK, Spain and Malaysia. In a nutshell, Nat set out to create a diverse and inclusive agency that would be hugely prosperous whilst crucially treating influencers like humans, instead of algorithms or cash-cows - and it worked.
Subscribe to be the first to hear name-related stories from across the world, and follow @thatsmyname_pod on Instagram.