In this episode, Lauren speaks with Zainab Alradhi — Cycle Coach School graduate and founder of Niswa, a growing platform dedicated to menstrual cycle awareness and body literacy for Arabic-speaking women around the world. Zainab shares how she built a community of over 100,000 women by choosing to teach exclusively in Arabic, despite being told her audience "wasn't ready" for this work.
Together, they explore what it means to bring menstrual cycle awareness into cultures where these conversations have often been silenced, and how Zainab is working to break cycles of shame and isolation. From reclaiming rites of passage and hosting global women’s circles, to weaving lunar wisdom and ancestral memory into her business, Zainab offers a grounded and poetic perspective on cyclical living.
She shares her own journey of learning fertility awareness in English, then translating it into Arabic — finding the words, reclaiming her mother tongue, and reshaping this work for a different cultural context. We also hear about her red thread ritual for pregnant members, the challenges Arab women face in corporate life, and her passion for bringing this work into families and schools.
If you’ve ever wondered how menstruality work can be adapted across languages, landscapes, and lived experiences or what it looks like to lead with soul in business, this conversation is not to be missed. Click play to hear how Zainab is transforming cycle coaching across cultures.
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Resources and Links:
About Zainab Alradhi:
Zainab is a wife, writer, and entrepreneur who believes in women’s right to physical education from birth. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from the University of Michigan and is the first Arab certified Fertility Awareness Educator. Zainab is also a period awareness mentor for teens and holds certifications in period awareness counseling and facilitating women’s mindful circles.
Instagram:@niswaorg
Website: www.niswa.org
Book mentioned:
‘Taking Charge of Your Fertility’ by Toni Weschler
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