Épisodes

  • #176 Zaka Presents My Journey Adja Dior Cisse
    Jun 22 2025

    We sit down with Adja Dior Cisse, founder of Dad Financial Pathway and a proud Senegalese-American, as she shares her powerful journey from Dakar to the U.S. With honesty and heart, Adja opens up about the financial challenges she faced as a young immigrant, navigating legal status, working 17 different jobs, supporting her family, and eventually finding her calling in financial empowerment. Whether you're new to the country or seeking to rebuild your path, this episode offers real talk, hard-earned lessons, and encouragement to take control of your finances and career. Tune in and discover how culture, faith, and community can fuel resilience and why building your legacy starts today.

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    57 min
  • #175 Zaka Presents My Journey Princess Jolie Charles
    May 29 2025

    Princess Jolie Charles, a fearless Haitian-American advocate, community strategist, and Co-Founder of FEWGI talks about what it really means to lead, to belong, and to fight for your voice. Raised in Brooklyn by her grandmother who spoke only Haitian Creole, Princess shares how navigating identity, faith, and adversity shaped her into “The Speaker of Humanity.” With raw honesty, she reflects on unsafe rooms, unspoken trauma, and unwavering faith offering testimony on resilience, God’s grace, and the power of knowing who you are and whose you are. From walking through Crown Heights with spiritual armor to coaching TEDx speakers at Harvard, Princess brings light to the struggles and strength of immigrant women everywhere. Princess reminds us: you are worthy, you are called, and you are never alone.

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    1 h
  • #174 Zaka Presents My Journey Valeria Feliciano
    May 20 2025

    In this powerful episode, we sit down with Valeria Feliciano, a proud Puerto Rican filmmaker, model, and storyteller, whose mission is to dismantle stereotypes and elevate the voices of Latinas in media. Valeria opens up about the struggles she faced embracing her natural curls in an industry that often celebrates narrow beauty standards. She recounts the emotional moment when a young woman of color told her, “You are the reason I participated,” and how that became a life-changing affirmation of her purpose. From rejecting roles that reduce Latinas to stereotypes to celebrating the beauty of bilingualism, Valeria challenges the status quo while inspiring others to own their identity unapologetically.

    As an immigrant Latina navigating entertainment, Valeria shares her journey of persistence from being overlooked to co-hosting an event with Vanilla Ice after a cold outreach. She speaks candidly about the importance of seeing Latinas as leaders, not just background characters, and how her upcoming podcast aims to spotlight the women who are breaking barriers behind the scenes. Valeria’s leadership is rooted in authenticity, representation, and the power of visibility. Her story is a reminder that even when the world says no, your truth can still open doors for you and for those watching.

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    58 min
  • #173 Zaka Presents My Journey Vivian Otabor
    May 8 2025

    In this compelling episode, we sit down with Vivian Otabor, a seasoned career coach, business consultant, and founder of Resilient Immigrant to explore the often-overlooked challenges skilled immigrants face when starting over in the United States. Vivian opens up about the emotional and professional hurdles she encountered after leaving a successful career in Nigeria, only to find her qualifications questioned and doors closed.

    Now a Harvard-certified leader and Career Strategist for Agile Career Consulting, Vivian has transformed personal setbacks into platforms for systemic change. Through her nonprofit, she has helped hundreds of immigrants gain access to workforce opportunities and develop future-ready skills. With a unique blend of strategy, empathy, and storytelling, she shares what it takes to not only survive but rise and thrive in a new country.


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    52 min
  • #172 Zaka Presents My Journey Guadalupe Gonzalez
    May 5 2025

    In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Guadalupe Gonzalez, an Argentine-born accountant turned emotional intelligence and leadership coach, whose immigrant journey is a blueprint in adaptability, purpose, and inner strength. Guadalupe reflects on her transition to the U.S., the weight of working in a demanding analytical field, and how emotional intelligence became not just a leadership tool but a life-saving compass.

    She shares how she's intentionally using emotional intelligence to prepare her children to navigate the social and academic pressures of school, and how she herself learned to manage the emotional toll of a numbers-driven profession. Guadalupe defines emotional intelligence as “the ability to respond to unexpected situations,” and unpacks how this mindset has helped her show up more fully at work, at home, and in every space where belonging isn’t always guaranteed.

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    50 min
  • #171 Zaka Presents My Journey Sherece Brown
    Apr 28 2025

    In this episode, we sit down with Sherece Brown, the visionary founder of Dr. Pabs Pineapple is a Berry. Born to Jamaican immigrant parents and a proud Howard University graduate, Sherece shares her powerful journey from a 16-year career in corporate America to launching a purpose-driven wellness brand. Motivated by her passion for health, wellness, and community impact, Sherece created Dr. Pabs to deliver high-quality, plant-based vitamins designed for children’s growth and well-being. Tune in as she opens up about embracing her immigrant roots, navigating major career transitions, and building a brand that stands for inclusion, resilience, and true purpose.

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    55 min
  • #170 Zaka Presents My Journey Mina Brower
    Mar 21 2025

    We sit down with Mina Brower, a distinguished Mexican-American attorney, author, and advocate whose journey captures the strength and complexity of the immigrant experience. Mina shares how coming to the United States at a young age, without speaking the language, forced her to grow up quickly. As the first in her family to learn English, she became the default advocate, translating documents, navigating public systems, and even taking the lead at grocery store checkouts. These early responsibilities laid the foundation for her passion for justice and advocacy, ultimately shaping her path to becoming a partner at her law firm and a mentor to young women in law.

    But Mina’s story doesn’t end in the courtroom. In 2024, she self-published A God of Moonlight and Stardust, a romance fantasy novel that explores themes of power, truth, and survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Her debut has earned critical acclaim from Kirkus Reviews and Publisher’s Weekly, placing her firmly in the spotlight as a rising literary voice. Mina speaks candidly about the duality of living between cultures, the healing power of writing, and why her story while personal is shared by so many in the immigrant community.

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    47 min
  • #169 Zaka Presents My Journey Kathryn Ross
    Mar 9 2025

    In this episode, Kathryn takes us through her journey from growing up in Jamaica to breaking barriers, driving multimillion-dollar growth, and creating opportunities for others in the corporate and startup worlds. She shares the mindset, strategies, and lessons that have shaped her success from launching Accenture’s Black Founders Development Program to leading billion-dollar innovation initiatives. As an immigrant, she navigated challenges with resilience and vision, proving that bold leadership and innovation can create lasting impact.

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    1 h et 1 min