Hearth 2 Heart with Gayathri Shukla

Content Warning: This episode includes discussions on trauma and gender-based violence which may be triggering for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised. "We don't just bring our intergenerational cycles of trauma but also intergenerational cycles of wisdom." – Dr. Meghna Bhat   In this episode, Dr. Meghna Bhat, a renowned gender and social justice consultant and storyteller, explores the...

Land Acknowledgements are a crucial part of reconciliation, recognizing historical and ongoing relationships with Indigenous peoples. However, these acknowledgements can easily become scripted and lose their impact.  In this episode, Gayathri and her guest, aloT of Poetry, a Nigerian-South African Poet now based in Mohkinstis, explore how poetry can cultivate genuine understanding and respect. Cra...

Vulnerability in sharing our stories allows us to show up as our true selves and helps to deepen belonging with others. Yet, embracing vulnerability raises important questions about the balance between authenticity and psychological safety. How can vulnerability act as a bridge to more meaningful bonds without leaving us feeling exposed? Let's dive deep with Dr. Roselle Gonsalves as she draws from...

In this new launch, host Gayathri Shukla unveils her plans for Season 2's theme, Belonging! She recaps her journey thus far, expressing gratitude for listeners' feedback and providing a glimpse of what you can expect in upcoming episodes. IG: campfire_kinship Campfire Kinship

In this final episode of Season 1, host Gayathri and Elena share their learnings from working together on the Landed project. Tune in to hear their fun recap of favourite moments plus a sneak preview of future aspirations! Elena Esina is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary where she manages an initiative called Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence. Elen...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I am surrounded by people who care about me, and people who are sincere to me." In this episode, we'll be exploring the story of Landed co-author Melike Tasdelen, an immigrant woman who defied cultural norms to pursue her education and economic opportunities. Coming from a part of the world where society values women based on their roles as wives and mothers, Meli...

"I feel a sense of belonging when communities show care and compassion." Children of immigrants often find themselves living in two worlds. In this episode, Landed co-author and second-generation Filipina-Canadian Jesiebelle Salcedo shares how giving voice to her mom's immigration story has helped her heal her relationship with her mom while honouring her family's roots. Jesie is a teacher, reader...

"When I became an independent, single, immigrant woman homeowner in Calgary...that was like a proud, proud moment...a fantastic feeling of belonging in Canada, and calling it a home." In this episode, Landed co-author Dr. Swati Dhingra joins us to share her immigration journey from India to Canada. She offers tips about the hurdles she faced along the way, including overcoming criticism.   Dr. Dhi...

"I feel a sense of belonging when my heart feels at peace no matter where I am, and that is in beautiful Calgary with my family and friends, and I am at peace ." Our latest episode on Hearth 2 Heart is with Kelly Kaur who grew up in Singapore and lives in Calgary. Kelly teaches at Mount Royal University and Athabasca University. She has been published in Qatar, Italy, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, the Unite...

"Until true systemic change takes place, and racist, discriminatory and unjust structures are dismantled in our society, I know I will not be able to rest."Born in Montreal to a French-Canadian mother and a South Asian father,  Anusha Kassan shares her experience of her writing her story in Landed.  Anusha is currently an associate professor with a high-impact position in the School and Applied Ch...

"I feel a sense of belonging when people believe in my strengths and skills and opportunity, and the other way when I give back to the community...when I help a new immigrant." After having to move countries during a pandemic with a toddler in tow, Benazir Rahman joins us on this episode to share her tips for a successful transition, including the message from her story in Landed - "Be You, You Ca...

"When I can share my honest mindset and vulnerabilities....I feel a sense of belonging." - Shivi Agarwal, Landed co-author Shivi holds a master's in management and has years of experience in human resources and learning & development. She currently works as customer success manager with Kudos®. In her previous work tenure in Calgary, she helped 100+ clients transition from the oil and gas divi...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I feel respected....Respect is something that no matter where you are, who you are, where you are from - it is how you can have a sense of belonging, connect, build a trusting environment for one another, and build a safe environment for everybody.”In this inspiring episode, Anam Kazim - author of the story "The Dusky Dawn" in Landed - provides a glimpse into the...

“A sense of belonging comes when you can be your true authentic self.”In this episode, we talk about the role of curiosity in creating community with Landed’s co-author, Inez Ashworth. Inez, founder of Inclusive Concepts, is a cultural innovator and a trusted advocate with her own unique style. Her life and career have been dedicated to working for equality and justice, bringing people together an...

"No matter what others say who you're supposed to be, who you're not, or who you should be - just remember who you are and stick to the truth. Always have that hope that all together, we can make things better." Anna is an internally displaced person from Crimea, Ukraine who fled from Russia’s military invasion in 2014. She is a Fulbright alumna with a master’s in international studies from Old Do...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I am with a group of people that are looking beyond the differences between us...and just embracing one another as a people of the same nation." We're proud to host conversations with the authors of our latest anthology, Landed, Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women, set to officially launch in September 2022.  To kick-off, this episode features a con...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I am recognized for my unique skills and perspectives, and am valued for them." If you've been thinking about making a career transition, this episode is for you. Courtney Dragani transitioned her career from working at a large energy company, to a start-up called the51, a move she made to follow her passion for women's economic empowerment. Tune into this episode...

In a society that values "producing and performing," it is no wonder that topics like self-care are trivialized. Stats show the effect, with 3 out of 4 people experiencing burnout in the workforce. This mental health week, we are zooming into topic, and talking with Lennis Perez about how to beat burnout.  Lennis is a chemical engineer turned wellness engineer. After 16 years of engineering experi...

"I firmly believe every individual has gifts, every team has gifts, every organization has gifts. When we share our gifts the world prospers." After 28 years as a highly-skilled employee, David was told that his job was over. In spite of the immediate trauma and fear, he seized the opportunity to transition into entrepreneurship. In this episode, we dive into the challenges of starting a new busin...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I have deep conversations." From her career as a wrestling olympian to being the youngest ever woman elected into Calgary City Council, in this episode Jasmine Mian shares her journey of going from athletics and into politics...the wins, losses, and lessons along the way. Her tip? Action is the antidote to anxiety. Links mentioned in episode: Campfire Kinship www....

Black History Month is not a box to check, and we can't put blinders on the workplace biases that harm many Black people every day. In this episode, Dupe Akinniyi shares how she navigated career challenges as a Black woman, and how that propelled both her bold journey into entrepreneurship, as well as her family's immigration from Belgium to Canada.  Dupe is putting her learnings into action throu...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I can drop the mask of masculinity and be myself...the consequences of not being our authentic selves is like cutting limbs off." In a society where three out of four suicides, 80% of drug overdoses, and primary perpetrators of violence are men, toxic definitions of masculinity profoundly impact men, boys and the lives of those around them.  Jake Stika shares his...

“I feel a sense of belonging when I’m surrounded by those I can honestly share and receive from.” In this episode, Gayathri chats with her coach, Drew Soleyn, who had supported her transition into entrepreneurship. Drew is the Founder of Connected Dads and Director at Dads Central Ontario. As a dad himself, he believes his children are the greatest gift he's ever received - and helping them find a...

Want to kick off the new year on the right foot? There are two simple and powerful questions you can ask yourself to get grounded. In this New Years Eve special, Gayathri shares what they are, as well as a memorable conversation from 2021 on storytelling and belonging with Shannon Hutchison. www.campfirekinship.com/kindle-your-sparkcampfirekinship.com IG: @campfire_kinship

"I think a big issue that we have is just confidence. I also want [children] to know that as they grow older, there will be naysayers that perhaps don't think that they could do what they want to do, but I want them to have the confidence to know that they can ignore those naysayers and continue on with doing whatever they want to do." The ability to communicate with confidence is a key career ena...