Life in Our Skin

An introduction to hosts Lisa Harris and Anahita Champion, how we met and where this began.   Connect with Lisa: Instagram @lisaharrisandcompany | Website | LinkedIn | Facebook  Connect with Anahita: Instagram @anahitachampion | Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

What better way to jump start 2023 than with our 20th conversation! In this Episode (recorded in September 2022), we discuss the cultural impact of weight and wealth and what it means for women as we age. If either of these topics resonate with you, then you'll want to click the play button. And in your free, go back and listen to our earlier episodes! Listen to this episode of Life in Our Skin. &...

From the orphanage steps in New Mexico, our guest was born to a Spanish mother and raised by black family members. Spending most of her life self-identifying as a black woman with mixed heritage, Dorothy–Inez experienced colorism from both family and peers. Years Later, she recognized the importance of embracing all parts of her and is ready to explore her Spanish, Native American and European roo...

Growing up on the Indian reservations in Northern Minnesota, our guest, a proud Anishinaabe woman from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians enjoyed fishing and exploring the land. Her curiosity outside transferred to the classroom. Despite facing learning challenges and racism as an indigenous student, she was successful with the support and influence of family and mentors. In this episode, Laure...

Imagine, a young Hmong girl whose childhood was spent in the sunny farm fields of southern France surrounded by cousins at the tender age of 11. She then moved to the United States to be closer to family, but through adversity from peer experiences she learned how to play the game of power in order to safe guard herself from bullies and discrimination. Youa has persevered into being a strong and c...

On the Southside of Minneapolis, Katie grew-up in a poor, multi-generational home with her five siblings. The food prepared in their kitchen would one day become the seed capital for a large midwestern Chinese restaurant chain. As one of few Chinese-American families, Katie carried cultural shame and left Minnesota to pave her own path. From a successful career in the entertainment industry to emb...

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Life in Our Skin podcast! Exactly one year ago day (July 6th, 2021), we launched the Life in Our Skin podcast. In this special episode, we re-introduce ourselves and the origin of this platform. We take you on a fun stroll down the past 12 months of some of our favorite episodes + share the different ways each of our families celebrated gatherings. It is our hope t...

Sustainable farming and clean eating was an influential part of Amalia’s Guatemalan upbringing. Raised by her grandmother, the kitchen would later be the source of her future culinary career. Before this, Amalia came to the United States to advance her education and experienced what it was like be a triple minority immigrant. Today, Amalia is a business leader, multi-award-winning author, spe...

Raised by Chinese immigrants, our guest shares childhood memories and the recurring message that she is not white. Her family's reason for coming to America was simple – to advance their station in life. Susanna did just that, and has accomplished a highly successful career. Now in her late 40s, she's unraveling the past, creating her own rules, and choosing how 'she' self identifies. In Episode 1...

Imagine being a biracial kid whose parents attended the first integrated high school in the Twin Cities. Our guest today shares how her childhood experiences positioned her for a career rooted in education and social justice. In this episode, we welcome Andrea Satter. Andrea identifies as a mixed woman raised in an international and blended family. With two decades of experience in fundraising, re...

A Transracial Adoptee (TRA) is an adoptee raised in a different culture and ethnic background than their origin heritage. In this episode, we welcome our first guest, Amy Thureen. Amy identifies as a transracial adoptee- born in India, raised in Minnesota by Swedish/Norwegian parents. Being the youngest in a multiracial adopted family gave her a unique perspective and lived experience. Join us for...

We are asking the BIG question, what "race" box do you check? A topic that can feel simple for some people and frustrating for others. As young girls finding their place in the world, it caused Lisa & Anahita uncertainty and confusion. In this episode, you'll hear about the evolution of their identity, which box they checked, and the origin of race terminology. Join us for this episode of Life...

OMG! He is so cute! Wouldn't you like to be on a fly on the wall for this girl chat? Before marriage, we had a plethora of crushes, boyfriends... and a boo or two. Join Lisa and Anahita as we walk the halls of middle school, high school and college and what it was like dating interracially.  Connect with Lisa: Instagram @lisaharrisandcompany | Website | LinkedIn Connect with Anahita: Instagram @an...

In this episode, we visit the different experiences we had with our family history in education, social class, and the impact on our mindset of success. We shared a bit about our levels of education family, expectations growing up, and how our chosen path now has that been received by family. Connect with Lisa: Instagram @lisaharrisandcompany | Website | LinkedIn Connect with Anahita: Instagram @a...

Who is Anahita Champion? The full-of-energy gal we know as Anahita has much to share that goes beyond the emcee and marketing strategist roles she has immersed herself into. In this episode, we invite you to get to know her and why she believes the Life In Our Skin podcast can unify us all. When we open our minds, learn about different cultural experiences and begin to understand unique perspectiv...

Who is Lisa Harris? Beyond her LinkedIn profile and her formal bio, there is more to Lisa than meets the eye. In this episode, we invite you to get to know her and why she believes everyone should listen to the Life In Our Skin podcast. When we open our minds, learn about different American experiences and begin to understand unique perspectives, it's only then when we can heal the divides within...

Meet little Lisa and little Anahita. Growing up 10 years apart in predominately white communities, Lisa and Anahita mostly played with white dolls. In this episode, we share how lack of representation played a part in the toys and characters of our respective generations and how good it felt to finally be seen. Join us as we go back in time to explore the dolls, characters, and princesses that mad...

ALLO!?!? Can you hear me now? Communication overseas has its obstacles, challenges, and intricacies. From odd hours and bad reception to banging pots & pans, staying connected with the Motherland was always interesting. Connect with Lisa: Instagram @lisaharrisandcompany | Website | LinkedIn  Connect with Anahita:  Instagram: @anahitachampion |  Website | LinkedIn

Buckle up for a delicious episode where we take a personal and lighthearted approach to the foods that make up our family dynamics. You'll hear a snippet of the famous tahdig that many Persians race to the table to get a bite of and the impact of the aromas that filled our homes. PLUS, Filipino lumpias, stinky fish, bratwurst and more....how a multiracial family experiences food from many differen...

In this episode, we discuss the unsettling feelings that we carried throughout the 4th of July leaving us uncertain as to what we were celebrating. The conflict and duality of being cognizant of our American history and honoring its past while still celebrating the journey of our immigrant families was multilayered and full of mixed emotions.  Connect with Lisa: Instagram @lisaharrisandc...