Rise + Rebel

What happens when the role you were praised for is no longer the role you are meant to play? In this episode of Rise + Rebel Podcast , Aya sits down with comedian, podcaster, and creative Andrew Ginsberg — someone she first met years ago in the San Francisco corporate days. Back then, Andrew was already funny, magnetic, and able to command a room. But behind the corporate role, the benchmarks, the...

What if courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to keep walking anyway? In this episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya sits down with Carol Reid — speaker, coach, educator, caregiver, model, and contributing author of The Courage to Begin — for a powerful conversation about courage, healing, self-doubt, transformation, and what it means to begin from within. Carol’s chapter in The Courage to Be...

In this episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya sits down with Keisha Brooks, producer, actor, writer, creative, and founder of Helping Hands Productions, for a real conversation about creativity, resourcefulness, boundaries, and building your own world. Keisha shares how her father taught her to get things done, how her mother modeled service and helping others, and how both shaped the woman she is today: g...

What if peace is not the opposite of ambition, but the strategy? In this solo episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya reflects on what her Asia trip taught her about chaos, boundaries, asking for help, visibility, and building a life and business without burning out. This episode explores the difference between being peaceful and staying quiet, why asking for help is not weakness, and how many of us make lif...

Before you travel to Asia, especially for business, sourcing, markets, shopping, or your first major international adventure, there are a few mistakes you want to avoid before you even land. In this episode of Rise + Rebel , I’m sharing the real lessons I learned from traveling through Asia, including China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. This is a “go prepared so you can actually enjoy it” e...

I thought I was going to Asia to source products for Rise + Rebel. I thought the trip would be about finding beautiful pieces, meeting vendors, walking through markets, attending the Canton Fair, and bringing back inventory for my store. And yes, I did all of that. But what I didn’t expect was how much this trip would reveal about me as a founder, a business owner, and a woman learning how to trus...

What happens when life completely falls apart… and the only way forward is to finally listen to yourself? In this deeply personal solo episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya opens up about one of the darkest seasons of her life, depression, heartbreak, losing her sense of purpose, and hitting rock bottom. Everything changed when she asked herself one powerful question: “If you had a second chance at life, w...

In this episode of the Rise + Rebel Podcast, Aya sits down with Jason Newhauser for a deeply honest, expansive conversation on the nature of chaos, the illusion of control, and what it really means to co-create your life. What begins as a question about uncertainty unfolds into a powerful exploration of conditioning, identity, and the quiet ways we keep ourselves stuck in survival mode. This conve...

In Part 2 of this conversation on Rise + Rebel , Aya sits back down with hypnotist Rusty Diamond—and what starts with humor and playful banter quickly unfolds into something deeper, stranger, and unexpectedly grounding. From hypnosis and memory retrieval to past life regression and even alien encounters, this episode explores the edge of what we think we know… and what might exist just beyond it....

What does it really take to reinvent yourself when life forces you to slow down? In this episode of Rise + Rebel, you sit down with Rusty Diamond for a conversation that’s as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. From pro wrestling to hypnosis, Rusty shares the unexpected journey that led him to completely shift his path—and how one life-changing moment pushed him into a new purpose. Together,...

In this episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya Hojadova sits down with Jeff Pareja, VP and SBA Commercial Loan Officer, for a powerful conversation on SBA lending, business growth, risk, and the psychology behind financial decision-making. What made this conversation especially meaningful was Jeff’s transparency. This was not just a conversation about loan products or lending mechanics. It was a deeper look...

Commercial Real Estate can feel like a locked room: Confusing terms, intimidating numbers, and no clear starting point. In this solo episode of Rise + Rebel , Aya breaks down Commercial Real Estate for beginners: what it is, how it differs from residential, the main property types, and the most practical ways to get started through leasing or owner-occupied purchases. This episode is especially he...

In this episode of the Rise + Rebel Podcast , Aya sits down with Haven Morningstar for a powerful conversation about finding yourself, trusting your intuition, and honoring who you truly are without doubt, judgment, or fear. We talk about what it really means to listen to your inner voice, how self-trust shapes both life and business success , and why no one knows you better than you know yourself...

In this soulful episode of Rise + Rebel , I’m joined by my aunt, Dr. Ana Kirsta , as we explore the richness of Turkmen heritage, the power of language, her path to becoming a healer, and the sacred role intention plays in everyday life . From ancestry to healing, this conversation invites us to remember that even the most ordinary moments can become meaningful when approached with awareness. Even...

What if the weight you’ve been carrying was never just physical? In this episode of Rise + Rebel , I talk about body image, shame, aging, emotional weight, nervous system stress, and what it means to reclaim your body after survival. This is a conversation about the invisible weight so many women carry; the pressure, the judgment, the grief, the self-abandonment, and the stories we’ve been taught...

In this powerful episode of Rise + Rebel , Aya sits down with Dr. Wendy Perrell (soul coach, shaman, and spiritual teacher) for a grounded conversation on personal power and what it actually looks like to live from inner authority. You’ll hear about cultural conditioning and the quiet ways it shapes our choices, how to recognize when you’re seeking validation instead of truth, and practical ways t...

What if loneliness isn’t a problem to fix… but an initiation into yourself? In a world that tells us we must always be connected, partnered, chosen, or surrounded, solitude can feel like failure. In this opening episode of Season 2, Aya explores the cultural narratives around loneliness, the hidden shame many carry about being alone, and the powerful truth most people are too afraid to admit: We a...

What if resistance isn’t a warning… but a doorway? In this season-closing episode of Rise and Rebel , Aya reflects on the daily practices that quietly shape a sovereign life, meditation, presence, and the choice to meet discomfort instead of avoiding it. This episode explores the tug-of-war between ego and truth, the power of becoming a silent observer of your own mind, and the magic that lives on...

Some of the most powerful ways we ask for permission … are silent… In this episode of Rise and Rebel , Aya explores the subtle ways we give our power away... through silence, over-accommodation, softened boundaries, and the fear of disappointing others. From cultural conditioning to business and relationships, this conversation traces the path from quiet self-abandonment to self-authority, and wha...

Some seasons don’t ask us to heal. They ask us to live differently. In this episode, Aya explores what it means to step into the world as who you are becoming, not who you’ve been. From relationships and boundaries to visibility and creative work, this conversation reflects on the quiet ways growth begins to reshape a life. This episode speaks to outgrowing, to honoring truth in connection, and to...

There is a kind of fire that doesn’t burn your life down. It clears it. In Episode 3 of Rise + Rebel , Aya shares reflections on seeing differently after her time in Asia, and what it revealed about shadow, self-respect, and the courage it takes to sit with what is. This episode explores the difference between performance and presence, light and honesty, comfort and depth, and why real power begin...

What happens when the noise falls away and there is nothing left to perform? In this episode, Aya explores the quiet spaces where identity reshapes, where rest becomes resistance, and where becoming begins long before anyone can see it.

This is the first episode of Rise + Rebel Radio. In this episode, Aya shares the story of becoming — learning to rise quietly before rising loudly, honoring elegance while reclaiming inner fire, and stepping into a voice that no longer asks for permission. This podcast is a space for people who are becoming — not perfectly, but honestly.