TayTalks

In this episode of TayTalks, Taymeyah sits down with Steve, a journalist‑turned‑law graduate whose career unfolded just as the media world was being rewritten in real time. From chasing Fleet Street dreams in London to watching Rupert Murdoch’s empire reshape the industry from the inside, Steve shares what it’s like to build a life in a field changing faster than you can catch up. They talk about...

Some of us are taught to wait for life to happen to us instead of building it ourselves. In this episode of TayTalks, Taymeyah sits down with Gayle, a former sports model turned storyteller, editor, and author, to talk about what it means to create a life on purpose after decades of doing what everyone else expected. Gayle shares how her parents raised her to believe they’d always take care of her...

Outgrowing people is one of the quietest parts of growth—and sometimes the most confusing when you’re someone who gives 110 percent. In this second solo episode of TayTalks on outgrowing people, Taymeyah builds on Part 1 by talking about what happens after you realize a relationship has shifted: how to navigate the “honeymoon phase,” spot one‑sided dynamics, and recognize when you’ve actually outg...

Support during pediatric cancer and blood disorders rarely looks like a grand gesture; it looks like someone quietly showing up. In this episode of TayTalks, Taymeyah sits down with Sharin Nelson, a longtime leader at a family support center in Tampa, to talk about 25 years of walking alongside families through diagnoses, holidays, and everything in between. Sharin shares how their team creates mo...

Caring differently doesn’t always look soft or conventional, and sometimes it starts with soy milk and Santa. In this episode of TayTalks, Taymeyah sits down with Patryk Mikucki, a rare disease leader, “punk guy” in clinical research, and early‑rising black‑coffee loyalist, to talk about friendship, challenge, and choosing learning over doing. They explore what it means to be described as dynamic,...

Leaving home doesn’t mean leaving yourself, but it does mean reintroducing yourself again and again. In this episode of TayTalks, Taymeyah sits down with Urmi, a Milan-raised, Montreal-based finance professional, author, and mentor, to talk about third culture kid identity, building a life across continents, and redefining success beyond titles and timelines. We explore what it’s like to grow up b...

Outgrowing people is one of the quietest—and hardest—parts of personal growth. In this solo episode of TayTalks , Taymeyah reflects on what it really means to grow in different directions, why growth isn’t linear, and how relationships often shift without a dramatic ending. This episode explores seasonal friendships, emotional balance, and the difference between self-respect and self-betrayal, esp...

In this TayTalks episode, Taymeyah and cancer rights attorney Joanna Doran dive into what it really means to navigate care in a broken system when you’re living with cancer or a serious medical condition. Joanna shares how she found her way into the niche world of cancer rights law, what it’s like co-founding and leading Triage Cancer with her sister, and why education about insurance, employment...

In this TayTalks episode, Taymeyah and Greg Wasserman explore what it really means to build a career (and a life) that aligns with who you are. Greg reflects on early career experiences that shaped his leadership style, including retail “character development”, managing teams across multiple offices, and navigating constant change during his years at Yahoo. The conversation moves into startups ver...

In this episode, Tay sits down with Pouyan — an engineer, PhD researcher, and creator whose journey spans continents, careers, and deep personal loss. From growing up in Iran to building intuitive robotics systems in Montreal, Pouyan shares how immigration reshapes identity, how grief can shadow (and shape) ambition, and why lowering expectations doesn’t mean lowering your standards. They dive int...

In this solo episode, Taymeyah unpacks one of the most quietly devastating experiences we go through: grieving the job, career, or path you desperately wanted, and didn’t get. This conversation goes deeper than rejection. It’s about the identity crisis that hits when the thing you believed defined you suddenly disappears. What happens to your confidence? How do you move forward? And who are you wh...

In this episode, Taymeyah sits down with Jennifer Teeters, clinician, educator, former athlete, and the undisputed queen of the physical exam, for a conversation that every aspiring PA, every pre-PA student, and honestly, every future clinician should hear. Jen’s path wasn’t linear: college athlete, athletic trainer, PA, faculty member, and now a leader shaping the next generation at the USF PA pr...

What do you do when life doesn’t go to plan, and the only way forward is through? In this episode, patient advocate and Phase I clinical research expert Peter DeMaria joins Taymeyah Al-Toubah for a candid conversation about loss, legacy, and what it really means to make meaning from pain. Peter shares how losing his mother ignited his purpose: becoming the kind of advocate she would’ve needed. He...

Nurse practitioner–turned–NET advocate Lisa Yen sits down with host Taymeyah Al-Toubah to unpack the sprint from ICU clinician to full-time caregiver, how a second opinion changed everything, and why pursuing joy (yes, even a same-day Broadway run) is a serious resilience strategy. Why hit play: Trace Lisa’s nonlinear path: from cardiac ICUs to hospitalist pioneer to patient advocate—without the t...

What happens when a healer decides healing the system matters just as much as healing the patient? Clinician-scholar Ramy Mitwalli joins host Taymeyah Al-Toubah for a raw, thoughtful conversation about the intersection of medicine, money, and meaning. With multiple master’s degrees across healthcare and business—and medical training in Europe—Ramy brings a rare perspective on how financial literac...

GI oncologist and equity advocate Dr. Pam Kunz joins host Taymeyah Al-Toubah to talk about finding purpose in rare cancers, speaking up against inequity, and how a values-first mindset can reshape both medicine and leadership. Why hit play: Hear how a childhood dream, a serendipitous lab job, and one rare disease set Pam on the path to becoming a leading voice in GI oncology and neuroendocrine tum...

Richard Reich, Director of Data Science Shared Resources and former psychology professor, joins host Taymeyah Al-Toubah to talk teaching, leadership, and the unexpected ways poetry and data science overlap. Why hit play: Hear how Richard’s path from psychology to data science reflects the beauty of nonlinear journeys — and why he still misses the classroom. Learn the surprising role of poetry in h...

Former hospitality pro turned association leader Cassandra Cleare joins host Taymeyah Al-Toubah to talk confidence, career pivots, and why standing in your power is the key to creating opportunity. Why hit play: Hear how Cassandra went from late nights in hospitality to building balance and fulfillment in a whole new field. Learn the turning point when she realized confidence isn’t given — it’s bu...

Former phase 1 oncologist and neuroendocrine tumor specialist turned biotech leader Nanu Das joins host Taymeyah Al-Toubah to talk pivots, patient impact, and why early-stage trials are becoming the “new phase two.” Why hit play: Hear the moment Nanu knew he had to leave clinic life, despite loving patient care. Steal his framework for choosing mentors (and being the kind of mentee they fight to h...

Ready to test that theory when a plane crashes at your feet …and a cancer diagnosis lands in your lap? Why hit play: Hear the Baywatch‑turned‑nightmare moment when a 19‑year‑old lifeguard sprints toward a sinking plane—and ends up running the entire rescue scene. Steal the single question‑first framework that later helped her out‑maneuver a misread scan and find a neuroendocrine‑cancer specialist...

Former orthopedic surgeon turned biotech founder Dr. Chapovsky joins host Taymeyah Al-Toubah to prove you don’t need to choose between a six-figure business, a six-pack, and showing up for the 8 a.m. soccer game, you just need a system. Why hit play: Unlock a nightly A/B/C list that frees up mornings for sweat & strategy. Borrow the maker‑vs‑manager calendar tweak Y Combinator swears by. Test...

Welcome to TayTalks , a podcast about nonlinear paths, full-circle moments, and the humans behind the highlights. In this first episode, I (Taymeyah) share the story of how this podcast was born: the grief that sparked it, the conversations that inspired it, and the reasons it took years to hit “record.” Why hit play: A raw origin story: grief, immigrant expectations, and finally hitting “record.”...