The Brown Girl Podcast

In Episode 32, Julie has guest Khel Baldeo on the show. Julie discovered Khel through a TikTok video that Khel's friend made about Khel.  Khel is a 46 year old Desi woman who is engaged to her Caucasian fiancé, Mike, who is 30!  In this episode, Julie and Khel discuss Khel's 16 year age relationship, including the following: How Khel and Mike met. How their families reacted How their soc...

In Episode 31, Julie speaks with a South Asian transgender man. In this episode, Julie and the guest talk about: His upbringing and how he first discovered he didn’t identify with the female sex assigned at birth Navigating telling his family and social circles Lifestyle changes he's made to support his transition (dietary, clothing, home décor, etc) Medical surgeries he will be undergoing Dat...

In episode 30, Julie and guest Ann Koppuzha talk about tips and advice for the first date. By day, Ann is a trained attorney and runs a business helping writers and female entrepreneurs establish their digital and business strategy. In her free time, she also runs the IG blog @ModernDesiLove , which is a resource to help South Asians create happier and healthier relationships. After going through...

In Episode 29, Julie speaks with Benny Mathew. Benny lives in Chicago, IL and is the founder of Orion 3 , a company he started in April 2021. Prior to that, Benny worked in corporate leading various Sales/Business Development teams. Throughout Benny's lived experiences that we will hear about on today's episode, he's become passionate about minimizing the stigma around mental and emotional health,...

In Ep 28, Julie speaks with Self Worth & Dating Coach Sy Neary. They discuss:  The Energetics of Dating  --> What is Masculine Energy vs Feminine energy and the role it plays in relationships (and life) Why the traits that make you successful in your careers may not be helping your dating life Why you keep attracting unavailable men Red flags + green flags of dating Moving from th...

In Episode 27, we are talking about Solo Traveling! Whether you need inspiration for your first solo trip or you're a seasoned traveler getting that itch to book your next trip, you will appreciate this episode with guest Veena Murali.  Veena is a 22-year-old Indian-American woman who is passionate about inspiring people to travel intentionally and venture outside their comfort zones. Born an...

In episode 26, Julie is joined by Subrina K Singh to discuss mental health within the South Asian Community, and specifically what it's like to live with bipolar disorder. Subrina was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 16 and shares her mental health journey as a way to support, advocate, and create awareness for mental health. Tune in to this episode to hear: Subrina's diagnosis story &...

In this episode, Julie talks with Indian Matchmaking Season 2 castmember Shital Patel!  Shital and Julie have a fun chat discussing :  What it was like being on the Netflix Indian Matchmaking  Working with Sima Aunty  Girl talk about dating in NYC in her 20s & 30s  Exercising patience & not settling  The mindset work she's done with her Coach  Her new rel...

We are back for PART 2 of our Breakup series.  This time, Julie is joined by Adya Roy ( @thedesicareerwoman ) and they are talking about past breakups and answering all your breakup questions. In this episode, we talk about: Adya's breakup story and advice for others healing from breakups UHHH should you be "friends" with exes?  Should you keep gifts/memorabilia from exes ? Do you stay c...

In this episode, we are talking about BREAKUPS… Breakups by all means suck. A breakup season can be filled with grief of losing someone, sadness, feelings of loneliness, and possibly guilt or rejection depending on the circumstances or the reasons for breakup.  Whether you're the heartbreaker or the one being broken up with, it won't be easy and it can take some time to adjust and learn to li...

Have you ever wondered why every election feels like a massive existential crisis ? Or why it feels so difficult to pass laws that would seemingly satisfy the needs of most Americans (e.g. basic laws to make gun ownership more safe, restrict gun access to unstable people, etc) In Episode 22, Julie speaks with guest Shawn Thomas.  Amongst the many hats that Shawn wears, he also runs @rankthevo...

In Episode 21, Julie talks with recipe queen Ramya Ravuri! Ramya is the mastermind behind the popular food blog EatsByRamya and is known for her series "Cooking Basics for 20 Somethings" where she breaks down cooking for beginners. She's a data scientist by profession, a food blogger by passion, and someone who loves to be involved in a lot of different activities. Over the last 3 years,...

In this episode, Julie has guest Shwetha Mangal on the show. Shwetha is a Mom of two who started her career as a fitness coach at the age of 40. She's a Certified Personal Trainer and Coach with The Boss Body Revolution and loves helping women become their most confident selves.  She grew up in Hyderabad, India and currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and two teens. In this episode ,...

In Episode 19, Julie speaks with Disha Mazepa about interracial relationships.  Disha shares her experience dating outside her South Asian community and eventually marrying her Caucasian husband, Mike.  They discuss the following: How Disha and her husband met Telling the parents about her interracial relationship Her past dating history Wedding planning and challenges of integrating cul...

In Episode 18, Julie speaks with Divorce Attorney Maliha Siddiqui. Divorce is something that is considered to be very taboo in South Asian communities. It's highly stigmatized and as a result, divorce rates are very low within South Asian populations. Even if there's violence, abuse, or other oppressive situations happening within a household,  the reality of our culture is that the stigma an...

In episode #17,  Julie chats with her friend Danny Matam.  Danny is the first MALE guest on the show!  While this podcast is and will remain a platform to elevate voices, stories, and perspectives of South Asian women in particular, there are subjects/topics where having a male perspective could be relevant and insightful.   Tune in to this episode to hear a South Asian ma...

In this episode, Julie has guest Sana Akhand on the show. Sana is a South Asian female entrepreneur who had a TikTok video that went viral (+1.5M views and counting) a few months ago with when she shared how her and husband are MARRIED and in love but have chosen to live in two SEPARATE NYC apartments. Listen in on this very fascinating story. Julie and Sana discuss: Sana's background and what led...

In this episode, Julie talks with Parween Mander.  Parween is a South Asian money expert on a mission to provide honest and relatable financial coaching for women of color from immigrant upbringings through 1:1 coaching and mentoring. She built a net worth of $200,000 by the age of 28 and is on a mission to help other WOC overcome their financial traumas and build generational wealth. Parween...

This is a solo episode.  Julie talks about scams in the world of online dating. Tinder Swindler, anyone? She shares her own experience encountering a fraudster on a dating app, AND we listen to a few stories submitted by other South Asian women. Please be careful out there and take necessary precautions to protect yourself from being scammed, catfished, or taken advantage of.  Take your...

This month, Tina and Julie are back to discuss various dating and relationship questions submitted by listeners. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 1:25 Questions to Ask on a First Date 9:20  Long Distance Relationships 17:45 Dating in your 20s vs 30s 22:34  Should I Shoot My Shot if Her Social Handles are on Her Profile? 28:12  Who Should Pay on the First Date? 36:26 Is Living at Home a Deal Breaker ?...

In this episode, Julie has her friend Tina Luke on the show to discuss dating in their 30s! They chat about their own personal experiences,  cultural pressures around marriage, the endless matrimonial ads and bio-datas from their parents, dating apps , and everything in between. Stay tuned for Part 2 where they answer Questions submitted by YOU. Timestamps 00:00 Cultural Expectations & Pr...

This is a solo episode discussing a recap of this year, goal setting for the new year, and ways to level up on 3 pillars - mindset, money, and health, in 2022! We talk about what it means to have a growth mindset, the differences between financial independence & financial literacy and why you need BOTH, as well as small habits and practices you can start implementing to drastically improve you...

Today's solo episode is about protecting your mental space and setting boundaries. I share some mindset shifts and advice that have helped me the most in my journey. IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast Email: julie@theshapeulab.com

In this episode, I interviewed Ambily Jose . Ambily is someone who wears many hats! By day, she is a financial analyst and by night, a model and digital content creator with a growing social media presence and following. Her mission is to spread joy, build one another, and help others feel radiant in their skin while working with brands who share her same mission! We discuss her own journey of how...

Episode 8 - Rental Property Investing Part 2 Q&A. This is a follow up episode to Episode 4 - How I Got Into Real Estate Investing and 5 Tips for You In this episode, I compiled a handful of follow up questions/DMs I received from Episode 4 and address them here. We will discuss: Maintenance issues/expenses & what to expect How to gage how much money to put down as a down payment How you ca...