In this episode, Julie and Sonya Patel, host of Your Big Sis! Podcast dive into all things friendships and maintaining adult friendships.

We discuss the following:

• Friendship Breakups and our personal stories, what led to the breakups, how they unfolded, and how we feel about them now.
• Outgrowing Friendships: What are the signs that a friendship is no longer serving you?

• Pet Peeves in Friendships
• Maintaining Adult Friendships: How do we nurture genuine bonds amidst life’s responsibilities? What patterns define authentic friendships?
• The Meaning of Friendship and how our perspectives have changed
• Navigating Life Changes: Marriages, relocations, and evolving priorities.
• Social Media’s Role in Friendships
• Making Friends as an Adult

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Seirra Thakur Label

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Even though Seirra is based in Mumbai, India, everything was handled virtually via WhatsApp video and phone calls. It was a smooth, stress-free process that made planning so much easier!

Mention this podcast for 10% off your next order!

Contact:

- WhatsApp: +91 98197 69197

- Email: thakurseirra@gmail.com

- Instagram: @seirrathakurlabel

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CONNECT WITH SONYA

Connect with Sonya on IG: @sonya.patel

Connect with Your Big Sister podcast on IG: yourbigsis_podcast

CONNECT WITH JULIE

Join our Podcast NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

In this episode, Julie and sustainability expert Shila Wattamar dive into practical steps for living sustainably and discussing how our daily choices—from fashion to food—impact the planet.

Topics explored:

• Introduction – Meet sustainability expert Shila and learn what inspired her sustainability journey.

• Why Sustainability Matters– Simplifying sustainability and why it's critical today.

• How our daily Habit Impact the Planet – Surprising ways everyday actions, like shopping and energy use, affect the environment.

• South Asian Culture and Consumerism– Shifting perspectives on consumerism in South Asian culture to promote sustainability.

• Environmentally-Friendly Fashion – Tips for sustainable style choices, like thrifting and choosing eco-friendly fabrics.

• Sustainability Myths – Overcoming the idea that eco-living is costly or difficult.

• Food Choices and the Environment – How our diets impact the planet and simple changes we can make.

• Easy Actions to Get Started: Beginner-friendly steps toward a more sustainable life.

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT:

This episode is brought to you by Lending Jawn, your trusted partner in home financing. Founded in 2021 by Dhan Thomas to help clients achieve their dream homes, the Lending Jawn has built up an impressive track record of home sales, loan approvals, grants, and guiding individuals to become landlords or first time home buyers.

Looking for a home or investment property in NY, NJ, PA, DE, FL, or MD? Contact Dhan from Lending Jawn to get started!

Visit LendingJawn.com or follow @LendingJawn on Instagram

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CONNECT WITH SHILA:

Shila's company called Sustainable Me! https://sustainableme.today or visit them on IG

Shila's son, Soren Wattamar's Podcast on Sustainable Living: https://rss.com/podcasts/sustainablesoren/

Shila's book: Simply Sustainable: Simple Behaviors for Sustainable Living available on Amazon

CONNECT WITH JULIE OR THE PODCAST:

Join our Podcast NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Vogue Article on Buying 5 Articles of Clothing for Sustainability https://www.vogue.com/article/i-only-bought-5-items-of-clothing-this-year18

#southasianpodcasts #southasianadvocacy #thebrowngirlpodcast #southasianpodcast #desipodcasts

In this solo episode, we dive into:

• The podcast's return after a long break
• Julie's reflections on being recently engaged
• The importance of embracing your single years
• Differences between dating in your 20s vs. 30s
• Perspectives on biological clocks and fertility testing
• Dating non-negotiables and Pre Nuptial Agreements
• Balancing privacy and authenticity on social media while navigating relationships

Tune in for this discussion on love, life, and personal growth.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Check out Lending Jawn, your trusted partner in home financing. Founded in 2021 by Licensed Mortgage Broker, Dhan Thomas, the Lending Jawn has built up an impressive track record of home sales, loan approvals, grants, and guiding individuals in becoming landlords or first time home buyers.

Looking for a home or investment property in NY, NJ, PA, DE, FL, or MD? Contact Dhan from Lending Jawn to get started!

Visit LendingJawn.com or follow @LendingJawn on Instagram

====

CONNECT

Join our Podcast NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

RESOURCES

Ep 18 - Confessions of a Divorce Attorney with Maliha Siddiqui - Listen HERE

#southasianpodcasts #southasianadvocacy #thebrowngirlpodcast #southasianpodcast #desipodcasts #BrownGirlPodcast #Relationships #DatingAdvice #PersonalGrowth #CulturalPerspectives #WomenEmpowerment

In episode 54, Julie speaks with Arshiya Kherani.

Arshiya is a Leadership Coach who partners with rising leaders with hyphenated backgrounds through her program, Niyah Coaching. She is a storyteller & entrepreneur at heart, and is a Co-Founder at Potluck Stories, an LA-based community organization that hosts monthly interactive storytelling events that amplifies underrepresented voices.

Tune in to hear Arshiya walk us through the various twists and turns she's encountered in her 20s and continues to navigate in her 30s.

You'll gain insights into:

• Overcoming the grip of fear
• Finding your confidence
• The art of living with intention and finding your north star
• How to lean into the narrative of "you're doing too much"
• Embracing pivoting and change in life's direction

Thank you to SPONSOR:

Pajama Sutra, a South Asian owned loungewear brand on a mission to inspire women to lounge like a goddess. PajamaSutra offers an exquisite range of loungewear that includes robes, kaftans, rompers, pajamas, and matching mommy and me sets, that bring luxury to your everyday life.

Use code bgpodcast for 15% off. Check them out at www.https://thepajamasutra.com

Join our NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Arshiya on IG: @arshiya_kherani

Visit Arshiya's website: https://www.arshiyakherani.com

Grab her FREE resource checklist to evaluate if you have the tools you need to achieve success as a leader who holds multiple identities and truths.

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

#southasianpodcasts #southasianadvocacy #thebrowngirlpodcast #southasianpodcast #desipodcasts

In episode 53, Julie speaks with Jenova Juliann Pryor on her Blindian relationship journey.

Jenova, a Malayalee Indian American, and her husband, Denzel Pryor, became an internet sensation after their wedding video — showcasing Denzel reciting parts of his vows in Malayalam — went viral in 2022.

In this episode, we discuss

• Jenova's upbringing and cultural community
• How she met her husband
• What it was like telling her parents and family
• Challenges and triumphs of navigating a Blindian relationship
• Advice she has for others

Thank you to sponsor:

Pajama Sutra, a South Asian owned loungewear brand on a mission to inspire women to lounge like a goddess.

Pajama Sutra offers an exquisite range of loungewear that includes robes, kaftans, rompers, pajamas, and matching mommy and me sets, that bring luxury to your everyday life.

Use code bgpodcast for 15% off.

Check them out at www.https://thepajamasutra.com

Join our NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Jenova on IG: @Jenovajuliannpryor

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

#southasianpodcasts #southasianadvocacy #thebrowngirlpodcast #southasianpodcast #desipodcasts

In Episode 52, Julie chats with Sonya Patel, host of Your Big Sis podcast. We discuss all things dating faux pas and talk through various submissions from listeners of things that are immediate turn offs! We discuss vaping, confidence, table manners, bragging, infidelity, and more.

Thank you to our SPONSOR:

Pajama Sutra , a South Asian owned loungewear brand on a mission to inspire women to lounge like a goddess.

Pajama Sutra offers an exquisite range of loungewear that includes robes, kaftans, rompers, pajamas, and matching mommy and me sets, that bring luxury to your everyday life.

Use code bgpodcast for 15% off.

Check them out at www.https://thepajamasutra.com

Join our NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Sonya on IG: @sonya.patel

Connect with Your Big Sis podcast on IG: yourbigsis_podcast

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

#southasianpodcasts #southasianadvocacy #thebrowngirlpodcast #southasianpodcast #desipodcasts

In Episode 51, Julie records a solo episode diving into 5 habits she adopted in 2023 that she will carry into 2024.

1. Time Management Hacks - The Two Minute Rule and the Pomodoro Method
2. Maxing out my 401k contributions and Increasing all my other general investments
3. Nighttime routine
4. Blocking use of social media apps in the morning
5. Normalizing delayed text messages

Resources discussed:

• Download my free guide "My Personal Systems for Savings and Investing" HERE I share insights into exactly how I set up my investing and savings systems and workflows, which have simplified my financial management and improved my confidence in setting myself up for the future.

• Listen to Ep 11 - Leveling up on Mindset, Money, and Health in 2022. Listen HERE

Join our NEWSLETTER HERE

Connect with Julie on IG: @thejuliegeorge

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: @thebrowngirl_podcast

In episode 50, Julie speaks with relationship coach Natasha Mahtani.

Natasha is a certified Relationship Coach and accredited Divorce Coach.

Coming from a South Asian background and having lived in Liberia, England, Nigeria, Ireland, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, she understands the cultural nuances within relationships and more specifically, the limiting narratives and beliefs that surface in relationships across many cultures.

Natasha helps women of color, globally, to increase their sense of self-worth, show up for themselves, identify and rewire their limiting beliefs and thrive in all relationships.

We discuss the following:

• Misconceptions of what it take to have a healthy relationship
• Warning signs that a relationship may be heading in an unhealthy direction
• Communication vs comprehension
• Maintaining adventure and novelty and preventing the relationship from becoming stale
• Balancing personal space and togetherness in a relationship
• Social media and the impact on couples
• Supporting each other when facing external pressures and work related challenges
• Importance of forgiveness and how to build trust when trust is breached

Thank you to our sponsors:

⁠Lingo Dodo⁠ | a company dedicated to helping young children preserve their culture and language. Check out their signature product, the Lingo Pad, designed to teach kids the basics of their native language and is currently available in Gujurati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

⁠The Cumin Club⁠ | a meal kit service offering authentic Indian meals made in 5 minutes or less. All of their meals use high quality ingredients and spices specific to each region in India. Their innovative, freeze drying technology ensures a long shelf life for all of their products, so you can always keep them on hand for those busy days. Simply add hot water, wait a few minutes, and enjoy!

Join our NEWSLETTER ⁠HERE⁠

Connect with Natasha on IG: ⁠@natashacoaches⁠ | Get her Relationship Journal | Website

Connect with Julie on IG: ⁠@thejuliegeorge⁠

Connect with The Brown Girl Podcast on IG: ⁠@thebrowngirl_podcast⁠

#southasianpodcasts #southasianadvocacy #thebrowngirlpodcast #southasianpodcast #desipodcasts