Woman Wednesday: Yamini


Q and A with Yamini from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

There will be blockers, stereotypes, and difficulties, but don’t let anything stop you.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I am passionate about filmmaking, but even before I explored this part of me, I was like any other woman who eats, sleeps, works, and repeats. As a kid, I was always inclined towards cinema, but coming from a non-film background, I never thought of pursuing my dream as a career. I admire creativity, and I put my soul into every little thing I do. I was always fond of perfection and aesthetics, and one day I wrote poetry on females’ journeys right from birth to all the important roles they play in our lives. All the hurdles they face because of gender discrimination. Recently, my film was released in cinema theatres on the 11th of November 2022, and before I get myself involved in the next project, I will be taking a break to spend quality time in solitude, and with family and friends. The last two years were a roller coaster ride for me with a lot of inhibitions, hurdles, and mixed feelings which also took a toll on my mental and emotional well-being as things were not working as planned. Most of the situations like the pandemic were uncontrollable. I will be taking learnings from 2022 and will be focusing on 2023 with another female-centric concept in the pipeline.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a traditional and conservative family where, like any other Indian family, importance was given to education. Watching television and films was not encouraged, but I have always been a movie buff. I used to take permission from my parents and watch a lot of films and television series. I finished my studies with a degree in mass communication. I always wanted to do something in the entertainment industry, it was around two years when I got the idea of Badhai Ho Beti Huee Hai, and I realized that I had to tell this story. So, I wrote a script. The character Shakti Singh in the Movie Badhai Ho Beti Huee Hai was inspired by real incidents in my life. It took two years to make this film, I started on this journey alone as a filmmaker, director, producer, scriptwriter, and actor. The pandemic during movie making impacted me a big time, but I was determined and did not let any obstacle stop me. The day I was able to bring my movie to theatres was a very proud and emotional moment for me and my family. Indian cinema is mostly ruled by men, and females are just for show and glamour. But I wanted to change this mentality. Females are very much creative and all they need is determination and support to achieve what they aspire to.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: There is no such word as IMPOSSIBLE. There is no harm in dreaming, provided you should have the willpower and dedication to fulfill those dreams. When I started my journey as a filmmaker, I was neither trained nor proficient in this industry. But I was willing to learn and grow. I never say no to any skills that required me to learn. This helped me always, and I want people to have faith in themselves and their work—that is the base. Criticism should be accepted as feedback, but it should not lower your morale at any cost. As we all know, a critic can show the destination, but when asked to drive to that destination, they cannot. Please remember no one is perfect and we always have a scope for improvement, so don’t get disheartened at any stage of life with negative remarks.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?


A:
I think we have a long way to go before every woman in the country feels empowered. But I do think that with each passing day, some women are discovering their own power, so women’s empowerment is not just a national issue first it is just just a personal issue then a regional issue, then a national issue, and then a universal one. But, most importantly, I think it must start being a personal issue as we have to discover our own power.

The only person who can truly stand in your way is you. There will be blockers, stereotypes, and difficulties, but don’t let anything stop you. Fuel your own ambition, be yourself not who other people want you to be. You are unique, and we’ll always have a different perspective to bring to the table. Foster relationships, learn from others, and help others on your journey because if you fall or stumble, they will likely help to pick you up and dust you off.

My name is Yamini Swami, working in Indian cinema as a filmmaker, actress, producer, writer, and director.

Thank you for reading!

Woman Wednesday: Sandra L.


Q and A with Sandra L. from Gibbons, Alberta, Canada

I can’t change the world, but if I could change one life or help one person, that would be fantastic for me. I know it sounds selfish when I say fantastic for me, but I truly do not want anybody to feel like I felt.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I am truly blessed. I have realized life is much too short, so I have decided to live life to the fullest. There are so many new things that I have become passionate about in the last few years and, as you get older, you realize your passions change. The love for it might still be there, but the passion doesn’t draw you like it used to. I love horses. Always have and always will. They are one of those loves for me that the passion has died down a bit. I love playing sports, but again, I am slowing down. Right now, my real passion is writing and travel. I love to write, and I love teaching people how to write and not make the same mistakes I did when I first started publishing. I have still got my 9-5 job, but I am hoping that will change soon with my new business endeavors.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I am a total small-town girl with fantastic family and friends who were there and still are through thick and thin. My best friends are still my best friends today. My parents worked hard and instilled a good work ethic in me, and my siblings, and I was very involved in sports, but what else was there to do in a small town? I called Gladstone, Manitoba, Canada, my hometown and even today, years later, I call it my home. On cold winter nights, which were many, I would write my own little mysteries, but in the garbage, they would go. I believe I had a perfect life, but things change.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: Growing up in a small-town means life moves at a slower pace. Families at that time were never divorced, and you could stay out till it got dark and hang out with your friends and not have to worry about anything bad happening. Times have changed even though I grew up with the whole idea of when you get married, you stay married forever and you stick it out and work it out. That didn’t happen to me. I was married for 26 years and that’s when my life fell apart. I went to many counselors, I had a nervous breakdown, I cut myself off from everything, and then I had a breakthrough and started to write. I started off just journaling to help myself through my breakup and that turned into an escape and an outlet for me. At that point, I realized that I felt so alone and embarrassed and ashamed of everything that had happened, but I didn’t want anybody else to feel that way period. I can’t change the world, but if I could change one life or help one person, that would be fantastic for me. I know it sounds selfish when I say fantastic for me, but I truly do not want anybody to feel like I felt. So again, the rating came into effect, and I wrote my first book about narcissism. I have to laugh now because my friends that I grew up with (and I’m sure my teachers) didn’t even think I could spell. [Sandra laughs.] I want you to know and take away from my little blurb here that you can do anything that you have set your mind to. You are never too old and the only thing stopping you from your greatest successes is yourself. You need to be the strongest person you know and truly believe in yourself and know you can do whatever you set your mind to. I always thought I was very confident and secure, but when my divorce happened, I realized I was a scared insecure woman but not anymore.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?


A:
To me, feminism means courage. I believe that all women are just as capable as men, and we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. We need to play up to our strengths and know that we are all different. We have different thoughts, different cultures, and beliefs, but that does not define who we are. I believe we are all capable of being outstanding at whatever we do or try. We are women!

MORE ABOUT SANDRA: I now live in Gibbons, Alberta Canada, and have two amazing grown boys who see and treat women with respect, no matter their age. They know that no matter what circumstances arise, I will float to the top because the cream always rises to the top. Make every day your best day!

Thank you for reading!

Publishing With Sandra, click here.

Woman Wednesday: Denise J.


Q and A with Denise J. from Brampton, Ontario Canada

“I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: My biggest passion has been and still is helping people. I have been a registered massage therapist for the past 13 years and this was my goal when I was in high school as I had taken a course on the body and fell in love with what I would be able to help with. I am loving what I do and, over the early part of the pandemic, I got my life license. I had no idea what I was going to get out of it, but WOW! I was shocked at all that I learned and now could educate others and help plan/protect their families. Then I started an online business in the essential services industry. This is where I have been able to provide my customers with better rates on services, they pay for in the home such as natural gas, electricity, internet, mobile, home phone, travel, and health care.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My younger years were amazing because I was always out and about playing, or we were at the Boys and Girls Club after school and evenings program where we went on many fun outings and once took a Tim Hortons camp trip to Alberta. We often traveled back to Jamaica and the US for a few weeks and see family. I played many if all the sports I could in school up until high school as I then became focused on my studies.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three. I don’t look at where I came from as a bad thing because I know it gave me humble beginnings and some to look back and see how far I’ve come. Even though many kids didn’t end up in a good place as an adult, I can safely say my siblings and I all went on the great things in life.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?


A:
Feminism to means….to be honest, I don’t give it much thought because I teach all three of my kids to not think they can or can’t do anything because of their size and sex. Yes, the world doesn’t see a woman as equal to a man in some cases but knowing that we can do anything they can do if not do it better.

Denisejohnson.acnibo.com

Thank you for reading!

Woman Wednesday: Katherine J.


Q and A with Katherine J. from Bethlehem, PA

“Never stop caring, growing for others, and building connections!”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: As a copywriter for service providers, I’m passionate first about community and second about writing. I founded my business on a love for helping others and a professional background in writing and marketing for nonprofits, sharing stories, and promoting causes that improve and enrich lives. My joy comes from channeling the right words to lift purpose-driven work. I decided to name my freelance business Lehigh Valley Copywriter because what you choose to support can be anywhere–but it starts where you are.

My mission is to serve the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania and the communities my clients are building through their work. I offer brand messaging, SEO website copywriting, and sales writing campaigns to help other entrepreneurs grow their voices, connections, and visibility. The kinds of clients I gravitate toward working with are teachers of all disciplines, musicians, artists, photographers, coaches, and service-based business owners like realtors, financial advisors, event planners, and wellness professionals. Most are women. My work is gratifying because my clients’ work is meaningful and intentional, and makes a difference for others. I’m in my first official year of business and growing quickly. Beyond client projects, I’ve been building partnerships through collaborative work, online learning groups, and local support systems of like-minded female entrepreneurs. Freelancing can be isolating if you don’t step back from the work to build relationships. It’s finding a community that makes all the difference.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: Growing up in upstate New York, I lived in a small suburban town where kids left bikes in the front lawn when visiting friends, swapped Jolly Ranchers for Fun Dip at the open park across from the stony creek and played manhunt across neighbors’ backyards until we were called home by our parents’ silhouettes in windows. It was a genuine community. I’m from the last generation to experience childhood without the internet and also the first generation to grow up fully alongside the internet. My first online writing experience was through the Open Diary website (which I’m stunned is around–go look it up)! AOL chat rooms, AIM profiles, and message boards were all creative outlets for a budding writer. I remember writing “books” and “newspapers” with friends on clunky PCs in the family computer room and the thrill of printing stories at home! The after-school world ignited me as a young person. I attended a public school system rich with diversity, civic engagement, and extracurricular opportunities like Rotary Club, band, writing club workshops, and the school newspaper. I also found meaning in volunteering at nursing homes, homeless shelters, and other service-based agencies with my youth group. Reflecting on those experiences, it makes sense that I found nonprofit work appealing and have taken up freelance copywriting to support community development. I had a healthy support system and the right people as role models.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: At the end of the year, I get sentimental as I reflect on my learnings. I imagine each year as another draft in my life’s story, scrawled with edit notes and suggestions for improvement. In copywriting, my writing tells the passions and stories of other people. It’s a learning process of hearing what other business owners care about, who they serve, why it matters, and how we can help others discover their offer as the solution to a problem. It’s also a learning process on the customer service end. Much like the writing drafts that sit at the bottom of my Google Docs, the experiences and feedback that I earn with each copywriting project serve as reminders for growth. Never stop caring, growing for others, and building connections!

Q: What does feminism mean to you?


A:
Feminism starts with keeping an open heart and leaning into intuition. We live on a spectrum of callings rooted in lived experiences and spiritual identities. We serve ourselves and others best when we pursue what feels right professionally and at home. But our society and economy haven’t made this available to everyone yet. We have to be vocal about barriers and inequities when we see them. Feminist strength comes through knowing other women, understanding their personal and professional desires, being loud about what gets in the way, and supporting each other. I recommend finding a network, tribe, village, community–whatever you want to call it–to build a support system for yourself and others.

Thank you for reading!

If you’d like to work with me, please visit my website: katjacksoncopy.com

You can also follow me on Instagram @copywritingbykat for tips on small business growth, copywriting, brand messaging, and Search Engine Optimization.

Woman Wednesday: Samantha P.


Q and A with Samantha P. from Long Island, New York, living in Northern Israel

“You are never too old to learn something new!”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: My passion is helping small to medium businesses and startups (B2B SMBs) find their voice and market themselves correctly to the right audience. Marketing is such an overlooked part of what allows businesses to make money because it can be hard to put a dollar value on the benefit a newsletter or social media post brings to a business. I started my own fractional marketing business to help small businesses understand the value that marketing will bring them, as well as to tie it to their sales so that we are marketing to get them money. My husband does VP sales and business development as a service (VP Sales/7 Biz Dev as a service), and even when we don’t have shared clients, we always consult each other. It’s such a benefit to each other (and our clients) that we each have the other as a resource since sales and marketing really need each other to gain the maximum advantage.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I always loved learning and would read whatever I could get my hands on. I’m glad that that love has stuck with me because as a marketer, I can get clients from any industry and it means I need to learn a lot very quickly about vastly different sectors, from AI robots to desalination.

I didn’t always work in marketing. In fact, for the first 10+ years of my adult life, I spent working in environmental science and politics. I was always very passionate about protecting the planet, even before Al Gore made climate change cool. [Samantha laughs.] When I was 31, I followed my dream and left the USA to move to Israel. I’m very fortunate that my mom and brother also moved to Israel after me. Growing up, it was always just the three of us, so I’m grateful that we have each other here as well. Moving to Israel was definitely hard! I had to learn a new language and get used to a very different culture. I am very happy here though. There is much more emphasis on family than I found in the US. The country is built for kids; there are playgrounds and daycares everywhere. It’s not uncommon for a stranger on the bus to ask you to hold their baby for a second while they pay. I see the struggles my friends in the US go through not having maternity leave or affordable daycare, so I’m especially grateful to be living here.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: When I arrived in Israel at age 31, I saw that there was a very, very limited number of positions that involved environmental protection, and for almost all of them, I needed to be fluent in Hebrew, which I wasn’t yet. I had to reevaluate my goal, asking myself if it was to continue to build my career in environmental issues, or successfully start a new life in Israel? I chose the latter and did a program that helped me identify my skills in order to find a job. It turns out that my years working in politics and organizing and promoting events allowed me a very natural transition into marketing. I’m not almost 10 years into my ‘new’ career and have worked my way up to CMO as a service (also known as a Fractional CMO). I love what I do, and I love seeing how business owners light up at my recommendations and the results of my work. I very much encourage people to consider changing careers if they find themselves stuck. You are never too old to learn something new!

Q: What does feminism mean to you?


A:
Feminism means being able to accomplish what you want professionally, without having to give up what it means to be a woman. I shouldn’t have to be excessively aggressive to be taken seriously or paid equally. Women should be allowed and encouraged to have children and all that comes with it, without being penalized professionally.

Thank you for reading!

Click here for Samantha’s website.