Show notes –
Join Shannon & Christine as they chat about Occupational Wellness with special guest Jaylan Salah Salman from Alexandria, Egypt.
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Shannon M. 0:09
We’re dealing with joy. I’m on top of the world,
Christine Gautreaux 0:15
our listeners who might just be listening in our weekly podcast. Yesterday, we launched our women connected in wisdom, stories and resources rooted in the eight dimensions of wellness book that Shannon and I were the lead authors and weavers for 18 authors. And y’all tell them what happened when we launched CNN
Shannon M. 0:37
number one in multiple categories? Okay, you know, we’d like to do multiple categories. So yes. Yes.
Christine Gautreaux 0:48
Check in, because we haven’t checked in a little bit. Let’s check in and see where we are. We are currently sitting at number one in spiritual growth and self help. We are sitting at number one in spiritual healing. We’re sitting at number one, what was that last category? Was it personal growth?
Shannon M. 1:09
Yes, yes.
Christine Gautreaux 1:10
And we’re sitting in number three motivational self help. Oh, cool. Here we go.
Shannon M. 1:17
So excited. And I know when we started, what was it and one of the categories let me flip
Christine Gautreaux 1:21
the one that we’re in number three, we started at number 247. Yesterday.
Shannon M. 1:27
So thank you, for everybody who’s bought our book, thank you for being loyal listeners, and everybody who’s been on Instagram and Facebook and text. And I’ve talked to people from high school church, like places that I haven’t connected to people a long time. So it’s been a really good time.
Christine Gautreaux 1:44
I love it. I want to give a shout out to my mentor and teacher Brene Brown, because we are on one of the same list as she is today. And that just tickles my heart. We’re on one of the lists that her Gifts of Imperfection book is on. So yeah, we’re going to be adding some dates for book signings and speaking engagements. So if you want to come and get a signed copy, you can be paying attention to our website at women connected and wisdom.com. And come meet us in person. We’d love that.
Shannon M. 2:17
Hi, ladies. I am Shana Mitchell, a black millennial business owner, the founder of shallow glow LLC, and all natural skincare company that helps you glow from head to toe. I am a champion for your daily self care, business care and intentional wellness.
Christine Gautreaux 2:30
Hey, y’all. I’m Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate and international speaker, coach, published author and dancing social worker who helps you upgrade yourself and community care.
Shannon M. 2:43
Together we are women connected in wisdom, a podcast grounded in the eight dimensions of wellness.
Christine Gautreaux 2:48
And we like to get together every week for intentional conversations between us and special guests about how to be wise in business relationships and wellness.
Shannon M. 2:58
Yes, today. So you guys know we can jump right into it. We are talking about occupational wellness. So occupational wellness represents living in the purpose, passion and productivity in one chosen profession. This includes work life balance as a fulfilling and productive professional life is fitting to eat together with a healthy personal life.
Christine Gautreaux 3:22
Yeah. And, you know, so appropriate for the last 48 hours of our life. When we talk about occupational wellness, as entrepreneurs, as people who have worked in all different areas like we between us who knows how many jobs we’ve had in our lifetime, right? But we’ve worked in the service industry, we’ve worked in the caregiving industry, we’ve worked in the social service industry, we’ve worked in the wellness industry, and, and continue to work in some of those places, and have had, of course, we’re different ages, we’re different backgrounds, and as women have had some of the same experiences in occupational wellness, some good and some bad. Right.
Shannon M. 4:12
Right. Yeah. And things to learn from, you know, sometimes we can find ourselves in uncomfortable positions, positions where it’s, oh, well, I should have Why did I say nothing? And this is these are questions I had to ask myself even this year, right? Why did I say nothing when this person did this? Well, well, what would I have said, you know, what, what should I do next time to make sure that I feel more protected or that my boundaries are held or just in general, you know, so those things but also celebrating the wins? Yesterday, we were talking about resting and rejoicing at the end of the big project. And I think both of those are really important to hold space for yourself.
Christine Gautreaux 4:52
Have you had a chance to do that yet, my friend Have you had a chance to rest and celebrate?
Shannon M. 4:58
Absolutely. I did say good time last night had the candles when got something to eat didn’t do what I thought I was gonna do I asked you know on the one of our lives should we should I spoil myself hot out of the five star Michelin where do I want to go right but, you know, stuff closes early, and I don’t like to be rushed. So we went and picked something up and relaxed, which is great to do nothing. That’s really what I wanted to do, even though I wanted to celebrate. And today more time outside, you know, that’s one thing I think about my mom outside. So we’re going to take some time in the sunlight reset. And that’s how I’m doing it this time because I do work from open to close tomorrow. So let’s talk about so occupational wellness and how to add some more celebration in
Christine Gautreaux 5:42
right and talk about celebrating. I know she’s not still on this plane, but we want to give a shout out to your mom. Happy birthday. And Anita. Happy birthday. Thank you for birthing Shannon and all her awesomeness.
Shannon M. 5:58
Yes, thank you. Yes, it’s been good. And again, like Courtney said, Coach co said on one of her things, taken the story of loss, and then being able to turn it into. And I don’t even feel like it was that, you know, I felt it was opportunity to get to know her opportunity to see what type of person she was decide for myself what type of person I want it to be. So to be able to help everybody with their physical wellness and decrease chronic illness. We’re gonna make it worth it, you know, and help some other moms be able to celebrate some more birthdays a little bit longer with their children.
Christine Gautreaux 6:34
I love that. I love that. Yeah. Well, I know we are both ridiculously excited about our guests. Yeah, so this, should we just go ahead and pull her up here and and start this conversation? Let’s do it. All right. I’m gonna introduce her hang on, let me get her bio up here. Is there anything else we want to say about the book or any other shout outs we want to give?
Shannon M. 7:02
We can I think no, I think we’re good with everything that we said. And if anything comes up, we can we can do it at the end and for the rest of everything else that we have going on.
Christine Gautreaux 7:10
And we will put a link in our show notes, y’all so you can get hold of this book because the reviews coming in are pretty awesome. We you know, it’s our baby. So we were pretty partial to this book to start with. But it’s lovely that it’s being received so well and people are really getting value out of it. So we’re delighted. All right, let’s talk about our guest today because she is ridiculously awesome. So, Jaylan Salah Salman and I just hope I did justice to your name my friend is an Egyptian poet translator. Two time national Literary Award winner, animal lover feminist film critic. Insolent. Boop, boop boop boop boop. Let’s let that word come out of my mouth philanthropist. She received her Bachelor of Science in pharmacy in 2011 and is published film criticism articles short stories, poems, and translations in many websites and offline publications such as Al haram vugs vagues. I’m gonna miss out on that villages. Synchronized chaos, the gay gaze, cinema FemMe Magazine, ion cinema and Guardian Liberty voice. Her first short story collection Thus Spoke low lava was published in 2016 by the Egyptian Supreme Council of culture, her first poetry collection and English workstation blues was published by poets AI in a British publishing house with the purpose of de stigmatizing mental illness and supporting international artist. Her debut novel, Bogart play me a classic melody has made wide critical acclaim and was recently chosen as one of the 32 novels in the era of voices initiative at the virtual Frankfurt Book Fair in 2020. Her second poetry book, very my womb at the West Bank, was published in 2021 by third eye butterfly press and available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback formals. Her second novels real readers dance was published in 2022 by noon, for publishing and available for purchase both in paperback and ebook formats, all the way from Alexandria, Egypt. We want to welcome our new friend Jai lunch to the show. Yes,
Shannon M. 9:35
Hi, Jaylan. Welcome to women connected.
Jaylan Salah Salman 9:41
Welcome babies. Hello
Christine Gautreaux 9:43
I love reading your bio and how especially you know we’re just putting this book out and you know, how big of a deal it is to put a book out and I’m reading through all yours and I’m like, Whoa, she is a she’s a master this like you you know how to do this my friend? I try I try.
Shannon M. 10:06
Oh, you do it you did it you nationally acclaimed. Okay, nationally
Christine Gautreaux 10:11
acclaimed? Yes. This question is we haven’t we haven’t prepped this question at all because it really is just coming up for me in this moment. You know, we, we put our this book out into the world yesterday, we’ve got 18 authors, and Shannon and I were having this conversation before the show because several authors have called me today having a little bit of vulnerability hangover, right? They’re like, what have I done? And we’re in community so they know that they can call they know we can have these discussions. Did you have any of that? Anytime you put out some of your books or some of your work? Do you ever go? What have I done?
Jaylan Salah Salman 10:51
Oh, God, every single book out there, I’m like, why? Just why J, just pull it up. Come on. Come on, now’s your chance. And then I just put it because I revel in vulnerability. I think vulnerability is one of my assets. It’s just who I am. I’ve been fighting it for so long hiding and trying to tone down writing and just stop myself from being vulnerable. And of course, listening to voices that might have told me Oh, my God, look at this. What are people going to say when they read this? They’re going to be reading through you. And then I just for once and for all I think was the last book, I think I was like, I’m vulnerable? Get it? It’s in your faces. Take it. See? Embrace it, guys, whoever is listening. Right?
Christine Gautreaux 11:43
Well, I think it’s one of the I think it is one of the things that we go through to level up. Like, you know, one of my mentors and teachers Brene Brown, she talks about the power of vulnerability. And the reality is, is we can be living in purpose, and be in connected relationships without it.
Jaylan Salah Salman 12:04
I totally agree. I totally agree. And I love vulnerable people. And vulnerable people aren’t just, I’ve seen vulnerable people who are some of the strongest I’ve ever seen, especially artists, because Hello, you’re out there. And you’re just showing me what you can do with your body with your writing with your painting, whatever you have. So I just love them. I just have them around me all the time.
Shannon M. 12:26
And I know we talk about Brene Brown and different places, right? Because she has so many different resources. And when I listened to dare to lead, how she helped me change my perspective on being vulnerable helped me right. If it’s not healed yet, then don’t share that part. If you know that you’re gonna take it personal or react a certain way and you’re not there yet, then you life gives you plenty of other things that we could talk about, you know, so is it healed? Can you present it to people, okay, and be authentic and vulnerable? And then if you’re still going through it, maybe that’s for the next book? Maybe that’s for the next conversation.
Christine Gautreaux 13:01
We’re speaking of one of our authors, Shannon IV, I think wrote that in in the book wounds, not scars, not wounds.
Shannon M. 13:10
She talked about it yesterday to this important. Totally, totally, I totally agree. So, Jalen, I love so many different parts of your story, right? I want to hear more about your poetry. And since we’re talking about occupational wellness, how you hold that space with the uniqueness of your voice in Alexandria, Egypt, and I would love more about what else were we talking about before the podcast? Well, let’s, let’s start there. And then I’m sure we’ll find endless things to talk about if I bring it if it if I’m reminded I’ll bring it up.
Jaylan Salah Salman 13:45
Well, I think I’ve always had these, okay, I always thought of myself, as you know, like Superman, okay, or like Catwoman because I love her more. And I’m like, Okay, I’m Selena, come on. She’s the hero, you can just go away. What is your one dimensional, whatever doing to me, she’s this woman, and she’s so vulnerable. And then she fell and she became more vulnerable. She was just devoured by cats. And she emerged as this. I never thought of cats as anything but vulnerable. They just act on their feelings in an aggressive way. And then I realized, man, this is totally me. I’m Catwoman and Selena coil at the same time. And every certain job I went to, I had to be silly in a fight. I have to be a good employee and hide my writing. Just I didn’t tell anybody about it. And then something happened. I wouldn’t call it fate I would call it Life. And it just puts it in people’s faces. I would get a price out of the sudden I would get a book published after it’s been rejected for so long, and people will start looking at me, like differently like, wait a minute, Joanne is a writer, why isn’t she told and they would go and research through writing and the result would be disastrous most times because people wouldn’t expected of you. They just want you to be either. You know, their colleagues sitting there drinking coffee, and I’m a worker. Like when I go to work, I’m like, I don’t really mingle. I’m not really a people’s person most of the time, sometimes my Android drains and stuff. So I would go and like hello, hi, politely currently, and then people would start reacting differently. Some of them would just be really scared of what they read, and they want to run away. Some of them would think that reading something that I’ve written that was so bold and sexual and stuff would make them you know, like, KJ, want to go, I’m like, No, thanks. I don’t want to do anything, maybe. Or they would just be like, impressed in a way like, I’ve had this colleague who passed away years ago from breast cancer. And she was she came to me, and she was like, I’m a survivor of breast cancer. And I’m like, Wow, thank you so much for telling me. And she’s like, I read one of your stories. It was brutal, man, how did you write that? And I was like, I was inspired by someone I knew before he had, you know, like bone cancer. And he told me about his back something like that. And I just imagined, I told him, I’ll make you make your Pelican, I’ll make you a swan into my story. And he’s like, Just do it. Put me in the story like that. And this is the story that brought her to me. We were in two different departments and tell you what, I never mingle with different departments. Like I’m writing content marketing, I don’t go to graphic designers. I’m not that kind of girl. And she came to me. I really don’t know what to tell people. Most of the time, I was just say something crazy. So I just stare away from turtle. And she came to me, and she was like, I’m a, and this just hit me hard. Like, really, it’s impacted her that much. And I remember also this guy who sent me a private message telling me like, wow, how did you write this story about the man? And I was like, Thank you, dude. Like, just don’t publish my name or anything. But I just What did you see? How did you write it? And then he disappeared. So that’s when I realized like, poetry, occupational and dryland dial and the worker, Jolanda Working Girl, mine’s a five girl and girl and the poet. They’re just the same person. And they exist in this universe together. You cannot just separate them. So I have embraced it. But at the same time, it didn’t go well with some places where I work, because some people just saw it as you know, like an unnecessary place. I’ve had a female manager. Unfortunately, it was one of the worst experiences, I was the happiest girl because I thought, wow, sexual harassment report to her, tell her women supporting women, Let’s be together. And it was the opposite. She judged me she told me it was a company with all the women were veiled. They were the headcovering she was like, You’re the only unveiled woman. So what do you expect? And she looked at me disdainfully. And she was like, you cannot report it, because people will blame you its own you look at your writings. And at some point, she just gave me a pep talk where she was like, I think you better choose sides, lady, either you stay here and you just drop the writer part or you just leave. We don’t need you. We can get any copywriter. Why would we need the writer in there like, and I think it was just out that’s, that’s when I realized like, okay, maybe I don’t want to do the nine to five crap. Maybe I don’t want to be in an office all time. Just trying to prove to myself that I’m, like people who might used to envy like I would walk by in the streets and look at people in their office and be like, Why can’t you be like them, like going to be happy man, maybe you haven’t find the workplace that suited you. But why haven’t used so far? Just it’s driving me crazy and driving some of the people in my family crazy. And of course, my sister who was like my guru and my supporter, she was like, own up to yourself. Where’s your truth? Just want your truth. You want to be a writer, be a writer. Just be right. Stop it.
Christine Gautreaux 18:53
You’re, you’re a creative
Shannon M. 18:56
thing. Yeah. And you’re also somebody who works hard, you know, and you can be both and that’s why you’ve reached the levels that you reach. And that’s one of the things I love about the eight dimensions of wellness, right? Because we’re not just one thing, we’re not just financial and then that’s it the finances affect the social and that affects the, the spiritual, and that affects the fear, the physical, like we talked about, you know, so with that, well, I’ve had people tell me that to you know, just stick to the restaurant industry stick to what, you know, I have a degree in this and that you’re using the wrong word for the landing page, just actually this you know. And so, for me, you know, it’s just about honing who you are. As we grow and we develop we you’re not three anymore, you know, you’re a different person than you were when you were three. So at one part at one point of your life, you worked hard in the office. Now you will take those skills and use it somewhere else in your writing poetry. And I could tell you right now, my favorite place that I’ve worked is in Egypt online. What I’m doing right now as Amazon best seller, you know? So I just want to go Do I just want to honor you? Because I never would have thought of you as somebody who didn’t talk to people, somebody who was drained around people like when we I’ve been thinking about your energy from our coffee and chat since we talked, I might, she has so much energy. She is so bubbly and everything. So, yeah, be all of who you are. Absolutely. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Well, I
Christine Gautreaux 20:21
also find it fascinating because you know, we’re here in the United States, you’re there in Egypt. And as women connected, we all still deal with some of the same issues, right? That same, that same outer authority that tells us Oh, it’s your fault, if this happens, because of the way you dress or the way you present or the words you write? And it’s like, no, that’s not true. And and the other thing, is that putting us in a box, right? Like, oh, if you just do this, like, Oh, if you’re just a mother and have 2.5 kids, or if you’re just this or that, you know, all the things that society tells us, and that sometimes we try to conform to and we meet, we run and they go, oh, yeah, but only if you do this right. And that fallacy, that if we do everything, right, that we’re going to be good enough for some people. And it’s like, we have to own ourselves and our inner authority, and that what we’re doing is on purpose and and good enough and that we accept ourselves for who we are. Yeah.
Shannon M. 21:29
And for me, it’s is so much simpler than that. Right? For me. That’s purpose in life and why we’re here. And if I could share a little bit more Jayla, what’s your excuse me, your eyeline, what you’re talking about is I got you, hey, because I am dealing with sexual harassment at work and the different places that I’m working, I need to leave this job. I can’t afford to work here emotionally and mentally. Right. So when we’re talking about what women should and should not do, it’s not just because I don’t I don’t even know what the reason would be that people think that it’s not important, but it’s so that I can pay for medical bills so that I can pay for my so I can pay to come to work. How about that, right? So I can have clothes to wear food to eat all of these things. So it’s us trying to reach a certain level of health, a certain level of development as a person a certain age, you know, require certain steps. And I think that in the conversation with women and what we do, a lot of times that gets minimized because people offer their opinion based on the boxes that we think we’re supposed to be in. But it doesn’t, it’s not the same person that’s like, Hey, are you well, in all these areas? What can I do to make sure that you have what you need?
Jaylan Salah Salman 22:40
Totally, I totally agree.
Christine Gautreaux 22:42
Well, as healthy women being connected and wisdom, I think a question to add to what you just said, Shannon is how can I best support you? In your wellness? Right? Because I know in our culture here sometimes Jilin, what happens is people point out the things you’re doing wrong. Or they, you know, they don’t unless you’re really with a good healthy group of friends, which we’re building we’re building in our community, we’re building in this right to where we ask the other person what they need, not just give them unsolicited criticism for how they should be doing it. Right. But really check in with them about what do you need this and how can I support you?
Jaylan Salah Salman 23:26
You know, totally, I totally agree to this, especially in the film criticism world, because I face that a lot of times where it’s like, your review sucks. Your review is bad. You don’t understand movies. What are you a woman? Do you have a brain? Like? Do you even understand the movie and the head? Look at you come to something like did you understand the movie? Yeah, I understood it. Yeah. And I would be like talking back to them. Okay. For, okay, this was so vulnerable for me, but I just have to get it out for three years, I was gaslit in a relationship with someone I trusted. And that took away my fighting spirit completely. I became a rat, something I became, you know, like, I was just talking to my sister about it. I couldn’t talk to my sister about it, except this year. And I told her, you know, this cartoon movie, Ariel and Ursula. When she took her voice, this is what happened. This hand went into my vocal cords and just snapped them. I would be like out people talking about bigotry about bad stuff about hurting others, and I just shut up. When in the past I would just go passionately, and I’m like, I can’t stand your talk. What are you talking about? You cannot talk about this about whether you cannot say this, I would completely shut because the person I trusted with myself was just angry at my personality and they kind of broke it as if you’re demolishing a building, you know, down from the roots from the roots until there was nothing left. I was a shell when I think my writing showed it at the time because a friend of mine he was a therapist and grief on it. That’s it. Only Dolan, I’m really worried about you. You have told me, they ago that you were down in this pit, looking at people upside up upwards. And you cannot you do not want to get out. Is that true? And I was like, yeah. And then we’d like my friend during serious trouble. And I think this was the first time that something clicked in me like, this is not me. I’m a fighter, what’s going on what happened? So, for me, I think, just to be dealt with in a way that makes me feel like someone is just trying to look, you know, like, oh, understand what I’m a man, I have been in this business for so long. I’ve been writing about music for so long, or like, you don’t understand this. You don’t understand what you’ve written. This is bad, man. This is bad writing. Yeah. What is good writing? I’d always tell them, yeah, enlighten me, I really need your science I need your knowledge helped me. I’m just a newbie. I’m just small and young. And I need your wisdom. Give it to me. So when I restored this parrot back, I became, you know, like, strong again, and started writing film criticism articles, and just criticizing a lot of the things that I saw, like, people who would be having discussions on Twitter, and I would just catch something, and I gotta write about that for years. Because of gas lighting, I was afraid to do that. I was like, Who are you? Why would you even try to talk about this topic? Do you even know this? Because my voice has been stolen from me. So now I’m kind of celebrating having it.
Christine Gautreaux 26:27
Yes, we want to celebrate that with you. And also I have a curiosity. Thank you, first of all, for sharing your story and for being vulnerable with us. And my question I have, which I bet a lot of our listeners will have is, what wellness practices? Did you do? Or did you take to take care of yourself and to get your voice back to go from an abusive relationship to where you are strong and are letting the world the world literally, right? The world hear your voice again.
Jaylan Salah Salman 27:02
First of all, just talking to people you really really love. And I think finding the right people to open up to like, I’ve become more like my friend Diane, Brazil, for example, she’s, we only talk online like you guys, but she’s just, she’s a very important part of my life. I talk to her often, when I’m just unable to handle the world. I tell her like, I’m taking a break, she tells me she thinks it’s a very healthy friendship. It’s very mature. Talking to my sister about everything. I told my sister everything and my sister was kind of horrified. But she was not the kind of person to panic, she would sit down with me and analyze everything and just talk it bits by bits. Also, giving myself I think, first of all forgiving myself because it’s one of the most important things, there is no way out of it, man. Except if you forgive yourself, you just have to forgive. You have to forgive yourself for just being because, okay, our mom, our mom is a very great person to whom I owe everything because she gave up this creative life to become a mother. And I think it took a toll on her but still, you know, like she gets she raised us. So I think my mom, our mom raised us to be proud girls, we’re proud we’re not going to big a man. I’m gonna go after a man. But the guest like to yours turned me into another person. Like I would go into relationship and just please, they I love you don’t leave. So after I was out of this relationship and strong again, I started feeling disgusted on myself. Like, who is this? How could you do this? This is bad. You’re not a good person. Look at you. I hate you. And I realized no, no, you have to forgive. Of course, this was with therapy with my Reiki healer. With a very, very wise woman that I’ve met for a short period of my life. She was just Sophie and at the same time, she was a dancer. I need people I need to strange people all the time. I might not be really good in social situations. I don’t mean go out with you know, like everybody, but I meet I like collect people and they collect me too. So it’s a mutual process. She gave me like these bits and pieces about life. And I still carry them to this moment with me every time I feel like in the low place, I would just bring back all these words and start as if I’m chewing them. Of course Reki my Reiki healer is a great person because this was one of the best things that I’ve tried and it’s worked for me therapy having routine writing again, because back in the day, my relationship with writer writing just became a different relationship than it has always been. It became you know, out of fear, like I would fear what I’m going to write so I would just step back or what I write would be crazy. So I knew to find wellness to become who I became to just get rid or let’s say heal from yours and years of trauma, I would have to be the same writer that I was, but with the new wisdom that I have, even with the new pain, even with the humbleness of knowing that you let something happen to you, or you just let something occur to you. So I wrote with fierceness, you know, it was as if the Banshee in me was like screaming and howling at night. And then I realized that I could be both I could be a sympathetic good woman nurturing and loving and at the same time, I could be dark, I could be my cat woman or the whip and I could be at the same time. This very wise figure this Pharaoh this, you know, like, busted this cut goddess was just sitting there, giving advice to people.
Christine Gautreaux 30:47
Hey, y’all, this is a great place to take a break. Take a deep breath, and hear from our awesome sponsors that make women connected and wisdom podcast possible. Shannon, we are so grateful that Shayla glow is the sponsor of the women connected in wisdom podcast. And I wanted to take this moment to ask you when you think about the people who use Shayla glow, where are we talking about?
Shannon M. 31:12
That’s a good question. I think about three groups really, one, the group that’s removing hair, right, so whether you’re using laser hair removal, waxing, shaving, you got to make sure that you’re putting back what you’re taking out the second group, I think about those with dry skin, and the problems that that might cause right, the scars, itching, burning, whatever the situation is, you definitely need all three steps, right? The exfoliation making sure you’re taking the dead skin cells off the oil, putting in the moisture, and then the shea butter with the aloe sealing it helping you heal those things help both groups, right. And third, for the third group is those with chronic illness. You know, the story is personally from cancer and different diseases that our population is dealing with on a daily basis throughout families as individuals. So I’m thinking about my mom and my grandmother and those around me with the same generational ties, right, and what positive healthy habits, we can start to make sure that we’re maintaining our wellness, especially because the skin is like the cape, the exterior the the shield for your immune system. So with COVID We have to be intentional about covering ourselves. And those are the groups I think about. I love
Christine Gautreaux 32:24
it. And you know what else I love about your product? It’s all natural, handmade, and it smells great, y’all, so yay.
Shannon M. 32:34
Yes, Esthetician tested and approved. Yes. Yes. What about you? When you think about your company? What groups of people do you think about?
Christine Gautreaux 32:44
Well, you know, I work with individual coaching clients, I work in community classes and with corporate teams, and with all of them, I use a strength based embodied approach to help folks connect with themselves and access joy, reduce burnout, and build resilience. You know, especially during these times, I think we need it. I think we need all the hashtag partnership power we can get. Yes. I love that reminder, we’re that we’re just not one thing. That that we are multiple things and multiple aspects of our personality. And that we can claim them all. Shannon, you look like you had a comment or a question?
Shannon M. 33:28
Yeah, yeah. So my I have I remember what I want to say. And then yes, I have a comment. So what I want to go more into next is about and you started, how you share your opinion, right? I love that your phone credit, your credit, you talked about your sister being food critic, I love movies. I love food. So I want to hear more about that. And especially with you talking about how you had to find your voice again. Right. I think that’s something that happens a lot as women, especially when we’re told to Hey, take care of everybody else. If you’re not intentional about asking yourself what you want, where you are what you need, or you have that person that reminds you like, Hey, are you okay? Right now, then it’s very easy to let however long go, you look in the mirror, say wait a minute, I don’t know this person and have to find your way back. So with you having to do that. How do you hold space for yourself? When you do give your opinion and you’re nervous about it? You want to take it down but you still do it? What do you do to like sturdy yourself and center yourself.
Jaylan Salah Salman 34:27
My sister is kind of like inspiring to me very much in this because she I used to see her she would just be she does PR work on the side and she would go and like support actors. And I’d see people attacking her for no reason like, cursing her. And I feel like for me, I’m a person. I’m very vulnerable and I’m very sensitive. And I’d be like, how come these people are just saying this video and she’s like, she has her tool. She has of course her techniques she has. She has a very well developed wellness system that just gets her through because she’s an outgoing personality. She’s an extrovert who just goes to any interview feeling like a beast, I go to an interview feeling like, Oh, what are they gonna do? Are they gonna hurt me? Are they gonna say something bad to me and stuff like that? So, for me, she would tell me, you just put your opinion out there and see the reactions and try to filter them to see what is meaningful and what is not like someone telling you crap. What are you talking about? How are you? You have no brain? What are you? Where are you from? And then they’re the people of course, are like, are you even American? Are you being English? Why are you writing about English movies? So it my sister would be like, throw them? Someone would have an opinion that is different from mine. But it’s, they would see like, my opinion is ridiculous. Okay, but they would just tell me like, because so and so Mr. Toney take the good out of it. What do you what do you think and just throw the condescending tone. Someone is just like cursing me and writing profanity. She’s like, block comm. Why are you even reading this, just ignore it. So taking things one at a time and filtering it. Because I was just telling myself, some people try always to tell you your opinion doesn’t matter at all. Like there are tons of people who have talked about this topic. And just like, but there’s only one you your unique point of view, will not be reciprocated. And then I would find I have this amazing friend Brian, he’s, he’s this American guy. And we talk about movies all the time. And he told me about one of my reviews, and I’ve seen this movie, but it’s the first time someone tackled it from this angle. So she told me see one person on this universe on this planet sees that your point of view has never been tackled before. So right for him every time. So then later on, it became like, two, three people, and I’d be happy and then it’d be like 10 People are like, Ah, why are you just right? We don’t need her why. So for me, it’s just, first of all, dissecting things into smaller parts, what matters and what’s not filtering them as a through a sieve or something. And at the same time, just enjoying the small bits, where people are just liking what you do are so passionate about it, because a lot of passionate people and you can always tell when you have a passionate person on your hands. Like you guys, for example, this is why I’m talking like a lot. Whenever I’m in an uncomfortable situation, I will just shrink in and become a little bit you know, like, yeah, and give stupid answers or just be poker face. And people would be like, you don’t like her, Oh, I can stand your land. But for me, because you guys are passionate, and I feel the energy already there is an exchange of energy. This is what’s making me even talk more and bring out more. So this is what I look for in humanity.
Christine Gautreaux 37:45
I love that so much. And when when people are looking for your writing or your work, where’s the best place for them to find you? Like I know you’re on Twitter. I just followed you on Twitter, by the way. And I love I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to do it yet Shannon. But guidelines a little tagline is writer, poet, daughter of the wind. I love it. You can tell you’re a poet just with that. Right. Daughter of the winds. I love that.
Jaylan Salah Salman 38:21
Thank you so much, Christine. Thank you.
Shannon M. 38:26
Yeah, and especially as a critic, I think, and I don’t know if anybody’s told you this, hopefully. But I think that that is exactly the point of everybody sharing their opinions is that it’s going to be different opinions. The fact that you are so surprised by it is the point is the need for more voices like mine. That’s the whole point. So even if yours is the only one right now, you’re also holding the door open for everybody else who is in line with you, you know. And I think that’s the beautiful part of it. But what you said about sorting to is so important. And that reminds me a still point, Christine’s first book that she wrote with Sheila K Collins, and the steps of self care. The first one is separating, right this one is for me, this one is for you. And it’s either yes, they needed your perspective because it was specifically different which is why you’re needed in the space right? But also it shows about them right how people respond we can have different difference of opinion and my whole life not be cursed like what’s going on, you know? And so I the communication piece and how we deal with each other to
Jaylan Salah Salman 39:33
totally totally Why thank you, Shannon, this is enlightening. Really totally I totally agree with all of this. Like you’re so eloquent in saying which is why I feel like I like to really challenge when I’m talking to Shannon you know like Okay, gotta be scholar J now. Melodies but I have to prepare for people. Like for new music resum guy in a book signing events, there has to be like yes, thank you My sister’s like, you just got to be, you know, like, um, yeah, thank you because he’s like going there and like giving you a big, he’s trying to give you a big bear hug as if he’s like enlightened by writing, but you know what he’s learning. So I just tried to bring all these multiple personalities to me, because in the beginning, I think I was a mess because I was so creative. And I had a lot of voices in my head. And I wanted to write all the time, but there was school and there was family duties, and there was friendships, and there was a boyfriend. So you have to have all this in context. So for me, I didn’t know how to channel my art and channel my relationships in my life. So to have different joint lands, dealing different situations has been helpful, hopefully,
Christine Gautreaux 40:44
with different boundaries, right?
Jaylan Salah Salman 40:46
Yeah. Boundaries, I’ve learned the hard way.
Shannon M. 40:50
And different skill sets, you know, I have different strengths. And then I have weaknesses that I’m working on, right. So if I’m in one hat, this is what I need to be working on. And then okay, in between lives and stuff, I’m cooking and got got the apron on, and we’re doing different stuff. And then I’m back on and we’re on top of the world, you know, so I hear what you’re saying. And I think that that’s another reason why the eight dimensions in the wheel of wellness that our reviewers have been talking about has been so important to look at because it shows you where to get Okay, where do I need a resource? Or where do I need a tool? Or which, you know, again, which toolbox do I pull from as far as what I know how to do, then then as soon as I get to the end of what I know how to do. Now I need to reach out to somebody or phone a friend or figure it out for myself and see how I feel in that moment. What is the best way to honor myself? Sometimes it is leave a job if we’re talking about occupational wellness and sexual harassment. Hey, I get that you guys might not like a poet. But if I said, let me go you’re hugging me too long, then that’s what it is. And that’s it. So, yes, about the balance of all of it.
Jaylan Salah Salman 41:53
Yes, totally. Totally agree. I totally agree. Wow.
Christine Gautreaux 41:59
I have so loved this conversation. And I know we have to start moving towards wrap up. We’re not there yet. But um, John, I was wondering if you would be willing to read your poem woman, for our listeners, because I read through a lot of your poetry that you sent us. And that one really was. I mean, all of them are powerful, but that one that I was like, Oh, I would love if you would read that one for our listeners.
Jaylan Salah Salman 42:24
It could be an honor. Really. Thank you. Okay, guys. Wow. Okay. Just get it out.
Christine Gautreaux 42:31
Where are you? Take your time, we can chat. As as you pull it up. I know I probably should have asked you ahead of time. But it was so powerful
Shannon M. 42:41
to counter the voices jawline, Eleanor says great conversation slash interview. My favorite ever.
Christine Gautreaux 42:48
And that’s saying something because Eleanor is a regular listener. So for her to say that you’re one this is one of her favorites. Thank you.
Jaylan Salah Salman 43:00
Oh, just so Wow. makes it happen. It’s really and I just, you know, okay, because I think women are always just thought of not to express their emotions too much like you’re not supposed to be like really happy or really passionate, or blah blah. You just have to have a little bit of dignity a woman so for me just express my happen Yeah, because it’s all the time is there like your love and it’d be like going out of it just loving people. So I think just express my happiness here is just,
Christine Gautreaux 43:31
I love that. It made me giggle about the dignity part Childline, because if you saw one of my Instagram lives yesterday and saw my birthing the book hare dignity was out the wind
book moments when we had been on a live we had been in a live on stream yard, and I ripped off my headphones to go live on the Instagram not even paying attention to what my hair was doing until after we recorded. It’s gonna crack me up for a long time because it was pretty funny but I do you get the point pulled up. Yep. All right.
Jaylan Salah Salman 44:11
Okay. Okay, woman. Oh, woman. Lose yourself in nature. Let the mother touch you. Let the wind whisper in your ears. You don’t need a man. Your pain needs a mud bath. Something that wouldn’t cost you a broken vagina and sleepless nights. Holding the phone for dear life. Sleep and watch them stars burning bright In the night sky. Sleep letterpressed smother you in dreams. Where you curl naked into a ball. Oh woman. Be the one they love to hate. Oh, a woman. Dig deeper into the sand. hurl petals into the wind. Dandelions. Okay. acetates where you keep your secrets are all over your batons. Eat with mouthful drink from the spring. But don’t waste it on strangers or woman stay, but not too much. Don’t let them get used to your presence. Your time on this earth is precious, let it seep through your bones, and then blow steam through it
Christine Gautreaux 45:29
so powerful. So powerful. I love the line. Your time on this earth is precious. let it seep through your bones. Right?
Shannon M. 45:48
I love to lose yourself and how it’s in a good way. You know, and that’s what I was going to point back to is everything Oh, please stay with me all the stuff and that the things that we do is like, Why did I do that for this person? Then you know what, after I forgive myself, I’m going to do it for me. Please stay with me. You know, I love you so much. All that stuff, even the songs and stuff that I really like that are all about this person. And I’m like I said not actually healthy. I’ve seen it to myself forcing it to guy like that’s actually a better place to say that you know, so. Need a person that share life with we want that we want to be connected. That’s what we’re about. But lose yourself in life and yourself. And then all the beautiful stuff that is yours will come to you. Yeah, I love
Jaylan Salah Salman 46:34
this song part is just it hits home to me. I do this all the time. It’s a victory for me when the song is back to me. It’s mine. After it’s been for the wrong person.
Shannon M. 46:48
Oh, you you want to hear a story about when I did when I did bad on purpose. Okay, when I want it, I almost stopped. I don’t even know if you know this, Christine. So we’ll we’ll talk about when all right, I’m over the action after this. So and this picture is actually on our website. Okay, we’re at the what was it? What was it called? It was the first. I don’t even know what it’s called. I did it one time when you owe a poetry slam. It was the first poetry slam in Duluth, right? historically white area something and about the historical significance of me reading poetry all these black women that we’re going to present, right? We had our manifestation ladies as well, I got some good competition, right? And I don’t have poetry memorized and stuff. But I had some stuff in a journal that I had written for an ex, right. And I had gone through it like, Why did I write again? Why did I do this for this person, all this stuff happened, I should have been given this energy to myself. So at the poetry slam, I read from my journal. And I first read it as I had written it, which was to this other person. And then I reread it back to myself. Right. And one of the the judges it was again, I didn’t do the best job. But the point was that I did a poetry slam and that was the win. And he said, I loved how you read it to yourself. And that’s really, I think it really what helped a lot of us if we just pour that energy into ourselves.
Christine Gautreaux 48:15
It was powerful. Yeah, thank you. I want to say one more thing about one of the lines in this poem that really spoke to me and especially as we talk about birthing this book, as we talk about all your books and your writings and you know, living with our purpose, right? Which makes us vulnerable sometimes, because we’re out there, we’re out there, we’re opening ourselves up to other people. And I love where you read where you write, and you read drink from the spring. But don’t waste it on strangers. I like that part, too. Oh, that was powerful. It’s like drink for this room. Yeah. And remember, like, this is for us. This isn’t for strangers. Yeah, that was the way people
Shannon M. 49:02
and I love. I love the poem so much. Because it speaks to a lot of what I think the values of women connected and wisdom are the things we talk about in different ways, right? Like, I do that, I’ve realized that unless something I’ve worked on, I will wait to get something that I want. And then when I get it, I give it away. And it’s like you said your power. You had to get your power back. Why? So if you’re drinking from the water, that’s something that you want, right? Yeah, keep what you want for yourself and then the extra again, gifts everybody else, or not everybody else but whoever you choose to pour with, for for, you know, that’s what we’re talking? Yeah. Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about. Okay, so today we talked about occupational wellness, you being a food critic, you being an amazing poet, nationally internationally acclaimed for your occupational wellness this week. What are you what are you working on? What are you going to do?
Jaylan Salah Salman 49:55
I have to write this piece that I have about It’s a poem. I know I have work to do. But I have to write this poem because it’s really important about, you know, relationship of poets to their bodies, especially a woman porch, and the fears and the things and the stigma. I have to write it because I had a minor health altercation this week that just made it, I can’t get it out of my mind. And I thought I have a lot of tasks and stuff and deadlines, but I gotta write this poem. So this is what I’m gonna do for a commission alone this to write this poem will give me all the charge, I need to continue my work.
Christine Gautreaux 50:31
So we could hashtag and say, write your point. Wow, wow, what do you think of Twitter? Right, right, your two guys? Would you?
Shannon M. 50:47
Oh, okay. I am. I’m trying to figure out what I want the hashtag to be. Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and use the bigger one. I’m going to say, number one, Amazon, best selling author. And my action step is going to be to fill out my author profile on Amazon because I still need to do that. Did that girl? Yes, thank you. Yeah. Oh, what am I missing?
Christine Gautreaux 51:18
I think I’m gonna take a line right out of your poem, and say hashtag drink from the stream. Oh, oh, you said spring, your stream, hang on. Drink from the spring. That’s gonna be my hashtag. Because that just brings so many images to me of like water being life and nature and just the flow and the rhythm of all this yummy goodness when I think of hashtag drink from the spring. Oh, yeah. Thanks, me shippers. Thank you guys. Eleanor, you got one for us. You have a wisdom in action. Hold anybody else that’s listening. Let us know if you’ve got one. And we’re gonna be posting them on our social media. We are going to we’re going to put all of your contact information that you shared with us for your social media. And for people to follow you and to look at your work and to to check out what you’re up to because you are doing some incredible things. Okay, guys, we are so grateful to be connected. We are. Thanks for reaching out to us. And it was just such a delight to have you on the show today. Yes.
Jaylan Salah Salman 52:37
I’m so happy guys. You have no idea. And I’m over the moon really? Topics? Yeah.
Christine Gautreaux 52:42
Well, literally over the moon. Because what time is it in Egypt right now? 4pm. It’s midnight. So we want to make sure to let you go so you can get some rest and look forward to staying connected. And thank you for this really powerful conversation today. Yes.
Shannon M. 53:05
Thank you so much. Really? You’re welcome. Absolutely. Oh, my gosh, my favorite thing. When somebody else said you should shut up and I’m like, but you should keep talking. Actually. They just It’s okay. Sometimes we don’t know. It’s okay.
Christine Gautreaux 53:21
So powerful. Yeah. So very powerful. All right, my friend. What do we want to say to wrap this thing today to wrap episode 86.
Shannon M. 53:33
So, again, thank you so much for everybody who has been here all the way up to our season 10 all the way up to number one in three different categories. And if you’re interested in getting connected, we have more for you. Right, we have the conference coming up. So go to our website, women connecting wisdom.com We have so many different resources. I would love to sit here and tell you about all 18 of our authors. But we do not have 18 more minutes in our podcast, right? So go get connected. And I look forward to first I want to hear the feedback on who gets our digital downloads from our digital goodie bag. So that’ll be this week. And we’ll have some feedback for you guys next week. But get connected with us. Right? Absolutely
Christine Gautreaux 54:13
check out our new website at women connected and wisdom.com Oh, before we go, can I just give a little shout out and say let’s go. I love your new marketing for Shayla who is one of the sponsors of our show. And this just made me smile from ear to ear like I am literally this is a motivational postcard like I’m just gonna have it sitting on my desk and be like let’s glow cuz I love it so much. And the whole self care is your next good habit and it tells you all the yummy things that your shea butter does your glow butter does for you. Is the other one more thing I know we got to go I got to point this out. Made with you in mind.
Shannon M. 55:04
Just one of my favorite parts than we were talking earlier in a coffee and chat with what is a graphic facilitator right? She was talking about pulling what you say out and I’ve told you ladies I’ve been working with sketch since the beginning of the year right so scared spark and sweet Auburn in the retail space that che loco was about to go into. They have been doing an amazing job. And you know, I love working with women and gotta give a special shout out to my project manager from our marketing team Dana, who has redone the the labels gave us our green labels that went out in the movie premiere at the gathering spot. I use mine so it’s all
Christine Gautreaux 55:41
scratched up. Dana. Dana Yes. For the glow Dana.
Shannon M. 55:47
Yes, let’s glow. So it’s been amazing. And I’m looking forward to you guys getting the resources in your hand. Getting some Shilo good glow in your hands so you can glow from head to toe, but also be protected. Right be forgiven by yourself be fortified and taken care of? Yes.
Christine Gautreaux 56:03
Good. You got it. Oh, glow in my hand. I need some. All right, my friends. Okay. Just one last shout-out for women connected in wisdom stories and resources rooted in the eight dimensions of wellness. If you haven’t got your copy yet. You want to grab it today. And let us know what you think we are really proud of lifting up the stories of these 18 authors, you will recognize them. They’ve been on the podcast, and now they’re telling their stories in print form. And we are grateful to have had a part in that and absolutely grateful to be connected. Right. Thank you so much, guys. Oh, so yeah, we’re just delighted. Thank you to everybody who’s listening. Who’s showing up and go and register for that conference to we want to see Yeah, at the end of October.
Shannon M. 56:54
Absolutely. Okay, well, we’ll be here next week Live at Five for episode 87. In the meantime, don’t forget, be well, be wise, and the whole season.
Christine Gautreaux 57:07
See you next week.
Satimara 57:08
Thanks for listening. This has been the women connected and wisdom podcast on air live on Wednesdays at 5 pm. Eastern via Facebook and YouTube. Be sure to like share and subscribe be part of the conversation and get connected at women connected in wisdom.com.
