Muslims Doing Things

Zainab Johnson (@zainabjohnson) is a comedian, writer, and actress. Zainab Johnson is a comedian, writer, and actress. Zainab’s comedy is based on her unique point-of-view, which as one of thirteen siblings in a black Muslim family in Harlem. After getting a degree in Math and Education and taking a job as a teacher, Zainab quickly learned she had a different calling. And once she started to pursue the calling — she doubled down and rose the ranks quickly. You may have seen Zainab on the Amazon Original hit series titled "Upload" Netflix's "100 Humans", through an appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, HBO’s All Def Comedy, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, or one of the many gigs she has done. Go watch Zainab in real life! https://www.zainabjohnson.com/ Follow Zainab https://twitter.com/zainabjohnson?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/@thezainabjohnson?lang=en --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Sidra Trajcevska founded Jasmine + Marigold (@jasmineandmarigold) on the heels of a successful corporate career. Sidra found herself on the tough end of the celebration equation as mom to a half-Macedonian/half-Pakistani child. When Sidra realized that there weren’t onesies available to celebrate Eid, she created her own. Between that moment and today, Sidra figured out how to build, scale, and automate a garment business for children. She openly talks about the nuts and bolts behind her business, and the savvy she has accrued. Follow Sidra at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/whatsidraloves/⁠ Follow Jasmine + Marigold at https://jasmineandmarigold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jasmineandmarigold/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Sarah Ahmed is a psychotherapist Sarah Ahmed’s LinkedIn refers to her as an “experienced Clinical Social Worker with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry.” But Sarah, on social media, is the POC therapist. (@the.poc.therapist). Sarah’s social media presence addresses a variety of mental health related topics in an accessible way. Separately, she went from working in a large scale health system, to starting her own private practice, to employing other practitioners, to most recently enabling Canada-wide mental health services through a technology platform, Leena (@helloleena). Follow Sarah on IG https://www.instagram.com/the.poc.therapist Follow Sarah on TT https://www.tiktok.com/@the.poc.therapist?lang=en Follow Leena on IG https://www.instagram.com/helloleena_/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

When Afshan Nasseri (@lifesforliving) did not get the corporate job she thought she should get amidst a pandemic, as a fresh-COVID-grad of McGill University. So, Afshan just started her own agency (yes — just like that! The story is amazing). Aam Creative (@aamcreative) is a team is made of women of color from around the world who focus on social media strategy, storytelling, brand strategy, and cultural consulting. Aam has worked with over 41 companies. The website highlights 17 women working towards the agency’s goals. I love convos with self starters, so I really enjoyed this chat. Afshan goes into the weeds, tactically, of how she created an opportunity amidst global turmoil. Also, Aam’s brand is amazing: https://www.aamcreative.co/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Sabrina Siddiqui (@sabrinasiddiqui) knew she wanted to be a journalist as a Pakistani-American teenager living in Italy, but did not realize her choices would land her a coveted position as a White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. Sabrina covers the Biden presidency right now. Listen to Sabrina and I talk about her journey to political reporting and what a day in the life is like as a White House correspondent. Spoiler: it may include an anecdote about a recent top secret trip on Air Force One with the President. Get to know Sabrina through some of her writing: ‘How Will I Pump?’: When Your First Work Trip After Maternity Leave Is to Ukraine With President Biden Reporting while Muslim: how I covered the US presidential election Keep up with Sabrina's journey: Find Sabrina on IG Follow Sabrina on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Ali Baluch (@baluchx) started his career in video on YouTube — by joining FouseyTube in its early days. Ali worked with Yousef to take the channel from 500k to 10m (and over 1.5b views), creating one of the early YouTube phenomenons (which I learned was..stunted!). Ali’s journey in production and cinematography is a journey that spans through household names like Nickelodeon, HBO Max, and MTV. And outside of those names, Ali is behind a few podcasts (The Apartment and the Fahim Anwar Dance Hour) where he chats with some of the most popular names in the industry. What is Ali up to next? More film, he suspects. This is a chilling-with-friends-in-your-living room type of episode, with more of a hair down vibe than the typical epi. The backstory is that Ali is a friend who came by to chat about a media project on a Friday night. I asked Ali to record a pod in return, so I have the very rare in person epi. With a lot of Friday night, barely made it through the week a (childcare fell through at home, work was demanding as usual) laughs. What makes this episode even more funny is that Ali is a professional video and audio dude — and I have him sharing a mic on a MacBook pro as my setup. Enjoy! I did. Follow Ali on Twitter @baluchx Follow Ali on IG @baluchx --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Ameena Soliman (@meen_mill) is a pro scout for the Philadelphia Eagles, where she also serves as Director of Personnel Operations. In this episode, Ameena breaks down her journey to scoutdom, which reveals a breakneck speed through the ranks at the NFL. Ameena provides a tactical approach to how to get into sport while revealing a razor sharp intelligence and hyperfocused work ethic. It goes without much assumption that Ameena is the first Muslim woman in her role. And she is believed to be the first female scout, period, for the Eagles. For context, the first female scout for the NFL at large was hired in 2021. By 2022, there were a total of 33 female scouts across the NFL in its entirety. In short, Ameena's path is extraordinary. Also...Go Birds! Follow Ameena’s career on IG at: Follow Ameena on Instagram @meen_mill Follow Ameena on Twitter @meen_mill Photo credit: Joseph Labolito --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Amna Nawaz (@amnaonpbs) is an American broadcast journalist and a co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour alongside Geoff Bennett. Before joining PBS in April 2018, Nawaz was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News and NBC News. And before that, a foreign correspondent. Amna dives into her path to the co-anchor seat, including time in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and how her husband has played a key role in their co-parenting journey. Amna’s accolades include an Emmy Award and a Society for Features Journalism award. Follow Amna at Follow Amna on IG Follow Amna on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

If you’re on TikTok, you have seen the hysterical (and sometimes unhinged) Duolingo posts. And if you were interested in learning a language (like my husband was, actually), you probably converted into a Duolingo user because of the prevalence of Duo the owl on TikTok. I was stunned to find out that all 6m of us Duo stans were actually following a fresh-out-of-college Pakistani American, Zaria Parvez (@photos_zap). In two short years and with a marketing budget of 0 dollars, Zaria built a cult around the language learning app. The Duolingo account has 121.6m likes, including some from a video from just yesterday with 2m views (a figure 300,000 north of the entire population of Bahrain). Listen to Zaria’s incredible story. This journey is especially cool because she is early in her career, but has already been recognized as a marketing genius. Experience doesn’t always equate to stature or seniority, and Zaria’s story is a testament to that reality. Follow Zaria on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zariaparvez?lang=en Follow Zaria on IG https://www.instagram.com/photos_zap/?hl=en Check out Duolingo’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo?lang=en --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

As an Iraqi-American, Audie Attar’s (@AudieAttar) parents saw athletic talent in him and nurtured it through high school and into college. Audie played football at UCLA before a fight got him kicked out of the school and landed him at Idaho State. The racial undercurrents of the fight, grounded in Islamophobia, did not stop Audie’s team at UCLA from working hard to get him back on their side. Shortly after, Audie made his way back to UCLA before graduating and landing a role as an NFL agent. That was the start of Audie’s sports management journey — and since then, he founded Paradigm Sports (@paradigmsports). Audie is referred to as “one of combat sports most powerful agents” according to an article in a 2017 MMA.com article, in case you are wondering how that’s going. Audie manages a roster of talent across the NFL, MMA, MLB, and beyond - including household names like Conor McGregor, Jozy Altidore, and Rico Verhoeven. Follow Audie on Instagram Follow Audie on Twitter Follow Paradigm Sports on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Manal Aman @helloholydays knew who she admired: Martha Stewart. She went to college with the goal of figuring out the business of Martha, and graduated into an editorial job for the DIY queen herself. Within a few short years, Manal figured out how to get her own line into Crate and Barrel to celebrate Ramadan (yes, that advent calendar — the one we all lost it for). Listen to Manal’s journey Shop the collection at HelloHolyDays.com Follow @helloholydays on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Yusra Siddiqui (@thatgirlyusra) is an Associate Fashion Editor at Who What Wear, and at her core she is a journalist. Yusra talks about what it takes to build a career in fashion journalism, how she got to where she is, and her recent cover stories with Jenna Ortega and Madelyn Cline. Listen to Yusra lay out the power of connection, not giving up, and what her life looks like as a Fashion Editor (sneak peak: she publishes 5-6 pieces a week). Find Yusra on IG @thatgirlyusra and TikTok @thatgirlyusraa --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Anoosha Syed (@foxville_art) is a Pakistani-Canadian freelance illustrator + character designer for animation, based in Toronto. If you have kids, you likely have come across her work (Bilal Cooks Daal and That’s Not My Name are both on Kamila’s bookshelf!). Since graduating, Anoosha has worked as a character designer for preschool series in development working with clients like Disney, Netflix and Nick. After illustrating over 25 books for children, she is now working on several author/illustrator titles — and recently published her her debut book, That’s Not My Name. Anoosha has not only built an amazing career, but she has recreated her path through a series of YouTube tutorials, and shows her work behind the scenes across social media. Listen to Anoosha talk about her journey, and what it takes to build a career in illustration and children's books. Find her on: websiteInstagramTwitterYouTubeTikTokFacebook Buy her books: Buy Bilal Cooks DaalBuy That’s Not My Name --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Evelyn Alsultany (@evelynalsultany)is a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in U.S. media. Her research, teaching, and lecturing are driven by a commitment to bringing Arab and Muslim Americans into the broader conversation about racial politics in the U.S. In her lectures, she seeks to educate audiences on the history of stereotypical representations of Arabs and Muslims in the US media, its consequences as evident in public opinion and government policies, and alternatives to foster greater human respect and dignity. Listen to Evelyn's journey as we flip between her life as an academic and a contributor to Muslim-American modern day history. Get a copy of Evelyn's new book Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion on Amazon or at a local bookstore. Follow Evelyn on Twitter or on Instagram @evelynalsultany --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Engie Hassan (@engiestyle) went into fashion without a clear picture of what that could mean -- and has since built her own styling empire. From celebrities, to royalty, to regular folks, Engie knows how to orchestrate the vision behind how someone is perceived. From an internship at Vogue, to a full circle moment with Anna Wintour, real-talk with Yeezy when he was trying to find his personal brand in the 2010s, to life as a personal stylist at Bergdorf, listen to Engie's story about what it takes to build a styling business in fashion. Follow @engiestyle on IG --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

If you haven't seen @amandasplate on Master Chef, you have probably come across her content on Instagram. Amanda's career started in social work, before a career changing opportunity to be on TV (against 10,000 other hopefuls) landed Amanda a full time culinary career. Listen to Amanda's journey on and off screen, as a famous chef. Follow Amanda on all platforms at https://www.instagram.com/amandasplate/?hl=en (IG) https://amandasplate.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@amandasplate https://twitter.com/AmandasPlate/with_replies --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Zain never imagined that her calling would be in acting, but when she knew - she knew. Having accrued 1.2m TikTok fans that flocked her way due to her lighthearted personality and jokes, Zain has painstakingly taught herself how to make it in acting through a love for growth. Listen to Zain talk about her journey with refreshing transparency, and follow Zain below ⬇️ Follow Zain on Instagram @zaincomedy Follow Zain on TikTok @zaincomedy --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Pious Ali immigrated from Ghana to New York in 2000 in hopes of purchasing photography equipment for his flourishing photography career back home. Like many other Muslims, the events that took place on September 11th, 2001 changed the course of his life — as he realized he was in his moment to pursue a version of his American dream. Pious moved to Maine in 2002, got involved at the grassroots to earn himself a spot on the Portland Public Schools Board, then City Council — where he was just elected for his second term. Listen to Pious’s journey and follow Pious on Instagram pic credit: Ryan Caron King for NENC --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

For the first time in the pod's history, we have a guest come back -- a year later! Yasamine Durali is a content creator and my SIL. Last year, she laid out her roadmap to getting TikTok famous, and a year later she shares how far the journey has come, from expanding platforms, to getting managed, to building the confidence needed to take more steps forward. I enjoyed this epi because Yasi is a sis to me, but also because it is a cool opportunity to watch a career arc in real time. Follow Yasamine on: IG YouTube TikTok Photo credit: @beautyisboring --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Sumbul Siddiqui is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 77th mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Siddiqui was elected mayor in 2020 by the Cambridge City Council, after serving in the body for 3 years, becoming the first Muslim mayor in Massachusetts history. Listen to Sumbul's journey. I recorded this epi a few weeks ago, before experimenting with video! It will be my last audio only interview, as I am totally sold on video. Sorry for the video free epi! Follow Sumbul on IG Follow Sumbul on Twitter The City of Cambridge, MA --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message