Rise + Rebel

Stop Waiting to Be Invited: Keisha Brooks on Creativity, Boundaries & Building Your Own World

In this episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya sits down with Keisha Brooks, producer, actor, writer, creative, and founder of Helping Hands Productions, for a real conversation about creativity, resourcefulness, boundaries, and building your own world. Keisha shares how her father taught her to get things done, how her mother modeled service and helping others, and how both shaped the woman she is today: generous, direct, resourceful, and deeply committed to creating a life on her own terms. This conversation moves through acting, modeling, production, veganism, success, self-worth, asking for help, bartering, follow-through, and the moment you realize your time is not free. At its core, this episode is about not waiting to be chosen. It is about using what you have, asking the right questions, protecting your energy, and creating the opportunities you wish existed. Subscribe if you’re becoming who you were always meant to be. Learn More and Connect with Keisha Brooks: linktr.ee/Helpinghandsproductions [http://linktr.ee/Helpinghandsproductions] Join Aya’s Inner Circle: risewithaya.com/start-here [http://risewithaya.com/start-here]

Peace Is the Strategy: How to Build Without Burning Out

What if peace is not the opposite of ambition, but the strategy? In this solo episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya reflects on what her Asia trip taught her about chaos, boundaries, asking for help, visibility, and building a life and business without burning out. This episode explores the difference between being peaceful and staying quiet, why asking for help is not weakness, and how many of us make life, business, content creation, and visibility harder than they need to be because we are trying to do everything alone. If you are building something meaningful whether that's a business, brand, creative project, podcast, shop, career, or new version of yourself; this conversation is a reminder that you do not need chaos to prove you care. Subscribe to Rise + Rebel for honest conversations on identity, transformation, entrepreneurship, visibility, creativity, personal growth, and building a life with intention. Join the Inner Circle newsletter for deeper reflections behind the episodes: newsletter link [https://ayas-inner-circle.beehiiv.com/] Explore Rise + Rebel: https://riseplusrebel.riverside.com/ [https://riseplusrebel.riverside.com/] Connect with Aya: https://www.risewithaya.com/link-in-bio [https://www.risewithaya.com/link-in-bio] #RiseAndRebel #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BuildingABrand #BurnoutRecovery #MindsetShift #Boundaries #AskForHelp #WomenInBusiness #Visibility #PeaceIsTheStrategy

Before You Travel to Asia: Rookie Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

Before you travel to Asia, especially for business, sourcing, markets, shopping, or your first major international adventure, there are a few mistakes you want to avoid before you even land. In this episode of Rise + Rebel, I’m sharing the real lessons I learned from traveling through Asia, including China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. This is a “go prepared so you can actually enjoy it” episode. Whether you are planning a sourcing trip, traveling solo, visiting markets, exploring a new country, or simply stepping into a new version of your life, this conversation will help you move with more awareness, respect, and confidence. Listen to the full episode for the stories, the chaos, the lessons, and the deeper reflection on what travel teaches us about who we are becoming. Rise when the world is quiet. Rebel when your soul is loud.

How Going to Asia Changed How I See Business

I thought I was going to Asia to source products for Rise + Rebel. I thought the trip would be about finding beautiful pieces, meeting vendors, walking through markets, attending the Canton Fair, and bringing back inventory for my store. And yes, I did all of that. But what I didn’t expect was how much this trip would reveal about me as a founder, a business owner, and a woman learning how to trust her own vision. In this episode of Rise + Rebel, I’m sharing what my sourcing trip through Asia taught me about entrepreneurship, product sourcing, global trade, fear, abundance, overwhelm, decision-making, and becoming the person who can actually hold the vision she’s building. I talk about what it felt like to walk through markets, meet suppliers, attend the Canton Fair, sort through endless options, and realize that buying products is the easy part — finding quality, alignment, and clarity is the real work. This episode is for the entrepreneur, creative, small business owner, or dreamer who is waiting to feel fully ready before they begin. Maybe the question isn’t, “Am I ready?” Maybe the question is, “What part of me is being developed through this process?” Because sometimes, building a business is not just about inventory, pricing, websites, photos, labels, customs, or marketing. Sometimes, building a business is really about becoming the person who can hold the vision without abandoning herself in the process. Shop the Rise + Rebel store: https://riseandrebel.square.site/s/shop [https://riseandrebel.square.site/s/shop] Thank you for listening, watching, and being part of this journey. EPISODE TOPICS COVERED In this episode, I talk about: * Traveling to Asia to source products for Rise + Rebel * What it was really like walking through markets, vendors, and supplier booths * Attending the Canton Fair and seeing global trade up close * The difference between buying inventory and finding aligned products * The overwhelm of endless opportunity * Why focus matters when building a brand * The behind-the-scenes work of launching a retail business * Pricing, inventory, photos, labels, spreadsheets, and decision fatigue * What this trip taught me about fear, courage, and trusting myself * Becoming a founder through the doing, not the waiting

How Acting Helped Me Heal, Rebuild My Confidence & Find My Purpose

What happens when life completely falls apart… and the only way forward is to finally listen to yourself? In this deeply personal solo episode of Rise + Rebel, Aya opens up about one of the darkest seasons of her life, depression, heartbreak, losing her sense of purpose, and hitting rock bottom. Everything changed when she asked herself one powerful question: “If you had a second chance at life, what would make you truly happy?” The answer was simple: acting. What started as one acting class to escape depression became the beginning of a complete transformation—healing, confidence, creativity, writing books, launching a podcast, and fully stepping into her purpose. This episode is about more than acting. It’s about listening to your intuition, trusting the desires that won’t leave you alone, and taking the stage in your own life. Aya shares reflections on: • overcoming depression and self-doubt • healing through creativity • building confidence through action • creating opportunities instead of waiting • following multiple passions without guilt • stepping fully into your power If you’ve been feeling stuck or like there’s something inside you waiting to be expressed—this episode is your invitation to stop holding back. Your life is your stage. Take it. Join Aya’s Inner Circle for weekly reflections, life lessons, and deeper conversations: Visit risewithaya.com [http://risewithaya.com] Watch more episodes of Rise + Rebel Podcast for conversations on mindset, business, creativity, and personal growth. Aya’s new book Take the Stage is now available. If this episode resonated with you, leave a comment: What dream is your intuition asking you to follow?