Creating Community Through Curiosity and Food with Nirupa Konijeti

From Martyrdom to Joy: Imani Waterfield on Motherhood, Divorce, and Reclaiming Her Life

This entire conversation is inspired by a quote I read a few months ago that said, “‘Motherhood is actually the far better metaphor for any kind of God worth worshiping.” I’ve been on a long journey to motherhood myself and with every hurdle I overcome, with every new reality I face watching how we treat women and mothers in this world… I become more and more radicalized. We have so much work to do to honor and support those who bring life into this world and I have so much respect for those who are doing so, despite the circumstances. Show Notes: In this episode, Simone interviews Austin-based portrait photographer and mother of two Imani Waterfield about how experiencing motherhood in America completely changed her perspective. From the challenges of navigating a role at a demanding startup during COVID while raising a toddler to enduring multiple miscarriages with little support—she ultimately chose divorce, experiencing both grief and liberation. In this conversation she shares the tools that supported her and how leaving helped her model healthier relationships for her children. Imani’s story is all about shifting the narrative about motherhood today from one that centers martyrdom to one that centers joy. 00:00 Introduction to The Meaningful Shift 02:02 Meet Imani Waterfield 07:33 Trying To Make It Work 13:24 Permission To Leave 16:39 Parenting After Divorce 22:50 From Martyrdom To Joy 24:48 Books That Changed Her Life 31:40 Closing Thanks And Next Follow Imani and her work | Website [https://www.imaniwaterfield.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/imaniwaterfield/] – If you have a comment, question, or any recommended guests hit me on Substack or DM me on Instagram, I would love to chat :) The Meaningful Shift Newsletter [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/moniemaica/] Music by Auxjack [https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/auxjack/] from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/featured/] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone] with Hiwote. Resources Imani Waterfield Photography [https://www.imaniwaterfield.com/] Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16280.Why_Are_All_The_Black_Kids_Sitting_Together_in_the_Cafeteria_] All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17607.All_About_Love?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_14] Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do by Eve Rodsky [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44071899-fair-play?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_10] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themeaningfulshift.substack.com [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

A Conversation with Bo Shepherd on Embracing the Imperfections and Trusting Your Intuition

If you were seeking permission to make your own way in the world, I hope this episode is it! I think if we can all find a way to accept the imperfections that are inherently part of life and choose to experience this one little, precious life on our own terms… we’ll all be better off for it. I hope you too consider doing something bold like living in a warehouse conversion [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLebTzlUqGE3EgPlGsuu9TxofRNXZQg8HM] 😏 go for it! Show Notes: In this episode of The Meaningful Shift, Simone talks with Bo Shepherd, Co-Founder and Head of Design at Woodward Throwbacks, a sustainable studio creating furniture and spaces from reclaimed materials in Detroit. Bo explains how biking Detroit, finding illegally dumped materials, and loving the city’s texture all shaped the anti-trend design approach that their clients come to them for… one that’s rooted in storytelling and individuality. They discuss entrepreneurship, burnout, and building balance through nature, affirmations, and trusting your intuition. 00:00 Introduction To The Meaningful Shift 01:24 Meet Bo And Woodward Throwbacks 05:16 Embracing Imperfection 08:11 Mystery On Mack Origins 14:21 Salvage Community And Craft 18:20 Finding Balance And Boss Energy 27:03 Trusting Your Intuition 34:44 Fear Means Growth 35:44 Final Thanks and Takeaways Check out Woodward Throwbacks | Website [https://www.throwbackshome.com/] | IG: Woodward Throwbacks [https://www.instagram.com/woodwardthrowbacks/] | IG: Bo [https://www.instagram.com/bo_thebuilder/] – If you have a comment, question, or any recommended guests hit me on Substack or DM me on Instagram, I would love to chat :) The Meaningful Shift Newsletter [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/moniemaica/] Music by Auxjack [https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/auxjack/] from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/featured/] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone] with Hiwote. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themeaningfulshift.substack.com [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

How I Found An Unexpected Path Home to Myself

Sometimes you have to follow your heart and do things that don’t have clear explanations... things that don’t “make sense” when you try to explain them to other people. When you learn to trust your gut, you just might realize you’re being pulled in the exact place you’re supposed to be. ✨✨ Show Notes: Simone explains why she started The Meaningful Shift and how her answer has evolved beyond marketing for Ackee House. While the podcast initially served as a go-to-market strategy for audience building and branding, she now sees it as a creative practice that helped her reconnect with a lost part of herself after years in corporate life and business school. Through conversations about work, family, community, and getting unstuck, she explores a “homecoming” to self, collective mindset, and the emotional tools that creativity provides when spreadsheets and capitalism-centered measures fall short. Building Ackee House in Jamaica has pushed her to develop more heart-centered storytelling, embrace experimentation, and feel less alone by connecting with other creators and founders. 00:00 Welcome and The Big Question 02:47 Reclaiming Creativity 05:36 Homecoming and The Meaningful Shift 08:29 Feeling Like Yourself Again 12:41 Wrap Up and Call to Action If you have a comment, question, or any recommended guests hit me on Substack or DM me on Instagram, I would love to chat :) The Meaningful Shift Newsletter [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/moniemaica/] Music by Auxjack [https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/auxjack/] from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/featured/] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone] with Hiwote. Resources Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self by Thema Bryant [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58395060-homecoming] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themeaningfulshift.substack.com [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

How To Build A Pathway To Purpose with Martina Abrahams Ilunga of You Had Me at Black

You know that lyric, “I make Black history everyday, I don’t need a month!” This conversation is the embodiment of that. We have to treasure our stories, especially the everyday and the mundane… when we step away from the ongoing pressure of the profit motive, we can remember the power of our humanity. In a time when history is being intentionally erased, it’s up to us to preserve and remember. Show Notes: In this episode of The Meaningful Shift, Simone connects with Martina, a Brooklyn-based creative entrepreneur, storyteller, and community builder. Martina discusses the need for everyone to recognize the importance of their own stories and how that belief is central to the fight for liberation. She shares her journey of founding You Had Me at Black [https://www.youhadmeatblack.com/], her inspiration from the Black Panther Party, and the transformations she experienced through creative incubator New Inc. [https://www.newmuseum.org/new-inc/] The conversation centers around the importance of preserving Black stories, ethical storytelling, and building sustainable, community-centric media. 00:00 Introduction to The Meaningful Shift 01:08 Meet Martina: Creative Entrepreneur and Storyteller 02:59 The Birth of ‘You Had Me At Black’ 12:21 Reconnecting with Purpose and Community 23:55 Finding Community As An Adult 25:31 The Impact of Oakland and the Black Panther Party 29:56 The Power of Storytelling and Community 43:07 Conclusion and Takeaways – If you have a comment, question, or any recommended guests hit me on Substack or DM me on Instagram, I would love to chat :) The Meaningful Shift Newsletter [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/moniemaica/] Music by Auxjack [https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/auxjack/] from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/featured/] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone] with Hiwote. Resources You Had Me At Black on Substack [https://youhadmeatblack.substack.com/] Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals by Saidiya Hartman [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45894050-wayward-lives-beautiful-experiments] Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27071490-homegoing] Meerkat Media [https://meerkatmedia.org/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themeaningfulshift.substack.com [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Unexpected Power of Human Connection in Hospitality: Brandy Cerne’s Journey

I’ve been seeing little pockets of this idea of “friction maxxing [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/06/friction-maxxing-could-less-convenience-lead-to-much-more-happiness]” online as a goal for people in 2026 to find more happiness. I find it hilarious that TikTok has made everything a trend with a brand but I will say, this one actually feels like a good thing. Brandy and I talk a little bit about this but I think realizing that in order for us to build our world together, we need to get comfortable with friction again is a very good takeaway :) ENJOY! Show Notes: In this episode we meet Brandy Cerne, the creator of O Portalzinho [https://www.oportalzinho.com/] in Paraty, Brazil. Brandy shares her journey from a career in marketing to embracing entrepreneurship, fueled by a love for travel and community. The discussion highlights the importance of human connection and social health as well as her unexpected path to realizing her hospitality dream. Simone and Brandy also delve into ways to live meaningfully within the constraints of a self-interested society, inspired by mutual support. 00:00 Introduction to The Meaningful Shift 01:19 Meet Brandy Cerne: From Startup Marketer to Bed and Breakfast Owner 02:47 The Pousada Vision: From Idea to Reality 07:20 Navigating Layoffs and Freelancing 11:37 Creating a Connection-Led Space 24:34 The Joy of Connecting with Others 28:55 Embracing Uncertainty and Personal Growth 39:05 Final Thoughts and Gratitude – If you have a comment, question, or any recommended guests hit me on Substack or DM me on Instagram, I would love to chat :) The Meaningful Shift Newsletter [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/moniemaica/] Music by Auxjack [https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/auxjack/] from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/featured/] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone] with Hiwote. Resources Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/653396.Feel_the_Fear_and_Do_It_Anyway] Embracing Uncertainty by Susan Jeffers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1458890.Embracing_Uncertainty] You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15843166-you-are-a-badass] For Starters [https://forstarters.co/] How I Built This with Guy Raz [https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themeaningfulshift.substack.com [https://themeaningfulshift.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]