Episode Transcript
Hello, my name is Aziz, and I'm the son of a divorced mother.
She is really my superhero.
That's why it's important for me to support women, to share their uniqueness, their personalities,
perspectives, and emotions about this world.
In these difficult times in human history, we need to bring the people of the world together.
And when we hear the voices of women, when we listen, to real lives of women from other countries,
we connect our cultures without differences or stereotypes.
And we get inspired by their stories to live a better life.
That's what this podcast is all about.
My guest today is Shauna Quinn.
Shauna is a model and a business university student from Kazakhstan.
Shauna is half Kazakh, half Canadian, and she enjoys modeling, photography, video games, and sports.
Shauna, how are you today?
Hello, I'm feeling great, a little bit nervous, but I'm very excited for this podcast episode.
I feel honored, lucky, and privileged to have you here and very curious to discover more about you as a person
and since you're nervous, I'll begin with this nice first question, which is,
if your friends, the people who know you best, could describe your personality, what would they say about you?
Well, I've heard this many times before from my parents.
My mom would usually say that I'm overly sensitive, maybe sometimes, or maybe a little emotional even,
which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing, but definitely something that I could work on.
And my boyfriend actually often says to me that I'm kind of like cartoony, I guess.
I remind him, I'm an actress or something, I guess he thinks that my facial expressions
kind of are too much sometimes, and that reminds him of a cartoon, I guess.
So, my friends would probably describe me as, like, friendly, probably a positive person,
at least that's what I hope they would say about me.
Thank you, that's so interesting, and actually I want to know more.
First, in your experience, you said you don't believe it's a bad thing.
What's positive about it, just for people who might not know why it's interesting or attractive,
for you to behave in this way?
Well, when I say emotional, I guess it's more of like, that I'm kind of like an empathetic person, I guess.
Like, I could feel people's emotions based on, like, their facial expressions are just like their body language,
and it helps me understand them better, and I feel like empathy is kind of like a trait that's needed in today's world,
because everything's kind of rough and serious, and people should be more understanding of each other,
and that's, I guess, that's what I'm trying to be understanding of other people, and of how they feel.
I always try to put myself and other people's shoes to understand what they're going through,
and to base my reactions off of that, so I guess that's why I think that being kind of sensitive is not such a bad thing.
Thank you. I like this, and I'm an empat as well, so I'm curious about some parts of your experience.
One of them, when I was still small, like a kid, and I was an empat, and I was around people who would be angry or depressed,
I could feel their emotions, and I thought, oh my God, maybe it's my fault, what did I do wrong, and I tried to help them, but I was too small to know how.
So whether it's something you can relate to or in general, as an empat, how can you protect yourself from people's negative energy?
If you can pick up on it, even if you're around people, just in walking or they're near you, etc.
I feel like as an empat, you always have to, like I said, be understanding of other people's emotions, and if they are overly negative, or if they have this negative energy, then I feel that it's important to protect yourself from it because you definitely don't want to be sucked into that energy, but as an empat, you would try to help them as much as possible.
But sometimes, I guess that's not possible, and you would, instead of just like stopping to help that person, I guess you could just motivate them, try to motivate them from a far, so you don't get that negative energy sucked into you.
Thank you, yet you are modeling your studying business and all that, which means you will be around a lot of people, including people who might feel depressed, or whatever, and be emotional.
So two things, did you choose those fields because you actually love people, or because you mentioned your love video games, I imagine you're more introverted, and so how do you plan to deal with people and still protect your energy as well as make it something that doesn't exhaust you, but gives you a boost in life.
Well, as a child, I was definitely more of an introvert, I guess, because I used to be very self-conscious, kind of like a shy person, but as I grew up, I'm 20 right now.
Like, up to the years leading up to being 20, like, to this place where I am right now. I worked a lot on my self-confidence, on kind of my image, on how I would like people to perceive me and how I perceive myself.
Right now, I would say that I'm more of an extrovert rather than an introvert, and talking to people that I don't know is, well, it comes easy to me right now. It definitely didn't before, but right now, it's not as hard as it used to be.
As an empathetic people always have to shelter themselves from this negative energy surrounding other people, so it's important to choose your words wisely, I would say, and try to surround yourself with people that will bring out the best in you.
I love this, I have so many questions about this, but I'll begin with the first you said when you were smaller, you used to be a bit more self-conscious.
What is your advice for other women or what was your journey of finding your confidence? I mean, there might be a lot of 20-year-old girls similar to you who don't feel confident, who still stay in their cocoons, etc.
What's your perspective on finding your confidence and how did you go about it?
Well, that has honestly been a very long journey for me.
When I was younger, I would always compare myself to other girls to, I would see all these amazing pictures on Instagram, and I would always try to be like them,
even after school, I would always exercise and work out for two hours straight, even though I was super tired, because I thought if I wanted to look like them, then I would have to do more things,
more strenuous things that I didn't really want to do, but just because I wanted to be like them, I did it.
But honestly, I noticed a change in my behavior, and it happened when I went to London on a school trip.
The first time kind of seeing a very diverse people, like people of different nationalities, people that look so different, because in Kazakhstan, you usually just see Kazakh people and Russian people.
But when I was in London, it was kind of like a culture shock, and I was so amazed and very happy and grateful that I saw so many different people, and that was the first time I was really on my own without my parents.
So I had to learn to talk to people to be more open, so seeing people that were so different, that looked so different. I realized that there's only one me, right? I'm the only me in the whole world, and why would I want to change that?
And my advice to anyone else who is struggling with their own self-image or their confidence issues, I would tell them that you are perfect the way you are.
You are the only you in the whole world, there's no one else in the world that's like you, and you should embrace your own individuality, like I did.
I love that message, I agree 100%, and it's a journey, it's not an instantaneous fix like that, but it's well worth it, and you spoke about how meeting new people, talking to new people was not very natural to you.
What's your advice for girls who might feel or think they are introverted, but they just haven't come out of their shell? How did you go about opening up to people, and very importantly, because I even interviewed someone recently who said, I am a great reciprocator, but I'm not good at initiating conversations with people I don't know, because I don't know their interests, I don't know what they will be
interested in talking about, and so I don't want them to judge me and all that, so those are fears that some girls have.
What allows you to let go of those fears, and what's your method to start a conversation and be social and make new acquaintances and friends?
I feel like some people are just introverts because that's just their nature, right? I was introverted because of my lack of confidence, but I feel like it's all just trial and error.
You have to keep trying, if you don't want to be shy or have no confidence in yourself, then it's just trial and error.
If you want to talk to other people, you have to put yourself out there. The reason that this London trip actually gave me more confidence is because I was in a situation where I had to speak to new people,
speak to people that I didn't know, because I was in a totally different country, totally different place that was unknown to me.
Yeah, I was just put on the spot, so I had to kind of work myself around that, around my shell, I guess, and just kind of break through it and talk to new people.
So what I would say to people that have trouble talking to new people is that, first of all, you have to find confidence within yourself. You have to be comfortable with who you are, and then other people will be more comfortable with you.
They will understand you better and you will understand them.
They like that very, very much, and you mentioned people a lot and our conversation, I imagine, as an empath, you're fascinated by people or we might even say you love people.
Two things. One, what is so interesting to you about people? Do you love their stories? Are you enamored with their energy? Is that something that really attracts you about them?
It's the diversity, maybe of culture and people and their shapes and sizes and looks, or is it even more you're looking for your kind of people and therefore what criteria are you looking for?
What makes you say this is my kind of person versus no, this is not my kind of person.
Yes, I like meeting new people, it's always been fascinating to me. Like I said about the London trip, just the diversity and the people that I saw was very intriguing to me.
Also the first time I went to Canada, which was in 2019, I was there actually for my first year of university, just the different cultures, it was very, very beautiful. It's something beautiful for me, I love learning about different cultures, just meeting different people.
I actually went to an international school when I was younger and it was, we had this culture day and just by seeing different cultures, I feel like I've been acquainted with it for a while, just by learning like seeing different cultures during culture day, it was very interesting to me.
I went to London for the first time and saw this big diversity, I was very happy and not even just London or Canada in Kazakhstan when you see different people on the street.
It's very intriguing to me because you can sense their energy a little bit, I mean, I guess I'm saying this kind of as an empath, but maybe other people can sense it too.
It can always sense someone's energy if it's off, if it's good, if they're going to be happy or a grumpy mood.
I love meeting new people and I feel like it's important to be very understanding of different cultures and it's something that we as a community should work more on.
I feel that's my thoughts.
Thank you and I know you're interested in photography. Does this relate to people?
What are you trying to capture when you take pictures? Are you trying to capture emotions, aesthetic, vivid colors and compositions or how do you express your personality and find yourself through photography?
Well, I wouldn't classify myself as a professional photographer, maybe just as a hobby, but usually I take pictures of scenery of beautiful scenery if I see beautiful mountains or sometimes it's the sunset.
I feel like the picture carries more weight to it than people might imagine. It can capture the moment that you would feel when you're taking the picture and then you look upon the picture a year later and you remember, oh my gosh, I was there with that person and I felt this emotion and I remember this.
So I feel like it's important to take pictures. I don't take pictures of people. I usually just take pictures of myself, but whenever I take pictures of scenery or like a flower or like an animal that I see, it always and then I look upon it like years later.
I always think about like the feeling that I felt in the moment when I captured that picture rather than like something else.
I understand. That sounds fascinating really and I'm curious about you as a person you said before you used to things you did not want to do or like to do because you wanted to look like some girls who are in social media.
How did you evolve from that into being a model? Do you feel now more confident or do you feel and have some kind of imposter syndrome like some people who might have been overweight and they lose the weight and still in their brain they feel fat although they're skinny.
See yourself as a model, as a girl that other girls look to and wish to look like her or how is your experience with this?
Oh my gosh. Well, being a model is something that has actually been interesting to me and that's something that I've been kind of striving towards for many, many years.
When I was like 14 or 15 like you ever since then like this has kind of been like my dream and now that I've finally gotten my dream I feel a sense of accomplishment that I was able to achieve it.
I don't think I feel imposter syndrome because I worked hard to get where I am right now and it's been a lot of trial and error and a lot of disappointments throughout the many years that I've been trying to get to this point but I feel accomplished and there are lots of things in the future that I am striving to.
And hopefully that becomes soon but if they don't come soon I'll still work twice as hard just to get there.
I adore this mindset and still I want to extract even more wisdom from you because a lot of people in general in this world they stay within their comfort zone as soon as they face any rejection or error or difficulties.
They just give up and think who is me this won't never work and they don't work twice as hard like you said.
So what believes you have or mindset or perspective or even maybe you believe in faith and destiny etc that allows you to keep going and how do you maintain a healthy relationship with the rejection with error and with temporary failures.
Well, in the beginning of this journey I'll call it whenever I sent my application online to an agency then I would not hear a response from them.
I would always think like oh my gosh is it because I'm not as pretty or is there something wrong with my face or maybe I'm not.
I don't look as good as I thought I did or stuff like that and I've actually sent out an application to a lot of places and mostly they're like big agencies that are really hard to get into.
For example like IMG or like next model management. So I kind of like forgot my dream for a bit because I was like well I'm never going to. It's never going to happen for me but when I was in Canada actually there was an agency in Canada that was doing kind of a thing where you tag them and you add a hashtag then they would like kind of consider you as a model.
And they actually message me and that's when I kind of like peaked my interest again because I was like oh my gosh if someone's interested in me then maybe this is possible for me.
However, I had to go back to Kazakhstan after my first year of Canada. So after I came back here I kept kind of going at my dream I went to different castings and stuff.
It wasn't until my agency message me back that I was I actually thought like oh my god is this possible for me.
So I'm very thankful to my agency right now to my agent like I'm beyond grateful for the opportunities that they have given me and what I want to say is never give up on your dreams because everything is possible.
I agree 100% and I really encourage your success and to make all your dreams come true.
And then I want to ask you even more because before that when you saw in social media some pretty girls or models you wanted to look like them by working hard by working out by developing yourself somehow rather than becoming jaded and depressed about it.
How do you recommend and you know there are studies that say teenage girls in particular are fallen into depression because of what they see on social media.
How do you approach social media in a way that maintains your mental health and works as a motivator rather than a demotivator for your future dreams?
I feel like that depends on how you would want to use social media to your advantage.
I know like now there's a growing number of jobs that are associated with social media directly like social media manager etc.
I think it's important however to understand that not everything on social media is real which is a realization that I've come to after trying to copy other girls on social media but it's important to kind of stay grounded and not let social media consume you.
Right now I use social media as kind of as like something fun like before I would post like super photoshopped pictures where I don't even look like myself which I've now deleted and like totally false pictures that are not even me you know trying to be like someone else but now that I've accepted who I am as a person.
And kind of come to the realization that I am me and there's nothing else I can do about that like I am born the way I am.
I kind of use social media more carefully now that I'm not trying to be like someone else.
Thank you and I'm curious about your experience in Kazakhstan.
Do you feel that in the future you want to be settled there to spend all your life there and if you go anywhere else it's a temporary period where you have some new experience before returning or is there any place in the world and of course your love your country this is not related to that.
But any place in the world that will reflect your true personality and soul in a perfect way like you would love to be in Italy near the ancient museums and arts and food or in Hollywood near the celebrities or in a place like London or Dubai or whatever.
That is full of people from all over the globe so that you're always meeting new people who have interesting stories to tell or what would be a reflection or like the paradise for Shauna a place that if you went into you think that you'll feel I belong in this land.
Well I've actually thought about this a lot of times before because when I was in Canada even though I'm half Canadian my dad's from Canada.
I never really felt at place I don't know why maybe because I was really homesick because my whole family most of my family is like in Kazakhstan even though I have family in Canada.
My family in Kazakhstan is the one I grew up with lived with for many many years and it might be because of that that I really wanted to go back to Kazakhstan.
However I honestly don't know what would be a perfect place for me maybe somewhere on a beach in Italy or Greece or something.
I don't know but right now I call Kazakhstan my home it's been my home for many years and all my friends basically all my friends all my families here and I'm not sure I think I would like to travel a lot to different countries maybe to kind of understand my kind of surroundings to feel to see what feels right.
But it's because probably maybe because I haven't really traveled much that I don't really know what country would be the best for me or what place would be the best for me but I don't know I guess time will tell.
I really like that answer and I feel you're someone who has a lot of wisdom so I want to extract even more from that and so nowadays you know recently enough it was the New Year resolution period or in general since you're someone who works hard on your goals and deals with trial and error.
There are lessons you have recently learned or a perspective you try to see the world through more or something to let go of in your life maybe toxic people or anything like that that you have been trying to add and implement in your life and make sure you remember it that you could share maybe it will inspire someone else that they might be right now in the right moment to hear it.
I feel like one of my New Year resolutions this year would be to stop taking life so seriously because I overthink a lot in many different situations I always overthink like oh my gosh did I do the right thing did I do this so.
I know I did that I should have done this so I feel like for me personally I feel like I should stop worrying so much about things I did or didn't do because I think everything happens for a reason and if I did something then there must have been a reason behind it that as to why I did it so yes this is definitely one thing that I'm trying to work on this year it's not overthink.
Thank you so much Shona this was such a fantastic episode and a great conversation I am lucky privileged and honored to have had you here.
Thank you for participating in this project and I wish you all the success on all your goals all the travels and seeing all the shapes and sizes and different ethnicities and how people are so diverse.
On anything I wish for your voice to always be heard and inspire everyone you come across thank you again.
Thank you for this opportunity was honestly really great I had so much fun.
