Episode Transcript
You
Hello, my name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother.
She's 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 real 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 Dana Kalihina.
Dana is a sales manager from Astana, Kazakhstan.
She loves traveling, reading books, dancing,
going to yoga classes, and trying new things
and exciting experiences.
Dana, how are you today?
Hello, Aziz.
Thanks for having me today.
How are you?
I feel blessed.
I feel very happy and very curious about you, Dana.
So I'll begin with this nice first question, which is...
If your friends and the people that love you very much could describe your personality,
what would they say about you?
OK, it's an interesting question.
I think my friends will tell me that...
When I'm with them, I'm another person than when I'm with other people,
because I need some time to be open with other people.
I am very empathic, open.
and always thinking about my own.
When I have, for example, aim.
I got it. I do everything to make it possible.
I love that very, very much.
There are so many things that I want to know about you,
but.
One thing, if there are some women who might feel stressed if they have an aim and there are
obstacles or problems,
Or they worry other people judge them or they say, Oh, are you like a man?
If you have big ambitions, et cetera.
What is your advice to those women and how do you keep yourself moving forward?
even if some people can be criticizing that.
Yes, I think that always will be people that will...
say that you can't do something, but it's my opinion. I see that everything that I have in my life...
and that every woman can have.
It's they could do it just by themselves because no one will help you to achieve this goals. No one
You should think by yourself. Of course. I have good family good friends. They always
Want everything just the best for me, but you should
do it just by yourself and think, first of all, what will be a better choice for you.
And how do you discover more about yourself so that you know that? For you, how was the experience
of knowing, yes, this is what I want, not something someone told me when I was a little girl and then
I remember it or something? I tried a lot of jobs. I think I should tell about this my
this part of my life?
Uh, I have, um, worked.
on a lot of jobs.
Just for two months, then I moved in another job.
It means that when I think that
this job can't
can't give me more than I want?
or circumstances are not good enough for me.
I don't tolerate with this job
because I think that there will be a better place for me.
And it always works, because now that I work in CERT Academy...
a sales manager, I love all of my job.
I love how I improve myself, how I became a better person.
That's why I think when you don't have a good
good circumstances on your job, it means that you need to go and try a new thing, you need
to go forward.
Thank you, Dana, and I want to understand.
How is this related, let's say, to travel, or to nature, or to dance?
Are you through dance as well?
discovering yourself understanding what you like and changing and not staying if you don't like
something yes when i'm dancing i feel myself free
I reveal myself as a person.
express myself, like my inner Dana, and what to tell about traveling.
When I travel, I feel that time doesn't run.
I'm in the moment. That's why I love traveling so much because nowadays
We always, every day we hurry up to do work, to do some.
things in our lives and only when we travel, when I travel.
In my opinion, I think that time doesn't fly away.
Thank you. I love that. That was very, very poetic.
I really enjoyed how you expressed that.
very, very well.
and
To know even more, you seem to,
like some people will criticize you and will say,
oh, you're someone who gets bored very easily.
You don't build anything in life.
You're always changing.
You need more discipline, blah, blah, blah.
What do you say to those people?
I don't listen them because I think every person has its own picture of happiness.
For me, it's not just to find a husband, to make a family, to make kids.
As you know, in Kazakhstan, there is a big problem with...
on such conception as Old Maid.
because after 25, it means that you should have family.
Otherwise, it's something wrong with you.
It's about mentality in our country and nowadays I think it doesn't work.
Because every person nowadays in 21st century do what he or she thinks that it will be better.
opportunity for for them. I love that. That's absolutely true. At
the same time, where do you find the strength to be strong enough
to say no to society in general? Because
If those notions are common, it means maybe you worry,
people will judge you, they will look at you in a bad way.
And many women don't live their real life because of that.
So how are you able to be okay with other people thinking you're wrong, basically?
I think it's about that every person should understand what he or she wants. Of course,
I have problems sometimes with my relatives that think that they want the best for me,
but they don't understand that it will be the best.
because it's my life, it's not their life.
And yes, in our society we have such problems.
My friends listen, it's every time that
oh, you're 30 years old and you don't have a husband,
you don't have kids, you should hurry up,
because then you have problems with reproductive.
But I think that I'm lucky that I have.
family, understanding friends.
I think every person should find good friends, good people that will understand it.
support their undertakings. Thank you and then why did you choose to stay in Kazakhstan which is of
course a great country but maybe like you said there are traditions and
thoughts that are not compatible with your personality.
Why not choose to live somewhere where people don't care even if you're 80 years old maid or whatever, they don't have a problem.
I think we must change the system from the inside, not bend under it.
I love people in our country, we are very hospitable people.
Maybe you know, maybe if you have been in Kazakhstan, you will see it.
But like every nation, there are disadvantages.
and we should live here and improve our society.
Thank you, and did you always feel different to everyone
and had your own mind and your own thinking?
Or did you have an experience, maybe your heart was broken
or you had difficulty that made you discover
that you should listen to yourself?
more than any other person.
more smarter, more kind.
And if you ask if I want to go back and fix something, no.
I like myself as now.
Great.
And now, with all your life experience,
How do you take care of your mental health?
How do you organize your week and your day?
So you work, but you also meet with friends,
do some hobbies, can you share?
when you wake up your schedule and the way that you're living your life and the way
that makes you happy?
Okay.
When I wake up in the morning, first of all, I pray, I believe in God and
The first thing that I do every day, then I drink my coffee
As always.
Oh.
Then I go to work.
Um, no.
Yeah.
Okay, but start from the beginning, please, okay?
start the answer of the question when you do from the beginning.
OK, first of all, when I wake up in the morning, I pray.
I believe in God.
It helps me to feel myself better.
Then I always drink my coffee.
Then go to work, time flies at work.
very much.
It's free time.
Me with my friends go to the exhibitions.
Also, I go to the book club.
It's very interesting.
We choose two books every month, then we discuss.
People there are very congenial, not so boring.
Great.
What kinds of books do you love reading and debating with them?
Are there any specific books you're reading now or that you read that you found fascinating?
Well, I prefer classic genre.
My lovely book is Somerset Maugham, The Burden of Human Patience.
Also, I love the airport of Hailey.
It describes in great detail the process inside, how each employee performs his work, it's
very important detail.
Thank you, that sounds really interesting.
And you, as someone who has more of a strong and unique personality and character?
How do you find your people?
How do you know you found your people too?
When you speak with them, do you think,
oh, they are independent, similar to me,
and they disagree with many things that I disagree with?
Or is it people you grew up with since a little girl?
Or maybe you have good energy together, or how does it work for you?
I have my best friends, they are my friends from childhood.
But also I got different hobbies, there I find friends on my wave.
The most important thing, I think, in every person is kindness.
honesty, and a common sense of humor, of course.
Thank you so much.
And to finish this, is there anything
you learned from life that could be
good advice for women in the world
to inspire their confidence to live life?
with ambition, what would you say to some women who might be
have some anxiety about going for their dreams or worry or anything.
Okay, what advice can I...
to the women.
First of all, don't be afraid to make mistakes.
Life is too short to be afraid of everything.
That's why I think I try something new, go to another country just to feel myself alive, do everything.
And okay, I will tell about Kazakhstan.
Recently, we went to see a movie called Bakyt.
It's about domestic violence in Kazakhstan.
It's based on real events.
And I think that women shouldn't keep...
silent about us.
We need to remember that each of us can influence the world as a whole,
because sometimes people think that they nothing can change.
but it's not true because
Every person can influence one another.
I think it can influence on all systems.
Thank you so much, Dana.
It was my privilege and my honor to have you in this podcast, that you participate in this
project.
It's really interesting to hear your voice.
and share your perspective, and thank you so much.
Thank you, too!
