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 life. Too many women in this world feel alone. They worry about the judgment of others and they struggle with their mental health but when they listen to the rare girls podcasts who are empowered, women share their voices and tell their stories, many women will feel inspired to live a life of freedom and to overcome all insecurities. They will feel. It is a safe space to find their confidence, to remember their unique beauty and to feel their self-worth. And they will connect with the sisterhood of rare girls who encourage their success and support their dreams. That's what this podcast is all about. My guest today is Giovanna Basani. Giovanna is a Brazilian, makeup artist and hair stylist living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her hobbies are going to the gym, watching series, learning from videos and podcasts on YouTube, crazy hairstyles and making other women feel beautiful using makeup. Giovanna, how are you today? - I am good. Thank you so much for being here for the opportunity. - I'm happy, I'm honored. I feel very, very lucky to have you here looking forward to know much more about you. And I'll begin with this nice first question, which is, Giovanna, if your friends and the people who know you best could describe your personality, what would they say about you? - Well, they usually say, I'm like very cheered up and I'm always up for anything, literally could be. The girls would say, "Oh, should I go out for a coffee one day?" And I was like, yeah, or shall we go study somewhere? Or like, yes, shall we go literally anywhere? My friends call me because they know I'm gonna say yes, because they just love to try new things, you know? So yeah, they say I'm very sociable, like a little social bird really. - Thank you so much, Giovanna. I'm really, really interested to know more because there are many women who have some anxiety, some worry about trying new things. They stop themselves because they think, what if something goes bad or what if I go for coffee with that girl and she hates me or she judges me or other people. So what about you allows you to be so open to new things and new experiences and what's your advice to women so they're more like you? Maybe when you were a little girl you were different and now you changed or maybe always like this. Tell me a bit more. you know, I always think then if I don't do new things, I'm not going to get to new places. And I think if something if the experience is bad, at least it was a lesson for me. But if it's good, it was a bonus. And I mean, I never will know if I never try. Maybe that girl is not nice. If I go for coffee, maybe she judge me and all maybe we don't click we don't connect. Okay, no problem turn the page next time you know so yeah by answering your question I think since from young age I was like this I always try to make new friends or see what's going on you know that's a little bit of me but I would like to say more for these girls that don't be fear you know nothing gonna what is the worst can happen the girl say oh I don't like you or maybe say something back about like behind your back, it's okay, you know, she's not doing it, it's harmless, even if they say something bad about you, if you don't like it, it's harmless. So if you don't try, you never know. I like that very, very much. It's very, very wise. And thank you for that answer. And it makes me wonder, your adaptation to the culture and life in Dubai, in a new place, go in there. How was it because it's very, very different to Brazil. It's almost like the other end of the extreme. Did you have in the beginning, maybe periods where you were a bit like needing to adjust, you had culture shock or because you're so open, you're like, this is so new and different. I love it. Let me enjoy the experience. Or how was it because that gives women a realistic expectation of going to a new culture to live and to adapt? No, of course, when I first came here, I fell homesick. I was scared in case I don't adapt to the country. Also, the weather was a big challenge. And it's for me so far from my home that I feel even more homesick because I cannot just get a flight in one hour I'm there. No. So in the beginning was very hard for me. Even I say I'm this open person, but it's hard for everyone no matter where you come from. I'm married, I've already had friends here, everything is new. So that's why I had this fall in my mind to say, I have to go out there in the world and show my face and trying to find new people otherwise. I'm always going to be on the same position, on the same level. So yeah, the beginning was very hard, but was thinking for myself, you need to get up, motivate myself and like just do it. Like it's a stage, the beginning is always hard, but if you do it step by step, you get there. And that's what I done day by day. I meet one, I meet another one, oh, this one I don't like so much. I'm not sure about these two. I find someone that I really click on and it was worth it, you know, the trials, because if I never tried, I never, never find them. I love that. That's very much related to the next question, which is that you're someone that goes out of your comfort zone. Often there are many women who are maybe having office jobs somewhere in their own homeland and they want to go explore the world and to discover. To you, you spoke about meeting people. It seems to be important. Is this an important and very big part of why you're comfortable being brave, that you bring into your life people that support you and that makes you safe to go out of your comfort zone. Or what is your perspective on this? How can more women be able to go out of their comfort zone without fearing that it's bad and maybe even if their family and of course mothers might be saying, "Oh no, stay with me. I don't want you to be so far or whatever is it that they should create and focus first on new people, new friends, new chemistry with good people so that they are able to feel safe or how is it for you? About this thing, about the comfort zone, if it's like how you're gonna feel, I think to get out of the comfort zone the motivation doesn't come from the other people, you have to come from inside yourself. And sometimes you think, oh, coming out my comfort zone is do a giant step and change my life to spin to the other side. But it's no, you know, get out of your comfort zone is like even you try to do things different. And even if you're not done on today, no problem. Tomorrow is another day and you carry on trying is always I think is more to be trying so much, you know, then having expectations, big expectations and not doing it. Thank you for this very very much and I'm curious as well, is it because you're Brazilian and therefore the culture of Brazil encourages people to be free-spirited and open-minded or is it really like you said since a little girl you had this fire inside you, you felt that maybe you're a little princess and you need to find your kingdom or you felt that you need to explore or how is it because I want to know is it even in Brazil you are more explorative, more open than other people then or is it the culture of Brazil and so your culture made you able to go out of your comfort zone? You know what I think is a little bit of both. First I say both because in Brazil yes people are very sociable and also the country is hard. It's harder to get a job or opportunity because there's so many people, there's so many people with degree, the competition is a lot more harder than in other countries because the population so big, especially come from big cities. So if you don't go out and don't show your face and don't face the problems, you never gonna be, you never gonna like, yeah, good job or How can I say this? You're never going to give a big step on your life. Because if someone comes and speaks better than you, or is a little bit more open or sell himself a bit better, he's going to get the chance in front of you. So I think the Brazilians, they are a little bit like that. Yeah, they will go for it. They're not going to have the fear because they need to get off their comfort zone to grow like a new person. But also myself, like I said, I always like to try new things. I always been very curious and never been really shy of new persons or put myself in my place and speak of new person. I never had this problem. I know some girls have but I think I actually was okay. Thank you and I love something that you mentioned and I mentioned it as well in the podcast introduction that you love to make other women feel beautiful using makeup. Nowadays there is a kind of problem that maybe even you deal with because you're seeing many beautiful women every day. Women compare themselves to others, other women. They have to because in many ways they're looking at Instagram and they see other women who might be real or photoshopped or now artificial intelligence, AI, beauty. And so they don't feel beautiful. They don't see their unique beauty. And when they see themselves, they don't think I am beautiful the way I am. I use my features and fall in love with myself. They look at that girl and they say, I wish I was like her. Maybe she's skinny and she's like, I wish I was more curvy or the opposite. She's curvy and she's like, look at her. She looks like a model. She's skinny. Anything like that. Did you struggle with this? Did you overcome it? Do you see other women who struggle with it? What's your advice to them? And how can nice makeup be helping women gain more self-confidence and feeling their own beauty? Yeah, I think every girl went through that stage when they're just looking at others on Instagram or they look at their friends and they feel so bad about their body because I did. I did when I was younger. I wish I had that hair. I wish I had that body. It's always something that that you're gonna point out no matter what. And if a girl says she never done that, that's a lie, we all done. But I think as you get older, for me, I got more mature of life. And this was no more something so important for me because I find myself confidence. And I also start thinking like, when you look at picture on Instagram, that person isn't moving, you know? They're not making expression. They're not, don't know, sitting or eating. So of course that's gonna look so beautiful. Like you don't know what is behind that picture. You don't know if she photoshopped and, you know, like I said, if things are real. So I start put that in my mind first and then I got better. Of course you need to find your best version. Like if you like to keep your body shape, go to the gym, have your hair done, do your makeup, but just not go freak about this because we don't know what is real behind the screen. You know, I'm not going to post a picture of myself one day I have a spool all over my face or I have been having a bad hair day. Of course, I'm going to post a picture. When I go in the salon, I have my hair, my makeup done, I'll be my best dress. And of course, I'm going to post it. But that's all only people see. I know it's hard, but you got to do the talk from screw down and compare yourself to the other girls and something that actually helped me. I used to think these girls are so pretty on Instagram. Then one day my friend she come to me she say, Did you ever follow this page? And it was one page showing how they're on Instagram and how they were in real life. And that made me feel so good. That was actually a big change in the life when I start following the page, they show the truth, they show the actual truth. And that was that was a good exercise. And that's what I would say for the other girls that keep like looking at this super modern thing there like that 24 seven. Thank you. That's a very important message. And more women should fall in love with their own unique beauty and grow their self-esteem and feel happy because it's so, so important. And you spoke about how social you are, how when you meet and met people in the beginning, sometimes you say, "This is the right person for me. This is the wrong person," etc. What is your advice? Maybe there are some girls who grew up with their friends since childhood, and now they're moving to Dubai or any other city and they need to meet new people, make new friends for maybe the first time away from all those. What are the characteristics that you look for for a person to think this is my type of person? Is it emotional that you feel the right vibration? Is it ideas that you're both open minded and both similar? Is it that they love makeup and so shared the como activities? What is it for you that makes you choose some people to be your friends more than others in this world? Well, for these girls, they're moving here now and they have their friends for childhood that would say, "Don't go so hard on your choice." Like, I have some friends, they're the same example. They say, "Oh, these friends here, they're not like my friends back home." And I said, but they're not going to be, but that's your new reality. Now, maybe don't need someone to be your best friend or share a flat with you, but it's just someone to make your days easier. Or you have some fun on the weekend. So just don't go so hard and picky on the other person. Like you're in a new situation and new reality. Don't be so hard. You know, maybe the other person is thinking the same. That's why I cannot click with someone so easy. But for myself, how, how I make my friends I think it's more about feeling really now this is I think it's with everyone now human being maybe sometimes you can really try hard with someone but I think you have some sort of kind of feelings like and also the ideas is very good like if you're not a party girl when you go out for a party girl of course like that's not gonna get anywhere so it's a little bit of everything it's a little bit of the feeling it's a little bit see what is the girl's idea what she's up to or if she likes something similar so you can have some sort of conversation because it's also hard if one is completely different like one is talking about north and you're talking about south so you don't cannot have like a nice conversation or share nice moments or go to the same things because you both don't have the same idea so it's more about trial don't be so picky i never been really picky with my friends because i thought if i'm picky like i'm not going to find anyone and maybe the other person don't think I'm that interesting. Sometimes they have so much self-love about ourselves that we think you're so special, but we are not. You know, like sometimes the other person don't like me and it's fair enough. It's no problem. One day I'm gonna find someone and go, "Yeah, I like you girl," and she's gonna say the same, but my real advice to be don't be so hard and so picky, girls. Like you'll come eventually. 100%. Thank you for those words. that's very, very kind and empowering and very, very wise, especially the part about being more open-minded rather than dismiss people too easily or too fast. And now thinking about you as someone who went from Brazil to build a life in Dubai, what is your next vision or next goals or at least dream that you're working towards? Are you dreaming maybe of creating something that can teach or share or do something very unique and new when it comes to makeup and crazy hair and all that. Are you working towards having maybe something else, your own business in Brazil and Dubai and be international or what is it for you that will be the dream that keeps you waking up so you're moving towards it? Yeah, of course. So y'all have big dreams, to get our things bigger and expand over the borders. But literally, at the minute, I'm thinking, I want to carry on getting better at my work, getting more professional, no more things, and literally live day by day and try to be a better person, a better professional, because I think it's not about the thinking so big. It's about carry on day by day, little by and that's what takes you far. It's about the consistency. So yeah, that's what is really my goals at the minute. Just like carry on, grow, do what you gotta do and you'll get there eventually. - 100%. Thank you. And to finish this, is there anything that you think more women should remember or think about a piece of wisdom or understanding or lesson you had that if more women remembered, they will make their lives better or they will live happier in any way. Just something that is true to you that if other women heard, maybe a woman will hear it in the right time and it will make a difference. - Yeah, I think there's something that can make us actually live better and happy for ourselves. I see many times even I include myself on that. We like to complain a lot about the things that we don't have, or the things that didn't work, or what it could go, why I'm not like this, why I don't have this finie, why I don't have my friends, why I don't have the job. And when you start to be thankful for the great things that have already happened in your life, you can look around, have so much more to say thank you, than actually complain. The happiness will come more. Because once you say, I'm thankful for what I got, new things will become, new better things will come. And yes, I always think you find fulfillment through happiness. - Thank you so much, Jovana. It was my honor, my privilege. - Thank you. - To hear your voice, to share your story perspective. And I wish you all the happiness and fulfillment, all your dreams to come through, And to make more and more women feel beautiful. Thank you again. - Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity, yes. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
