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 podcast where empowered women share their voices and tell their stories many women will feel inspired to live a life of freedom and 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 Sneha Niyogi. Sneha lives in Dubai but she is originally from Kolkata, India. She has a degree in BBA honors with a major in marketing from Christ University, Bangalore. Sneha is a content creator for a marketing agency in Dubai and loves to do it sometimes for her own page as well. Some of her hobbies are fashion, makeup, beauty, reading, embroidery, etc. She is also very passionate about women empowerment and mental health. Sneha, how are you today? I'm good, thank you so much for having me and thank you for that amazing introduction. I'm honored, lucky, privileged to have you here, looking forward to know much more and I'll begin with this nice first question which is, if your friends and the people who know you best could describe your personality, what would they say about you? That's a good question. I think they they would say that I'm kind, confident, bold, and I always like to help other people. I hope that's what they would say. Thank you. Can you explain to me what is the meaning for you of being bold and what within you gives you the energy to be bold because it's very important that more women embrace their bold side? I think for me, being bold is just embracing your natural beauty. I'm not saying that it doesn't have to be like not wearing makeup or dressing a certain way. I'm not dressing a certain way. I'm just saying to embrace your beauty and embrace your self-confidence and realize that you have a lot of power in this world. So I think that's what I mean by saying that I'm bold. Thank you. How do you think women can go about that if every day, everywhere they look in their social media, in TikTok, in Instagram, they see other women that they compare themselves to, women who might be photoshopped or full of plastic surgery or AI generated, and then they feel that their unique beauty is not enough? How do you deal with that? And what's your perspective on this topic? I've honestly dealt with this personally a lot, especially when I was young. I used to have like really bad acne, which I was also like really bullied for. So I thought, you know, I wasn't beautiful. All these girls have like, you know, glass skin. And so I really went through the, you know, comparing myself, but I eventually grew out of it because I realized that just because someone else is pretty on social media or someone else is beautiful, doesn't take away from my beauty. Another woman being beautiful doesn't take away even 1% of my beauty. And in the end of the day, I see it as me and other women. I don't want to compete with any other women. We're all collaborators, not competitors. I want us to support each other. Of course, like there will be another girl who's prettier than me, who's skinnier than me, who's maybe better at something than me. But that doesn't mean that I'm not just as good enough. Thank you. That's very important what you shared there. And even more, there is so much potential within many, many women in order for them to gain their confidence and build that potential into their big dreams, being content creators, adding their creativity in every way to the makeup field, to anything like that. But some of them, including those coming from Indian families who their parents might expect them to become lawyers and doctors and engineers or think, "Oh, you have to have a steady job and a good degree," which often makes them live that life and not their true life because they don't feel bold enough to go and ask for and request and require that they should live up to their potential. What is your perspective on this? How can those women who might be living up to other people's expectations have the strength to fix that issue, to declare that their truth and to go after their big dreams? Honestly, personally, for me, I'm very, very grateful that I have extremely supportive parents and my entire family is very supportive. And they've always been okay with whatever I wanted to do. and which turned out to be something that my parents also liked, that I told them when I was 11-12 that I wanted to pursue marketing. They were completely okay with it. I told them this is the university I want to go to. They were okay with it. So I'm very grateful that they've been very supportive. And I know a lot of people who don't have that. And it makes me feel really bad, you you know, because I obviously I can't fully understand what they're going through. I can't put myself in their shoes, but I can understand that it is super difficult. I think that if you really want something, you will go and do it no matter what. I think in the end of the day, if you are meant to do something or some opportunity arises, it will not pass you by. If it's really meant for you, it will happen to you. It will happen for you. And again, I truly believe that things don't happen to you. They happen for you. So you're not going to miss out on anything that was meant for you. 100%. I agree with that. I love that perspective. And I'll ask you about your love for fashion and even for makeup. There are women who are so creative and different that inside them, if they create the fashion that they desire, they think they will stand out so much that maybe growing up, their parents told them, "Oh, be careful what people think. What will people think if you do X? Oh, people will shame us," or whatever it is, some of those traditional thoughts. How do you deal with you standing out in any way that makes you be the person or look like the person that reflects your inner world or inner spirit? And what's your advice to those girls who are on the fence now dressing and putting makeup in the way that is accepted by the majority of society, but they wish they could be more crazy with it to reflect their inner truth. So for me, I have always loved makeup and fashion. I've always loved that. Since I was a little girl, like in the afternoon when my mom would go to sleep, I would like steal away and then I would put on her makeup. And so I've always loved makeup and I've always loved fashion. And my mom owns a boutique as well. So it's come from that also. Like we all love fashion at this household. So I honestly think for me, I have a lot of piercings, I have a lot of tattoos. And again, I come from an Indian culture. So of course, even though my parents are supportive, a lot of the times a lot of people have told me that, oh, you have so many tattoos, you have so many piercings, that no one's going to want to marry you like this, you've stained your body. And then again, honestly, I also realize that it doesn't matter the way that I look or the way that I dress or the way that I do my makeup. Someone will always have something to say. So I think my advice to young girls and just other girls in general is that, you know, just be at a point where when you look in the mirror, you are happy with what you're looking at, because you can't make everyone happy. And you will be happy when you realize you can't make everybody else happy. Thank you so much for that. And I'm curious, you are someone who is actively concerned with and promoting women's empowerment and mental health. What is the story behind that? What is important about that that you're aiming to change? And just tell me a bit more about you as a woman who is like thinking about other women's mental health as well as empowerment. So it honestly comes from myself and what I have experienced. Thankfully, I've lived like, you know, like a privileged life, for sure. I've always had food on my plate and a roof over my head. But that doesn't mean that I've not had other struggles. So I've always been anxious and I've always been like a little depressed. And this year in January, I was diagnosed by my psychiatrist with bipolar disorder. So I've started taking medications for that as well and seeing my lifestyle change and seeing all the things my mental illness impacted. So now I've kind of, I want to become an advocate for that because it's not easy being like anxious and depressed and whatever other mental illness is there, none of it is easy. Sometimes it just takes a lot of effort to even get out of bed. And I think that a lot of women need that support because especially as women, if you're not consistently doing something, you're always seen as lazy. And especially coming from an Indian household and a brown household, you always have that guilt that, "Am I doing enough? Or is this enough?" So I think that, yeah, that's what I want to do. Thank you. That's absolutely great. And tell me a bit more about that because it's too important, not just because of women who might have more serious mental health issues, which is a very important topic, but even some girls and women who maybe because of the pandemic, they stayed socially isolated for too long and now they're living their life vicariously through Instagram without meeting too many new people, so they have a kind of social anxiety. They have anxieties about meeting new people, doing something new, expanding their life. What is your advice to them? What can they do in order to help heal, overcome, or at least live with the confidence and the courage through such anxiety and emotions that could be holding them inside their comfort zone? I think the first step is acceptance, but you truly need to accept that, okay, this is what is going on with me and it's okay. It's completely okay for me to feel anxious. Like in the end of the day, what is anxiety? It's your body protecting you from something. And it's basically your body saying that you're scared of something that's actually never going to happen. So I think the first step is definitely acceptance, accepting that this is what is going on and this is what what is going to happen and then making small steps. So suppose if somebody has social anxiety and they want to meet people but they're scared, maybe go out and meet one person in like a secluded environment, could be like a quiet cafe or like a library. So make like these small steps and then you can like, you know, focus on maybe going to a party after that. And then maybe like, you know, going and doing some public speaking. So things like that. I think you should always take a small step, like test the waters and then swim in it. Thank you. And you, as someone who is into content creation, can you tell me about your creative process? How is it? Are you by the numbers in the sense that everything that you create is already proven and you try to stick to what is known to work? Do you use your creative side in order to come up with things? I don't know. You go for a swim or a walk when the weather is nicer, and then you get some creative ideas, or some people get them in the shower, or do you have specific processes? Where do you get your creativity from that allows you to do the work that you do? Honestly, most of my creativity comes at night. Literally, I'll be scrolling on my phone on Instagram, or I'm reading a book or something, and then something just strikes me, and I'm like, this would be cool. And then I just like, you know, try to, like, obviously, I follow trends and everything as well. But I try to put my unique touch to it. Like, how can I make this a little different from what everyone else has already done. So it just kind of like strikes me in the middle. And then you will see me waking up in the middle of the night and doing my makeup until like 4am. How does it make you feel? Because you said from the early on, since a little girl you used to steal your mom's makeup, when she's sleeping and put the makeup on and she has a boutique and you love to wear those clothes. Is it for you that when you put on makeup, maybe you feel competent like an artist that you're putting your touches on a piece of art and that you have skills with your hands or is it that you feel like sometimes like a princess another time like a doctor or any other thing that helps you imagine yourself in a thousand different lives that you're living because of makeup? Or is it simply like a kind of meditation? When you're doing it, you just calm in your mind and it helps you just relax. What about makeup and fashion is so special for you? I think like you said, it's kind of like a meditation. Some people go on and on to clear their hair, some people swim, some people dance. For me, it's like definitely makeup and fashion and beauty. Like for me, I love the process of putting on makeup rather than actually like doing it and going out. I love the process. It's so calming. Like I'm usually listening to a podcast or I'm listening to an audio book and I'm just like doing my makeup in my bathroom. And those like 30 or 40 minutes is like pure uninterrupted bliss for me. And it's also not like I'm not confident without makeup. It's been a long journey, but I have finally reached here. I am definitely confident without makeup as well, but I feel like makeup just enhances my features a little bit more. So it makes me feel trivial, which I think is completely okay if someone wants to wear makeup and somebody doesn't. Either way, it's completely okay. As long as nobody shames you for it, like if someone tells me that like, you know, "Oh, you're already pretty, like why are you wearing makeup?" Then I'm not I'm not going to date that. I understand. Thank you so much for that. And you as a girl who grew up in Dubai, lived in Bangalore, and then returned to live in Dubai. Can you share the difference that you faced between going to adjust to the culture in India? Was it a culture shock to return compared to living in an Indian family abroad? And what is it about the life in Dubai that you appreciate that might not be available in India? - I think that when I went to Bangalore, there was definitely a culture shock. Like I went there and of course, like, you know, everyone has this like mindset of people who live in Dubai that like, you know, oh my God, you must be like so rich and so posh. And a lot of the times it's true, but a lot of the times it's also not like living in Dubai is not always like, you know, fair deals and everything. So there was definitely a culture shock when I went to Bangalore, but I was very grateful that I made a really nice group of friends who I'm still in touch with even after a year after graduating, we're still in touch. So it was actually really nice. And then when I came back to Dubai, I realized that how much I miss Dubai and how Dubai is actually my home. Even though I am Indian and I'm from India, I would say that Dubai is my home. I've grown up here, I've gone to school here, all of my childhood memories, my experiences are here. And I think that Dubai also provides us with like, especially women, it provides us with a sense of freedom that you don't really have anywhere else. Like I know right now if I like, you know, go out and I'm like, you know, walking the streets of Dubai at like 3 a.m., nothing's going to happen to me. But I don't know if I can guarantee that in any other country. - I love that, thank you. And can you tell me a bit more about the value of freedom for yourself? because I believe it's very important. I encourage women's freedom. This project is all about it. What is the meaning of freedom for you? How do you exercise it or experience it every day? And in general, why do you believe it's very important for women in order to bloom and reach their full potential and thrive? When I say freedom, I don't necessarily only mean that, OK, I want to stay out late and go out late. I mean, yeah, that does count, but that's not the only thing. I mean, I think freedom is also self-expression of being however you want to be and dressing however you want, putting yourself out there however you want. And I think I have the freedom to do it in Dubai. And I really love that because here I can, like, you know, wear what I want, do what I want, talk to whoever I want, say whatever I want. And I still have this sense of safety And I still feel safe. And it's also because Dubai is a very safe country. And I also know that I have my family to support me and like, you know, so I can like fall back on them, which again, I'm super grateful for. - Can you share a bit more about how you are free to dress in any way you want in Dubai, only because I get a lot of questions about this. There was even an Italian girl I interviewed who was moving to Dubai and she said, she filled her bag with conservative clothes. And then when she arrived there, She threw away everything. But there is this preconceived idea that you need to dress in a way in Dubai that you can like that it's forbidden to dress as if you are in Europe or anywhere in Dubai. They didn't experience it. They just have this idea. So you as a woman who can dress in any way, she desires in Dubai, share it. Maybe another woman is thinking, well, I didn't think it was like that. And it can inspire her in a different way. Honestly, because Dubai is a Muslim country, everyone thinks that it's going to be like a little bit conservative. And it's actually not, even after it being a Muslim country, Dubai is still a tourist destination. There are a lot of tourists here. And a lot of people when they come here, they think that they can't dress a certain way or they can't act a certain way. But that's not necessarily true. I mean, unless you're being like, unless you're wearing something super provocative at a children's restaurant, then obviously that's not okay. But other than that, if you would dress according to the occasion, then it's fine. If you choose to wear a bikini at the mall, I don't think that's okay. But if you want to wear a bikini at the beach, sure, go ahead. So I think it really depends on the place in Dubai for sure. And I mean, you can dress conservatively if you want to, but that's not necessarily a rule in Dubai. Thank you for that and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and perspective and to finish this, is there any advice or lesson that you have learned or any growth that you reach? Anything that you can share with other women that you believe that they hear, they can live life happier, they can thrive more and something that will help them reach a higher elevation in their lives? If I had to say something, then I would definitely say that make sure you have clear boundaries. You don't really have to know what you want to do in life. You don't even have to know what you're going to be doing tomorrow or in the next five years. But make sure you have clear boundaries. Those boundaries have to be set when it comes to friendships, when it comes to relationships, and make sure you set up those boundaries. I'm not saying don't open up to anybody or don't pour your heart out to anyone, but definitely have clear set boundaries and don't break them no matter what. Because in the end of the day, if someone hurts you, you will be hurt and you will feel like, why didn't I have those clear boundaries? Like for example, if someone cheats on me, I'm going to spend one week thinking, why did they cheat on me? But I'm gonna spend the next maybe three years thinking why did I let myself get cheated on? So I think it's very important to have those set boundaries. And I also think surround yourself with people who are genuinely happy for you, like happy for your successes and who support you no matter what. Of course, not if you're doing something unethical, but who have your back, for sure. So I think that's what I would say, is that have good boundaries and surround yourself with people that really support you. I agree with you very, very much. Thank you so much, Sneha. It was my privilege and my honor to have you here, to share your voice. I encourage your success, your exploration, your growth. So keep going. And I appreciate your time. Thank you so much for having me.
