Sugi Makes Friends

We're back with another episode of Sugi Makes Friends! I'm still soaking up the rays in sunny Palm Springs as we figure out where to travel to next. Today, I talk a little bit more about the BIPOC collective my friend Verita and I have been trying to start, a story about The Little Mermaid, and I hang out with my new friend, Toya Gavin. Toya is freaking awesome. A lawyer by trade, she worked for several years as a city government attorney, a prosecutor, and a solo practitioner before becoming a consultant, coach, and founder of Woke Up Worthy, a life coaching brand for women of color (WOC). Toya's approach to coaching WOC is unique in that she does not ignore or bypass the effects of internalized oppression on their achievement. It makes WOC devalue who they are and what they know. It compromises their ability to show up, be vulnerable, and ask for help. It makes them believe that they must figure out ways to "do better" when they are already doing the best they can. Toya has helped her clients set and achieve goals, build businesses, and reset their trajectories both personally and professionally using this approach.  In this episode, we dive into burnout and what ultimately led her to her current career path, the differences between internalized oppression and limiting beliefs, and we swap stories about finding community in predominantly white spaces. This episode was very therapeutic for me personally, and I can't thank Toya enough for just showing up and being herself. If you're someone who identifies as a WOC, you may feel the same type of feels.  Connect with Toya on Instagram + LinkedIn. If you'd like to work with Toya, check out her website: https://wokeupworthy.com/ Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

After a completely unexpected break, I am BACK, and I honestly can't believe I was gone for so long. When you find out why I think you'll understand though. In just a few short weeks, my life has taken a drastic, but adventurous turn. Don't worry, I spill all the details in the first 5 minutes of the pod. Then, I finally get to introduce you to my friend, Nick Quintero. I've been waiting for this episode drop like yesterday. Nick is a Dallas-based designer & artist. He calls himself a jack of all trades but a master of none - except MAYBE graphic design (his words, not mine lol because I absolutely disagree- he's the real fucking deal). His artwork is inspired by his life growing up in Texas, his roots in underground hip-hop, and his love of traditional tattoos. When not working Nick enjoys a strong cocktail, superhero movies, and laughing extremely hard with his close friends. I had a great time chatting with Nick about everything from his first career as a rap artist, touring with artists like Atmosphere at Warped Tour, and how he juggles ALL of his incredible talents. I can't wait for you to listen. Connect with Nick on IG, TikTok, and YouTube. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

Happy Friday, fam! I am so excited to finally be rid of Covid, but I'm even more excited to introduce you to my next friend, Hitomi Aihara. Hitomi and I met very recently through mutual friends and we're basically on the fast track to besties nbd. ;)  Hitomi is a marine biologist by trade but switched over to being a Digital Content Producer for the past 7 years working with companies like Buzzfeed and Patreon. If she's not making content you'll most likely find her searching for the best eats in town or making some cute craft while listening to true crime podcasts. In this episode, we nerd out hard on Japanese food, chat about working with dolphins, transitioning to content production, and Hitomi's "Starbucks name" lol.  Connect with Hitomi on LinkedIn. Hitomi's favorite follow on IG: @callahanceramics Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

Hi, friends! I'm back after a short one-week break and I'm feeling refreshed and ready to introduce you to a new friend. My next guest is Verita Nathalie aka the Fairy Brand Mother.  Verita is a Brand + Marketing Strategist for ambitious, intuitive BIPOC visionaries. Using her 4B Framework, Human Design & signature branding method (Check Your G.Y.R.L. Facts), she guides creatives to articulate the correlation between their lived experiences & professional skills to monetize with ease. She’s also known for honing other skills such as event & wedding planning, graphic design, and lifestyle content creation. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Verita professionally having worked on a few projects together. We share a lot of the same values in business and have recently decided to create a BIPOC+ Creatives and Professionals Collective. We're in the very beginning stages, but if you're interested in growing with us, please see more information below.  In this episode, we talk about Verita's experiences within the luxury event planning + cannabis wedding space, marijuana education and destigmatization as professionals, and the ins and outs of Human Design. If you've ever been curious about weed, this is definitely the episode for you! Connect with Verita on Instagram + TikTok. Verita's favorite follows: @lizzyjeff + @rachel.symington For more BIPOC+ Collective info, please email me at [email protected] with subject line: BIPOC Collective.  Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

What's up, fam! I can't believe I'm already publishing my 5th episode. I hope you're still having fun hanging out and making new friends with me. My next guest is Camille Oneto, and she is actually someone who I already get to call a friend.  Camille is one badass woman, to say the absolute least. As long as I've known her (which has been since she was in high school btw), she has always fiercely followed her instincts + passions, even if those passions lead to fighting wildfires. If it involves being outdoors, Camille is 100% there. She loves foraging, has biked across California, been a national parks aide, and is now into homesteading and herbalism.  In this episode, we chat about her journey as a nomadic firefighter, how spending time outdoors helps her feel connected to her late father, and what it feels like taking up space in our industries as women of color.  Connect with Camille on Instagram + TikTok. Camille's favorite small business shoutout: @paulinefaracebeauty (www.paulinefaracebeauty.com) Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

Welcome back to another episode of "Sugi Makes Friends". It took me a little bit of time to get back into the swing of things this week after the awkward (for lack of a better word) 4th of July holiday, but I am feeling refreshed and relaxed after a long, necessary weekend off the grid. It felt good to unplug for a couple of days and forget about the current state of our country.  I am very excited for this week's episode and to introduce you to my new internet bestie, Renée Angelique. Renée is a plus-size beauty + fashion influencer/blogger and influencer coach. She helps influencers of all sizes pitch to brands, manage brand deals, negotiate pricing, and everything in between. She also helps businesses with their social strategy. TBH, I'm not sure there's anything Renée can't do. She's a total badass who has made a habit of seizing every opportunity around her to get to where she wants. In this episode, we talk about her unconventional career journey, how she's basically been an entrepreneur since the 5th grade, and her wild dating life.  Connect with Renée on Instagram + TikTok. Renée's favorite small business follows right now: @theplusbus Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

What a f*cking way to end the month, and what a f*cking time to be a woman in the United States of America (or literally anyone who isn't a cishet white man)... The release of this episode is interestingly timely because the day we recorded was only hours after the horrific domestic terrorist attack at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, NY. While many of us are experiencing so much sadness + grief, I hope you're also making space for the good. More importantly, I hope you're staying informed, vigilant, and plugged into your community. I, personally, have been trying to be more mindful of who I am serving and where I'm putting my time, energy, and money.  Before diving into this episode with my awesome guest, I share some of my thoughts about SCOTUS' recent overturning of Roe v Wade. Respectfully, if you'd like to skip this part, head to minute 2:51. And now onto my next guest, Arielle Estoria.  Arielle is a Spoken Word Poet, gifted Writer and Author, captivating and authentic Emcee, Speaker, Model and Actor.  Through various aspects of storytelling, Arielle creates environments and spaces where audiences have permission to be vulnerable and seen. Her motto, "Words not for the ears but for the soul" stems from her dedication to remind anyone who encounters her and her work that words are meant to be felt and experienced not just heard. With a specific heart in empowering, encouraging and making space for audiences of women to feel at home in their own bodies. I met Arielle through our mutual friend, co-founder of The Rising Tide Society, Natalie Franke. I am so grateful for the intro, because, as you know, connecting with other creatives + creators who prioritize community gets me SO JUICED. In this episode, Arielle and I discuss the unconventional life of a content creator, detaching from social media when it's legit your job, and creating space to let in the exciting + uncomfy feelings. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it.  Connect with Arielle on Instagram + TikTok. Arielle's favorite small business follows right now: @rachel_allene + @sotelaco Episode Resources: Video Clip via @therecount Vote Save America The Meteor Progressive Shopper Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

THANK YOU to everyone who tuned into my very first episode of "Sugi Makes Friends." I'm ecstatic that my podcast has been enjoyable for so many of you. I loved receiving so many kind notes. I'm even more excited to introduce you to my next guest, Shayan Saghari.  Shayan is a life coach & embodiment guide committed to helping people create the reality of their dreams through reconnecting with their bodies. Whether you're investing in crypto, expatriating, or changing careers, she believes that your next chapter gets to be authentic, aligned, and easeful. She is creative, vibrant, fun, and straightforward (which I very much appreciate).  I especially enjoy this episode, because we get pretty deep into some very interesting + intriguing topics. If you've ever been curious about Crypto, NFTs, Wealth Embodiment, or manifestation, then this is the episode for you. Connect with Shayan on Instagram. Shayan's favorite follow right now: @iamvictoriawashington Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review. Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.

In this very first episode of "Sugi Makes Friends", I'm hanging out with the multi-faceted, multi-passionate Katryna Howard. Katryna is a connector, community plug, creator, and DE&I consultant who loves taking time to connect with herself and others. She's also just really fucking cool. We talk about moving to New York City as a single woman in the middle of a pandemic, the value + importance of community, and how her family impacted who she is today.  Connect with Katryna on Instagram + TikTok.  Kat's favorite follows: @shanboody, @lisa_asano Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review.  Connect with me, Sugi, on Instagram + TikTok.