When Your Career No Longer Fits: Reinvention, Purpose & Starting Over with Waheda Nazir

What happens when the life you've built no longer fits the person you're becoming?

In this episode of Penned By Design, Destiny Jordan sits down with educator, entrepreneur, and founder of Aziza Afghan Beauty, Waheda Nazir, for a thoughtful conversation about identity, reinvention, and finding the courage to embrace a new season of purpose.

After years in education, Waheda reached a crossroads familiar to many creatives and professionals: the realization that success isn't about staying the same—it's about allowing yourself to grow. Together, they explore what it means to outgrow a career without losing your purpose, the importance of mentorship and community, and how our personal stories shape the businesses and creative work we build.

Waheda also shares how her Afghan heritage inspired the creation of Aziza Afghan Beauty, a brand dedicated to preserving traditional beauty wisdom while offering a different perspective on Afghan culture—one rooted in resilience, craftsmanship, family, and timeless traditions.

Whether you're a writer, author, educator, entrepreneur, or creative navigating your own transition, this conversation offers practical wisdom and quiet encouragement for anyone standing at the edge of a new chapter.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your career is not your identity
• How to recognize when you've outgrown a season of life
• The difference between encouragement and true mentorship
• Why purpose evolves as we grow
• How cultural heritage can inspire meaningful entrepreneurship
• Practical advice for navigating career transitions with confidence
• Why every business begins with a story worth telling

If you've ever questioned whether it's too late to change directions, this episode is your reminder that growth isn't about leaving your purpose behind—it's about discovering a new way to live it.

Connect with Waheda Nazir & Aziza Afghan Beauty:
🌐Website: https://azizaafghan.com/
📱Instagram:  @aziza.afghan.beauty
📨Email:  connect@azizafghan.com 

🎙 About Penned By Design

Penned By Design is the podcast for writers, authors, and creative entrepreneurs who want their words—and their work—to make a lasting impact. Hosted by Destiny Jordan, each episode explores the stories, strategies, and creative journeys behind meaningful books, businesses, and brands.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoyed today's conversation, please leave a review—it helps more writers and creatives discover the show.

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Transcript

Destiny Jordan: 0:01

Welcome to Penned by Design, the podcast for writers, authors, and creative CEOs who want their words to do more. I'm your humble host, Destiny Jordan, and on this show, we explore writing, publishing, storytelling, and creative entrepreneurship for those writing books, building brands, and creating impactful bodies of work. If you're ready to create with purpose and grow with intention, you're in the right place. Penn your own story designed by you. Let's get started. Hello, everyone. Welcome to Penned by Design podcast. I'm your humble host, Destiny Jordan, and today we have a fabulous guest in the guest chair. Today's guest is Waheeda Nazir, an educator, entrepreneur, and founder of Aziza Afghan Beauty, a brand that celebrates traditional beauty wisdom inspired by our Afghan heritage. Raised as the eldest of six children by Afghan immigrant parents, Waheeda has spent much of her life teaching in classrooms, at home, and now through entrepreneurship. Her journey is one of reinvention, proving that purpose can evolve over time, and that every season of life offers an opportunity to grow, serve, and reconnect with what matters most. Through Aziza Afghan Beauty, she is preserving cultural traditions while building a business rooted in identity, storytelling, and intentional living. Welcome to the guest chair, Waheeda Nazir.

Waheda Nazir: 1:30

Thank you, Destiny Thank you for having me.

Destiny Jordan: 1:33

Thank you for coming on onto the,, podcast. So for those who don't know, When we met, it was so awesome in the marketplace and just seeing all your products and seeing how you just thrive on explaining what you do. I was just- enthralled by the whole process, so hats off to you and what you're building.

Waheda Nazir: 1:49

Thank you so much.

Destiny Jordan: 1:49

But for those who don't know you, who are meeting you for the first time, who is Waheeda Nazir?

Waheda Nazir: 1:55

It's one of the hardest questions to ever answer is, like, when it's something about yourself. You know, you think it would be so easy, but I'll try my best. I'm a child of immigrant parents that came from Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion, so it's quite a while ago. And, basically I'm the eldest of six children, so I've always felt like a second mom from a young age. And, , I- I'm an educator. I'm an English teacher, a ELA teacher, and a trained entrepreneur, and I consider myself a lifelong learner. I'm deeply interested in identity purpose in life. Storytelling is very huge for me. I grew up on my mom's stories to the point where I feel like I've lived in Afghanistan even though I haven't. she's a very vivid storyteller, And I had a very big imagination. I loved reading books and, from a young age I learned how reading shapes … being able to write shapes you know, people's minds, so I always had a love for that. And, , I feel like since from a young age I've just been, always growing, always changing. I became a mom at the age of 18, and so my son is right now 20 years old, and I think that also helped me a lot, you know, so I've been teaching from a very young age. And then I taught for many years and I've taught in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I've taught in Egypt, I've taught in, California, and, New Jersey, and Texas. So I've taught kids, students from different backgrounds. So I really feel like I'm a teacher always and forever, but I'm also a student in a way. I'm always a student. I'm always learning. so I'm someone who believes we're allowed to evolve, throughout our lives. It never stops. Learning never stops.

Destiny Jordan: 3:43

So one, that is amazing, and two, I'm really stuck on how is it different teaching these children in other parts of the world? Like, how did that go?

Waheda Nazir: 3:52

it's interesting because, depending on the culture, you're treated differently as a teacher. what I learned in Malaysia is the Asians, respect the teacher so much, and the students, they're so scared of the teacher. you're a parent in a way. Parents would actually say, if you don't behave, I'll tell your teacher." And they'd be like, "No, no, no. Don't tell my teacher." They cared a lot. So because of that, even something like Teacher's Day was a big deal. As an American going there, I just thought you took a apple to a teacher on Teacher's Day, but over there I was bombarded with gifts and food and buffets. They took us out for lunch and, it was different. It was very different. But it was a good experience. I loved New Jersey as well. I feel like that side of the US is very different than the Western or Central US, more cultural and, something about the culture I felt connected to because I grew up in a very cultural household. yeah, so It was nice. There was differences, but I think my favorite part of teaching besides the obvious, you know, teaching someone how to do something and seeing that growth within them is why I did it, why I put up with everything. But I think what I loved most was the connection, the community it created, the feelings and the emotions. And then next time I saw them anywhere, they would be like, "Hi, teacher." And, I liked that feeling. I liked running into them a few years later and seeing what they've become.

Destiny Jordan: 5:22

I love that, especially like when you say community.'Cause really community is the true essence of life. You really don't get very far by yourself.

Waheda Nazir: 5:31

I, I have a lot to say about community, but I'll stop right there for now, but I believe in it

Destiny Jordan: 5:37

And so with that, also talking about community, community brings you a lot of different experiences. So how did all these experiences you had shape to the woman, the educator, and the entrepreneur you've just become?

Waheda Nazir: 5:50

It shaped me a lot because I slowly started realizing within teaching, it was a very gradual change, but at the end it became, very clear to me that maybe, I don't have to just teach in this way. There's more than one way to teach, and the main thing I was loving in the classroom was the connection with the students, the connection with even the parents. So I realized I just like helping people. I like seeing people change and grow and transform into the best version of themselves. I always had mini little coaching counseling sessions with each child, and a teacher's never just a teacher. At one point me and my coworker were laughing, she was also a teacher. We're both, on, a calculator calculating grades or, counting the money for the field trip or some event, and we're like, "Man, we feel like we're working at a bank," right?'Cause it was just dealing with numbers and she's like, "Waheeda, we are not just teachers. We are babysitters. We are their counselors. we count their money and everything for them and we're honest about it, you know?" And, there was so much more than just a teacher. I threw birthday parties for them. I would take care of them when They needed a change of clothes, I had to do that. I had to become a mom. So I was like, "No, I'm more than just a teacher." So I realized slowly and gradually, maybe it's not that I wanna teach English, a specific subject, but I like to see human growth. And that slowly shaped me and brought me to the point where I started thinking a little bit outside of the box. How else, where else can I teach? So yeah, it really did shape me because like you said, we need community. I would get feedback from a lot of people."When is your podcast starting?" And I'm like, "What podcast?" You know? when are you writing that book?" And I'm like, "What?" So the feedback I got from the community also helped to shape me into…'Cause all the time, we don't believe in ourselves. We're like the harshest critics of ourselves, you know? other people will see how great we are and they'll see our skills and our strengths, but we will be the one putting ourselves down. Like, "Me? I don't see myself doing that." So we put ourselves in this box and we put, a label and a title, and we think that's the only thing we can be. Our whole life. And I think that's something that with time, with the community feedback and, as you age, as you gain all these experiences in life, you start to question that belief of yourself, those limiting beliefs.

Destiny Jordan: 8:29

Wow, that's awesome. That's true. As, like, growing up, I feel like, especially, I think also changing environment. I moved changed states so- Okay.… and I feel like I have exploded in doing all types of things, meeting all different types of people and having more unique experiences than-

Waheda Nazir: 8:45

Yes

Destiny Jordan: 8:45

I came from.

Waheda Nazir: 8:47

Yes. You need to get out of your comfort zone. And change is really hard, but I believe change is necessary if you want change in your life, If you wanna see things happen a little differently, if you want good things to come your way, new opportunities, you need to be okay with accepting change. You need to embrace change. I know it's scary, but it's just that first step. So the first time I moved from California, which everyone gets confused why I would move out of there. I always have people telling me, "Why'd you leave?" And I'm just like, "You know, every time I go back, everyone I knew is literally in the exact same position." I'm now telling them, "Leave. Spread your wings. Broaden your horizons. Perhaps a marriage opportunity will arise. Perhaps, a new career will come your way." Because, they share with me sometimes certain things, and all I come back to is I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to move around and be in different environments because that shaped me and that made me realize there isn't just one way of living life, you know? And even education, I don't believe one type of education fits everybody. We're all so very different. Some people are homeschooled and they thrive with that. My mother was never educated, but you don't look at her and talk to her and think she's uneducated because her type of education was different. She went through war. She had to raise 11 kids with her mother. she had to move from Afghanistan to Pakistan to the US. She had to start all over many times. And now when you speak to her, she's full of wisdom. She has so much to share. So I really question, one way of living, one size fits everybody. I just think you need to be open to change and roll with the punches, you know? we are all living different lives. It's gonna look different from person to person. What success looks like for Destiny is different than what success looks like for Waheeda or anybody else.

Destiny Jordan: 11:05

Especially when you said that change aspect is kinda hard, and it's hard to like think about like,"How do I change? Do I really wanna change?" Because when you said you saw your friend in California be in the same spot, it's kinda like, oh, it's like kinda like you have an eye-opening, like, oh my gosh, I could've been there too. Yep. I could've stayed right there, and I would've- known none the wiser. And so how did you- kinda, how'd you kinda like pop your bubble to like kinda- get out into the world and not remain where you were?

Waheda Nazir: 11:33

At first, because I was quite young, I felt like it happened to me. I didn't make the decision. my spouse wanted to study abroad, so I just tagged along with my son. But while I was there, a few years into it, I started, instead of being like, "Oh, this is different. Their food is different. They talk and act different. Oh, I'm homesick," that definitely happened because you're only human. So when I hung in there, after time is when I saw the benefits, that my eyes started opening and saying like,"Hey, you know, I don't need a Walmart, everywhere I go. I don't need, the particular type of coffee everywhere I go. Let's try something new." And even the people, like they spoke different language, they had a different culture, their manners, everything was different. But when I put those walls down and those boundaries down and mingled, and I said, "Just accept them for who they are, and you stick to your values. Don't change for, for anybody to fit in, but, you know, just be around them," there's so much I picked up on. In fact, I saw amazing women. I would say my Aziza Afghan Beauty came, like the, the drive to be a woman o- and to be a Muslim woman entrepreneur was because of my time in Malaysia because I saw women killing it. I saw them being wives, mothers, teachers sometimes, and on the side they would all have a side gig. They were selling something on Instagram. I was just like, "How are you doing it all?" And that different lifestyle and seeing women doing that made me realize I could do it too if I wanted to. But it took time because that was such a different like a very big mindset shift. So every time I would come back to California to visit family, 'cause I was there for seven years, every time I came back I was weird to everybody else because I was coming with all these ideas and different way of living life, and they're all like, "Okay, cool." it didn't kick in until maybe now as everyone's getting older, they're realizing. And I used to think I was a bit of a victim in the past. Like, "Oh, I'm forced to go live overseas," whereas everybody wants to come live here. But it's not really where I went, as you mentioned before. You could just move over to another state, but you are put in a place of discomfort. it's not your comfort zone. It's something new, so you have to adapt. So you have to have that resilience. So all of these skills or these characteristics come inside of you, right? To survive. It strengthens you. It refines you. It creates a new you. Well, you're still you at the core, but you're, you're leveling up. That's what I think

Destiny Jordan: 14:28

I like that word. It's we're leveling up. We're just getting better, okay?

Waheda Nazir: 14:30

Yes. We're just evolving.

Destiny Jordan: 14:34

Oh, that is awesome, especially when you were talking about how you ki- from what you say your experience from overseas is that you got exposed to women doing all types of stuff.

Waheda Nazir: 14:45

Oh, yeah. And then you were like- I saw- Sorry, go ahead. Yeah.

Destiny Jordan: 14:49

I said nothing. Then you were like, "Oh, you know what? This would be kinda cool if I did it, too."

Waheda Nazir: 14:53

Oh, yeah. it was nice. and I recently had someone from Malaysia contact me, a friend I had there, and she's like, "Tell me about your business." And I told her, and she was like, "I'm so proud of you, and where did you get this idea? Where did it begin?" And I told her, "It actually began in your country, Malaysia." And she's like, "No way." I said, "The whole time I was there, my experiences there, I gathered them, collected them." Not, I didn't even know I was doing it. It's just human nature. You go through things. only when I left did I, I now felt homesick for Malaysia because of what I saw there and the life was there. I was like it's hard coming back." But, I don't like to sit in my, wallow in misery, and I was like,"How do I bring that here, though? What I enjoyed over there, how do I bring it here?" Seeing all those women not giving up on their values and, if they were mothers, they were still mothers. If they were h- spouses and they had… Like, they were still doing that whole cultural thing that I was used to, but at the same time, they were, businesswomen. And I'm talking, some of them were huge. Like, all over Asia, they had the scarves they were selling or the modest wear or whatever, the beauty line they had. It was really impressive. So I was following them on Instagram. I was seeing what they were doing. And then as a teacher, all these things you do, sometimes you're like, "Imagine if I took these skills and just applied it there." But it's hard. Though these were just thoughts sitting in my head. How tired I am, how much I go out of my way. Like, you know, my sister once told me, "You just get the same paycheck if you work harder or you work, you know, less harder. Like, it's the same paycheck." And I was like, "Yeah, but that's normal." But that's when I started thinking more, too. Do, am I okay with doing this for the rest of my life? And some people are, and that's perfectly fine. but can you live with that? Are you okay? You have to ask yourself those questions

Destiny Jordan: 17:02

That is true right there, 'cause look, let me go… This is not teacher podcast. but I do wanna talk about how you said, referenced adaptability. Mm-hmm. So a lot of people think as we get older, we're no longer adaptable. That's for kids, that's for people growing up, that adaptable is kinda like it's a set thing. After you hit a certain point, you can't do that anymore. But what you're saying, adaptability can be lifelong. How is that?

Waheda Nazir: 17:27

It's a choice. And if anything, the older you get, if you believe in it, you will change. You will adapt. You have to believe in it. If someone's forcing you, you won't do it, 'cause as a human, our defense system, you know, walls go up, "Oh, I don't feel like doing this, so I'm doing it because so-and-so wants me to do it," or, "This is the social norm. This is what is expected of me." But the minute you believe in it and you want to do it, you will tear down any wall, any obstacle in front of you, and you will make it happen. You will adapt. And I'm living proof. I think it's easier in certain ways for you to adapt as a child because you don't have all these… I think as an adult we kinda get set in our ways, that's true. But I think if we're really not happy with our situation or… Let's look at it more positive way. You really believe in what you wanna do."Oh, I always wanted to write that book. I always wanted to, you know, have my bus- I always wanted to start a podcast and help peo-" You will adapt, because you believe in, in, in your dream and your ambition and your goal. I think you can do it, and I… We've seen it all around. You, you see successful people all the time, and when you hear their stories, they did have to adapt Yeah.

Destiny Jordan: 18:48

That's true. I wanna kind of talk about how did you adapt. So when you started your beauty, beauty business, were you still a teacher? Like, how did you kinda make space for that?

Waheda Nazir: 18:57

As I mentioned, I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to do something different. To be honest, I wanted to write a book I just wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to write, but I didn't like the representation of Afghans in the media whatsoever. I was raised in the 9/11 era, and it was very hard hearing my country being mentioned for the first time ever, but not in the way that I wanted it to be. Like, in the past, no one even knew where Afghanistan was on the map. They always asked me if I was from Pakistan or India. That's the only two they knew. So to suddenly, as a teenager, hear my country's name, and then Kite Runner became a big deal. As interesting of a story as it is, and everyone in the world loves it , I couldn't help thinking, "Wow, the, a writer and author really shapes people's minds and people's understanding of a culture, of a religion, of a people." So I made an intention, I wanna write about my country too, based off of my mom's experiences and her storytelling. So that was with me for a long time, but I just didn't know how to begin. So what happened was I was aging. My skin was not in a good condition, and it, that was never the case. So I started using a lot of, products that were popular, and then my mother kept telling me, "Waheeda, use the stuff from back home. That stuff is good for you. It's healthy, it's natural, it's organic." And I knew one of the items. I said, "Oh yeah, that white powder you always use. It kinda makes you look like a scary ghost." And then she would be like, "No, but it's really good for you." So I got very desperate, and I said,"Mom, can I have some of that stuff? I wanna use it." And when I used it, I didn't like it as a powder, so I thought to myself, "Imagine if I turned this into a face mask," easy to apply. So one thing led to another thing. I started experimenting. I started using it on my own face. It wasn't until other people commented,"What are you doing w- with your face? Because you used to have, like, the dark spots and, you know, you were dealing with cer- certain skin issues, and that doesn't seem to be the case anymore." And I told them, "Oh, really? You see a difference? I'm using this." And they were shocked. So after that, I started realizing- What if I started selling this? So I did it while I was teaching. So I didn't give up teaching. I didn't think this would go far. The idea of me becoming an entrepreneur, even though it was sitting in the back of my mind and I was following all these women that were doing that, I didn't see it as a reality for me. So I think the biggest thing was me overcoming, all those questions that, we're our biggest obstacle, you know? Our mind and our negative talk. Like, "Oh, this is gonna be embarrassing," or, "This is gonna be cringey," or,"What are all your people gonna say? You took that white thing we all use that's so basic in our households, and you made a business out of it? You're selling it?" So there were a lot of questions, And then I was also a perfectionist, so I was like, "So what is the labeling gonna look like? Do I have the money to invest into this?" And I was like, "You know what? Just start with one thing. Start selling it with the people nearby, and go step by step." I'm very shocked right now. Now I've completely changed the brand image, completely changed everything, the packaging, everything. But I always tell myself, "Imagine if you never started." so I did this while I was teaching, but on the side I was playing around with it. It was more like a hobby. It was something I sold on Etsy on the side. I knew nothing about marketing. my Instagram was weak. I was just doing it mostly through Etsy. But you have to start somewhere. As I gained more, experience and talking to people and they were telling me,"This is how you're supposed to do it, and then I got a mentor, which is something I really encourage. And the mentor helped me so much. I didn't trust my own decisions. I didn't trust myself enough. So to make a change, like, "Oh, I'm going to go from educator to entrepreneur," that was a huge shift in my mind, and I didn't trust that I could do it. So talking to the mentor who helped me along the way that was a big plus And then I think after starting it, one and a half year later, I was ready. After I came to Houston and started going out to those booths, you know, being a vendor at places and seeing how the people were communicating with me, I had to ask myself this question: How did you get here? How are you able to do this? This used to scare you so much. And I realized, wait a minute, as a teacher, what have I not done? I've done almost everything in the book, Just because of the title of entrepreneur, that shouldn't scare you away. You literally were working so hard as a teacher, doing so many different things, and if you didn't know how to do something, you went out of your way and learned how to do it. And then you had that mentor that you would use sometimes that … You know,'cause a mentor doesn't really tell you. They're not supposed- A good mentor doesn't tell you what to do. You already know what to do. It's up here and in here, but all that distraction, all that noise, and all those limiting beliefs stop you and come in the way. So a mentor kinda helps you to think more clearly. They elicit that out of you. So I knew what I wanted to do, I just needed that support. It happened very gradually step by step, and, eventually I adapted. I didn't do it overnight.

Destiny Jordan: 24:38

Got my mind going, like, so many different, so many different places- … 'cause all of those great questions, because that is just fantastic, and that's one of the things that, especially that when you describe your transition period, that kinda one and a half years later- Yeah after that. But my main question before that is how did you find your mentor when y- before you transitioned into entrepreneurship?

Waheda Nazir: 25:01

One of my mentors honestly was a friend of mine that I met in Malaysia. And, we sort of stayed in touch. But there was a moment where we just … we didn't connect anymore. You know, I moved on with my life. I moved back to the US, and she stayed there. When we reconnected, I realized both of us were in different mindset. We were both back in the States and figuring, I think, the same thing I was going through, that homesickness for a different country. she was feeling the same thing. And I think we didn't come back here to just be relaxed We were like, "No, we wanna do something with our lives. We wanna leave a legacy behind." Life is more meaningful. We get to choose what we want to do with our life. So that helped a lot because I kept asking her things like, "Hey, I wanna change. I don't know if I wanna be a teacher forever." And, so just being able to talk to her helped a lot. I consider her as a mentor, my first mentor. Later in life maybe a little over one year ago from now, is when I sought a different mentor because I needed someone who actually did this for a living, not just a friend. I needed someone, because things were getting more heavier for me. For lack of a better word, I'll call it a midlife crisis. I was questioning everything I was doing in my life, relationships, friendships. You know, the moving around, even though it's amazing, it's not easy starting over each and every time. So I sought a mentor through someone. They told me, "You know, we know this woman. She's in the UK, actually. do you wanna try her?" And I was like,"I don't know how she'll help me," 'cause I was in a very low place in my life. I said, "To be honest, I have no idea what she could say to me that would help me, but let's try. Let's give it a try, 'cause if I don't try, you will never know now." the best decision I ever made, to be honest. And that issue and that problem that I had at that moment, was resolved. And so I even had, my spouse telling me like, "Oh, so you're still talking to her?'Cause I thought, you're okay now, and you … " I said, "Oh, no, I'm, I'm keeping her for life." And I said, "Because as a human being, in the past I feel like, I don't wanna go too much into this, but going back to community. In the past, I feel like we had our aunts and our grandmothers and our village basically. So it was much more easier to seek advice and counsel, whereas nowadays you feel like you have to do everything solo. And I think that is missing from our lives these days, where we don't have that community that we could go ask a question or seek support from. So then times have changed. It's a little different. If anything, you don't want your family to really know every single problem you go through. Because nowadays you feel terrible going to the family get-together and they know everything about you, you know? And you're like, "I wish I didn't tell them." And, so we like friends more nowadays, you know? Where we're like, "Yeah, let's just say it to the friends," and then when we come to see family they just see us as this successful person that's done A, B, C, D, but having a mentor, someone who's going to be very objective, Because friends sometimes, they just tell you what you wanna hear. Unless you have a really good friend, right? They sometimes seem to validate Even if you have a really wrong idea or thought, just to keep you happy, they'll sometimes say exactly what you wanna hear. So to have someone that will be very, very straight with you because you're paying them, that's great. But if you're paying them, they know that's their job, so they're gonna be very straight with you and, you bounce your ideas off of them, and sometimes hearing yourself speaking out loud helps a lot. you get the answer sometimes by just talking to them and knowing that they're not gonna retaliate and say, "But this, but that." You know, with other people sometimes if they're really close to you, they, without meaning to, they can start … It kinda feels like an attack, "But why do you think that way? And maybe it's coming from a good place, but they're not trained to listen and to allow you to just take it all out. You know? it's a form of journaling, but a journal doesn't talk back to you or tell you,"Maybe we should stop here and think a little different. Maybe we switch gears." So I, I personally have seen a lot of good from having a mentor, and I've had two different ones, one that I paid and one that's a friend/mentor, and they both helped me a lot.

Destiny Jordan: 29:34

That is awesome, especially just, I like how you said kinda connect it back to that community and, you're kinda building your own, own custom village. Yes. Like, not using your family, 'cause some things your family just doesn't know- Mm and it's like- … "I can't. It's not helping me right now. You're making me

Waheda Nazir: 29:49

Yeah… " Destiny Jordan: confused And then they get very emotional with you as well. You know? and then they get very biased. So if you ever mention anything about anyone doing something to you, they're like, "No, no, you're the best." And sometimes you look at them, you're like,"But I'm not." You know what I mean?"I need you to tell me if I'm not good or if I messed up," you know? So. It's like, right, like, "It's okay." It's like, "I, I can take it. I can take it." And they're like,"Maybe I can't take it from you. Maybe I need somebody else to say it." True. Yeah, that's true, and that's perfectly fine. I think when you recognize that, there's a taboo, a stigma attached to talking to somebody. Or even therapy, right? and mentorship is not therapy. It's very different. Therapy is more like excavating in the past. Like, it's archeology. like, let's excavate what happened in the past and what, how has this impacted you, and how is that affecting your life right now? Which is important for certain people that went through certain traumas. But then I would argue that most people, if they're healthy and well, they need more of like a mentorship. They need coaching. Because coaching is more like looking to the future. So you're an architect, you're building. You're building your life. You're building your future. So that's what it means to me to have a mentor in my life, and I think slowly, slowly, one of the things I'm doing is, trying to create that village, as you mentioned, where people feel not judged, and they can have the support that they need to become the best version of themselves. So even though I'm doing Azizi Afghan Beauty right now, very soon I will launch my coaching business that is a faith-based coaching program for women to help them excel, to help them not live on autopilot, to help them trust their decisions, trust themselves. Because we don't trust ourselves. there's too much noise We just live in a world of distraction, and there's so much noise. We're trying to please others. The hardest question as I started, when you started and you asked me, "Who are you? Who is Wahida Nazir?" It's the hardest question for me to answer. That one, and it's not just me. I noticed it's hard for most people. We don't really know who we are. and, the other question is, who do you wanna be? what do you wanna do with your life? You'd be shocked at how many people cannot answer this question because they haven't been allowed to safely say, "You know what? This is what I really want." Because we're always listening to parents and society, and we have all these expectations. So, sorry, your question? I wanna make sure I answered it.

Destiny Jordan: 32:16

said, and I was like, "No, you're

Waheda Nazir: 32:18

doing great." I was like- Okay … I was

Destiny Jordan: 32:20

like, "You know what?" I was like, "Yes," like- … it's like, "Go ahead, queen. Go ahead and talk." Thank you.'Cause it's like, it's these type of conversations where you're like, I feel like we're so introspective right now, but- Mm-hmm it really is because the best thing to do any sort of form of execution on anything is really all the head work, all the mindset work- Oh, yeah to get through it.'Cause as you said, we are our biggest en- enemy, and we have to change our thinking. And thinking doesn't change just because you have one conversation. It's like multiple inputs somehow, some way. Oh, yeah. And you're like, "Okay maybe I can finally do it. Maybe this can apply to me, too, as

Waheda Nazir: 32:55

And I feel like one thing I learned is, like, the most successful CEOs of big, you know, brands, big companies they have a coach in their life. So there's no taboo there And it's not necessarily that there's a problem, they need someone to coach them. It's that they want to optimize their potential. They want to be the best of the best. So I asked myself, "So why are we as humans, why don't we have that? Why don't we have that support system on a daily basis making decisions such as what do I wanna be for the rest of my life?" as I mentioned to you when I first met you, I think it's very strange to ask a 18 or 20-year-old what your major is. Mm. I don't think they have enough life experience or, you know, I feel like at least wait till they're 25, where they have left high school and dabbled a little bit here and there, doing different things, interning different places, volunteering at different places, and then they get a better feel of, "You know, I like teaching," or, "I like to do this." I just feel like having someone to guide you throughout the way, but I think from the beginning we've been told by 18, 20, you should know what your major is. You should know what you wanna be That's a lot of pressure. And then naturally, that's the societal norms. How many times have I met people,"Yeah, I got a nursing degree, but I don't want this." Or my brother, he's like, "I'm a mechanical engineer. My degree just sits up there collecting dust. I'm doing something else." But I don't see this as a waste actually, because it is what it is, and I think you need to, what I learned with myself, work with what God has given you. Work with what is in front of you. Look at the reality. Don't just have ambitions and dreams and, thinking you're always in la la land. Like, no, realistically look at what you have in front of you. Use those resources and tools to go where you wanna go Sometimes we're not recognizing, like for me personally, as a teacher, I had to ask myself this question, "Okay, if you don't teach, what else are you gonna do, right?" So you have Aziza Afghan Beauty. You've started this. How to make the shift? So I had to realistically look at my own situation. Okay, I'm married. My husband's working. He can support us. Life will look a little different. Maybe we won't be having those five-star steak, because one income is less, but I will have the bare minimum, the house, basic food. I have my son who's 20. He's working as well. I can afford to leave the job. I have Aziza Afghan Beauty. I was not pushing Aziza Afghan Beauty. If I sold here and there, if anything came up, but I wasn't giving it energy because as a teacher, all the energy was going there. So I told myself, "Once you back out, just go full on with Aziza Afghan Beauty." The minute I pulled out, more products came out, marketing got better. I started showing up at booths and vendors, meeting amazing people, networking, and I was like, "Okay, this is great." Now, I know not every woman or man, whoever it is, is going to have that same safety net, but they might… theirs might just look different, you know? And a lot of advice that I've sought from other people in this field, they've always said, "Just have an exit plan." You are fully capable of changing your career or your, you know, what you wanna do for the rest of your life. Just have the exit plan in place. If you never take that first step… I knew a lot of women that were coaching while they were teaching. So they just put it into their schedule. they were just doing it less, you know? But they were definitely started. When they said they started realizing there was real potential there, that they've built it, they've done the marketing, they've put together the curriculum. Teachers are really good at putting together a curriculum, a framework. So coaching is almost the same thing. So basically, when they felt confident enough and they said, "Okay, I've put something together," they used all summer, to, you know, any time they had a break, spring break, winter break, summer, because they've made up their mind, "I don't wanna do this forever." So once you are sure, then you're gonna put the plan into place to make sure it happens. And having a mentor along the way helps as well. But even if you don't have it, this would be my biggest advice, would be trust yourself, take the first step, and, have a plan in place. That's all.

Destiny Jordan: 37:25

Words of wisdom. I have two questions off of that comment.

Waheda Nazir: 37:28

Okay.

Destiny Jordan: 37:28

My first one is probably gonna be controversial, so if you- … understand that this is just my thought as being a teacher, is that not everyone needs to go to college. You just don't have to go. Not everyone has to go. For certain reasons, it's because some students I've had a chance, chance to teach, they're just good with their hands. They're, like, the electricians or maybe plumbers or, like, carpenters. I was like, "Look, you don't have to go. You shouldn't have to go to college." can go get you a trade and-" "… live a great life and either work for someone else for a while or eventually have your own business, set for life. And you have never touched a college campus 'cause you didn't really have to." Yes. Whereas some kids I'm like, "You need to…" Like, if you wanna be a doctor, if you really wanna be a doctor, then yes, you need to go, 'cause I can't have you cut nobody open- … without any type of form of degree. That's

Waheda Nazir: 38:17

so true. That is true. I agree with you, and you're absolutely correct that this is controversial, and I believe it's controversial because, again, it's this societal expectation. It's the norm that's what you do. But you go to a different country, and you see people that are successful, and they didn't do it the same way, so you start question… That's why I really believe in traveling and meeting people from different backgrounds because that's when you start questioning, right? So, personally, I only went to my homeland once, my parents' country, once, and obviously things are super-duper different there. I saw little boys so street smart. They were so good in the marketplaces. I asked them, "Can I have a matching fabric with this fabric that I bought? I wanna create the pants part. I need something matched." Oh, the way the boy so quickly grabbed it for me. He said, "I'm gonna go to my uncle's shop," which is on the other aisle, and he ran over there, and he came back with the matching fabric. He's like, "Do you like this, miss?" And I said, "Yes, I do." And then he's sitting there going like this, measuring it out with his arm because he knows how much one meter is, and then he's cutting it. And I'm looking at him, and I'm like,"How old is this kid?" and then I asked the kid, "Do you go to school?" And he's like, "Yes, I do." I said,"So why are you here?" He's like,"School finished, so I came here." So I'm like, "Oh, so straight after school you come to work?" And he's like,"Yeah." I said, "Even if he didn't go to school, he'd be set for life. This kid knows how to cut fabric, and he knows how to sew. But the fact that he goes to school is extra. It's good. You have to know how to read and write, the basics." So my view on education is very different. I don't think one size fits all. Like I mentioned before, some people will be homeschooled. I've seen people attack homeschoolers as if something were wrong if they don't go to the normal public school. I'm like, if anything, they have a different experience. That's why at one point I heard Harvard and these big, big, you know, universities, prestigious universities, a chunk of the students that they, they intake, they wanted them to be homeschoolers. There's a reason for that. Because they think differently, because they were brought up differently, right? So I have a different view of school. I'm an educator. I'm always pro-learning, pro-educating, but what does education look like? I really think that's up to the parents or, you know, the family members and the community, how they want to raise their kids. You cannot impose on a people, "This is what education should look like." I'm right there with you with the controversial view on education.

Destiny Jordan: 41:02

So I get it. Also, I just love how you mentioned that, how Harvard wanted these homeschoolers. I was like, 'cause there's the flip side is that people, the argument against homeschooling is'cause the kids are not socialized enough- when they're homeschooled. Like, if you just had one, like a one kid, like a one-kid home- Yeah … and it's just you and your, whoever's teaching you, which would be mom or, they have a, call it a tutor, whatever- Uh-huh … and that's kinda all you have. Yeah. But, of course, I have some friends who they were homeschooled, and they apparently homeschoolers have, a network in themselves where you can, get together- Oh, wow and like one homeschool family can come join another homeschool family for, like, trips and whatever. I was like, "Oh." So they do get socialized then.

Waheda Nazir: 41:43

Perhaps there were certain people that didn't do it that way, where they were alone all the time, so the concern is not, like, out of nowhere. It's not made up. I definitely think that is the case with some people. I personally had to advise some people that I knew. I said, "You homeschool your kid?" They're like, "Yes." And I'm like, "Can you please tell me, are you guys home all the time?" And I said, "Don't do that. Like, find a homeschool co-op. There are, I'm sure, other parents in your community that do it, so see, like, sometimes y- you guys can go to each other's homes. maybe those parents can teach them math, and then you can teach them English or, you know, some…" I gave her different ideas 'cause I've seen people do it, once again, in Malaysia, a very rich, very well-off family. The way the kid was homeschooled, they were getting horseback riding lessons. They were, learning the Malaysian language. They were learning Arabic. They were learning, French'cause the mother was French. the mother said, "I teach them French and English, and then I get them tutors for those other languages. And the father, before he goes to work, teaches them, math early in the morning. That's when the mind is the sharpest." It was curated to the kids, and then when it came to the physical education aspect, the girl, her daughter, did a different set of things that she enjoyed, and the boy did different set of things that he enjoyed. And I said,"You know, a human being's so complex. How can…" Again, one size does not fit all. So but I did say they win the award for best homeschooling parents ever. You know, they had the money for it as well, to be honest. But I don't think you really need money. You just need to think about it. You need to write it out, and you need to have a plan. You don't just say, "I'm gonna homeschool them," and then keep them at home reading books.

Destiny Jordan: 43:30

It's very true. I was like, look, this is a great conversation

Waheda Nazir: 43:33

Yeah… Destiny Jordan: all the things trying to get people to understand that as you expand your mindset, you begin to see more opportunities. And it's not that the opportunities weren't there before, it's just you didn't really see them- because of how you thought. Yes. Thinking outside of the box and realizing there's more than one way to live life. There's more than one way to make money. There's more than one way to educate yourself, Just like expose yourself to different communities and different ways of living.

Destiny Jordan: 44:04

And as you're exposing yourself to different things, I feel like you also get different types of fears and doubts. So what are, fears or doubts that surface when you decide to move from the classroom to entrepreneurship?

Waheda Nazir: 44:16

the fears were, of course, like, "Well, I became a teacher, so if I'm not a teacher anymore, what am I?" who am I? Because that became my identity. So it felt really hard to move away from, that. And of course, sometimes you're even thinking, "What are the people around me gonna say?" Several things like teacher … Like, teachers, in my culture, in my religion, teachers seen more as, "That's such a good feminine job," so whereas business is like, "What? That's for men," you know? And then you gotta hustle, you gotta, you know … But I didn't believe that. I was like, you move at your own pace. You create. you're productive, and I was a very productive person as a teacher. So I saw it differently, and I was like, "You know what? People are always gonna throw their two cents in. What do you feel?" and other fears were like, "But I don't know anything. I don't know the first thing about running a business." And numbers, to be honest, scared me. Finances scared me. But I realized, in teaching, you never … no two days look similar. You never know what mood the students will be in. You never know what new rule the admin is gonna put on you. It was never like … You never got a moment to breathe. So I told myself- Why are you so scared to try something different? If you keep doing the same thing, same thing over and over again, it's going to be the same result. But if you switch it up, it could be good and then great, And if it's not good, you'll learn, and you can try something else. It's we're just so scared of failing. but I went to college all these years, and a lot of people are in debt and, paying loans on their, university degrees and all these things. So then it just feels like, did I waste all those years though? Like, but I did all this to become a teacher, and now I'm changing it. But I started seeing it like, no, it's not a waste. Those experiences shaped me, so I'm able to do what I wanna do right now, and that's okay. Because at that stage of my life, that worked for me. But right now, it's not working for me anymore. So those fears and doubts you know, my mind was filled. But I'll never forget, it was a gradual feeling. One time I had a talk with a teacher, possibly you can say one and a half year before I quit, teaching. And I switched over to entrepreneurship. I asked another teacher who, was a sort of a coach of mine, and I explained to her how I felt, and she threw this word at me. She's like, "Oh, so you're having imposter syndrome." And I'm like,"What's that?" I had to Google it. And I realized, I think you're right. But that was hard to deal with. It was a hard pill to swallow. So then if I don't do this, then what am I meant to do? I don't really know. So that was the first time I started asking these serious questions. And then the second time, right before I walked away from teaching, they didn't give me the same position. they were going to make me teach a younger set of students rather than my usual middle schoolers. Now, middle schoolers are hard to deal with, but they were my middle schoolers. I knew how to deal with them, and I enjoyed the interaction with them. Suddenly being put down all the way to second or third grade, I was like,"This is not what I went to school for. This is not what I want to do. I …" There's women who want to do that. There's men or women teachers who love that, but that's not me. So that's when I started thinking, you know … I even cried about it 'cause it was hard for me. I said, "How, how am I supposed to do this? I don't wanna do this." And, and I had my husband tell me- If that's what you feel, then don't sign the contract. I was like, "But then what would I do?" Okay, once I signed the contract, I will never forget one of my coworkers telling me, "Since you've signed that contract and you've said no,"'cause there was still, like, three weeks of school left, they're like,"You're s- you're walking differently. There's like a skip in your step. You seem happy." And I'm like, "You know what? You're right." I feel like this huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was finally authentic and true to myself. I trusted my decision. In the beginning it was hard. That change, that finally making the decision that I don't want this anymore was so hard, but it gets hard before it gets easy, and that's what I realized about everything in life. It gets hard before it gets easy. You just have to… You know the last leg of the race? Just keep pushing, keep pushing, and then you're going to have the relief come over you. So that's kind of what happened with me there.

Destiny Jordan: 48:59

That's amazing. I was like, oh my gosh that is true. And I really love how you kind of say it, how it's harder before it gets easier. It's never easy, then hard. It's just-

Waheda Nazir: 49:09

Oh, yeah.… Destiny Jordan: you gotta punch through. But if you hadn't, I want you to kind of imagine, if you could- Mm-hmm … go back and speak to that version of yourself who was still teaching the classroom- Mm-hmm… Destiny Jordan: what You're not stuck. You are the author of your own story you can start over. Life is not over, I would say trust yourself, trust your decision. You know what's the best for you. don't let someone else dictate what you should do with your life. trust your inner feeling. If you're waking up every morning and you're living on autopilot, and you're not liking this, and you're just going through the motions, you're… I started snapping at people, and I don't do that. I started getting irritated, and I kept asking myself, "This is not who I am." And that's when I was like,"You're not being real with yourself. You're not being honest with yourself. You don't like this. You're not happy with this any- it's not working for you. It's not serving you anymore." It did all those years, but the students also didn't deserve that. They deserved a teacher that wanted to be there, that was, you know, enthusiastic about it, and I realized that wasn't me anymore. So hard decision, but I would tell myself, "It's okay to let go. It's okay to do something different. It's okay to listen to yourself. It's okay to listen to your heart. Don't feel guilty. This is not called a waste. You're not running away. You're not giving up. you're starting something new, and it'll be beautiful

Destiny Jordan: 50:50

I was like, I love, I really love that 'cause you're telling like, look, on the other side is a lot better than staying somewhere and you end up hurting yourself and the ones around you

Waheda Nazir: 50:59

Mm-hmm… Destiny Jordan: now you're mismatched. Yes. Yes, correct.

Destiny Jordan: 51:04

And so you told yourself another story, another way to get to the next point. And so we know here at Penned by Design, we talk a lot about storytelling. Every business has a story behind it. So what story do you hope people experience when they encounter your brand?

Waheda Nazir: 51:22

I'm hoping to share the story of the Afghan people from a different lens than they're used to. The beauty of the culture and the traditions, the wisdom of the people, and, basically my parents' story and how war has taken all of this away from them. But even in the midst of war, how these people are resilient and holding on to, their truths, holding on to their beauty, and the traditions and their values, and how that's a beautiful thing. and it might look foreign to someone from the outside, but if you let people be and just enjoy them for who they are and respect their way of life and their views on the world. And, as I mentioned, I didn't like to write . So I was like, "Okay, maybe one day I will be able to write a book, but for right now, through Aziza Afghan Beauty, let me share a different perspective." The Afghan women may not, majority of them, at least from certain parts of Afghanistan, don't have a formal education. But that does not mean they're not smart or wise. It does not mean that they're li- living meaningless lives. Everyone has their own story. And, I sat with some of them and I heard their stories, and it really, really, motivated me. I'm thankful for the opportunities that I have, and if they can't tell their story to the world, I would love to be the person to tell their story. So all these things I learn about the face mask and the scrub that's made from a white clay from Afghanistan, the way the women used it, the mud hair mask and the different things, and they believed in that natural beauty, and even their medicines. I'm mind-blown with how much they know about how to take care of a woman during that time of the month, and how after she has a baby, what she can and cannot eat, and the way they took care of the woman and, nursed her back into good health. My mom always tells me, she's like, "I had six babies," which is a lot in the US. But she's like, "I only had six, but I feel broken, like my, the way my body feels." She's like, "My mother," my grandmother, "had 11, and sh- she was strong as a rock." And I'm like,"Mom, they just took care of the women differently there." You know, the way they would take care of them. So these kind of things, knowing these things, I sometimes forget that only I know this When I sit with others, they don't know this. So my favorite way of selling is not online. It's through these booths and markets, because then we get to have these beautiful conversations with people, and they get to understand the brand's story and how Aziza Afghan Beauty, Aziza is my mom's name. I named it after her because she, she's the one that would tell me all these stories about back home. She was the one that would tell me, "Don't use chemicals on your faces," and, natural. Nourish your face and your body and your hair." so naturally, my dad felt a little left out, because I named… I said,"Dad, I'll start something under your name one day," but, one step at a time. so this is kind of my story, but, I'm still getting it just right. How exactly do I wanna share the story? But I do know somehow I want to. One day it will be through a book, but for right now it'll be through this brand.

Destiny Jordan: 54:47

Oh my goodness, that is just a beautiful story. Thank you. I just love how much you just appreciate your culture, your people. You're honoring your family. Like, that's just beautiful. Mm-hmm. I think that's probably why, the reason I stopped to talk to you when I met you at the market- it was just you can just see how much love and appreciation you have for your brand, and that's, there's no real word, enough amount of words to express how that feeling comes across. Mm-hmm.

Waheda Nazir: 55:13

It's important to respect your culture and, your roots, where you come from, because they shape you. So I'm not s- to me, not one culture is better than the other. I actually have a deep appreciation for anyone who speaks about their culture when they have respect for their roots. And I love, I love storytelling as well. So I've been told I'm a good storyteller, so I need to write that book one day.

Destiny Jordan: 55:37

I said, maybe you can dictate it, and I would just love to hear it.

Waheda Nazir: 55:41

be-

Destiny Jordan: 55:41

Also, one thing I want to know, since you're now officially an entrepreneur how has entrepreneurship taught you about yourself that you didn't learn in the classroom?

Waheda Nazir: 55:51

That I'm very resilient, that I can do anything I set my mind to, that if someone else can do it, I can do it, too. In fact, I can learn from them and possibly even level up and do it better and give it my own twist, because there's certain understanding, certain experiences that only I have. So, it's like making a dish. the same two people can follow the same recipe, but it'll come out different from that person than it will from the other, because we say it's your hand. So we say some people's hand has a taste, so we say when my dad makes eggs, it tastes so good as compared to when my mom makes the same thing. So I feel like … 'Cause when I started, it was one of the fears and doubts I had with, b- going into the beauty industry, I said, "I'm competing with all those beauty brands? Sephora and Ulta is filled with different beauty Like, really? Am I really gonna do this?" But then I realized I have a, my own twist to it. You know, I have my own flavor. sorry, your question was more like what I learned about myself. I learned to trust that my differences was actually my biggest differentiator from all those other brands, and therefore that is my strength That helped me a lot. Yeah. But when I was younger, I didn't trust that. what made me different made me, wanna shy away and, be in the corner. But as I grew a little more, I was like, "No, but that's what makes me unique." So I embraced it. Love

Destiny Jordan: 57:29

I love what you're saying. We're, I guess we're in the, era, most people in the era, like, we're really embracing what's different- Mm-hmm because that's our main selling point. Like, I can't be… Look, I can't be Kobe. I can't be LeBron. I don't have that talent. But what I do have is still valuable.

Waheda Nazir: 57:45

I think it's so beautiful to, like, everyone has something to bring to the table, and it will take time, and I think 99.9% of the time, it will take time for you to really know what it is that you could bring to the table. But down the line, if you allow yourself to think these thoughts, surround yourself about other people who are growth-minded as well, you will eventually know what it is that you're meant to do, that only you could do, and do it well. I just think it's important to be growth-minded, and one of the ways you can do that is being around other people that think that way. That is true.

Destiny Jordan: 58:31

Now, my biggest question before we start landing the plane is, what does success look like for you in

Waheda Nazir: 58:36

this season of life? Slowing down When you make decisions, be intentional about it. Do not live on autopilot. you don't have to do it the way everybody else is doing it. And I, I trust myself. I trust my gut feeling. And, I think that's the mo- the main thing is it's okay for me to reinvent, switch gears as long as I believe in it, I'm true to myself, I'm not lying to myself, I'm not living someone else's life. I realize that I'm living my own life. I'm the author of my own book. I get to write a plot twist anytime I want, you know? But I know someone might think, "What do you mean slowing down?" Because having a business is hustling, it's moving fast. Yes, it is, but I move at my own pace. I make decisions. I'm not here to make someone else rich. I'm not even aiming for to be rich. If it comes, wonderful, because money is a necessity in today's life, but that's not the main goal. I'm trying to live a very meaningful, purposeful life. So I have this checklist where I actually, I hold myself accountable Like every now and then, sometimes I do it weekly, sometimes I do it monthly. Stop, rethink, stay, take a few steps back, and then having that mentor helps as well. Help me to stick to, what's important for me. Because sometimes you don't see it, that you're, you veered way off the path that you wanted to take. So at one point you need a reality check, So it's very important to hold yourself accountable and do that accountability check I'm in a stage of self-awareness and self-development right now. it never ends. That's why I mentioned I feel like a lifelong learner. I'm not just an educator, I'm a lifelong learner Be teachable. Have a very open mindset. Be teachable. And that's where I'm at right now.

Destiny Jordan: 1:00:43

Oh my gosh, that's fabulous. And man, we may need to have you back'cause talk about especially being like having like self-awareness and all these ra- reality checks and mindset. Mm-hmm. we may need to come back to that on this episode because- For sure. It'll be my pleasure I have so many thoughts on that. Okay. But now we're at the rapid fire round. So the goal of the rapid fire round is say whatever comes to mind first based off the question.

Waheda Nazir: 1:01:08

Okay.

Destiny Jordan: 1:01:09

Okay. All right. First question. For young writers and also creatives listening, what is one piece of advice you would give them on their creative journey?

Waheda Nazir: 1:01:22

Just do it. Don't overthink it.

Destiny Jordan: 1:01:26

That works.

Our next question: 1:01:27

What book do you recommend for writers and creatives to read?

Waheda Nazir: 1:01:36

I don't know if this is specifically for writers, but I'm gonna say Show Up by Naima B. Roberts

Destiny Jordan: 1:01:42

Ooh. Our last question, the most important question here. Where can people connect with you?

Waheda Nazir: 1:01:50

My Instagram account at aziza.afghan.beauty, or my email connect@azizaafghan.com.

Destiny Jordan: 1:02:04

it right here on Penned by Design. Thank you so much, Waheeda,

Waheda Nazir: 1:02:07

Thank you for having me. It was my pleasure

Destiny Jordan: 1:02:15

If today's episode helped you think bigger about your writing, your brand, or the work you're building, be sure to subscribe, share it with another writer, author, or creative CEO, and leave a review. And if you're ready to pen your own story designed by you, join me on the Penned by Design newsletter over on Substack for more resources, insight, and encouragement. You'll find all the links in the show notes. Until next time, keep building, keep creating, and most importantly, keep writing, writers. The world needs your story. I'll see you in the next show