Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R.

Holiday Heart-to-Heart: Friendship, Courage, and Our Favorite Things

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Episode title and number: Holiday Heart-to-Heart: Friendship, Courage, and Our Favorite Things 5-#11

Summary of the show:
This year‑end episode of Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R. is a “favorite things” celebration where the team shares what brought them joy, the bold moments that stretched their courage, and how they supported one another through big life changes. They close by naming fun, fearless actions for the new year—setting boundaries, embracing the unknown, and deepening their impact—while reminding listeners they are bold, brilliant, and that their journeys matter.

Bullet points of key topics & timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome 
01:03 – Favorite Thing This Year
07:21 – “Wow, I Did That” Courage Moment
15:16 – Who Inspired You on the Team
25:05 – Fun, Fearless Action for the New Year
31:50 – Closing Reflections

Supporting Our Advocacy Work:
⦁ Be a part of the change! Support our advocacy efforts. 

Featuring:

  • Andy Chadwick
  • Anne Mok
  • Dana Hinnant
  • Gabby Mendonca
  • Nasreen Bhutta
  • Sylvia Stinson-Perez
  • Stephanae McCoy

Connect with Bold Blind Beauty to learn more about our advocacy:

Music Credit: "Ambient Uplifting Harmonic Happy" By Panda-x-music https://audiojungle.net/item/ambient-uplifting-harmonic-happy/46309958

Thanks for listening!❤️

Andy: Welcome back to Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R., where real stories, real courage, and real connection light the way for all of us. Today, we're closing out the year with something extra special, our favorite things celebration episode. So we're talking joy, we're talking self-care, bold moves, and those small delights that made this year shine a little brighter, even as we all went through some major life changes. And of course, we're celebrating each other, because nothing is more powerful than women lifting women. So, grab your favorite cozy drink, sit back and relax, and get ready for fun, laughter, a little reflection, and a whole, whole lot of inspiration. So, let's jump in. So, the first question is, what is one favorite thing, big or small, that brought you joy or made your life easier this year? So, Gabby?

Gabby: I think it was just celebrating the smaller moments and not, dwelling too much on things that I missed out on or, you know, if I didn't get to do something. So the small moments and then also just, like, the moments of really, like, paying attention to productivity and also my own mindfulness. So setting more boundaries and being comfortable with saying no, 'cause as I say, I'm a recovering people pleaser. So I would say those are my, my top couple of things.

Andy: Oh, yeah. No, I get that. How about... I'm just gonna go with what I see. Steph, what about you?

Steph: Yeah, for me, the thing that brought me the most joy was letting go. I have a hard time letting go of things. And so, I let go of a large portion of the website, moved things over to YouTube, and that allowed me to spend more time with my family doing fun things, like going to an amusement park. And I actually got to drive for the first time in years one of the old-fashioned cars and it was hilarious.

Andy: Yay.

Steph: Wow, that's awesome.

Anne: That's amazing.

Andy: Any video on that? Because

Anne: There's video, yep.

Andy: How about you, Anne?

Anne: For me, the thing that brought me the most joy this year wasn't an object, but really it was having a mindset shift, and just allowing myself to show up exactly as I am. And I think ... inner shift has really helped me to open the door for deeper connection with others. And there were weeks when our Bold Blind Beauty meetings ended up smaller than planned, but that same permission to just be myself allowed me to lean into those moments instead of brushing past them. And we had really great one-on-one conversations with each other. And that actually became this unexpected gift during the week. And it was having to slow down and share stories with each other, and just know that, you know, even our different lived experiences, our different challenges, we all have the same longing to be understood, supported, and uplifted. And I always came away with a renewed sense of energy from those meetings, those weekly Bold Blind Beauty meetings.

Andy: Oh, that's awesome. How about you, Sylvia?

Sylvia: Well, mine is, was an epiphany I had, honestly. And so I had some really challenging transitions. And, like, one day, I just realized, oh my gosh, I have this amazing support system of friends and family who love and like me. And that, for me, was an epiphany. Like, I really, this year, embraced friendship and connection, and... I was used to, like, trying to be this, this perfect friend to this group, this certain small group of people, but then, not knowing that people could also be incredibly supportive to me. And I experienced that. I experienced that love and that connection from people, and that was magical for me. It was lifesaving for me. I mean, it was... And this, this group was part of that, so friendship.

Andy: Nasreen, how about you?

Nasreen: Yeah for me, this year has been a rollercoaster of a ride. And I love rollercoasters, if anybody knows me. But the rides that I've been taking this year have been a little bit they've been hard and challenging. And so throughout all these times, I've been sort of levitating towards a couple of things. One is nature and peace and quiet. And I kind of relish in those moments where I can be alone and quiet and listen to nothing, just silence, or, or listen to nature speaking if I'm sitting outside. So, those moments, for me, were really, really helpful encouraging, and they kind of helped pull me through some of the tough times And one word I'll sort of say is caregiving is not easy.

Andy: No. it's not. No, it's not. And you know we're here for you. We love you and hug you.

Anne: Yes.

Nasreen: Thank you, guys.

Anne: Absolutely.

Andy: How about you, Dana?

Dana: Okay, so I'm gonna shift it and say what made my life easier is I have now embraced meal delivery service.

Andy: That is wonderful.

Dana: Yeah. So it's a local woman-owned company. I don't have to have a subscription. I just order what I want once a week. I started this in June. And I kind of wanted to explore this, this path, because I got tired of trying to figure out what the heck am I gonna eat for dinner. So I found a local company. I've been very pleased with the customer service. I've engaged with the business owner. I talked to the manager of her you know, company. So, it's just been a blessing from me and a time-saver, and I get to try new foods. And I don't have to be committed to a subscription, and that's what I, what I didn't want to. And I don't have to actually cook the food. I just heat it up.

Andy: Oh.

Dana: that was my favorite this year.

Andy: I think I might need to do that.

Anne: Right?

Andy: Yeah, I love that idea.

Anne: Yep.

Andy: That's awesome. Okay, and you know what? I'll just quickly add one... my favorite thing for the whole year is realizing who I have around me. I appreciate all you. ... it's been, it's been a year, and it has been a, a challenging year. However, I walk with peace. but I appreciate all of you because you are all a major part of why I feel peace. So I just wanted to say that.

Dana: Aww. Okay.

Steph: Thank you

Anne: Yeah, thank you.

Dana: Thank you.

Andy: So I'm gonna move on. What moment from this year made you proud of your own courage, or made you say, "Wow, I actually did that." Think about it. So, let's start with ... I'm gonna shake it up. Nasreen, how about you?

Nasreen: Well, I've had a goal for a long time and this year, I was able to fulfill my goal. And it was on a professional level and it was something that I've been aspiring to for a very long time, And I was kind of taken by surprise too because I wasn't expecting it. But the opportunity came my way and I embraced the opportunity. when people had kind of bailed out. So, I kind of jumped in and I had to learn the ropes sort of on my own. I didn't really know what was really under the hood until I actually got in. And I realized there was a lot of troubleshooting and sort of front line work which I hadn't done in a while. So I was really kind of thrown into that. We had a pretty rocky summer because it was just me and the CEO managing everything until we could find another team to grow our back-end team. We were working with the doctors and they don't really, they don't see the importance of admin positions 'cause they're too busy doing their thing. But at the end of all of that my boss saw my potential and offered me a really good position within the company to be somebody who is a salaried position. So, that was something I was hoping to, to have one day and I'm really excited about it.

Andy: Oh, my gosh, congratulations.

Gabby: Yay.

Steph: Congratulations.

Gabby: That is amazing.

Nasreen: Thanks guys. Yeah .

Andy: Okay, Anne, how about you?

Anne: The moment that made me stop and say, "Wow, I actually did that," was learning to say yes when I didn't feel ready. A lot of imposter syndrome. But, you know and as opportunity came where I got to be on a Kia commercial, and I would have never dreamed that I would actually have such an opportunity. I got flown out to Chile. Chile, was never on my bingo card for a place to go I was in this landscape and doing something that's really positive. And that experience really showed me what can happen when you can choose possibility over fear, and it was a really big turning point. And I, I'm proud of the version of, of me that said yes.

Sylvia: I love that. Wow. Yay.

Andy: Okay, Sylvia.

Sylvia: Well, mine was kind of a lifelong dream, but sort of unexpected, and I had to be very, really vulnerable to make it happen, but on my birthday, August 28th, I published and launched my new book.

Andy: Yay. Woo-hoo. Yay. Congratulations.

Sylvia: Which has now had over 300 downloads, so that's...

Andy: Wow. Woo. Wow. That's awesome. Oh my gosh, it's so exciting.

Sylvia: Oh, I have to say the name of it, Treading the Waters of Life. Because that's what we're all doing, you know? Yes.

Andy: Aw, yes, Yeah, yeah. Truly, truly. Oh my gosh, Dana, how about you?

Dana: One of the things that I did that I thought I never would do was I worked with a stylist this year. So it stemmed from an event a friend and I put together for a legislative conference that happens every year in DC. And it was ladies coming into town and to set up something at a, one of the major department stores and they're known for their customer service, to set up, a pampering styling session. So when it was almost over my friend was like, "You should go experience that." I said, "Okay, you know, why not?" Need a couple of classic pieces, and so I sent what I was looking forward to the stylist, and just to walk in a dressing room and have a stylist curate outfits that looked like a look book. It was, it was no pressure into buying anything because I'm gonna buy what I'm gonna buy. And and just having fun with that, and just trying maybe new silhouettes that I might not have thought about. Just trying new things, and it was a lot of fun. I got some classic pieces right before the start of fall. It was during their big anniversary sale that they have pre-fall. And I had a ball doing that. So I was like, wow. I was like, "I never thought I would do," you know, something like that, so...

Andy: That's fancy.

Sylvia: That's amazing.

Andy: How about you, Gabby?

Gabby: For me, the moment this year that really made me say, like, "I did that," was when I did my speech back in June to a room of over, I wanna say, like, 200 plus superintendents. Just talking all about accessibility in schools. I feel like that was a moment that I've been waiting for, for so long, especially because I've been on this journey trying to build a business in the consulting and speaking space. I think, that was, one of the pivotal moments for me because I, I really started to take more of the planning out what I wanna do and how I want the business to form. And so, that's been like such a fun part of the process for me because I'm learning so much about myself and about really stepping into that position and, and gaining the, the tools and the knowledge I need. So I feel It's helped a lot and it's really given me so much more confidence to step on another stage and continue doing it,

Andy: I'm so proud of you. Yeah. I'm so Yep.

Gabby: Thank you.

Andy: How about you, Steph?

Steph: Well the one that really clearly comes to mind was I was asked to moderate a panel session in DC and it's something that I've never done before 'cause, speaking and moderating are two different things. so I had to do some research on how to do it and everything. And I, I don't mind telling you, I was scared to death. But it worked out well and I'm just so happy that I had the opportunity and was able to do it. But it really is one of those moments that made me go, "Wow!" "I can't believe that this happened, that I-" "... did this."

Andy: Oh. Wow. That's awesome.

Gabby: That's amazing.

Andy: You guys are all awesome. I will, I'll just add very quickly one of the things I stepped into a leadership role that I wasn't looking for. I didn't even think I would be wanting to do it. However, when I actually stepped into it I found that this is where I needed to be. I'm around some wonderful women and I realized I'm, I'm doing this. I can do this. So much like Gabby, I'm a little bit late in the game and my journey is completely changed up to what I thought it would be, however, I'm having a ball. And then look, I'm here with you guys, ... yeah, yeah, so... Yay. So my next question is a goodie, Who on this Bold Blind Beauty team inspired you this year and what's one thing they did that deserves a big celebratory shout out? Let's start with you, Gabby.

Gabby: Okay. The person on this team that I feel deserves a huge celebratory shout-out is Anne herself.

Anne: Oh, thank

Gabby: Because... You're welcome. You did so many things this year, Anne, and I know that, you had a couple moments where things were a little difficult and, there was some tough times, but even through all of that, you still showed up in so many ways. you were still posting your content, sharing those moments with the world and letting people know "Hey, things are tough right now, but I'm still here. I'm still finding moments to celebrate myself." And that was so amazing to me because oftentimes people don't do that, especially someone that is in the, making content and doing all these great things. so for you to share that, I think it really let a lot of people in and let, me see so many other parts to who you are as a person and I feel like you doing all your talks, your speeches with the Healthy Voices, you did so many things this year and I'm just so proud of you because I know that, it takes a lot of courage, it takes a lot of dedication, and I feel like you really showed that through every single thing you did this year, so I just wanna shout you out for that.

Anne: Aw. Thank

Steph: Gabby. I love you so much.

Gabby: I love you too.

Andy: Okay, Sylvia, how about you?

Sylvia: Well, I'm gonna give a big shout out to Nasreen.

Nasreen: Oh.

Sylvia: And I know Nasreen's been, like she said, on roller coasters, up and down. And Nasreen is such a hard worker, and she's entrepreneurial. But she, all of a sudden, had this major life challenge to become this caretaker, and it is... I know a couple of you on this call know how hard that is. but I, Nasreen, will say that we honor you for ... the commitment you are making and we how hard it is. And we love you.

Gabby: We love you.

Sylvia: And we're you.

Anne: And may I love you so much.

Sylvia: gonna be there all the time. I'm just saying.

Nasreen: Oh, thank you so much, Sylvia. Oh my gosh, you guys are awesome. Thank you so much.

Sylvia: We know how hard it is.

Andy: We know. Yeah. Yes.

Nasreen: It means so much to hear that.

Anne: Yeah, our hearts are always with you, each

Gabby: Yes, absolutely.

Nasreen: Thank

Andy: And always.

Sylvia: And know if you need to talk, you know, we're here. We love you. We love you dearly.

Nasreen: Oh, thank you so much. I love each and every one of you. That's... You guys are my family.

Anne: We are, family. We are, yes, yes.

Nasreen: Yes, we are.

Andy: All right. Okay. How about you, Dana?

Dana: Sylvia. You are such a bold person. I admire you for so many things. And one of the things that you I got the email that your book was gonna launch. I was like, "Look at that, Sylvia." I was like, she's doing it and you're stepping out. And I, I've noticed that you're walking in confidence and starting to enjoy your life. And you're embracing who you are. Girl, you matter. You, you are important and you just keep going and live your life. And, you know, I always like to hear where you're traveling to listen to your stories of what adventure you're taking. But, lady, you keep going and just live your life. Doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. walk in your beauty, you walk in your boldness, and you walk in your confidence.

Sylvia: Thanks, Dana.

Anne: Oh, yes. Yeah.

Nasreen: Woo! Yeah.

Andy: All right. Nasreen, you wanna go next?

Nasreen: Sure. Gabby, you know, you are one of the younger ones in our team. And I just love what you've done this year with yourself, the confidence, your growth, your resilience. just some of the wonderful opportunities that you've been given from your podcasting to some of the internships that you've been working with you're sitting in with our podcast now, and lending your voice, your experience your commitment, your dedication, your growth and your resilience this year. So hats off to you and all the best in 2026 with love and hugs all the way through

Andy: Thank

Nasreen: ... here to you.

Andy: Thank you.

Anne: Yeah, you're such a bright light, Gabby. Oh, I love it.

Gabby: Thank you. Yeah, we love you. I really appreciate that. I really do. Thank you.

Nasreen: You're welcome.

Andy: moving on. Anne, how about you?

Anne: So my shout-out goes to you, Andy. Your heart is woven into everything you touch. You have this remarkable way of making people feel seen, like truly seen, even through a screen. You listen with intention. You celebrate our wins like they're your own. And you hold the space for our stories with this incredible tenderness. And this year, I've gotten to know you so much more. And I am so genuinely proud of the way that you navigate the balancing home, work, health, caregiving, parenting, and still finding room to give to others. And that kind of strength is something that I'm so in awe of and I celebrate you. And, you know, what inspires me even more is that you still find moments to do the things that fill you with joy and light you up. And watching you lean into that has been so, so incredible. I am so, so proud of you and honored to call you a friend.

Sylvia: We love you, Andy.

Andy: And,

Steph: Yeah.

Sylvia: ... we didn't have one, for Steph. So I'm gonna say that Steph I always think of this, this quote, "Be the heroine of your life." And to me Steph is a heroine. She's like, you know, a hero. And she started Bold Blind Beauty and she's brought all these amazing people together. And she's just out impacting the world in giant ways. So I just want us all to give a shout-out and tell Steph we love her.

Andy: We love you. We love you, Steph. We love you, Steph.

Anne: And because of you, we're all together

Andy: Yes, I was just going to say that. ... because friends. Yeah. You built this, Steph.

Steph: Thank you. And I appreciate each and every one of you. And so, I just wanted to shout out each one of you with a single word that I think reflects who you are. But I first wanted to read something because I can't remember anything. All of us within this group, within our community, really are difference makers. And difference makers are people who take action, often starting small, to improve the world through kindness, courage and a unique perspective, understanding that one person's effort can create significant ripples, and that true change starts within oneself. As famously stated by Mahatma Gandhi, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." And so with that, Gabby, The thing about you that I love most is you're passionate. I think you are, are just such a, a passionate person. Sylvia, you are principled. If we look up the word principled, it has Sylvia's name next to it. Ann, you are just unstoppable. I think this year more than past years, you have made some huge remarkable strides. And it's just impressive just to watch you continue to grow. Nasreen, you are strategic. And Your strategic brain, I envy. We could be sitting on a call with a client and Nasreen just comes up with these questions. And I'm sitting there saying, "I gotta take a night to think this over." Nasreen just pops up with, with stuff. But she has a very strategic mindset. Andy, you are the word supportive. You are so supportive.

Sylvia: Definitely.

Steph: And I speak for all of us, we just adore you. And Dana, what we love about you, you are solution-oriented.

Sylvia: Yes.

Steph: Whenever any of us come to you with a problem, you have an answer. And you give us the freedom to, to do what it is that we need to do, be it rest, be it take time off, whatever that might be. You're the one who stands up unafraid and just tells us to do it. And I think that's very admirable. So thank you all so much for being part of my crew. I appreciate you.

Sylvia: We are crew.

Andy: I love it. we love it. We love you. Yeah, we love it. Yeah. This, this is family. we're all in different areas. But we all unite no matter what. So I'm excited for 2026, guys. How about you all? Me too. Yeah, me I'm actually excited. So as we step into a new year, what's one fun, fearless action, big or tiny, that you're excited to take to keep growing, glowing, or making a bold impact? Let's start with you, Steph.

Steph: You know, that was, that was kind of a tough one for me. But really the easiest answer is work in Sylvia's workbook. Because her book is, is really good.

Andy: Yes.

Steph: And I was honored to participate on a podcast that Sylvia hosted where she talked about the book. And she shared during that podcast that she has a workbook to go along with it. Because, treading the waters of life, it isn't just a thing that just happens. You have to be intentional. So, I just would like to put a plug in for Sylvia's book.

Anne: Yeah.

Sylvia: Thank you, Steph.

Andy: How about you, Gabby?

Gabby: For me, I think the thing I, I'm taking with me definitely is just sticking to, what I've been doing. Sticking to the certain routines and, continuing to celebrate those small wins, 'cause sometimes we have to celebrate ourselves in the moments when, maybe other people don't always see that you've accomplished something or that you've done anything, and that can be anything. like, celebrate yourself because you deserve to for putting in the work, for putting in the time, the energy. So for me, it's taking that. It's setting those specific boundaries and, just continuing to advocate for myself and speak up, for sure, is what I, is what I'm carrying with me.

Andy: What wisdom!

Steph: wisdom.

Andy: How about you, Sylvia?

Sylvia: Well, you know, it's interesting 'cause it kind of goes with a little bit of what Gabby was just sharing, is that I have been really redefining what the words success and impact mean to me. And we have these grandiose ideas that success is a job title, a salary, you know, a salary whatever, you know. Not to say that those things are not, but I am really feeling like more that, for me, at least, The definition of success that I want. ... impacting people's lives. So, right now, the way I'm trying to do that is through Treading the Waters of Life book, blog, podcast, and hopefully speaking opportunities and, just kind of growing that because it's available at no cost. And so it's really, like, kind of my thing of, like, how can I help make someone's life better? How can I pour into people's lives? Because that is pouring into me. And that is, that just creates this full cup of joy.

Andy: I love that.

Sylvia: I love that.

Andy: so much. Nasreen, how about you?

Nasreen: Oh, that's a good question, Andy. For me, it's sort of like embracing the unknown and just kind clearing my mind and letting the next year sort of evolve, because I know there's gonna be change next year. Change is coming, some new boundaries will be defined. And they may be a little hard at first to get used to not only for me but for others around me, but they have to be. So I'm trying to not feel the expectations of everybody next year. ... know that the journey is gonna be different than this year. I'm mentally preparing for it and I'm open to it. So that's sort of my mindset, I'm gonna be positive about it and let it happen.

Andy: Yeah. I love, I love that too.

Sylvia: Yeah, yeah. Not living up to other people's expectations is a big

Nasreen: Yes.

Andy: That's brilliant. Dana, how about you?

Dana: I am so excited moving forward. I always look forward to the new year. The past couple of years, I've been rediscovering me and it has been so much fun. Trying new things and just being open and strengthening in other ways that I'm already doing just to be even better, but have a good time with it, having fun with it. There's some things on the table and you just got, will have to stay tuned, but I'm really excited and I'm just, you know, remaining open in many things in my life. Try new things, all the things. So

Andy: That's awesome.

Dana: just being on a just self-discovery and enjoying what I'm learning about myself as I move up in age.

Andy: Aw,

Anne: All right. So excited for you.

Andy: Yeah, me too.

Anne: Awesome.

Andy: It's thing where everybody's on that kind of journey, right? Anne, how about you?

Anne: I think along the same lines, like Sylvia too, impact is really important and also legacy. What do I wanna leave behind? And I think my, my fun and fearless action would be just to continue taking up-... even more space. Especially in decision-making rooms on stages. Just showing up as myself is, it's its own kind of power. And saying, you know, yes to opportunities that stretch me even more or may feel a little scary. And a big part of that is leaning deeper into storytelling and especially finishing the program that I am in. I'm currently in a voice acting program. So I'm really ... about that journey and finishing that up. And stepping into a whole new chapter for 2026 and so I'm, I'm excited to just grow in ways that surprise me.

Dana: Cool. Yeah.

Andy: That's awesome.

Dana: I love that. Excited to grow in ways that surprise me.

Gabby: Yeah.

Sylvia: That's awesome.

Anne: At last.

Andy: I think for me this year is to be able to say no and feel okay if say no, 'cause not everything's for me. ... to be able to continue connecting people, 'cause I, I just love helping, volunteering and just being present and being intentional. And not to be afraid to make that step and make those decisions. And just having fun with it, because I was so worried about everything being perfect, everything going in one way. I'm over that now. So 2026, I'm on a new, new mission.

Gabby: Yep.

Andy: It's all about having fun,

Dana: Yep.

Andy: including everybody. You know, holding hands and, you know, kicking up the dust,

Gabby: Yes.

Anne: Yeah.

Dana: Love it.

Andy: So, with that being said, everybody, I thank you for your time. we had a wonderful, fun, and joyful celebration today. As we wrap up, we want to thank you for being part of the Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R. community. You are bold, you are brilliant, and your journey matters. Remember, celebrate your wins, honor your self-care, and surround yourself with people who lift you higher. That's so important, everybody. And as you step into the new year, take at least one fearless step toward the life you want, because boldness isn't just a moment, it's a movement. From all of us here at Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R., we're sending love, light, and encouragement for a beautiful year ahead. Stay bold, stay beautiful, and keep shining.

Contributor

Nasreen Bhutta

Co-host
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Stephanae (Steph) McCoy

Co-host
Head Shot

Sylvia Stinson-Perez

Co-host