On this edition of #Friday5, I had the opportunity to sit down with Karima Zidani, host of the Casually Normies Podcast. Karima lives by the ‘share to inspire’ mantra, as a podcaster, spoken word writer and storyteller, driven to be there for the youth of today & provide them with the right insight, guidance and knowledge to weather hardships. The podcast shares the inspiring stories of young people from all around the globe and the major life lessons audiences can learn from.
As a college student, mastering logistics & supply chain management AKA the typical normie, Karima decided to create a show for people like herself who want to thrive & achieve greatness regardless of their struggles in adulthood, in their careers and in their personal lives. She started this self-improvement & youth empowerment journey with the rise of the pandemic when she realized that her voice actually matters, finding reasons to continue to better herself and her life. She’s consistently working on her own personal self-improvement journey through listening to audiobooks, podcasts, networking online and volunteering at WAFTE (which is like her second home)
Being able to hear & share other people’s stories with the listeners in hopes that she can inspire others to start their own self-improvement journey is the real deal for Karima.
What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
I consider the show is one of my biggest achievements this year and I really have high hopes when it comes to it. Just the fact that I’m able to inspire and make somebody’s life better means a lot. When I get a review or a simple message like, “I really needed to hear some of the things that were said”, I feel like I’m on the top of the world. The show is not only helping others to grow but it’s helping me as well.
What’s a book you re-read over and over again?
I ‘m really heavy into reading/ listening to books, mostly self help, psychology books. I believe that we need to pause, listen and understand our nature in order to nurture it. There are many books I don’t mind reading whenever I need some guidance, but the one I’d choose is ‘The magic of thinking big’ by David J. Schwartz.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?
I can think of plenty of people, but I will choose my father. It’s been awhile since we hung out together. He’s extremely talented and funny, we have a really good connection. Now thinking about it, I should give him a call.
A place you’ve never been, but is on your bucket list?
Bali, I really want to go to Bali. I was thinking about it earlier but then the pandemic canceled everybody’s plans.
Who was the greatest influence/inspiration in your career?
It may seem weird but I get my inspiration from different people including fictional characters in books and movies. I am also constantly inspired by my podcast guests and the lessons they bring in to the show. I feel so blessed and motivated while investigating their stories.
What’s your greatest joy?
My greatest joy in life is my friends, my family and my incredible community of ‘normies’ with whom I’m able to share my passion, dreams and hopes.
Greatest “A HA “ moment?
I think when I got enrolled in a decent & high ranked university in Spain for an exchange opportunity. I knew it was going to open so many doors for my career and it actually did.
Greatest pet peeve in business?
The greatest pet peeve in business is monetizing your project. This can be stressful if you have bills to pay, especially in the first stages of your business where you have to work really hard to be noticed and stand out from the crowd. But I think when there’s an added value, the money comes next.
At this stage in your career, what would you consider to be a dream project/opportunity?
Obviously growing the show and its audience would be a huge accomplishment, but I secretly want to continue inspiring people while showing them more about my story. I’ve been obsessed with storytelling and writing poetry from a very young age, so I’d love to see my poetry book out to the public soon.
What piece of advice would you give young people just starting out in their career?
I would give them the kind of advice that I put out on the show and that I keep reminding myself with: you story matters and you matter. I know you have that amazing idea for a project but still think it’s not going to work because you don’t have the right means, skills or tools. You can actually do, it’s in you. That story you are trying to sell is worth trying for, in spite of the pain & the struggle. All you have to do is research the right ways and surround yourself with the right people with whom you can upgrade your life and spend quality time.
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