So Deep in Your Values: Love is Blind Chicago Basura, Building a Career in Advocacy + Entertainment, and Authentically Sharing (and Not Sharing) Your Voice on Social Media with Arij Mikati

Welcome to another episode of the Giving You Everything Podcast! Today’s guest is at the forefront of the mission to take Muslim communities in the USA from ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving’ through stories, communities, and art. Arij Mikati is the Managing Director of Culture Change at Pillars Fund. In this episode, we delve into Arij’s favorite reality TV show, Love is Blind, her favorite season, what she would wear if she was asked to join the show, her hopes for future seasons, and more! She even tells us about the multiple offers to join a Muslim matchmaking TV show that she has declined before telling us what reality TV has taught her. We then delve into Arij’s non-linear career, all about Pillars and what they do to reflect the truth of Muslim communities. Our guest even shares words of wisdom about creating boundaries around what you share on social media. Finally, Arij leaves us with advice about being in the driver’s seat of your life. You don’t want to miss this one so press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Arij Mikati, and an overview of her career. 
• Why America’s Next Top Model was her gateway into reality TV. 
• Love is Blind, Chicago season two and its cast, and declining reality TV offers. 
• What Arij would wear if she were ever on Love is Blind and her hopes for future seasons. 
• How reality TV has taught Arij the importance of being able to pivot and have a plan B. 
• Arij tells us about her non-linear career path and how it helped her end up at Pillars. 
• What Pillars is and how they reflect the truth about Muslim communities. 
• Why Arij has stopped justifying her community defensively and how it’s made her work better. 
• Maintaining boundaries on social media and what she feels comfortable sharing. 
• Words of wisdom about taking charge of your life and being the best at what you do. 
• Why Arij suggests that we should allow ourselves some guilty pleasure TV sometimes. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Arij Mikati on LinkedIn
Arij Mikati Substack
Arij Mikati on Instagram
Arij Mikati on Threads
Pillars Fund
America’s Next Top Model on IMDB
Victoria Whittaker
Victoria Whittaker on Instagram
Victoria Whittaker on LinkedIn
Giving You Everything Podcast

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We drop episodes every other Tuesday! See you in two weeks!