Hey friends! I haven’t done a personal Q & A in sooo long (like probably 3 years!), so I thought I’d come on today and share a little bit more about myself. The last 3 years have actually been a huge time of change for me in my life – graduating, getting married, having a baby, changing my outlook on life. It’s been HUGE and I am such a different person now compared to who I was 3 years ago, so my last get-to-know-me is definitely a bit outdated. I’m going to be answering 20 questions about myself below to help you guys get to know me a little more personally.

What made you decide to start your blog?

I’ve always had a very creative side and I LOVE to write! As I was completing my PhD I decided that I wanted to start pursuing all of my other interests. Starting a blog seemed like a really great way to pursue all of my interests and share them through my love of writing.

Why did you choose the name Sweat.Slay.Shine?

When I was planning what I wanted my blog to look like, I knew that I wanted it to be inspiring and empowering to women. I had been doing my PhD in Molecular Science (a field that is typically dominated by men) and something that I learned was that the only way to achieve what I wanted was to put in A LOT of hard work (sweat) in order to crush my goals (slay), and then I would basically be a rockstar (shine). I use that philosophy in everything I do in life now and I thought Sweat.Slay.Shine would be a great way to embody that in my blog.

Where would you like to be in blogging five years from now?

Over the last few years I went through so many personal ups and downs that really impacted my ability to be consistent with my blog. Now that I’m on maternity leave this year, I’m really trying to stay consistent and set a new standard for my blog so that I can grow. In five years from now, I’d love to have established myself as a blogger and gain a larger following of people who are genuinely inspired and motivated by my content. I also hope to expand my blog to include a shop where I can give you all access to products that inspire and empower.

Who are some of your favourite bloggers/influencers?

I follow so many other bloggers and influencers that inspire me on a daily basis. A few of my favourites are Desi Perkins, Katy, Allie Boss, Emily Speir, Annie Hauser, Rachel Allene, Madison Miller, and Logan Randazzo. They are all so real and honest, and are so inspiring!

What’s your favourite day of the week?

OK this might be a very unpopular opinion, but Sundays are my favourite. I get most of our household chores done on Saturday so that I can just relax and feel at peace with a clean home on Sunday. It’s also the day where I try to plan out my week and set new goals for the week ahead which I find to be very motivational, so it’s all around a good day!

What’s your background?

I was born and raised in Canada but my parents are from Trinidad.

What’s your biggest fear?

Becoming a mom has definitely impacted my biggest fear. I used to volunteer on the oncology ward at our local children’s hospital and it was so rewarding but it also broke my heart. When I found out I was pregnant, I started to fear the idea of finding out that my baby girl had a terminal illness or losing her too soon. I think most moms will agree that our biggest fears no longer revolve around ourselves, but around our children.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was younger, I ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher. I was so inspired by my grade 3 teacher, Mrs. Rodgers, and that is something that has always stayed with me. Even though I ended up pursuing a career in scientific research, I still work as a teaching assistant when I can so that I can always keep teaching in my life.

What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?

In 2018 my husband and I went on a trip to Europe and I honestly fell in love with every city that we went to! But my most favourite was definitely the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Everything about it was so stunningly beautiful!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

If I could travel to one place that I haven’t been to yet it would be Greece. Every time I see pictures they are so dreamy and it is definitely on my bucket list.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

My baby girl. That may seem a bit cliché, but honestly, as women our bodies are freaking awesome! How could I not be so proud of my body for working endlessly day and night to grow the most perfect little human. Pregnancy isn’t easy nor is childbirth, and the fact that I got through those 9 months and now have my baby girl in my arms to show for it is nothing short of amazing.

What inspires you?

I’m always so inspired by seeing other people (men and women) going after their dreams. It always felt like you went to school then got a job and that was your career. The end. But now I see so many people having side hustles, pursuing other interests, and absolutely killing it and that inspires me so much to chase after my own dreams. I love science and doing research, but I want my life to be well rounded and to have other interests and hobbies outside of that.

When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make it better?

I’m a huge advocate for self-care and taking time for yourself when you need it. I tell people this all the time – yes you can “put on a brave face” and act like nothing’s wrong and keep going, but you’re only punishing yourself by doing that because you’re not taking care of your soul. When I’m really having a bad day, I take a step back and spend some time on my own doing something I love. Usually that involves a hot cup of tea, a good book, and a long soak in the tub.

What made you so passionate about self-care and wellness?

Honestly? I come from a West-Indian background and in our culture the idea of mental health isn’t something that is easily recognized. There is A TON of stigma around it which makes it hard for people to seek out help when they need it. Towards the end of my PhD I reached a low point in life and I began to see a therapist once a month. I noticed huge differences in my life once I started going, and it made me super aware of how important it was to take care of my mind, body, and soul, and I became so passionate about advocating for it so that I could show others how important it truly is to take care of ourselves.  

Using two words, how would you describe your family?

Beautiful chaos.

What is your ideal Friday night?

My ideal Friday night would be having some friends over to eat, drink and play board games.

What are some of your negative traits?

I’m not perfect and I have some not so great traits that I’m not proud of, but I’m working on them every day. I am extremely quick-tempered. I’m a huge procrastinator. And I am not the tidiest person around.

What’s the thing you can’t leave the house without?

This is super random and weird, but I have a thing about lipstick. I don’t love my natural lip colour so I ALWAYS have to put on lipstick, even if it’s a really natural nude coloured one, before I leave the house.

What’s your current obsession?

Does my baby count? Haha I’m with her 24/7 and she’s still “new” so I’m still currently obsessed with her. If we’re talking other non-human things, I have an on-going obsession with coffee/tea mugs. I can’t go into a store without browsing their entire mug section and I am currently on a no-buy ban because we ran out of space on the shelf where I store my mugs.

What’s one goal you would like to accomplish this year?

I have a ton of goals for this year covering pretty much every area of my life. But a big one that I would love to accomplish is to buy a house this year – we currently own a condo but we are quickly running out of room and need to upsize.

Thank you guys so much for spending some time getting to know me a bit better. I would love to get to know YOU better as well, so leave me a comment with one interesting thing about yourself.

Cheers,

lifeme