"Having my children seeing me as a fully functioning human being with needs and desires and things that are important to me to pursue is also a form for showing up for my children."

Margaret Ackah-Yensu, Founder of Tulii Skincare (a natural, holistically formulated skincare made from the highest quality ingredient sourced in Tanzania) joins me to talk about becoming an entrepreneur later in life and starting your own brand and what it means to be a professional, a mom and someone who moved across the ocean to make America the new home.

Originally from Ghana, Margaret has been a New Yorker for many years. Margaret brings more than 18 years of skincare expertise; she’s helped skincare brands launch & scale in medical and traditional spas and is a certified Esthetician. She believes in a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.

She always had a passion for skincare. It might have taken her years to develop her own brand, but she took her time while modeling, going to schools and getting training in skincare, raising two children in New York and diving in into the world of holistic, all natural, organic, ethical, fair trade skincare industry to learn every step of the production - from sourcing in East Africa to marketing the end product.

We talk about being an entrepreneur, starting your own brand, being a parent and what parenting means in America, the education system, and just how to navigate life as a professional and a parent when all she learned in her country is not necessary applicable in the American society.

In this episode:

- Starting a brand with origins in Tanzania – from sourcing to marketing to production and packaging and why sustainability is not just a label but the brand's "blood" all the way.

- A passion for skin care and how it all started.

- The importance of having a brand name (Tulii) that matters and refers to the brand's core values and what it means.

- Why starting now and how Margaret manages her passions and desires while being a mom to two teenagers.

- Her approach to business thinking and how it translates at being a parent.

- Why it's easier to find all the time to think about your passions in your twenties vs. later in life and the pros and cons of starting a brand now and not 20 years ago.

- Finding the tools to enhance what we find in the beauty/skincare industry, engaging in your own beauty for yourself and understanding what's needed to de-compress and find space for yourself in the busy life of an entrepreneur and a parent.

- And tips on how she finds peace and quiet and time for herself (and why baths don't relax her...)

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Instagram account for the podcast: www.instagram.com/anamericanbutnotreally/

Welcome to the second episode of the third season of An American, but not really podcast. In this episode I'm chatting with a founding principal of one of the largest New York public schools that is now home to over 700 students - from Pre-K to 8th graders.

Twenty years ago, right after September 11, Terri Ruyter was tasked with establishing a school in lower Manhattan. Terri worked in schools for close to 40 years as an elementary school classroom teacher, a professor of education, and as a district literacy specialist. With her Masters and Doctoral degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, she studied inclusive classroom practices for her dissertation.

Terri believes that the best schools keep children at the center of decision making. That means that all adults involved in the school need to be informed about child development, be careful and close “kid watchers,” and acknowledge the social, emotional and academic skills and ideas that young people bring to the school community. Using an asset-based lens, we can design and facilitate learning experiences that challenge and engage all students and create an environment that provides the space children need to grow and excel.

In our conversation we cover everything from the current state of public school education in NY and U.S., migrant situation, and how parents can help their kids to develop and enjoy the school experience to the recent trends of parents wanting to compete over elite and private schools at all costs and how it affects kids. We talk about technology use at schools, we're addressing the shortage of teachers, parents' anxiety over kids' academics and college choices and the new norms of shooter drills at school. You might agree or disagree with Terri, but as a parent myself, I found her views and opinions very refreshing, helpful and, most of all, hopefull.

Please review, comment and share your favorite episodes. Your opinion matters and it gives this podcast a boost to reach people who might be interested in learning from these guests - on a professional and/or personal level. Thank you for your support! Follow us on IG @anamericanbutnotreally. Terri Ruyter's IG is here.

Today our guest is not an American, but someone who lives very close to America. As a matter of fact, so close that a lot of people out there consider this place to be part of America. Yet, it is not.

Manpreet Kaur is a contemporary realist artist. She is also a graffiti artist and you can see her works around the city of Toronto, Canada. We, in New York, are very aware of our graffiti artists and we have our own favorite graffiti and mural spots and artists. We've been lucky to be a city where you can see the works of Banksy, Kobra and other prominent worldwide known graffiti artists.

I've met Manpreet very randomly. I was in Toronto on a short trip and I was walking around the city sightseeing. I was especially interested in seeing the part of the city called Kensington Market - it's a vibrant, boho, soho, artistic neighborhood full of bars, vintage stores, cafes, restaurants, interesting mom and pop stores and GRAFFITI. It draws hipsters and students and it's populates with Victorian houses along tree-lined streets. I was walking the alleys looking at the graffitis when I spotted Manpreet at work.

I never saw a graffiti artist at work. I also pretty timid to approach one while the artist is at work. But I took pictures and videos and as I was about to turn away, I thought - when would I ever get another chance to see a graffiti artist at work, not to mention - to talk to one. So, I approached Manpreet and here we are talking about art and graffiti, Toronto, South-Asian families and traditions, and how she, originally from Punjab, India, not only ended up in Toronto, but also broke all the South-Asian stereotypes by doing so.
Manpreet Kaur received her formal training in drawing and painting in India. She taught at various well established educational institutes as an art instructor and art teacher. In 2019, Manpreet Kaur moved to Canada where she started her new journey as an artist and founder of Mankaurarts.

Please review, comment and share your favorite episodes. Your opinion matters and it gives this podcast a boost to reach people who might be interested in learning from these guests - on a professional and/or personal level. Thank you for your support!