What does it take to build a life that truly fits — not the one shaped by achievement or expectation, but the one that feels honest?In this episode, Nicole sits with Dr. Zahra Parker, a public health scientist whose journey has been marked by constant movement, curiosity, and quiet reinvention. From a childhood spent between relatives and countries to the high demands of scientific research, Zahra learned early how to appear calm while working tirelessly beneath the surface — the duck “gliding over water while paddling hard below.”Curiosity carried her from unexpected beginnings to the Ivy League and, eventually, to infectious disease work across West Africa. But the real transformation came in the moments she had to choose herself: rebuilding after rejection, navigating motherhood and ambition, protecting her energy, and learning to live with intention rather than pressure.Zahra speaks openly about drifting from her identity, then slowly finding her way back through creativity, stillness, and daily rituals that keep her grounded. Her story is a reminder that reinvention isn’t loud — it’s deliberate. It’s the courage to step away from who you’re expected to be and toward a life that finally feels like your own.
