Journey with Rita Podcast: Building Resilience Together

E13 | Life Is Worth Living: Surviving the Holocaust and Building a Life Full of Joy with Ella Mandel

How does a person endure the unimaginable — and still choose joy? That is the question at the heart of this profoundly moving episode, and Ella Mandel's answer will stay with you long after you finish listening.
Ella Mandel is a Holocaust survivor, educator, and living witness to one of the darkest chapters in human history. Born in Poland in 1926, Ella was thirteen years old when the Germans arrived. Over the years that followed, she lost her entire family — her youngest sister, her father, her mother, and ultimately her older sister — to the Holocaust. She survived the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, a German labor camp, and Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated in April 1945 at just eighteen years old, weighing barely sixty pounds. In 2025, nearly eighty years later, Ella was honored with the Award of Courage by Holocaust Museum LA alongside supermodel Cindy Crawford, with whom she collaborated on the Borrowed Spotlight campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism and keep these stories alive for future generations.
This episode is a rare and sacred gift. With Ella's permission, Rita has woven excerpts from her 1994 USC Shoah Foundation interview together with wisdom Ella shared in a personal conversation earlier this year — honoring both the depth of her story and the gift of her time.
In this episode, Ella shares:
Growing up in Poland and the first devastating losses her family endured in the ghetto
Being separated from her mother on the selection line at Auschwitz — and the pact she and her sister made to survive
The brutal reality of forced labor in a German camp through a freezing winter, and how she protected her ailing sister
Contracting typhus at Bergen-Belsen and surviving because a friend who was a nurse secretly brought her medicine
The heartbreak of losing her older sister to tuberculosis just weeks after liberation — and the guilt she carried for years
How she met her husband Stefan in Bergen-Belsen, rebuilt her life in Minneapolis, and created a chosen family with other young survivor couples
Her lifelong belief — instilled by her mother — that people are basically good and that tomorrow will be better
Why she has spent decades speaking to students, and the letters she treasures from young people whose lives her story has changed
Her message to all of us: life is worth living, even on the hardest days
 
This episode is dedicated to the memory of the eleven million lives lost during the Holocaust, six million of them Jewish, and to the survivors who carry the responsibility of bearing witness so that history is never forgotten.
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
References:
Learn more about Holocaust Museum LA at www.holocaustmuseumla.org
Learn more about the USC Shoah Foundation at www.sfi.usc.edu
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E12 | In Pursuit of Woman Life Freedom: A Courageous Journey with Somaya Etemad

Some doors to freedom are forced open — through sheer will, quiet defiance, and an unshakeable belief that a better life is possible. For Somaya Etemad, that belief was planted by a father who showed her the world, and it carried her through some of the most harrowing chapters a person can endure.
Somaya is an Iranian-American artist and architect whose life story unfolds like a film — one in which she is the hero. Born and raised in Mashhad, Iran, she endured the systematic oppression of the Islamic regime, an abusive forced marriage, and arrest in the aftermath of the Green Movement. At just 25 years old, she fled Iran with her dog, her architecture degree, and an unwavering belief that she deserved a free life. She arrived in Los Angeles in 2011, enrolled at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and has never looked back. Today, Somaya is a practicing architect and fine artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently at the Contemporary Museum of Japan.
 
In this episode, Somaya shares:
Growing up under the Islamic regime — dress codes, Ramadan compliance, and navigating a double life at home versus in public
The profound loss of her father at age 14, and how his spirit of freedom and forward thinking became the foundation of her resilience
Being forced into marriage at 22 and enduring physical abuse — and the quiet acts of courage that helped her survive
Her arrest following the 2009 Green Movement elections, sparked by a political cartoon, and the trauma of imprisonment
How visualization and dreaming of a free life — even with no roadmap to get there — became her most powerful survival tool
Fleeing Iran for Los Angeles with her dog Nemat, navigating language barriers, financial hardship, and the unexpected challenge of learning to handle freedom
Turning personal trauma into art, and her mission to be a voice for Iranian women still fighting for zan, zandegi, azadi — woman, life, freedom
How her solo exhibition "SOLO" became a cathartic act of closure, allowing her to honor her scars while stepping fully into who she is today
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
 
References:
Connect with Somaya Etemad on Instagram
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources
 

E11 | Elevate the Everyday: Designing Spaces That Inspire Better Living

As we welcome spring, let's also welcome fresh energy into our homes through what we choose to surround ourselves with. I truly believe our homes have the power to inspire us to live better lives—they can either hinder us or empower us.
A well-designed space doesn't just look beautiful—it invites us to feel better and in turn, do better. Whether we realize it or not, the spaces we spend time in are constantly shaping our emotional experience. And for me, whether it's my own home or one I'm designing for a client, the goal is always the same: to create a sense of release, a breath of fresh air at the end of a long day.
In this episode, I share insights from my work as an interior designer and the lessons I've learned about how our surroundings impact our daily lives, our mental health, and our ability to show up fully.
In this episode, I share:
Why our homes are not just about aesthetics—they're about feelings
How hotel lobbies make stress melt away (and it's not an accident)
The power of small, intentional shifts over massive renovations
Why clutter isn't just physical—it's mental and emotional
The family photo I removed from my fireplace and why it changed everything
Elevating the everyday: stop saving things for "someday"
The kitchen as the heart of the home—making it functional, not just beautiful
Creating your bedroom as a sanctuary that sets the tone for your day
The role of scent, texture, lighting, and color in shaping how we feel
Four small shifts you can make today to transform your space
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg and @RitaNaffasDesign
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast #RitaNaffasDesign
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
 
References:
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E10 | Celebrating 10 Episodes: Stories of Wisdom, Growth, and Resilience

Welcome to Episode 10—a milestone moment! Today I'm celebrating 10 episodes of Journey with Rita Podcast and reflecting on the incredible wisdom, courage, and resilience we've witnessed together.
Journey with Rita was established in 2020 as an online platform after I came across a quote by Brené Brown that truly resonated with me: "One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will become someone else's survival guide."
Having been a peer supporter to those fighting breast cancer, those words didn't just inspire me—they became my North Star. They gave me language to something I had been feeling but couldn't quite articulate: that our experiences, our struggles, our lessons can serve someone else. That our stories, when shared honestly, can become lifelines.
In this episode, I reflect on:
The Brené Brown quote that became my Why
How Journey with Rita evolved from online platform to organization to podcast
The courage it took to create something completely foreign yet deeply familiar
What we've learned across 10 powerful episodes
The wisdom our guests have shared about faith, community, transformation, authenticity, mental health, mom guilt, gratitude, financial resilience, manifestation, integrity, and resilience
Why resilience is contagious—and how witnessing others' journeys lights a path for our own
Gratitude for the guests who said "yes" when this was just a vision
The power of community built through alignment, not algorithms
What's next for Journey with Rita
Lessons from Our First 10 Episodes:
Faith & Community: We explored how community holds us up when we can't hold ourselves, and how shared experiences help us grow through hardship, not just survive it.
Transformation & Authenticity: We learned that transformation begins with self-trust and the courage to release what no longer fits.
Mental Health Matters: Behind every polished success story is real work and real struggle—mental health can never take a backseat.
Rewriting Mom Guilt: We unpacked mom guilt and rewrote the narrative around it.
Gratitude as Discipline: We explored gratitude not as a cliché but as a daily practice that reshapes perspective.
Financial Resilience: We challenged the narrative that financial literacy belongs in someone else's hands and affirmed that women have the intelligence and vision to make confident financial decisions.
Designing an Intentional Life: We discussed manifesting dreams by aligning actions with values, not just checking boxes.
Integrity & Discipline: We heard how staying true to yourself—even when the industry rewards something else—creates meaningful success.
Resilience Isn't Magic: We were reminded that resilience isn't something we access when life falls apart—it's the ability to draw from strengths we've been building all along.
Key Message: Resilience is contagious. When we see someone else navigate hardship and come out stronger, it lights a path for our own resilience and growth. Our stories, when shared honestly, become lifelines for others.
What's Next: This is only the beginning. More conversations, more wisdom, more tools for building resilience together.
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
References:
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E9 | Resilience in Motion: Dancing Through MS with Courtney Platt

What happens when the very thing that defines you—your ability to move—is threatened by a disease you can't control? How do you keep performing ten dances a night on tour when your legs go numb? How do you keep showing up when your body won't cooperate?
Meet Courtney Platt: world-class dancer, actress, choreographer, and powerful voice for living fully with multiple sclerosis. Courtney started her dance career as a New York Knicks City dancer, was a top four finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, and has danced and choreographed for some of the biggest stages and screen productions of the last decade.
But at the height of her career, at only 23 years old while on tour with So You Think You Can Dance, Courtney's legs went completely numb from the waist down. Doctors found plaque on her spinal cord and lesions on her brain. The diagnosis: relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Instead of letting MS define her, Courtney transformed it into her mission—using her platform to advocate, educate, and inspire others living with autoimmune diseases. Today, she's not only a celebrated performer but a mother of three, a dance teacher, and a powerful reminder that resilience isn't about never falling—it's about refusing to stay down.
In this episode, Courtney shares:
Going numb from the waist down while performing 10 dances a night on tour
How she knew something was MS before doctors confirmed it
Dancing with completely numb legs because she refused to be taken off tour
The moment of clarity when diagnosis finally came—and the relief of knowing
Being pissed off and disappointed in her body after diagnosis
The frustration of wanting to push her baby out but needing a C-section
Learning to appreciate her body's gifts instead of taking movement for granted
Why giving yourself grace and compassion is essential
The guilt of needing rest when you're "supposed to" be hustling
Her husband's unwavering support: "Tell me you're not being lazy"
Why napping like a small child is non-negotiable now
Traveling with MS: Planning around energy levels and recovery time
The wheelchair at the airport and dealing with judgment from strangers
Teaching her kids about MS: the conversation she dreaded but handled beautifully
Why surrounding yourself with the right people is everything
Having a third baby through surrogacy—and why it was the right choice
Her body producing breast milk even though she didn't give birth to Gianna
The advice that made her angry: "Find a less stressful job"
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
 
 
References:
Follow Courtney Platt on Instagram
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E8 | Earning Your Seat at the Table: Integrity, Intelligence, and Impact with Lisa Daftari

Some careers unfold quietly—and then there are careers built in rooms where the stakes are high, the conversations are charged, and the pressure is relentless. Today's episode is about what it takes to earn a seat at those tables and keep it.
Meet Lisa Daftari: award-winning investigative journalist, foreign policy analyst, and founder and editor-in-chief of the Foreign Desk, an independent global affairs platform focused on international security, human rights, and Middle East geopolitics. She's also the host of the highly acclaimed Foreign Podcast.
Lisa's expertise has taken her into some of the most influential rooms—briefing institutions like the United Nations and Congress, contributing exclusive reports for the Pentagon, and working closely with the White House during the rollout of the Abraham Accords. Her work has been recognized with the Medal of Valor, the Simon Wiesenthal Award, and the Champion of Freedom Award.
But this conversation isn't just about what Lisa does—it's about who she is, how she built resilience while navigating male-dominated spaces, and how she stays grounded while working in some of the most demanding fields in the world.
 
In this episode, Lisa shares:
Growing up as a shy girl who rarely spoke unless answering a question
How college opened her world: triple majoring, vocal performance, pre-med, EMT work, and falling in love with Middle Eastern studies
The moment she realized her favorite thing was debating in class—and wishing she could do it as a job
Being recruited by the CIA for clandestine operations (and why she didn't take it)
The agent who told her, "You're too nice" to make it in the industry
How integrity, loyalty, and respect became her greatest assets—not liabilities
Navigating Iranian culture, studying abroad, and breaking barriers while staying conservative
The challenges of being Iranian in a field where your heritage is both a blessing and an obstacle
How meditation and surrender to God help her prepare for high-pressure moments
Why does she see herself as a "vessel" in her work
Balancing a demanding career with being a deeply present mother
Waking up at 5 am and working until midnight to never miss a moment with her son
Teaching resilience through modeling work ethic, just like her immigrant parents did
The power of thriving on human interaction and learning from influential circles
Why "only a tree can be a tree"—and why being yourself is your greatest brand
 
The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only.
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
References:
Follow Lisa Daftari on Instagram @lisadaftari
Visit The Foreign Desk at https://foreigndesknews.com/
Listen to the Foreign Podcast
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E7 | No Scripts, No Armor: Sharing My Personal Journey With My Therapist, Lesley Lasker

What does it really take to rise after life knocks you down? Not once, but twice? I’ve spent the last few months inviting remarkable women to sit on this couch with me, to be raw, vulnerable, and honest about the challenges that shaped them.  And I knew—if I’m asking my guests to go there, then I have to go there too.  In this deeply personal episode, I'm flipping the script and sitting down with someone who has walked beside me through my darkest moments: my therapist of 10 years, Lesley Lasker.
 
Lesley Lasker is a licensed marriage and family therapist and parent education specialist who has been an anchor in my life, guiding me through breast cancer, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and the unraveling and rebuilding that came with both. Today, she interviews me about the hardest chapters of my life, the moments I haven't shared publicly, and the lessons that shaped who I am as a mother, wife, and woman.
 
This conversation is raw, vulnerable, and honest. We talk about the fear of telling a three-year-old about cancer, the devastation of not being able to hold my seven-month-old son, the shame of needing a wheelchair, and all of the lessons along the way- including the moment I realized the universe was forcing me to stop, breathe, and just be.
 
In this episode, I share:
How I discovered my breast cancer while nursing my newborn in the hospital
The moment I knew something was wrong and called Lesley Lasker to help me tell my daughter
Going through double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation with a six-month-old and a three-year-old
The power of gratitude during treatment: "It could be worse. Be grateful."
My second diagnosis: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder that left me paralyzed
Losing 20% of my movement every day and planning for life in a wheelchair
The fear, the waiting, the misdiagnosis, and the moment I learned it had become chronic (CIDP)
How my community showed up: cousins taking my kids to camp, friends taking notes at the hospital, rabbis praying with me
The shame and grief of losing my identity as an active, strong woman
The life-changing lessons the universe taught me through both diagnoses
Why I believe things happen FOR us, not TO us
How these experiences led me to launch Journey with Rita and this podcast
 
The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment or therapy. If you are struggling with your mental health or are in crisis, please reach out to a professional for support. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support 24/7. Help is available, and you don’t have to go through it alone.
 
✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
 
References:
Connect with Lesley Lasker, LMFT at Lasker & Associates: https://laskerandassociates.com/lesley-lasker-lmft/
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources
 

E6 | Reflections From My Journey: Ditch The New Year’s Resolutions For This New Approach

New Year's resolutions often set us up for disappointment: long lists of goals, mounting pressure, and the weight of unmet expectations. But what if there was a better way? What if instead of waiting for January 1st to give us permission to change, we embraced a process that honors our growth every single day?
 
In this episode, I share the three powerful practices that have carried me through 15 years of personal transformation, major life challenges, career shifts, and achieving goals that once felt impossible. These aren't quick fixes or empty promises. They're intentional practices that bring clarity, strengthen belief, and reveal the ways we might be standing in our own way.
 
In this episode, I share:
Why I don't believe in New Year's resolutions and what I do instead
How vision boarding creates clarity and trains your mind to recognize your desires
The power of writing gratitude letters to the universe in the past tense, as if your goals have already happened
Why resistance while writing reveals limiting beliefs you need to work through
The importance of working hard, then releasing control and trusting the timing
How manifestation isn't magic. It's about aligning your actions with your vision
Why this process has been transformative for me over 15 years
A challenge to replace resolutions with vision boarding, gratitude letters, and intentional action
 
When we stop waiting for a date on the calendar and start stepping into a process that nurtures our growth, aligns with our dreams, and honors the life we're meant to live, that's when real transformation begins.
 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
Follow @journeywithritaorg on Instagram to keep building resilience through proven guiding principles, practical tools, and weekly inspiration.
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
 
References:
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E5 | The Mindset of A Financially Resilient Woman with Roxana Maddahi

As women, we're encouraged to be emotionally resilient, spiritually resilient—but financially resilient? We don't talk about that enough. That part of the conversation can feel intimidating or even off-limits. But not here, not today.
Meet Roxana Maddahi: financial advisor, president of Maddahi Wealth, and contributor for Forbes and HuffPost. Roxana's journey isn't just about spreadsheets or portfolios. She's seen what it's like to lose everything—to watch her savings slip away when Lehman Brothers filed for the biggest bankruptcy in history. Out of that painful experience rose her dedication to help others avoid the same struggles.
In this conversation, we explore what financial resilience really means—and how to build the habits, knowledge, and mindsets that help us withstand and recover from financial shocks like illness, job loss, market downturns, or divorce.
Disclaimer: This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial professional for guidance tailored to your personal situation.
 
In this episode, Roxana shares:
The mindset of a financially resilient person: accepting that emergencies are inevitable
Why meditation is essential for managing financial stress and making clear decisions
How to build an emergency fund (and why it doesn't have to be all liquid cash)
The biggest misconception about the stock market—it's not gambling
Why women are as financially literate as men but 44% less likely to believe it
Her story of working at Lehman Brothers during the 2008 bankruptcy
Why she invested her life savings in Lehman Brothers stock—and lost it all
How watching families lose everything shaped her mission to provide good guidance
Why 90% of women will have to manage their finances alone at some point
The importance of finding a financial advisor who truly understands you
 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
References:
Follow Roxana Maddahi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxana.maddahi/?hl=en
Visit Maddahi Wealth for more information: https://maddahiwealth.com/
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

E4 | Reflections From My Journey: Making Gratitude a Way of Life

Gratitude isn't meant to be a once-a-year tradition reserved for the Thanksgiving table. It's something we can weave into our daily lives—a practice that shapes how we see the world, respond to challenges, and move through each day.
 
In this solo episode, I share my personal journey with gratitude, from hearing Oprah talk about gratitude journals as a teenager to how this simple practice carried me through breast cancer, miscarriages, and Guillain-Barré syndrome when I temporarily lost the ability to move.
 
In this episode, I share:
How Oprah Winfrey's gratitude journal practice changed my life as a teenager
Finding gratitude during breast cancer—feeling lucky to have treatment options and access to incredible doctors
The moment I became paralyzed and was overwhelmed not by fear, but by the kindness of those who surrounded me
Why gratitude is like a pearl in the ocean—you have to dive deep through murky waters to find it
The science behind gratitude: How it rewires your brain and reduces anxiety
Practical ways to build gratitude daily: savoring moments, journaling, dinnertime reflections, and the gratitude shift
Teaching my children to look for the good, even on hard days
Why gratitude doesn't mean pretending everything is okay—it means choosing to focus on what helps you move forward
 
When gratitude becomes part of how we live—not something we only visit once a year—life truly begins to shift. We start seeing beauty in ordinary moments, we become more resilient in hard times, and we realize that even when everything feels uncertain, there's always something to be thankful for.
 
✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast
 
Follow @journeywithritaorg on Instagram to keep building resilience through proven guiding principles, practical tools, and weekly inspiration.
 
The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice
References:
Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources