70. Embracing Cultural Roots and Advocating for Change with Jawaria Mahmood

02/23/25 • 34 min

The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low

In this quietly inspiring dialogue of The Quiet Warrior podcast, Serena Low chats with Jawaria Mahmood, a dynamic advocate from Perth, Western Australia. Jawaria shares her inspiring journey from being an engineer in Pakistan to becoming a trailblazer for bilingual storytime sessions in Australian libraries, a champion for STEM education for young girls, and a dedicated advocate for cyber safety in diverse communities. Her story is one of resilience, cultural pride, and unwavering commitment to making a difference.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

Jawaria’s experience as a migrant woman starting over in Australia
The spark behind her bilingual storytime initiative and how it grew into a national project
Her work in promoting STEM careers for young girls, especially from migrant backgrounds
The challenges and importance of cyber safety education for children and vulnerable communities
Jawaria’s advice for advocates: Start where you are, stay persistent, and keep your purpose in mind

Memorable Quotes:

“A quiet warrior is someone who doesn’t give up when things aren’t working, but looks inward, adapts, and tries again.” – Jawaria Mahmood

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Connect with Jawaria Mahmood on LinkedIn
Learn more about the Professional Migrant Women Network and the Undefeated book

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome and introduction
02:15 – Jawaria’s journey from Pakistan to Australia
08:30 – The birth of bilingual storytime sessions
15:50 – Advocating for STEM careers for young girls
22:45 – Cyber safety challenges and education
30:10 – Advice for new migrants and building support networks
38:20 – What makes a good advocate and a quiet warrior

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share The Quiet Warrior podcast so more introverts and quiet achievers can find their path to success. Thank you for being here with us – see you in the next episode!

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

Jawaria’s experience as a migrant woman starting over in Australia
The spark behind her bilingual storytime initiative and how it grew into a national project
Her work in promoting STEM careers for young girls, especially from migrant backgrounds
The challenges and importance of cyber safety education for children and vulnerable communities
Jawaria’s advice for advocates: Start where you are, stay persistent, and keep your purpose in mind

Memorable Quotes:

“A quiet warrior is someone who doesn’t give up when things aren’t working, but looks inward, adapts, and tries again.” – Jawaria Mahmood

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Connect with Jawaria Mahmood on LinkedIn
Learn more about the Professional Migrant Women Network and the Undefeated book

Timestamps:

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

Previous Episode

69. How to Never Feel like an Impostor Again

Impostor Syndrome is something most of us struggle with, and people who are conscientious and have high standards of performance and achievement - like introverts and quiet achievers - seem to struggle with it more. Even outwardly successful individuals have admitted to having Impostor Syndrome at some point in their career.

On days when your energy is flat, your mood is low, and you’re unable for whatever reason to believe that you are wise and capable and competent, I want to share a simple tip I learned, that you can put into practice straight off listening to this episode.

It’s called having a Smile File (credit to Thea Orozco for the first time I heard the term).

In short, it’s collating and documenting evidence of your competence every time you receive some kind of external validation e.g. a text message of thanks from someone you helped, a client testimonial, a 5- star Google review of your services or podcast, someone resharing your LinkedIn post.

Any time you are recognized by someone for being yourself or some positive difference you made, take a screenshot and add it to your Smile File.

Listen in to find out what else you must do to solidify and embody this empowered version of you, that was inside you all along.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review The Quiet Warrior Podcast on your listening app. Your support helps inspire more introverts and quiet achievers in our communities.

Connect with Serena:

Subscribe to The Visible Introvert newsletter for weekly tips and stories of how to amplify your quiet strengths without having to act extroverted.
Join me on LinkedIn where I actively share empowering ways to show up professionally and socially as my highest introverted self.

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

Next Episode

71. Balloons, Biology, and the Courage to be Uncomfortable with Dr. Chloe Lim

Meet Dr. Chloe Lim—a molecular biologist turned entrepreneur, educator, and balloon artist. Chloe shares how pursuing an academic career in biomedical science led her to discovering a passion for creativity and entrepreneurship.
We discuss the challenges of imposter syndrome, redefining success, and embracing unexpected career pivots. We also dive into how parents can nurture curiosity and an interest in the sciences in children (even if they don’t have a STEM background), the power of self-reflection, and how micro steps can help us build confidence in the face of fear.

If you've ever felt that creativity is only for people who are naturally artistic, or that creativity and logic cannot co-exist, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ How Chloe transitioned from being a scientist to a creative entrepreneur
✅ The power of self-reflection and defining success on your own terms
✅ Why curiosity is key—and how parents can encourage it in their children
✅ How to push past imposter syndrome and stay in your own lane
✅ The importance of growth mindset, adaptability, and resourcefulness in career shifts
✅ Chloe’s experience on Blow Up, an Australian reality TV show for balloon artists

Guest Bio:
Dr. Chloe Lim is a molecular biologist, regulatory scientist, and entrepreneur who combines her love of science with creativity. She’s the founder of Giggly Wiggly Balloons, where she uses balloon art to inspire and educate. She also hosts CALD Voices in STEM, a podcast that highlights culturally and linguistically diverse women who are breaking barriers and making their mark in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Connect with Dr. Chloe Lim:
Dr. Chloe Lim’s website
Giggly Wiggly Balloons
Twistyfic
CALD Voices in STEM Podcast
What Makes You Unique book
Instagram | LinkedIn

If You Enjoyed This Episode:

Subscribe to The Quiet Warrior Podcast so you never miss an episode.
Leave a review — it really helps us reach more quiet achievers like you!
Join The Visible Introvert community for introvert wisdom from the head + heart.

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low - 70. Embracing Cultural Roots and Advocating for Change with Jawaria Mahmood

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:01.461

Hi , I'm Serena Loh . If you're used to hearing that introverts are shy , anxious , antisocial and lack good communication and leadership skills , then this podcast is for you . You're about to fall in love with the calm , introspective and profound person that you are . Discover what's fun , unique and powerful about being an introvert , and how to make the elegant transition from qui