← The Balance Theory
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- [00:00]
Amina Yunus
I have no control. But to go from being someone who's so controlling over their time and what they do to having zero control, I had to. That was my biggest struggle after having kids. Unlearn and relearn what productivity meant. Today's guest went from a PhD to founder and mother. She speaks about entrepreneurship, productivity and AI.
- [00:20]
Podcast Host
Joining me on the podcast today is Amina Yunus. Tell me about your first time recording and posting a YouTube video.
- [00:28]
Amina Yunus
I genuinely didn't think that it would get me to where I am today. I have a friend who wants to do a YouTube channel but is thinking about the long term career goals and she just can't start. One practical thing I would say is I don't need to prove myself. I know what I. I know what value I have. I know what I have done in life. I know, yes, I'm still young, but I've achieved my career and my. Who I am and my credentials don't dictate who you know, my value and who I am.
- [00:56]
Podcast Host
What is a productivity myth that we are all misled by?
- [00:59]
Amina Yunus
That you can do it all or that you can have it all? It's just not possible. No matter how productive you are, you'll just burn yourself out.
- [01:06]
Podcast Host
So what's the antidote to this myth?
- [01:09]
Amina Yunus
So for me, it's.
- [01:13]
Podcast Host
All right. Balances. Welcome back to another episode of the Balance Theory. Today I am joined by the lovely Amina. This episode has been one that is overdue, so I'm really, really excited to have you on the show today. Welcome.
- [01:25]
Amina Yunus
Hi. So nice to be here.
- [01:27]
Podcast Host
I know now we've got a lot of things to talk about, from motherhood to I'm really interested in your career, I guess shift the way you've grown into an entrepreneur, the life you've created for yourself. There's so many areas I want to start, so I think where the best place to start is you at uni. So you correct me if I'm wrong, you completed a PhD in cancer biology. When did you first realize that academia was not going to be the only path for you?
- [01:56]
Amina Yunus
You know what, when I think about this, I remember when I was in, I think it was second year of university. So my undergrad, I was like 19 years old and I was shadowing a postdoc, which is the person after they finished their PhD, like in academia. And he said to me, you know, there's no money in this. Like, you know, like why, why did you choose this? Like why, you know, why are you doing this? And, but, but he's in the degree. Like he's working the job, he's in the career. And I said, you know, I really enj enjoy it. I know. I was like, I really enjoy academia. I like research, I like science. And I was only 19 and after that I did end up going and doing a Masters. I did a PhD. So when I finished, I think I was 25. And at that point I still loved academia. I had no like issue with academia. But then it came to applying for jobs. And that was when I realized, okay, so the financials we're looking at. And by the way, in the UK, a postdoc will start at 30, maybe 35, 000 pounds. So salary. Yeah. And that's someone who's finished a PhD.
- [02:52]
Podcast Host
Wow.
- [02:52]
Amina Yunus
Working in academia. So that's, you know, obviously super, super low. And then your work hours are crazy. You're working Monday to Friday, maybe on the weekends. And then your job security is really, really, it's really bad. In the uk, academics get two year contracts, maybe three years. There's no permanent positions after which you're applying for a grant. So you're constantly having to like get money for your job essentially.
- [03:15]
Podcast Host
Wow.
- [03:15]
Amina Yunus
This is not the life that I want to lead as a woman, as someone who wants to get married and have, I just thought this isn't a career that I want to be in. And like all the women that I'd see in that career were either unmarried or no kids. Didn't care about the family life, just wanted the career. And I was like, that's not what I want. I want the balance like I want both. So that led me down to going into more teaching and education. So I started a, a kind of balance between teaching and research. So I was doing like half the week of teaching and half the week of research.
- [03:47]
Podcast Host
Teaching at uni?
- [03:48]
Amina Yunus
Yeah, between uni and a school. So it was like one day in the university, it was like a special program. One day university, two days of school and then research. So best of everything. But that was only a three year program. So when I finished that then it was like, okay, now what? And that's how I ended up as an entrepreneur because I started a YouTube channel. And you can start, we can talk about that later. But that's when I realized I'm not going to get what I want from the balance of life, the financials I'm interested in the, the lifestyle I want. I'm not going to get that in academia.
- [04:20]
Podcast Host
You know what's like now reflecting on as well? Because I did the same thing I kind of jumped into law, you know, got my law degree, went into a firm. It's really only once you're at that point where you're like, I'm gonna get into the workforce now, that it kind of. The reality of it sets in and it's so wrong. Like, it's almost like you should have visibility over what the industry, what your job, what your life is going to look like before. Like, it's almost like you're robbed of the truth of it. Like, it kind of feels like that sometimes. So for anyone listening who's studying, try and get some. I always say when. When people who are law school or they're listening or they're studying anything, try and get some parallel real world experience. Because it, like academia even in the legal sense, is so different from practice. I almost think I could have gone straight to working for a law firm and learned what I needed to know there and skip the whole, you know, university thing. But that aside, that's just a personal anecdote for me. How did you feel making your first YouTube video? Because I'm sure you get this a lot. Yeah, I always get people asking me, like, what are some tips for starting a podcast? Should I be on YouTube? Like, tell me about your first time recording and posting a YouTube video.
- [05:30]
Amina Yunus
Do you know what? It's so different now, though. Like, I started in 2016 or 2015, I think it was. And back then it wasn't really a career. It was just, we want to have a bit of fun with it, you know, we like makeup, we like hair, we like fashion, we like whatever. Let's just talk about it. So that was where it came from for me. Me, it was just, I'm in the lab. There's no one that's speaking about the lab stuff and like the science and the education. So let me show what I do in the lab because I thought it was really cool. And no one I knew was in the lab. Like, none of my friends were doing any research stuff. Everyone was either doing like medicine or kind of more traditional sciences or accounting, finance, that kind of stuff, law. So, yeah, I just picked up the camera one day, I got a G7X and I just started recording in the lab, like, literally as easy as that. And I didn't think anything of it. I genuinely didn't think that it would get me to where I am today. Because it wasn't that back then, you know, And I think if I was to tell anyone now, I would say, don't think of the future, of what it could be. Just think about what you enjoy about it now. Because if I thought about it as a career back then, I wouldn't have been where I am now because I would have been too strategic with it. And I've seen that now. Like, I have a friend who wants to do a YouTube channel but is thinking about the long term career goals and she just can't start because she's constantly thinking like, it has to be perfect and it has to look a certain way and I, I need to look a certain way and speak in a certain way and I think just have fun with it and that you'll find your niche and the audience will find you and love who you are. So that's my advice.
- [07:03]
Podcast Host
I think it's almost better that, you know, you started in a, a bit more of a fun way because you do put so much pressure on yourself and you absolutely do hate the sound of your own voice. Like, especially mine wasn't really like a vlog. Right. It was more like, sit down. Me talking to camera. It took me 10 times to record the first episode. I was overthinking it because I had a concept, but it wasn't so much a business.
- [07:26]
Amina Yunus
Exactly.
- [07:26]
Podcast Host
Absolutely. Like, the more I thought about it, the longer I stalled and delayed it. Yeah. So kind of talk to me about your YouTube journey. Like, at what point were you like, wow, this is getting a lot of traction. At what point did you pivot and start going into niches? Like, it's all always really, like, you don't often get to hear people explain, you know, the growth and the story behind it.
- [07:44]
Amina Yunus
So I think for me, when I finished my PhD, I was no longer in the lab. So that was where I was kind of forced to think, what's next? Because now I don't have the lab to record in. You know, I don't have that content. I was doing. Yeah, I was doing weekly. It was called daily. Sorry, weekly PhD vlogs. So it was like Monday to even Saturday because I was going in sometimes on Saturday, but like a week vlog of my PhD, whatever I was doing. And then when I finished, I thought, okay, now what? I'm not there anymore. And then I started thinking about the questions that people were asking me in my comments. You know, how did you apply for a PhD? How did you get into university? Or like, how do you write a good essay? People asking me these questions all the time. And then I thought, why not just answer these questions through videos? So I started doing videos. How to write a good essay or like, how to write a good personal statement or what not to write in your personal statement. Things like that. And that was how I started, I guess, niching down into education and productivity. And then that's when the kind of the business started. Because then people were asking me, look at my work. Can you. Can I send you my essay? Can you look at my personal statement? And I was like, yeah, sure. And I would just accept it in my inbox. Like, if I scroll back to my inbox, there's so many messages there where I was replying back for free and just editing work just for the. Like, for the fun of it. Like genuinely for the fun of it. But then I got pregnant with my first child, and that was where I said, I actually can't do this anymore. Anymore. I can't sit around marking work on the side.
- [09:13]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [09:14]
Amina Yunus
And that was when I started. Yeah. For fun. That's when I started the business and hired others to do the job. Basically.
- [09:20]
Podcast Host
Amazing. Yeah. Like, you literally could never have predicted that just from doing.
- [09:25]
Amina Yunus
I was forced into every next stage, basically.
- [09:28]
Podcast Host
Or led, maybe divinely led.
- [09:30]
Amina Yunus
I didn't want to. I was. Yeah. I was like, you know, sometimes you have to also just go with the flow and not. Not go against it. I was, you know, because of the position that I was in, I kind of. I either quit doing what I was doing, you know, helping students, or I said, you know what, what's another way around it? So it's being adaptable that I think I would really commend myself. And I'm grateful that I. I was adaptable.
- [09:53]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [09:54]
Amina Yunus
And I said, you know what? Why not give this somebody else? Why not start a business? Why not do videos about this thing? Don't just give up on it. What, just try something else.
- [10:02]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [10:02]
Amina Yunus
And if it didn't work out, it didn't work out. And that was okay.
- [10:05]
Podcast Host
It's a massive testament, though, to you and your mindset, because you do have an opportunity at each of these moments. It's not to say every single thing you do has to turn into a business, but simply allowing yourself to explore it and try it and not have that pressure of or has to become this massive thing or not like it. It also teaches you what you don't like as much as what you do like if it doesn't eventuate.
- [10:25]
Amina Yunus
Yeah.
- [10:26]
Podcast Host
I love that you bunker down on productivity because it's such a cool subject. It's one I'm really personally. You know, product being productive is a value of mine. It's something I'd like to Optimize my time. I'm very considered and intentional with how I spend my time. So I'd love to know from the productivity guru herself what is a productivity myth that we are all misled by?
- [10:49]
Amina Yunus
That you can do it all or that you can have it all. You know, if I'm productive or if I wake up at five o', clock, I can get everything on my to do list done. I can be with the kids if you have kids, I can also go to work. I can also have a good relationship with my friends and my husband and my colleagues and you. It's just not possible. No matter how productive you are, you'll just burn yourself out.
- [11:13]
Podcast Host
So what's the antidote to this myth?
- [11:15]
Amina Yunus
So for me it's, this is what's worked. For me, it's understanding what my values are in life. So for me, I always say I have four Essentially, it's faith in some capacity, family, so that could be my kids, you know, my parents, etc, relationships. So again, husband, friends, and then health. So my own looking after myself. So if I've tapped into each of these in some capacity during every day, I'm happy. Sometimes health will be 1% because I walk down the stairs and that's okay. And other times family will be 99% of the day and that's also okay. But if I've tapped into every single bit, some percentage, then I'm happy. And I think I've realized that you can't have my. I can't have the 25 split for every day. It's just not possible. And I think when I realized that actually, especially after having kids, I realized that there's no way I can spend, I can time block from 8 to 5 every single day. I just can't do that because I have a crying baby at some points and I can't predict when that baby's gonna cry. So when I say to myself, actually, you know what, if you are able to do X thing in the day that will tap into being healthy, that could be going for a quick jog or going to the gym for half an hour, then that's great, that's a great success. And that's how I justify. And that's kind of how I've been going for the past almost five years. And, and it's worked for me.
- [12:40]
Podcast Host
Yeah, yeah, I. Well, you know, the name of the show is the Balance Theory. So I have a theory about balance which is actually quite aligned with what you've just shared. And it's basically, you've Got three areas, health, relationships and fulfillment. But of course, like adding extra buckets such as faith and things like that, that make sense for the listeners or yourself is definitely the way to go about it. My intention with it was always that it was flexible enough that people can take it and make it make sense for themselves. Because my pain point was I was chasing this idea of work, life, balance. And when I really thought about that and what I was ch, I'd never sat down to actually think about what does this mean for me. And when I thought about that concept, it made me feel like A, work and life were separate, there's no combining of the two and B, that there had to be this 50, 50 kind of split. And it was just so unrealistic. So spending most of my time at work, I was working in corporate. I constantly felt drained and overwhelmed. I felt guilty, I wasn't doing enough. But I at the same time was splitting myself in 80 different parts. So for me it really is quite similar. It's getting clear on. I call them your non negotiables.
- [13:51]
Amina Yunus
Yeah.
- [13:51]
Podcast Host
And this is not your 50 page ideal morning routine. It is the two or three things in each of those areas that if you have, if you can make a part of your routine or if you can actually build your schedule your time around those things first, then you will have your sense of balance because you're prioritizing the things that are most important. You know, there's a saying, make the most important thing the most important thing. And this is your way of doing that, or saying, actually my health is important. And because it's important, this is how I'm starting my day or finishing my day, whatever that looks like.
- [14:22]
Amina Yunus
Exactly. And based off of what you've just said, I actually kind of have to do lists based on that priority, like the non negotiables. So when I have my to do list, it used to be 10 things long. And then I'm just sat there like, where do I even begin? Like, you know what, which, which thing do I start with? And you tend to start with the easiest thing, which is usually the least impactful thing. But then when I realized, you know what you've said? And I realized kind of like five years ago, I said to myself, actually from those 10, these three are the ones I need to tackle. They're the non negotiable. I have to send this invoice, let's say I have to create this content and I have to do this training. Those are three things I have to do. So let's Start there. And once I do those three, the rest of them, that's I'm successful bonus.
- [15:08]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [15:09]
Amina Yunus
And I always do that now.
- [15:10]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [15:10]
Amina Yunus
So today, today I was writing my list today. I was like, I've done these two things already in the morning.
- [15:16]
Podcast Host
I agree. And, you know, actually becoming pregnant for me has shifted. I'd like to actually hear your experience too, but it's shifted the way I've started to look at my productivity. Yeah. I had this perception that, you know, I. I'm going through transition. I'm going through knowing myself my whole life. I'm 29 years old. I've never had to. Of course I think about my husband and like to do things for him. But for the large part, I've been able to put myself first and be quite selfish in that regard. I know I'm about to go through a big shift and a big life change, and I really genuinely thought that that would happen the moment I met my baby. But it honestly started happening for me when I fell pregnant because my body was telling me what. What it needed from me. It wasn't a case of, oh, you're just growing this baby and chilling. Like, I have to say, touchwood. Like, I've had a beautiful pregnancy. I really have enjoyed it, and it's been amazing. But I have been tired and my energy has been a lot less than normal. That's a very warranted part of growing a human. Exactly. But already I've had to start thinking, reshifting the way I think about my productivity and my time. So instead of planning my week with five things on every day, I'm literally not allowing myself to put more than one or two things. Then I have a running list on the side. If there's extra things I can do and I've got the energy for, great. But I've already had to rewire my understanding of what does it mean for me to have shown up today, what does it mean for me to have been productive? And I feel grateful to have both my best friend and my sister who have babies. So even just talking to them has opened my mind to actually, you might have a whole day where you're lying in bed with the baby doing nothing. That's the most productive thing you can do for your baby, for yourself, for your recovery. So it's like productivity for me now is taking this new transition. I'd love to know how motherhood, pregnancy has. Has sort of changed or amplified anything that you taught or used to speak about, about productivity. Yeah.
- [17:15]
Amina Yunus
I feel like you've Definitely described what I went through. And I was such a perfectionist before in terms of like my time. I was like, this is the time I'm gonna wake up and I'm a morning person. I've always been a morning person. This is what I'm gonna do at this time. And I always followed through that because like you said, there was no one else I had to do anything for. And I think that's also a privilege. But I was just by myself. And even in my parents house they were always like, didn't ask me to do anything. It was just you do your work, your career, your PhD, that's all. So I had no responsibilities. I was such a daughter then I had kids. And I think what I learned was I have no control. Like for to go from being someone who's so controlling over their time and what they do to having zero control. I had to. That was my biggest struggle after having kids, thankfully. I mean, it's not a crazy struggle because I know others have a lot worse. But for me it was just knowing that you have no control. So be adaptable. Learn how to accept some days are great, productive days and some days are not productive in the things that you might think are productive, which are, you know, work, career, editing, whatever. But actually like you said, you've been, I've been with the baby all day. I've, you know, I fed the baby, like especially, you know, you fed the baby, you've fed yourself, you've had a, you've had a shower, you've, you know, changed the baby's nappy. All these things are productive things. You've grown, you know, you've grown a human, you're recovering. And I think I had to relearn, unlearn and relearn what productivity meant. And it's not just productivity in the kind of consumer sense like you are productive and the outcome is financial or the outcome is the ladder immaterial. There's also productive in the just being a woman and being a mother and just, and raising and raising your child. That is also a part of productivity. And you know, especially like when I think about, even like my religion, when you're pregnant, you're not supposed to fast. When you're pregnant, there's so many things that you're exempt for because you're seen as, you're already working so hard, doing this thing that we see as not productive, but you're, you're being so productive and then even after you give birth for 40 days, you're not really meant to do anything except for feed your child and feed yourself. If you have the luxury of having, like, parents nearby, you just sit in bed for 40 days and do absolutely nothing. And we just, you know, these are notions that we've just rejected in certain parts of the world. But I. I was lucky enough to have that where at home. I was in London in my mom's house for 40 days. It was Covid. So, like, everyone was locked, Locked down. But I just, I just, just, just fed my child and myself for 40 days. And in my head, I had to. That was my first. I'm thinking, oh, my God, I'm not doing anything. Like, I was not doing anything. I was so still. But I also realized this is the most productive thing that I could be doing in this moment in time. So it's just relearning that and understanding you have phases as well. In that phase, this, this is your time to do nothing. Like, and that's the best thing you can do.
- [20:22]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [20:23]
Amina Yunus
But later on when the child is like six months and they're kind of sitting around and whatever then. And you know, you could do something in that time and that's okay, you know, but understanding that there's phases of productivity and that's fine.
- [20:33]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [20:33]
Amina Yunus
That's beautiful.
- [20:34]
Podcast Host
It also kind of brings me back full circle to the idea of it really comes down to how we measure it.
- [20:38]
Amina Yunus
Yeah.
- [20:39]
Podcast Host
And that's what I think I needed to change the. My guest pretext on it was no longer measuring it from this kind of corporate.
- [20:49]
Amina Yunus
Exactly.
- [20:49]
Podcast Host
Capitalist kind of way of looking at it. My sister also gave me a really beautiful thing because she knows I'm like, we're very different. She's very go with the flow, artsy, creative, creative. Last minute. I'm very structured and organized.
- [21:02]
Amina Yunus
So she literally.
- [21:02]
Podcast Host
We were talking on the phone one day and I was saying, you know, I'm like, I'm just feeling a bit frustrated because I just, I'm not able to do what I need. She goes, what I need you to do right now is put on your bloody to do list. Today. I grew an organ. Like, you've literally done something so amazing. And I'm kind of grateful I have. You know, I've had this podcast for five years now. I have been very curious about self development and self awareness and getting to know myself and just having that curiosity. So I'm really grateful for that perspective because it's allowed me to actually enjoy and surrender to the pregnancy. So now I'm like, if I need to sleep, I just prioritize that. And I again, I feel very grateful that I've created a working situation where I can work from home and I can prioritize my body's telling me. But mentally it was a bit of a shift for me, like really having to change and I know that's going to take a new form when baby actually arrives too, but it's just interesting. Like we always think of quick productivity hacks and things like that. They're important, but acknowledging that there's seasons as well and things are temporary and what looks productive one day looks very different another is, is very important conversation to have.
- [22:10]
Amina Yunus
And you know, now that I'm five years, so my, my son's five and that my daughter's three, now that I'm kind of out of that like newborn baby side, I, I'm now, I can now be as productive as I want.
- [22:22]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [22:22]
Amina Yunus
You know, and so it was just that it's a phase of my life, two, three years where I had to just succumb to whatever needs that they had and now they're in school and I have the whole day to myself to be as productive as I want.
- [22:36]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [22:37]
Amina Yunus
So it's just a phase and it does pass.
- [22:39]
Podcast Host
And, and I'm sure you look very fondly back at those early days of just being in your bubble.
- [22:44]
Amina Yunus
Exactly. I don't regret not being there for them.
- [22:46]
Podcast Host
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So now I guess we're coming out of that more gentle time where productivity looks a bit different if we kind of come back to being with it every day. And you're in a season where you're getting stuff done. You have this great video which talks about four one minute hacks that will save you up to 20 hours a week. So for people that are very time poor, this is sounding incredible. Can you share the most powerful one with us? Yeah.
- [23:10]
Amina Yunus
That video really blew up because it.
- [23:13]
Podcast Host
Even came across my homepage.
- [23:14]
Amina Yunus
It was so basic I didn't expect it to do so well. Just always the ones I know. So that you don't care about. Um, yeah, so there's, there's one rule in particular that I, again, it's after motherhood that I kind of started using a lot more. And it's a two minute rule. And this is where if something can just take you two minutes to do, just do it. Like don't think about it, don't put it on a to do list, don't do it later, Just get it done. So that could be replying to an email that could be just quickly tidying up the Clothes that's in the corner of the chair, whatever it is that you need to do that would just take you two or three, you know, a few minutes. Just do it.
- [23:48]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [23:49]
Amina Yunus
And I swear it's changed everything because there's so many times that like I'll take my clothes off and I'll just chuck it on my bed when I could have just put it in my wardrobe. It would have taken less than two minutes.
- [23:58]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [23:58]
Amina Yunus
But then at the end of the day I've got this pile, you know, why don't I just do it?
- [24:02]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [24:02]
Amina Yunus
And now I don't have a pile. Like I just put everything away. I do what needs to be done. If it can just take two minutes. And also sometimes things take more than two minutes. But giving yourself that initial two minutes to get started means that you will carry on. Yeah, most likely will carry on. So not only getting lets you do the thing, but also overcomes that like block or barrier where you might not want to continue to do the thing, but you now started so you'll continue.
- [24:26]
Podcast Host
Yeah, yeah. I do like this rule because I have a few friends and you know, people, people have very different personalities. You always had people at school that are very last minute, but that's because they work well under pressure. And then you have people that take their time with the sign. You know, there's different types of people and that translates into adult life too. But I do have this one friend and she's always like, I just want to be more, you know, like proactive and not procrastinate things. I want to write a list. I just want to get through it. Something like this is like such a low hanging fruit where you're like, if you just promise yourself to stick to it, if it's two minutes, just do it in the moment. Can really kind of pull you out of that. But in that realm of procrastination, any other kind of tips or things that you've seen work really well for people who really struggle with that from time to time?
- [25:13]
Amina Yunus
Writing things down. I think a lot of us now are very much phone, you know, to do lists on the phone, calendar on the phone. Very technology. And I think, you know, ultimately our brains are wired to remember. And there's research that shows that if you write things down, actually, you know, physically write things down, you remember it more. You, you, it's in your memory and then when you tick it off, it feels better as well. Yeah, exactly. And I, I still do it today. Like I have something in my face, my, on my phone. But I also will write on paper and it just makes me feel so good. So I think if someone's struggling, just actually writing things down, what is it that's your priority? What is it you need to do? And then saying to yourself, right, I'm now going to tackle this thing and you've, it's just a mental like hack essentially. And then when you've ticked it off, you just feel so good. So that's, that's what's worked for me.
- [26:02]
Podcast Host
Yeah, yeah. No, I'm, I'm, I say I'm very old school. I actually have, I have this planner. It's not dated, it's just Monday to Sunday every week. And I just use it to literally on a Sunday I'll sit down and I'll write out all my meetings, my two, three things that I'm gonna do every single day. And then my running list. And it's just like this ongoing thing of things I'm keeping on top of. Yeah, I'm really excited to wind that down and have hardly anything on it as I'm nearing.
- [26:28]
Amina Yunus
Yeah.
- [26:29]
Podcast Host
Actually the girl interviewed before you, she was like, I'm now 34 weeks as of moment of this recording check. I gave birth 35. I was like, oh my God, my list ain't ready for that. I better start unwinding it now.
- [26:40]
Amina Yunus
I mean that's the thing when I, you know. No, I think with pregnancy and motherhood and babies, it's so unpredictable. So unpredictable. From the minute you get pregnant, anything goes. Anything goes. And you need to be ready to accept anything. Like literally anything. You go to give birth, you have the best like birthing plan and the most natural and C section, you know, or something. You know, it's, it's. And everything's okay. It's okay. That's the thing that I think we, when we need to change our mindsets from the corporate, like to the corporate, the very consumer, the very like strict career, we can control everything to. It's, it's okay as long as you're healthy, your baby's healthy. Whatever happens, you're going to overcome it and you're going to be okay. So I think that's the main thing that I always try to remember. Yeah.
- [27:28]
Podcast Host
Given, given your. I guess similar to mean like a type like to achieve things. Is that something you struggled to learn, that surrender piece? Do you think motherhood helped you like kind of accelerate leaning into that or was it just an ex, like over many experiences you really were able to embrace that.
- [27:44]
Amina Yunus
I think help is a kind Word. It forced me into it. Like, you have no choice. You know, you just like kind of sitting, suffering.
- [27:54]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [27:54]
Amina Yunus
Like you just. You as you have, you know, at the end of the day, you have this baby, you have no control over what, what goes down. But you do have two options. You either kind of succumb to it and you just kind of lose control even more. And you just say, I don't. You know, you kind of just don't have any strategy. You don't learn or try to understand or try to make the most of it, and then you end up in a bigger hole than you were before and really struggling. Or you can say, you know what? I have, I'm in this situation. How can I best. What's the best thing I can do? What is not productivity wise, but just let you know, what's the best thing I can do now for myself, for the baby, for my mental health. What can I do to help with the situation I'm in now? Should I go for a walk? Is it the simple things I need to do and can I ask for help? Can I get support from other people? That's a really big one. From your partner, from, you know, if your parents are around, from friends. Don't be afraid to ask for help again, Type A. You like to do everything by yourself, but don't you stop. Like, you, you need help. You need to ask for help and communicate how you feel to anyone who's around you because they can't read your mind.
- [29:02]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [29:03]
Amina Yunus
And you, you just change yourself. Like, I never used to cry. Like, I never, I never shed a tear, never had a child.
- [29:11]
Podcast Host
Yeah, Yeah.
- [29:13]
Amina Yunus
I couldn't be thinking about something like my child and I'll cry.
- [29:15]
Podcast Host
Oh, God, I'm already a crier.
- [29:17]
Amina Yunus
So, yeah, it'll get worse. It'll get 10 times worse. And you're just like, what's happening to me? Because, you know, I was 20. I. Same as you. I was 29 when I had my son. So 29 years of being an adult is when I was being alive. You think you know yourself and then you just. Everything changes and you're like, okay, I have to learn who I am all over again. And that's completely okay. Yeah, yeah. So it's just a constant unlet, being able to accept that you've changed, your life has changed. It's not going to look the same anymore. And that's okay.
- [29:47]
Podcast Host
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Coming back to, like, the seasons as well. Productivity takes different seasons. And I actually want to take this conversation slightly different direction. Kind of talk about the role of AI and technology. So you kind of mentioned, you know, we've already moved away from maybe writing things down to defaulting on our phone. I think a lot of people are scared of AI. What do you personally think? Is it something to welcome with open arms in the context of productivity and actually like making our lives better, or should we be scared of it?
- [30:19]
Amina Yunus
Not to be scared of it? I think that's the first thing. Don't be scared of it. But I think we all need to learn how to use it best in the different aspects of life. So that could be career, that could be personal life, that could be, you know, as a student in education. There's so many different kind of facets of life where AI is coming into play now. So I think the one, the first thing I would say is educate yourself. Don't be the person that says, oh, it's, it's cheating, for example, in school, or it's going to make you, you know, less smart or whatever. And then it'd be left behind. We're already, what, 20, 22, we're three years in and there's some people that still haven't even thought about AI and reject it's, you know, it being around. And I think it's here now. So, number one, educate yourself. And then number two, think about ways that AI will help you, you. So in productivity, for example, it can help you. Let's say you had that to do. List the 10 points I just, I mentioned earlier. Put those 10 points into, let's say Chachi Beatty and say, What? From these 10 points, I have one hour. What, what would be the most productive thing? Or what is the biggest priority or biggest, you know, impactful task that I can do first? And it can take away that thinking that, which is just fine. It mean, it just means that you'll get doing quickly or which, you know, which of these things can I automate? Or which of these things can I delegate? Or how can I do this task quicker, for example? And I just think if we are open to understanding that AI should be an assistant, it can be a tool. It's like having an employee rather than it taking over you and your mind. So you are the inputs, you're inputting the information and AI is helping you with your outputs. And that's kind of how I see it. I use it every day.
- [32:07]
Podcast Host
Oh, me too. I'm not even gonna deny it for anything. It is, that's it. But that's exactly how I view it. I view it as an assistant that, that really if it, if it can do tasks for me, then that is a time saver for me. Like the, the critical thinking, the creativity, the vision, all of that is still mine. It's just the heavy lifting of putting all those things in a one page document so I could share it with someone else, you know, or, or just asking it for different angles. Like it actually can help with brainstorming and helping you think about different angles and things you haven't thought about before.
- [32:40]
Amina Yunus
Yeah.
- [32:42]
Podcast Host
Are there any other like outside of Chat gbt? I mean already I don't even Google. I tried to Google something the other day and I was like why am I even bothering? Like I'm not getting my answer within five seconds. Like it's crazy how fast we've adapted. Any other AIs or tools like apps or anything like that that you've found really, really useful? Maybe not even just for productivity, just in general in day to day life.
- [33:03]
Amina Yunus
So there's the family, there's like the ChatGPT family which is essentially like a Google, like a search engine.
- [33:08]
Podcast Host
Open.
- [33:09]
Amina Yunus
Yeah. So you have, you have ChatGPT which is the most popular one. But I really like Gemini. I think it's another really good one. Claude is also really good. And actually these can help you a lot better when it comes to like creating projects, getting any kind of brainstorming output. And the reason why I like them over ChatGPT is because they use like real life, like current data. Whereas Chat GPT tends to be a little bit outdated in, in what it gives and references are fake and things like that. So I prefer the other kind of tools like, like I said, like Perplexity. They're all really good. And then kind of I'm in the academic sphere mostly so there's a ton of academic platforms like Anara Hamata where you can upload a document, a research paper and get a summary of that paper in seconds or ask any question about that paper. I'm sure you're like, for example, you're in law, you have to upload documents.
- [34:01]
Podcast Host
Yeah, I used to have to trail through like libraries and you'd never get your answer and certain things you'd have to pay for. Headache.
- [34:08]
Amina Yunus
No. So there's actually now specific law. There's one recently that I a talk that I went to from a quite big law firm in the uae. They've paired up with a law like AI tool in, in America and they're adding like Arabic into it now. So you can basically upload any Arabic legal like document and then ask a question about it in English and it can relate to the UAE law or whatever. So translating between languages and it's really cool. And because they're made for like, let's say lawyers, it'll be private and sensitive and whatever. So it's, It's. I think it's the future. And I. And people always ask me, does that mean that you will lose jobs or does that mean that it's. It will lead to jobs being replaced by these AI tools? And I actually think the opposite's happening. In a weird way, I would have initially said that, yeah, maybe jobs be lost, but actually, because now we have AI, we can get more done. So now, rather than saying let the AI do it, I might hire someone who is an AI expert or who is really good at AI to now do this different job, which they would use AI to do. Whereas before it might not be possible to be able to. I'd have to maybe hire a specific person to create that image or video. But now I can hire someone who's an AI expert to create it with AI. So, yeah, I don't think people are losing jobs. I think it's making more jobs.
- [35:27]
Podcast Host
Yeah. And I think if anything, because it takes out a certain administrative mental part of even what I do every day, it's freeing me up to do other things better. So that's just kind of how I see it. I have a very optimistic outfit. Definitely perspective. Sorry. On AI in the future, but it's such a. It's a crazy space. Like how quickly it's evolved, but definitely made me more productive.
- [35:49]
Amina Yunus
Like. Yeah. Oh, for sure.
- [35:50]
Podcast Host
In terms of cutting down my time and making me more efficient and succinct and. Yeah, I do love it. I'm a big fan.
- [35:56]
Amina Yunus
It's. It's big. I mean, I. I'm thinking about trying to create my own AI tool, hopefully. Because I think, you know, everyone's. It's like a. It's like the dot com wave on. Yeah. Wants to make websites and everyone's doing it now. Like, everyone's creating AI stuff for sure.
- [36:08]
Podcast Host
In the space you're operating in.
- [36:10]
Amina Yunus
Yeah. And it's not too late. It's still super, super early. So I'd love to create my own AI tool because I just feel like it would mean that I am able to dictate what this AI tool does to help in academia. Probably students doing, you know, their research or their work or their writing. And I think it'll be really cool. And the uae, not sure if you heard, but They've announced, I think it was like last month, that AI will now be a subject in every single school.
- [36:36]
Podcast Host
Oh, cool.
- [36:36]
Amina Yunus
I didn't hear that. Oh, yeah, it was last week. It was big news that. That AI will be a subject in the curriculum as mandatory in every single school from, I believe, next academic year. So that's massive. It's the first country in the world to, you know, have something like this. So it just goes to show, if students and kids now are learning about AI and what it can do in coding and creating, that's the future. And being in this, being the UAE has. Yeah, for me, it's the best possible place when it comes to AI. Yeah. Especially coming from somewhere that's a bit more traditional. And I'm. When I was speaking to universities in London, that pushed me away. They're like, no, we're not interested. It's not ethical. And here it's like, come to this talk and, you know, come to this conference. And Dubai AI week was like two weeks. I think it was like a month ago. It's just. Yeah, it's the best place to be when it comes to, like, future and tech.
- [37:26]
Podcast Host
It definitely, like, I always say this about Dubai. I think people look at it as this. This luxurious, fancy place, and they really miss the heart of what it is, which is a hub of creators and innovators and. And people wanting to be progressive, and that is matched by the rules and regulations here that actually create that environment for it to happen. It's a really amazing place, actually. Yeah. To expand personally, professionally, to connect with people that are on that level too. So it's definitely amazing. Massive advancement, for sure. Last question. Can you finish this sentence for me? One thing I no longer feel the need to prove is.
- [38:09]
Amina Yunus
My worth in the spaces that I'm in. I think being in academia specifically and being in London, the uk, you don't necessarily see people that look like me or even as young as I am, or even a woman, to be honest. A lot of the time it's older men. And there were many conferences I went to, many times, I gave talks, and I just couldn't see anyone that even remotely looked like me in a city, by the way, that's very multicultural. So I always had to kind of prove, you know, I'm a PhD student and, you know, this is what I've done, this is the research I've done, and this is, you know, what I'm doing. And now I don't. I just don't, you know, don't. I don't need to prove myself. I know what, I know what value I have. I know what I have done in life. I know, yes, I'm still young, but I've achieved what I've achieved. And I don't have to say anymore. I feel like sometimes as women especially, we feel like we always have to prove ourselves and what we do and our titles and who we are. And I just, I just don't say anymore. I just say, hi, yeah, my name is Amina. Yeah, and my husband's the other side. Like, tell him what you do. Like, you know, they'll figure out at the end. And yeah, just being okay with my. The fact that my career and my who I am and my credentials don't dictate who, you know, my value and who I am.
- [39:29]
Podcast Host
I love that.
- [39:30]
Amina Yunus
Yeah.
- [39:30]
Podcast Host
You know, the reason I love that is because I went through a very similar kind of evolution of realizing my job isn't who I am, the things I've achieved are not who I am. Who I am is my energy. It's the way I connect with people. It's doing things I say I'm going to do. It's constantly getting to know myself. It's all these things that you really can't explain to someone. And I remember meeting someone, I think I was in Bali or something and he said, oh, this is my mate Jeff. He's got two dogs and he loves surfing. And I was like, that's such a nice way to meet someone, you know. All of this to say, you know, you don't need to justify yourself to people. Quick kind of side thought from me. What advice would you give to someone who feels they are constantly having to do that? It might be with people they know, like family, friends, work, situations. Like, what advice do you have for them to maybe start leaning less into that and more into just being okay with who they are and where they're at.
- [40:24]
Amina Yunus
It's. It's inner work that does come from inside. You have to try to unidentify with all the, you know, credentials. And I think it's really hard to spend most of your life at university or school, education or work and that becomes who you are. One practical thing I would say is just go to things or do activities that are not work related. So maybe go to like a pottery class, go by yourself, go to the gym by yourself. And when you meet someone, you won't be like, hi, I'm a doctor. You won't say that. You'll just be like, hey, I'm, I live in Dubai. I live in whatever. And you'll just start talking to people. So you're going to places where there'll be anyone and everyone and you're not having to. You're not there because of who you are or your job or your position.
- [41:08]
Podcast Host
Yeah. Like we're both not there valuing being lawyers and we're always in that same situation.
- [41:12]
Amina Yunus
I'm there because I'm. I like pottery and you're there because you like pottery. I might be unemployed and you might employ. Who cares? And I think that's. I found that to be really helpful. And don't go with a friend because if you go with a friend, you're just going to speak to that friend and you'll intimidate other people because they're not going to approach you. If you're with someone, just go by yourself, be okay with it and you'll find something that you enjoy. I did calligraphy here.
- [41:34]
Podcast Host
Nice. Like a class. Yeah.
- [41:35]
Amina Yunus
So it's in charge. I live in Sharjah, so. So it was a class. It was a calligraphy museum. It's free class. Really cool. Fully in Arabic and I'm trying to learn it and I'm just there, like I can understand but I just ended up speaking to people next to me. I have no idea who they are and it was really fun and got to do some calligraphy and I don't know who I am. I don't know who they are. And it's completely okay.
- [41:57]
Podcast Host
Yeah. That's like a no agenda task. Like you're just going for the sake of enjoying. Yeah. Funny. Said pottery I actually did last year for about three, about six months. I went to a studio, just got a membership largely because I was spending so much money on ceramics and I was like, girl, just upskill. And like make stuff for your own house. And that was really fun. Just met people on like a. No. You know, like networking without an agenda is such a nice thing to do.
- [42:20]
Amina Yunus
Exactly, exactly. And the only thing that matters is how good you are. Pottery, you know, whether you can do it or not.
- [42:26]
Podcast Host
How good I was getting.
- [42:27]
Amina Yunus
Oh, yeah. How could you? Well, not. But like that was. That was this, you know, that was the bar.
- [42:30]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [42:31]
Amina Yunus
It's not what you do, how much money you have and waste and that's quite nice. Yeah, it's quite a nice place to be.
- [42:36]
Podcast Host
Well, Amina, it's been lovely sharing. Thanks for having me an interview with you today.
- [42:40]
Amina Yunus
It's been so fast.
- [42:41]
Podcast Host
Yeah, I know it's gone quick. It's been really nice chatting with you a little more about all the niches that make up you and getting to know you and your Persona lot deeply. So thank you for sharing your time with me today.
- [42:54]
Amina Yunus
Appreciate it.
- [42:55]
Podcast Host
Thank you so much for staying in touch.
- [42:56]
Amina Yunus
Yeah, best of luck with baby.
- [42:57]
Podcast Host
Thank you.
- [43:11]
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- [43:26]
Amina Yunus
Up.
- [43:27]
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