Part of the “More Than One International Women’s Day” Miniseries available on La Mami Life Podcast

There are women who don’t just change careers.
They change the entire direction of their lives.

This episode of La Mami Life Podcast kicks off our “More Than One International Women’s Day” Miniseries conversations about identity, reinvention, and the courage to choose yourself  and I could not imagine a more powerful way to begin than with Arezo, founder of Mommy and Me Dance Málaga.

Her story is not just about entrepreneurship.
It’s about healing. Belonging. And choosing joy as resistance.

From Afghanistan to Germany: Growing Up in Survival Mode

Arezo was born in Afghanistan and raised in Germany as a refugee child.

From a young age, she learned how to function at a high level.
Achievement wasn’t optional,  it was survival.

She became an academic researcher specializing in migration, racism, gender inequality, and social structures. She was good at it. Scholarships. Recognition. Expertise.

On paper, she was thriving.

But internally?

The topics she studied were not abstract. They were lived. They were heavy. And over time, they began to weigh on her soul.

She describes living in “functioning mode.” High-performing. Capable. Accomplished.
But disconnected from herself.

The Pregnancy That Changed Everything

When she became pregnant with her first daughter, it was a high-risk pregnancy. She was forced to stop working.

For the first time in her life, she had space to think.

And that’s when the blockages began.

Every time she tried to work on her PhD, she felt stuck. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

Her gynecologist eventually told her the stress of the PhD was too much.

Around that time, she watched a TED Talk where the speaker said:

“Blockages are always messages.”

That sentence stayed with her.

Instead of pushing through, she paused. And she began an inner journey.

Quitting the PhD: The Identity Crisis No One Talks About

After a year and a half of trying to balance motherhood, academic pressure, and deep inner work, she made a radical decision:

She quit.

Her professor couldn’t believe it. He kept the door open for a year, assuming she was just an overwhelmed new mom.

Her husband initially hoped she would finish. Eventually, he supported her.

But the hardest part?

Not knowing who she would be without that title.

Arezo grew up in hustle mode. Always asking:

• What do others need from me?
• What is expected of me?
• What is the next achievement?

She had never asked:

• What do I want?
• What feels aligned?
• Who am I outside of performance?

That question, “Who am I?”  became the foundation of her reinvention.

When Therapy Doesn’t See You

She began therapy in Germany, but something felt off. She felt unseen.

As a refugee woman navigating layered identity and generational trauma, she felt her experience wasn’t fully understood.

So she did what high-functioning women often do:

She researched everything herself.

She found virtual mentors. Listened to podcasts. Walked for hours. Reflected. Journaled. Sat with discomfort.

She stopped operating from survival.
And started operating from consciousness.

The Move to Málaga: Choosing Lifestyle on Purpose

Years before quitting her PhD, she and her husband had dreamed of living in Spain.

They had vacationed in Málaga seven years in a row. Every time, they felt it.

“This is where we belong.”

After quitting academia, that dream moved from “one day” to “now.”

And they made the move.

For many women, reinvention doesn’t happen in one dramatic moment. It happens through layered decisions:

• Choosing health over status
• Choosing peace over prestige
• Choosing location over expectation
• Choosing alignment over applause

Mommy and Me Dance Málaga: A Space for Mothers to Fully Be

Out of that journey was born Mommy and Me Dance Málaga.

But this isn’t just a dance class.

It’s a space.

A space where mothers:

• Move without judgment
• Connect with their children
• Reconnect with themselves
• Feel seen
• Feel held
• Feel belonging

Through movement and music, Arezo created what she once needed.

She built a community centered around presence instead of performance.

Choosing Joy as Resistance

One of the most powerful themes in our conversation was this:

Joy can be resistance.

For women who grew up carrying responsibility early.
For women who survived displacement.
For women who built identities around achievement.
For mothers navigating “mom brain,” exhaustion, and reinvention.

Choosing joy is not small.

It is radical.

Arezo’s journey is about:

• Belonging
• Courage
• Breaking inherited patterns
• Letting daughters grow free
• Refusing to pass down the weight of the world

And perhaps most importantly…

Giving yourself permission to choose differently.

Why This Story Matters for International Women’s Month

Our miniseries is called “More Than One International Women’s Day” because empowerment cannot be a single-day celebration.

It’s lived. Daily. Quietly. Courageously.

Arezo reminds us that empowerment is not always loud.

Sometimes it looks like:

• Closing a chapter no one expected you to close
• Moving countries
• Starting over without a clear plan
• Creating spaces that didn’t exist before

And sometimes, empowerment looks like dancing with your child on a random Tuesday morning in Málaga.

If You’re in a Season of Reinvention…

Maybe you’re not quitting a PhD.

Maybe you’re not moving countries.

But maybe you are:

• Feeling blocked
• Questioning your path
• Carrying expectations that aren’t yours
• Realizing your identity is shifting after motherhood

If that’s you, mami…

Blockages might be messages.

And you’re allowed to listen.

Listen to the Full Episode

🎙️ La Mami Life Podcast  “More Than One International Women’s Day”  Miniseries available on La Mami Life Podcast
Episode: From Refugee to Founder in Málaga

Follow Arezo and learn more about Mommy and Me Dance Málaga.

You are allowed to reinvent yourself.
More than once.

If this story resonated with you, I invite you to listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube Podcasts.

And if you enjoyed this conversation, take a moment to subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and share it with another mami who needs to hear this.

Your support helps us continue sharing stories that truly matter.

Xoxo,

 Julie