Interview with Rachel Peacock

Monika: Hey everyone, welcome to today’s interview! I’m so excited to be joined by an amazing guest, Rachel Peacock. Rachel is a gamer, YouTuber, veteran, and anime enthusiast, and she’s also a fellow transgender woman who’s been on an incredible journey. Today, we’re having a laid-back chat where Rachel will be sharing her story, talking about her passions, her experiences, and what it’s been like navigating life as a trans woman. Rachel, I’m so glad you’re here with me today!

Rachel: Thank you for having me! I’m happy to speak with you.

Monika: So Rachel, let’s start by hearing a bit about your journey. You’ve got such a fascinating background with gaming, your military experience, and being involved in so many cool things. Gaming has such a huge following, and for many people, it’s a form of self-expression. How did you first get into gaming?

Rachel: That’s a fair observation, I can definitely see it as a form of self-expression for some! Personally I’ve always been into gaming for about as long as I can remember, starting with a dusty old NES when I was 3 or so. My family would sometimes play with me and I enjoyed the puzzles, music, and stories. It’s a safe hobby that keeps you out of trouble. Also with the invention of online gaming, all your closest friends are a button push away! I moved a lot through my life but was able to keep close. Some people look down on gaming like you have no social life, but I could argue the opposite.

Interview with Farah Rustom

Monika: Thank you, Dr. Farah Rustom, for joining me today. Your life is an incredible testament to resilience, artistry, and the power of self-expression. From your pioneering work in Western classical music to your remarkable journey as a transgender woman, you’ve touched many lives and made a lasting impact. I admire you greatly, not only for your professional achievements but also for your courage and trailblazing path in the transgender community. As a fellow transgender woman, I deeply respect how you’ve paved the way for others like me, and I’m honored to be able to speak with you today. You are also the author of Becoming Farah: A Life in Bombay, 1943 to 1986, a biographical book published in 2023, where you share deeply personal reflections on your journey, your childhood in Bombay, and your transition. It’s a moving and powerful portrayal of your life and experiences. Thank you so much for accepting my invitation!

Farah: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me.

Interview with Björk

There is something wonderfully vivid about Björk’s story, a life where hair, music, identity, and reinvention seem to intertwine. A talented hairdresser from Iceland, she inherited her passion for hairstyling from a family that already carried the craft in its hands, with a grandfather who was a barber, a grandmother who was a hairstylist, and an aunt who followed the same path. Yet even as a child, Björk imagined herself in more than one role. First a hairstylist, then a singer, and eventually what she calls a “singing hairdresser,” she found a way to make both dreams part of the same life. Behind the glamorous hairstyles and playful love of pink, however, is a much more intimate story of survival and self-discovery. Björk speaks openly about her struggles with alcohol and substance abuse, and about the profound change that sobriety brought into her life. She also refuses to hide the difficult parts of her journey. Through social media, she has shared raw and painful experiences, including moments when she was attacked, believing that telling the truth about her own struggles might help someone else feel less alone.

 

Her story of coming into her own began remarkably early. As a child, she recognized herself in the story of a trans woman she saw on Icelandic television, even though witnessing the ridicule that followed made her afraid to reveal who she was. Years later, when she finally chose her own path, she also chose a name that had been waiting for her all along. Björk was the name her mother had intended for a daughter before she was born, a name that somehow remained hers to reclaim. Today, she speaks about transition not simply as a physical transformation, but as a journey toward self-love. She has learned to care less about external validation, to recognize that other people’s judgments do not define her, and to leave behind relationships that prevented her from becoming her true self. Her message is simple but powerful: learn to truly love yourself before looking for someone else to love you. Warm, candid, occasionally funny, and unafraid to be vulnerable, Björk embodies the idea that reinvention does not mean becoming someone new. Sometimes it means finally allowing the person who was always there to step into the light. And that is where our conversation with Björk begins.  

 

Interview with Erica Vogel

Monika: Today, I’m thrilled to be speaking with Erica Vogel, a courageous and insightful transgender woman who has navigated both personal and professional challenges with resilience and authenticity. Erica has over twenty years of experience in design and product management, spanning startups to Fortune 25 companies. She holds a master’s in Business Leadership and Management, as well as a DEI certification. Beyond her career, Erica is a queer wife, parent, and a strong advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. She has served on national leadership teams for corporate LGBTQIA employee resource groups and as a board member for a transgender-focused tech nonprofit. A passionate public speaker, Erica regularly addresses transgender issues in workplaces across the U.S. and she is the author of Advice from Your Trans Aunty (2024), a book that is full of heartfelt advice for those navigating the transgender and nonbinary experience. Hello Erica!

Erica: Hello! Thank you so much for inviting me to speak with you.