Interview with Jessika Janene

Monika: Today I have invited Jessika Janene, an inspirational American woman from Pittsburgh, PA, a creative professional, businesswoman, and founder of Jessika Janene Creative. Hello Jessika! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Jessika: Thank you for interviewing me, Monika. I think this platform you’ve built is amazing and allows all of us trans people to see that we are not alone.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jessika: I am a child of the 70s, born in ‘67 I grew up in the aftermath of the summer of love. I believe now I was always meant to live life as a woman but my egg didn’t crack until 2020. We had no words for it when I was a kid, in hindsight I can see all of the signs I was trans.

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments on social media?

Jessika: In the beginning of transition I feel it is important to try out your new self, to dress the part and walk the walk. Feedback and being seen are important. It felt safer than going out and testing my new look and persona in real life. I was petrified and felt like an imposter at first. I used Reddit and then Instagram to introduce myself to mostly kind people on those platforms. I also think it is a duty to be visible for other trans people just beginning their journey. If I can do it, so can anyone else!

Interview with Ellen Jansen

Monika: Today let me present Ellen Jansen, an inspirational woman from Maastricht, Netherlands. She is a businesswoman and founder of Cheappower4U, a company offering services in the field of energy transitions in residential construction. In addition, she is a coach and speaker, helping people, teams, and organizations with transformation processes. She is the author of "Eindelijk Ellen: ​​De Odyssee van een transgender vrouw" (2023) - Finally Ellen: The Odyssey of a transgender woman. Hello Ellen! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Ellen: Hi Monika! You’re welcome, happy to share my story.

Monika: I am really excited to talk to you. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ellen: Of course! I am 38 years old, residing in Maastricht as you already mentioned, which in my opinion is the most beautiful city in the Netherlands. I am an entrepreneur at heart and derive a great deal of passion from it. I have successfully developed a product that contributes to the energy transition in the Netherlands. Additionally, as you indicated, I coach individuals and organizations, and finally, I am an ambassador for Workplace Pride, a global foundation that advocates for inclusivity in the workplace.

Interview with Mia Karolys

Monika: Mia Karolys, also known as Mia Maquilon Karolys, is my lovely guest today. Mia is an Ecuadorian businesswoman, fashion designer, model, beauty queen, and social media expert. She is the founder of DRESSMEBYMIA, an online boutique with on-trend jewelry, clothing, and accessories, based in Athens, Greece. Hello Mia! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Mia: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me! I’m going to be an open book for you and your audience.

Monika: Great! Let’s read it through then! Could you say a few words about yourself?

Mia: I’m Mia Karolys, just a simple woman with a lot of dreams and the stamina for achieving them.

Monika: How did you choose Europe as your place to live? 

Mia: Well, that’s quite a question! I choose Europe because I wanted to seek a new life, luckily I fell in love with a European man, so I ran away from my country because of the danger of being an influencer as a trans woman.

Interview with Anatasia Loyd

Monika: Anatasia Loyd is my lovely guest today. She is a Thai social media influencer, blogger, and businesswoman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Anatasia! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Anatasia: Hello Monika! I am excited to share a little story with you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Anatasia: My name is Anatasia Loyd, but my friends call me (Asia) for short. I'm 36 years old, I am a Transgender woman and I live in Bangkok, Thailand.

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments on social media?

Anatasia: As a transgender woman, I believe that our journey offers hope for us to become who we truly are without fear of pursuing our dreams and finding happiness. I share inspiring stories with the hope of encouraging others to be open to different opinions and comments. We have hope in knowing that we are not alone in our struggles and challenges to live authentically.

Interview with Courtnei Lee

Monika: My guest today is Courtnei Lee, a Canadian entrepreneur, trans activist, businesswoman, and founder of OYT Cosmetics - a cosmetic line that was made for the LGBTQ+ community, especially for trans people who face discrimination and segregation daily. Hello Courtnei! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Courtnei: Thank you so much for having me! It’s an honor to be a part of such a beautiful blog!

Monika: I remember when I was at the very start of my transition and I went to a beauty shop to buy my female cosmetics for the first time, and I was totally overwhelmed by the number of products. The beauty industry is probably one of the most competitive industries. 

Courtnei: It’s definitely one of the most competitive and the problem is with all these huge brands, we're still not seeing proper representation! That’s something that we are working really hard to try and change.

Interview with Nora Dahmer

Monika: Today I have the pleasure of talking to Nora Dahmer, a German businesswoman and transgender activist from the Rhineland, and the author of "Endlich Nora!: Aus einem Transgenderleben" (Finally Nora!: From a Transgender Life). Hello Nora!

Nora: Hello Monika, nice to meet you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Nora: My name is Nora and I am 60 years old. For almost 3 years I have been living as a woman in society. I have two adult children. I advise companies on strategic issues as a freelancer. At the same time, I give lectures at schools and in companies for teachers and managers about LGBTQIA+.

Monika: What inspired you to write "Endlich Nora!: Aus einem Transgenderleben" (2022)?

Nora: With the decision to change my life, I sat down and reviewed everything for myself. Then I kept a kind of diary for myself practically during my transition from the moment I came out. I noticed how much was happening to me and my environment and decided to make a book out of my scripts. The aim was to help other people and to explain the background.

Interview with Cami Richardson

Monika: Today I am talking to Cami Richardson, an American businesswoman, former firefighter, Chief Financial Officer of American Skiing Company, and LGBTQ community advocate. She is the author of the autobiography "Do You Know Who I Once Was?" (2019). Hello Cami!

Cami: Hi Monika! I am thrilled to be able to talk with you today. I hope our conversation will be fruitful for those listening. I have some interesting stories to tell about my life that I think many people will find enjoyable.

Monika: You are a New York lady, right? Could you say a few words about yourself?

Cami: Growing up in New York was an interesting experience. At the young age of 8 years old, I started to wear my mother's underwear and stockings and loved the feeling of wearing women's clothes. I was a good Italian Irish Catholic boy and could not explain why I was interested in wearing my mother's clothes and obviously I could not tell anybody. I hid my secret for 55 years before I finally came out at the age of 63 years old. I think being in a New Yorker actually helped me in that it toughened me as an individual so that I could handle what was to come when I finally did transition.

Interview with Sarah Wolf

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Sarah Wolf, an American business consultant, businesswoman, and transgender woman from Seattle, Washington, that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Sarah!

Sarah: Hi Monika. Thank you for the opportunity to chat about my background.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Sarah: Well, I grew up in Colorado and Nebraska and have lived all over the US, but for the last 20 years I have lived in Seattle, Washington. I also work as a business consultant along with running a small business on the side.

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments via social media?

Sarah: I have always been open about my experience and having transitioned nearly twenty years ago, I wanted to offer my perspective on life and the experience of being a transgender woman who transitioned before the advent of social media.

Interview with Cassandra Grace

Monika: Today I would like to introduce to you Cassandra Grace, an American entrepreneur, change management consultant, the President and CEO of Graceful Change LLC, and author of Grace in Transition: The First Four Seasons (2021). Hello Cassandra!

 Cassandra: Hi! Thank you for this opportunity. I'm excited to talk with you!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Cassandra: Funny. Hot. Creative. Hot. Ambitious. Intense. Sweet. OK... those are a few words about me. :) Oh, you want me to go a little further? OK, cool. I am a very late-blooming trans woman who is incredibly grateful for the ability to finally be comfortable in my own skin.

I treat my transition as a literal miracle and try and appreciate every day of my life as a day that I never thought I would be able to experience. The joy that you see on my Instagram or the desire to help people that I express through my company is real, it is sincere, and it comes from a place of gratitude for this miracle. I'm also kind of funny. And hot. Did I mention that?

Interview with Angelica Volkonskaya

Monika: Today I am going to talk with Angelica Volkonskaya, a businesswoman, model, and transactivist from the capital city of Minsk in Belarus that shares her transition story on social media. I have never interviewed a sister from Belarus before, so I am very happy to meet you. Hello Angelica!

Angelica: Hello everyone! Hi Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Angelica: I am from the glorious city of Minsk. I am very glad that my passport includes the same information that I have always wanted to correct. And I am proud to say that according to my passport data, I am already Angelica. This is not an easy way, but it is worth living as you always wanted and felt.

Monika: You seem to be a woman of many talents.

Angelica: It is very difficult to talk about myself. Usually, other people talk about us because they can give a more accurate assessment. To say how good I am, I am not interested. I know only one thing, I constantly challenge everything and everyone, because I understand that in order to achieve something I must be strong in spirit.

Interview with Johanna

Monika: Today I am going to interview Johanna, a Swedish businesswoman and Managing Director in one of the biggest Swedish high-tech companies, and a happy parent. Hello Johanna!

Johanna: Hi there Monika! It’s a pleasure to meet you like this. And how fitting in these strange times of social distancing.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Johanna: I’m a 47 years old transgender woman living in Sweden. It took me a long time to come to terms with who I am – a woman – I needed 45 years of my life for that. Sometimes I wonder why it took me so long and what life would have been like, had I transitioned earlier. I have no clear answer, only that I needed that time to develop into who I am today. But once I had accepted my gender identity, there was no turning back, never any choice really; I simply had to live as myself. And today I can love myself for who I am. I no longer define my value solely by what I accomplish. My self-esteem has increased a lot since I started living as a woman.

Interview with Tanja von Knorring

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Tanja von Knorring, a Finnish businesswoman and human rights and transgender activist, co-chair of the 2019-2020 Board of Transgender Europe (TGEU), the roof-top organization of transgender organizations of Europe and Central Asia, fighting against discrimination and supporting trans people rights. She is also the Chairperson of the NGO Transfeminines of Finland, ex-chair of Transgender political committee of SETA – LGBTI Finland, board member in Trasek, and an array of other LGBTI associations. 

Hello Tanja!

Tanja: Hello, and nice to meet you, Monika, in these very special times we are living currently. I'm happy to have an interview with you.

Monika: Before we focus on your activism, I would like to touch upon your managerial career. You can boast a solid portfolio of managerial positions within the Finnish corporate community.

Tanja: Yes, I have had many both demanding and rewarding opportunities in my work life, first as a high ranked civil servant in civil aviation, then leading an airline for 8 years, and finally before giving more time to myself and the activism, as CEO in the transportation field for another eight years.

Interview with Denise Chanterelle DuBois

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Denise Chanterelle DuBois, an American actress, environmentalist, and a businesswoman from Portland, Oregon, the author of the biographical memoir book titled “Self-Made Woman” (2017). Hello Denise! 

Denise: Hi Monika and thank you so much for interviewing me today! I really appreciate it.

Monika: You present yourself as a “fortune's favorite daughter”. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Denise: In my memoir, I write about so many close calls I had with death, and yet survived basically unharmed. I had huge drug & alcohol problems in “my other life” as I like to call it, and rightfully should either be dead from overdosing, or in a nursing home with no brain left, yet here I am still standing and grateful for that. Indeed, I am “fortune’s favorite daughter.”

Interview with Angela van Bebber

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Angela van Bebber, a Dutch transgender activist from Tilburg, the Netherlands, businesswoman, blogger, the author of “Eindelijk, ik lééf!” (Finally I live). Hello Angela!

Angela: Hello, thanks for the interview. 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Angela: Well, where do I start. I’m 62 years old. Transsexual. Got out of the closet in 2001. Had my surgery in 2006. Life hasn’t been easy for me. I still have repercussions. In general, I’m doing fine. Nowadays I give lectures and I’m sharing my experiences at schools. I wrote a book about my life as it’s already mentioned. I have a website allesmagerzijn.nl. In English, you can say: It’s all good.

Interview with Miranda Yardley

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Miranda Yardley, a British accountant, music magazine publisher, blogger and businesswoman. Hello Miranda!

Miranda: Hello Monika! Thanks for asking me to do this and for helping my voice to be heard.

Monika: You can boast a considerable number of music magazines such as Terrorizer, Dominion, and Sick Sounds, which specialized in extreme music. Has your music preference changed over the years? 
Miranda: Terrorizer is the only one of these magazines that is still regularly published. My taste in music has always been very broad, I’m open-minded to most kinds and I continue to search out both old and new music that interests me.
Monika: How did you enter the publishing business?
Miranda: I had an accounting client who owned Terrorizer and wanted to drop the title. The rest is history!

Interview with Bobbie Lang

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Bobbie Lang, a transgender activist from the USA, businesswoman, blogger, Viet Nam veteran, and the author of "Transgender Christian in Chains". Hello Bobbie!

Bobbie: Hi Monika, thank you so much for asking me to be part of this wonderful group of people who are doing so much to advance the acceptance and civil rights of the trans community.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Bobbie: Well to start with I started my transition in 1981 and had GRS in 1984. At that time the term “transgender” had not even been coined yet. We were called transsexuals and even the professional community knew very little of this dysphoria. Many of the medical and therapeutic specialists thought this disorder could be alleviated with extensive and lengthy psychological treatment. Sadly, I find this approach is still widely believed within most denominational Christian churches.

Interview with Renee Reyes

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Renee Reyes, a successful American transsexual entrepreneur. She invented a product for cleaning “dry clean only” clothes at home in a household clothing dryer and holds eleven patents in this regard. She recently sold the enterprise that manufactured and distributed her product and now lives in Atlanta, GA. Hello Renee!

Renee: Hiya Monika! It’s a pleasure to catch up. Want to congratulate your progress and success by sharing the lives of accomplished trans-women from around the world. Know its lots of hard work and offers little reward. You’re making a difference: good for you!

Monika: You look fantastic, Renee. What is the secret of your beauty?

Renee: I’m now 52 – thus looking “fantastic” is not something that happens every day. Had my share of surgeries: FFS, breast & buttocks augmentation, and a bit of maintenance along the way. Some transgender women were naturals – ideally suited for a change of gender. I wasn’t. I suppose not being naturally pretty was an asset in some respects – I never quit trying to improve.

Interview with Tammy Powers

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Tammy Powers, an American transgender activist, the owner of the bike shop in San Francisco. Hello Tammy!

Tammy: Hi, thank you for contacting me. I’m glad you want to ask me some questions about me and my bicycle shop, A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Tammy: Sure, I’m a businesswoman, part-time stand-up comedian, helpful, sincere, trustworthy, tenacious, lover of dogs, and I make the best vegetarian lasagna you ever had.

Interview with Beth Horner

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Beth Horner, an American living in greater LA. She works in the bicycle industry and has won some design awards in the past, written 2 technical books, played music in a local band and has traveled extensively to Europe, Asia and South America for work and pleasure. Hello Beth!

Beth: Hi Monika and thanks for what you’re doing. There are lots of transwomen leading normal, interesting and successful lives. This is important for all people to know.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Beth: I was born in Afghanistan where my Dad was a USA diplomat. My Mom was Dutch and during my childhood we traveled a lot, living in many different countries. I must have been about 5 when I put on my Mom’s dress, in Greece, in private, and had an awakening. I revisited that theme many times over the years and dreamt, “if only I could have been born female”, or that there could be some magical intervention to make it happen. Basically the feeling was of inner peace and that things would be better compared to the estrangement I felt.

Interview with Gina Leigh Duncan

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Gina Leigh Duncan, a successful businesswoman, transgender advocate, and activist, President of Orlando's Gay Chamber of Commerce, a former candidate for Commissioner of Orange County, Florida, a senior manager at Wells Fargo, an American multinational banking and financial services company, and currently on the Board of Directors of Equality Florida. Hello Gina!

Gina: Hello, Monika, so nice to talk to you.

Monika: You are very active in politics. Do you think transgender women can make a difference in politics?

Gina: I do. While I think it critically important that we know the issues, have solutions, can be great communicators to motivate our constituents, we also bring an inherent acceptance of being transgender by gaining someone’s vote. We have an extra layer of objection to overcome. We might align with a voter in every area, yet they do not understand transgender people. I felt I just had to work that much harder and be that much sharper on the issues. Once in office, that thinking would continue with me. Work harder, be sharper, never let being transgender be an issue. Let it be an asset. I would want to use my office as a platform to educate people on what it means to be transgender.