Simi & Haze ON: Keeping a Beginner’s Mind & Communicating Effectively in any Relationship

Simi and Haze Khadra chat with Jay Shetty about using the influence they have built together over the years and the experiences they’ve had while living in different countries, they are very vocal about humanitarian oppression the world is not fully seeing, continuous learning through books and proper education, and creating a brand that aims to support inclusion and diversity. Simi & Haze, Khadra also known as the fashion duo called Simi & Haze, are of Palestinian descent, born in Saudi Arabia, raised in London, attended high school in Dubai, and majored in film production & fine art in which they both graduated in the top two-percent of their class. The celebrity DJ duo continues to perform at festivals and has a strong social media presence. They recently launched their very own beauty brand called SIMIHAZE Beauty. Get your copy of Think Like a Monk today by clicking this link!https://thinklikeamonkbook.com/ Episode Resources: Simi and Haze Khadra | Website Simi and Haze Khadra | Instagram Simi and Haze Khadra | Twitter Simi and Haze Khadra | Pinterest Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even one sentence helps! Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & tag us so we can thank you personally! Achieve success in every area of your life with Jay Shetty’s Genius Community. Join over 10,000 members taking their holistic well-being to the next level today, at https://shetty.cc/OnPurposeGenius See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jay Shetty?

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• 0:43Jay Shetty?

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• 1:26Jay Shetty?

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• 2:01Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by AG1. Are you feeling September reset too? Shorter days, longer to do lists, earlier alarms, all those routines you promised to yourself you'd pick back up. It can feel like your whole life is recalibrating. And when everything around you is changing, it helps to have a few things you can rely on. AG1 Next Gen is one of those easy habits to keep. It's the clinically backed, comprehensive daily health drink that supports your gut health, energy production, and foundational nutrition all in one scoop. AG1's ingredients are sourced from quality partners for absorption, potency, and nutrient density to deliver the foundational nutrition your body needs. And alongside a proper diet,

• 2:45Jay Shetty?

  AG1 Next Gen meets 94% of nutrient requirements and it's clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome. For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at drinkag1.com/onpurpose. That's drinkag1.com/onpurpose.

• 3:09Speaker 01

  Even in school, like, we would switch classes pretty often. And I just remember always taking her like, English and history tests and exams. And she would take my like math and science system.

• 3:22Jay Shetty?

  Wait, so you show up to each other's exams?

• 3:24Speaker 01

  We delegate. Or in science, for example, like the more, like I would do biology and she would like do chemistry.

• 3:30Jay Shetty?

  And you got away with it?

• 3:31Speaker 01

  Oh yeah, we got away with it.

• 3:33Jay Shetty?

  No one ever found out?

• 3:34Speaker 01

  No one found out.

• 3:41Jay Shetty?

  Hey, everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every single one of you that come back every week to listen, learn, and grow. Now, I love it when I get to sit down with people that have had conversations offline before. Put it on the podcast, record it, and share it with each and every one of you. Today's guests are two people that I am fascinated by. I'm curious to learn more about them today. I admire them for how they show up in the world, the energy they carry, and how they They make me and my wife feel whenever we're around them. We got introduced to them by our dear friend Raquel, who also happens to be in the room, who'll be on the podcast very, very soon as well. But I'm so grateful that she's in the room because she's the one who connected us.

• 4:24Jay Shetty?

  Today's guest are fashion duo, DJ duo, Simi and Hayes. Thank you for being here.

• 4:30Speaker 01

  Thank you for having us. We, this is really rare because we never do interviews. Yeah. People are always like, we've never heard your voices. Yeah, we rarely like even talk on our Instagram stories or anything. But we trust you and we love you, so here we are.

• 4:45Jay Shetty?

  I feel honored hearing that. And my team said the same thing to me. They were like, we're trying to find interviews with them on it. And researching and, you know, what they like. And I was like, yeah, but that's why I want to sit down with you. Because like I said, when Raquel introduced us, and we've had a couple of dinners here and there. And we've always had like these deep reflective conversations. And you both have such a wonderful warmth and positive energy about you. And then I was like, they do have voices. They have wonderful opinions. They have great ideas and I love hearing that. Why, why don't you do interviews? Let's start there. What has, what has stopped you over the years from doing interviews?

• 5:23Speaker 01

  We're just very selective about who we talk to, especially if it's, you know, live like this. We've also done like a lot of like magazine interview stuff where like a lot of stuff has been taken out of context. I'd also sometimes rather have the people who are closest to me and the people who really know us, know how we really are and not really focus on outside opinions or something we said being taken out of context.

• 5:52Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Hayes, do you want to tell me what you just told me before the podcast? Because then everyone can have the disclaimer because I was, I was laughing. I was cracking up when you told me this and I feel like everyone needs to know this.

• 6:04Speaker 01

  I basically said, Simi is like the spokesperson of the, of the twins. I guess that's, yeah, so she does more of the talking between us.

• 6:14Jay Shetty?

  When did that decision get made?

• 6:16Speaker 01

  It just happened kind of naturally. I, I feel like even in school, like we would switch classes pretty often, especially because we had the same subjects, but we didn't have the same classes. So, and I just remember always taking her like English and history.

• 6:33Speaker 01

  Tests and exams and she would take my like math and science.

• 6:38Jay Shetty?

  Wait, so you show up to each other's exams?

• 6:40Speaker 01

  We delegate. Or in science, for example, like the more like I would do biology and she would like do chemistry. So it's like there's, you know, there's like a left brain, right brain kind of delegation that we have between each other that comes really naturally.

• 6:54Jay Shetty?

  And you got away with it?

• 6:55Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 6:56Jay Shetty?

  We got away. No one ever found out?

• 6:58Speaker 01

  No one found out. We kind of started doing it because we just thought like, why not? We could, we couldn't, we can do this, so why not try? And then it just, we just kept getting away with it.

• 7:09Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 7:09Speaker 01

  We kept going with it.

• 7:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that's amazing. I love that. Well, one of the things that, you know, you both of you are Palestinian and we've spoken about that offline as well when we've been connecting. But I wanted to hear about, you know, I want to hear about your story, your journey, your background, the growth. Because like you said, I don't think many people know. And when we don't know, we start putting people in boxes and we make decisions. What do you think are some of the framing that you have? But what, who are you? I want to know about that difference between how you think sometimes people may frame you, but then how you frame yourself.

• 7:43Speaker 01

  I would say I'm just very curious and interested in learning. Like I'm really big on self-improvement and self-development. I always feel like I don't know anything. So with that mindset, I feel like I can, you know, every day learn something new. Because there's so much opportunity in every day to learn stuff from anyone and from any experience, any book that I pick up. Like I think investing in yourself is such a huge thing. And I think that we, that's a value that we've been taught since we were kids. Like my mom is always like, was always like, you know, learn an instrument, pick up a book, do this.

• 8:24Speaker 01

  Like we were like in so many clubs in, in high school and middle school. We were like on every sports team and we still maintained a four point two GPA. So it's so crazy because we actually graduated with the exact same GPA, but didn't get the same grades.

• 8:41Jay Shetty?

  What? How do you do that?

• 8:42Speaker 01

  It just added up to be the same.

• 8:44Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 8:46Speaker 01

  It's very strange.

• 8:47Jay Shetty?

  Hayes, how do you describe yourself?

• 8:49Speaker 01

  Pretty much the same as what Simi said. People only get a small glimpse of us, so they don't really get the full. Picture which isn't there, I mean, like we said, we barely do any interviews or anything. So that's what they see on the surface, but like, obviously there's way more. We're like involved in so many different projects, involved in so many different things. Like are very eager learners and.

• 9:14Jay Shetty?

  A four point two GPA is like ridiculously good, right? So you have to be super smart to get a four point two GPA, right? Tell me a bit about your parents because you said there, and I love what you said, like, you know, just, I think today we have lots of conversations about privilege and often it's, it's something that gets looked down upon, but obviously your parents worked really, really hard. Or your grandparents and your great grandparents, like that's how. My mom was born in Yemen and moved to London when she was 16. And they moved there with nothing and built a life and then gave me opportunities that they didn't have. Tell us a bit about your parents. I want to hear a bit about your mother and father. I know you post a lot, you have family trips.

• 9:55Jay Shetty?

  Like, I want to know about a bit more about their journey and maybe about their story that you'd be comfortable sharing with us, about how they got to where they got to.

• 10:03Speaker 01

  My mom, she, she started her fashion, she has a, she has a shop. And I think, I mean, it started off as a shop in Saudi Arabia. And she started off as a buyer and we started going to Fashion Week with her at the time to buy for her store. And then the shop expanded and it became like, you know, it became much bigger than I think she anticipated because bringing a high end designers to the Middle East, to that region was really new. And Hayes and I were sort of, you know, trained in showrooms with designers to create new collections for the region based off of the collections that were already shown on the runway in Paris. We were really focused on.

• 10:49Speaker 01

  Proportions, shapes, textures, what is flattering to the body, what's just all those things that helped us develop an eye for like functionality and

• 11:00Jay Shetty?

  And how old were you when you go to

• 11:02Speaker 01

  We were like, I think we first started going when we were fourteen or something, yeah. Yeah, and I think that really helped us, even where we are today, it's like a study, like we've been studying this since we were fourteen. And we started doing our own buying appointments and, you know, doing, being in showrooms alone, we were like fifteen, sixteen. And it was awesome that she trusted us, but I guess we did a good job.

• 11:27Jay Shetty?

  So she actually trusted you to like

• 11:29Speaker 01

  To do the buying, yeah. And to come up with ideas on how to make something more flattering to a body type that's not like a model body type. Yeah, my parents are amazing. They've been together for thirty years.

• 11:42Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 11:42Speaker 01

  And, you know, I think it's, it's really amazing to see how in a relationship that is lasting, you have to keep choosing each other and keep healing and doing the work. And I've seen my parents change, like since we were you know, from when we were kids to now, they're just such different people. And that's aspirational. I mean, I really hope that one day I can have that in a partner too.

• 12:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that's amazing. I love hearing that. And it's, it's amazing to see how, you know, a lot of people don't want to go on and grow older and do what their parents do, but both of you became so passionate about something that your mother was passionate about. And I love what you said, that we've been studying this for such a long time, because I think when people think about fashion and, and, you know, I think anyone who ever sees you guys, whether it's online or when I've seen you at events or whatever it may be, the way you guys dress and your fashion, everything is just, you're like, wow, that's so unique. Like, I've never seen that before. And I think that, you know, me and Ravi always feel that way. When we see you guys, we're like, wow, like, you know, like that's, we literally go, going like,

• 12:51Jay Shetty?

  what? Like, it's so unpredictable. It's so unique. And so when you say you've studied something, I think fashion often People who don't necessarily can't appreciate it may be like, oh, but it's just clothes or it's just colors. And it's like, but actually, when you see someone invent something new or someone who creates something that's very rare, you then start looking at it and saying, oh, that there's a real art and a skill to that. Tell us about how that art and skill developed independently and collectively between you both, because would you describe you both as having a similar sense of taste and style? Or would you say you actually have a very different? How would you describe it?

• 13:27Speaker 01

  I feel we have a very similar taste. Yeah, very similar taste. I think it's inevitable with, you know, just our experiences and developing the vocabulary that we have, just in terms of like taste and how we see things.

• 13:41Jay Shetty?

  We've all talked about spirituality and consciousness before. Do you guys feel that with your connection? Like, is there a conscious twin connection that you guys experience and feel? And tell me about where you experience it the most independently and collectively?

• 13:55Speaker 01

  I feel like because we spend so much time together and because we work together and we have like mostly the same friends, we inevitably have, like, I know what she's thinking, she knows what I'm thinking. So in that sense, I would say we do have that like collective consciousness. There's like trippy moments that happen, being a twin. Like, I feel like only twins will understand this, where like, I'll walk into a room and Hayes will be there. And for like a split second, I know this sounds crazy, but for a split second, I'll be like, wait, what am I doing there?

• 14:30Jay Shetty?

  Wow.

• 14:31Speaker 01

  And then I'll just come back into like real life. But it's like a really nuanced thing that happens in very small moments. And I think that's, I don't know, I feel like it's a magic power.

• 14:44Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I wish I could experience that. And I always tell Radhi, I'm like, I really want twins. Like, that's, that's what I want. We don't have twins on either side of the family. So I don't know how likely it is.

• 14:53Speaker 01

  Because they always have each other.

• 14:54Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 14:55Speaker 01

  Yeah, and I think that's really special because, you know, even in like our friendships and like in relationships and stuff like we don't look for companionship. That's not something that's like crucial to us. Like, we don't need to have just companionship. We look for other values and because obviously we have each other.

• 15:14Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 15:15Speaker 01

  So I think that we're really lucky that we have that experience. Cause even moving schools and things like that, growing up, we never had. Yeah, it was never scary. Like, I always hear like my friends like moving schools like was always like a big thing for them, but for us, we were like excited cause like we had each other, so.

• 15:33Jay Shetty?

  I love it. That's so beautiful. How many schools did you guys go to when you were young? Like, it sounds like you moved around a lot.

• 15:38Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, we lived, we were born in Saudi Arabia, so we went to probably two schools there when we were little and then we moved to London and we went to one school there. It was an all-girls school and then in high school, we were in Dubai and we went to two schools there.

• 15:55Jay Shetty?

  That's a fair few schools.

• 15:57Speaker 01

  Yeah, and then we came to LA and went to college here, so.

• 16:01Jay Shetty?

  Hayes, where were you? Did you, uh, did you always know this is what you wanted to be? This is what you wanted to do? Or has it been more of a natural, organic evolution? Was there anything else?

• 16:10Speaker 01

  It definitely happened quite naturally. I feel like I always knew I was gonna end up in a creative field. Like, even with music, uh, we didn't know we were gonna end up in music at all. We were actually studying film and then our friend group was so immersed in music that we just kind of stumbled into it and that's how we became DJs. Um, so yeah, I feel like we're kind of lucky that it kind of happened quite naturally for us.

• 16:38Jay Shetty?

  I love that. And then where did, where did music and fashion collide? Or where did those two worlds become so important to you? When did you both feel like this is something, not only are we gonna do this, but we're gonna do this together and that? Where was the beginning of that journey?

• 16:53Speaker 01

  Well, fashion has just always been a part of our DNA with our mom and, you know, just growing up in fashion and going to Fashion Week since we were kids. I think that it was just already in place for us. And then music, well, we studied fine art and film production in college. And then, as Hayes was saying, we were in the studio a lot with our friends who are musicians. And we just sort of started DJing our friends' parties just on the low, just because we love music and we love playing music. And we loved doing transitions. We were really interested in transitions, like from, you know, song to song. And I think that there's like an artistry in that.

• 17:36Speaker 01

  And also, you know, reading the room as a DJ, it's like you have to be really good at energy and like feeling people's energy, especially if it's a smaller event. Because we did start doing smaller events. In the beginning, we were just like asked to do a favor for a friend at like a party at Coachella. And then we were approached by a bunch of managers to-

• 17:55Jay Shetty?

  Is that how it started?

• 17:56Speaker 01

  To, yeah, to managers. Yeah, we were always kind of skeptical about being DJs. We had a lot of DJ friends that we respected so much that we weren't, we didn't want to be like, oh, we're just gonna come and we kind of pushed it away a lot. Yeah, we resisted it a lot. But then we were like, whatever, we just like playing music, let's just do this. And then we, I mean, we just started doing so many events around the world. And it took us, you know, DJing took us to places and helped us like meet a lot of interesting people. And I think that we never forced it, you know, it just sort of happened for us. And because we were doing something that we found was really fun and that we loved. DJing, fashion, art, music, everything had just like informed each other.

• 18:38Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah, so Simeon Hayes founded Simi Hayes Beauty, which is super exciting. I saw the launch and that's when I like messaged you guys. And I was so excited for you because I think creating something with someone you love is such a special offering into the world. And you getting everyone else to have an opportunity to be a part of that world. Tell us about why you created Simeon Hayes Beauty. What was the intention behind it? What was the essence of it? And what are you excited about sharing it with people?

• 19:09Speaker 01

  Simeon Hayes Beauty came out of our need to create something that didn't exist. So we didn't want to create a beauty line for the sake of- Slapping our names on a product and selling something that's been out already. It's been in the making for three years.

• 19:28Jay Shetty?

  Wow, that's a long time.

• 19:29Speaker 01

  Yeah, and it's, you know, it's been such a long process. Like, our first product is this product called Velvet Blur. And it's a matte lip balm, which anyone in the beauty industry would be like, that's impossible. How can you make a matte lipstick that's also moisturizing? Because the formulations, it's like really, it's really challenging to create that sort of texture and still achieve that effect. But that's why it took so long, because we had, we realized that that's what's missing in the market. Something that you could just do with one swipe and it feels like a lip balm. It's really comfortable, but it has the effect of a matte lipstick. Yeah, we also just wanted that for our, like, personal use.

• 20:12Speaker 01

  Like, we would go into, like, these beauty stores and pick out, like, the same shade and, like, all these different brands. And there was, like, one thing we liked in that one and one thing we liked in that one. But like, there was nothing that was, like, combined. And that specific lipstick is like an amalgamation of the perfect things in all the beauty products, all the lipsticks that we tried. Yeah, and then there's like this amazing sun flush formula that we also created that just gives you like a healthy flush. I think it's also, the brand came out of, you know, what we're saying is there was stuff that's missing from the market

• 20:55Speaker 01

  that we wanted to create that would make our lives easier. And that's what we want to do. We want to just facilitate an easier lifestyle for people. We don't want people to take 10 hours doing their makeup. We want people to have reliable, very high-quality, efficient products.

• 21:13Speaker 01

  And we're going to do the research to make sure you have that product in your hand and that it looks beautiful and that you're proud of it and that you want to put it on your counter. And

• 21:24Speaker 01

  You know, and have it be this like full sensory experience from like holding the packaging to putting it on. And I think that the reviews have been so exciting to see because that's exactly what people are saying.

• 21:38Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, congratulations, by the way.

• 21:40Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 21:41Jay Shetty?

  I was reading, I was reading some of the articles where people were saying like just how easy it is and how accessible you've made makeup. And, you know, I, I think that that's fascinating in an industry which, like you're saying, a lot of the time you could spend hours in front of the mirror trying to look a certain way and then you don't feel happy with yourself. And it, it hasn't been made easy like, but, but you've created something that is accessible, that is easy, that's shareable, that people can, like you said, I love the idea of what you described as a sensory experience from the moment they open it, the moment they put it on, was there something about the process that surprised you? Like in actually creating makeup, like going from actually wearing makeup and using other people makeup, but the process of creating it, was there anything that was interesting or challenging

• 22:25Jay Shetty?

  or unique about the process? For someone who's like, maybe someone's listening, they're like, oh, I'd love to create makeup one day. Or someone's sitting there going like, oh, I, you know, I've never understood. Was there something that was hard or difficult about it? Like, how many times?

• 22:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, that everything affects everything. So let's say there's like a powder and the more you compress the powder, the less pigmented it's going to be. But then you want pigment, so then you, so if you put it in a packaging and then it all falls out, that's not going to work. So there's like, it's a Rubik's Cube. Yeah, like you can't, you can't use the same packaging for like all the same formulas.

• 23:03Jay Shetty?

  Right.

• 23:04Speaker 01

  There were some moments where we wanted to have- To do a concealer in a pump, but they were like, oh no, this formula only works in this sort of tube. And it's how, you know, every, all these elements work together to deliver like a certain effect. And you can't, you know, do whatever you want. It's sort of like a trial and error. There's like a lot of challenges within creating a specific product. It's definitely a chemistry and I think that- It's important to work with people who really love what they're doing.

• 23:39Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 23:40Speaker 01

  And who really believe in your product because Hayes and I are always pushing for innovation. And Simi Hayes Beauty is here for, to be that bridge to what beauty is going to be. And yeah, we definitely pushed the lab to create products that didn't exist before. And that's, you know, and having it become, having it be successful, having a product that is, that actually works is, you know, further impetus to create more innovation.

• 24:13Jay Shetty?

  So are you doing all the testing and innovation out in Milan? Or is that one of the places or is that the place you're sourcing?

• 24:19Speaker 01

  That's, no, that's where we do like all the testing.

• 24:21Jay Shetty?

  Why, why did you choose Milan? Like apart from the obvious reasons, but was there something that drew you there? When you said you wanted to create it with people who actually love what they're doing.

• 24:29Speaker 01

  Well, Milan has the, well, it's, it's not really in Milan. It's sort of out in the country. It's like an hour. Yeah, there's like maybe four labs that are like the biggest labs in the world that create the best makeup in the world. For like all different brands. The highest end brands. And so we visited over the three years, every single makeup lab that you can imagine. We even like ended up in Malta.

• 24:56Jay Shetty?

  It's amazing. I, Ravi and I just launched our tea company, Sama, which is our herbal and hot tea company.

• 25:02Speaker 01

  Oh, man.

• 25:03Jay Shetty?

  And so, yeah, I need to get you some.

• 25:05Speaker 01

  We love tea.

• 25:06Jay Shetty?

  I love that you love tea.

• 25:07Speaker 01

  We even got you mugs for this.

• 25:09Jay Shetty?

  I know, which is, which is, I didn't say it, yeah, which is perfect. Like we, I can't wait to open them like.

• 25:14Speaker 01

  We subconsciously knew.

• 25:15Jay Shetty?

  Yes, somehow, that is actually true.

• 25:17Speaker 01

  We did.

• 25:18Jay Shetty?

  I'm not kidding you. We just announced it like two days ago.

• 25:21Speaker 01

  That's crazy. People appreciate tea, like I have a special bond and connection.

• 25:25Jay Shetty?

  Oh, we love that.

• 25:26Speaker 01

  Have a special place in our hearts.

• 25:28Jay Shetty?

  But you love to give us real feedback, uh, when, when we give them to you.

• 25:31Speaker 01

  Amazing.

• 25:32Jay Shetty?

  We, we, you know, we've just been through that whole process as well of like sourcing the tea leaves and the ingredients and obviously a lot of our ingredients.

• 25:39Speaker 01

  Where do you source them?

• 25:40Jay Shetty?

  Uh, India. So a lot of our like root herbs in each of the teas is from India. And we've used these adaptogens and specific herbs with de-stressing qualities and calming.

• 25:51Speaker 01

  Amazing.

• 25:52Jay Shetty?

  And Ravi is obviously the expert at all of that stuff. So we've been trying to find them and, you know, we've just been through that process. So I know, even though it's not makeup, it's like, there's a, there's a similarity in the idea of. Again, what you said, like finding people that actually love what they do. Like, we found people who we consider potion masters. We're like, this person like literally is like a food scientist and knows how, and Radhi knows which flavors to blend, but then having someone who can help us blend them effectively.

• 26:19Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 26:19Jay Shetty?

  Has been such a fun process.

• 26:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, who you trust.

• 26:23Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 26:24Speaker 01

  From across the world.

• 26:25Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, exactly, exactly.

• 26:27Speaker 01

  You have to.

• 26:27Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, we can't be there every single.

• 26:29Speaker 01

  Oh, my God, I'm so excited to try.

• 26:30Jay Shetty?

  I can't wait to share it with you.

• 26:31Speaker 01

  Me too.

• 26:32Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, and I'm sure Radhi's excited to try the makeup too. So it's gonna be a good, and I'm sure you'll figure out something for me to try too. The lip balm sounds great, like a lip balm sounds great. I definitely need one of those.

• 26:43Speaker 01

  That's also in the works.

• 26:46Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Indeed. I know how important every hire is for a business. If you need to make the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Indeed sponsored jobs helps find quality candidates when you need the most. You can reach who you need based on whatever criteria you're looking for, like skills, certifications, or location. In fact, people are finding quality hires on Indeed right now. In the minute I've been talking to you, companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast.

• 27:29Jay Shetty?

  That's indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. We talk a lot about intentional decision making, and that extends to the practical stuff too, like making sure your coverage actually works for your life. State Farm is there to meet you where you are, and they know how sweet it is to feel good about your decisions. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state.

• 28:12Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market. If you're talking about quality food, you can't forget Whole Foods Market, who've been holding themselves to the highest standards since they opened in 1980. That means you'll see thousands of organic products across their stores, from the produce department to the aisles. It also means you'll never see certain ingredients. They've banned artificial sweeteners and colors, high fructose corn syrup and more, so you can shop with peace of mind. Shop Whole Foods Market in-store or online. Both of you have talked today about like how you love learning and you're curious and you're always trying your best in whatever way is to be,

• 28:55Jay Shetty?

  to be open to stuff. I want to know what's something recently that you've both been trying to learn more about this year, or in the last 12 months, or even recently, like what's been something that you think's been sparking your curiosity individually, like what's, what's been that thing that's been like, um, I want to learn a bit more about that this year?

• 29:13Speaker 01

  I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna answer this question from like the last book I read.

• 29:16Jay Shetty?

  Totally.

• 29:18Speaker 01

  Cause I, I read a lot of books and they're all on different topics. Like I, I just reread The Four Agreements and then at the same time was reading On Palestine, the Noam Chomsky, Yellen Pape book, this incredible physicist, Carlos Raveli. And he is amazing because he talks about physics from a very poetic

• 29:45Speaker 01

  perspective and I'm really into allegories, especially in topics that are as complex as physics. And he makes it so easy to understand. Because you know, physics is like from like the smallest atom, how things are created and. I'm really interested in creation. Yeah, I think reading books on like different subjects helps my mind kind of put things together. I always remember when Steve Jobs said creativity is just connecting things. In the beginning, I was like, I need to just focus on one book, you know, like I need to just do the one book. But I I just like started embracing the fact that I'm. Yeah, we like jumping around.

• 30:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, I just jump around a lot from book to book. And I think it informs informs my intellect in a more creative way. But yeah, On Palestine is like a really important book on the subject. And I also read this amazing book called The Way of the Spring by Ben Aaron Reik that is about the situation in Palestine, but mostly through anecdotes with people who live there, like Palestinians who live in the West Bank. I love both those books on the subject, so if you're looking to to learn more. But I'm a big Noam Chomsky fan. Yeah. Linguistics hero.

• 31:15Speaker 01

  And I think something that's really important that he brings up in that book is how the language used around Palestine and the situation in Palestine sort of has perpetuated the cycle of ineffective debate that, you know, using terms like the peace process or negotiations or both sides, words like that or expressions like that, they perpetuate this loop of what Ilhan Pape calls a conceptual paralysis. And it's it's a really ineffective way of talking about the situation. You know, terms like decolonization, regime change, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, those are the terms that are conducive to real change.

• 32:00Speaker 01

  And I think it's so exciting to see that finally the world is waking up and using. That those terminologies to talk about the situation in Palestine.

• 32:13Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that's such a great answer. I love that. I'm glad. I love getting book recommendations. And so you've you've given us a ton of great ones there. Don Miguel Ruiz is actually coming on the podcast soon too.

• 32:24Speaker 01

  Oh, my God. I need to be here in the audience.

• 32:27Jay Shetty?

  We'll figure that out. I'll let you guys know. But but also like when, you know, obviously, when why is learning about or your heritage been so important to you and also sharing about it too. And, you know, I know that when we connected, both of you shared so

• 32:44Jay Shetty?

  wonderfully and also just you're both so, what's the right word? I don't, I want I want to say this, you're both so curated and elegant with your words as well when you're writing about something like you're not you're not being cautious or you're not being careful, you're just being thoughtful. And so tell me about why it's been so interesting for both of you to learn about your heritage and to learn about what's happening and and how has that informed some of the work you've been doing?

• 33:11Speaker 01

  Being Middle Eastern is inextricable to how we are and how we see the world. And in so many, you know, anybody who's come across Middle Eastern culture, you know, it's a hotbed of literature, art, architecture, mysticism.

• 33:31Speaker 01

  You know, there's a lot of incredible values, generosity, understanding, loyalty, like there's that those values are just paradigmatic of Arab culture wherever you find it in the world. And learning about our culture and I think even talking on Palestine on our platform. I feel lucky because we are Palestinian, so in some ways we have carte blanche to to talk about it. And people are not going to criticize us the way that they would criticize somebody who's not Palestinian, but

• 34:07Speaker 01

  I think we do have a responsibility to.

• 34:11Speaker 01

  Highlight to people that, you know, the situation in Palestine isn't a new situation. It's a story of, it's not a new story. Like, it's a story of colonialism and dispossession. And it's happened in history over and over and over again. You know, European settlers coming to a foreign land, expelling or committing genocide against the indigenous people. But when you talk about it in terms of Palestine, they make it seem this like, like this crazy, multifaceted, complex issue. And anything that, any criticism against it is cascaded as antisemitic. And I think that's where a lot of the tension comes in. It's like, anything you say is going to be labeled antisemitic.

• 34:56Speaker 01

  But that's what the mainstream media wants you to believe because they, you know, the whole function of the media is to control your focus. And, you know, they don't want you to be concerned over the lives of ordinary people. They want you to be, they want you to focus on whether this person is antisemitic. And that's like the crucial value of the media. And I think engaging in a little bit of critical thinking takes you out of that sheep kind of like audience that are sort of passive participants in the media, which Walter Lippmann calls the bewildered herd. I love that term.

• 35:38Speaker 01

  But yeah, all it takes is a little bit of critical thinking and looking at the Jewish scholars, like, listen to, listen, I always tell my Jewish friends, like, I've had so many conversations with them about Palestine. And I always say, listen to your scholars. They're some of my favorites. You know, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Yuri Davis, Gabor Maté, Stephen Selleck. There's so many amazing Jewish scholars who speak on the situation in Palestine. They will show you the indoctrination that a lot of people have been through, growing up, you know, seeing Palestine in a certain way, seeing Palestinians in a certain way. And yeah, teaching them to relearn and engage in the critical thinking requires to

• 36:25Speaker 01

  See the world as it is.

• 36:26Jay Shetty?

  Thank you for sharing that. And you know, I, I just love what I really appreciate about both of you. And I see this, obviously based on some of the conversations we've had, but also from following you guys, like, there's just so much thought and research and reading and, and thinking happening behind the scenes that people may not be aware of. And I think if something that we can all learn is what you just rightly said is the skill of critical thinking and the skill of questioning without being judgmental, without having to put things in a box, without division. And I think often we think those skills come together. We think if you're a critical thinker, you have to be able to like divide and segregate, whereas actually if you're a critical thinker,

• 37:08Jay Shetty?

  you can actually find the places for everything to make sense. And so I appreciate what you've just shared with us from the perspective of, hey, guys, this is, this is what we need to be thinking about. This is the kind of stuff we need to be questioning.

• 37:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 37:22Jay Shetty?

  Does that, yeah?

• 37:23Speaker 01

  Yeah. And it, I think it does take a lot of international pressure to change the situation. And it's awesome to see that now, you know, there's like, the BDS movement is really making a difference. There's like Israel apartheid week across campuses that started off in Canada and now is like the biggest sort of activist week.

• 37:50Jay Shetty?

  Campaign.

• 37:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, campaign on, on the situation. And then there's a lot of infographics. There's reading. There's like just so much information. And when my friends come up to me and they, you know, they ask me about it, especially when it was happening, when like a couple of months ago, it was really emotional for me to like even talk about because those kids that you see in the videos, they look like my cousins. Like it's just, it's heartbreaking. So, you know, I was always encouraging my friends, like, I'll talk to you about it, but like go online and do the research. It's right there.

• 38:33Speaker 01

  And I think it's it's hard to go and look at yourself and look at what you've learned and say, oh, maybe I wasn't, you know, taught what the truth is. And I've I've had direct experiences with this. Like, I went to USC and studied film, but one of my elective classes was Middle Eastern Studies. And I remember my professor was Canadian. She studied her, she studied Middle Eastern Studies her whole life. She has a PhD. There was like a quiz happening that day. And I remember, like, we were talking about Israel-Palestine. And one of the, one of my classmates was like, raised her hand, she was like, oh, well, what if I don't believe that this is what happened?

• 39:17Speaker 01

  If, will I get that question wrong? And my teacher was like, that's what hap, that's history. You know, like, tha- that interaction was just so emblematic of the indoctrination that kids go through. Once you look at what's happening over there through a colonial perspective, you can no longer hide behind the claim of complexity, or antisemitism, or anything else. It is just, is what it is. And it's a humanitarian crisis. And we have a responsibility to affect change. It's really cool to be able to to help in any way. And when people, you know, say like, oh, like influ, you're an influencer, you're this

• 39:57Speaker 01

  or that, it's like, I don't even get offended by that term because, you know, there's a deeper function within the term influencer, and that's that you have a voice and that people will listen to you.

• 40:08Jay Shetty?

  Well, I thank you both for using your platform in that way. It's, you know, it's always, it's so wonderful to be around purposeful individuals and have purposeful friends doing things that are meaningful to them and serving and helping, especially when it comes to children. I feel like children's one thing that I hope that no one in the world can disagree on that, you know, requires nurturing, requires love, requires the basic necessities of life.

• 40:31Speaker 01

  It's just basic necessities.

• 40:32Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, basic necessities.

• 40:33Speaker 01

  Crazy, because actually, in that Ben Aaron Rike book, The Way of the Spring, something that really like... Caught me off guard was this like, there was this character in the book that just kept getting charged for no reason and being put in jail for no reason. And he came out of jail and he, he was asked like, oh, so do you miss anything about your experience in prison, like as a joke? And he was like, actually, prison's sole virtue was the water pressure.

• 41:01Jay Shetty?

  Wow.

• 41:02Speaker 01

  Like, I could take a good shower.

• 41:04Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 41:04Speaker 01

  And it's just crazy how something so basic as taking a shower is impossible

• 41:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 41:10Speaker 01

  in, in the West Bank and Gaza.

• 41:14Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 41:15Speaker 01

  Um, yeah, because they only really have 20% access of the mountain aquifer that's literally in Gaza. So, yeah, basic necessities, I mean.

• 41:25Jay Shetty?

  How many people don't have that basis?

• 41:27Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 41:28Jay Shetty?

  So, anyone who's listening right now, Raquel, our dear friend who introduced us, she's sitting here and she was sharing a really important reflection that I can't articulate quite as well as she did because it came from her heart. Yes, exactly, that's what I'm saying, but I'm going to repeat what Raquel was saying that, and this is what I'm hoping that people are going to get from this episode. Like, I think that's the point. Like, I think what Raquel just said is, what I'm genuinely hoping are people going to, what people are going to get from this conversation, that they're going to see two people that we get a very limited view upon or ideas upon. But then, today, we've got to realize just how broad your experiences are, your life

• 42:10Jay Shetty?

  experience and life story are, from Raquel was saying, you, you know, born in Saudi Arabia, you've studied in London, in Dubai, in LA, you've had the experience of music, of fashion, of neuroscience, like, who brings those three things together? And the reason why you're such tastemakers is because you're global citizens and you live with a global heart. And it's not just the external expression of how artistic you are, but even your heart has been impacted by all these other stories, philosophies, and ideas that you've heard. And I'm, and I'm hoping that that does some justice, even that is not all of who you are, but I'm hoping that that does some justice into people understanding who you are.

• 42:52Speaker 01

  I think having all these experiences and being so many places and meeting people of all different cultures, it's given us a heightened sense of empathy and compassion for being a human being. And

• 43:07Speaker 01

  A sense of understanding that somebody who grew up in one place wouldn't have.

• 43:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, and obviously, that's what Raquel's saying, like your experiences of being able to connect with so many different hearts and so many different minds, and you've lived across so many different places that you've you've got to experience a lot of different cultures. And that's what you were saying earlier, that you were like, well, some people would call that privileged. But actually, you've turned your privilege into purpose and into service and connecting with people. Like, yes, like you said, you can be privileged that you got to travel. But traveling hasn't made you more eager to travel. It's made you more eager to love and serve and try and help people, if that feels right.

• 43:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, I love that.

• 43:46Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, like, it feels like.

• 43:47Speaker 01

  Really well, well put.

• 43:49Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, your, your experiences have just, they haven't made you more hungry to have more experiences and see more places. It's like, actually, it's helped us connect with each human that we meet and want them to feel a certain way. What have I not asked you, or what have you not spoken about today that's on your heart? That's in your mind, and you're both like, Jay, I have to share this today. I have to tell your community, or if there is, and you may say, Jay, there's nothing you've asked us. But I want to make sure that, because you're friends and people I care about. I want to make sure you feel you've had a chance to share your heart.

• 44:18Speaker 01

  I don't know, I feel like we talked about so much.

• 44:20Jay Shetty?

  Good. I mean, if you feel happy and satisfied with everything we've talked about, that makes me feel good. Because I just, you know, I just wanted everyone, and I'm grateful you trusted me. But I wanted everyone to just see just how intelligent, thoughtful, masterful you both are in so many ways. And, uh.

• 44:39Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean.

• 44:39Jay Shetty?

  I'm honored to call you guys a friend, honestly, because it's.

• 44:42Speaker 01

  Likewise, I mean, we're, we're so honored to be on this podcast.

• 44:46Jay Shetty?

  I'm so honored to hear that from both of you, because I also think the same of you, that, you know, you're known for being incredible, like masters in music and in fashion and in taste. But you're using that platform for purpose, for reasons, like, that to me is, it's the same trade. You know, like, I'm trying to take, I'm trying to take what I've learned from my teachers, and I'm trying to share it globally. And you're doing something that's globally recognized, but you're trying to elevate that. And I think that's what is so beautiful to see. But also how thoughtful and deep your research is in reading, I think, you know, I think people often think that.

• 45:29Jay Shetty?

  Whatever word you use, and Raquel and I felt the same way, whether you use the word influence, or whatever that word is, like, you often just think that people don't, they're not reading, they're not thinking, they're not learning. And it's like, but both of you, I know the events we all go to together, we're always learning from other people. And, you know, I think there's so much there. So I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for trusting me, for being in my life. I thank Raquel for bringing us together and surprising us all today. And also, also creating that added piece of depth that we all got to uncover. But I hope we get to have, there we go. I hope we get, I hope we all get to have many more of these conversations. I hope you will come back on the podcast in the future.

• 46:11Jay Shetty?

  I hope that Simi Hayes Beauty has the most incredible and successful first 12 months and beyond.

• 46:18Speaker 01

  Thank you so much.

• 46:19Jay Shetty?

  And I hope that you keep serving and making a difference through everything you do. You're both lights in this world and you're making such an impact through everything you touch. And I'm fully behind the fundraisers. So however I can get involved, please let me know. I'd love to be a part of it as well.

• 46:33Speaker 01

  Thank you so much for having us.

• 46:35Jay Shetty?

  Thank you, guys.

• 46:36Speaker 01

  And thank you, everyone who's listening.

• 46:38Jay Shetty?

  Yes, thank you to everyone who's been listening and watching.

• 46:40Speaker 01

  Who's made it this far down the podcast.

• 46:42Jay Shetty?

  They have, they made it. Simi and Hayes, please.

• 46:45Speaker 01

  We love you.

• 46:46Jay Shetty?

  We do, yeah, you tell them, you tell them that you love them. That would mean a lot more. But no, I want to thank everyone who's been listening and watching. I know you made it this far because you're an amazing community. Please, anything that Simi and Hayes shared that stood out to you, that resonated with you, I'd love for you to tag them on Instagram and post it. I want them to feel the love from this episode. So if you love me, if you love On Purpose, and you loved anything they said today, please share that, tag them. I want them to see what resonated with you because they've been so kind to us today in opening up and sharing their story and sharing their journey. I want them to know what an impact they had on your life. So thank you, everyone, for listening and watching. And we'll be back soon.

• 47:33Speaker 03

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• 48:03Speaker 02

  Mr. President, my company for me of the explosion on our rig.

• 48:06Speaker 03

  On October 2nd.

• 48:07Speaker 02

  Causing massive water displacement and triggering a tsunami. They all heap the blame on me.

• 48:12Speaker 03

  Tom Cruise is.

• 48:13Speaker 02

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• 48:17Speaker 03

  From the director of Birdman and The Ravenette.

• 48:19Speaker 04

  What would happen if I stopped drilling? You're stalled, you're freezing there, that's what.

• 48:24Speaker 03

  With great power comes great deniability.

• 48:27Speaker 04

  I'm not the first then.

• 48:28Speaker 03

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