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Reset the Algorithm

Reset the Algorithm

Written by: Moj Mahdara
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 Reset the Algorithm is a podcast and cultural space for honest, unfiltered conversations about the systems shaping our lives—and how to break them. Hosted by Moj Mahdara, each episode dives into stories of new beginnings, diaspora experiences, learning through failure, entrepreneurship, mental health, and bold business leadership. This is where culture, identity, and innovation meet. This is where we ask better questions. 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday. Subscribe now and start your reset!Moj Mahdara Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Resetting Faith and Failure: Kate Bowler on Love, Survival, and Belonging in Uncertain Times

    Resetting Faith and Failure: Kate Bowler on Love, Survival, and Belonging in Uncertain Times
    Jul 22 2025
    Hungry for More? In this episode, Moj sits down with writer, historian, and thought leader Kate Bowler to explore what it means to live through crisis and still choose joy, ambition, and connection. From a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and unexpected survivorship to diasporic loneliness and cultural upheaval, Kate brings radical honesty to a conversation about faith, resilience, and rebuilding.This isn’t just another episode. It’s an invitation to question the stories we’ve been told about faith, failure, and what it means to keep going when the world—and your life—falls apart.You’ll hear: Why “everything happens for a reason” can do more harm than good How surviving can make you hungrier for life The failures—and the potential—of faith communities today What it means to create love and care in an individualistic world Moj and Kate reset the algorithm on power, vulnerability, and what it means to belong to each other.This episode is for anyone navigating grief, seeking meaning, or trying to live courageously—even in the face of fear.🎧 Hit play and step into Episode 3 of Reset the Algorithm.**************TIMESTAMPS00:00 Exploring New Beginnings and Growth06:28 Cancer Fueled My Ambition13:02 Overcoming Fear to Embrace Ambition19:39 "Christian America and Cultural Division"24:32 Mennonites: Community Through Interdependence26:18 "19th Century: Faith, Charity, and Contradiction"29:50 The Dangers of Answering Unanswerables35:32 "Embrace Service, Reject Isolation"37:05 "Self Care vs. Community Care"40:36 Global Gender Apartheid Crisis42:48 Women's Rights and Legal Challenges*************** RESOURCESDon’t miss the resources shared by Kate Bowler in this episode:Current favorite book: Cherished Belonging by Gregory Boyle Social Account recommendation: @mariaevbowler reflections on creativity and slowing down.Support RIP Medical Debt — an organization working to eliminate crushing medical debt for individuals and families across the US ***************STAY IN TOUCH ✦ Today’s Guest: Kate Bowler ✦Visit Kate’s Website Listen Kate's Podcast "Everything Happens"Follow Kate on Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn For more episodes and resources, click hereMissed Episode 2? Go catch up before diving into this one. Click here ✦ Connect with Moj✦Get raw insights, behind-the-scenes moments & exclusive clips on Substack: Moj MahdaraWatch full episodes on YouTubeFollow Moj on Instagram | Tiktok | LinkedIn | Twitter/XFollow Reset the Algorithm on Instagram | TikTok 🎧 Don’t just scroll—catch up before the next one drops.
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    48 mins
  • Pinky Cole on Failure, Legacy & Leading Through Fire

    Pinky Cole on Failure, Legacy & Leading Through Fire
    Jul 15 2025

    Pinky Cole doesn’t do play-it-safe. And in this episode of Reset the Algorithm, she sits down with Moj Mahdara to break down the truth behind her empire - from her car!


    From restaurant fires and personal collapse to raising five kids and managing a media empire, Pinky opens up about the reality behind the headlines—and how she’s learning to lead without burning out.



    This episode is about failure, softness, and redefining what winning looks like when you’ve spent your whole life grinding.


    You’ll hear:

    • How losing everything led to building Slutty Vegan
    • Why first-gen hustle culture is both a blessing and a burden
    • What Pinky’s learning about love, legacy, and letting go
    • How to scale a business while staying rooted in purpose


    This one’s real, raw, and for anyone who's ever had to start over. Listen now. Share it with someone who needs a reset.


    *************

    TIMESTAMPS

    06:46 Full Circle: Healing Through TV Show

    10:05 Organic Entrepreneurial Growth

    10:50 Innovative Vegan Lifestyle Movement

    14:41 Recognizing Personal Superpower

    18:03 "Embracing Failure's Other Side"

    22:43 Assess Partner Beyond Financial Aspects

    25:51 Intentional Missteps in Small Business Strategy

    27:47 Unsuccessful Startups' Hidden Stories

    34:07 "Creating Opportunity Through Legacy"

    41:22 Historic Shift: Women in Power

    47:39 Empower Women Facing Conflict Globally


    *************

    STAY IN TOUCH

    ✦ Today’s Guest: Pinky Cole ✦

    Visit Pinky’s Website

    Follow Pinky on Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | LinkedIn |


    For more episodes and resources, click here

    Missed Episode 1? Go catch up before diving into this one. [Season 2 - Episode 1]


    ✦ Connect with Moj✦

    Get raw insights, behind-the-scenes moments & exclusive clips on Substack: Moj Mahdara

    Watch full episodes on YouTube

    Follow Moj on Instagram | Tiktok | LinkedIn | Twitter/X

    Follow Reset the Algorithm on Instagram | TikTok
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    52 mins
  • Beyond the Binary: ALOK on Power, Compassion, and Cultural Disobedience

    Beyond the Binary: ALOK on Power, Compassion, and Cultural Disobedience
    Jul 8 2025
    We’re back! Season 2 of Reset the Algorithm opens with a bold and unflinching conversation between host Moj Mahdara and ALOK Vaid-Menon—a globally recognized writer, performer, and cultural theorist pushing the edges of identity, grief, and liberation. This isn’t just an episode. It’s a call to disrupt the algorithm inside all of us.Together, Moj and ALOK challenge binaries—gender, power, politics—and offer a new way of seeing the world. They talk about the emotional toll of performance, the myth of neutrality, and why compassion might be the most strategic act of our time.You’ll hear:Why trans liberation benefits everyoneHow colonialism and binary thinking go hand in handWhat it means to create culture instead of conform to itThe role of joy in resistance—and the grief that comes with it.This is a powerful return, and we’re starting as we mean to go on: unfiltered, unapologetic, and ready to rewire how we think about power, identity, and presence. Hit play, share widely, and join us in Season 2 of rewriting the rules. We are Resetting Algorithms all over again!TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Alok on self-determination and authenticity[00:04:08] First meeting and the importance of visibility in non-normative spaces[00:08:05] Gender euphoria, joy, and self-actualization[00:16:08] Global perspectives on patriarchy, gender apartheid, and intersectionality[00:22:28] Toxic masculinity and healing models of gender[00:28:24] Breaking out of all binaries—beyond just gender[00:29:42] Compassion, transformation, and the possibility of love as a radical act[00:36:32] Power, safety, and authenticity for marginalized communities[00:42:52] The “we/us” pronoun—building solidarity and abolishing loneliness[00:46:40] Alok’s advice for resetting your own algorithm[00:48:07] Book and community recommendations STAY IN TOUCH ✦ Today’s Guest: Alok Menon ✦Visit Alok’s Website Follow Alok on Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedInFor more episodes and resources, click hereMissed season 1? Go catch up—we dropped truths that still hit.✦ Connect with Moj✦ Get raw insights, behind-the-scenes moments & exclusive clips on Substack: Moj MahdaraWatch full episodes on YouTubeFollow Moj on Instagram | Tiktok | LinkedIn | Twitter/XFollow Reset the Algorithm on Instagram | TikTok🎧 Don’t just scroll—catch up before the next one drops.
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    51 mins
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