Lemon Water's Michelle Siman: 'There is room for everyone in any space as long as you stay true and authentic to yourself'
In conversation with Michelle Siman: The creator and host of ‘Lemon Water’.
- A community focused wellness podcast, which features a thought-provoking series of exploratory conversations and interviews with leaders in the health & wellness space - so insightful, that listeners have said it has similar optimising benefits to lemon water itself…
Due to her podcast originally starting as a passion project alongside her 9 to 5, it will come as no surprise to learn that Michelle is a self proclaimed wellness enthusiast. She displays a curious intrigue and fascination surrounding all things beauty, wellness and health related. Despite Michelle starting the platform for her own learning and development, it has evolved into being an authoritative guide for wellness for her many listeners, myself included. Her rich conversations with a plethora of guests draws on wide spread health and wellness themes. These span from conversations with philanthropic entrepreneurs on quests to help immigrants find a hassle free way of paying for family medical prescriptions abroad, to Osteopaths honouring the power of breath, to natural skincare brand founders on the intrinsic links between nutrition and skin issues. Michelle leads and guides these conversations with a pure and genuine inquisitiveness that prompts her guests to open up and share their journey with transparency, openness and honesty. If you are curious to hear more about the story of the interviewer, as she switches roles to the interviewee to share how leaning into her creative passion allowed her to carve out a career in perfect alignment with her authentic self, then keep reading…
By Hannah Tappin
Hannah: Let’s take it back to the beginning...For those who don't know already, Where are you from Michelle? - Was health, wellness and taking care of yourself always important to you growing up?
Michelle: I was born and raised in Toronto, a city in Ontario which is in Canada. Taking care of my health and wellbeing has always been important to me from a young age. For the most part, I’ve always been incredibly in-tune with my body.
Hannah: What inspired you to start the podcast? - Was there a key moment that sparked it?
‘I wanted to dive in deeper to have conversations about other people's personal wellness journeys to share their learnings’
Michelle: During the time I decided to start the podcast, I was learning and exploring more about different areas of wellness due to hormonal issues that came up.
This was a time where people started slowly sharing their journeys on social media but everything was incredibly aesthetic focused and super surface level.
I wanted to dive in deeper to have conversations about other people's personal wellness journeys to share their learnings. Why I decided to go the podcast route vs. another type of medium was because I’ve always been very interested in the radio space but never had the opportunity to learn more, this is when I just decided I could try it myself and see if it worked.
Hannah: What rituals/routines, daily practices do you have to promote a sense of positive mental well-being.
‘I try to read for at least an hour in the morning, it brings me a sense of calm which helps set the intention for the day’
Michelle: I absolutely love waking up really early and giving myself 3-4 hours before the madness starts. It’s so peaceful to be able to do your morning routine with no one bothering you like emails/ your phone going off.
I try my best to be asleep by 10pm so I can be up for 5:30am. It really has helped me feel more productive and energized! I also try to read for at least an hour in the morning, it brings me a sense of calm which helps set the intention for the day.
Hannah: Great tips! What has been the biggest challenge since starting the podcast?
Michelle: The journey of overcoming imposter syndrome and trying to stay “relevant”. This is something that I now don’t not let affect me as much. It’s obviously a constant struggle but since getting such amazing feedback from the community, this propels me to keep going.
Hannah: What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?
‘I don’t think any advice is “bad”, I think it’s on us to take the advice we get and decide whether or not we want to use it’
Michelle: I don’t think any advice is “bad”, I think it’s on us to take the advice we get and decide whether or not we want to use it :)
Hannah: What are your favourite books/ sources of inspiration?
Michelle: I really love the Jay Shetty podcast. Surprisingly enough, I don’t listen to podcasts that much, but when I do, its absolutely a go-to. In terms of books, I try to read a bunch of personal development and self-help books when I can, my absolute favorite of all time is the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Hannah: In your solo episode, you spoke about a low point that later led on to great new career opportunities. Any advice on turning struggle to strength and fostering resiliency during periods of difficulty?
‘Just remember that nothing is forever, this goes for the highs and the lows. You need to experience the lows in order to learn and grow, so just know that this is a part of your journey that is going to be a very important part of your personal story’
Michelle: Just remember that nothing is forever, this goes for the highs and the lows. You need to experience the lows in order to learn and grow, so just know that this is a part of your journey that is going to be a very important part of your personal story.
Hannah: How have you built self-confidence over the years to thrive in your consultancy role?
‘ I think believing in yourself is extremely important in all that you do, it’s obviously so much easier said than done, since I believe self-doubt is something we all experience as humans, its sometimes second nature’
Michelle: This isn’t something that you can turn on and off and this is a constant work-in progress for me.
I still have imposter syndrome the majority of the time, but I always try to remind myself that brands choose to work with me for a reason.
I think believing in yourself is extremely important in all that you do, it’s obviously so much easier said than done, since I believe self-doubt is something we all experience as humans, its sometimes second nature.
Hannah: How did you maintain wellness during a global pandemic?
‘I’m still slowly getting back into the groove of moving my body everyday and prioritizing fitness as an act of both self care and self love. During the pandemic I made sure to celebrate all the wins big or small when it came to taking care of myself!’
Michelle: My mental and physical health really took a toll during this pandemic. I was however, very lucky and grateful to live with 2 of my best friends and roommates throughout the entire pandemic, so we had each other and we were never alone. It was difficult for me to stay motivated and optimistic when things didn’t seem like they were going to get better for so long.
I’m still slowly getting back into the groove of moving my body everyday and prioritizing fitness as an act of both self care and self love. During the pandemic I made sure to celebrate all the wins big or small when it came to taking care of myself!
Hannah: To anyone feeling lost in their 20s/early career. What advice would you give?
Michelle: Stop being so hard on yourself, you have your entire life to figure it out :)
Hannah: Finally, any advice on differentiating yourself in a competitive/saturated wellness podcast space?
‘There is room for everyone in any space as long as you stay true and authentic to yourself, that’s how your audience and community will gravitate towards you and your platform’
Michelle: I really believe that the only competition you should ever have is with yourself. There is room for everyone in any space as long as you stay true and authentic to yourself, that’s how your audience and community will gravitate towards you and your platform.
Hannah: Amazing! Thanks so much Michelle. For me, authenticity is also key. To get your daily dose of metaphorical lemon water, go and listen to Michelle’s podcast on apple podcasts/spotify now! Or click here to check out its Lemon Water on Instagram.