Living With Vitiligo: Aiesha Robinson on Resilience, Self-Love and Being Seen w/ Anita Nowak - Purposeful Empathy

Vitiligo can make you feel visible in all the wrong ways. In this special series devoted to widening our circle of empathy for people who often feel marginalized or misunderstood, watch this powerful episode featuring Aiesha Robinson—a youth speaker who helps teens face their insecurities and recognize their worth.Drawing on her lived experience of being diagnosed with Vitiligo at 18 and the loneliness, stigma, and mental health challenges that followed, Aiesha shares how she moved from self-hatred to self-acceptance, and why a simple smile can be a radical act of inclusion. She also introduces Born to Rise, her storytelling platform that creates community through vulnerability and truth, reminding us that no matter what we’re facing, we all have the capacity to stand tall.Together, we discuss:Bullying and shame—and how resilience is builtHow self-empathy expands through human connectionHow affirmations work best when paired with real, actionable stepsWhat young people need from us right now to feel seen and supportedThis conversation is about learning to see people fully—and helping every person feel valued, included, and at home in their own skin.00:00 Preview01:05 Introduction 02:43 About Aiesha Robinson06:14 What is Vitiligo?10:07 Aiesha's backstory16:35 The impact of Vitiligo on mental health22:25 The power of affirmations26:42 How Aiesha handles ignorance and hurtful comments29:57 Living with Vitiligo in public32:01 How vulnerability creates strength34:55 What is Born to Rise?39:28 How to become your own best friend42:39 Strategies for teens to overcome self-doubt47:48 Aiesha Robinson’s Purposeful Empathy storyCONNECT WITH AIESHA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aiesha-robinson/✩ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aiesharobinson_/?hl=en✩ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aiesha.robinson.33CONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email [email protected] ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialSHOW NOTES✩ Born to Rise https://www.instagram.com/borntorise.mtl/✩ Living Dappled https://www.instagram.com/livingdappled/?hl=en✩  BORN 2 RISE - The Aiesha Robinson Vitiligo story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTFnwKXHKlsVideo edited by Jad Misri, Green Horizon Studio