Episode 86

Mixed Identity and Leadership: End of Season Summer Special with Jassa Ahluwalia

We chat to actor, filmmaker and the author of Both Not Half, Jassa Ahluwalia

We're ending our season with something truly special - a transformative conversation with Jassa Ahluwalia that we know will stay with you long after listening.

Jassa is a British actor, writer, filmmaker and trade unionist, known for roles in Unforgotten, Ripper Street, and Peaky Blinders. Born in Coventry to a white English mother and Punjabi father, his hashtag #BothNotHalf emerged from a viral video and evolved into a movement exploring mixed identity. His TEDx talk "How Language Shapes Identity" has garnered over 200,000 views, and his BBC One documentary Am I English? won an Asian Media Award in 2022.

In our conversation, Jassa shares how that viral Instagram video led to his powerful book Both Not Half: A Radical New Approach to Mixed Identity. This isn't just about personal identity. It’s about revolutionising how leaders create belonging, moving from allyship to solidarity, and why challenging binary thinking is essential for modern organisations.

Three simple words - "Both Not Half" - that could transform how your organisation thinks about identity, belonging, and true inclusion.

As it’s our season finale, we've also packed in Paul and Zoe's holiday reading and podcast recommendations to take with you over the break.

We'll be back at the end of summer with fresh episodes, but this conversation will give you plenty to think about until then!

Jassa’s work

-Both Not Half: a Radical New Approach to Mixed Heritage Identity https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/books/blink-publishing/both-not-half/
-Jassa Ahluwahlia on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/officialjassa/?hl=en
-Jassa’s TEDx Talk: "How Language Shapes Identity" https://youtu.be/SP0bAQ8J6C0?si=HAaxO4SvPtqL6M2R

Summer recommendations

- What Did You Do Yesterday podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/62lFI5XAYb68cSOcOWnDI9
- Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29502354-rest
- Chinese and Any Other Asian by Anna Sulan Masing https://www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co.uk/titles/anna-sulan-masing/chinese-and-any-other-asian/9781399606684/
- An A-Z of Chinese Food (Recipes Not Included) by Jenny Lau https://www.celestialpeach.com/an-az-of-chinese-food-recipes-not-included

Please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

Full transcript of this episode (srt file)

Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)

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