EP53 — Michelle Sultanaj: Flight Attendant, Belly Dancer, Tarot Reader & Death Doula in Training

In this episode of The Padernacht Podcast: Brick by Brick, Steven sits down with Michelle Sultanaj — known professionally as Sultana Taj — a former flight attendant turned professional belly dancer of nearly 20 years, a tarot card reader, and someone currently training to become a death doula.

 This one goes everywhere: from a chance encounter with a dancer on a study-abroad trip in Spain, to hustling for gigs in hookah lounges before social media existed, to a live tarot reading on camera, to an honest conversation about planning for death as an act of love for the people you leave behind.

Topics covered:

[9:22] How she discovered belly dancing

[11:04] The greatest joy of performing

[15:26] Live band vs. playlist

[24:16] Her mentor Jihan and "sacred belly dance"

[25:52] Hustling for gigs before social media existed

[30:24] The database she's never had — and the dream that told her to build one

[31:53] Steven's business lesson: building an email list from scratch

[36:59] What tarot actually is (and isn't)

[38:22] A live reading on the future of the podcast: the 10 of Cups

[44:52] Training to become a death doula

[46:15] What a death doula actually does

[49:03] Steven's own ethical will

[52:19] Why planning for death matters

[55:53] Legacy: how she wants to be remembered

 Connect with Michelle (Sultana Taj):

Website: sultanataj.com | Instagram: @sultanataj | Facebook: Sultanataj Belly Dancer

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