Let's talk about Passion Projects

Raykhon sits down with her old friend Larisa Pak, a marketing specialist and the creative force, one of Kazakhstan's most prolific cultural producers. What starts as a warm catch-up between two women who go way back quickly turns into a candid conversation about the joy and the cost of following your passion.Larisa shares the bittersweet story of her gourmet popcorn business, a labour of love she ultimately had to close. She has spent over a decade producing TEDx conferences in Almaty, and is now channelling her energy into two bold new projects: a podcast and documentary exploring Kazakhstan as an ethnographic melting pot, and a food show celebrating the over 100 ethnic groups that call the country home today.Rayhan also opens up about her own passion project, this very podcast — making this one of those rare episodes where host and guest are equally vulnerable. Funny and warm, this is a conversation about what it really means to build something that matters.




