Hoda Hussein (aka – Summer, but we’ll get to that later) is a go-getter from the GTA. Last year she launched her business Sunshine Park Clothing and it’s taking off across the country and beyond. Hoda has a strong voice and a heart that bursts wide open for the people around her and for people in general. Hoda is the wife to a husband who calls her his queen.
This is how her bestie, Jenn, describes Hoda
The ever stylish, trend setting hoda, is a friend to many and a mother to three amazing boys. She loves with her whole heart and supports and uplifts those around her. Always up for fun and lots of laughs, but a go getter who has a clear vision of her future.
We were thrilled to catch up with her given her hectic schedule and are so grateful for her time.
If a movie was made of your life, what would it be called, and who would play you?
Hoda: Well I’m not the best with movie names, but I’m a comedy girl. I love funny movies. They just uplift me and that’s exactly what I need in my life. I don’t need anything else, and I love to laugh. And it’s a kind of a toss-up between a couple um but I’m going to say Bridesmaids is something that would kind of reflect, maybe, who I am and I was in stitches watching that movie. It was awesome. It was great.
Who would I Iike to play my role? I’m not really sure who can do that. I have no idea. I think it would be quite comical to have Jenn, my girlfriend play me. I’d like to actually see that. She might actually do a great job. Yes, definitely, Jenn!
Let’s define strengths as things that make you feel strong, what are your top three strengths?
Hoda: For sure my first is my ability to feel compassion for people. I love to love people and I always try to find the best in everyone. Another strength that I have is probably sales. I’m a good saleswoman. I’m not really a shyster, but I can sell. My third one is the ability to nurture.
And that’s just part of your DNA. You can’t argue with who you are. And so I’m proud to be compassionate, and very nurturing. I feel a sense of empowerment around strong women. It makes me want to get on with my dreams and I love that. I also love being around strong females, that also recognize that they can be empowered by other females. I love uplifting other individuals and shedding some light or showing them the other sides of situations. I love helping others and making others feel good.
I love the feeling of having everyone together and you know and we don’t need to always agree, but we still love each other and that’s the foundation of humanity right!?
I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE AND I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF A HUMAN BEING.
Is there a conversation that you’ve wanted to have, but you haven’t had it yet?
Hoda: YES. I find that the older I get, the more questions I have. When you’re younger you just kind of go with the flow and you’re told how something is right how something is done and we just kind of abide by it, and then we just go through life thinking that this is just the way it’s supposed to be.
I have a lot of questions about things that I feel very uncertain about and I’m trying to right now think about how to not make this controversial. I want women to recognize who they are, and what their capabilities are in life, and I want women from all walks of life to realize their strengths in one another and the power that they have. I find that some people are able to dig that up from within themselves while others are not. The question that I have is, where is the missing link?
It goes back to relationships. We find strong women everywhere, you know, the Vice President of this company, the owner of that company or the CEO. They’re fantastic on the outside and everything is so perfect over there, but then, when you come into their homes, that sense of insecurity falls on them. And the power is gone.
I want to always know what the disconnect is between women that are how shall I say, not necessarily abused, but women that feel like they’re second class citizens in their own home. They are empowered in the workplace and then they come home and they are completely different people. There’s all different kinds of women that I have asked, that talk about how differently they are at work than they are at home. A different person comes out when they’re at home and sometimes there’s abuse and just all kinds of wreckage. I wonder, how does a woman that is so powerful allow herself to get in a position where she doesn’t have control anymore?
There are a lot of women that don’t speak up about it and you know what they’re living among us. I always wonder what the disconnect is. I want women to rise up and I want to help women to stand up on their feet and to empower each other. And to understand that it is okay. Other women shouldn’t pass judgment on other women who are going through these trials and tribulations in their life. I think that there’s a lot of women out there that we feel very envious of because of their positions and where they are in life. But some of those women have skeletons in their closet and I always wondered what is a disconnect between a powerful woman at work, and then a very weak and suppressed woman at home.
I have been thinking about this cause for a very long time because I feel that sometimes there isn’t enough that’s being done. I want to blow my horn and yell:
This is what we are doing, you can tell us how you feel, how you really feel.
Hoda: Women in this day and age really need that support and I’ve met many women along the way. Who need support in their homes, and I see them.
And I struggle with it. I take it home and I, and I sleep with it and it sits in my belly and then I go to work with it, and then I take my kids to the arenas with it. We need to do something about this, we need to do something about this now.
What is the kindest thing you have ever seen?
Hoda: You know I’m just going to go somewhere completely different with this. It has something to do with my relationship with my father. My father and I are very close. Just recently he was diagnosed with stage four cancer and it broke me down completely. You think that your parents are going to be there for the rest of your life, even when we all know that they’re not going to be. It’s something else when you realize they’re not really they’re not going to be.
From the day he was diagnosed, I have looked at him in a different way. I looked at him, like, I want to appreciate you like I wholeheartedly want to appreciate the man that you are, the person that raised me. I look at him and he looks at me with so much pride and love.
That’s the kindest thing. He’s such a sweet old man. He’s adorable so kind. I think you’ve always been so good, to me, and I see how much love and kindness he has towards me. Parents’ love is insane. That is the kindest man, that is the kindest behavior that I’ve seen and it’s full of positivity and love.
What is something that you think everybody should experience in life?
Hoda: I think everyone should experience the love of a partner. I think that love is very powerful and I feel everybody is deserving of that love. Love is a beautiful thing when it’s with the right person. And there are many people out there that feel like they’re in love and that think that they’re in love, but they’re really not. Until maybe they’re out of that relationship, and then they see another side and then they realize oh yeah, this is what love is. Love comes in different variations, but the love that I’m talking about is, you know.I just wish that everybody would experience unconditional love. . Romantic love with whomever.
What is the sexiest name that you know?
Hoda: Okay, so I’m going to go back to when I was in frickin high school and my name was always so complicated to tell people in loud places. People would ask, “Hey what’s your name?” And I’d be like, here we go. After telling people my name they would respond, “Hoba?” Or yell, “What is it?” So I was like forget it, so I came up with the name Summer. And I’ve always believed that thought was the coolest name. I always thought if I have a daughter I’m going to name her Summer.
Then I started having kids and my husband was like, “You’re not gonna name our daughter Summer. Just think about what that sounds like!” But I love the name. My husband thinks it’s too sexy and it doesn’t sound right for me to have a daughter named summer, but that’s the sexiest name that I can think of.
Summer.
Sunshine Park Clothing is named the happiest clothing in Canada and you can see why by perusing their designs. Thank you Hoda, for supporting Canadaloves.ca and for championing on everyone who joins you on your journey!
Stay tuned for our March contest which will be launched. It’s your chance to win a Sunshine Park Clothing sweater!
If you know someone who would be a great addition to our Friday Feature Female line up, let know here.
