The Gurls Talk Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 37. Adwoa catches up with Dua Lipa about social media, mental health, and her five-point plan to shake up gender equality in music Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Releasing an album in the middle of a global pandemic wasn’t part of her plan, but this week’s guest Dua Lipa did exactly that. In this week’s episode, she talks through the process of launching her new album Future Nostalgia, the pitfalls of listening to social media, and explains how she’s taking care of her mental health during isolation.

This episode explains how the pressure for this to be a period of self-improvement and productivity is unnecessary. To get through this, we all need to cut ourselves some slack and do our best to slow down and have patience with ourselves when things don’t go according to plan.

You can follow @dualipa and you can follow us @gurlstalk. Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe, so you never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 36. Adwoa talks to Dr. Ciara Dockery about how we can all thrive in isolation Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

There’s nothing more important right now than a good chat with a wise friend, and that’s exactly what Dr. Ciara Dockery is for both myself and every member of the Gurls Talk community. Ciara is a clinical psychologist and our new chief clinical advisor and she’s here to show us how we can do more than just survive isolation, we can thrive in it.

This episode teaches us all about how our mental health can be impacted during such strange times. To overcome, we must take stock of our emotions and embrace every feeling, not run from them. But, most importantly, we must stay connected. Isolation doesn’t mean we isolate ourselves from our friends and family. We can stay in touch, call a friend, FaceTime a sibling. It may just be the best thing you’ll ever do.

You can follow @dr.ciaradockery and you can follow us @gurlstalk. Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 35. Adwoa talks to the TARA Sisters and Zeina Nassar about the positive impact of exercise Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

Starting a conversation with some spiritual handholding is always a good sign. And that’s the vibe Bea and Tina from the TARA Sisters, and Nike athlete Zeina Nassar brought to this episode from the Gurls Talk Berlin live event.

Both the TARA Sisters and Zeina are playing their part in changing the world. For Bea and Tina, it’s about recognising how our youth are key to building a peaceful and compassionate future. They talk about how they create a space for teenage girls to navigate self-love and a positive mindset through movement. They’re like the big sisters we wish we had when we were growing up.

Then Zeina, who’s a force of nature fighting the girls’ corner, tells us how she’s helped changed the rules in boxing so every woman who wears a hijab can box anywhere in the world. We talk about trusting in yourself to follow your dream, and if you could be your own big sister, what would you say to yourself? (Life’s all about a good prep talk!)

Enjoy a big dose of positivity, and as always mad amounts of love.

You can follow @bea.bewegt @tina__kaa @zeina.boxer and you can follow us @gurlstalk Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep. 34. Adwoa talks to Clara Amfo about Ghana, social media and setting boundaries. Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

I really hope that you and your loved ones are all well and staying safe and healthy.

I’m extremely happy to be back with you all for our new season. Given the global crisis caused by Covid-19, we are releasing this in an increasingly uncertain and scary time. Now, more than ever, it is important to create safe spaces that encourage open and honest conversations and help us stay connected.

While we did debate as to whether or not to release one of the many podcasts we’ve already recorded pre-Covid-19, we felt it important to share with you what we had already started earlier in the year and revisit some of these conversations. Listening to these initial podcasts, it is so jarring to hear how different our lives and circumstances were.

Our first episode is with the brilliant Clara Amfo that we recorded back in January.

Clara and I talk about our time at the Year of Return in Ghana. How we’re honoured to have Ghanaian heritage, and the importance of people in the diaspora to fly the flag. We talk about Clara’s new podcast – This City with Clara Amfo – which is all about what London means to her guests. We share our views on social media and how highly confusing navigating the unwritten rules can be. How on one hand we loathe the negativity that comes with Instagram, but on the other, love the sense of community you can find from like-minded women.

Being single, actively choosing to be single, and celebrating our independence definitely gets some deserved airtime. And we talk about not wasting time on the wrong people, understanding your values, being kind to yourself, and filling up your own cup rather than expecting others to fill it up for you.

It really is so good to be back. Enjoy listening and mad, mad, mad amounts of love.

Clara’s amazing new podcast is here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-city/id1492707322

You can follow Clara on Instagram @claraamfoand you can follow us @gurlstalk

Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 33. Adwoa talks to Ibtihaj Muhammad about using her platform to ignite change. Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

It’s not every day that I get to sit down and talk to an Olympic fencer. And Ibtihaj Muhammad is so much more than her sporting accolades that catapulted her into the spotlight. Being the first American athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab was simply the springboard to everything that she’s done since – from writing books, to launching a clothing company and being an all-round superhero to a generation of girls.

After speaking about the importance of role models on a panel talk at the Nike Legacy Summit LA, we continued our conversation with this podcast episode. Full of honesty, eloquence, and sage advice, Ibtihaj talks about sport’s power to unify – it’s not about where you’re from, how much money you have, your gender, your sexual orientation or your faith. It’s about getting out there, having fun and trying to win.

Ibtihaj shares her own experiences of being made to feel like a square shape in a round space. She talks about how she abandoned the idea of acceptance and people-pleasing long ago, and instead learned to love herself and be her own biggest cheerleader to get to where she is today.

There are so many reasons why I love this conversation – enjoy listening. We’re now off for our festive break, so mad amounts of love to you all. We’ll be back in January 2020.

You can learn more about Ibtihaj, her projects and order her books here www.ibtihajmuhammad.com

And you can follow Ibtihaj and her clothing company on Instagram @ibtihajmuhammad @louellashop

As always, you can follow us @gurlstalk and send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 32. Adwoa and Tally Fosh on turning your life around after rehab and recovery. Nov 25, 2019

Show notes

Recovery is no walk in the park, it’s hard work. But the thing about recovery, is that you can come back as a better version – the 2.0 you. And that’s what Tally’s done. In our conversation, we rewind five years to when we met in treatment to get clean and sober. As two very different people, we found our similarities and realised that although recovery can be lonely, it’s less so when you’ve got people to go through it with.

I loved recording this episode. Tally and I talked about going into treatment with an open mind, about the obstacles we faced, being stripped down and rebuilt, and about learning to take things day by day. In the years since we first admitted we needed help, Tally has become a qualified psychotherapist and yoga teacher, and I have of course created Gurls Talk and the most incredible community. We both want to use our experience to help others and prove that although addiction is a dark place, recovery and an all-round more positive existence is definitely possible.

Mad amounts of love to you all.

To speak to someone about alcohol and drug addiction, you can get advice here: https://www.recovery.org.uk/drug-and-alcohol-recovery/

You can follow Tally on Instagram @therapised and you can follow us @gurlstalk

Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 31. Adwoa talks to Kai-Isaiah Jamal about preventative recovery. Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

Self-care doesn’t have to mean celery juices, mineral face masks and sage-burning yoga classes overlooking the ocean. Self-care is whatever makes you feel good. This is something the brilliant Kai-Isaiah Jamal and I spoke about in this week’s podcast. We discussed the power of preventative recovery, about knowing your triggers, setting boundaries and understanding what protective practices bring you back to yourself.

We often think of recovery as the after event, what you do to heal. But preventative recovery is something we can do all the time. For both Kai and myself exercise plays a big role. It’s not just about giving you this ass or that chest, it’s a form of therapy. Kai talks about how writing is also an important practice to him and shares two incredible poems on his experience of recovery: ‘Geum’ and ‘The Author Imagines the Moments His Chest is Revealed to Him.’

Mad love to you all. Until next time!

To see Kai perform his poetry and speak on a panel, check out these events:

https://freeword.org/event/black-home-the-club-as-sanctuary/

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feeld-social-fluid-identities-panel-installations-screenings-tickets-75580809235

You can follow Kai on Instagram @kai_isaiah_jamal and you can follow us @gurlstalk

Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 30. Adwoa and Ashley Walters on speaking up about suffering with mental health issues. Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

Let’s get one thing clear – it’s absolutely OK to admit that things aren’t OK. But so often, our fears around mental health can be what holds us back from getting the support we need. I really wanted to get a male perspective on mental health and loved talking to Ashley as he opened up about his own experiences of suffering with depression and overcoming the macho, suck-it-up, don’t-share-your-feelings front that’s imposed on boys from a young age.

Ashley and I talked about the negative impact of suffering in silence, and how it can often lead to alcohol and drug abuse which always perpetuates the problem. We talked about the fear of leaving your house and facing people, recognising the signs that we, or someone we know, might need help, and how society can work together to break the stigma of mental health struggles.

Enjoy listening. And mad, mad love to you all.

Never be afraid to seek help. Here are some numbers of great support options to talk openly and in confidence with someone.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/

If you haven’t yet watched Ashley in the brilliant Top Boy, I fully recommend you do.

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/70236561

You can follow Ashley on Instagram @ashleywalters and you can follow us @gurlstalk
Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com and don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 29. Adwoa talks to Candice Carty-Williams about the importance of self-worth. Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

Relationships are tough – sexual relationships, family relationships, friendships – because we all have stuff. We're all flawed and make mistakes. Candice Carty-Williams' brilliant debut book Queenie is all about living with our stuff and understanding our value.

In this week's episode, Candice and I had a very frank conversation about the themes in her book. We talked about sex, and the importance of women having sexual agency. We talked about online dating, interracial dating and the damaging reductive stereotypes that surround black women’s bodies.

What I loved most about Queenie and my conversation with Candice is the message of self-worth – something I think we all have to remind ourselves of on a regular basis. But it's true, whoever you are – you are enough.

Enjoy listening. And mad, mad love to you all.

The book everyone’s been reading this year.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/queenie/candice-carty-williams/9781409180050

You can follow Candice on Instagram @candicec_w and you can follow us @gurlstalk

Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

Ep 28. Adwoa talks to Louisa Northcote about acne and its ability to take over our minds. Sep 25, 2019

Show notes

Spots, cysts, acne, bright-red-tomato-face with skin flaking off. Whatever your breakout, we know how much of a confidence-kill troubled skin can be. I have battles with my own skin, but I hide it quite well – I say no to jobs, I don’t go to events, I wear a hoodie.

We’re so used to retreating to the shadows when our skin flares up. We apologise for it, feel judged because of it. But Louisa is making big steps in acne positivity with her amazing Instagram movement #freethepimple. She’s created an online community for people who get what it’s like to have acne and feel like everyone’s staring at your skin (which they really aren’t).

Louisa gives us a great pep talk about loving the skin we’re in. We talk about how acne affects our mental health and our dating life, how it’s a never-ending quest to find skincare products that work, and how we become masters of using makeup to cover our blemished skin.

We spend so much time obsessing over spots and feeling ugly because of them, but it’s time to change that. FREE THE PIMPLE!

Enjoy listening, and mad, mad love as always.

You can join the #freethepimple community on Instagram, follow Louisa @lounorthcote and follow us @gurlstalk
Please send any messages to www.gurlstalk.com And don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode of the Gurls Talk podcast.

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