Growth does not always look deep and serious. Sometimes it sounds like laughter, a little chaos, and conversations that catch you off guard with how real they get. It often starts in unfamiliar spaces, where identity is shaped between cultures, expectations, and experiences that do not quite match up.

There is no clear blueprint in the beginning. Just trying, adjusting, and figuring things out while holding onto stability and still feeling pulled toward something more. Choosing the creative path rarely makes sense on paper, but it keeps calling anyway.

Along the way, perspective shifts. Ideas about money, success, and self-worth start to look different. It becomes clear that even the people who seem established are still learning as they go. Confidence builds slowly through showing up, doing the work, and trusting the process before the results show.

In this episode of Sky Talks, Jessa sits down with Nigerian-born comedian Ola Dada for a conversation that moves between humour and real-life moments. What starts as light banter opens into honest talks about identity, money, and building a life on your own terms. They talk about growing up between cultures, leaving stability, and choosing a creative path without clear guarantees. The conversation also touches on how people view success, self-worth, and the reality that most are still figuring things out.

At its core, this episode shows how humour can create space for honesty, connection, and moments that leave people feeling lighter.

Topics Covered:

(00:00) Welcome to Sky Talks

(01:45) Introducing Ola Dada and stepping into the spotlight

(03:10) From accounting to comedy: choosing a different path

(07:30) Rethinking money, value, and survival

(10:58) Moving to Vancouver and starting again

(13:02) The high of performance and the quiet after

(15:20) The work behind the moment on stage

(18:02) Identity and how people label others

(20:14) Honest take on hometown culture

(23:02) Life experiences that build resilience

(24:43) Conflicting online wellness information

(25:53) Staying grounded under pressure

(28:05) Responsibility to calm the room

(30:08) Stage anxiety vs setup stress

(31:29) Mental health and emotional intensity

(34:00) Past jobs and survival work

(35:31) Creative work is nonstop

(44:30) Bias shaped by perception and media

(47:00) Upcoming comedy special

(50:20) Have a relationship with Jesus

(51:21) Inner work first, success follows

(51:57) Comparison kills progress

About the Guest:

Ola Dada is a Nigerian-born comedian whose journey is shaped by a life of cultural contrast, constant movement, and learning how to connect quickly with different rooms. What began as adapting to new environments and finding humour in everyday moments grew into a stand-up style rooted in honesty, relatability, and light-hearted observation. His story reflects the steady work of turning lived experience into comedy, using perspective, timing, and presence to bring people together through laughter.

Connect with Ola Dada:

Web: ⁠https://www.oladada.com/⁠

IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/showtime.dada/⁠

About the Host:

Jessa Sky is a proud Métis Cree singer-songwriter, mental health and addiction awareness advocate, keynote speaker, and the host of Sky Talks Podcast. Her career continues to rise, but her path has also been shaped by personal battles with mental health and healing. These experiences inspire her to create music, conversations, and spaces that remind others they are never alone.

Through her voice, whether in song, on stage, or behind the mic, Jessa brings healing and humour together. She offers connection, breaks stigma, and shows that resilience can grow even from life’s hardest seasons.

Connect with Jessa Sky:

Website: ⁠https://www.jessasky.com/⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/jessaskyy/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jessaskyy/⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jessaskyy⁠

YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@jessaskyy⁠

Not every kind of healing looks obvious. Sometimes it looks like finally paying attention to the things you’ve been brushing off for years. The exhaustion you keep pushing through. The discomfort you’ve normalized. The habits, insecurities, and little frustrations that slowly become part of your everyday life.

In this episode of Sky Talks, Jessa sits down with her friend and trusted injector, RN Tara of Absolute Aesthetics, for an honest, hilarious, and surprisingly deep conversation about beauty, healing, confidence, and what it really means to care for people well. They share Jessa’s experience with filler, Botox, dissolving, and facial symmetry, and why more is not always better. The conversation also covers Tara’s work in nursing, burnout, mental health, women’s wellness, IV therapy, and vitamins. This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with body image, overdone beauty standards, exhaustion, self-neglect, or simply wants to feel better from the inside out.

Topics Covered:

(00:00) Welcome to Sky Talks

(01:21) Introducing our guest, RN Tara

(03:22) Jessa’s filler journey and what went wrong

(06:19) How Jessa and Tara met

(07:10) Why safe care matters

(10:26) Less is more in aesthetics

(12:08) Building trust before treatment

(13:47) Tara’s experience in nursing and the OR

(20:26) Why feeling cared for matters

(24:18) You never know what someone is carrying

(25:37) Boundaries, empathy, and protecting your energy

(39:40) Staying professional in crisis care

(42:28) De-escalation is part of care

(48:59) Nurturing others while learning to nurture self

(51:43) Turning aesthetics into healthcare guidance

(53:23) What IV therapy can help with

(57:35) Transparency, pricing, and trust

(01:00:08) The unexpected path to becoming a nurse

(01:04:03) Growth happens in discomfort

(01:10:40) Why filler isn’t one-size-fits-all

(01:16:36) Honesty about risks in aesthetic treatments

(01:21:13) Skin, acne, and real-world factors affecting results

(01:24:35) The gap between how people look and feel

(01:26:06) Showing up for each other in hard moments

(01:31:06) Raising children without bias

(01:33:35) Identity, individuality, and freedom

(01:35:05) Unity, respect, and shared humanity

(01:36:48) Connect with Tara

About the Guest:

RN Tara is a registered nurse and the founder of Absolute Aesthetics, where she combines medical knowledge with a thoughtful, patient-centered approach to beauty and wellness. With nearly two decades in nursing, she brings a grounded perspective to aesthetics, IV therapy, vitamins, and overall well-being, helping clients make informed decisions that support both confidence and health. Her work is rooted in care, education, and creating a space where people feel comfortable, supported, and seen.

Connect with RN Tara / AbsoluteAestheticsEdmonton:Web: https://absoluteaesthetics.ca/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AbsoluteAestheticsEdmonton

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tara_the_aesthetician/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@tara_the_aesthetician

About the Host:

Jessa Sky is a proud Métis Cree singer-songwriter, mental health and addiction awareness advocate, keynote speaker, and the host of Sky Talks Podcast. Her career continues to rise, but her path has also been shaped by personal battles with mental health and healing. These experiences inspire her to create music, conversations, and spaces that remind others they are never alone.

Through her voice, whether in song, on stage, or behind the mic, Jessa brings healing and humour together. She offers connection, breaks stigma, and shows that resilience can grow even from life’s hardest seasons.

Connect with Jessa Sky:

Website: https://www.jessasky.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessaskyy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessaskyy/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessaskyy

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jessaskyy

Speaking openly about the realities behind creative work is not always comfortable, but honesty can help people better understand the systems artists move through every day. Humor often makes difficult conversations easier to hold, especially when the topics involve identity, community, and public visibility.

Many performers experience a gap between how they are treated on stage and how they are treated off stage. A person can be applauded during a performance and still face judgment or dismissal in everyday spaces. Recognition does not always translate into respect, and that contradiction can shape how artists move through their work and their communities.

In this episode, I speak with Call Me Keeks, a multidisciplinary performer and member of the House of Ebony, Alberta’s first all-Black queer and trans performance house. We talk about leaving corporate work to focus on performing, the realities of working in the arts, and the importance of community. Keeks also shares experiences from the performance scene, reflections on leadership and accountability, and thoughts on protecting creative energy while continuing to grow as an artist.

Topics Covered:

(00:00) Welcome to Sky Talks

(01:18) How Jess and CallMeKeeks first met

(03:33) Edmonton snow removal and city frustrations

(05:05) Child welfare system failures and racism in social work

(08:51) Who is CallMeKeeks?

(12:22) “Connoisseur of Chaos”

(15:26) Preparing for performances and off-stage judgment

(19:40) Indigenous erasure and Black overexposure

(22:45) Seeing the wrong people get the opportunities

(25:36) Refusing abuse and setting boundaries

(27:44) What good producers do differently

(31:15) Ego, leadership, and accountability in the industry

(34:42) The importance of a trusted inner circle

(37:17) Social media perception vs. real life

(40:00) Living through a tense political and social climate

(41:34) Personal growth, healing, and building a better life

(43:21) Self-worth beyond productivity

(45:22) Authentic content and TikTok culture

(47:02) Healthy relationships require mutual respect and not settling

(53:16) CallMeKeek’s story of meeting her fiancé

(58:43) The risks of advocacy in creative industries

(01:00:58) Have trusted people who keep you accountable

(01:01:50) Mentoring the next generation

(01:03:49) Respect in community without needing friendship

(01:07:23) Future plans for the House of Ebony

About the Guest:

CallMeKeeks is a multidisciplinary performer, burlesque artist, and community advocate with over 20 years in the performing arts. She is the auntie of the House of Ebony, Alberta’s first all-Black queer and trans performance house. Through her work she celebrates creativity, challenges systems, and uplifts marginalized voices. Known for her humour,

honesty, and “connoisseur of chaos” energy, Keeks brings bold storytelling and unapologetic authenticity to every stage and conversation.

Connect with CallMeKeeks:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callmekeeks_/

About the Host:

Jessa Sky is a proud Métis Cree singer-songwriter, mental health and addiction awareness advocate, keynote speaker, and the host of Sky Talks Podcast. Her career continues to rise, but her path has also been shaped by personal battles with mental health and healing. These experiences inspire her to create music, conversations, and spaces that remind others they are never alone.

Through her voice, whether in song, on stage, or behind the mic, Jessa brings healing and humour together. She offers connection, breaks stigma, and shows that resilience can grow even from life’s hardest seasons.

Connect with Jessa Sky:

Website: https://www.jessasky.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessaskyy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessaskyy

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessaskyy

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jessaskyy

Choosing to be fully seen is not about being loud or rebellious. It is about letting go of shame, honoring your identity, and refusing to apologize for existing.

Many people learn early on to mute the parts of themselves that feel “too much.” Too queer, too Indigenous, too emotional, too creative, too loud. Over time, that shrinking becomes a habit. But when you follow the thought all the way through, you realize that hiding does not protect you. It only disconnects you from yourself and from the people who would love you as you are.

In this episode, I speak with Pheromone Killz, an Indigenous drag performer, community voice, and creator who blends humor with heart and turns art into advocacy. We talk about growing into identity, finding safe friendship, and the responsibility that comes with visibility. She shares her experience fundraising for the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton, reading to kids at Pride, building queer community, and learning to take up space without apology. This conversation highlights the importance of belonging, cultural pride, creative expression, and protecting the friendships that make self-discovery possible.

Topics Covered:

(00:00) Welcome to Sky Talks

(03:21) Meeting people who feel safe

(05:37) Why genuine friendships are rare

(06:46) Pheromone Killz: Fun, Chaotic, and Unapologetic

(09:47) What's life before drag?

(12:08) Early passions that become purpose

(14:47) Holding two identities at once

(16:07) Authenticity on stage vs. fitting the mold

(18:00) Drag Race as an awakening

(22:07) Healthy love enters after self-love

(29:22) Fundraising with joy and purpose

(32:03) Representation for kids and why it matters

(34:45) Safety in queer spaces

(37:30) Energy boundaries in community spaces

(38:23) The emotional comedown after performing

(41:19) The dual life of performers: stage vs. real job

(45:47) Being yourself is the ultimate strategy

(51:28) Be nice to people

(55:32) The importance of intention

(56:07) Upcoming events and spaces for connection

(58:26) Making space for those who don’t feel safe

About the Guest:

Pheromone Killz is a drag performer, community builder, and unapologetically real creative force who blends humour, authenticity, and cultural pride into every space they enter. With over a decade in drag, they’ve built a platform that doesn’t just entertain but also uplifts communities, raises funds, and gives voice to those who need it.

Connect with Pheromone Killz:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pheromonekillz/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/pheromonekillz.bookings

About the Host:

Jessa Sky is a proud Métis Cree singer-songwriter, mental health and addiction awareness advocate, keynote speaker, and the host of Sky Talks Podcast. Her career continues to rise, but her path has also been shaped by personal battles with mental health and healing. These experiences inspire her to create music, conversations, and spaces that remind others they are never alone.

Through her voice, whether in song, on stage, or behind the mic, Jessa brings healing and humour together. She offers connection, breaks stigma, and shows that resilience can grow even from life’s hardest seasons.

Connect with Jessa Sky:

Website: https://www.jessasky.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessaskyy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessaskyy

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessaskyy

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jessaskyy