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Talking Tech With Creatives

Talking Tech With Creatives

Written by: Stella Oni
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Talking Tech with Creatives is a bi-weekly podcast about the people, ideas and technologies shaping how we create, work and think.

Hosted by author, speaker and lecturer Stella Oni, the podcast features conversations with people from a wide range of fields about creativity, technology, their work, and the ideas and experiences that have shaped them.

Subscribe and tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube and many more.

Talking Tech with Creatives

ISSN 2978-8307

Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Beyond the Desk: Community, Connection and Black British Creativity - Ep 38

    Beyond the Desk: Community, Connection and Black British Creativity - Ep 38
    Oct 13 2026

    What happens when you step away from your desk and enter a room full of people who share your creative passions?

    In this UK Black History Month solo episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, author and technologist Stella Oni reflects on attending two inspiring events in London: the Black Writers’ Guild gathering and the Black British Book Festival 2026 at the Barbican Centre.

    From discovering a thriving community of Black audio professionals to experiencing the energy of thousands of readers, writers and storytellers, Stella explores why human connection remains essential in an increasingly digital world.

    She shares her experiences of meeting fellow podcasters, discovering new creative networks, hearing conversations about the realities of building an online audience, and being moved by powerful performances at Black British Book Festival Poetry Shutdown.

    This episode is a celebration of Black British creativity, storytelling, friendship and the unexpected opportunities that arise when we show up. Because sometimes the knowledge, encouragement and inspiration we need are already in the room.

    In this episode: • Discovering the Black audio community at the Black Writers’ Guild • The energy and atmosphere of the Black British Book Festival 2026 • The opportunities and challenges of building an audience online • The emotional power of poetry and live performance • Why community and connection matter for writers and other creatives • Three lessons about showing up, supporting others and finding your audience

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Black Writers’ Guild Black British Book Festival 2026 The Barbican Centre Black Audio Network Seren Jones – The Missing Sister Kadija Sesay Malika Booker Poetry Shutdown A free gift for listeners

    Get your free copy of The Creative Money List, featuring 20 podcasts selected to help you turn your ideas, creativity and expertise into income.

    Download your copy here: The Creative Money List

    Connect with Talking Tech with Creatives:

    Website: https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTechWithCreatives

    Follow the podcast for more conversations about creativity, technology, storytelling and the people behind the ideas.

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

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563046697724
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    14 mins
  • From Writer to Publishing Business: Biba Pearce on Indie Publishing, Making Books Pay and AI - ep 37

    From Writer to Publishing Business: Biba Pearce on Indie Publishing, Making Books Pay and AI - ep 37
    Sep 28 2026
    Can you really make a living from writing. What changes when you start treating your books as a business? In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I talk with award-winning crime author and indie publisher Biba Pearce about the business behind a writing career. Biba writes across crime, thriller and romance, publishes through traditional and independent routes, and runs her own imprint, Mortlake Press. She shares how she moved from experimenting with self-publishing to building multiple series, working with publishers including Joffe Books and Liquid Mind Media, and developing a publishing model designed to generate long-term income. We talk about writing five or six books a year, building a backlist, Kindle Unlimited, rapid release, advertising, translations and international markets — as well as the growing role of AI. Biba also explains how she uses technology and AI within her publishing business while protecting the part she considers uniquely human: her authorial voice. We explore: • how Biba moved from a technology career into full-time authorship • traditional, independent and hybrid publishing • why backlist and read-through matter • whether authors can genuinely make money from books • KDP, Kindle Unlimited and international publishing • AI-assisted translation and audiobook possibilities • what happens to editors, designers and narrators as AI develops • why human voice may become even more valuable • using AI for research, analysis and publishing workflows • GEO and how AI is changing online search • how writers can prepare for a publishing industry that is changing fast This is a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, technology, publishing and what it takes to build a sustainable career around your work. Find Biba Pearce via her website and social channels. Website: https://bibapearce.com/ Instagram: @author_bibapearce Facebook: @authorbibapearce TikTok: @authorbibapearce Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bibapearce Subscribe to Talking Tech with Creatives for conversations about how technology is changing the way creative people work, build and create. Stella Oni — Author | Speaker | Lecturer | Podcast Host 🌐 Website: StellaOni.com⁠ 🎤 Speaking: Speaking engagements⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: [Stella Oni on LinkedIn] 📸 Instagram: [@stellaoni_official] 🎵 TikTok: [@stellaoni_official] X: [@soni_official2] TRANSCRIPT STELLA: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives, a podcast where we talk about creativity, technology, culture and all the different ways technology connects with creative work. Thank you so much for listening consistently. Every time I post, you listen, and I really appreciate that. If you’ve been listening regularly, or if you’re new, remember to subscribe wherever you’re listening or watching. I have an exciting conversation for you today, especially for authors. My guest is Biba Pearce, and she is a powerhouse when it comes to writing, publishing and the business of being an author. I’ve wanted to have her on the podcast for a long time, and we’ve finally made it. Biba, welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives. BIBA: Thank you so much for having me on, Stella. It’s a pleasure to be here. STELLA: I’m so happy we finally got you here. For those listening, this is going to be particularly interesting if you’re a writer or author and you want to understand the business of publishing, marketing and building a sustainable career. Biba, I want people to know a little bit about your background first. Give us your origin story. How did you start? BIBA: I started like most writers, I think, reading everything I could get my hands on as a child. I loved genre fiction right from the beginning: romance, crime and fantasy. When I grew up, I did a couple of writing courses, and it was during those courses that I realised I loved the process and that writing was something I wanted to do one day. It took a while to get to that point, but I kept learning, writing, practising, doing courses and building my craft. Eventually, when COVID hit and I wasn’t working anymore, I was able to concentrate full-time on being an author. That was when I really got my opportunity. STELLA: Fantastic. I’m going to dig a little deeper. I detect an accent, so let’s start there. You’re South African. You write across thrillers, crime thriller series and romance, so you have quite a broad spectrum of experience. That doesn’t come from nowhere. What were your influences growing up? BIBA: I think growing up in Africa is a very particular experience. There are a lot of contradictions. Things are rarely black and white. There are positives and negatives. It’s stunningly beautiful. It’s wild. It can be dangerous. All those things have influenced my subconscious over the years, and I think they come out in my writing. I’ve also travelled a lot. South Africa is quite far away from the rest of the world, so when we travel, ...
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • From Rock Bottom to Harrods: Toks Aroture on Luxury, Resilience and Technology - ep 36

    From Rock Bottom to Harrods: Toks Aroture on Luxury, Resilience and Technology - ep 36
    Sep 13 2026
    What happens when the business you built is caught in a financial crisis — and you have to begin again? In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I speak with Toks Aroture, founder of The Baby Cot Shop, a luxury nursery and children’s interiors brand whose journey has taken her from Atlanta to London’s King’s Road, Harrods and international clients. Toks shares how she survived the 2008 financial crisis, returned to the UK having lost almost everything, and rebuilt from the ground up — teaching herself web design and SEO, finding European craftspeople and eventually developing her own furniture collections. We also talk about luxury, expertise in business, mentorship, resilience, entrepreneurship and her belief that there are many forms of currency beyond money. And we get into technology: Toks explains how she is now using AI and digital tools across the business, from nursery design and marketing to HR, project management and productivity. A conversation about losing, rebuilding, luxury and using technology to imagine what comes next. Subscribe to Talking Tech with Creatives wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit talkingtechwithcreatives.com. Reach to Toks on social media @toksaroture W: thebabycotshop.com Showroom: 408 King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW10 0LJ Harrods, 4th Floor, Knightsbridge, London Stella Oni — Author | Speaker | Lecturer | Podcast Host 🌐 Website: StellaOni.com⁠ 🎤 Speaking: Speaking engagements⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: [Stella Oni on LinkedIn] 📸 Instagram: [@stellaoni_official] 🎵 TikTok: [@stellaoni_official] X: [@soni_official2] TRANSCRIPTION Stella Oni in Conversation with Toks Aroture, Founder of The Baby Cot Shop STELLA ONI: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives, the podcast where we talk about the intersection of technology and creativity. I always like to have different guests on the podcast, and you’ve seen quite a few from all kinds of backgrounds. I’m quite excited about my guest today. I’ve got Toks Aroture of The Baby Cot Shop. She’s a founder working in an area that fascinates me and that I really want to delve into: the luxury nursery space. The Baby Cot Shop creates bespoke nurseries for high-end clients. I deliberately didn’t want to know too much beforehand because I wanted to come to this fresh. I got the barest minimum, so we’re going to discover Toks and what she does together. The Baby Cot Shop serves high-end customers from a beautiful part of London, has a presence in Harrods, and has also worked on the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital. For those who follow the Royal Family, the Lindo Wing is where several members of the Royal Family have had their babies. So we’re in for a treat. This is a bit of a departure from some of my filmmakers and writers, because we’re looking at luxury spaces, which I love, particularly because I’ve got my own fiction series coming that is very much about luxury. Toks, welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives. First of all, tell us about yourself and your background, and then we’ll start delving deeper. TOKS AROTURE: Amazing. Thank you so much for having me, Stella. I am super excited. It has been such a long time coming. STELLA: It has been. TOKS: Our schedules just haven’t aligned, but here we are finally. I was born in Scotland, but I didn’t grow up there. I grew up in Nigeria, specifically Benin City. STELLA: Like me. TOKS: Yes. We share that in common. I had the most wonderful childhood in Benin. Compared with somewhere like Lagos, which is more cosmopolitan, Benin is quieter even though it’s a city. I had this peaceful, beautiful, warm childhood surrounded by a lot of love, familiar faces and trust. I think that formed the foundation for who I am today because I was raised by parents who were very confident in their children. Whether they actually felt confident or not, they certainly told us they did. My dad would brag about me. He would say, “My daughter is going to win Miss Nigeria.” Then my mum would say, “Not my daughter. She’s not going to parade in anything she shouldn’t be wearing.” They’d go back and forth. But more importantly, it was always, “You’re so intelligent. You can do anything.” When you hear that often enough, you eventually believe it. So I genuinely believed I could do anything. I grew up in Benin and then went to school in northern Nigeria, in Kaduna. STELLA: How did you end up going from Benin to Kaduna? TOKS: Boarding school. It was a military school. My dad was in the military, so I didn’t really have a choice. STELLA: Secondary school? TOKS: Yes, secondary school. That’s where the discipline came from, although sometimes I think the discipline stayed within the gates of the school and didn’t follow me outside. But I learned a lot of lessons there. I remember my mum coming to see me during the middle of my first term. Benin and Kaduna are very far apart, almost like London to ...
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    1 hr and 51 mins
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