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A hard truth set the tone for the new year: a fatal accident in Nigeria and the stark reminder that infrastructure and governance shape lives. I share why that grief paused my urge to create and how honesty, not forced optimism, can be the smartest way to start January. From there, we move straight into the UK job market, where rising employer costs, higher NI, and a punishing tax reality are shrinking vacancies and closing adverts early. Job hopping has stalled; job hugging is the new survival skill. And no, AI didn’t replace everyone misfired attempts exposed the gap between hype and capability, while smart teams now use AI to augment real work.

When growth outside slows, the inside strategy matters. I walk through how I anchor development to manager-owned objectives, build a feedback folder that proves outcomes, and keep a burn folder that captures patterns of harm. That combo turned a workplace bully into an unlikely conduit for opportunity: I secured sign-off, delivered for another team, and gained high-stakes exposure. He still doesn’t like me, but he respects me an equation that matters when you’re a Black Woman navigating power, perception, and limited tolerance for your tears. Respect lasts longer than likability; receipts speak when rooms turn cold.

We also zoom out to geopolitics shaping markets and risk: Nigeria’s insecurity, pressure across the Sahel, and the power play around Venezuela’s oil. These forces affect hiring cycles, investor sentiment, and the anxiety many of us feel about timing a move. So I’m easing into 2026 with deliberate pace, quarter by quarter goals, renewed focus on public speaking and subject expertise, and a commitment to consistency on TikTok, blending the world of work with practical fashion and “wear your wardrobe” thinking. If the market says hold, use the hold to sharpen your edge, negotiate the package that actually pays, and make your progress unavoidable.

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Policy shapes pay packets, childcare, heating bills, and even how we move around our cities. We break down Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget without jargon, showing how frozen thresholds create fiscal drag, why dividend and property tax hikes shift the balance toward taxing wealth, and how ISA changes nudge under 65s into risk. We look at the upside too, scrapping the two child cap, targeted help on energy bills, a rare freeze on rail fares, and what the new EV per‑mile charge means for the future of funding our roads and the reality of going electric.

Power is shifting in entertainment as well. With Paramount Skydance launching a hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery and outbidding Netflix, we explore what consolidation means for the streaming wars, catalogue control, and your monthly subscriptions. Culture isn’t only created; it’s distributed, priced, and fenced off, and those decisions ripple through what stories get made and who gets to see them.

Safety and dignity are non negotiable. We spotlight the British Transport Police’s silent text service 61016 so you can discreetly report harassment on the Tube, and we talk candidly about luxury retail bias versus glossy representation, even as A$AP Rocky fronts Chanel. In the workplace, we share a tactical playbook for handling an aggressive senior colleague: set boundaries, document meticulously, build public advocates, and use policy to protect yourself. We also preview a practical series on starting a UK business the right way trademarks, bookkeeping, HMRC timelines and celebrate Sister Scribble’s sell out momentum and what it takes to scale a young brand with intention.

If this conversation helps you see your money, career, and safety with clearer eyes, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us the moment that hit home most. Your feedback keeps this community sharp and growing.

Referenced Podcast Episode:

The New skills Economy

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jdXWn8DpFgiER9nVVILa2?si=bgRbofTVTTO7572fUajLmw

Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

Stationary Company: Sistah Scribble

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A superstar stopped a show to eject a sleepy fan, and the crowd divided. We look past the memes to the real duty of care at live events, the difference between standards and humiliation, and why humility travels further than hype. That contrast sets the stage for a wider theme: how power is used in public, at work and in culture.

From Lupita Nyong’o’s choice to refuse typecasting to the labels black women still face in offices, we unpack how stereotypes take root and how to push back with clarity, documentation and policy. I share a candid story about dealing with a disruptive senior, why governance protects your career, and how to use relationship capital without losing your peace. We also dig into Spotify’s unwavering approach to flexible work, separating outcomes from optics and treating adults like adults.

Creativity gets its own spotlight as I introduce Sister Scribble, a 90s-inspired premium stationery brand built for people who still believe in pen, paper and ideas with weight. We talk about what real support looks like, why community matters more than clout, and how to keep building when the hours are long and the room is loud. A listener dilemma on postpartum psychosis at work brings practical steps on occupational health, boundaries and dignity.

A look at Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction through the lens of the Biafra War 2 years, 6 months and 9 days that still shape Igbo memory and justice today. We close with history that still breathes: a clear, grounded primer on Biafra, Igbo identity and Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction. Beyond the legal language sit questions about self-determination, state power and what justice means when memory is raw. If you’re here for honest talk, useful frameworks and stories with heart, you’re in the right place.

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

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Ready to name the fear behind a big career leap? We start with the uncomfortable truth: stepping into leadership is hard when you’ve rarely seen anyone who looks like you survive and thrive there. That honesty opens a wide-angle look at credibility, negotiation, and why “director” should be a strategic choice, not a trap. You’ll hear practical pay tactics, a clear-eyed read on gender politics, and a call to claim the audacity usually reserved for the loudest voices in the room while anchoring everything in real delivery.

We pivot into brand strategy with a surgical breakdown of Fenty Beauty, LVMH, and the “core asset test.” What happens when a revolutionary launch becomes industry standard and the parent company cares most about Sephora and Dior? The answer matters to every founder: positioning must live beyond a single hook, and product lines should pass the test of whether they strengthen your core. Still, Rihanna’s two-billion-dollar empire stands as a masterclass in ownership, reminding us that downside cycles don’t erase value when you build for longevity.

Authenticity in entrepreneurship gets a frank treatment access, capital, and networks change the starting line. We separate story from spin so creators can plan with clarity. Then we look outward: a UN spotlight on persecution in Nigeria, the Sahel’s power realignment, and why humanitarian language can mask resource strategy. Closer to home, we press on London’s EV congestion charge and how shifting justifications erode policy trust. Finally, we talk about the UK’s curriculum overhaul AI literacy, oracy, and media scepticism to prepare young people for a world where synthesis beats rote learning. And yes, we celebrate the launch of Sister Scribble, a premium stationery brand designed to bring back tactile creativity and intention.

If this conversation pushes you to ask better questions about your next move career, company, or community hit follow, share with a friend who needs the nudge, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Your audacity might be someone else’s blueprint.

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

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A cold November forecast isn’t just about the weather. We unpack the rumoured tax rises and talk plainly about value: why working people are told to pay more while getting less from basics like transport and the NHS. From there, we zoom in on power dynamics how leadership shields or exposes you and what it really means when institutions police tone instead of tackling racism. If you’ve ever been told “it was the situation, not you,” this conversation gives you language, strategy, and a line in the sand.

The business runway is packed with lessons. Toys R Us shows what happens when you outsource the customer relationship and “win” money but lose time. Plant Made’s new ownership underlines the hard rules of capital, fulfilment, and scaling at a pace your operations can actually serve. And there’s a masterclass in talent placement as Skims taps Diarrha N'Diaye to build beauty and fragrance proof that cultural fluency and product excellence win globally. We also track MAC’s push into Sephora US and what legacy brands must do to earn attention in a Fenty shaped market.

Money talks, and sometimes it walks. The Target boycott demonstrates how collective spending choices force corporate pivots, while “courses without capital” feel like optics. On the career front, we challenge the trap that trades flexibility for lower-skilled work. The better path, make them fall in love with your impact, then negotiate time, place, and scope without downgrading pay or progression. You’ll leave with practical framing to assess managers, hold boundaries, and architect your next move like a business protecting its core.

Enjoyed this conversation? Follow, rate, and share with a friend who needs renewed leverage this month. Drop your thoughts in the reviews and tell us where you’re drawing the line.

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

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Pressure has a way of revealing what systems are really made of. We start with a bruising week and widen the lens: from alleged deodorant burns and the surge in hair relaxer lawsuits, to NHS resident doctors preparing to strike for pay and staffing, to the silent epidemic of “polite” horrible bosses who weaponise calm and call it leadership. The through line is accountability—of brands, employers, and all of us—to act with care when our choices touch other people’s bodies, budgets, and futures.

I share why our website will go offline briefly as we rebuild the back end, refresh masterclasses, and add guidance on using AI well. Too many of us try to outsource thinking to ChatGPT and get caught out; I’ll show you how to use AI as an assistant, not a replacement. We speak frankly about the real cost of creating quality products as a small business, why discounts aren’t a birthright, and how fair pricing keeps the lights on. If you love great stationery and practical career tools, you’ll see how that vision is taking shape.

Then we get tactical about work. The shouty boss is out; the nice-nasty manager is in. They smile, check on wellbeing, and quietly move the goalposts. Here’s how to protect yourself: keep a burn folder, track patterns, mirror the politeness while holding firm boundaries, and use precise language when you push back. Employment protections are expanding, but your evidence is the bridge between harm and remedy. I also open up about ADHD and dyslexia—time blindness, memory gaps, and the systems that help me build: tightly scoped lists, device-based reminders, visual planners, and long blocks for deep work.

We close with a sober look at a fatal hit-and-run and the duty that comes with a licence: if you’re impaired, don’t drive; if you hit anything or anyone, stop. Let the courts weigh evidence, not viral clips. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs these tools, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your support helps us keep building smarter careers and kinder workplaces.

Justice for Yubin

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

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Power is shifting, and the cracks are showing. We open with a stark look at UK politics and ask why half of Conservative members still reject a Black woman leading then widen the lens to the monarchy’s legitimacy crisis and Sarkozy’s prison sentence for conspiracy, drawing a blunt line between optics, accountability, and who is allowed to hold power without question. From crown jewels to courtrooms, we trace how status shields certain people until it doesn’t, and how public institutions try to survive by sacrificing titles instead of tackling culture.

Then we bring it home to work. The “bonfire of the middle managers” is real: companies are delayering to move faster, often leaning on AI while burying staff in needless approvals. We break down when middle management is essential and when it becomes a wall. If you’re stuck behind layers, you’ll get practical questions to ask at interview and inside your team to test whether a structure enables delivery or protects turf.

Soft skills are having a moment, but too often they’re measured as vibes, not behaviours. We dig into how bias especially for Black women turns “be collaborative” into “be palatable,” and we reset the definition with tangible, observable actions: stakeholder updates, expectation setting, de‑escalation, influence without authority. We also confront maternal bias with facts and tactics, from evidencing workload allocation to securing written promotion criteria. If you’ve felt your opportunities shrink after motherhood, you’re not imagining it and you’re not powerless.

A powerful listener dilemma anchors the episode: a high performer facing ADHD burnout, extreme hours, and stalled pay. We offer scripts and steps to protect health and momentum: formal neurodiversity disclosure, occupational health adjustments, medical time off to reset, and a targeted job search focused on real flexibility and fair measurement. Ambition isn’t the problem; the design is. Map the gatekeepers, track outcomes, and be ready to change the room if the pattern won’t change.

Stay to the end for a candid riff on envy, boundaries, and guarding your joy as you grow. If this resonates, follow, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review—it helps more people find the tools to navigate and elevate.

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

• Stationary Company: Sistah Scribble
• Instagram: @sistahscribble
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A week off turned into a reset I didn’t know I needed: a solo first-class dash to Paris for skincare and quiet, then a Black Tech Fest panel that cracked open my entire view of leadership. Four Black women drew a bright line between management and leadership, spoke candidly about mental health and neurodiversity, and made the case for sponsorship over mentorship names in rooms, budgets for growth, introductions that move careers. I walked in curious and walked out ready to lead.

We go deep on intentional careers: how to “go where your joy is” even if you don’t love your job, how motherhood routines can make ambition sustainable, and why vision board parties miss the point. Intention is private work; keep it sacred, operationalise it with a living plan, and hold yourself to it. From there, we challenge the culture of “keeping up” around luxury and counterfeits, and talk plainly about authenticity, access, and the quiet power of buying only what you can maintain.

There’s heat in the headlines, too. Drake’s defamation suit over Kendrick’s diss gets tossed because context matters; Diddy’s sentencing lands with industry shockwaves; Nicki and Cardi’s feud crosses lines children should never be pulled across. Then we widen the lens: Ghana’s call for reparations at the UN, Burkina Faso’s resource sovereignty, and what real liberation looks like when policy finally matches pride. We close at Tate Modern’s Nigerian Modernism exhibition a stunning, seven‑month celebration of art that remembers, resists, and reimagines and a peek at Sister Scribble, my new stationery brand built for creative focus and cultural joy.

Press play for leadership clarity, career intention, pop culture scrutiny, and a generous dose of Black excellence and art. If this moved you, follow, rate, and share with a friend then tell me: what intention are you setting next?

Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com

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https://toyatalks.com/

Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

• Stationary Company: Sistah Scribble
• Instagram: @sistahscribble
• Website: www.sistahscribble.com
• Email: hello@sistahscribble.com