The Gurls Talk Podcast Gurls Talk

In this episode, I spoke to Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Alessia Cara. Discovered at the tender age of 18, she’s grown up in the spotlight, and shared that journey with her fans through her music – often showing us a perspective far outside the confident, sexy pop-princess norm. Her unique voice and emotional vulnerability gives her lyrics a power; a sense of relatability for anyone who has ever felt alone or unloved or sad.
 
What struck me about this conversation is her ability to be so completely open about her struggles with maintaining mental health. For many, those internal battles can be incredibly lonely, and Alessia, through her music and openness, is bravely creating space for them. She’s refreshingly honest about her personal battles, and throughout this conversation I couldn’t help but feel encouraged and uplifted by being able to share our common experiences.
 
You can follow @alessiasmusic 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.

When you see Little Simz (or Simbi, as I call her) perform, she gives everything to the crowd. Off stage, she has this incredible composed energy. So, how does she find the balance? We talk about how to manage the energy you expel in your work and what to keep for yourself.
 
In a recent interview Simbi said, “my career is very important to me but it’s not my life, I’m doing things differently this time.” And I can hands down relate to that. As I’m sure a lot of you can. Turning up in life and setting boundaries is vital for our relationship with ourselves and with others.
 
Born to tell stories, Little Simz has written another amazing album – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – because of her ability to self-reflect and look at uncomfortable things. She talks about what inspires her work and the responsibility she feels as a young, Black British artist and woman.
 
I loved having this conversation. Even though we were countries apart, it felt like we were sat chatting on the sofa together. Enjoy and as always, mad amounts of love.
 
You can follow @littlesimz 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.

Few books have taken hold of the Gurls Talk team like Three Women and Animal. The vulnerability of Lisa’s writing inspires uncomfortable conversations, encapsulating everything that Gurls Talk is about, so it’s a dream come true to have her on the podcast.
 
Lisa writes with such brutal honesty, we get to see the rawness of her protagonists as they struggle through messy, complicated feelings. We unpick some of the themes in her work in this episode and talk about how trauma impacts our identity and relationships. “Everything that’s happened to me in the past has informed everything I do in the present, which is why I’m so interested in writing about memories,” Lisa tells us.
 
We talk about the importance of being honest with our feelings to understand ourselves better. To not be ashamed of our fears but to overcome them. And to simply honour the crazy array of emotions – both our own and those of others.
 
Enjoy listening. And as always, mad amounts of love.
 
You can follow @lisadtaddeo 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.

Trigger warning:
This episode covers difficult topics, which some listeners may find upsetting. These areas include rape, sexual assault, and various types of abuse. Please practice good self-care and listen at your own discretion. If you need additional support, please visit our website at www.gurlstalk.com/hotlines
 
For too long we’ve stayed quiet to the culture that’s normalised and trivialised sexual violence, sexual harassment and misogyny. Girls have been socialised to feel like it’s something they have to cope with, laugh off, get over. Enter Soma Sara. When she decided to share her own experiences, it resonated with so many and opened up the conversation. The scale of the problem is so significant, so global, the world is finally listening. Thank god.
 
Soma takes us through how she started Everyone’s Invited. We talk about the archaic systems that have made rape culture so deeply entrenched in society. We recognise the incredible power of a shared story ­­– its ability to heal and the ripple effect it has – and the courage of those who have stood up and spoken, and also those who have sat down and listened.
 
For the tide to turn, everyone needs to play their part. Soma talks about the values of empathy and community, encouraging us all to be upstanders – calling out rape culture, reflecting upon behaviours, educating. “Together we are building on the mistakes of the past and working towards reconciliation and creating a new future.”
 
This is such a positive listen but comes with a trigger warning: This episode covers difficult topics, which some listeners may find upsetting. These areas include rape, sexual assault, and various types of abuse. Please practice good self-care and listen at your own discretion. If you need additional support, please visit our website at www.Gurlstalk.com/hotlines
 
As always, mad amounts of love.
 
You can follow @everyonesinvited 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.

It was a total fangirl moment talking to Elsa, who has got so many of us through lockdown with her videos. Her real, honest, universally relatable, hilarious videos. Saying the things we say in our own heads but never out loud. It’s this energy that has taken the world by storm over the past year.
Elsa has a refreshing take on being unashamedly herself, refusing to fit into the mould that’s out there. A 19-year-old African woman who clearly won’t take any shit from people who think her youth and origin make her naive. Nope. Elsa talks about her future plans with the shrewd strategy of a chess player. It’s clear this is all very much the beginning for her.
I’m so excited to share this episode with you. I think we could all do with being a bit more Elsa Majimbo: “I don’t feel any kind of pressure to do anything or to look a certain way. So, what I want to do is what I do. If I don’t want to do it, I don’t do it.”
Enjoy listening. And as always, mad amounts of love.
You can follow @majimb.o 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.

It’s easy to spiral from the seemingly smallest things during the pandemic. Life has been really tough for a long time now. But one thing, one huge thing, has helped immeasurably: being sober. And in this episode, Brandon shares his experience of leaning into the AA community and reaching his first year of sobriety. Choosing a life of sobriety, he says, has been the hardest and most gratifying thing he’s ever done.
 
Brandon is a brilliant human, an empath, and an authentic voice on and off screen, which makes him a dream to talk to. We swap stories on living solo during the pandemic, about self-reflection and engaging in the quality of friendships. We talk about shows that are bold enough to tackle storytelling in a different way, and his character as the ​complex and conflicted heartthrob, Justin Foley, in the Netflix hit series, ​13 Reasons Why. And lastly, we look at how the culture of curiosity plays a part in activism and community work.
 
Enjoy listening. And mad amounts of love.
 
You can follow @brandonflynn 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.