The Tokunbo Chronicles Tokunbo Koiki

Nina Malone is a Talent Agent at IAG and Founder of Dope Black Mums movement, a digital safe space for black women to navigate motherhood together.

In this episode she joins Tokunbo (@tokunbo_koiki) to explore the ways and functions of being a 'Dope Black Mum' whilst also being intentional in caving out sacred time and space for yourself, even if it is just taking time to watch Netflix!

You can find out more about the work Nina does at IAG here www.iagtalent.com/about-us
To join the Dope Black Mums safe space, check out her website for more information www.dopeblackmums.co.uk

Host Tokunbo Koiki shares how the Covid-19 Pandemic has resulted in her recent decision to changed the goals she started the year with. She is now actively working to combine her love of coaching, fashion and mental health advocacy in her professional and business endeavours.

You will learn her tips and strategies on how you can start to do the work to make your dreams come true. Life is a series of pivot and taking time to get clarity of what you want, why you want it and a clear definition of your purpose are the basics to actualise any dream. Dreams have no expiration date and it's never 'too late' to get started on making yours come true.

FOLLOW TOKUNBO'S ADVENTURES: www.tokunbokoiki.com

CONNECT WITH TOKUNBO

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tokunbo.koiki

“Most adults are just big babies who are winging it. Adulthood is actually a scam!" – Amina Aweis










Amina Aweis is a revolutionist and dynamic young woman who wears multiple hats as a software engineer, writer and content. At only 22 years old, Amina is already chartering her own path and been unapologetic in raising the issues she faces as a young Black African Somali woman.

She shares her journey from making a decision not to attend university despite it being expected of her to working in tech and having to leave her comfort zone. Whilst Amina showed an entrepreneurial streak at a young age she decided to pursue her creative side applying for a digital marketing apprenticeship after her completing her 'A' Levels where she had her first experience of microaggressions as a young Black woman in a very white corporate space. Her next work experience in the film industry was a more positive work experience in which her hard work and creative genius was not only recognised but also appreciated and rewarding. Amina also learnt the power of using her voice to effect change. Now working in tech, Amina shares how she was able to make the move through her persistence and ability to network effectively. Amina's is keen for many more Black women to enter the Tech space and actively shares her knowledge on her YouTube channel.

Sit back relax and enjoy the Chronicles.




CONNECT WITH AMINA:










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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeahshewrites

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNvmrkupu7a5vFFvO_migCg

Host Tokunbo Koiki shares how the Covid-19 Pandemic has resulted in her recent decision to changed the goals she started the year with. She is now actively working to combine her love of coaching, fashion and mental health advocacy in her professional and business endeavours.

You will learn her tips and strategies on how you can start to do the work to make your dreams come true. Life is a series of pivot and taking time to get clarity of what you want, why you want it and a clear definition of your purpose are the basics to actualise any dream. Dreams have no expiration date and it's never 'too late' to get started on making yours come true.

 

 

FOLLOW TOKUNBO'S ADVENTURES: www.tokunbokoiki.com

 

 

CONNECT WITH TOKUNBO

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TokunbosKitchen

Blessing Timidi Digha identifies as a fearless Feminist. She is Community Based Researcher with over twenty years of experience working on issues concerning African girls and women. She specialises on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and the intersections between Culture, Religion and the perpetuation of Gender Based Violence. She has recently started sharing her experience with grief through her platform #DealingWithGrief










TRIGGER WARNING - This episode touches on the issues of suicide, mental health and the loss of young children. There are also some swear language used during our conversation so you may want to put on your headpiece if there are young children about.

Earlier in the year when I first started recording episodes of this podcast, I reached out to a social media friend who is now basically a sister to me and ask her if she would be happy to share the circumstances of a major and incredibly traumatic loss she had suffered a couple years back. I held off on releasing it earlier in the series as I felt that it would be an important issue to discuss as part of mental health awareness week which takes place from 18 - 24 May here in the U.K.

In this episode, Blessing Timidi Digha shares how her lifelong role as an advocate for girls and women started during her childhood and the impact growing up a girl child living in Nigeria led her to becoming the steadfast feminist she now is. She also discuss the highly traumatic experience of losing her two youngest children to a fire whilst on a work trip. Though Blessing did receive immediate support from her community and friends from all over the world, her pain and trauma was further compounded by the nature of living in a highly insensitive culture where people including those she thought were her friends imposed blame of this loss on her. The grief and guilt Blessing continued to feel even after she had left Nigeria led her to becoming suicidal. Since her last attempt back in November 2019, she has continued to receive psychiatric support to help her deal with this trauma and is learning to let go of the guilt.

I am honoured that Blessing was happy to share her story not only as part of her recovery but to help break down the degree of stigma that is attached to mental health, death and suicide. If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this conversation, you can contact The Samaritans UK on 116 123.




CONNECT WITH BLESSING:

LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/blessingtimidi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuperGirlTimidi

“When you are a dark-skinned beauty, you might not want to be called Mocha or Midnight or something of that nature.” – Tahlia Gray



Tahlia Gray is the Founder of Sheer Chemistry, an empowering hosiery brand specialising in tights for women of all shades of brown. Born in Australia of Jamaican heritage, she is passionate about challenging traditional beauty standards and helping women reach their potential.

Before starting Sheer Chemistry, Tahlia graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in International Business, and began her career in New York working in HR for some of the world’s largest organisations including UBS, Morgan Stanley and Linklaters.



Tahlia Gray was born in Sydney, Australia of Jamaican heritage where she spent the first 15 years of her life. Her family then moved to the UK where what was meant to be, according to her mum, a yearlong ‘Trip to Broaden your Horizon’ became a more permanent move. Tahlia chose to study International Business with a course that offered her year abroad living in Brazil. Following this Tahlia then moved to live and work in New York where whilst trying to “live her best sex & the city life”, her inability to find tights to match her skin tone propelled her to start Sheer Chemistry, an empowering hosiery brand, driven by a mission to create a more diverse perception of beauty.

When Tahlia stumbled across this problem, she considered writing ‘an angry letter’ to someone but then realised that the person likely to be on the receiving end wouldn’t understand or nor would ‘HE’ care about her issue. In that moment Tahlia decided that the ‘only person who can really fix this problem’ was herself. And thus began her journey of creating her first business starting with the receiving the name which came to her in her sleep. She also did some market research by speaking to make up artists to better understand the different shades for Black women and other women of colour.

You will hear in this episode how Tahlia has been so intentional in how she set up her business thinking very carefully about her branding and marketing. And this comes through from the moment you receive your package to the point of you putting on the tights and getting on with your day. She backs this up with the ‘Tahlia’s Promise’ that allows you to get your money back if you feel anything short of LOVE for her products.

So sit back, relax and enjoy the Tahlia’s intrepid travel chronicles





VISIT SHEER CHEMISTRY: https://www.sheerchemistry.com/our-story/



CONNECT WITH TAHLIA:

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