GurlSeeksTribe Podcast

Alja
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Semiweekly

GurlSeeksTribe is a podcast and community for millennials who've felt "othered." Hosted by former Adult-ish podcast host (156 episodes, 80K+ downloads), Alja aka Afiya, each episode brings her signature storytelling to conversations about identity and building community, while navigating the space between belonging and being different. GurlSeeksTribe is more than a podcast - it's a movement. We're building an authentic community for millennials who've felt "othered" through honest conversations, creative workshops, and real-world connections. Your tribe is out there. Let's find them together. ABOUT YOUR HOST: Alja is a Caribbean-born Brooklyn-based podcaster, content creator, community builder, and founder of Pretty Poet Ink. After 156 episodes of the Adult-ish podcast (80,000+ downloads), she's launching GurlSeeksTribe to create the spaces she always wished existed - places where being "other" isn't a problem to solve, it's the thing that connects us.

  1. 3d ago

    GST EP 12. What to Do If You Don't Know Who You Are Yet w. Special Guest Joel Philip

    Who even am I? Not in a crisis way — in the everyday, waking-up, still-figuring-it-out way. This episode pulls that question apart into its real layers: what you do, where you're from, and who you are underneath both. Joel Phillip — writer, poet, mental health and neurodivergent education advocate — joins Alja for a conversation that goes further than either of them planned. They talk about why Joel stopped leading with job titles, what it means to carry Bajan and Grenadian heritage while being told you're not American enough, not Caribbean enough, and not Black enough all before age 12, and the moment Joel realized: home isn't a place. Home is you. WE DISCUSS: Why "what do you do" and "who you are" are not the same questionThe line that reframes work itself: "we're so ingrained into slavery that we talk about the fields we work in"Reclaiming "jack of all trades" as an identity, not an insultThe layers of home — heritage, place, family — and what happens when none of them quite fitEgo death, versions of yourself you've had to let go, and the ones you're still trying to saveAdvice on legacy, failure, and why nobody who's gone knew how long theirs would lastMake sure to take a listen.  CONNECT WITH JOEL: Instagram + Threads: @blackmannobody CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  2. Aug 25

    GST EP 11. Growing Up + Living Between Cultures

    Recorded in Chelsea, Vermont — no studio, no script, just two friends and a conversation about living between worlds. In this episode of GurlSeeksTribe, host Afiya aka Alja sits down with a friend of the tribe who enjoys the peace of being unseen, so you get a voice, a place, and a real conversation. That's it. That's the episode. Together they explore what it means to grow up between cultures: the identities we were handed before we could choose, what it means to live in the in-between, and what home means when it doesn't have one clear address. WE EXPLORE: The cultural inheritance we carry — pride, shame, and everything betweenThe versions of ourselves we maintained depending on who was in the roomThe translation tax — what it costs to constantly translate yourselfWhen the in-between stops being a problem and becomes the pointWhat home means now — and who gets to hold ALL of youWhat we'd tell our younger selves about never quite fittingIf you've ever felt like you lived between worlds — between cultures, countries, languages, expectations, versions of yourself — this one's for you. CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  3. Jul 29

    GST EP 10. The Power of Collaboration & Strategic Networking w. Jessica Sinclair

    Networking can feel like a game you were never taught to play — especially if you've ever felt "othered." But when it's intentional? It becomes community. It becomes opportunity. It becomes how we thrive. In this episode of GurlSeeksTribe, host Alja sits down with Jessica Sinclair, CEO of Sinclair Master of Ceremonies, registered nurse, and founder of the "Network Like You Mean It" workshop, to talk about what marginalized communities are rarely taught about building relationships, and why collaboration is the key to unlocking doors we didn't even know existed. WE EXPLORE: The networking gap — what our communities aren't taughtTransactional connections vs. genuine relationship-buildingHow to identify and cultivate the RIGHT relationshipsWhy collaboration over competition changes everythingWhen community becomes your networkWhere to start if it all feels overwhelmingCONNECT WITH JESSICA: 📸 Instagram: @itsjessicasinclair | @sinclairthegr8 🌐 Website: sinclairmasterofceremonies.com | itsjessicasinclair.com Like what you hear at GST? The best way to show support is with a follow and a share!  CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  4. Jun 30

    GST EP 9. Burnout Culture and Break Revelations w. Special Guest Gary L. Davis

    We talk a lot about rest like it's something we can take whenever, but this episode is about the other kind — the burnout that doesn't ask politely. The kind that makes you stop, break down, and rebuild yourself from the ground up. GST sits down with Gary Lamont Davis — People and Inclusion Strategist and founder of Equanimity, a wellness community for BIPOC professionals — for an honest conversation about burnout and the revelations waiting on the other side of the break. For so many of us — especially those who've spent a lifetime code-switching, over-functioning, and holding it all together for everyone else — burnout isn't a buzzword. It's a breaking point. But sometimes the break is also the breakthrough. Sometimes you have to fall apart to find out who you actually are underneath all that performing. IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE: What burnout actually looks like (beyond "I'm tired")The break that forced a reckoningWhy high-achievers and helpers burn out hardestThe revelations that only come when you finally stopHow Equanimity was born from the journeyRebuilding on your own terms — and what grounds you now If you've ever pushed yourself past empty trying to be everything for everyone, this conversation is for you. Connect with Gary at: healingisahabit.substack.com  gary.davis@equanimity.work CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  5. Jun 26 ·  Bonus

    GST EP 7.5. Where I've Been (A Letter to the Tribe)

    Life has been LIFE-ing. Before the return episode with Chelsea, GurlSeeksTribe host Afiya aka Alja sat down and recorded a few honest minutes about where she's been these last couple of months. It didn't make the original edit — but it always belonged to the tribe. So here it is. This is the first letter to the tribe — a laid-back, occasional community post in a format that feels more like a voice note than a full-on conversation. Consider it a personal audio from the host in between the bigger conversations.  In this letter, Alja lets us know where she's been for the last few months, what she's learned about relationships in the silence, and what she hopes to explore with GST soon.  No guest. No polish. No over-explaining. Just a check-in, tribe to tribe. Tell us what you think about this check-in, then --> LISTEN NEXT: → GST EP 7: "The Relief of Being Understood" Part 1 (w/ Chelsea Marquis) → GST EP 8: "The Relief of Being Understood" Part 2 (w/ Chelsea Marquis) → COMING TUESDAY: "Burnout Break Revelations" (w/ Gary Lamont Davis) CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  6. Jun 9

    GST EP 8. "The Relief of Being Understood" Part 2 w. Special Guest Chelsea M

    We're continuing our conversation with Honorary Tribe Member Chelsea Marquis in Part 2 of "The Relief of Being Understood." In Part 1, we talked about the difference between being "understood" and being "tolerated" — and the pain of being fooled by someone who you thought got you but really didn't. Now, in Part 2, we go deeper into the RELIEF. What it actually feels like when someone truly sees you. How to recognize your Vivaldi people when you find them. And what it means to BE that relief for someone else. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, both parts dropped today — go back and start there. This conversation builds. IN PART 2, WE EXPLORE: The relief of being understood — what it actually feels likeFinding your people who just GET it (without explanation)How to recognize your Vivaldi peopleWhat it means to be someone else's reliefAdvice for those still searching for their peopleTribe Scribes: Rapid-fire with Chelsea This is the conversation we wish we'd had years ago. We're so glad you're here for it. CHELSEA'S PREVIOUS GST EPISODES: GST EP 4 "When You're Too Little and Too Much at the Same Time" Part 1 GST EP 5 "When You're Too Little and Too Much at the Same Time" Part 2 GST EP 6 "The Exhaustion of Explaining Yourself" GST EP 7: "The Relief of Being Understood" Part 1 CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  7. Jun 9

    GST EP 7. "The Relief of Being Understood" Part 1 w. Special Guest Chelsea M

    GurlSeeksTribe makes its return, with a new conversation with Honorary Tribe Member Chelsea Marquis, who joins GST for yet another conversation about something that feels more real than we can put into words.  Continuing from our last chat on "The Exhaustion of Explaining Yourself," or the burnout of constantly translating who you are for people who just... don't get it, we dig into the RELIEF of finally being understood. You know, the moment when someone just GETS it. Straight recognition without much explanation. If you've ever been tired of feeling like you always have to explain - and craving the relief of being truly seen, then this two-part episode is for you.  In Part 1, WE EXPLORE:  A quick check-in with Chelsea to see where she's beenWhat it means to be "understood" vs. "tolerated." Being "Fooled" by someone's understanding natureThe Vivaldi moment - when someone finally understandsBe sure to listen on for Part 2 of this thoughtful conversation  CHELSEA'S FIRST EPISODE: GST EP 4 "When You're Too Little and Too Much at the Same Time" Part 1 GST EP 5 "When You're Too Little and Too Much at the Same Time" Part 2 GST EP 6 "The Exhaustion of Explaining Yourself" CONNECT WITH CHELSEA MARQUIS: @Chelz_222  CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

  8. Mar 10

    GST EP 6. "The Exhaustion of Explaining Yourself" w. Special Guest Chelsea M.

    Chelsea Marquis returns to GurlSeeksTribe to discuss the weight we carry when we're constantly explaining who we are. From family who should know us by now, to friends and peers who still don't quite get it, and to our colleagues and strangers who expect us to translate ourselves into something more digestible. This episode is about that exhaustion. The toll of translation. The burnout of always being the one who has to make themselves understood. If you've ever felt like you needed to take a break from explaining yourself because you're just so damn tired, well, this episode sees you. WE EXPLORE: - The burnout of explaining yourself over and over - The toll of constant code-switching and translation - What gets lost when you're always making yourself palatable - How to protect your energy when you're depleted - Finding pockets of rest in the exhaustion - Permission to stop explaining CHELSEA'S FIRST EPISODE: → "When You're Too Much and Too Little" Part 1 [Link] → "When You're Too Much and Too Little" Part 2 [Link] CONNECT WITH CHELSEA MARQUIS: @Chelz_222 CONNECT WITH GURLSEEKSTRIBE: Website: www.gurlseekstribe.com Email: gurlseekstribenyc@proton.me  Instagram: @gurlseekstribe TikTok: @gurlseekstribe SUBSCRIBE: Never miss an episode. New episodes bi-weekly. Your story belongs here.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. JOIN THE TRIBE: Visit gurlseekstribe.com to join our community, attend workshops, and connect with others seeking their tribe.  This episode includes AI-generated content.

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5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

GurlSeeksTribe is a podcast and community for millennials who've felt "othered." Hosted by former Adult-ish podcast host (156 episodes, 80K+ downloads), Alja aka Afiya, each episode brings her signature storytelling to conversations about identity and building community, while navigating the space between belonging and being different. GurlSeeksTribe is more than a podcast - it's a movement. We're building an authentic community for millennials who've felt "othered" through honest conversations, creative workshops, and real-world connections. Your tribe is out there. Let's find them together. ABOUT YOUR HOST: Alja is a Caribbean-born Brooklyn-based podcaster, content creator, community builder, and founder of Pretty Poet Ink. After 156 episodes of the Adult-ish podcast (80,000+ downloads), she's launching GurlSeeksTribe to create the spaces she always wished existed - places where being "other" isn't a problem to solve, it's the thing that connects us.

Information

  • Creator
    Alja
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © GurlSeeksTribe
  • Show Website
    GurlSeeksTribe Podcast