12 Podcasts For Women Trying To Glow Up This Year
Take a moment to say “congratulations" to yourself today. Why? Well, 2017 was your year, and 2018 is too. As driven women, we often decide whether a year was “our year" based on what we accomplished: whether we landed that promotion, whether our summer fling became bae or bye, and so on. We measure ourselves by what we did, but we often overlook a huge part of that —the time and effort we took to keep pushing. You deserve a moment to clap for 2017, because you made it.
In fact, you should already be raising a glass to next year. You've powered through this year with enough time left for a strong finish to the calendar and a head start on 2018. To continue growing your glow-up, we've gathered a top-notch selection of podcasts. Skim this list to find your “lmaomgyes" moments, shoulders to cry on, reminders to breathe deep and even a little financial motivation not buy anymore Instagram boutique clothing. Whatever you need to boost your glow in 2018, we've got it.
Ready, Set, Glow!
Hashtag and Stilettos
Can you troubleshoot your way to success? Are brand partnerships right for your brand? Get the answers to questions like these and more from your personal “publicist in your pocket," entrepreneur and PR expert Sakita Holley on Hashtags and Stilettos.
With her expertise in tow, Sakita drops gems and trades verses with some of her entrepreneurial peers like writer Demetria Lucas D'Oyley and CurlBox founder Myleik Teele who shared gems on scaling a business. She also provides insight on the ins and outs of being your own boss, like gifting listeners with the "Sakita Method" to teach them out how to create luck in business and branding, as well as how to build a network as an introvert.
You Had Me at Black
“What percent are you on?" Recharge your black girl magic by tuning in into true-life stories from people who “get" you. Founded by sisters and creative-duo Martina and Britney Abrahams, YHMAB captures stories from black millennials often left out of the media.
You Had Me At Black is a podcast that acts as series of personal journals and captivates the listeners week-to-week by planting them firmly into the lives of perfect strangers with a story to tell. Whether you're a black traveler who comes face-to-face with his past while traveling to Cuba or a creative having trouble answering her calling after a failed relationship took the life from her - there are pieces of us somewhere in these 10+ minute stories.
Joblogues
For many, the first and fifteenth means payday. But what if you could cash in on a career boost during those days too? Check in with hosts Joymarie and Cortney and Joblogues for candid career conversations designed to make your next move, your best move.
The #groupchatgirlfriends of Joblogues give career advice in a down-to-earth way that feels like you're in the middle of a conversation over mimosas after a hard workweek and desperately in need of a little inspiration. Alongside guests like money maven Tonya Rapley and communications guru Amanda McCormick, the ladies show listeners how to hone in on the skills God gave us to create a work life you love to lead.
Myleik Teele's Podcast
Any entrepreneurs in the room who need a mentor? Myleik Teele's Podcast will serve as a virtual mentorship to young aspiring entrepreneur women who are looking to level up in their careers as well as find balance in their professional and personal lives. The conversational podcast allows you to kick it with the creator of CurlBox as she breaks down everything from the importance of therapy, to egg freezing for women in their 30's, and handling your own PR.
With the hashtag #MyTaughtYou, each week, Myleik ensures that you leave her podcast with a lesson to actively and immediately learn from. Above all, she teaches us to stay in our lane while creating one of our own. She is queen of the Q&A's, but has been known to sit down with celebrity guests every now and then with some of her latest appearances featuring Instyle's Fashion & Beauty Editor-At-Large Kahlana Barfield, xoNecole's Editor-In-Chief Necole Kane and celeb hairstylist to the stars Ursula Stephen. But the party definitely doesn't stop there.
2 Dope Queens
2 Dope Queens are your homegirls away from home. Tune in to hear co-hosts Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams take on EVERYTHING, from roasting Ben Carson to some good 'ol girl-gang gossip with the cast of Girls Trip.
The two best friends put on quite the live show. They are black AF, unapologetic AF, and funny AF and it all comes together to create a wildly entertaining 45-minute listen. Guests like Queen Latifah and Teegan & Sarah come through to the weekly barbecue to show up and show out, talking all things love, sex, race, and of course, living in New York.
Black Girl in Om
Chin up, shoulders relaxed, and deep breaths for this one, ladies! The BGIO podcast is a refreshing celebration of wellness, self-care, and self-love for women of color. Follow along with your very own guides-on-the-side, Black Girl in Om founder Lauren Ash and Art Director Deun Ivory as they chat with wellness and beauty gurus of all specialties.
BGIO is the podcast component to the equally peaceful and woo-sah-inducing reads that fill the pages of the Black Girl in Om site. BGIO places a strong emphasis on wellness and can be the reset you're looking for on days where the gloom feels longer than the sun. When guests like Hey Fran Hey or Latham Thomas come through, you better believe that the gems you will receive are going to be potent as ever. But with subjects like finding wholeness, mindfulness, and emotional empowerment, BGIO never fails to deliver.
She's Beauty And Beast
Tracy G. serves as our weekly fairy glow up mother, sprinkling much-needed black girl magic onto the lives of her day-to-day listeners. She walks us through the mundanities of life in a way that seeks to empower the modern-day millennial women on the pathway to owning their dopeness.
A self-proclaimed "audio vision board," She's Beauty And Beast is your one-stop shop for your 2018 glow up with topics ranging from sprituality and sanity to sexuality and sensuality. Tracy G. talks about life post-celibacy, liberation, lacefront beards, and even the effects of overdosing on too much self-improvement.
Consider these two “semi-responsible" millennials your audio-guide to adulting —well at least the personal finance and career aspects. Make money moves that matter through their conversations with a dynamic mix of financial experts on Paychecks & Balances.
Personal finances are one of those aspects in life that you have to steadily work towards each and every day to make sure your accounts are in order, your credit check is on point, and your savings are on deck in full effect. Rich and Marcus can be the advisors your wallet and life will thank you for. With their conversations on financial independence, wealth building, and budgeting - 2018 is bound to full of abundance for you.
The Creative Millennial
If you're a creative and you've ever felt alone or isolated in your craft, that ends as soon as you tune into Candice VanWye's Creative Millennial podcast.
The newly established business podcast is a weekly podcast where Candice talks to creatives of all ages and success points like Essence Hayes, the owner and designer of Coloring Pins who made success the only option and Tasha James, who shared her journey as a blogger with a “small" audience.
The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast
What does it take for you to become the best version of yourself? Kick off your shoes, unhook your bra, and tune into a weekly conversation with licensed psychologist, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford about all things mental health and personal development with the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast.
While Dr. Harden Bradford always stipulates that her weekly sessions are not a replacement for going to therapy, her sessions offer a range of wellness tips and strategies gears to help you maintain your mental health. She talks about red flags in relationships, managing grief, Impostor Syndrome, and ex sex. She also uses fictional characters, like Love & Basketball's Monica and Being Mary Jane's Mary Jane, to help frame important conversations.
Gettin' Grown
What age did you think you'd have it all figured out? Now let's all laugh about it with Keia and Jade, the “happy and hard working (Blackity) Black" hosts of the Gettin' Grown podcast as they try to figure out life as 30-somethings.
How comforting is it to learn that we are all trying to figure this thing called life out? Keia and Jade are our reaffirming sistas from another mista. The ladies give us the real on things like gift giving during the holidays, street harassment, and the importance of owning and protecting your black magic. No one has a game plan, but we can all navigate through these waters together.
The Black Girl Podcast
Name a more iconic *quintet*, we'll wait. Get a dose of these five fresh perspectives from Scottie Beam, Gia Peppers, Sapphira, Bex, and Alysha P and their hilarious takes on life, sisterhood, pop culture, and “making it" on the Black Girl Podcast.
The five women have made a career for themselves as media phenoms in their own right, and became friends while working on Hot 97. The conversations took on a life of its own literally and they decided to create a podcast around it. The opinions sometimes differ but the love is all the same. The girls pose deep questions like whether or not it's important to have love first or respect first, the effects of your choices on your future, exes, and of course, sex. Get your 2018 poppin' with just the right amount of girl talk to lift your spirit and guide you through your day-to-day.
What are some podcasts you listen to for wellness and inspiration? Share your favorites below.
Featured image by Getty Images
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CultClassiq is your very own wing woman, committed to finding the answers to life's most annoying dating questions. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram at @CultClassiq and visit https://medium.com/@CultClassiq to keep up!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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