Toya Talks Podcast

Hosted by Toya Washington

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Episodes

213

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-GB

About the show

Toya Talks is where culture, courage, and career collide. Created for Black Women and inclusive of allies, this podcast unpacks the realities of the workplace through the lens of culture, life, and global events. From pay gaps and strikes to leadership, politics, and authenticity, each episode explores how the world around us shapes the way we live and the way we work. Toya goes beyond surface conversations to deliver bold truths, necessary lessons, and unapologetic strategies that empower listeners to navigate the workplace with clarity and courage. If you’re ready to rethink work, reclaim your brilliance, and be part of conversations that matter, this is your space. Toya Talks: Bold truths. Real strategy. For us all.

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60 recent

August 17, 2026Episode 1941 hr 5 min

When Scrutiny Becomes Punishment

Send us Fan Mail A workplace investigation is meant to find facts, but what happens when it starts to feel like a sentence? We return to Toya Talks with a heavy, urgent conversation sparked by the death of Professor Jason Arday, following weeks of intense coverage, plagiarism allegations, and questions about his life and work while Cambridge University pursued an independent investigation. We’re not here to pretend mistakes do not matter. We’re here to ask why the way we pursue “accountability” so often strips people of humanity long before any conclusion is reached. We pull the lens wider than one headline and talk about workplace investigations, HR process, confidentiality, and psychological safety. We break down what employees live through when credibility is challenged: the isolation, the gossip, the quiet removal of responsibilities, and the feeling that colleagues have already decided you’re guilty. We also make the case that due process is not only the final finding, it is the journey there, including proportional communication, clear timelines, and genuine support that treats the employee as a human being throughout. Race sits at the centre of this, too. We explore the difference between competence and legitimacy, and why Black professionals are so often forced to prove they deserve the room they’re already in. When grace is unevenly distributed, one person’s alleged failure becomes a judgement on an entire community. We also question media ethics in an age where outrage turns people into content, and we ask where public interest ends and public punishment begins. If this conversation hits home, listen through, share it with someone navigating work stress right now, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. What would it look like for accountability and humanity to coexist in your workplace? **Point of correction there was previously an investigation of wiretapping by Mirror Group Newspapers not the Daily Mail. - This reference was an error and theinestigation did not include the Daily Mail it was Mirror Group Newspaper. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

July 8, 2026Episode 1931 hr 56 min

Who Keeps The Only Black Friend Safe?

Send us Fan Mail A photo can look like friendship and still hide risk. Today we’re asking a question that cuts through the nice memories, the group chats, and the holiday pictures: who keeps the only Black friend safe? I’m careful with facts and I refuse to fill gaps with speculation, but I’m also honest about why so many Black people feel fear before reassurance when we see certain stories unfold. We talk about what is currently known about Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old who travelled by boat to Horn Island with friends and did not make it home, as well as why Tamla Horsford’s name still sits in our collective memory. The common thread is not gossip, it’s the lived reality of being the only one in a space, where racism can show up quietly and belonging can disappear fast. That’s where tokenism in friendship lives: being included, even loved, but not protected when friendship requires courage. I also bring this into parenting, safeguarding, and the adultification of Black children. When institutions and other adults can perceive Black girls as older, less vulnerable, or “difficult” for simply being confident, proximity and vigilance stop being personality traits and become protection. The takeaway is practical and challenging for anyone who cares about real allyship and interracial friendships: don’t ask whether you have Black friends, ask whether you are safe for them. If this lands with you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review with your answer: when race enters the room, who do you become? Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

June 17, 2026Episode 1921 hr 56 min

A Cautionary Tale

Send us Fan Mail £12,500 in your pocket today sounds like relief, but what if the price is your state pension arriving a year later? We get into the Citizens Advance proposal making waves in the UK and ask the real question underneath the headlines: do younger generations still believe retirement is guaranteed, or does it feel like the goalposts keep moving until there is nothing left to reach? From there, I go deeper into something more personal and more uncomfortable: how faith can support you, and how it can also become a cage when it turns into rigid thinking and public performance. Using the way relationship breakdowns play out online, I talk about boundaries, discernment, and why “God told me” cannot replace self-trust, evidence, and honest reflection. We also touch on the pressure many women carry around marriage timelines, modesty culture, and the difference between wanting partnership and being consumed by it. We zoom out to the systems shaping all of this: the cost of living crisis, frozen tax thresholds, the daily stress of bills, and the frustration of paying into services that feel hard to access. Along the way, I break down pension basics people often miss, why marketing claims like “100% leak-free” matter in women’s health, and why collective action and unions often achieve what individual complaining cannot. If you care about financial literacy, workplace reality, women’s confidence, and critical thinking, this one will land. Subscribe, share with your group chat, and leave a review if the conversation hits home. Would you take the £12,500 or protect the pension year? Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

May 27, 2026Episode 19146 min

Sister Jackie

Send us Fan Mail A make-up technique isn’t just a technique when it comes from a community that has watched its creativity get copied, commercialised, and stripped of its origin story. I’m speaking on the Painted by Esther and Patrick Ta situation because the reaction online is not only about beauty products, it’s about power, credit, and what happens when money walks into the room and suddenly someone else gets to “own” what you built. I break down the ethics behind “repackaging” a creator’s signature aesthetic, why people reach for words like extraction and modern-day colonisation, and the uncomfortable gap between what is legal and what is right. We talk about brand accountability in the beauty industry, why credit matters for Black creators, and why consistency is the only thing that makes backlash meaningful. If we really believe in consequences, we have to be honest about consumer boycott, spending power, and the ways communities can protest with their purses. Then I move to Jackie Aina and the question of influence and legacy. Nobody is obligated to speak on every issue online, but when your platform is built on advocacy and holding brands to account, audiences notice misalignment fast. I connect this to workplace politics many of us know too well: established voices becoming territorial, mentorship turning into competition, and ego shaping decisions in public. If you’ve ever felt overlooked, unsupported, or treated like a threat, you’ll recognise the pattern. Listen and tell me where you land, then subscribe, share, and leave a review so this conversation reaches the people who need it. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

May 20, 2026Episode 19052 min

No such thing as a free lunch.

Send us Fan Mail A well known brand drops into my inbox, praises my TikTok, then asks for a full video turnaround within hours and never once mentions payment. That one email opens a bigger conversation about workplace boundaries, self-worth, and why I refuse to build any part of my life on “maybe there’ll be future work”. If you are a content creator, freelancer, or employee who is tired of being squeezed for more while being offered less, you will recognise the pattern instantly. We talk rates, budgets, scope, urgency fees, and why milestone payments matter when brands want to use your assets for months. Then we take it into the workplace, where negotiation is not just about money, it is about power. I share how I approach non-negotiables, from day rate to travel to office attendance, and why I would rather turn down a role than accept terms that guarantee disrespect later. We also sit with a line that hit hard: “The workplace loves Black women’s resilience, just not our boundaries.” We unpack how resilience gets weaponised into over performance, emotional labour, and silence, and how to make resilience work for us instead of against us. From there, we zoom out to the UK mood after the local elections and the rise of Reform UK, looking at why people vote from pain when rent, bills, wages and NHS access feel broken. We touch on immigration rhetoric, the European Convention on Human Rights, indefinite leave to remain, and the danger of making rights conditional. Finally, we lighten the angle without losing the depth, using the AP x Swatch collaboration to explore luxury marketing psychology, aspiration culture, and why “access” sells even during a cost of living crisis. If this conversation sharpens your thinking, subscribe, share it with someone who needs firmer boundaries, and leave a review so more people can find Toya Talks. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

April 23, 2026Episode 1891 hr 56 min

Ambition Doesn't Live In An Office

Send us Fan Mail Someone can do everything “right” at work and still get blindsided by an office bully, a microaggressive comment, or a private Teams thread that was never meant to reach you. We’re not pretending that’s fair. We’re talking about what to do next, how to stay strategic, and how to protect your credibility without spending your whole life sat in HR. We start with the reality of workplace bullying and the systems that quietly enable it, then move into practical career strategy: building a feedback folder, collecting performance evidence, and using it to plan a smart internal move. I share why internal mobility matters right now, how to create allies beyond your line manager, and how to position your impact so the approval becomes hard to refuse. Then we get candid about “brand protection” in real time. When unprofessional comments land in your lap, you need a response that sets the tone fast and keeps you in control. We also go deeper on identity at work, why copying isn’t always flattery, and what it means to bet on yourself when the room isn’t built for you. From there, we challenge Emma Grede’s claim that working from home is killing women’s careers, with a clear look at visibility, privilege, childcare realities, and remote networking. We also connect the dots to bigger power dynamics, from government vetting controversies to Vogue rebranding an Afro puff as a “cloud bob”, and why naming, credit, and process matter. If you care about workplace politics, internal promotion, remote work, personal brand, and navigating microaggressions with strategy, press play. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: what part hit closest to home? Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

April 9, 2026Episode 1881 hr 7 min

The Optics of Accountability

Send us Fan Mail Wireless Festival gets cancelled and the easy headline is to blame Kanye West, but that story is too neat. I talk through what’s actually happening behind the scenes: government pressure, visa power, sponsor risk, and the uncomfortable truth that “cancel culture” doesn’t land equally. Kanye’s antisemitic statements and harmful comments about slavery still matter, and I’m clear about impact, accountability, and why mental health can be context without becoming a free pass. From there, I widen the lens to the world of work, because the same inconsistency shows up in who gets protected, who gets forgiven, and who gets left behind. We touch on the United Nations recognising transatlantic slavery as the gravest crime against humanity, what that means for education, and why reparations keeps hovering in the background of every conversation about fairness in the UK. Then we get practical. AI adoption is becoming workplace literacy, and if women and especially Black women are slower to get access, encouragement, and confidence, the gender pay gap risks gaining a new layer. I also break down what layoffs at KPMG and Oracle signal about today’s labour market, why offers can be rescinded, and why you should not resign without a signed contract and start date. We finish on culture and confidence: high-end Nigerian restaurant closures, Angel Reese choosing to be valued, and how I’m building Sister Scribble around intentional planning and owning your narrative. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more of us can navigate work, power, and change with our eyes open. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

March 18, 2026Episode 1871 hr 56 min

The Mediocrity Ceiling

Send us Fan Mail The news cycle is screaming, the cost of living is climbing, and somehow we are still expected to perform at full capacity. I sit with that tension out loud, starting with the fear and uncertainty around the Iran conflict, the way power plays get framed, and how ordinary people end up carrying the fallout through stress, disruption and constant unease. Then I bring it back home to what real life looks like behind the scenes: motherhood that is beautiful and confronting, grief that does not wait for a convenient moment, and the quiet work of reparenting yourself while raising a child. I share the idea that happiness is not a fixed personality trait but pockets of happiness you build, protect and repeat, especially when the world feels heavy. From there we go deep on workplace mediocrity and why Black women often do not get to be average. We talk competence threat, the exhaustion of doing strategic labour for rooms that resist raised standards, and the hard truth that you cannot shrink your competence to make other people comfortable. I also unpack what’s happening with Black-owned businesses like Hanifa and Plantmade, the reality of cash flow, pre-orders and infrastructure, and why communication is not optional when customer trust is on the line. If you want honest commentary on work, money, culture and how to stay grounded while still moving forward, press play. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

February 25, 2026Episode 1861 hr 15 min

The Award For Professionalism Goes to Black People.

Send us Fan Mail A five-hour wait in A&E with my toddler stripped away any illusions I had about emergency care. Corridor beds, exhausted staff, and a doctor arguing for babies to be seen before a sixty-year-old with a rash this is the UK’s reality, where private healthcare won’t fast-track an emergency and winter air feels like a petri dish. I share what we saw, what it did to me as a mum, and the blunt lesson it pressed into my bones: invest in your health before the system makes choices for you. From there we move to power, strategy and public backlash. Eni Aluko’s criticism of men fronting women’s football raises a valid point, but targeting Ian Wright the sport’s most visible ally torpedoed the message. We unpack what went wrong and extract career-proof lessons: name systems, not saviours; choose timing and venue with intent; and remember that you can be right and still lose if you sound reactive. Brand is strategy in public protect it, or the audience closes the door you’re trying to open. Then the BAFTAs aired the N-word at two Black presenters, unbleeped, while other phrases were censored. Tourette’s explains involuntary tics; broadcasters still owe safeguarding to their audience and guests. Representation without protection is not inclusion. We break down accountability, why “they handled it professionally” is a trap, and how institutions reveal their values in what they choose to edit or not. Finally, a listener faces major fibroid surgery while debating resignation. I make the case for recovery first, decisions second. Use protected sick leave, keep your legal and financial footing, and plan your next move from a healed place, not a depleted one. If you’re navigating A&E chaos, media noise, or workplace dilemmas, this episode offers clarity, strategy and a steady hand. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a clear plan, and leave a review so others can find us. Your messages shape future episodes send dilemmas to hello@toytalks.com and let’s keep building from a place of strength. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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

February 4, 2026Episode 1851 hr 28 min

Golden Handcuffs Part II: The Grown Woman Remix.

Send us Fan Mail Headlines collide when you put workers’ rights, political power, and culture on the same table. We start with UK TikTok moderators who say they faced harassment, punishing KPIs, and union busting while screening the content the rest of us never have to see. From there we unpack Pat McGrath Labs entering Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the US and what it reveals about cash flow, innovation, and the realities of scaling an iconic beauty brand. Then we go straight at the BBC’s move to explore licence fees tied to streaming services like Netflix, asking who benefits, who pays, and what accountability looks like when public funding models lose trust. The latest Epstein file releases expose how institutions decide who gets grace and who gets the door. We lay out Peter Mandelson’s rehabilitation arc beside Diane Abbott’s treatment to show how power redistributes consequences then follow the fallout from Starmer’s short-lived plan to send Mandelson to Washington. Across the pond, Don Lemon’s arrest after reporting on a protest raises hard questions about press freedom and political optics, while Bad Bunny’s integrity-led choices demonstrate how representation becomes strategy when safety and voice are at stake. Finally, we turn the lens inward. Golden handcuffs hurt, but leaving in a contracting market can be costlier than staying. We reframe stillness as positioning: stay with terms, build leverage, and set a timed plan to move when the market and your momentum align. If power protects itself, we protect our agency through unions, smart consumer choices, and career strategy that compounds. Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com TikTok: toya_washington Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast) Snapchat: @toyawashington Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks 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