Soul and Substance with Fikayo Kay

Season 3 is here! This episode is very much a stream-of-consciousness check-in. I'm back for a new season after a much-needed hiatus. A lot is different, including living and job situations, friendships and keeping in touch with them, and honestly, just life. Listen to get the gist and more on the direction of this podcast in the coming months.

It's been a very interesting 5-6 months in my life. My experiences have been maddening, saddening, whelming and exciting all at the same time. 🦋 I've made some major changes in life, and I finally have enough brain space to articulate and share that with you. Listen to what I've been up to, life lessons I'm learning, and some new S&S community endeavours. 🌸 S&S Substack⁠...

Fikayo discusses what it truly means to eat with your body in mind with Emily Lawrence a "wholesome hedonist making recipes & documenting home baking, making & gardening." These two creatives both have lived experience with diet culture, passion and love for cooking and baking, and living with chronic pain - all things which intersect in more ways than you’d initially imagine. Ho...

If I could come up with a personal theme for myself this mental health awareness month, it would be the word " nurture ". Nurturing needs, goals, eating habits, emotions, belief systems, and discipline when needed. What's your theme? 🦋. . . We have a Substack! Immerse yourself  ⁠here⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ My CBC Piece " ⁠Bloom⁠ " mentioned in the episode.

This is a chit-chatty episode where I answer some questions you sent to me and discuss my unpopular opinions, thoughts on age, why I hate duck nails, and the need for women to see themselves as providing benefits beyond sex in relationships. I end this episode with encouraging you to find ways you can self-preserve and reframe seeing that practice as "necessarily selfish." Enjoy! 🌸 We h...

Black women can indeed break and fragility/delicateness should not have to be a luxury to us. From dating to health outcomes, learn how colonialism plays a crucial role in the pedestalling of white women and the sometimes damaging rhetoric of the "strong Black woman". Amidst all of this, we reclaim softness as Black women. Thank you to the PhotoVoice Projec t for this opportunity to pond...

In this episode, Coach Yanick Séïde and Fikayo chat about how to build confidence and trust in different areas of one's life amidst stressors, lack of representation, and other life obstacles. Coach Séïde shares some practical advice on how to show up for yourself and how that translates in your career journey, development of your values, and overall understanding of life. ✨ Yanick  Séïde, Fo...

its Valentine's day. Who are you today amidst a culture that's afraid of/to love? Join me as I read a short passage from bell hook's book, all about love and expand on it from the perspective of a woman though sometimes hesitant, ultimately unafraid to love. ❤️🦋 Check us out at our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ or on our ⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Substack

There is so much talk about manifesting the person you want to be and the life you want, but how do you actually do that? Listen to learn how to operate from a place of faith and hope as opposed to fear and insecurity and what this seemingly small mindset shift can do for you. 🌸 Soul and Substance Instagram NEW! Substack - ThingsURead

Happy New Year!🥂 Or Fancy You There. Listen to find out the story behind that phrase and why even if some things didn't go your way in 2024, you should operate from a place of hope and faith, not fear and insecurity in 2025. 🤍🦋🔗 Check us out at our ⁠website⁠ or on our ⁠Instagram Note- The closest definition to what I was looking for would be an "oronym".

It's officially winter season and some of us are sad. Or experiencing SAD symptoms. Fikayo delves into practical ways to improve your mood, navigating unintended self-isolation and mentions health supplements that have been coming to the rescue. Disclaimer - Please see your doctor/do your research before taking any of the suggested supplements. 💊 HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ❤️🌸🎁 Check us out at our website...

What does it really mean to show up as oneself on social media? Is it possible to live outside of these parasocial expectations? In this episode, fellow creative and my good friend Alyssa and I explore what it means to foster a friendship outside of social media as well as the different "genres" of femininity we have been exposed to growing up as girls and now women. A much relatable and heartwarm...

Controlling our life's narrative shouldn’t be this hard...except when it is. An exploratory episode where I talk about the feelings that come with getting older and I end with a question. What narratives are currently present in your life that keep you overly focused on what has happened TO you and the things you haven’t done, while hindering you from appreciating the things that have happened FOR...

New stream-of-consciousness episodes where I talk as my soul inspires me to. Today, we are guided by the topic of friendships, how we ought to feel in fulfilling friendships, and what romance in platonic relationships can look like. Inspirations - my thoughts and experiences. A book by Rhaina Cohen titled The Other Significant Others which was discussed in Trevor Noah's Podcast. Listen and sha...

Quitting a job sounds like a ridiculous thing to do in this economy?! But when your health and sense of fulfillment are in question, you might need to take the risk. Listen to hear the lessons I learned: quitting a 9-5, figuring out how to make a living, and learning to rest. Subsance Filled Task - Take stock of commitments in your life - your job, places you go, your hobbies, what you spend your...

Get your notepads because this episode is packed with useful tips! Sasha Paul, CPA graced us by sharing her lived and career experience on the idea and reality of money, spending, and budgeting. She and the host Fikayo, have been forming a friendship and professional relationship for around a year now, and having her on the show was a full-circle moment Some people spend emotionally as a means of...

This episode is dear to me because not only do I have experience with the "shy/mysterious girl" idea setting me back, but so many other women do too. What/who is a mysterious girl? Is it necessarily bad to maintain some level of mystery? I explore what this means, how it can be a destructive tool, a tool of the patriarchy, and why we need to stop placing so much value on social media ide...

The Soul & Substance Podcast! We needed a change from "OkayThoughts" so a rebrand was the way to go 😍 I am so excited and honored to share this new era of intention and creativity with you all. This episode explores the difficulty but importance of my podcast rebrand and what to expect from Soul & Substance going forward. Listen and share! ❤️ This week's Substance-Filled Quo...

Reflection can be a tool for learning and growth, but we often find ourselves thinking too far and dwelling unproductively on situations. What are some signs that you've stopped reflecting and started overthinking? Negative self-talk is one of them. Listen to find out more about how to bring yourself back to productive reflection. Hopefully, you can take insight from this episode and use it wh...

Tried identifying a joy per day? Microjoys and glimmers have the power to improve your mood, nurture your mind, and keep you in your gratitude bag. Listen to learn about why you should, and how you can incorporate more microjoys into your day. Really, into your life. Source .

In her essay, Uses of the Erotic - The Erotic As Power , Audre Lorde describes the erotic as "a resource within each of us that lies in a deeply female and spiritual plane, firmly rooted in the power of our unexpressed or unrecognized feeling." This episode explores that concept and I explain the erotic as a conversation between our intuition, values, and our daily lives. Do these reflec...

What sets your soul on fire? What do you wanna feel more of? Life does not give us enough time to ponder these questions without prompt. So here’s your prompt with some guides on how to find answers to these questions and feed your soul with some actions.

Here’s a question for you to ponder this week - do the things that you do for fitness align with your values for yourself?

Coming of age(s). That is the central topic of this episode where Asha and I recount how we met and became roommates, and how our relationship has blossomed as we have experienced each other grow and change positively over the past year. Grab a pen and a notepad because this episode is full of wisdom!

In today’s reflection session, the driving question is “what’s stopping you?” Your goals and desires deserve more than to sit in your mind and you deserve to see them come into fruition. So what are you waiting for? Listen and learn about dealing with potential “barriers” that may be hindering your fullness.