The Papaya Podcast

Kristi, well known as Raw Beauty Kristi, is a youtube/instagram creator that began with roots in sharing infertility and ended up in makeup, motherhood and exploring all the raw honesty of it all. I found Kristi years ago, as she discussed her infertility and migraines on another podcast and her approach to life in a real honest way I was just so drawn to. From the deep dives to the fluff of a goo...

You might recognize Lauren from her viral 2020 video “Unmuted”. Since then Lauren has continued to expand upon what it means to use your voice, even authoring one of our favorite bedtime books for children “Your Voice Matters”. Lauren has done some incredible work and her voice and story is not one to be missed. You can find Lauren on IG @LaurenWTaylor and find her book “Your Voice Matters” Wherev...

It’s been decades, and there has been little to no body diversity in one of televisions oldest franchises: The Bachelor/Bachelorette. I love the show, and it’s getting harder and harder to love it. So many of us are hoping for change, and today with sit down with Jenny & Epiphany who are ⅓ of the movement “Roses For EveryBody” - an ask for inclusivity into a show about love. Because everybody...

To ask someone to “stop thinking” is like asking them to “stop blinking” , says Kara Lowentheil. So instead of stop thinking, what if we just rewired for NEW thoughts and a whole new way of thinking? Today we sit down with former women’s rights lawyer turned life coach as we explores social constructs, critical self thinking, the conditioning of our thoughts, our values and how we can begin explor...

Such an incredible opportunity as I sat down in Apple Park with Liz Plosser, Editor-In-Chief of Women’s Health magazine to talk about the new Apple announcements, what they mean for women’s health (ahem, cycle tracking). We also chat about that ICONIC magazine cover, you know the one and so much more. Liz Plosser shares her career path, the history of the magazine (good and bad) and we break down...

One of the most-downloaded podcasts, LadyGang and its hosts Jac Vanek, Keltie Knight & Becca Tobin are HERE to talk about their new book “Lady Secrets” and a new tour! Lady Secrets is self-proclaimed a “Real, Raw & Ridiculous Confessions of Womanhood” and what makes this book unique is the community that told their secrets to make it happen via anonymous submissions. This is their second b...

After years and years of exercise being motivated by body hate, or desire to look a certain way, I felt incredibly lost with movement, fitness, exercise the whole shebang. Healing from a difficult pregnancy, a pandemic, changing body and diet culture - where does fitness even fit in anymore? If I’m exercising daily, does that mean I’m back in diet culture? Today we unpack movement and fitness and...

Brooke is one of the top (and only) women gamers in the industry with a dominant presence in the gaming world and over 1.1 million followers on Twitch. As the second ever woman creator to join top gaming organization 100 Thieves, Brooke has become one of the most prominent female role models in gaming, advocating for more women representation in the space as well as speaking out on issues like men...

Years ago I saw this viral video by this woman named Nora, aka @NoraBorealis, aka Nora McInerny. It was a 14 minute Ted Talk about grief, delivered with honesty, humour, and the notion that we don’t “Move On” from those we lose, we move forward WITH them and because of them. Nora is an expert in loss. She lost in a span of weeks her husband, her unborn child and her father. Yet today we share this...

Canada’s Got Talent GOLDEN BUZZER winners and finalists in America’s Got Talent, sisters Kayla & Stacey are here to talk about it all… or whatever random sh*t we found ourselves discussing like being a plus size musician, the golden buzzer moment and the dynamic of surprise pregnancies in early relationships and DOING WHAT YOU LOVE and SHOOTING YOUR SHOT. Listen to their podcast I Have To Call...

Fashion and culture writer, Gianluca Russo, has spent much of his career documenting about fashion and culture, sure, but specialising in body diversity within it. Gianluca’s work has appeared in GQ, Glamour, InStyle, Teen Vogue, and now a new book including interviews with some of the biggest names in plus fashion and modelling titled: The Power Of Plus. Today, Gianluca joins us to discuss the bo...

Shane is baaaack as we unpack (literally and figuratively) from the first half of summer. A Disney Cruise, a trip to Nova Scotia to see the McCarvells, and so much more. We dive into travelling with toddlers and teens, the surprises and delights and moments to remember and Shane’s fav part of Nova Scotia (hint: it wasn’t the lobster). Catch up with us! You can follow me at @TheBirdsPapaya and appa...

Whenever conversations start about dieting and why someone may have started dieting, so many begin the answer with “well my mother…”. For Betty, this is a lot more complex, because based on her own mother’s feelings along with doctors advice of doing what was “best” for her daughter, it landed her and Betty in a feature article in VOGUE about how she successfully dieted her young 7 year old daught...

How did one woman go from quitting a dream job at Google to finding her path of success on social media? Melissa Ong known as @ChunkysDead joins us to talk about sex positivity, how she brought big cl*t energy to life and the stats that show that things may just be going in the right direction. How to not deny who you are, and instead tap into the parts of you that maybe are just ready to shine.  ...

Doula & host of Dear Doula Podcast, joins us today to talk about all things postpartum, parenting, intuition and why we aren’t our mothers (good or bad). This episode is designed to remind us to slow down, trust ourselves and remember that we are the experts of our own babies. You can follow Brandi on IG @Brandy_Jordan_Official and find her podcast @DearDoulaPodcast  Go to www.dipsea.com/papay...

Divorce is a life event, one I’ve been through, and whether you’ve been through one, know someone who has or curious to what it can be like, this episode is for you. Divorce is chosen or chosen for you, but no matter what, it shakes the world you know and forces you into a new one. How can you plan? How can you cope? How can you move forward and make good choices? FOREVER CHOICES? What are some co...

On a recent plane ride home, a woman tapped me on the shoulder, slipped me a note, and shared with me about her documentary she was coming to Toronto to premiere. The documentary? Deconstructing Karen. The woman? Saira Rao. Today Saira and her Race2Dinner & Deconstructing Karen partner, Regina Jackson, join me to discuss the documentary, the dinners, the women and the whiteness. Discomfort, th...

Tasha Spillet-Sumner is an Afro-Indigenous NYT Bestselling Author, speaker, PhD Candidate and Mama. Today we sit down to talk about the ancestral teachings that helped her move through motherhood, into her writing and work that she does today. Join us for a powerful and moving conversation around what led Tasha here now, isolation with a new baby back into the world, and talking about the unsettli...

Join us in Apple Park as I sit down with award winning app Rebel Girls’ CEO Jes Wolfe. Rebel Girls  is a global, multi-platform empowerment brand dedicated to helping raise the most inspired and confident global generation of girls through content, experiences, products, and community. Rebel Girls amplifies stories of real-life, extraordinary women through its Rebel Girls app and award-winning aud...

Our very own Papaya pop culture expert, Danai, is here to talk about what we’re watching, how we’re feeling and why we’re streaming what we are. We dive into getting rid of saying “guilty pleasures” of our fave TV shows & entertainment, pop culture moments lately and how we’re streaming WITH INTENTION. In this special episode brought to us by Roku, we’re dishing out and indulging on the shows...

Imagine being a dancer for stars like Beyonce and Lady Gaga and walking away from it all for a complete career pivot? Well, that’s exactly what Deja Riley did! Today Deja shares with us why she did it, how she’s championing change in the wellness industry and how she’s keeping up with her love for dancing still today. This is such an incredible conversation that left me looking for the good in it...

The absolutely delightful @JVN is backkkk to share all about @JVNHair and how and why this brand came to be. From breaking molds in hair care with intentionality, making it for hair concern not for hair type (gender, texture etc.) it brings into conversation some much bigger topics at play in the world, way beyond hair. We talk about the “come as you are” slogan, why @JVN isn’t obsessed with patie...

This episode was completely eye opening and one I won’t soon forget. Today we sit down with @YasmineCheyenne who is an author, self-healing educator, speaker and founder of @TheSugarJarCommunityApp (which I downloaded immediately!). We chat creating boundaries and why, choosing yourself (even if you’re in a relationship) and listening to that intuition when fear is LOUD. Check out @YasmineCheyenne...

Kathryn Kosmides is a longtime entrepreneur and activist who has worked with dozens of venture-backed startups to launch and scale their marketing efforts including Hotjar, Intercom, and Clari. She is now the founder and CEO of Garbo - a tech nonprofit building a new kind of online background check on a mission to proactively prevent harm in the digital age through technology, tools, and education...

Charlotte Bergslien always knew she was different, but it took 38 years to be diagnosed with being on the spectrum of autism as well as ADHD. After burnout, loss of jobs, depression and more she got her diagnosis and now is living and sharing on life with autism. Today she shares her story, how a diagnosis saved her life, plus the realities (and beauty) of living with autism. Follow Charlotte on I...