The Vanessa Podcast

“We should be the ministry of how; not the ministry of no.” — Florence MottayOn this special episode of The Vanessa Podcast; the show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes. I’m joined by two brilliant senior leaders from Zalando, recorded at Zalando HQ in Berlin the day after the Black Girls Tech Summit 2025.Meet my guests:Floren...

“Modern dating is confusing; so I brought in the experts.”In this expert-led episode of The Vanessa Podcast, we go deep into the emotional, psychological and cultural forces shaping dating in 2025.The Vanessa Podcast is all about honest conversations on career, business wealth, identity, relationships, success and self-awareness; helping women and men navigate the real challenges of modern life wi...

“We’re all successful, emotionally intelligent and still single. Why?” In this powerful roundtable episode of The Vanessa Podcast, host Vanessa Sanyauke sits down with three incredible guests; Alicia Richardson, Gus Nyberg, and Gavin Thomas to unpack the truth about modern dating, loneliness, and love in 2025. From male loneliness and toxic online culture to the rise of hyper-independence among wo...

“I wanted to create something for myself — something that looked as good as it smelled.” – Ashley-Gianna Hallett On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast — the weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes — I sit down with Ashley-Gianna Hallett , branding professional, talent manager, and founder of the luxury candle brand Ya...

“The worst you will get is a no.” – Shirleena Celestine On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast — the weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes; I sit down with Shirleena Celestine, Executive Coach and Organizational Culture Strategist. Shirleena's work helps leaders bring human connection into the workplace. Before la...

“Rest is a power move.” – Christina Rice On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast — the bi-weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes — I sit down with Christina Rice , Founder & CEO of Omnoire , a global wellness platform for Black women and women of color, and Retreat Like a Boss , a program that helps leaders and entr...

“Your intuition is your most valuable asset and you’ve had it all along.” – Aycee Brown On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast; the weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes. I sit down with Aycee Brown, a spiritual guide, psychic medium, astrologer, human design expert, and author with over 15 years of experience working...

“You’re making money. Now what?” That was the question I posed to two of the most insightful women I know when it comes to money, mindset, tax and HMRC: 💸 Fi Titus — Chartered accountant, startup founder, and co-founder of Coco Financial (aka “The Financial Fairy Godmother”) 📊 Stella Ezeogu — ACCA-qualified tax strategist, ex-HMRC + HM Treasury advisor, and founder of Accountstar On this episode...

“Brands want hype. We’ve built trust.” – Sam Blenkinsopp, Co-Founder of Trippin If you're building a brand, trying to land partnerships, or figuring out how to grow without selling your soul; this is the episode for you. On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast; the weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes — Vanessa si...

“You’re not building a brand; you’re building a feeling.” – Will Worsdell From helping to make Love Island a cultural juggernaut to walking away from the creative agency he co-founded to protect his mental health; Will Worsdell knows what it really means to build influence, lead with care, and reinvent your career on your own terms. On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast — the weekly show where we...

“LinkedIn isn’t about going viral; it’s about building trust, one post at a time.” – Priscillia Mudiaki You don’t need 250,000 followers or a job title that screams “CEO” to build influence on LinkedIn. Whether you’re a junior marketer, a senior consultant, or somewhere in between; your voice, your story, and your experience already matter. The key? Showing up with purpose. On this episode of The...

“You don’t have to choose between being ambitious and being present—you just have to blend differently".-Tobi AsareFrom 5am gym sessions to boardroom strategy, book launches to bedtime routines; Tobi Asare is showing a new generation of working women that it’s possible to build a powerful career and a fulfilling personal life, without sacrificing either. On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast; the...

Welcome back to The Vanessa Podcast; your weekly dose of real talk about business, tech, leadership and the culture shaping our work and money. In this episode, I break down some big moves (and mistakes!) that the world’s biggest companies are making and what you can learn from them as an employee, founder, or future board member.✨ What’s inside this week:🔥 OpenAI vs Meta: Mark Zuckerberg is try...

🎙️ The Vanessa Podcast | EP 6: UK Unemployment hits 4 year high; Europe fails start-ups & the truth about being a Founder I’m back after a whirlwind few weeks (8 flights in 10 days — never again!) and sharing something very real: Introducing The Founder Diaries: a new series within the podcast where I take you behind the scenes of what it’s really like building a global business with no privil...

🎙️ The Vanessa Podcast | EP 5: Odd Muse Founder Backlash, Klarna’s $136M Problem + Why 12% of Jobs Now Need AI Welcome back to The Vanessa Podcast – your go-to for business news, career game changers, and bold takes on the week’s hottest headlines. In Episode 5 , I break down four big stories shaking up the world of business and work: ✨ Odd Muse Founder Faces Social Backlash A look at what sparke...

🎙️ The Vanessa Podcast | EP 4: Microsoft Layoffs, Moët in Crisis & S&P 500 Comeback In this episode of The Vanessa Podcast , I (Vanessa Sanyauke – founder of The Hill and Girls Talk) dive into the biggest business headlines making waves this week. From luxury giants in trouble to tech giants trimming their workforce, here's what you need to know: 📈 The S&P 500 makes a major comeba...

🎙️ The Vanessa Podcast | EP 3: Emma Grede & Fiverr CEO Called Out | UBER, BlackRock Push Return to Office | OpenAI’s $260B Crisis In this episode of The Vanessa Podcast, I break down some of the most pressing business headlines and bold conversations shaping the world of work: 🔥 DoorDash acquires Deliveroo for £2.9 billion — what this means for UK startups 💸 Why the UK is crushing entreprene...

🎙️ The Vanessa Podcast | EP 2: Building in Public, Beyonce's Cowboy Carter Tour & Tech Bro Drama Welcome back to The Vanessa Podcast! In this second episode, I (Vanessa Sanyauke – founder of The Hill and Girls Talk) dive into the real behind-the-scenes of running two businesses, navigating personal challenges, and showing up with honesty, resilience, and intention.💼 In this episode, we di...

EP01: Welcome to The Vanessa Podcast – How the Economy will make you bankrupt Welcome to the very first episode of The Vanessa Podcast ! In this episode, I kick things off with a personal update on what I’ve been up to—from launching The Hill App to globetrotting across continents—and share why this new podcast era means so much to me. Then we dive into: ✨ Tesla’s massive Q1 flop – Is Elon Musk’s...

The Vanessa Podcast is a business and careers podcast where host Vanessa Sanyauke (Founder & CEO of The Hill App & Girls Talk) gives a rundown of the latest news and seeks out and talks to incredible people who have achieved success against many challenges. She digs deep to find out how they've got to where they are and how you can too. There is so much noise going on around the world...