Toya Talks Podcast

Send us Fan Mail ' Diplomacy is the velvet glove that cloaks the fist of power. All diplomacy is a continuation of war by other means.' By Robin Hobb Who remembers the Black queen who sent in dilemma to the Toya Talks Podcast, Episode 49 'Poverty Mindset' HR gave her a written warning for something and she applied for an internal promotion/secondment in another government depar...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is dedicated to my Black Sisters who are ready to commit to doing the work. What work? SELF-CONFIDENCE. Why is it when it's time to discuss money we become shy, awkward, and uncomfortable but we all find our voices when we realise we are being used and not being paid what we deserve. Some of us are being pursued by self-doubt and as a result, we undervalue oursel...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I discuss setting remote worker boundaries. Our colleagues' generally struggle with boundaries in an office environment now we have moved to a remote world colleagues and organisations are using the 'switch on your camera' as a weapon of control. I discuss how to set and how I set boundaries whilst remote working.  I also share a dilemma where an or...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded: 08/02/2021 Black Women have been the backbone of the NHS, the NHS was built on the back and sweat of Black Women. Reading the statistics in the UK, Black Women are 5 times more likely to die during childbirth, the statistics are chilling. To explore this without using Black Women as the mouth-piece undermines the Black Woman experience and erases our experiences. It is b...

Send us Fan Mail We all do it, damn some of us are doing it now. In this episode, I define code-switching and explain where I have code-stitched in the workplace. We will also explore the impact of code-switching and often the obstacles it creates. When is it ok to code-switch? What are the effects of code-switching? How can you code-switch to your advantage? Code-switching - 'In essence, it&...

Send us Fan Mail Last week I learnt that even white privilege has a ceiling. There is only so far white privilege takes you in the workplace and then you need to actually have the competency and skill-set to do the job. Black Women are told and taught to work harder and overachieve, this provides us with an advantage in place of a privilege we don't have. 'Competency is your highest form...

Send us Fan Mail 'Choosing your battles means to be selective of the problems, arguments, and confrontations that you get involved in. Instead of fighting every problem, you save your time only for the things that matter.' - If you see the office as a battle you will always be fighting.  Email me:  hello@toyatalks.com    Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalks)    Snapchat: @toyawashington    Insta...

Send us Fan Mail In the first episode of 2021 we discuss resigning from a role and the often aggressive nature a resignation is received, I share my own recent experiences.  When a role causes chronic burnout and plays with your mental health you know it is time to tap out and this is exactly when I have done!  This episode includes some interesting dilemmas.  Happy New Year Everyone! The Toya Tal...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are wrapping up 2020. 1st Jan 2020 the Toya Talks  Podcast is 1 years old. Every Tuesday I release a new podcast episode delivering you practical content that continues to transform the working lives of Black Women.  Toya Talks Podcast teaches, guides, and advises Black Women how to navigate the world of work and in turn lighting the path of our success. Email...

Send us Fan Mail I pre-recorded this a few months ago with my fiancés' cousin, at the time the BLM movement was trending and at the height of conversation. I wanted to explore the impact the BLM movement was having in the workplace from the perspective of a Black Man. Gio shares his take on the BLM movement and its impact on the working world. Email me:  hello@toyatalks.com    Twitter: @toya_...

Send us Fan Mail "I refuse to dim myself down. People chip away at you in hope that you stop what you are doing & lesser yourself to make them feel better about themselves. Sometimes it can feel so heavy knowing that your happiness angers someone but, as soon as you realise your own power you're unstoppable." - By Maya Jama Email me:  hello@toyatalks.com    Twitter: @toya_w (#To...

Send us Fan Mail 'Industry' on BBC Iplayer charters the highs and lows of 6 graduates as they navigate the world of work, working in the finance sector as they attempt to land a perm role within an organisation filled with, bullying, drugs, intimidation, and cover-ups. In this episode, my fiancee and I deep dive into reviewing 'Industry' and breaking down the core themes. I adv...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I discuss workplace trauma. Black women are often stripped of human emotion, instead, white fragility is protected and nurtured. Black women are taught that any show of emotion is a display of weakness. This damaging thinking is destructive and limits our growth. Struggle is not a pre-requisite for success, pain and struggle are not a show of strength.  Email me: ...

Send us Fan Mail Labeling. It is the names we are labelled that can impact how we are viewed at work, how successful you are in a role can determine how your colleagues treat you. We often allow our colleagues to call us names that do not belong to us because we want to be accepted and 'fit in'. What about the names we are labelled which are motivated by racial stereotypes used against B...

Send us Fan Mail We all need to take responsibility for the blessings we undo by opening our mouths.  It's not everyone that must know you have a job interview or have the privilege of knowing where your breakthrough lies. The Public Service Announcements we make in some cases causes our blessings to pass us. As we navigate the working world there are some things we have to work on in our SEL...

Send us Fan Mail A follow on from the previous episode 'Scramble For Power' - I discuss the dynamics of being the new person and the added nuance of remote working. If it's not the acronyms and big words that remind you that you are the new person it's then figuring out where you sit and what value you add.  Being the new Black Woman is plagued with judgement and stereotypes an...

Send us Fan Mail Whenever a manager leaves or there is a restructure in most cases there is always a scramble for power and in turn a coup. Where someone or a few make a power play for what they believe is a powerful position of influence that in-turn gives them an opportunity to oppress the staff. They or this person wants the power and wants to be in charge, purely self-serving motivations.  - W...

Send us Fan Mail I am an 'Ambivert' - A person who has a balance of extrovert and introvert features in their personality. People are often surprised to learn this about me as my social media personality is not the full picture of who I am. Once I understood my personality type and formed a clear understanding of self, navigating the workplace started from the interview process where I p...

Send us Fan Mail Feedback is one of the most important things I have received in the development of my career and in the development of myself. Many organisations caveat committing to giving you feedback by saying that because of the volume of people that have applied they won't be able to give every single applicant feedback, which is fair enough. But I draw the line at 2nd and 3rd stage int...

Send us Fan Mail Over the last few years, I have come to understand the importance of framing information. What is framing information? Framing Information- is how you position information and communicate it to others, being honest in that communication but communicating it in an effective way and a professional manner in order to get your point across. How you frame information is dependent on YO...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I will be discussing a recent comment left under a picture on the @toya_talks Instagram page. We have two dilemmas in this episode a young lady has recently been fired in front of the office, she has no employment contract. No one from HR has contacted her since or confirmed in writing that she has been fired.  Email me:  hello@toyatalks.com    Twitter: @toya_w (#...

Send us Fan Mail Barriers to entry start in the home where often your confidence is knocked by constant comparison which then leads to self-doubt. Society then creates barriers in the form of ceilings and layers of interviews, hoops, and hurdles. Whilst navigating this what about the barriers to entry we create in our minds where we don't even apply to certain jobs because we don't think...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, I discuss a recent redundancy I consulted on for a Black Queen who honestly was at her wits end in dealing with her employer. I am proud to say (with her permission) we managed to negotiate an £18,500 package plus anything else owed to her (She had to also sign an NDA). The lesson that we both learned from this I wanted to bring to the podcast.  Also,...

Send us Fan Mail This is a dilemma episode where you write to me hello@toyatalks.com with your work-related dilemmas and I try my best to advise you and find you a solution. Email me:  hello@toyatalks.com    Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalks)    Snapchat: @toyawashington    Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks    www.toyatalks.com Sponsorships - Email me:  hello@toyatalks.com TikTok:  toya_was...

Send us Fan Mail Despite that the fact most of us are remote working there are some who have returned to the office I wanted to share with you the politics of working in open offices. I recently watched 'Million Dollar Beach House' on Netflix I would suggest you all watch this and observe the open off showdown that took place the aggression displaced by a white woman to a Black man in an...