This Sister Speaks

In this episode I chat to Stefanie Swords-Williams, founder of Fuck being humble - a platform whose mission is to change the perception of self-promotion. Stef's a badass creative with a vision to empower everyone to communicate their personal successes without feeling self-conscious. Which we all know women are particularly poor at, in all arenas of life. We need to get better at taking credit, shouting about what we do, and singing from the rooftops about how frickin' awesome we are. So we need this platform! I first heard of Stef via her training session in The Coven Girl Gang, where she used music to guide us through how to self-promote unashamedly. She is bold, brassy and brilliant, and I hope listening to her will inspire and encourage you to be a little braver when it comes to self-promotion. And I immediately needed to get her on This Sister Speaks! She is amazing. Working full time as an Account Director for TCO, she runs Fuck being humble - an online platform that is chock full of inspirational articles and information that'll give you the boost you need to brag without sounding like Trump. As part of the platform Stef also organises brilliant networking events - with a difference! No boring chat and warm white wine. Nope. AND with prioritising women on her panels. See?! She's ace. We talk about networking experiences and how to get the most out of the time at events, Stef gives some AWESOME tips on self-promotion which you do not want to miss!! She also chats about what feminism as a millennial means, which women she admires, and Stef tells us about the reading she's been doing to suss out the theory behind confidence. Listen to this podcast if you want to find out how to blow your own trumpet (and big-up your mates too) without people switching off. I flipping loved recording this episode, as Stef is so easy to talk to and I'm looking forward to the next Fuck being humble event - a collaboration with Sapphire Bates from The Coven Girl Gang - "I depend on me". Defo worth the train fare from Devon to London! You can follow Fuck being humble on Instagram @fuckbeinghumbleldn and Stef is @stefaniesw to keep an eye out for upcoming events and get tips on how to be a queen at self-promo. Feminist Homework: Go to a networking event, talk about your brilliance and shine a light on a friend's achievements!

In this episode you'll hear me chatting to Lauren - a primary teacher in her 30s, working in East London - who founded a female empowerment group for 9-11 year olds - Mighty Grrl Movement. She describes herself as a feminist killjoy and book obsessive - how could I not interview her?! I jumped at the chance to record a podcast episode with Lauren because she's a feminist teacher and is trying to implement change in the best way she can, but has also found a way to broaden her reach. With both of us being teachers, we've got a lot to say about the state of the education system, and the lack of diversity in the curriculum and it was great to hear how Lauren is tackling the issue head on. She's having difficult conversations about privilege with colleagues, but also going grass roots. She's using her skills to equip kids with the power to make change and recognise that diversity and being different are strengths, not weaknesses. Her club aims to build kids' self-esteem through arts and crafts, learning about women's history, learning about their own cultural history, fundraising and philosophical discussions. I really do think our curriculum needs to change to encompass Herstory. We talk about teacher training, consent, privilege, and the way that language around race and gender from those with a platform infiltrates the minds of small children and so many things in between! Her club's belief is: 'If they can see it, they can be it.' And dammmmmnnn is she right! Representation matters!! Children, particularly girls and children of colour, need to see themselves reflected in the media they are consuming to understand their importance and value in the world.  'Mighty Grrl Movement' is named as such after Riot Grrrl (the feminist punk movement) which for Lauren (and many more of us!) helped her figure out her place in the world through creative outlets – fashion, music, writing. I love how Lauren has created this movement and I hope that these girls harness this powerful movement, growing up to smash those glass ceilings and taking a hammer to the patriarchy. I hope you enjoy being a fly on the wall in our conversation, it's a good one and it'll hopefully leave you feeling ready to go out and make a difference! Find out more about Mighty Grrl Movement, follow Lauren on Instagram  @mightygrrlmovement and go buy one of the t-shirts that Lauren has designed for your daughter or niece (or even treat yourself if you can get away with a kids size!)! Not only are they awesome, but 25% of the profits of every t-shirt sold goes to a charity or organisation that supports and empowers girls, women and the LGBT+ community. Lauren also has a more candid blog about feminism and teaching, called Killing Venus. Act of rebellion: Stop buying from brands that only use white faces. Stop purchasing magazines that white-wash their models. Put your money where your mouth is. Send tweets or leave comments where you notice a lack of diversity. Amplify the BAME voices around you. Be an ally. Make space for lived experiences. There's so much you can do but that's a start.

This episode you'll hear me, Siobhan, chatting to Kallie Falandays - founder of Tell Tell Poetry. She's an American living in Portugal and running Tell Tell Poetry, with a passion for helping writers publish their words and also helping small businesses nail their copy (#communityovercompetition). This was a really great conversation, with a true feminist who raises women up in her business - through shining a light on their poetry and making poets realise that their writing matters. We discuss how working with women feels, and how magical it can be. Kallie talks about the synergy that comes alive when women work together. We talk about how we strive to be intersectional in our feminism - and why that's so important. And on top of the feminist chat, Kallie had some awesome business advice that we can all take something from, she is so wise! Kallie is incredibly positive and was so lovely to speak with. And Kallie clearly values the women in her life and cheers them on in their successes and supports them when they need it. She is someone we should all aspire to be more like in our daily lives. Over the last few years, not only has Kallie has worked with over 300 authors to get their books ready for publication, she's been published in numerous awesome online and offline publications with her own beautiful words. She's got an amazing range of experience in the wonderful world of words, so if you're looking to get your poetry ready for publishing, Kallie is your ideal wing-woman. She's able to listen and understand, so your vision will be at the forefront of publication. I am buzzing about the potential for collaboration with this phenomenal woman!  Make sure you go and follow her: @telltellpoetry And have a peek at her awesome website and beautiful logo!

An episode to explain why I started the podcast, and to introduce myself to you! Hello!   Also I do a quick round up of the highs and lows of 2018 for women and feminism, and I've listed a few things to look forward to and talk about what I'd like to see come about in 2019.

Lu Williams is a queer artist and activist who lives and works in Essex, who is championing young people's creativity. Grrrl Zine Fair is a brilliant combination of live events, zine workshops, Grrrl In Print zine and a feminist zine library. Lu curates exhibitions and workshops for Zine making, as well as hosting panel talks and performances, a self-publishing fair and live music. Lu's work with Zine making is undeniably powerful, and Grrrl is presented as an adaptable way of making objects and literature outside of academic or capitalist endeavours, shining a light on women and non-binary artists. The eloquence with which Lu describes the Zine process and the need for a space and something for young women and queer folx to take ownership of is excellent, and the way Lu collaborates with other artists is what this podcast is all about. Our chat about intersectional feminism, society and change is one I really enjoyed recording. Lu held an event in December 2018 which featured the awesome Florence Given and phenomenal Ash Khullar, and continues to make huge strides in the Zine world and beyond, so I am super excited to see where Grrrl Zine Fair goes next year! Big things are coming.     Feminist homework: Investigate a Zine Workshop or create something to represent yourself or what you do. Get creative! No boundaries or restrictions. Tag us in your pics.

Dom's a mum of two boys (Freddie and Bertie); she's an influencer and on-line small business owner.  I've been following Dom on Instagram for a while and love how her brand message is both empowering and inspirational. She started The Pelican and The Rose over a year ago - a company that is all about empowering women and spreading kindness. Dom felt that kindness, empathy and empowerment needed to become more of a movement and she wanted to teach her own kids the importance of it - so the slogan "Be Kind Always" was born.  Here on the podcast, Dom discusses the highs and lows of the Insta world, as well as everyday feminism and what we can do to be better feminists. We could've talked for hours…well we did actually and I could probably have made 3 episodes…but I've saved you the pain! Haha! On 19th January, Dom will be a guest speaker at the Pregnant Then Screwed Live Event, where she'll be advising budding entrepreneurs in the 'Start Your Own Business' clinic. In March, Dom is launching a new range of products and has changed the way she's doing business, so it'll work better for her and her family. I love that Dom is so humble…she really doesn't know how awesome she is. I hope that when you've listened to this episode, you'll go and check out her account 😊 @thepelicanandtherose Feminist Homework:  Can you emulate the kindness that Dom promotes? Perhaps you might start your own Random Acts of Kindness each week, or month, or maybe you'll champion kindness everyday in your workplace? Make a difference by donating to Period Poverty (Bloody Good Period or Red Box Project) charities or pop a box of tampons into the local foodbank box. Whatever you do, we'd love to hear about it!

Sapphire Bates is the Founder and Chief Witch of The Coven. She set it up as a space where female entrepreneurs could develop themselves as business owners, getting training and mentoring from other women in the business world. I've been following Sapph for a long time and have learned so much from her. She's a feisty young woman, with a very wise head on her shoulders. If you follow her, you'll know she is a bookworm, and is always keen to learn more and share her journey with her followers. The Coven is essentially networking, but it's also got a bank of resources that'll help grow your business and Sapphire set it up because she felt it was what she'd needed a couple of years before, when she'd set up her floristry business – The Flower Arranger. In this episode you'll hear her sharing her ideas about what feminism is and whether she is a feminist, and much more! It was a delight to chat to Sapphire about more than just business and I hope you'll enjoy listening to our conversation. Ever the adventurer, Sapphire is making the move to Ibiza and we'll no doubt be seeing lots of shots of laptops on the beach and cocktails in between empowering inspo on her squares. Follow her here: @thecovengirlgang and @theflowerarranger on instagram Feminist Homework: Channel #CommunityOverCompetition - Look around you and see what your peers are doing. Give them virtual high-fives and share what they're doing with others. Celebrate their achievements and see them in a positive way, don't berate yourself because you've not done the same. Raise each other up.