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Power makes itself felt in our bills, our jobs, and our beliefs and this week we trace that line from Arctic ice to everyday life. We unpack why Greenland has become a pressure point, how tariff threats could ripple through British businesses, and what a fraying “special relationship” means for a post‑Brexit UK with less leverage at the table. It’s not just geopolitics; it’s the cost of silence, the value of sovereignty, and the real climate stakes as ice sheets melt and shipping routes open to new competition.

Culture mirrors power too. Drewski’s viral church skit hits because it spotlights a truth many have lived: pastors dressed in luxury while congregations struggle to eat. We share raw personal stories of seeking refuge and finding exploitation, and we ask what modesty, stewardship, and care should look like when faith is put into practice. The point isn’t to sneer at belief; it’s to defend community against grift and to reclaim the simple standard that leadership serves people first.

Then we shift to the world of work and name a trap many high earners won’t admit: golden handcuffs. When a salary outpaces learning, mobility shrinks and fear grows. We offer a practical path forward extract skills that translate across industries, win visible outcomes tied to money or risk, build a small parallel income stream, and document impact so you hold leverage before burnout hits. For women, especially Black women navigating under promotion and overexposure, that strategy is protection. Pair it with urgent up-skilling in AI and data to avoid a new divide: technological inequality layered on top of pay gaps.

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Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

Stationary Company: Sistah Scribble

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A hard truth set the tone for the new year: a fatal accident in Nigeria and the stark reminder that infrastructure and governance shape lives. I share why that grief paused my urge to create and how honesty, not forced optimism, can be the smartest way to start January. From there, we move straight into the UK job market, where rising employer costs, higher NI, and a punishing tax reality are shrinking vacancies and closing adverts early. Job hopping has stalled; job hugging is the new survival skill. And no, AI didn’t replace everyone misfired attempts exposed the gap between hype and capability, while smart teams now use AI to augment real work.

When growth outside slows, the inside strategy matters. I walk through how I anchor development to manager-owned objectives, build a feedback folder that proves outcomes, and keep a burn folder that captures patterns of harm. That combo turned a workplace bully into an unlikely conduit for opportunity: I secured sign-off, delivered for another team, and gained high-stakes exposure. He still doesn’t like me, but he respects me an equation that matters when you’re a Black Woman navigating power, perception, and limited tolerance for your tears. Respect lasts longer than likability; receipts speak when rooms turn cold.

We also zoom out to geopolitics shaping markets and risk: Nigeria’s insecurity, pressure across the Sahel, and the power play around Venezuela’s oil. These forces affect hiring cycles, investor sentiment, and the anxiety many of us feel about timing a move. So I’m easing into 2026 with deliberate pace, quarter by quarter goals, renewed focus on public speaking and subject expertise, and a commitment to consistency on TikTok, blending the world of work with practical fashion and “wear your wardrobe” thinking. If the market says hold, use the hold to sharpen your edge, negotiate the package that actually pays, and make your progress unavoidable.

Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com

TikTok: toya_washington

Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast)

Snapchat: @toyawashington

Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks

https://toyatalks.com/

Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

Stationary Company: Sistah Scribble

• Instagram: @sistahscribble
• Website: www.sistahscribble.com
• Email: hello@sistahscribble.com

Send us a text

Policy shapes pay packets, childcare, heating bills, and even how we move around our cities. We break down Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget without jargon, showing how frozen thresholds create fiscal drag, why dividend and property tax hikes shift the balance toward taxing wealth, and how ISA changes nudge under 65s into risk. We look at the upside too, scrapping the two child cap, targeted help on energy bills, a rare freeze on rail fares, and what the new EV per‑mile charge means for the future of funding our roads and the reality of going electric.

Power is shifting in entertainment as well. With Paramount Skydance launching a hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery and outbidding Netflix, we explore what consolidation means for the streaming wars, catalogue control, and your monthly subscriptions. Culture isn’t only created; it’s distributed, priced, and fenced off, and those decisions ripple through what stories get made and who gets to see them.

Safety and dignity are non negotiable. We spotlight the British Transport Police’s silent text service 61016 so you can discreetly report harassment on the Tube, and we talk candidly about luxury retail bias versus glossy representation, even as A$AP Rocky fronts Chanel. In the workplace, we share a tactical playbook for handling an aggressive senior colleague: set boundaries, document meticulously, build public advocates, and use policy to protect yourself. We also preview a practical series on starting a UK business the right way trademarks, bookkeeping, HMRC timelines and celebrate Sister Scribble’s sell out momentum and what it takes to scale a young brand with intention.

If this conversation helps you see your money, career, and safety with clearer eyes, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us the moment that hit home most. Your feedback keeps this community sharp and growing.

Referenced Podcast Episode:

The New skills Economy

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jdXWn8DpFgiER9nVVILa2?si=bgRbofTVTTO7572fUajLmw

Sponsorships - Email me: hello@toyatalks.com

TikTok: toya_washington

Twitter: @toya_w (#ToyaTalksPodcast)

Snapchat: @toyawashington

Instagram: @toya_washington & @toya_talks

https://toyatalks.com/

Music (Intro and Outro) Written and created by Nomadic Star

Stationary Company: Sistah Scribble

• Instagram: @sistahscribble
• Website: www.sistahscribble.com
• Email: hello@sistahscribble.com