Wanna Be

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.


You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30 minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta story.


This week I’m joined by my dear friend, confidante and advisor, Sarah Ozo-Irabor, also known as Books & Rhymes, is a culture critic and digital content creator. Sarah utilises new media to engage in honest, insightful, and accessible discussions about literature and reading culture. She is the creator and host of 'Books & Rhymes, the podcast' where she explores the intersection of literature and music launches on the April 29th! If you’re taken by her you can also find her on the incredible ShoutOut Network podcast Not Another Book Podcast. Sarah is also an extremely talented photographer so get to know her! She documents and platforms literary works by the African Diaspora on her website, booksandrhymes.com.


Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Also the ShoutOut Network has just announced that we’ll be doing the Content Is Queen Women’s podcast festival on May 18th in London. If you’re a woman interested in starting a podcast this is the place to be Tickets for workshops are less than a tenner until April 8th!. Visit solivefestival.com for more information.
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabep For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.
You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30-minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta-story.


Greta Solomon is a British journalist and writing coach. Trained in speaking, professional acting, improvisation and performance poetry. Greta teaches and trains aspiring writers through her books, events and online courses. In her career as a journalist, she has held staff roles at Woman and Executive Woman and you can find some of her freelance articles published in The Numinous, Forbes.com and Huffington Post, as well as a variety of national newspapers and magazines. Greta has recently published a book Heart, Sass, Soul on May 2nd in the UK or April 15th if you’re based in the US.


In today’s episode, we talk about the life-changing power of freewriting and journaling. You'll learn about the importance of brushing up your writing skills for your work and business. We explore how to balance writing from the heart, with the technical aspects of writing effective copy. While chatting to Greta I also discover one of my biggest writing blockages which I suspect you might be able to relate to. Enjoy.


My fellow writer, I hope this episode touched you as much as it touched me. Writing can be so freeing and I hope Greta’s words gets you out and writing in your free time. You can get a copy of Greta’s book Heart, Sass, Soul on May 2nd in the UK or April 15th if you’re based in the US. You can follow Greta on Instagram Greta.Solomon and on Twitter @Greta_Solomon.


Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Also, the ShoutOut Network has just announced that we’ll be doing the Content Is Queen Women’s podcast festival on May 18th in London. If you’re a woman interested in starting a podcast this is the place to be Tickets for workshops are less than a tenner until April 8th!. Visit solivefestival.com for more information.
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.

You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30 minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta story.

I’m so excited about today’s episode, this week’s guest is Alex Holder, Alex is a journalist and brand consultant, who writes for ELLE, Grazia, Refinery29 and the Guardian among others. Her projects have been featured everywhere from the BBC to the New Yorker, while her campaign highlighting the gender pay gap went viral and helped change an actual law. Her work has been taught in schools and debated in parliament. She has been named one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative Women globally and listed by the Evening Standard as one of today’s 5 Inspiring Female Leaders.

Alex is the author behind the incredible book: Open Up - The Power of Talking about Money. In today’s episode we obviously talk about well.. Money. Alex breaks down the importance of discussing money in your relationship if one of you earns more than the other. How to overcome the shame of talking about money, budgeting best practice, plus you’ll learn one fun way to start chatting about money with your friends.

Honestly, I could have chatted to Alex for 2 hours about money (she might have to come back!) You simply must get a copy of her book 'Open Up - The Power of Talking About Money,' I couldn’t put it down! You can follow Alex on Twitter and Instagram @AlexandreHolder.

Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.

Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com

Also we have a new social media manager that’s really setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.

If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting ​shoutoutnetwork.co.uk 

Also the ShoutOut Network has just announced that we’ll be doing the Content Is Queen Women’s podcast festival on May 18th in London. If you’re a woman interested in starting a podcast this is the place to be Tickets for workshops are less than a tenner until April 8th! Visit solivefestival.com for more information.

Be sure to follow Wanna Be on​ Twitter​ and​ Instagram​ @wannabepodcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.
You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30-minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta-story.


This week’s guest is Blitz Bazawule, he is a multidisciplinary artist who has had a successful career as a Hip Hop artist and visual artist.


Originally from Ghana, Blitz has toured over 40 countries as an artist and has performed his music at TED.
Blitz wrote, directed, produced and scored his debut film The Burial of Kojo. The film caught the attention of Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay who says and I quote “one of the freshest and most important new directors in cinema today.” and the film is now part of her Array film distribution collective. The Burial of Kojo will be available on Netflix on 31st March.


In today’s episode, Blitz will teach you about the power of having a clear purpose and mission in your artistic work, why it’s important you focus on the content and not the polish. We cover whether it’s necessary for you to travel or migrate in order to be successful as an artist or creative. He also shares the reason why his work resonates with so many and why it’s essential that your work is seen by as many people as possible.


Ah yes to everything Blitz had to say about endurance and pushing yourself to overcome a personal feat to create art that moves people. I felt that in my spirit. Make sure you keep an eye out for The Burial of Kojo on Netflix from March 31st. Also, you can follow Blitz on Twitter on @BlitzAmbassador


Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com
Also, we have a new social media manager that’s really setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Also, the ShoutOut Network has just announced that we’ll be doing the Content Is Queen Women’s podcast festival on May 18th in London. If you’re a woman interested in starting a podcast this is the place to be Tickets for workshops are less than a tenner until April 8th!. Visit solivefestival.com for more information.
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where You Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.
You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30-minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta story.


This week’s guest is Anne Milton the Minister of Skills and Apprenticeship. Anne worked in the NHS for 25 years including in primary care, research and supporting palliative care nurses. After her time in NHS, she decided to enter politics and has worked at the Department of Health and now is a Minister at the Department for Education.




In today’s episode, you will learn about some of the challenges of changing your careers later in your life. What it means to be a woman in UK politics, the importance of exploring politics outside of the major political parties and why it’s important to explore all of your career options outside of the University setting.


I really enjoyed talking to Anne about her career transition, it’s a secret ambition of mine to enter politics at some point in my career too. If you’re interested in Anne’s work in education you can follow her on Twitter @AnneMilton.


Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com
Also, we have a new social media manager that’s really setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Also, the ShoutOut Network has just announced that we’ll be doing the Content Is Queen Women’s podcast festival on May 18th in London. If you’re a woman interested in starting a podcast this is the place to be Tickets for workshops are less than a tenner until April 8th!. Visit solivefestival.com for more information.
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.
You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30-minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta story.


This week’s guest is Coral Messam who is currently the Movement Director for the forthcoming stage adaptation of Andrea Levy’s seminal novel, Small Island, which opens at the National Theatre on 1 May.


Coral’s past work includes choreography for Game of Thrones, as well as working with UK theatre practitioners including DV8, Small Island and NT Director Rufus Norris and the Young Vic’s Kwame Kweh-Amah. Coral is also a visiting lecturer at Central School of Speech and Drama.
 
I wanted to interview Coral because chances are just like you, I’d never heard of a movement director before and I was intrigued as to how one finds themselves in the job so of course, I find out how Coral got started. We find out how to pick the projects you should say yes to for developing your career. As well as wrapping up on challenges and obstacles you might expect if you decide to follow in her footsteps.


I’ve learned so much and it was kind of unexpected. If it wasn’t for my complete inability to do choreographed dancing I would happily look into some classes. If your interest is piqued do visit Coral’s website www.coralmessam.com and follow her on Twitter @CoralMessam. Small Island is out at the National Theatre on May 1st.


Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com
Also, we have a new social media manager that’s really setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast.
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where You Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.

You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30-minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta story.

This week’s guest is Hannah Jewell, Hannah is the Pop Culture Host on the video team at The Washington Post, formerly a senior staff writer at BuzzFeed UK. She’s also the author of a book you might have seen around called 100 Nasty Women of History. Which is a collection of stories of the most badass women in history you’ve probably never heard of.

In today’s episode you will learn what it’s like to work with a literary agent, how to harness your fluency in the internet to your advantage, how you can develop confidence and be authentic in your voice, what to do when you feel like a fraud and how to handle criticism from trolls and your boss!  

Hannah is an absolute dream I wish I could have given you the full 1-hour episode as it was full of laughter and wisdom However rest assured you got the very best of what she had to say today!

You can follow Hannah on Twitter @hcjewell

Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.

Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com

Also, we have a new social media manager that’s really setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.

If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk

Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in.
You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30-minute episode every Wednesday if you enjoy this episode tell a friend, tweet me @wannabepodcast or screenshot and tag @wannabepodcast in your insta story.


This week’s guest esteemed Director Mimi Leder, who’s behind the incredible movie On The Basis Of Sex- The Ruth Bader-Ginsburg biopic which is out in the cinemas as of February 22nd. It’s a fantastic watch that I highly recommend you go and see. RBG is a true feminist icon who infamously moved the needle on gender discrimination and women’s rights in the supreme court.


Mimi Leder is a producer and Director. Her credits include On the Basis of sex, The Leftovers Deep Impact and Pay it forward. On the Basis of Sex is Mimi’s first feature film in 18 years following what she describes as ‘movie jail’. We don’t get into that but for some context Pay it Forward wasn’t as successful, and Mimi struggled to get hired as a Director afterwards, she believed this was in part due to her being a woman in a heavily male-dominated industry.


In today’s episode, you will learn one of the best ways to deal with feedback and criticism, how you can progress in your career as a woman in male-dominated industries, and why it’s important that we are inclusive when hiring our crews. We jump straight in with why she said yes to ‘On the Basis of Sex’ after 18 years.


Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app, please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com
Also, we have a new social media manager that’s setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast.
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Wanna Be Podcast. I’m your host Imrie! Wanna Be is the podcast that takes you from where you are right now to Where you Wanna Be in 30mins or less. Thank you for staying subscribed and listening in. Last season and the Black History Month special were an absolute dream to put together for you. Thank you for the new reviews as well!


You can subscribe for free and catch a brand new 30 minute episode every Wednesday.




This season will be a little different. The key changes are that there will be only 1 episode per week but it’ll still be short, sweet and double the amount of motivational goodness you’ve come to know and expect.


This week’s guest should be very familiar to you it’s London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan! I had the pleasure of sitting down with the Mayor during the Behind Every Great City campaign.




Sadiq Khan is a British politician serving as the Mayor of London since 2016. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 to 2016. He got his law degree from the University of North London. Before entering politics he was a solicitor specialising in human rights. Before becoming Mayor he held a number of positions including Minister of State for Communities in 2008, Minister of State for Transport, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Minister for London. He was elected Mayor of London at the 2016 mayoral election, winning by the largest number of votes in one election of any politician in British history.


In today’s episode the Mayor will show you how to look at the glass as half full, he shares how he handles the responsibility and subsequent blame when tragedy strikes. He reveals whether women and other BAME individuals should run for London Mayor and finally is it ever worth poshing up your voice to get ahead in politics or for any job really.


We jump in with the Mayor sharing where he thought he’d end up in life if he wasn’t the Mayor.


It’s not an easy job at all to be the Mayor but I personally feel very inspired by how optimistic and positive Sadiq was about the job and his overall commitment to helping others fulfil their potential. I’m not sure I could put up with 1% of what he does and still remain positive about people so I find him to be quite refreshing.


To follow the Mayor you can do so @SadiqKhan and be sure to tell him that @wannabepodcast sent you :)
Thank you so much for listening in. If you’re listening via the Apple Podcasts app please do me the small favour of spending 5 seconds to leave a rating.


Also do get your career, brand, or marketing questions in for the end of the month mailbag episode. You can do this via wannabepodcast.com


Also we have a new social media manager that’s really setting a new tone on Instagram so be sure to follow @WannaBePodcast on Instagram.


If you like how this podcast is made and you think you can do what I do, then you need to reach out to the ShoutOut Network find out more about membership by visiting shoutoutnetwork.co.uk
Be sure to follow Wanna Be on Twitter and Instagram @wannabepodcast.
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wanna Be Podcast is back for a Black History Month special and I’m going to be sharing the stories of phenomenal black women who are almost certainly making history with their work.


I got to interview New York Times Bestselling author Angie Thomas.
She wrote a book called The Hate U Give which I think you’ll like. It’s about a teenage girl called Starr who witnesses her friend die at the hands of the police.
The book just got turned into a movie with Amandla Stenberg and it’s so good, you should see it. Honestly, it’s kinda a lot, there’s police brutality, #BlackLivesMatter dealing with white friends and microaggressions. It’s iconic! The film’s out now so go see it!


I can’t wait for you to hear this episode, you’re on the path to success right now and Angie shares how she’s managing being social media in the face of sudden success. We talk about what it’s like to give up control on your work and how you can be a better activist and make real change in your community.


Angie is on a whirlwind of success and to be honest I just wanted to know how she was doing...


Don’t forget to head out to the cinema to see The Hate U Give it is remarkable and like Angie says the start of a conversation. You can find Angie on Instagram on @AngieThomas


Be sure to share this podcast with a friend who’s a bit lost and doesn’t know what they want to do. You can do this by tagging them and @wannabepodcast on both Twitter and Instagram. Also feel free to screenshot the episode you’re listening to in your insta stories and I’ll reshare them.


For detailed show notes, photos, freebies and top quotes from this episode visit wannabepodcast.com. I’ll be updating the show notes at the end of each month.


This is the last episode in the Black History Month special it has been a pleasure to create these episodes and introduce you to phenomenal black women. Special thanks to Abadesi Osunsade, Vashti Harrison, Amber Cabral, Amandla Stenberg and of course Angie Thomas. I’ll catch up with you in 2019! If you’re loving the podcast and want to see it grow please do leave a rating and review via Apple Podcasts and do reach out to me with questions, comments and guest recommendations for Season 2. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.