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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

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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

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A superstar stopped a show to eject a sleepy fan, and the crowd divided. We look past the memes to the real duty of care at live events, the difference between standards and humiliation, and why humility travels further than hype. That contrast sets the stage for a wider theme: how power is used in public, at work and in culture.

From Lupita Nyong’o’s choice to refuse typecasting to the labels black women still face in offices, we unpack how stereotypes take root and how to push back with clarity, documentation and policy. I share a candid story about dealing with a disruptive senior, why governance protects your career, and how to use relationship capital without losing your peace. We also dig into Spotify’s unwavering approach to flexible work, separating outcomes from optics and treating adults like adults.

Creativity gets its own spotlight as I introduce Sister Scribble, a 90s-inspired premium stationery brand built for people who still believe in pen, paper and ideas with weight. We talk about what real support looks like, why community matters more than clout, and how to keep building when the hours are long and the room is loud. A listener dilemma on postpartum psychosis at work brings practical steps on occupational health, boundaries and dignity.

A look at Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction through the lens of the Biafra War 2 years, 6 months and 9 days that still shape Igbo memory and justice today. We close with history that still breathes: a clear, grounded primer on Biafra, Igbo identity and Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction. Beyond the legal language sit questions about self-determination, state power and what justice means when memory is raw. If you’re here for honest talk, useful frameworks and stories with heart, you’re in the right place.

If this resonated, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your support keeps these conversations alive.

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

Ready to name the fear behind a big career leap? We start with the uncomfortable truth: stepping into leadership is hard when you’ve rarely seen anyone who looks like you survive and thrive there. That honesty opens a wide-angle look at credibility, negotiation, and why “director” should be a strategic choice, not a trap. You’ll hear practical pay tactics, a clear-eyed read on gender politics, and a call to claim the audacity usually reserved for the loudest voices in the room while anchoring everything in real delivery.

We pivot into brand strategy with a surgical breakdown of Fenty Beauty, LVMH, and the “core asset test.” What happens when a revolutionary launch becomes industry standard and the parent company cares most about Sephora and Dior? The answer matters to every founder: positioning must live beyond a single hook, and product lines should pass the test of whether they strengthen your core. Still, Rihanna’s two-billion-dollar empire stands as a masterclass in ownership, reminding us that downside cycles don’t erase value when you build for longevity.

Authenticity in entrepreneurship gets a frank treatment access, capital, and networks change the starting line. We separate story from spin so creators can plan with clarity. Then we look outward: a UN spotlight on persecution in Nigeria, the Sahel’s power realignment, and why humanitarian language can mask resource strategy. Closer to home, we press on London’s EV congestion charge and how shifting justifications erode policy trust. Finally, we talk about the UK’s curriculum overhaul AI literacy, oracy, and media scepticism to prepare young people for a world where synthesis beats rote learning. And yes, we celebrate the launch of Sister Scribble, a premium stationery brand designed to bring back tactile creativity and intention.

If this conversation pushes you to ask better questions about your next move career, company, or community hit follow, share with a friend who needs the nudge, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Your audacity might be someone else’s blueprint.

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