Hey, Sis!

Be honest; have you ever been at a party and someone asks 'What do you do for fun?' and been completely stumped? You're not alone. According to research, women find it especially hard to get lost in hobbies or leisure time where the sole purpose is fun — not for the kids, not tied to some obligation — but pure, selfish fun. We've noticed the same thing about ourselves so we decided to talk about it. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you have hobbies or is leisure time a foreign concept in your life? We're also All A Twitter about A Wrinkle In Time and its box office success. But we're not so pleased about the peeps who are trying to pit Black Panther and A Wrinkle In Time against one another. This article by Sylvia Obell sums up our thoughts on that disheartening business. Plus, we're sounding off our airhorn salute for the young star of A Wrinkle In Time, Storm Reid. Have a listen!

It's March 8th, and we're celebrating! Not only is it International Women's Day, but it's also the one year anniversary of Hey, Sis! Podcast. Release the doves! On this episode we're taking it back to the reason why we started this show in the first place: raising the volume on women's voices, honoring their stories. We're also All A Twitter about the Oscars (bring on the inclusion riders!) and this #HereWeAre campaign, plus we sound the air horn for director and screenwriter Dee Rees.  ANDDDD... introducing our first-ever giveaway! One lucky listener will win a special one-year-anniverary prize pack highlighting some of our previous guests. That means signed books from Tia Williams, Colleen Oakley and more; a cool journal and pen duo; and a stylish Brave New World Designs tee all arranged in a chic tote bag. All you have to do to enter is follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and tell us which episode of HSP or guest on the show was your fa

And we're back up in place! In his new episode we are All A Twitter about... what else? #WakandaForever Yes, we've seen Black Panther, and can barely catch our breath. Black Excellence on full display! Plus, we're giving Janelle Monáe her propers for her highly anticipated new album Dirty Computer. We're also excited to welcome to the show author and long-time journalist, Colleen Oakley, whose novels Before I Go and Close Enough to Touch have been named best books by People, Us Weekly, Library Journal and Real Simple. Colleen lives in Atlanta with her husband, four children and the world's biggest lapdog, Bailey. Find out more about Colleen and her books on: Twitter: @OakleyColleen; Facebook: /writercolleenoakley; and Insta: writercolleenoakley. And we sound the HSP Air Horn for Emma Gonzalez, the 18-year-old Stoneman Douglas High School senior and mass shooting survivor who is a passionate, powerful activist a

It's another Nsqaured episode! This week we're hootin'-n-hollerin' for the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Though we're both more about that Summer Olympics life, we still have lots of love for the winter rock too. It's all so thrilling! From Team USA's snowboarding star Chloe Kim and history-making speed skaters  Maame Afua Biney and Erin Jackson to Nigeria's first-ever bobsled team and the Jamaican bobsled team the there are so many powerhouse women of color out on this grand stage showing what dedication and excellence look like. Plus, we're All a Twitter about the Quincy Jones no-effs-given interview on Vulture.com. We're also raving about National Portrait Gallery's unveiling of the long-awaited portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Breathtaking! And we sound our Airhorn for Team USA figure skater Mirai Nagasu and her rare triple axel feat. Listen in! 

Hey, hey! We're back this week with our super sized Superbowl episode and giving you our hot take on football's biggest night: Superbowl LII. We talk about whether Justin Timberlake's halftime performance was hot or not (spoiler: this scathing review of the performance from the Daily Beast basically sums up our thoughts) and then dive right into the best part of the Superbowl — those commercials. Listen in to hear our run-down on the good, the bad, and the just plain weird. And if you need a quick refresher of some of the ads that ran, check out this NPR article. We also sounded our airhorn for Tayari Jones who released her new novel, "An American Marriage," earlier this week to high praise. It's Oprah's newest book club pick, so you know it's good. 

It's another N-squared episode, hot and fresh out the oven. This week we're going back to college — in our minds, at least — to talk about relationships and dating. After watching a recent episode of the new, fab series Grown-ish in which the young, college student characters get into a conversation/soft debate about what terms like "hooking up" really mean. Is it sex or just hanging out? Are you dating if you're "kickin' it" or are you just casual with it? And then how do dating apps like Tinder shake up the game?  We're also All A Twitter about the world premiere of Black Panther (a.k.a. Maximum Black Excellence) and all the post-Grammys chatter. And we sound the HSP Air Horn for U.S. Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and the more 140 brave women who gave heartbreaking, yet powerful victim impact statements against former U.S. Gymnastics doctor Larry Nasser, accused of sexually abusing over 100 people while under his "care." Stand up and speak

Annnnnd we're back with another fresh episode for you! This week, we got serious and discussed the rising maternity mortality rate in the U.S. — particularly for Black women who are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth or shortly afterwards. We mentioned Serena Williams' complications post-childbirth as well as some of the organizations that are shedding more light on this public health issue, like the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. We're also All A Twitter about the new Aziz Ansari sexual misconduct allegations, and we're giving a special Airhorn Salute to Franchesca Ramsey and her new book, available for pre-order now!

Happy, happy new year! We're back with the first episode of 2018 and we're sharing our strategies for setting -- and hopefully keeping -- our intentions for the upcoming year. Neither of us are resolution gals, but we do like to go through Susannah Conway's process of picking a word or theme that will define the new year. We're also All A Twitter about the Golden Globes, the Times Up organization and that electrifying speech from Mama O. Have a listen!

  Here we are... the last HSP episode of 2017. Can you believe it? Nah. Same here. Yes, it's been a bumpy road filled with lots of crazy and crazy-making news, but there were also lots of bright spots! We're celebrating one in particular: this heartwarming tale of two unlikely characters (a 21-year-old Black rapper from Harlem and a 81-year-old white lady from Florida) becoming true friends over the game Words With Friends. Aww, how many points does the word "adoraboo" get us? Also, we're sounding the Air Horn for TIME magazine's revolutionary pick for Person(s) of the Year. Have a listen! And Merry, Happy, Joy to you and yours!

It's time for another Nsquared episode! 'Tis the season for holiday cheer and this week we're talking all things Christmas -- from holiday traditions to gratitude, believing in Santa Claus to those pesky Elves on the Shelves. We cover it all. Plus, we're All A Twitter about the latest sexual harassment allegations against Matt Lauer. And to keep things a little light, chatting about our favorite sweet treats in honor of National Cookie Day. Lastly, we're giving an air horn salute to the one and only Cardi B., who is having the best year ever. Have a listen!

We're amped to have Christine Koh as a guest on the show. This woman is doing it all and doing it well. She's a former music and brain neuroscientist turned Internet unicorn. Christine is the creative director at Women Online (a communications firm that specializes in using social media for good), founder/editor of Boston Mamas (a pioneering hyperlocal lifestyle blog), co-host of the Edit Your Life Show (a podcast devoted to helping people edit their lives to make room for awesome), co-author of Minimalist Parenting (a book to help parents enjoy family life more by doing less), and designer/co-owner of Brave New World Designs (a stylish, advocacy-oriented design collection). Christine's work has been featured in The New York Times, Redbook, Boston Magazine, The Boston Globe, Woman's Day, and more. And she is the 2017 Iris Awards winner of Podcast of the Year. Were we lying about how fantastic she is? Nope.  Plus, we get

We're hyped to have actor, producer, and author Robinne Lee join the conversation! The daughter of Jamaican parents, Robinne was born and raised in Westchester County, New York.  A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, Robinne has spent the past several years acting, writing, and producing.She is best known for her film roles opposite Will Smith in "Hitch" and "Seven Pounds," and Don Cheadle in "Hotel for Dogs." Robinne is also recognized for her work in "Deliver us from Eva," "National Security," "13 Going on 30," and "Hav Plenty." Recently she completed shooting "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed" playing the role of "Ros Bailey." And her past television appearances include recurring roles on BET's breakout hit "Being Mary Jane," and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." She is currently starring opposite Mario Van Peebles in the supernatural series "Superstition" which debuts this fall on the SyFy Channel. This summer, Robinne's debut novel, THE IDEA OF YOU was published by St. Mar

Let's hear it for another fab episode! This time, it's just us and we're talking about the oddly controversial topic of kid sleepovers. Nicole recently wrote an article in Good Housekeeping outlining her stance on the subject (spoiler: it's a no for her, dawg) but Nailah has a different point of view. Where do you land? Plus we're All A Twitter about the historic results from this week's elections. We're starting to see a glimmer of something we haven't seen in awhile -- Hope! And we're shouting out Shalane Flanagan, the first woman to win the NYC Marathon in 40 years. All good stuff all around. Listen in!

It's another Nsquared episode, and we're keeping it light this time around. Don't we all need a break from the heavy, harrowing and horrible? YES. The answer is absolutely yes. We got into the vibe of the season and talked about Halloween. We get into some of our fave traditions and the ones that need to be thrown in the trash (ugh, trunk-or-treat); "classic" Blades Fam old school costumes; and the candies we always go for first. (Step off, candy corn! Nobody's talking 'bout you, witcho gross self.) Plus, we are All A Twitter about Amazon Key, the new service for Prime Members that allows couriers to have access to open your door to leave packages for you. Um, whuuut?! And we sound the Air Horn Salute for our friend author Angela Flournoy, who is teaming up with Issa Rae to pen a new '90s family drama for HBO. Yaaaay! So proud of Angela! Have a listen.  

We're back with another Nsquared episode! We tackle some of the tough things happening in the news this week, particularly the continued fall-out from the Harvey Weinstein revelations. We shine a light on the #MeToo campaign and talk more about the harassment, assault and abuse that women suffer through each and every day as well as some of the societal shifts we need to see to achieve real change.  We also send a well deserved Air Horn Salute to Tarana Burke, the original founder of the #MeToo movement, who has been working to amplify the voices of assault for the past decade. Be sure to check out her organization at MeToo.support

We're chatting it up with Regina R. Robertson, editor, writer, and author of He Never Came Home: Interviews, Stories, and Essays from Daughters on Life Without Their Fathers. She's the West Coast editor of Essence magazine and her byline has been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, on TheRoot.com and the Associated Pressnewswire. She has also been quoted in The Los Angeles Times and appeared as a featured guest on AM Joy, The Real, NPR, TV One and KTLA-TV. Recently, Regina has been crafting scripts for shows like Essence's Black Women in Hollywood Awards, Street Style Block Party and the three-day Empowerment Experience at the Essence Music Festival. You can find her on Twitter @reginarobertson, IG at @reginarrobertson and her website. We're also All A Twitter over the gross Harry Weinstein sexual harassment and assault case (yuck). Here's the massive expose in The New Yorker (be careful with this one; it's very

  This week we're chatting with The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, Heidi W. Durrow! She's also the winner of Barbara Kingsolver's 2008 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction and a book club favorite. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky was hailed as one of the Best Novels of 2010 by The Washington Post, a Top 10 Book of 2010 by The Oregonian, a Top 10 Buzz Book of 2010 by The Boston Herald, and a Top 10 Debut of 2010 by Booklist. In 2011, Durrow was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Debut.She is also an award-winning podcaster and host of "The Mixed Experience," where she explores the multiracial experience in pop culture, academia, and history. Durrow is also the founder and executive director of the Mixed Remixed Festival, an annual public event celebrating the mixed-race experience. It is the largest nationwide gathering of multiracial people in the country. You can

This week's special guest is Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of the books The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her novels have been named best books of summer by People, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, and others. We talked diversity and representation in books, "unlikable" female protagonists, and how to make the perfect iced tea (naturally). Plus, we're All A-Twitter about the #TakeTheKnee protest and the sudden shift the movement has taken since 45 inserted himself into the conversation. We're keeping the sports theme going with our Air Horn Salute for a woman in sports journalism who is speaking her mind and not backing down. Listen in!

We got right into it talking about the good, bad and what the hell is he doing here of the 2017 Emmy Awards, plus we chatted with our first guest of Season 2: Lindsey Day! She is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of CRWN Magazine, a print publication about natural hair and the women who wear it. A digital marketing strategist by trade, her focus is harnessing digital tools to positively shape culture. Through CRWN, she seeks to immortalize the hairstory of black women in print, shifting the standard of beauty for Black women—for good. Since 2016, CRWN has been featured by Forbes, Elle, Essence, Saint Heron, Girlboss, Nylon, Yahoo! Beauty and more; and in 2017 Day was named by The Huffington Post as one of seven Black Innovators Who Are Creating A Better Tomorrow. Prior to her role as a print publisher, Day developed her expertise working for major corporations such as Interscope/Geffen/A&M and DreamWorks Animation. She has also been instrumental in several startups, including an onli

Aww, yeah! Season 2 all up in your area. We are back from our month-long hiatus with an extra serving of excitement. Welcome, welcome! In our first episode back, we're talking a bit about what kept us busy through August (spoiler: Color Outside Retreat for Nailah and prepping for the promo of Nicole's forthcoming novel HAVE YOU MET NORA?), plus we get into what's coming up this season. We're All a Twitter about Insecure's finale; Leslie Jones living her very best life; the beauty and fab inclusiveness of Fenty Beauty, the new makeup line from our Bajan sistren Rihanna; the outstanding Well-Read Black Girl Festival; and Time magazine's "Firsts" cover series on groundbreaking women. And of course we touched on the monster hurricanes in Texas, the Caribbean and Florida. We also sounded the Air Horn Salute for a charming, bright sports ace. Basically, we're so amped to be back in effect! Listen in.