Girlfriends and Goals

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing keeping it in the house. Inspired by a common saying many of us grew up with "what happens in this house, stays in this house". This saying encompasses the idea that regardless of happens to you, information regarding situations within the family should not be told to anyone outside the home. We're exploring: Why this phrase is so common, the pro's and con's of this saying in practice, how we feel about families using the internet to air out their business and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing you asked for it. This topic was inspired by a viral video clip involving a popular female rapper who while speaking on a panel was forcefully kissed by a man as she clearly was rejecting his advances. This clip was one of a few that showed her on the receiving end of unwarranted sexual advances but the consensus of the men involved and some people online is that they don't see an issue with the behavior of the men because of what she raps about and how she carries herself. We're exploring: should women be accountable for sexual harassment based on their own behavior, what makes men feel comfortable with the notion of "you asked for it", our thought's on catcalling and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing moving on after a breakup. Inspired by Tia and Tamera Mowry's comments on how her and her sister move on after romantic break ups we're exploring: how long you should take to mourn the relationship, what you should or shouldn't do while moving on, how break ups have changed us and much more!

Do you think experiencing a heartbreak is different depending on the person's age?

What does closure mean to you and is it something you need to move on?

We'd love to hear your thoughts, too so make sure you follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@girlfriendsandgoalspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where we'll continue this conversation. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're going to discuss if we need relationship therapy. The health of the relationships we experience is a critical area of our daily lives, impacting us in so many ways; Thankfully we now live in an era where help with managing those relationships is more readily available. We're joined by our special guest, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Oprah Zeon, who shares with us the benefits of therapy, her experience helping others navigate their relationships the changes she's seen in couples over time and much more!

How soon do you recommend couples seek out therapy?

What are the most common topics discussed in LMFT?

Does the "gender war" we see happening online apply to real life?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're going to discuss making friends as a mom. Becoming a mom is a major life event that brings on a host of changes, one of which is how we navigate our social lives and friendships. We're joined by our special guest M. Foss who shares with us her journey to motherhood, how becoming a mom has affected her friendships, what she looks for in "mom" friends and much more!

How important is it for you to initiate friendships with other moms?

Have you experienced the competitive spirit of other moms?

Has entering motherhood at a different stage than your peers affected your friendships?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode in honor of breast cancer awareness month we're going to discuss living through breast cancer. We're joined by our special guest Rian, who shares with us her journey from being diagnosed, her treatment plan to be cancer free and, how this experienced changed her life going forward.

Upon receiving your initial diagnosis, what were your thoughts and feelings at that time?

What role did your faith play in your journey to be cancer free?

After being in remission for many years and receiving your second diagnosis, what was different for you this time?

How do you think being a black woman played into your experience in the healthcare system?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're going to discuss relationships with adult children. We've had a few topics on parent adult-child relationships but, we haven't had the perspective of navigating those relationships from a mothers point of view. We're joined by our special guest Mrs. Hughes who shares with us her journey of motherhood, how her role of being a mom have evolved over time, what she did to prepare herself to mother adult children and much more!

Did you ever think about what your relationship would be like with your adult children when they were younger?

What are some traditional ways of parenting that you decided not to pass on to your children?

What are some struggles you've seen in motherhood during the transition of children to adults?

How has your role changed as a mom now that you're a grandmother?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing girl code and loyalty in 2023. Even though we talk all things womanhood after two years of the podcast we've yet to discuss girl code...shocking. We're exploring: our thoughts on changes in loyalty among women, the pressure to show support for other women, areas that girl code shouldn't apply and much more!

Do you have different expectations of loyalty depending the relationship?

Do you think you can have the life of your dreams by being too loyal?

As a black women do you have a lower/higher expectations of loyalty for other black women?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing if being a terrible partner means you're a terrible parent. Inspired by a trending topic on twitter, where a woman expresses "the idea that you can be a terrible partner and a great parent is a lie" we're exploring: If we think how a person shows up in a relationship is how likely how they will show up as a parent, if people can change as a parent over time, reactions to the initial tweet and much more!

Do you think character flaws can impact all areas of your life?

Do you think a person who isn't the best partner can be a great partner for the next relationship?

Is being a terrible partner subjective?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing should women date for potential. Inspired by the viral clip of Iyanla Vanzant & Eboni Williams on the struggles women face in todays dating market we're discussing: The pro's and con's of dating for potential, the risk that comes with dating for the future, the difference between settling and dating for potential and much more!

Is it easier to find your person when you're willing to wait for them to meet your expectations or just find someone who already has what you're looking for?

Do men and women experience the same risk when dating for potential?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing should women propose marriage. As society evolves we're seeing a host of changes in the dating and relationship scene, one of which is women proposing marriage to men. Join us for this girlfriend chat as we explore: why it might be appealing to some women to propose, If we recommend women to do this or not, if "shooting your shot" is an option for us and much more!

Why do you think some women are hesitant to propose?

Do you know of any men who would be ok with not being the one to propose?

How is giving a man an ultimatum to propose different than just proposing yourself?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing how marriage changes friendships. Getting married can bring on a host of changes for a new couple, one of which is the the dynamics of the existing friendships after the wedding day. Today we're exploring: What are somethings we'd expect to be different after a friend gets married, is it ok to expect for something things to stay the same, how we feel about married friends cutting off single friends and much more!

What do you think contributes to the changes in friendships after marriage?

Have you noticed married friends or family "acting different" once they've tied the knot?

How has our friendship adjusted after marriage/kids and what do we hope for the future of our friendship?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing managing conflict with family. Inspired by the recent hit show SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B and the conflict that unfolded between the Scott sisters we're discussing: The expectations we have for our family vs all other relationships, how we go about resolving conflict between other family members, how in-laws handle conflict in their "new" family and much more!

Do you think parents should get involved with conflict between siblings?

How do you think setting boundaries after conflict can impact your relationship with family?

Do you think parents love their children equally?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're dedicating a full episode to a girlfriend check-in. We place a high value on friendship and our personal growth as women and this is a fun but intimate way for us to stay up to speed with where we are. We encourage you to use these questions to check in with yourself and close relationships that you value.

What "era" would you say you're in right now?

What's something you feel like you were struggling with last year that you've overcome?

Where do you see yourself a year from now and what are you doing to get there?

What's something that you've learned from a close friend recently?

How are you taking care of yourself these days?

What's something you're balancing really well right now and something you could improve on?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing becoming a surrogate. The journey to motherhood can have different paths that many of us don't think we'll ever need to explore but, the less common ones are reality for some that we think should be explored. Today we're joined by our special guest Josie, who shares with us her experience with being a surrogate mom, what inspired her to embark on this journey, what she looks forward to while being a surrogate and much more!

How have friends and family reacted to you becoming a surrogate?

Have you given any thought to how you will feel once you see the baby?

What has been the most difficult part of becoming a surrogate so far?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing parenting an only child. Inspired by a deep discussion on the impact of having a sibling or not and the stereotypes that follow only children; we're joined by our special guest Angela, who shares with us her experience with raising an only child, what influenced her decision, how she manages feedback on how many children she should have and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing living with PCOS. PCOS is a common hormonal imbalance occurring in women of child bearing age impacting fertility, menstrual cycles and a host of other physical changes. Hoping to spread awareness of this diagnosis we're joined by our special guest Brittany, who shares with us her experience with PCOS, how her life has changed since her diagnosis, how she advocates for her health and much more!

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing complicated mother-daughter relationships. Adult mother-daughter relationships are like any other relationship in that it has its times of up's and down's, however it's unique in that it's rare to hear women openly share if their relationship with their mom is less than ideal. We're joined by our special guest Sandra, who opens up with us about her relationship with her mom, how it's impacted her adult life and how it's affected her transition in to motherhood.

How would you describe your relationship with your mom?

How have other's (friends & family) reacted to your relationship with your mom?

Has motherhood changed your perception of the mother-daughter relationship?

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing life after divorce and what I wish I knew before I got married. Most of us go into marriage knowing that relationships will have ups and downs but we have full intention on staying married for life. We're joined by our special guest Ogechi, who opens up with us about her divorce experience, what she wishes she knew before she got married and how it's impacted her views on marriage going forward. Before you got married, did you feel that divorce was an option if things didn't go as planned? How did culture and who you were surrounded by at that time impact your divorce? How can others show support to those going through this experience? We'd love to hear your thoughts, too so make sure you follow us on Instagram @girlfriendsandgoalspodcast where we'll continue this conversation. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review! 

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing exploring our fertility health options: The process of egg freezing. Many of us are still in our prime reproductive years, so we wanted to have a conversation about our fertility health and what are our options if our path does not align with the traditional route. We're joined by Stacey-Ann who has gone through the process of freezing her eggs and is giving us a first hand account of her experience and message to younger women.

Why is the conversation on exploring your fertility health options so important?

What can most women expect from the egg freezing process?

What are some assumptions people make about black women and fertility?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing is marriage still the goal. Inspired by recent commentary on marriage from Michelle Obama and La La Anthony, both of whom received a lot of varying feedback. We're chiming in on our thoughts on our expectations of marriage in 2023, are women and men likely to make equal sacrifices to make marriage work, and if the institution of marriage is still the goal.

Michelle Obama said that people should be prepared for long stretches of discomfort in marriage, do you agree?

La La Anthony said most married people she knows are miserable, do you agree or is this just her reality?

Marriage rates are declining, what do you think is driving this?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing classic black problematic movies. We love a good black movie, especially from the 90's, but now that we're older and able to reflect, some of them while great have some issues we just can't ignore. We're taking a deep dive on: Love & Basketball, Soul Food and The Best Man; Reflecting on our favorite scenes, how they impacted the culture and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing negotiating salary. There are many factors driving today's wage gap: years of experience, education levels, and hours worked. One factor that can have a major impact but not exercised as often by women, is negotiating salaries according to Randstad staffing firm. We're joined by our special guest corporate recruiter Lauren, who shares with us her experience in switching career paths, negotiating salaries, how women can best position themselves for new opportunities and much more!

Why are women less likely to negotiate on salary?

How can women can women get the most out of an offer if the company can't increase salary?

How important is networking in today's workforce? 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing I missed my best friend's wedding. Rather you decide to have a small intimate wedding or a lavish event open for all to come, the wedding day experience is very special occasion. One, because you're excited for the new chapter, also because you get to share your love and create memories with those you care for the most. We're joined by our special guest Shameka, who shares with us her experience of missing her best friend's wedding, what led to her not attending, how this experience has impacted their friendship and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing you need to vet your friends. Inspired by recent headlines of young women finding themselves in unfortunate situations with friends, we thought it would be valuable to have a conversation on: how we vet people for friendship, do we vet for romantic relationships in more or less than friendships and our thoughts on not making friends to avoid potential conflict. 

Do you have to know someone a certain amount of time for you to call them a friend?

If a friendship dissolves, do you question the realness of the entire relationship?

How realistic is it to vet someone for friendship?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing our first vacation together. Believe it or not, this year we took our first real vacation together. Yes, we've traveled together but, not for the purpose of vacation so we consider this our first official trip. We're recapping our journey and time at this epic location, the purpose of the trip, what we would've done differently and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing turning 30. As young women entering into adulthood the age 30 can feel like a lifetime away and for some we feel a sense of pressure to accomplish a host of things because you think: one I'll be well into adulthood and two a decade should be plenty of time to get said things done. Samaria is joined by our special guest Crystal as they talk about their experience leaving their 20s entering into 30, what they'll miss, what they've accomplished and what they looking forward to in the next decade. 

What's something you want to leave behind in your 20s?

What have you done to set yourself up for success in your 30s?

How does the way society treats women entering their 30s affect you? 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing living with my mother in-law. Part of getting married is the excitement of expanding your family through your in-laws. Many spouses hope to have and maintain a good relationship with their new parents but usually that's under the assumption that everyone has their own living space aside from visiting for a period of time. Whether it's because of aging or life circumstance, parent's coming to live with their children is common but, the dynamics of living in a multi-generational household that are in-laws isn't openly discussed. We're joined by our special guest Miriam, who shares her story of her mother in-law living with her, the ups and downs of that experience, what she's learned and much more!

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing calling off an engagement. The engagement period is exciting for most women full of pre-wedding celebrations but, for some this time can bring on feelings of doubt and uneasiness for various reasons as the big day approaches. We're joined by our special guest Snohti, who shares with us her engagement story, what led to her calling it off, how this experience has shaped how she approaches relationships going forward and much more! 

At what point during the engagement did you realize there were red flags to be addressed?

How did you manage the pressure and expectations of ending your engagement?

What was the most liberating part of this experience? 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing the balance of being a working mom. Some of us on our journey through womanhood will become mothers and many will have the experience of being a working mom. We're joined by our special guest Maria, who shares with us what it was like for her to become a mom while also being committed to career, transitioning back to work after maternity leave, what helps her to have the best experience of being a working mom and much more!

Did you have any thoughts on how motherhood would your career going forward?

How did you manage opinions on whether returning to work was the decision?

What were the biggest changes for you after returning to work from maternity leave?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing the older generations got relationships wrong. As millennial women coming into what seems to be the peak season of many of us expected to be married and at least thinking about having children; we're reacting to dating/relationship advice we've heard from the older generation, the intention behind it and the potential outcomes. 

How did your observations of older people in relationships impact what you looked for in a partner or what you thought was acceptable?

How do you navigate getting advice from older people?

What's the best thing someone passed on to you from the older generation?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing sometimes you're the bad friend. Inspired by a recent story time from one of our favorite YouTube channels, OhStephCo were she reflects on how she handled a recent friendship break up. Were exploring: how we manage expectations in a new friendships, how past friendship trauma impacts our new friendships, how we would handle a friend blocking us, and much more!

Do you have any expectations while initiating a new friendship?

Have you ever met anyone you thought or wanted to be a close friendship but it didn't work out?

How would you handle not being invited by one of your friends on a mutual girl group outing? 

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing remarriage & bonus parenting. Most of us go into marriage with the intention of it lasting forever but the reality for some of us is that the relationship will come to an end and with that the opportunity for a new relationship arises. We're joined by our special guest Nellen, who opens up with us about her remarriage with children experience, what she did to set up her new marriage for success and much more! 

What challenges did you anticipate with remarrying and giving your children and bonus parent? 

What conversations did you have to help your new spouse to transition into being a bonus parent? 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing women competing against women. Whether you're in a room of women you've just met or lifelong friends, competition is something that we've noticed to be present amongst women. We're reflecting on our own personal levels of competition, when competition can become unhealthy and how competition has shown up in our friendships.

How have you handled women being in competition with you?

How has competition affected our relationship? 

Is there ever a scenario where you think competition amongst women is a positive thing?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're excited because we have our first listener selected topic by our Instagram community which is what not to do in professional settings. We're exploring: what professionalism is rooted in, how your experiences or lack of can impact your professionalism and when to address unprofessional behavior you witness. 

Where did you learn how to conduct yourself in a professional manner?

How has double standards in professionalism impacted you?

What are something unprofessional things you've seen that people do that they absolutely should not?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing married people need to stay home? Marriage is obviously a big life event that can bring on a new host of changes and expectations, but exactly what that means will vary by the couple. Inspired by two reality shows that we love (Married at First Sight and Love is Blind) we're discussing: The changes in behavior that are expected after marriage, how being an introvert vs extrovert can impact your relationship and much more!

How has being an introvert vs extrovert impacted your dating experience? 

Do you think married people need to be home more or not go to certain places after marriage?

How do you communicate to your partner you're not happy with how they choose to spend their free time?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing can this love recover? Whether you're just dating, engaged or married we all will likely come to a crossroad of sorts in deciding if our relationship is worth recovering after something has happened. Inspired by our recent conversation on recovering friendships, we're exploring: the deciding factors in recovering romantic relationships, how we know when we shouldn't try to recover the relationship and much more!

Is there a difference for you in recovering a romantic relationship vs friendship? 

What do you need to see from your partner for recovering the relationship to be an option?

How do you determine if a relationship is worth recovering? 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing getting confrontational. As we grow into womanhood one of the many things that we encounter is confrontation. While we all might have different ways of handling confrontation, one thing that's for sure is that we have to find the right balance of addressing things that need to be while staying true to ourselves and also not being overly combative. 

What stops you from addressing confrontation?

How do you normally handle confrontation?

How do you know if something is worth addressing?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing can this friendship recover? We've had a few conversations on previous episodes on friendship break ups but we wanted to discuss the uncertainty of relationships that can come at any point, how forgiveness can impact relationships moving forward and the feelings that come with not knowing if the friendship can recover. 

What are some signs for you that the friendship/relationship can't recover?

What are your expectations in recovering a friendship when you've been in the wrong?

Do you have a different standard in recovering friendships vs familial relationships? 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing the beauty of black friendship. Given the name of this podcast and the topics that we cover, you all know that friendship is very important to us. We believe that friendship among women has many benefits and even with some challenges that might arise, there's just nothing else that can replace it. Today we're exploring: the evolution of black women friendships in media, the impact social media has had on how women view friendships and what we love about having tight bonds with other women. 

Have you been able to relate to how black woman friendships have been portrayed in media?

What are some of your favorite shows or movies on friendship?

Is there anything that you do that you feel leads to successful long term friendships?

What was your most favorite thing about the hit HBO show Insecure?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing is shacking up and option for you? Times have definitely changed and gone are the days were the majority of people follow the route of getting married before living together. We're having a real girlfriend chat exploring: the change in the importance of being married before living with a romantic partner, is living with someone an option for us and the pros and cons of cohabitation from our perspective. 

Does the intention to marry need to be present for you to live with someone?

Why do you think people who are married and living together report to be "more satisfied" than those unmarried and cohabiting?

Do you think those who are unmarried and living together should have the same legal rights as married couples?

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing is wanting to be a provider a red flag? Inspired by a vial clip on the hit series Black Love, where a young couple describes their own personal situation of navigating the changes in lifestyle they experienced after the boyfriend loses his job. We're exploring: how ego can impact expectations of how/who shows up as a provider, if being a provider is a good attribute or a red flag and how societal expectations impact men's thoughts on providing.

Should women pretend to pay on a date if their partner can't afford it?

How would you handle your partner not wanting to spend money if it's not in their budget?

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing Pet Peeves you know the things, situations or habits that can can cause you a slight annoyance to have you ready to fight! In this episode we're exploring: pet peeves in general, popular pet peeves that we don't understand all the fuss and how well we know each others pet peeves.

Have you ever been an offender of your friends pet peeves?

Top pet peeves: cutting people off while talking, running late, unleased dogs, invasion of personal space and more! 

Hey girlfriends! On today's episode we're discussing Are You Open to Feedback? No one is perfect so we'll likely at some point find ourselves on the receiving end of feedback and criticism from others. We're exploring: the things that effect our openness to feedback, is it possible to grow without being open to being corrected and situations we've been in that took some time for us to be thankful for feedback. 

How do you handle criticism if you feel like it it isn't valid?

Has giving or receiving feedback ended a friendship or change the relationship?

How can someone give you feedback so that it's well received?

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing Overcoming Self-Doubt. Many of us have big goals and dreams that we really want to accomplish but self-doubt can often delay or stop us from achieving them. In this episode we're exploring: how self doubt can stop us from getting to the next level, how we've handled self-doubt in the past vs now and if there's an actual way to overcome it.

How does self-doubt manifest for you?

What area of your life do you feel the most self-doubt?

How does comparing ourselves to others affect our self-doubt?

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing Gentle Parenting. While there are many parenting styles (that can be applied in a wide range) we've been noticing an increase in content online on gentle parenting specifically. We're joined by our special guest Letitia, a mom of two beautiful girls, on her decision to implement this parenting style, her real experience so far and helpful resources for others who want to learn more.

What are some of the positive experiences you've had with gentle parenting?

How do you navigate gentle parenting with other caregivers for your children?

What does discipline look like for your family with gentle parenting?

Hey girlfriends! It's wedding season and we're discussing trends we've seen with weddings and if we love or hate it. 

Wedding cakes hanging from the ceiling

Multiple outfit changes

Sexy garter retrieval 

Themed weddings

Choreographed dances for bridal parties and more!

Hey girlfriends! Today we're discussing Cutting People Off. In a previous episode, Set Those Boundaries Sis!, we discussed the importance of setting boundaries and the benefits that come along with that. However, we wanted to explore the other side of setting boundaries to the extreme and the effects of cutting people off unnecessarily who could be valuable assets to have in our community. 

What's the purpose of setting boundaries for you? 

Is there a right time to cut someone off?

Are there any alternatives to cutting people off?