Oh Yes We Can
By Sesh Coworking
Have a topic you want us to discuss? Want to join us as an expert? Send us your pitch!
- DM us: @seshcoworking
- Email: hello@seshcoworking.com
Oh Yes We CanFeb 02, 2022
In The Car w/Hou: Soul - Houston's Got It
On this episode we introduce Hou to Kam Franklin, musician, song writer, activist & vocalist of The Sufferers AND The Outspoken Bean, Houston's former Poet Laurette, American Poet Laureate Fellow & Carnegie Hall performer. For today we ride over to Clutch City Coffee jumping right in, questioning whether or not social media is Montezuma’s revenge. Then we ask Bean - Are all poets romantics or activists? And for Kam - Are singers/musicians are always "ON"? Kam & Bean share their experiences on thriving and surviving as artists in America and that there’s nothing to lose in gifting your tools and knowledge to another aspiring poet or artist.
In The Car W/Hou: Fashion as a Force for Good
On this episode we introduce Hou to Sarah-Jayne & Ahshia from the nation’s only non-profit fashion house, Magpies & Peacocks, founded and located right here in Houston. For today’s drive we head to Wild cafe off Westhemier to dig into what it takes to build a proper fundraiser, the importance of telling your brand’s story to not just clients, but donors and we dive into whether or not all the consignment shops along Westheimer are sustainable. Later we hop back in the car to chat about New York VS Houston fashion, what your personal style says about you and knowing the difference between work and club attire.
In The Car W/Hou: Organized Likeminds
On today’s drive around Houston, we introduce Hou to some of Sesh’s longest standing clients - Bianka & Morgan. Bianka & Morgan began their memberships at Sesh in the fall of 2020 and became fast friends when they realized they both covered the walls at Sesh in post-it notes for content planning. On the drive to visit Tenfold Coffee on Yale we discuss whether hustle & grind culture is an internal or external influence, living by our calendars, the energy draining task switching and stretchy mindsets. Please note that later in today’s episode we do discuss personal trauma with being attack and domestic abuse. We have a trigger just ahead of that portion, so if it’s not for you today you can pause and take care.
In The Car W Hou: Eco-System Builders
Episode 3 of In the Car with Hou - Sesh Coworking's Dane & Maggie drive the streets of Houston channeling Houstonian energy & welcoming our first ever male guests to the show - Jan Odegard & Joey Sanchez, eco-system builders from heart of the Innovation District, The Ion.
Jan & Joey are familiar faces to the Midtown community - Jan, the Executive Director at The Ion & huge cheerleader to Sesh and Joey, a community builder & founder behind Cup of Joey, Houston Tech Rodeo & The Blue Tile Project. During our car ride we get intimate with the guys, learning what about Houston inspires them, discover our morning habits, and acknowledging Houston's secret sauce is the people. We discuss the allure to living in other places and how Houston seems to always call Houstonians back home. We touch on so many topics during this fun car ride around Houston - tattoos, Art Car, networking, Cup of Joey, traveling, driving culture in Houston, kolaches, and so much more!
In the Car w/Hou: The Art of the Matter
On this episode of In the Car with Hou - Sesh Coworking's Akosua & Maggie are joined by two Houston artists, Amy Malkan and Katharine Ligon.
Trigger Warning: As a heads up - we do discuss domestic abuse in today's episode. We want to be transparent about the content in case it's not your jam today. Please take care.
Amy & Katharine are both familiar faces to the Sesh community - Amy having painted both pinkie promise murals and Katharine having had her art work featured through Sesh's artist program twice. During our car ride we get intimate with both artists, learning about their creative processes, music choices, personal obstacles they've overcome - like surviving unhealthy relationships, a bombing at their studio and the death of not just one, but both parents. While this episode dives deeper into our complexities as individuals, we feel the acknowledgment of showing up with an entire biography is often overlooked. When safe spaces are provided and we get to share and acknowledge each other as artists, entrepreneurs, mothers, daughters, friends and all the other hats we wear - we truly get to the see depth of an individual's beautiful chaos.
In The Car W HOU: Speak Your Truth
We're back and with a new format for S4! Introducing "In The Car W HOU", a series where we ride around the dope city of Houston with some of its most iconic changemakers, innovators, leaders, and creatives.
We're kicking off the new season with Christa Clarke and Shehara Downing of SpeakHaus. SpeakHaus provides transformative communication coaching for teams that aligns with your company's vision, values, and needs. Who better to have for our 'Speak Your Truth' episode?! Tune in to hear a fun conversation between two co-founder duos!
What It's Like to Close Your Business
Rowan Tree was a women-centered coworking space founded by best friends Amy and Kate. Created to be a community for women to connect with each other, be productive, and balance work with creativity, Rowan Tree was beloved by its coworking community in Herndon, VA.
However, Rowan Tree permanently closed its doors on October 31, 2022. Listen to Maggie and Koko's discussion with Amy and Kate on how they got started, and how they went about closing their business and why.
The Wing II - Crash Landing
In this second part of a two part series about The Wing, a women-focused coworking space collective, we discuss where everything went downhill.
With several locations across the country and international, and its MASSIVE funding, the future of The Wing seemed so promising on the outside. But the famous coworking community hardly made it through the Summer of accountability in 2020, and permanently shut down all their locations Fall 2022.
Tune in and listen to Maggie, Meredith, and Koko discuss the fall after the rise.
The Wing - Take Off
In this first of two part series, we dive deep into The Wing, a women-focused coworking space collective. Known for its gorgeous spaces, exclusivity, and popularity, The Wing was THEE women-focused coworking space. With several locations across the country and international, and its MASSIVE funding, the future of The Wing seemed so promising on the outside.
Maggie, Meredith, and Koko lay out their backstory, success, and the rise before the fall.
Stay tuned for part two!
Editor's Note: Hera Hub opened in 2011, not 2015. Thanks for fact-checking us Felena! ;-)
We're Back!
Hey besties! We’ve been off the air-waves for about 6 months, but all for good reason! This first podcast episode back is going to bring you the tea on where we been and where we’re about to go!
If you are interested in sponsoring or partnering for this our International Women's Day Lunch, please send an email to hello@seshcoworking.com
Know Her Name: The Gen Z Whisperer - Allie Danziger
For the second installment of the Know Her Name series, Akosua chats with Allie Danziger of Ampersand Pro about Gen Zers in the workplace, Allie's journey to business owning, and Ampersand's mission. Allie shares advice to women business owners, Gen Z students and entry level workers, and employers on what they should expect from the incoming generation of workers.
- Allie Danziger - Connect
- Ampersand - Learn More!
- Book Allie mentions: Rocket Fuel
- Akosua Asare - Connect
Want to join Sesh in celebrating Pride? Visit our events page!
DONATE to our fundraiser for The Mahogany Project, a non-profit dedicated to reducing social isolation, stigma, and acts of injustice in TQLGB+ communities of color.
Hot Topics: Houston's LGBTQ+ History
This June, we are reflecting on our roots. Akosua and Dane are joined by University of Houston Professor, Maria Gonzales, to talk about the history of Houston's LGBTQ+ community.
From the open secret of Ima Hogg, closeted lesbian and patron of art and culture in Houston. Through the start of the gay rights movement, when the Montrose Patrol formed so the community could rely on each other for protection. The intersection of the feminist movement with the early days of the Houston LGBT Political Caucus. To modern leaders and organizations, and how Houston's community has grown, changed names, and faded away. The trio also ponder the future and how we will withstand the aversion to acceptance coming from the State and Federal government.
Want to join Sesh in celebrating Pride? Visit our events page!
DONATE to our fundraiser for The Mahogany Project, a non-profit dedicated to reducing social isolation, stigma, and acts of injustice in TQLGB+ communities of color.
Outspoken: Beauty Politics
In this Outspoken episode our guest host, Akosua speaks with our guest expert, Amari, on the viral social media/TikTok discussion on choice feminism (the belief that individual choices of a woman are inherently feminist) and how beauty politics affect women and femmes of color (and with other intersecting identities), on their relationships, how they interact with clients, and skincare. Amari, our guest expert, discusses where they want to see skincare going in the future and shares tips.
More about Amari:
Amari is a queer esthetician of color based in Austin. They are with eleMINT Skin. They specialize in holistic skincare and facials.
"With a deep belief in radical healing and transformation, Amari brings a true holistic energy to our team and your facial experience. Amari prioritizes preventive, restorative skin health over reactive excessive treating. A native of Dallas, Amari brings mindfulness and intuition, combined with advanced esthetic expertise and a love for plants to transform skin health. Amari’s heart beats for the collective good and she is known for her conscious approach to life AND skin practices!"
Follow eleMINT Skin on Instagram
True Crime: Solving Unsolved Mysteries on Rey Rivera
Welcome to Sesh’s True Crime Lunch Club. This month our team discusses the mysterious death of Rey Rivera, a recent episode of Unsolved Mysteries covering the man’s strange death. Rey Rivera rushed from his Baltimore home to never be seen again, nearly a week later his badly beaten body was found decomposing at the historic Belvedere Hotel. The team falls down several rabbit holes that include body guards, helicopters and aliens, but ultimately the team lands on the perfect ending to this cold case.
Outspoken: Higher Standards & Consequences for Female CEOs
In this episode of season 3 we’re speaking again with Carrie Colbert of Curate Capital. This episode is part of our Outspoken series, where we speak to experts and get their personal takes on headlines, current events and topics impacting our community. Today we hear from Carrie on the High Standards & Consequences for Female CEOs which comes from a trend we’ve witnessed in media coverage of female founders from Glossier, Refinery 29, Thinx, Cleo and more are quickly ousted from their companies after what appears to be a few missteps.
Resource Notes:
Book Mention: Rocket Fuel
Fortune: https://fortune.com/longform/female-founders-startups-the-wing-away-outdoor-voices-ceos/
NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/business/outdoor-voices-ty-haney-mickey-drexler.html
Vox: https://www.vox.com/2018/10/31/17960156/what-is-the-glass-cliff-women-ceos
Refinery 29: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/03/9549004/female-founders-toxic-workplace-culture-outdoor-voices-away
Inc.: https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/dominos-customer-pickup-incentive-labor-shortage-staffing.html
Rice: https://business.rice.edu/wisdom/features/charismatic-founder-ceos-behavior
Know Her Name: Carrie Colbert, Curate Capital & Fully-Female Ecosystems
For the opening episode of Season 3 of Oh Yes We Can, we’re introducing a new podcast mini-series called Know Her Name. This series is a mini-series within our podcast that gets to know the people behind the brands you may or may not know here in Houston. In episode 1 we're learning about Carrie Colbert and Curate Capital. We'll learn how she started Curate Capital and the "by women and for women" companies she's uplifting and investing in. Stay tuned for Episode 2, when Carrie joins on our Outspoken series to discuss a trend we’ve witnessed in media coverage of female founders from The Wing, Ban.do, Away, Outdoor Voices and more are quickly ousted from their companies after what appears to be a few missteps.
Outspoken: Censorship & Cancel Culture
Where's the line between censorship and cancel culture? It all started with one tweet from Brene Brown & we were down the rabbit hole. Who is the responsible party - Spotify? Joe Rogan? Algorithms? Us? Sesh digs in with Houston expert Ozeal DeBastos of Pod Houston & Podcast Influence Academy to discuss the slippery slope that is podcasting, free speech and being a brand that has a voice.
Feeling Good As Hell With Yourself
Valentine’s Day has gotten a bad wrap for being a commercial thrusted in our faces just before New Years with stores trying to sell, sell, sell - but we all know it isn’t the things that create the amorous feeling. It's the acknowledgement of having an enduring, growing loving relationship with someone....AND that someone includes YOURSELF! The Sesh Team & Community share their life experiences of when they weren't loving themselves, the repercussions and how they overcame their bad habits of putting everyone else first.
On this episode we hear from:
Amy Malkan - AKA the artist behind the well-known Pinky Promise mural at our previous Montrose location.
Theresa Quintanilla - Sesh Member, art lover & brilliant newsletter writer.
BIG Success At a Young Age
Mags, Mere & Koko ALL noticed the same thing about Britney Spears recent trend of Instagram videos. They're...well, a bit juvenile and we're wondering - why is that?
We take a historical look into the overly public lives of celebrities who gained huge success and fame at a very young age and what the impacts were that fame had on them. And of course, we take a look at whether this is just a trend for female celebrities vs male celebrities or if its truly about what age they enter "the business". Listen further as we discuss the fame of Brittany, JoJo Sewa, Lindsey Lohan, The Olsen Twins, Demi or Justin Bieber.
Tips for Moving Your Business
Mags & Mere get down and dirty about what it's like to move your business. They include pro-tips about changing your address, packing and preparing your clients for not just the move, but also the changes that are inevitable with a new space.
OutSpoken: Gay Club Culture
Welcome to the OutSpoken series from "Oh Yes We Can". OutSpoken podcasts are candid conservations from our team and community about their life experiences. Akosua and her two close friends, Conner and Thomas, kick off this series discussing their experiences in gay clubs. The trio dives deep into club history, the wide variety of different experiences in gay clubs across the country and which experience they are more drawn to. Akosua, Conner and Thomas speak openly and honestly about the club scene's blurred lines of personal boundaries, misogyny and the appropriation of gay club culture by heterosexuals.
Red Flags in Friendship
We all have different ways of obtaining and dealing with friendships, but is one way better than another. Akosua swears by meeting friends through common interests like activism. Meredith owns up to ghosting a friend with too high of expectations. The Sesh Team talks about tough times and how they've dealt when it comes to toxic or withering friendships. Why, culturally do we tend to ghost friendships? What is stopping us from treating friendships with the same grace and learning mindset that we do with our partners and significant others? Hear how the Sesh team works through their friendship goals, red flags and discover that maybe friend-therapy should be a thing.
Community Buzz: Supply Chains Impacting Houston Businesses
The Sesh team sits down with two locally owned and operated female-run businesses that rely on manufacturing and shipping from overseas. We dive deep to learn about the supply chain issues that are limiting production, lengthening their shipping times and impacting their bottom line.
Join us as we hear from:
Tracy Lalasz Finn - Co-Founder of Lafinndustries - a US importer of the luxury line of Italian chocolates Baratti Milano and handmade, customized women's leather shoe company, Alice d Italia.
Anna Trammel - Inventor of The Annulette, a tangle-free, adjustable hair holder, and Founder of Rayah Hair.
Is your digital marketing being impacted by the recent Apple iOS update? We want to know! Send us a text to 713-483-8390 & tell us the impacts to your marketing, website traffic and bottom line.
Redefining Success
The first two weeks of October the Sesh Coworking team spent their free moments preparing for our first major event of 2021. If that isn’t an indicator of this COVID life we’ve been living I don’t know what is. Manifesting Abundance was a cosmic party filled with moments of asking the universe for exactly what you want and then following through with actions to ignite or remind us of our goals. Manifesting is a means to an end - its about creating a mindset that keeps your goals in focus and creating reminders of what you are aiming to succeed at. In this episode we hear directly from our Sesh Community about how they define success and what it takes to find it.
True Crime: The Gabby Petito Case
It’s been nation wide news for the last two weeks about the missing and now dead, 22 year old Gabby Petito. She and her now missing boyfriend left at the beginning of July for a months long van excursion across the country which came to an abrupt end when her boyfriend returned home with the van and not Gabby on September 1st. Meet our new team members Akosua and LaChelle as we piece together a timeline of this true crime, discuss the mental health issues the case highlights and how there's been a lack of media attention towards the high number of missing Indigenous folks from the same region Gabby went missing in.
If you are concerned about your safety, please view instructions here to view Aid to Victims of Domesctic Abuse site privately. You should also learn to clear your browser history here
Call AVDA and Get Help Now 713-224-9911 or 24 Hour National DV Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Good Humans Can Self-Publish w/Catherine Brown | Oh Yes We Can Podcast
Self-publishing books has been a reoccurring theme for many of our members, so Mags & Mere, sit down with Catherine Brown, a Sesh member and author of “How Good Humans Sell” shares her experience on the writing, editing and self-publishing process.
Catherine answers questions like
- How to self-publish?
- What are the benefits of self-publishing?
- What kind of routine is needed to write a book?
- Does self-publishing matter versus working with publisher?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Catherine Brown’s book - “How Good Humans Sell”
- How to Self-Publish Via Amazon
Catherine's suggested reading before writing/selling your book
- Tim Grahl - “Your 1st 1000 Copies”
- Andrea Waltz - “Million Dollar Book Formula”
Intuitively Full w/Lucia Harmeling | Oh Yes We Can
Lucia Harmeling, Body Attunement Dietitian & author of "Intuitively Full" opens up to Maggie & Meredith about her complicated relationship with food and how she came to overcome that difficult relationship by trusting her intuition. Lucia talks to Mags & Mere about tattoos, her career path, getting help with her disordered eating, how writing her book became another step in her recovery journey and how her first trimester was an affirmation of her recovery.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Book cover figure - Haley Bowen (www.haleybowen.com)
- Book graphic design - Stephanie Dubois (www.stephaniedubois.com)
- Eating Disorder Websites: Nationaleatingdisorders.org
WE'VE GOT BIG NEWS | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
You don't want to miss this episode! Mags and Mere share the exciting changes coming to Sesh. Check out our website to get involved.
WORKING MOMS | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie is joined by her Mom, Karla, to discuss their experiences of both having and being working moms. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
MANIFESTING MANIA | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Mags and Mere discuss manifesting in business & life! Join us for our upcoming events by RSVPing here: https://www.girlsesh.com/new-events. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
"NORMAL" POP CULTURE NEWS THAT'S STILL BATSHIT CRAZY | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie and Mere talk about what's been happening the last week. They cover everything from our queens Britney Spears and Sh'Carri Richardson to the stomach churning story of Bill Cosby's release. To join our texts, text JOIN to 8445366516. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
HUSTLE CULTURE W/ JENNY GUSTAFSON *LIVE* | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie and Mere are joined by founder & leading mind at Like Minds Communications, Jenny Gustafson to discuss hustle culture, motherhood, and the need for male allies. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
EMPLOYEE BOSS RELATIONSHIPS | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Mere and Mags share their experiences as both employees and bosses. Have something to add? Let us know! To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
IS GEN Z OUR SAVIOR? | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Today Maggie and Meredith discuss the ever evolving world of careers and entering the business field as young adults nowadays. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
FACING THE COVID-19 "SHE-CESSION" | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie and Mere to dive into the accomplishments and set backs women are facing in 2021. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
NETFLIX CHICS EPISODE 3 | OYWC Minisode // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie and Jaleigha discuss episode 4 of The Serpent! Watch along and tell us your honest opinions, predictions, and lessons learned. To be on the podcast: Send a Voice Message / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking
#MOMSTRONG | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
This episode is all things Mom appreciation. Listen along with Maggie & Brynn as they hear different members of the community's #momstrong moment. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
NETFLIX CHICS EP 3 | OYWC Minisode // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie and Jaleigha discuss episode 3 of The Serpent! Watch along and tell us your honest opinions, predictions, and lessons learned. To be on the podcast: Send a Voice Message / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking
HOLY SH*T. THIS WOMAN'S A BADASS. | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Cofounders of Sesh Coworking (Houston's first female Coworking Space) Maggie and Meredith discuss their first impressions of each other, the truths of starting a business together, and things we can all do in our work spaces post-COVID. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com
NETFLIX CHICS EP 2 | OYWC Minisode // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Maggie and Jaleigha discuss episode 2 of The Serpent! Watch along and tell us your honest opinions, predictions, and lessons learned.
To be on the podcast:
- Send a Voice Message
- DM us @seshcoworking
- Email hello@seshcoworking
WHAT THE HELL IS COWORKING? | Oh Yes We Can // A Girl Sesh Podcast
Meet two out of the four team members behind Sesh, Brynn and Maggie! Join us as we discuss redefining coworking, podcast goals, and a little bit about us. To be on the podcast: Send in a voice memo / DM us @seshcoworking / Email hello@seshcoworking.com