Skip to main content
Yes Girls Podcast

Yes Girls Podcast

By Akumu Fiona & Claire Baker (The Yes Girls)

Dive into a world where daring adventures, riveting stories, and life-changing moments are born from the simple act of saying ‘YES’.
Your audacious guides on this wild journey are Akumu Fiona and Claire Baker - two Nairobi-based 'wanderlusters' affectionately known as the 'Yes Girls'.

This bi-weekly documentary-style Kenyan podcast is a rollercoaster of (mis)adventures and YEStifications ranging from the thrilling to the downright outrageous.

By listening in (fair warning), you’ll be inspired to challenge your limits, expand your horizons, hone new skills, and unleash your potential.
Available on
Google Podcasts Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

S02 | E04 - Saying Yes To Being An Online Tour Guide With Adhiambo Agoro ― Discussing Karura Forest, HeyGo.com, HeyGo Trips, Tours & Tips

Yes Girls PodcastNov 12, 2021

00:00
32:14
S02 | E08 - Get To Know The Yes Girls As They Explore Answers To These Questions: Who Are They? What Do They Do? What Do They Like or Hate? | With Claire Baker & Akumu Fiona

S02 | E08 - Get To Know The Yes Girls As They Explore Answers To These Questions: Who Are They? What Do They Do? What Do They Like or Hate? | With Claire Baker & Akumu Fiona

Feb 04, 202218:06
S02 | E07 - Everything We Learnt From 3 Months Of Trying New Things (Doing, Being & Learning) With Claire Baker & Akumu Fiona

S02 | E07 - Everything We Learnt From 3 Months Of Trying New Things (Doing, Being & Learning) With Claire Baker & Akumu Fiona

In this episode, or rather, mini-episode or Yesticle, the Yes Girls, Claire Baker and Akumu Fiona lay it all out on the table. They share what they have learnt from 3 months of doing, being & learning new things they'd never done before. 

They look back at Season 2 where one of them learnt how to draw a human face, did pole dancing, did social media management, became an online tour guide, learnt about clean energy and became a self-help addict - alongside a guest Yes girl or boy from the podcast's audience and friends.

In their discussion, they cover the benefits of the new things they tried, what they learnt, whether they were afraid of some of those new things tried, whether they've seen benefits, whether they will continue pursuing them, some new things to try in the future as the Yes Girls Podcast, why it's important to try new things, why everyone should be open to trying new things, and why stepping outside your comfort zone is always a good thing.

*************

If you enjoy the podcast, we love you so much and we'd like to ask if you could take some time to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? We promise it will take less than a minute- unless, of course, you have a whole lot more to share with us! Your words will help convince someone else to listen in too. Thanks in advance!

For blogs and bits and pieces of our episodes, go to yesgirlspodcast.com.

Otherwise, feel free to follow us on your socials:

https://www.instagram.com/yesgirlspodcast 

https://www.twitter.com/yesgirlspodcast 

https://www.facebook.com/yesgirlspodcast 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yesgirlpodcast

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeWHEdxJenmXSuObp79pX0A

Jan 21, 202217:05
S02 | E06 - Saying Yes To Being A Self-Help Books Addict With Melissa Mbugua & Josephine Karianjahi

S02 | E06 - Saying Yes To Being A Self-Help Books Addict With Melissa Mbugua & Josephine Karianjahi

In this final instalment of Season 2, where the Yes Girls certainly changed things up a bit, one of them is the resident expert while another is saying "yes" to something they've never done before! Just like in the other five episodes specific to this season. 

For this episode, Claire says yes to being a self-helper, or rather a self-help addict or enthusiast - something Akumu has been completely obsessed with for more than a decade!  So along with specially-invited guests & honorary Yes Girls for this challenge, Melissa Mbugua & Josephine Karianjahi (both directors at Africa Podfest), Claire set out to choose a school of thought under the self-help genre, and figure out how to live by it for an entire week! 

They check self-help books, self-help podcasts and just about anything they could find that would help them! 

Claire and Josephine choose to tackle self-talk while Melissa embraces music and how to use it with a deeper sense of purpose and meaning. 

Listen in as Claire (Melissa & Josephine) share their concerns, anxieties, doubts and victories during this challenge and listen to Akumu's thoughts about the ever-lucrative self-help genre, why it gets a bad rap, her addiction with self-help books and podcasts and how to approach it more consciously and mindfully - without the unnecessary fluff. 

______________ 

Find everything mentioned in the episode via the links below--

An intro into self-help:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-help 

https://publishingperspectives.com/2013/11/a-short-history-of-self-help-the-worlds-bestselling-genre/

All the Books & Podcasts referred to in this episode: 

By The Book Podcast: https://bythebookpod.com/ 

What To Say When You Talk To Yourself, Shad Helmstetter: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-to-say-when-you-talk-to-your-self-shad-helmstetter/1102183465 

The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/book/the-gifts-of-imperfection/ 

Atomic Habits, James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits 

______________ 

The Medium blog that Akumu refers to, about toxic self-help: https://medium.com/mind-cafe/toxic-self-help-advice-that-i-see-constantly-and-ignore-92bbb138d680 

______________ 

Josephine Karianjahi's podcast: https://www.josephinekarianjahi.com/podcast 

Melissa Mbugua's podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL21lbGlzc2FtYnVndWEvZmVlZC54bWw?hl=en-KE 

Check out Africa Podfest here: https://africapodcastfestival.com/ 

**************** 

If you enjoy the podcast, we love you so much and we'd like to ask if you could take some time to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? We promise it will take less than a minute- unless, of course, you have a whole lot more to share with us! Your words will help convince someone else to listen in too. Thanks in advance! 

For blogs and bits and pieces of our episodes, go to yesgirlspodcast.com. 

Otherwise, feel free to follow us on your socials: 

https://www.instagram.com/yesgirlspodcast 

https://www.twitter.com/yesgirlspodcast 

https://www.facebook.com/yesgirlspodcast 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yesgirlpodcast 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeWHEdxJenmXSuObp79pX0A

Dec 16, 202135:50
S02 | E05 - Saying Yes To Learning About Clean Energy With Laura Ombok ― Discussing Climate Change, Solar Energy & Clean Cooking With Livelyhoods & Biolite

S02 | E05 - Saying Yes To Learning About Clean Energy With Laura Ombok ― Discussing Climate Change, Solar Energy & Clean Cooking With Livelyhoods & Biolite

In this episode, as in all episodes of Season 2, the Yes Girls change things up a bit! Instead of both of them doing something they've never done before, only one of them takes on the challenge while the other becomes the resident expert or "know-it-all"!

For this episode, Akumu says yes to learning about clean energy - something Claire has been very knowledgeable about for years now, both in a personal and professional capacity. 

So along with Laura Ombok, the honorary Yes Girl for this challenge (& PR extraordinaire), Akumu set out to learn about clean energy in general, the science behind it, its benefits, and how it translates to real-life impact and behaviours on the ground. 

And all of this in just a few days! 

But to top it all off, Akumu & Laura had to go out into a Nairobi community where clean energy is in hot need and demand, raise awareness about its benefits, and try to get people to buy in or want to buy in! 

Listen in as Akumu (and Laura) share their concerns, anxieties, doubts and victories during this challenge and listen to Claire's thoughts about clean energy, clean cooking, renewable energy and of course Climate Change all at once; she also touches on how she started out in the field and why everyone should consider doing their part in living sustainably.

_____________

Check out Livelyhoods here: https://www.livelyhoods.org/

Check out Biolite here: https://www.bioliteenergy.com/

_____________

Nov 26, 202139:44
S02 | E04 - Saying Yes To Being An Online Tour Guide With Adhiambo Agoro ― Discussing Karura Forest, HeyGo.com, HeyGo Trips, Tours & Tips

S02 | E04 - Saying Yes To Being An Online Tour Guide With Adhiambo Agoro ― Discussing Karura Forest, HeyGo.com, HeyGo Trips, Tours & Tips

In this episode, as in all episodes of Season 2, the Yes Girls change things up a bit! Instead of both of them doing something they've never done before, only one of them takes on the challenge while the other becomes the resident expert or "know-it-all"! For this episode, Akumu says yes to being an online tour guide i.e. becoming an expert of a certain place and bringing others along for the journey via HeyGo.com! This is something Claire has been doing for a while now and she is quite good at it! She is an expert at hosting HeyGo Trips, HeyGo Tours and she was great at giving some much-needed HeyGo tips!

For this challenge, Akumu had to prepare an informative script while Claire guided her and created the tour promo on her account. An interesting addition to this challenge was the guest Yes Girl - Adhiambo Agoro, who is a hiker, content creator, and all-around inspirational person.

Listen in as Akumu (and Agoro) share their concerns, anxieties, doubts and victories during this challenge where they did an epic Karura Forest tour via HeyGo. Also listen in for Claire's thoughts about HeyGo in general - how she started out on it, what she is able to do on it and why everyone should consider taking regular online tours on the platform that calls itself "your ticket to the world".

_____________

Check out the website of Friends of Karura Forest (a Community Forest Association) in charge of the forest:

https://www.friendsofkarura.org/

Learn more about Karura Eco-Tours or book your very own here:

https://www.friendsofkarura.org/whats-up-in-the-forest/karura-forest-eco-tours/

Learn more about the late Prof. Wangari Maathai (Nobel Laureate, FKF Honorary Chairperson, Founder of the GreenBelt Movement & UNEP’s Million Tree campaign 

https://www.friendsofkarura.org/news-views/wangari-maathai/

Check out HeyGo tours here:

https://www.heygo.com/

Check out Claire's channel & Nairobi tours here:

https://www.heygo.com/claire

_____________

Nov 12, 202132:14
S02 | E03 - Saying Yes To Doing Social Media Management With Maria Langat & Max Vajra James ― How To Build a Social Media Strategy & Plan For Best Results

S02 | E03 - Saying Yes To Doing Social Media Management With Maria Langat & Max Vajra James ― How To Build a Social Media Strategy & Plan For Best Results

In this episode, as in all episodes of Season 2, the Yes Girls change things up a bit! Instead of both of them doing something they've never done before, only one of them takes on the challenge while the other becomes the resident expert or "know-it-all"! For this episode, Claire says yes to doing social media management i.e. posting like a maniac & growing her account! She tries her hand doing social media influencer tactics for 2 weeks, under the guidance of Akumu. An interesting addition to this challenge is our guest Yes Boy and Girl - Max and Maria, who host a YouTube channel aptly named "Confused But Excited". 

Listen in as Claire, Max and Maria share their hopes, fears, trepidations and triumphs during this challenge and listen to Akumu's thoughts about social media in general and why everyone who's on them and wants to thrive, should take the good and leave out the bad.

-Everything mentioned in this episode refers to or can be found in the links below-

Learn more about the history of social media and how we got to where we are now:

https://www.seotrafficlab.com/blog/the-history-social-media-marketing/

https://blog.hootsuite.com/history-social-media/

Get pro tips and tricks on how to pimp up your profile and grow your social media engagement with one of the articles below, created by Akumu:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6623887313992732672/

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6619169463105273856/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-grow-your-twitter-following-organically-starting-today-fiona/

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akumufiona_how-to-grow-your-instagram-account-activity-6838466340353802240-lGB9

Claire's Instagram which she worked on non-stop for two weeks for this episode:

https://www.instagram.com/halfbakedclaire/

Max and Maria's Instagram that they diligently curated during this challenge:

https://www.instagram.com/maxplusmaria/

And here's Max and Maria's YouTube Channel (Confused But Excited):

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPYH2BlN5likwFuA22JJ4tQ

Oct 29, 202147:44
S02 | E02 - Saying Yes To Doing Pole Dancing With Kate Ladash ― How & Why To Get Started With Pole Dancing Classes or Lessons
Oct 15, 202133:19
S02 | E01 - Saying Yes To Learning How To Draw With Jayden Otieno ― The Step-by-Step Of How To Draw A Face Both For Kids And Beginners

S02 | E01 - Saying Yes To Learning How To Draw With Jayden Otieno ― The Step-by-Step Of How To Draw A Face Both For Kids And Beginners

In this first episode of Season 2, the Yes Girls change things up a bit! Instead of both of them doing something they've never done before, only one of them takes on the challenge while the other becomes the expert or "know-it-all"! 

In this episode, Claire decides to take on portrait drawing with the guidance of Akumu who shows her the step-by-step process of how to draw a human face. An interesting addition to this episode is Guest Yes Boy - Akumu's nephew, Jayden Otieno, who also takes on portrait drawing. The drawing tips are both for kids and beginners.

Listen in to the fears, trepidations and triumphs of both Claire and Jayden.

Find everything referred to on the episode here:

- Akumu's pencil drawings on her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/akumufiona/

- Claire's and Jayden's drawings on the Yes Girls Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/yesgirlspodcast/

- Akumu's blog about reconnecting with art back in 2018: https://www.akumufiona.com/post/art-for-arts-sake-reconnect-with-your-soul/

Oct 03, 202133:37
S01 | E06 - Saying Yes To Doing TikTok Dance Challenges With Alvaro Daza ― Discussing Viral Dance Challenges, TikTok Videos, Instagram Reels & The Benefits Of Dance

S01 | E06 - Saying Yes To Doing TikTok Dance Challenges With Alvaro Daza ― Discussing Viral Dance Challenges, TikTok Videos, Instagram Reels & The Benefits Of Dance

In this special episode, the Yes Girls say yes to their toughest challenge yet! “Special” because it is also a video episode - and for good reason! Claire and Akumu attempt something that you must see. Something that made them feel really old considering they are both (old) millennials. For this one, they say yes to doing viral dance challenges or rather, TikTok dance challenges! They watched, practised and were absolutely battered by the complexities of two local dance challenges and one brutal international one. They uploaded them on Tiktok and on Instagram Reels.


They got some much-needed mentorship from creative extraordinaire, Alvaro Daza (Instagram: @alvdaza). Listen in to hear about their experiences and Alvaro’s timeless tips on the benefits of dance and how to use dance and art to create a positive impact in the world. 


Since this is the Season 1 finale, Claire and Akumu also reflect on the highs and lows of the previous episodes and give a teaser on what’s to come in Season 2.

 

Here are the three dance challenges attempted:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMe498Gpc/ 

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMe491yY6/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMe49M2xt/

 

Watch out for the video version of this episode that will be up soon on the Yes Girls Podcast YouTube Channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeWHEdxJenmXSuObp79pX0A

Sep 01, 202145:13
S01 | E05 - Saying Yes To Learning How To Code With Joseph Murgor ― Discussing How To Learn How To Code Online (Even For Free), Coding Websites, Apps & Tips For Beginners
May 28, 202152:50
S01 | E04 - Saying Yes to Being Positive With Sophorn Ban ― Discussing The Importance Of Being Positive & Positive Thinking & How To Stay Positive (Even In Negative Situations)

S01 | E04 - Saying Yes to Being Positive With Sophorn Ban ― Discussing The Importance Of Being Positive & Positive Thinking & How To Stay Positive (Even In Negative Situations)

The Yes Girls thought they were pretty positive people until they said yes to being positive, day in, day out, every living, breathing moment, for a whole week. Did they find a new appreciation for the little things? 

Can you really make yourself happier by just telling yourself to be positive? How important is positivity or positive thinking? And how can you stay positive in life even in negative situations? 

Find out in this episode of The Yes Girls, with special guest Sophorn Ban.    

Sources:   

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-think-positive#tips  

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-think-positive#tips  

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950   

https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support 

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @yesgirlspodcast

May 14, 202157:24
S01 | E03 - Saying Yes To Doing Mixology With Patrick Wilson ― Exploring The History of Mixology, Best Drinks & Recipes To Learn Plus Tips For Any Aspiring Mixologist
Apr 30, 202101:01:32
S01 | E02 - Saying Yes To Learning Greek With Tage Krarup ― Discussing Best Apps For Learning Languages, How To Learn A New Language By Yourself, Greek For Beginners & Is It Really That Difficult?

S01 | E02 - Saying Yes To Learning Greek With Tage Krarup ― Discussing Best Apps For Learning Languages, How To Learn A New Language By Yourself, Greek For Beginners & Is It Really That Difficult?

The Yes Girls really will say yes to some of the toughest things you can think of to 'do, be, or learn'

In this episode, they immerse themselves in learning Greek - one of the world's oldest languages, and also famously one of the most difficult

Can you really learn a new language by yourself? How much can you learn in just three weeks especially Greek for beginners, and for the girls, the million dollar question was, can a fluent Greek speaker understand them by the end of it? 

The guest on this episode is Tage Krarup, a polyglot and fluent Greek speaker

Sources

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/language/a/theories-of-the-early-stages-of-language-acquisition 

https://blog.cognifit.com/language-acquisition-theory/ 

https://www.rosettastone.com/languages/learn-greek/ 

https://www.duolingo.com/course/el/en/Learn-Greek 

https://www.greekpod101.com/ 

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @yesgirlspodcast

Apr 15, 202154:16
S01 | E01 - Saying Yes To Being Vegan With Amanda Scoville ― Discussing Tips On How To Be Vegan, Plant-Based Diets, Vegan Benefits, Vegan Recipes, Veganism Vs. Vegetarianism & Vegan Products

S01 | E01 - Saying Yes To Being Vegan With Amanda Scoville ― Discussing Tips On How To Be Vegan, Plant-Based Diets, Vegan Benefits, Vegan Recipes, Veganism Vs. Vegetarianism & Vegan Products

In this first episode of The Yes Girls, Akumu and Claire say 'yes' to being vegan for a week

Over seven (actually eight) days of a fully plant-based diet, they kept a food diary and a video/audio diary to share with you the (energy) highs and lows of their experience. 

But they don't just share their own experiences; they consult research, explore theories and medical findings, and consult life-long vegans to educate, inform and entertain all you budding Yes girls and boys! Listen to the episode for tips on how to be or go vegan, plant-based diets, plant-based athletism, the benefits of veganism, some vegan recipes, differences between veganism & vegetarianism and vegan product ingredients.

The guest on this episode is Amanda Scoville (Instagram: @see_amanda_goville). 

Sources: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/douglasyu/2020/01/19/plant-based-foods-are-hot-now-they-just-got-hotter/ 

https://healthcareers.co/vegan-statistics/ 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-studies 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200122-are-there-health-benefits-to-going-vegan 

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @yesgirlspodcast

Mar 30, 202154:34