Open Conversations

All good things come to end... This is officially the final episode for the season and for the podcast. Listen in to hear why this podcast was started and why we're drawing the curtains to a close.

This episode was inspired by the YouTube video "Cut" Mame and I discuss videos from the YouTube channel "Cut", a channel which has interesting videos including blind dating and asking people interesting questions. We compare those videos to what is currently in the social culture in the city of Accra. We discuss open relationships, infidelity, the concept of "body count", lack of sex education, and my recent blind dating experience.

A recent article by the well-known author sparked a flurry of discussions on social media which went from themes of personal betrayal, mob mentality, and social media toxicity. (Article here) In today's episode, I talk with my friend Kiiki to break down everything from social media mobs, woke and cancel culture, and the toxicity of modern-day social media.

So we're back from our little break. It's been a while so here's some new content :) In today's episode, I talk with my friend Ama and talk about her recent marriage and how everything transpired from dating to eventually getting married. We also discussed cultural differences between Ghanaians in the UK and Ghanaians in Ghana and the different views. We hope to get more episodes in the future. Hope this holds you up to then.

In today's episode, we speak to a podcast guest from last year (Afia), who recently got married. We spoke to her about what it was like moving from dating to being exclusive and eventually get proposed and getting married.  She also shared some insights about having marriage counseling in her church before getting married and the traditional way of getting hitched.

(This is a rebroadcast episode from Season 1) In today's episode, we talked to Edinam who is one half of the popular podcast "2 Pesawas". We talked about how she started her podcast, our cynicism for Ghana's future, social life, and modern dating, how culture prevents us from questioning things in society and being introverted and how she keeps busy.

On today's show, I spoke to a couple of women about their experience having children. What makes these guests unique is that all of their pregnancies were kind of "unplanned". On today's episode, I wanted to hear stories from these women on what they went through with the experience of pregnancy and eventually childbirth. Thanks to my guests for coming on the show and sharing their experiences!

This is a rebroadcast of an episode from Season 1, Episode 19 that we did with Eli Tetteh: On today's episode, we talk to Eli Tetteh who is part of the DeCaf podcast team. Def Caf is a podcast where they share and discuss music. We had a discussion about the origins of the DeCaf podcast and how it eventually became a live show. We also talked about the overall music scene in Ghana as well as the music and creative industry. Sidebar: Eli's wife has a business called Crumb and Crunch. You can find them on Twitter (@crumbncrunch) and Instagram (@crumbncrunch)

Religion can be a touchy subject for most people. It seems like everyone has their fundamental belief but what "exactly" do they believe? How do people handle the concept of heaven and hell? What about the afterlife? On today's episode, I had a conversation with two individuals with Christian beliefs about what they believe in and how they currently live their lives with these beliefs

Inspired by the "Modern Hometown" episode we did a couple of weeks ago, we decided to an extended episode. So on today's bonus episode, we spoke with "Del" for an episode on her trip to China last year. We spoke about why she went to China, what it was like there, how COVID affected everything, and how her thoughts about living in China in the near future.

(This is a rebroadcast of an episode that we did in Season 1, Episode 11) On today's show, I speak with my guest Violetta. We talked about her experience growing up in Russia and being black, being open-minded and free-spirited, why holding on to first impressions of people might not be a good idea and we briefly discuss our theories on death.

We have a bit of an announcement - "Open Conversations" is officially joining the podcast network "That's Not Canon".

Ghana can be an interesting place with different opinions and viewpoints from people who currently live there and others who live in the diaspora. In this episode, we had a conversation with three individuals who were born and raised in Ghana and later left to other countries for work and also school. We discussed feelings about home, what culture actually means, and the recent LGBTIQ news which has been in the local headlines lately. Ekua Conversation (3:17) Yasmin Conversation (38:37) Kiki Conversation (1:22:09)

Warning: This podcast episode has explicit talk about sex. So this episode is a bit different. Firstly, I'm openly talking about private stuff about my sex life and other things sex related. This episode was led by my friend Mame who came up with some great questions. It was a very revealing conversation where I spoke about kinks, sex hang ups, and a host of other things. You can literally hear my sweating in this episode

How do you define "friendship"? Everyone has a different definition for friendship and who they call a "best friend" and a close friend. And how do we make friends in this modern age especially with technology and the internet? On today's episode, I asked my friends their thoughts about friendships and how they view friendships in today's world Thanks to Jonny Stone, Sarah and Daisy for joining me in this episode. You can check out Sarah's business, Sarah's Surprises on Instagram

With the advancement of technology and social media, the world of dating has changed in the last couple of years. Dating apps and social media seem to be the place where most people look for companion or their significant other. Phrases like "Situationships", "Friends With Benefits", "Shoot Your Shot", "Slide In DMs", are the popular terms most people are familiar with in the modern dating world. In today's episode, we wanted to have a conversation and get takes on how people feel about this new age of dating and how they're participating (or not) You can check out my first guest's blog at Ami's Diaries (amisdiaries.com) as well as her podcast "Sex And Sanity" on podcast platforms.

Guess who's back! (Well, we never left actually) Just a quick heads up. Season 2 of Open Conversations will be starting next year in February 2021 (!). We're changing the format a bit this year but it's still going to be largely the same open conversations as before. Till then, have a happy holiday and a great 2021

On today's episode, I spoke with Michelle. We talk about her moving back to Ghana permanently from New York, setting up an initiative called Villa Diaspora (https://www.instagram.com/villa.diaspora/) to help with returnees coming to Ghana, social media and got a very interesting take on the new wave of feminism in Ghana. Outro Music Credit (Anchor Only): "Run The World" - Beyonce

We're 20 episodes in and it's been a good journey so far. Thanks for listening! On today's show, we welcome Jerome to the show. Jerome has a blog called "CediTalk" in which he writes about finance in Ghana. We discussed what he's been up to since the pandemic, the start of NBA playoffs, the lack of data in Ghana when it comes to unemployment and also the use of surveys for politics. Check out Jerome's website: Ceditalk.com Enjoy. Outro music credit : "Money" - Cardi B

In today's episode, we talk to Eli Tetteh who is part of the DeCaf podcast team. Def Caf is a podcast where they share and discuss music. We had a discussion about the origins of the DeCaf podcast and how it eventually became a live show. We also talked about the overall music scene in Ghana as well as the music and creative industry. Sidebar: Eli's wife has a business called Crumb and Crunch. You can find them on Twitter (@crumbncrunch) and Instagram (@crumbncrunch) Outro music credit (Anchor Only) - "A Lot" - 21 Savage

Don't call it a comeback! (Well, actually you can call it that). We welcome Jonny Stone back to the podcast. We catch up to what's been going on since the first time we spoke. We talked about his promotion at YFM, doing some of his nightly gigs now that public places are reopening and had an off the cuff conversation about relationship. Outro music credit (Anchor Only) - "Stargazing" - Travis Scott

On today's episode, I welcome my guest Amma Aboagye who is the cofounder of Afropole (theafropole.com). On today's show, I spoke with Amma, who is currently in the US, about a number of topics including how the pandemic has affected her life, her opinions about the Year of Return event in Ghana, the salary disparity between diasporans and local workers and also the theory of common language in uniting people. Good conversation with a lot of gems in this episode. Enjoy. Outro music credit (Anchor Only): "American Boy" - Estelle

A bit of hiatus but we're back with a new episode and a new guest. On today's show, I talk to Aseyea. She's a writer (a good writer) who writes about different topics and themes. We talked about how the pandemic has affected her, what's she currently writing about, and how's she currently spending her time. She's currently working on a project for National Service personnel and their current experience with the lockdown. You can reach out to her on Twitter @aseyeabanini to help with her project. You can read her latest post on Medium about the TV show "Love Is Blind" - Medium Outro music (Anchor only) - "Come And See Me" - PartyNextDoor

On this special episode, we decided to do things a bit differently. On this Father's Day episode, my dad narrates his life story from growing up in Nandom as the middle child of 9 kids, going to school while working on a farm, and then eventually getting accepted in the university. He talks about meeting my mom, studying law, doing his national service at the Prisons Service to eventually rising up the ranks as Director-General. Lastly, he concludes about politics getting in the way of his career to joining the United Nations and doing stints in South Sudan, New York, and Italy. It's a great story and I think it's very inspirational. Happy Father's Day. Outro Music: "Gravity" - John Mayer (Anchor Only)

In today's episode, we talked to Edinam who is one half of the popular podcast "2 Pesawas". We talked about how she started her podcast, our cynicism for Ghana's future, social life and modern dating, how culture prevents us from questioning things in society and being introverted and how she keeps busy.

In today's episode, we speak with Dagny, a creative living in Texas who decided to move to Ghana. She's currently in Texas and we spoke to her about how she's stuck there due to the border closure. We also talked about her observations after settling in Ghana, being a creative and getting paid, what content she's consuming at the moment (Spoiler alert: We talked about the ending of "Parasite") and also discussed the Year Of Return. You can check out her personal website to learn more about Dagny: https://dagnyzenovia.com/ Outro Music credit: "Try A Little Tenderness" - Otis Redding (on Anchor Only)

On today's episode, we talk with Shirley, a travel blogger. We spoke about how the pandemic has stopped travel and forced her to pivot, the concept of friendship and how it evolves when we grow up, our thoughts on social media in Ghana and why we're not producing and elevating local content. You can find Shirly on Twitter (@akosuashirly) and Instagram (@akosuashirley).

On today's episode, I speak with my guest, Fatima, a program manager for Enpact. We talked about a recent blog post she wrote about herself, her imposter syndrome, growing up in Denmark, the culture of doing business in Ghana, the "reserved" Ghanaian, what books we're currently reading, and what we're watching on TV. Outro Music Credit - "Jungle" - HER (Available on Anchor only)

On today's show, I speak with my guest Violetta. We talked about her experience growing up in Russia and being black, being open-minded and free-spirited, why holding on to first impressions of people might not be a good idea and we briefly discuss our theories on death.

On today's episode, I speak with Ekua who is currently up in the UK. Not to say this episode offers a depressing look on Ghana, but we cut right down to the bone in discussing the current issues in Ghana, the political climate, the hustle of entrepreneurs, and if we will ever get a female president in our lifetime. It was a very good conversation and I hope you enjoy. Outro music credit: Kofi Mole - "Don't Be Late" (Only on Anchor)

This is a special interlude of Open Conversations. I had a brief conversation with my mom for Mother's Day. Enjoy Happy Mother's Day

On today’s episode, I speak with the “youngster” Afia about different topics including relationships, falling in love, social media and we answer a very interesting question: what happens after you die? Afia is a graphic designer and you can find her on Twitter - @ChocolateAfia Outro Music Credit: "City Girls" - Chris Brown & Young Thug (Only On Anchor)

On today's episode, I had a conversation with my friend "Poetra". Poetra is currently in Chicago at the moment but we were able to have a conversation nevertheless (Thanks technology). We had a chat about the Ghanaian creative industry, the structures that are missing, as well as her introversion especially when she has to perform on stage. We also talked about her adjustment to a new life and culture in Chicago and the differences between living there and Ghana. Poetra has also released some new material for her upcoming EP - Ama Nkrumah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GokOO817Oc You can find Poetra on Instagram The outro music is by Labrinth - Still Don't Know My Name

Are you a foodie? Then you should definitely check out Mame's Taste (mamestastes.wordpress.com) for reviews of all the latest restaurants, food joints and cafes. My guest today is Mame from that blog. On today's episode, we spoke about how the pandemic is affecting all of us and how it all feels apocalyptic. We discussed social media and how it might be affecting our collective mental health, especially on Twitter. We also spoke about socializing as an introvert and how going to therapy has really good benefits We all need to go to therapy after this pandemic is over. Hope you enjoy today's episode. (We would love a review of the show and what you think. Cheers)

What is a "bad feminist"? Well, that's something that my good friend Roxanne spoke about when we had a discussion on today's episode. Not only did we talk about feminism, but we also talked about religion, modern dating and relationships and sex. Yes, we talked about sex. Because why not... I think you'll really enjoy today's episode. You can follow Roxanne on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mizroxanne/) and also follow her Vlog on IGTV. Enjoy!

On today's podcast, I spoke with my friend, Enyonam. Enyonam is the Personal Relations (PR) field. She's also done digital marketing in the past. On the podcast, we talked about her recent marriage, the topic of living together before getting married, as well as the topic of feminism especially in Ghana. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening.

On today's episode of "Open Conversations", I spoke to Maureen of Bawoni Consult, a Customer Experience consultancy service. Maureen is pretty cool. We've spoken on a few occasions over time. On the podcast, we talked about her business, the general customer service experience in Ghana, her moving back to Ghana, her experience as a single mom and lots more. Hope you enjoy today's episode. You can find Maureen on Twitter: Her handle is @MsBawoni and you can check out what her business does at www.bawoniconsult.com

Our sound is now at optimal levels and just in time for our longest episode so far. Today, I spoke with one of my good friends, Sally, for a lengthy conversation on a range of topics including the new Feminism wave, politics, dating, the recent sex education saga and lots more. Sit back and enjoy You can find Sally on Twitter under the handle @EbaDidIt Outro Music: Brent Faiyaz - Poison

Episode 2! The sound is better (We've been off to a rough start) but we're getting to perfection. In this episode, I talked with Omie the home. Omie is pretty popular on Twitter and today we talked about how the coronavirus is affecting things in Ghana. We also talked about video games, got sidetracked talking about Fella vs Sister Derby, Twitter and entertainment in Ghana. Hope you enjoy this episode. Sound still shaky but better than the first episode. Next episode will be improved. Promise.

(Apologies for the sound quality in advance) Our guest is Jonny Stone. Jonny is a good friend of mine and he's my first guest on the podcast. We talk about our current situation, the entertainment industry in Ghana, dating scene, pregnancy scares (!) and how the coronavirus is affect him and other people. You can find Jonny Stone on Twitter (JonnyStone_)