I chat with Patricia – Sales & Marketing Rep in the Medical field, about the city (Toronto) opening up after lockdown.
Tag: Toronto
Words With Michelle – the podcast: The Effects Of Dealing With 15 Months Of Lockdown
Amani shares how she dealt with being in lockdown for 15 month due to the pandemic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Finding Love During Lockdown
Kenrick Phillip shares how he was able to find a relationship during lockdown.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Dating in the age of Covid-19, pt 2
I chatted with matchmakers, The Love Listeners, and they spoke about how they approach dating in a holistic way, and discussed some of the pros and cons of dating in a pandemic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Dating in the age of Covid – 19, pt 1
Relationship Coach Dani Changg, shares tips on how you can date in the age of Covid-19.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: A Chat With Jill Andrew
I speak with Jill Andrew – MPP for Toronto/St. Paul’s. She addresses women’s issues around body shaming, anti-black racism, and much more!
Words With Michelle – the podcast: What is Cancel Culture?
Zachariah and I chat about “cancel culture.” We define it & discuss its effectiveness.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace
The details regarding disclosing your mental health status in the workplace.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: About Me
A brief episode about the girl behind the podcast.
Embracing 2020
I normally write a “Year in Review” post where I recount the highlights of the past year, as well as share with you a few pop cultural events that affected me (psst…..gotta quickly mention the Raptors’ win because that was MONUMENTAL). But I thought to change it up and do something different. For this last…
5 Black Owned Businesses You Need To Know!
This past summer I attended the Black Owned Summer Market – the brainchild of Black Owned Unity founder, Sepo Achampong. You might remember that I featured Sepo’s work as an African designer on Words With Michelle 4 years ago (click here to read the post), but he has recently branched out and hosts a variety…
Casey Palmer: Writer, Daddy Blogger & Podcaster
It was recommended by an old high school friend that I feature Casey Palmer – a writer, daddy blogger and podcaster. She went on to sing his praises and provided me with the deets to contact him. (thanks, Cathy) When she told me that he was a daddy blogger, I was sold. I didn’t need…
My Lunch Break With Tracy Moore
This interview has been 5 years in the making. I’ve wanted to interview Tracy Moore – the host of Cityline, ever since I started Words With Michelle. I’ve wanted to document her story because I find her incredibly inspirational. I’ve seen her transition from videographer, to Breakfast Television reporter, to capturing the role of…
2018: Year in Review
Real talk – 2018 wasn’t one of my fave years. It wasn’t just the countless and shocking incidences of racial injustice, or the spike in violence in Toronto, or even the amount of hatred that reared its ugly head throughout the year (it definitely played a part though). It was a blah year because I…
Catching up with Zachariah
What I love about Zachariah is his unwavering determination – and as a performer, you need that! Ever since I met and featured this young rapper on my blog 4 years ago, he has shown me that even when he’s knocked down, he comes back swinging. In our initial interview, he spoke about his double…
Toronto Eats: Starving Artist
I often toy with the idea of becoming a food blogger. I love food, I talk about food (a lot!), and I love looking at food pics on Instagram. #dontjudgeme So last weekend I decided to dip my toe into the food blogging pool, and blog about a brunch spot that recently hit the west…
Talking About The Reelworld Film Festival With Tonya Williams
I literally got an email less than a week ago asking if I was available to speak about the Reelworld film festival with its founder, Executive and Artistic Director, Tonya Williams. Of course I said I’d do it! Spreading the word about the festival is something that I am more than happy to do, as it…
Ruby Ibarra: Brown Girls Rap Too!
What do you get when you add a dash of Filipino flavour, a taste of the Bay area, and some thought provoking lyrics? You get hip hop emcee, Ruby Ibarra. Ruby Ibarra is a young rap artist that hails from the Philippines, and who currently resides in California. Real talk – one of…
Stachen Frederick: Educates Through BrAIDS for AIDS
Did you know that something as simple as getting your hair braided could help promote AIDS awareness? Yes, it’s that easy. Earlier this month I had a short but informative chat with Stachen Frederick – the founder of BrAIDS for AIDS, and she was more than eager to speak with me about her charitable…
Morgan O. Smith: Talks About Meditation & His Spiritual Awakening
Ever have an intense feeling that you needed to connect with someone that you barely knew, who probably didn’t even know YOU existed? Sounds weird, right? I know. That’s how I felt about reaching out to Morgan O. Smith. I don’t know him personally, but something kept telling me, “You need to speak to…
Nneka Elliott: From News Reporter to Lifestyle Entrepreneur
As you can tell by the number of phenomenal people that have graced my 4-year-old blog (Yes, Words With Michelle turns 4 tomorrow – woo hoo!), I am genuinely in awe of people who fearlessly follow their dreams and path – no matter what. In 2016, Nneka Elliott, a well-known media personality and news…
Karen M. Lowe: Wants You To Go After Your Dreams!
Have you ever wanted to start your own business but felt scared? Overwhelmed? Confused? Or, are you a budding entrepreneur who would like to take your business to the next level? I suggest you to talk with Karen M. Lowe! Karen M. Lowe is the CEO of Epigram Consulting – a business consulting…
Kofi Frempong: Creating Positive Black Images
Creating and presenting positive black imagery is so essential – more so than ever today. Judging from the major fail from that retail store that shall remain nameless (they do not deserve to have their name mentioned on my blog!), I think it’s crucial that we see ourselves and represent ourselves in the most uplifting…
Makini Smith: Author, Speaker & Loving Mom
I didn’t have the chance to meet with Makini Smith face to face for this interview, but we did actually meet briefly 2 years ago. We were both in attendance at the #HowSheHustles pop up market – I was hanging with a friend, who also happens to be a friend of Makini’s. My friend discretely…
Jae Cabrera does #1songadayfor2017
I love watching people work on their hustle – grinding and putting in the effort. This is why I am happy to feature singer, Jae Cabrera. I have watched him over the past few months perform songs – original and cover songs, on his Instagram account, where he proudly displays his hashtag #1songadayfor2017. It…
Like TrapSoul? Like Yoga? Read This
I have never taken a yoga class in my life. I’m serious…..I have done some stretching exercises via YouTube videos, but I haven’t taken a formal class. I’m not opposed to it or anything; I just found it a little too slow paced for me. But when I heard of TrapSoul yoga (trap music…
Toronto Events: Afrodelik Comic Book Launch
Desiree Marshall (aka Dezi) and I go way back. Okay, not way, way back, but I’ve known her for at a little over 10 years. I met the diminutive entrepreneur over a decade ago at a natural hair show where she debuted her clothing line Afrodelik. Taken by her unique and funky pieces, I did…
Toronto Eats: Bobbette and Belle
What do you do right after you’ve scarfed down a fatty meal at your local diner? Take a nap? Exercise? Umm… go for dessert of course! I’m not kidding. After a friend and I had a hearty lunch, she mischievously leaned over to me and asked if I wanted to go for cake. I thought…
Richard Cazeau: From MuchMoreMusic to Cultural Curator
Not sure if it’s because my birthday is quickly approaching, but I’ve been feeling kinda nostalgic lately – thinking back to the things that I enjoyed when I was younger. One of the things that came to mind was watching music videos. I can recall when MuchMusic was the ONLY place to watch videos….
Marci Ien: Trailblazing Woman In Media
I appreciate Marci Ien. I appreciate what she has done for women of colour in media, I appreciate what she represents, and lastly, I appreciate that she’s really nice. Seriously, she may be the most gracious person I’ve ever met! Just in case you’re unaware of the fabulousness that is Marci Ien, let me…
MeBookz: Storytelling With A Twist!
Do you read to your children before they go to sleep? Wanna add a fun twist to storytelling? I’m pretty certain you’re wondering why I’m writing about bedtime stories since I’m not a parent. Well, I have a very precocious 5-year-old nephew, and I enjoy reading to him whenever I see him. About…
Sheena Blake: Helps You Tell Your Story Through Discovering Diversity Publishing
Have you ever met someone and knew that you were destined to become friends? Although they don’t exactly possess the same personality as you, but they are just as quirky as you, giggle at your silly jokes, and basically just get you? (Think of the characters J and CeCe from the outrageously funny web…
#HerstoryinBlack: A Document of 150 Phenomenal Black Women – Part 2
In part 1 of #HerstoryinBlack: A Document of 150 Phenomenal Black Women, I wrote about the excitement I felt conducting a few interviews at the monumental photo shoot organized by #howshehustles founder, Emily Mills. I had no clue that a few weeks after that, my life would change. THE EMAIL A couple…
#HerstoryinBlack: A Document Of 150 Phenomenal Black Women – Part 1
When Emily Mills – founder and CEO of #HowSheHustles, contacted me early on this year and asked if I would assist her with a project she was organizing…ummm, I didn’t really need to think twice about it. All I asked was, “when and where?” When I received her email, Ms. Mills shared with me that she…
Black History Month Pop Up Market
Throughout the year, I like to attend events that are in support of black contributions, but I make an extra special effort to attend during Black History month. It was suggested that I attend the Black Owned: Black History Month Pop Up Market by Justice Achampong – Founder of Ananse Clothing, and I took him…
Raoul Juneja: Social Activist & Anti-Bullying Advocate
I want to say a big THANK YOU to Raoul Juneja. Over the years, he has generously connected me with numerous talented people in and out of the city. To say thank you, I wanted to feature him on the blog and speak about the charitable work that he is involved in. If Raoul…
Keith Hill Jr. Speaks About Fighting Fear & Doing Discipline
One of my favourite events of 2016 was attending the Author’s Coffee Meet Up hosted by Sheena Blake, Founder and CEO of Discovering Diversity Publishing. I shamelessly attended the event even though I haven’t written a book……(yet), but jumped at the chance to interact with other writers. During the course of the night, I…
Events: Connecting With Writers, Authors & Bloggers
November has been creativity overload for me. I was fortunate enough to attend two fantastic events that allowed me to connect with writers, authors and bloggers. Here’s a bit about what they were about. Black Bloggers United Power Hour, November 19, 2016 Although this event took place on a cold, windy, rainy Saturday…
Will I Find My Mr. Right Online?
Follow my blog with Bloglovin *I originally wrote this article in March 2015 and it appeared on cocomagazine.com As you may have deduced from the title, I’m a single girl. For the past couple of years I was cool with being single, but lately I’ve come to the point where my single…
Inside His Head
On June 11, 2016, I attended #InsideHisHead (interesting title, eh?!) hosted by the bubbly and entertaining Rachael-Lea Rickards. What is Inside His Head? Inside His Head is a salacious event where men answer truthfully questions on love, relationships and SEX! Being a female, I know the way I feel about those subjects,…
Amanda Hamer: Sous Chef, Foodie & Donut Lady
Although my heart and soul belongs to writing, I have another love. I love and appreciate good food (my co-workers would undeniably agree with this statement!). One of my not-so guiltiest pleasures is donuts. My love for them goes soooo deep that I used to binge watch episodes of Donut Showdown – a program…
Lisa Michelle: Singer, Songwriter & Stage Performer
* My interview with Lisa Michelle was previously posted in 2013. I first met Lisa Michelle when she sat in on my interview with rapper and producer Solitar. She seemed more than willing join in on our “off the record” discussions. I knew from then that she deserved an actual sit down interview. She…
Chivon John: Shares Secrets of a Side Hustler
Can’t really tell you how I found out about Secrets of a Side Hustler #girlboss, Chivon John. I just remember being on Twitter and stumbling on the hashtag #sidehustlechat. I clicked on the hashtag and discovered that Chivon shares tips on how to be a happy, healthy, and productive entrepreneur. I looooved the…
Justice Achampong: Representing African Designs
I met Justice Achampong at the Youth Entrepreneurship Fair on October 1, 2015. But we almost didn’t meet. A week before the event, my boss asked me if I wanted to attend a youth entrepreneurial fair that would take place after work hours. I really wasn’t overly psyched about attending because I…
Laura Bilotta: Dating Coach, Matchmaker and Singles Event Organizer
Earlier this year, I wrote an article for Coco Magazine about the dating challenges I was facing. I found (and still find it) extremely hard to meet men – especially since I’m not into the bar and club scene. I wondered if I’d ever find a nice guy in the city who can handle my…
Dr. Kenneth Montague: Dentist By Day, Art Collector By Night
Who is Kenneth Montague anyways? Well, he’s a handsome dentist who has been practicing the fine art of dentistry in Toronto for about 18 years. He also has an illustrious list of patients, which includes Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, and Canada’s own Nelly Furtado. But only a select few know about his other passion. Yes, he’s…
A Quick Chat With Tonya Williams- ReelWorld Film Festival Founder
Serendipity noun ser·en·dip·i·ty \ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē\ Coincidence, luck, fate. My latest interview happened through a serious case of serendipity. I didn’t have a scheduled interview, and I had no idea who I was going to feature next on the blog. While fanatically checking my phone the morning of February 10th (no reason in particular, just slightly attached…
Ardean Peters: Photographer& Light Chaser
As I meet new people and widen my circle, I’ve come to realize how much we are all connected. #Sixdegrees is real! I know I sound like some new age guru, but it seems that every time I talk to someone new, they know someone I know or are somehow connected to someone that I’ve…
Talking Hair with Natural Stylist Hair by Glenna
When it comes to natural hair, I can literally talk about it for hours and hours. #myobsession. Perhaps my preoccupation began when I was a little girl. I went through a million emotions when it came to what I thought about my hair. I was embarrassed by it, hated it, liked it, and was obsessed…
Andrea Lewis: Actress, Singer & My Latest Hair Crush
First off, I really need to say this: Andrea Lewis is amazing. I’m not just saying that because I watched her back in the day on Degrassi (she acted alongside Drake – LUCKY!!), or because I am a total fangirl of her web series Black Actress, or because I’m crushing hard on her hair (seriously,…
Words With Michelle 