
Who taught you about pleasure? How do you tap into the erotic? What is so innate to us sometimes can feel very disconnected 🫦 In this episode, Naana and Obie explore pleasure through the lens of Audre Lorde’s iconic essay, “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power”. Join us as we unpack how embracing the erotic, beyond just the sexual, can lead to deeper self-awareness, richer connections, and radical personal empowerment. From everyday joy to identity and societal norms, this conversation challenges the status quo and invites you to reclaim what feels good as a source of strength.
Cheat Sheet
- Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power (1978) by Audre Lorde: https://tinyurl.com/3bnebwb5
- Audre Lorde reads Uses of the Erotic [AUDIO]: https://tinyurl.com/3cv7arvh
Sep 1, 2025
1 hr 49 min

Conflict is hard, but it doesn’t have to break us 😞 On this episode of Work Bae, Naana and Obie sit down with therapist Thérèse Kempf to talk about the sometimes messy but necessary work of navigating conflict in relationships. We dive into why being open and honest can actually bring us closer together, and how those tough talks can be a chance to grow. Whether you're dealing with a partner, friend, or coworker, this episode is packed with insights to help you navigate those tricky moments. Tune in for a real and relatable conversation that just might shift the way you see conflict ❤️🩹
Show Notes:
Thérèse specializes in couples therapy, trauma & PTSD, easing anxiety, and empowering women of color. Follow her on IG (instagram.com/tkatharina) or find her on Psychology Today (tinyurl.com/zcruwxnp). You can also learn more about her practice on her website (www.theresekempf.com)
Aug 25, 2025
1 hr 44 min

“Community” has been in the lexicon a lot lately but what does it really mean? Do you find community or does it find you? How do you sustain community? If this is something we are all craving, why is it so hard to find?! 🧐 Join us this week as we explore the transformative power of community and its profound impact on personal growth and how connections with others can shape our lives, offering support, inspiration, and a sense of belonging.
Cheat Sheet
- Tap Into Your Sense of Play with Playdaate: instagram.com/play.daate
- Learn More about New Visions Book Club: instagram.com/newvisionsbookclub
- Follow Sadé and attend an upcoming Sunday Salon: instagram.com/sadeinstereo
- Join a Community of Black Polyamorous/ENM folk: instagram.com/boonoonoonoos_co
Aug 19, 2025
1 hr 49 min

The robots are coming, the robots are coming … baby they are already here! 🤖‼️ This week, your favorite Work Baes jump into the world of emerging technology — especially the rapid rise of generative AI. They explore the controversial phenomenon known online as “AI slop” and the spread of exaggerated, stereotypical, and often dehumanizing depictions of Blackness created and spread by AI tools. They also unpack their relationship with new technology. Which Work Bae do you think is an early adopter of new tech and which one waits and sees? 👀🤔 This episode is a call to pause, reflect, and push for a tech future that respects dignity over clicks.
Cheat Sheet
"Your Brain on ChatGPT" - https://tinyurl.com/5n8dep6k
"Racist AI-generated videos are the newest slop garnering millions of views on TikTok" - https://tinyurl.com/yc4z999b
"‘I felt pure, unconditional love’: the people who marry their AI chatbots" - https://tinyurl.com/4ss7ty49
Aug 13, 2025
1 hr 20 min

After an unplanned but very necessary break, your favorite Work Baes are back! 😮💨😓 In this season opener, Naana and Obie reflect on the wild ride that was the past year—navigating job loss, creative breakthroughs, and challenging conversations about friendship, family, and growth. From the tension between balancing creativity with stability to the messiness of unlearning people pleasing. Tune in for a refreshingly honest catch up full of laughter, lessons, and a little chaos!
Aug 4, 2025
1 hr 47 min

The weather is turning in NYC and outside is calling!! ☀️😎 Join your favorite Work Baes for the Season 4 finale as we chop it up about the power of doing things scared and the transformative magic that happens when we step outside our comfort zones. We hope this episode encourages you to live a life full of adventure and wonder. We're taking a little break but we won’t be gone for long ... stay tuned for an in person Work Bae mixer in a few weeks! 📆
Jun 3, 2024
40 min

Your favorite Work Baes are back this week after recording two episodes with friend of the podcast Antoinette Henry from Around The Way Curls. Around The Way Curls has always been one of our favorite podcasts and it's always a pleasure to jump on with Antoinette and Shanti whenever we get the chance! 🙏🏿 We'll link the two episodes in the show notes below 👇🏿
This week we wanted to switch it up after Episode 58's heavy but very necessary conversation about grief and lighten things up a little bit with some fun Q&As courtesy of the popular card game, "We're Not Really Strangers". You'll be surprised by some of the things we still don't know about each other even after six years of friendship! 😲
Cheat Sheet
Listen to Around The Way Curls Ep 348: Money, Morals & Culture & Ep 349: Can You Emasculate A Man? - t.ly/BviWB
Follow Around The Way Curls on IG @aroundthewaycurls
May 20, 2024
53 min

Join us this week for a heartfelt episode exploring one of the most universal yet least understood emotions ... grief. On the heels of a once in a lifetime pandemic and with war waging throughout the world how do you make room for your personal tragedies ... for heartbreak or loss or the tension that comes from grieving what was and what may never be? Beyond the individual, how does grief impact us as a collective and what are some healthy ways to process it? All this and more on this week's episode of Work Bae.
Cheat Sheet
1. "I'm a grief therapist. Here's the most damaging myth about loss and grieving" - TODAY (t.ly/-O8JF)
2. "Understanding Black grief" - University of Arizona (t.ly/NEKiq)
3. "Understanding Your Grief and the Grief of Others" - Good Grief (t.ly/_OdJc)
Apr 29, 2024
1 hr 53 min

This week on Work Bae, Naana and Obie talk through the complexities and sometimes outright ridiculousness of the gender wars within the Black community. From examining historical legacies to dissecting contemporary societal pressures, we explore how gender dynamics shape relationships and our identities. Tune in as we confront some of the nuances and tensions driving this ongoing discussion and hear our thoughts on how to rise above the noise.
Apr 22, 2024
1 hr 23 min

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON! 😵💫😩😭 Let’s dive into some of the current events shaping our world ... from political upheaval to cultural shifts, Naana and Obie explore some of the issues driving global conversations. Join your favorite Work Baes as we analyze, dissect, and discuss some of the headlines currently dominating the news cycle 🗞️
Apr 15, 2024
1 hr 27 min
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