Turning “Girl, Bye” Into “Girl, Hi!”

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By Jailene Adorno

Photo by Roman Murray

If you’ve ever sat around with a group of girlfriends and spoke about everything from your hair to an interesting entrepreneur you’ve met, then you’ll definitely want to listen in to Girl, Hi! Girl, Hi! is a podcast that focuses on highlighting the creative and innovative women in Boston. The name is a play on the popular phrase “Girl, bye,” however Girl, Hi! is all about inviting people in to learn more about some of Boston’s talented women.

The hosts of Girl, Hi!, Nakia Hill and Sheena Quintyne, first met in high school while on the same modern dance team. They later reconnected through friends of friends while at an event in Boston. After reviving that bond, Hill had the idea of creating Girl, Hi! and reached out to Quintyne, as a friend and a fellow creative.

“I want those outside of our city to be exposed to the creative women of color in the city of Boston,” says Hill. “There’s such a rich culture of creativity here and women are dominating those innovative spaces.

Hill and Quintyne wanted to invite podcast listeners into their deep and meaningful conversations to create a digital platform that would be inspirational for other women. Podcasting was the best outlet for sharing their stories and conversations because of its popularity and accessibility. Hill and Quintyne wanted the opportunity to connect with female entrepreneurs, artists, and some of Boston’s powerhouses so that their listeners could have an archive of creative women in the city to collaborate or network with in the future.

What sets Girl, Hi! apart from other podcasts, aside from its unique focus, are the hosts themselves. Hill and Quintyne work in other creative roles in addition to the Girl, Hi! podcast. Quintyne is the co-founder of MurQu, which is a boutique production company that does it all, from photography to sound effects and ads. Hill is a journalist and the founder of So Gutsy, which is an online publication dedicated to independent artists.

That aura of creativity really flows through with each and every podcast they record. While hearing them speak, you get a feel for who they are as people, and they are the kind of women that you really want to hear more from. There’s no denying it; you can sit around with them to talk about anything.

Girl, Hi! logo by Carol Ndegwa

With all great ideas, come a few hiccups. Initially, they were thinking of having a more pop culture-based platform, but it wasn’t exactly their niche.

“We had to revert back to our true mission,” says Hill. “This is a podcast to have fun, but we also want to bring other creatives together…we want to make sure that our branding matches our content and who we are.”

There are so many interesting women in the city of Boston that it almost seemed unfair to not build a platform to show everyone who they are. Hill explained how there was a misconception about people of color in Boston, as if there just weren’t any living in the city.

When it came to finding the right women to feature on their podcast, they looked to women they already knew as well as friends of friends. Hill and Quintyne have even asked interviewees for recommendations.

Girl, Hi! is all about staying on task and showcasing women of color, in particular. Men are allies of the podcast and of creative, innovative women, but the focus for now is exclusively on women in the Greater Boston Area—whether they were born in the city or later on decided to do work in the area. Some of the women who have been featured on the Girl, Hi! podcast include filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and even DJs.

“I relate to [each guest’s] background, to their story,” says Quintyne. “I think it would be really powerful to know that our listeners were inspired by our guests because there’s always someone  just like you out there who is pursuing the same dream you have been afraid to pursue.”

Be sure to listen in to Girl, Hi! on SoundCloud and iTunes! Season two will be released soon!