Meet Samira Francois & Alyssa Silva | Owners and Co-hosts of Baddie Besties Podcast
We had the good fortune of connecting with Samira Francois & Alyssa Silva and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Samira Francois & Alyssa Silva, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We started Baddie Besties during one of the most uncertain moments in our lives. We’re first-generation Haitian-American and Cape Verdean women, and we graduated from Boston College in 2020, right in the middle of a global pandemic. The world shut down, we were sent home from our dorms, and everything felt completely up in the air. There were days we would just sit and ask each other, “Do we go corporate? Do we start our own business? Are we even ready?” And we realized quickly that we weren’t alone in those questions. Many twenty-something-year-old women around us were also navigating the confusing transition into adulthood with no clear roadmap.
That’s when Baddie Besties was born. It became a safe space for us to have the honest, raw, and sometimes taboo conversations that people tend to shy away from. We discuss a wide range of topics, from career and identity to relationships and purpose. Our Hey Barbie series was inspired by the idea that Barbie has had over 250 jobs, from astronaut to president, and we wanted to reflect that same limitless energy back to our community. If she can do it, so can you. We built this to remind women that nothing is off limits, and your voice and your story deserve to be heard.
What should our readers know about your business?
We’re besties first, and that’s the core of everything we do. But we also wanted to redefine what being a baddie means. A baddie isn’t just about the looks — it’s about confidence, self-love, ownership, and walking into any room like you belong there.
We created Baddie Besties because we didn’t see a space where women, especially women of color, could show up fully, talk about real things, and be celebrated for who they are. With our Hey Barbie series, we were asking the real questions — how does someone become an astronaut, a mayor, a fashion designer? What’s the journey like? We didn’t want surface-level bios. We wanted the stories.
We’re on a mission to share those stories and show girls that nothing is out of reach. If someone else has done it, so can you. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being powerful in your truth.
It really does take a village. One of the most beautiful lessons we’ve learned through this journey is that there are so many women who truly want to help you succeed.
We’ve been amazed by the number of women who respond to DMs, share opportunities, connect us with others, and lift as they climb. Entrepreneurship can be lonely. It’s not always glamorous. But we’ve learned to lean into community, to ask for help, and to pay it forward whenever we can.
Support is out there. You just have to be brave enough to reach out. Send that email. Shoot that LinkedIn message. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself — you’re not alone in this.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Samira and Alyssa are long-distance besties — Samira is based in Florida and Alyssa lives in Boston — so whenever we link up, it’s a full-blown bestie takeover in Miami.
When we’re together, we make the most of every moment. We usually kick things off with smoothies from Pura Vida, then head to Solidcore for a sweaty bestie workout. After that, we glam up and hit HGAB Studios, where we record new Baddie Besties episodes.
Next stop? The Design District for some retail therapy. We’re always ballin’ on a budget, mixing style and fun — and of course, stopping by Kith for the best ice cream and treats. We’d end the night with dinner at Mila for incredible sushi or Giselle for rooftop views and luxury vibes.
The next day, we’d host one of our favorite types of events — a women’s empowerment day in partnership with Puppy Sphere. Our mission is to create spaces where women can pause, reset, and be in community. According to McKinsey & Company’s 2022 Women in the Workplace report, 43 percent of women leaders report being burned out, compared to just 31 percent of men. That stat reminds us why these healing, empowering events matter so much.
The rest of the week would be filled with beach days, brunches, content shoots, and celebrating sisterhood — because whenever we’re in the same city, it’s not just a meetup, it’s a moment.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would love to shout out our incredible mothers — strong, fearless women who, as immigrants coming to the U.S., sacrificed everything for us. They taught us the meaning of perseverance, tenacity, and hard work. Their strength laid the foundation for everything we’ve built, and we carry their lessons with us in everything we do.
We also want to recognize Big Night Live Media for believing in us and giving us the space to bring Baddie Besties to life. Their early support allowed us to create a platform where we could amplify powerful voices and real stories.
A huge shoutout to March of Dimes, an organization we’re proud to partner with for our events. The work they do to support women’s health and maternal care aligns closely with our mission to uplift and advocate for women everywhere.
And a massive thank you to Vision to the T PR by Victoria Tuttle, who plays an essential role in the Baddie Besties team. Victoria brings our vision to life with intention and excellence — and she is a major reason we are where we are today.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baddiebestiespod/
Other: iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-baddie-besties-171417473/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacB-rE3MR-fD97aBWOycVe2ar57O-K6Q5C0iShvj1HL1ciZrE0aRa4xIl4vnQ_aem_5meqbapQK5H62LxZxMoxnQ
Apple: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fbaddie-besties%2Fid1743582352%3Fi%3D1000655174102&e=AT1flQ1cgQbWXOu-KB8jnyv9N2t4K2VAHFNngI5RmTd8PIH8Qb6THp75l6Xq2ka0t5v6yn5kjWuEzbdFVEjydXZpmvLKHjlMGAw54araj8ciGfiNHpx3VA
Image Credits
Photography
Jack Mac
Kelsea Lopez
Wasy.Shoots
Danh Nguyen
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
