Bochra Fourti

Today, we’re thrilled to share our interview with Bochra Fourti, founder of the HeyA podcast — a truly inspiring woman!

Who are you?

My name is Bochra Fourti and I’m Franco-Tunisian. I’m 37 years old, the founder and host of the HeyA podcast, which highlights inspiring women from Arab and Berber cultures. I also work in consulting and I’m the mother of a 7-year-old daughter.

Why and how did you create the HeyA Podcast?

I’ve always been an avid podcast listener, especially those that explore women's journeys. Looking more closely, I realized that only a small number of inspiring women from Arab culture were being featured — even though I knew so many around me.

At the same time, as the mother of a young girl, I often found myself thinking about how she would one day navigate her multiple identities. I felt that the image portrayed by the media and French society in general around Arab identity wasn’t exactly uplifting — even though I see dual culture as a major strength.

So, I decided to launch the HeyA podcast to help, in my own small way, young girls and women who may doubt their potential because of their origins. The goal is to offer them some guidance, break taboos, remove barriers, and encourage them to look proudly ahead!

What’s the future of HeyA? And in your opinion, what’s the future of North African women?

The future of HeyA is first and foremost to sustain the podcast by continuing to release new episodes every week — there are still so many inspiring stories to share.We also recently launched the HeyA Talks: events where guest speakers discuss the role of Arab and Berber women in various fields such as podcasting, media, the arts, and entrepreneurship. These gatherings were warmly received and motivate us to keep the adventure going.

I’m an optimist and I believe the future of North African women is bright. The recent achievements of Ons Jabeur in tennis and Asmaa Boujibar, the first woman to join NASA, are perfect examples of that.

Here we talk about hair — tell us about yours!

My hair is relatively thick and wavy or curly depending on the climate! I’ve clearly gone through two phases in my life: the straightened phase and the one where I fully embraced my curls.

Until I turned 30 and had my daughter, I was a blow-dry addict. But after giving birth, with no time left to straighten my hair, I decided to give it a chance — and get to know it better. 😊

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the result, way better than I imagined, and since then I’ve fully embraced my curls and their volume.

Your worst / best hair experience

My worst is probably the Brazilian blowout, which many hairdressers sell as a “treatment.”
My best is definitely stopping all those tortures I used to put my hair through — and learning to accept it just the way it is.