Explore every episode of the podcast W.E W.I.N Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 EP. 4 Prof Sola Oni: Teaching Like It Still Matters | 02 oct. 2026 | 00:29:38 | |
Some educators remain teachers at heart, regardless of how many titles they collect over time. Prof Sola Oni has spent decades building one of the most credentialed careers in Nigerian academia, a PhD in Information Systems, over a decade lecturing in the UK, nearly seven years as Dean at Pan-Atlantic University, a board seat at SystemSpecs, the company behind Remita and HumanManager. And through all of it, what she keeps returning to is the work of forming the people in front of her. In this conversation, Sola talks about what seven years of deanship has actually required of her, far beyond what she expected stepping into the role. She reflects on mentoring students and new faculty, and the thing she most wants them to carry with them that no syllabus can fully deliver. She speaks plainly about building a career in a field still heavily male-dominated at senior levels, and what two decades in that space have taught her about occupying it without shrinking. This is a conversation about a kind of passion for education that has mostly gone quiet in Nigerian academic life, and what it actually looks like when someone refuses to let it go quiet in her. | |||
| S2 EP. 3 Brenda Lamaro: Your Background Is Not Your Blueprint | 25 sept. 2026 | 01:05:18 | |
Brenda Lamaro grew up without much room for error. Limited resources, part-time jobs, nannying to stay in school, seasons where financial pressure could easily have pulled her somewhere else entirely. She chose civil engineering instead, a field where women are still rare across East Africa, and she is still, right now, in the middle of building both her degree and her own institution at once. That institution is Epignosis Global Academy. Brenda built it while still a student, out of a conviction she now works to pass on to other young people: that where you come from does not have to decide where you end up. In this conversation, she talks about staying anchored to herself through the hardest seasons, what it has meant to hold onto faith through doors that opened into rooms that weren't what they seemed, and what it has actually cost her to become who she is becoming. This is a conversation for the young woman with a dream she hasn't said out loud yet, about what it actually takes to build both yourself and something bigger than yourself, at the same time. | |||
| S2 EP. 2 Yetty Ogunnubi: Fashion, Art, and the Long Way to Power | 18 sept. 2026 | 00:52:34 | |
Long before Dr. Yetty Ogunnubi built one of Lagos's leading names in brand communications, she was making things with her hands, illustration, design, fashion pieces carrying her own art. Her parents were well known artists in Nigeria, and that inheritance runs through everything she built afterward, including a 2009 project where she and her uncle, the artist Lemi Ghariokwu, brought his iconic Fela Kuti cover art to life on fashion pieces for Punch Records UK. Everything she does now in brand strategy started as something closer to craft. In this conversation, Yetty traces that line from artist to strategist, and what carried over when the medium changed from paint and fabric to public perception. She talks about the moment that shifted how she occupies a room for good, being told she couldn't speak freely in a meeting she herself had organised, and the decision she made never to let that happen again. She talks about the Brand Bible, her own tool for helping people find clarity about who they are before they try to convince anyone else, and about what it took for a woman with an artist's instincts to learn the language of institutions, corporate clients, government reputation, rooms that don't naturally make space for creative thinking. This is a conversation about where power actually comes from: knowing exactly what you're worth, and refusing to let anyone talk over it. | |||
| S2 EP.1 Jolade Ademiluyi: Honest, Not Rude | 11 sept. 2026 | 01:19:54 | |
Young women entering the Nigerian workforce with foreign education, foreign accents, and a lack of traditional deference often face a distinct brand of scrutiny. Jolade Ademiluyi knows this reality firsthand. A Nigerian-Italian raised in both England and Nigeria, she was called to the bar at age 24. Throughout her early career, she has routinely observed older colleagues misinterpret her straightforwardness as disrespect, whereas she views it as simply being honest. In this conversation, Jolade talks about what it's like to walk into rooms where an entire generation before her has already decided what she is before she's said much of anything. She talks about carrying the weight of being the first child and first grandchild in her family, and why even being called to the bar didn't feel like enough to let herself celebrate. She's building a career in entertainment law in an industry that hasn't caught up to what she wants to do with it, working at an NGO focused on women's health, and thinking hard about a version of feminism in Nigeria she believes is being talked about the wrong way. This is a conversation about the gap between two generations of Nigerian women, and what it costs the younger one to keep showing up in it truthfully. | |||
| EP. 50 Val Wiggett: Do It Scared | 04 sept. 2026 | 00:42:52 | |
Val Wiggett left a stable job in South African sales and operations to teach English in Japan. She didn't plan it for years or build a case for it. She just went. Her story is defined by that recurring drive. Earlier in life, she submitted an application to train as a pilot in South Africa, during an era when female commercial pilots were virtually nonexistent. Though no one was expecting her application, she chose to submit it regardless. Val now leads career programs for the African Leadership Academy, working with young people across 47 African countries. And she talks openly about what it has meant to do that work as a white South African woman: how often the instinct to help comes wrapped in assumption, and how much of the job has actually been learning to sit still and listen before deciding what anyone needs. Spontaneity got her to Japan. The same boldness had her applying for a job that didn't want her. And somewhere in between, she learned a harder skill: knowing when to hold back and let someone else's voice fill the room. This is a conversation about a woman who has spent her life saying yes fast and listening slow. | |||
| Deals Happen Over Suya: Hannatu Adegboyega on Enterprise Sales | 28 août 2026 | 00:47:34 | |
Hannatu Adegboyega trained as a lawyer, graduated from the Nigerian Law School, and never practised. Instead, she walked into a retail sales role at Etisalat, was promoted to team lead in three months and key account manager in twelve, and went on to close some of the largest deals of her career across telecoms, fintech infrastructure, and now AI-powered logistics. In this conversation, Hannatu talks about what she was actually following when she chose sales over law. She speaks about a truth we often don’t say out loud, that many deals don't happen in meeting rooms but at 11pm, over suya, at someone's house, and what it takes for a woman to navigate that world on her own terms. She speaks plainly about being the only woman in the room, what that has required of her that it never required of the men beside her, and what she looks for in the people she builds and leads. This is a conversation about what it actually takes to close the deal, and to keep choosing rooms that weren't built with you in mind. | |||
| EP. 48 Yetty Williams: LagosMums, and Why Hope Is Not a Digital Parenting Strategy | 21 août 2026 | 01:12:20 | |
Long before LagosMums grew to serve a community of 1.5 million people, Yetty Williams launched it in 2014 out of her own personal experiences as a young mother. Her transition into this work followed a career in finance and business strategy, forcing her to let go of certain professional habits while relying heavily on others that remained essential. After ten years of expanding LagosMums from real-life experience and addressing recurring questions from parents, Yetty chose to pursue formal studies in cyberpsychology. In this conversation, she discusses what drove her to seek that academic foundation and shares key insights into children's digital environments that often go unnoticed by parents. She outlines the practical steps required for intentional digital parenting and explores the impact of AI on home life. For the woman trying to make sense of AI at work while wondering what it's doing to her kids at home, this is where to start. | |||
| Ep. 47 Cassandra Ukaobi on the Diaspora Woman's Version of Burnout | 14 août 2026 | 00:34:28 | |
As a nurse, Cassandra Ukaobi (Cassy UK)) created Tolicious to address a critical flaw she observed within healthcare: traditional medicine often waits until a crisis occurs. Motivated to intervene earlier, she focuses on supporting individuals before they reach a point of collapse. Throughout this discussion, Cass examines the physical impact of burnout, focusing particularly on diaspora and African women balancing careers, businesses, migration pressures, and family expectations. She explores the origins of the belief that self-care is a betrayal and explains why this mindset persists even when recognized as harmful. Ultimately, this dialogue explores the true toll of continuous exhaustion and what is required to break the cycle. | |||
| Well Woman Warrior: Chinonso Clark on Calling and Courage | 07 août 2026 | 00:52:11 | |
Chinonso Clark walked away from a promising legal career in Nigeria, with an LLM in International Commercial Law, to build the Well Woman Warrior movement (W3 Global Mission), which is inspired by the biblical story of the woman at the well. She discusses walking away from law, pursuing a divine mandate, and balancing her faith-driven calling at W3 with her development work at Lead for Good Africa. She also shares insights on AUDACITY, the programme she built to help women push past whatever stands between them and their own leadership, and about where she is still becoming the woman she asks other women to be. This conversation is for any woman who knows she was made for more and is waiting for permission that may never officially come. | |||
| EP: 45 Crucibles: Pamela Campagna on the Moments That Set a Life in Motion | 31 juil. 2026 | 00:47:58 | |
Pamela Campagna spent a career teaching leadership at the highest levels, including a class at Hult International Business School called Authentic Leadership: the Moral Perspective. She closes that class by asking people to name their crucible moment, the experience that set the direction of their life. In this conversation, Pamela talks about her own crucible, the moment that put her in that classroom asking that question in the first place. She describes what it actually requires of her to hold a room after it has gone somewhere raw and emotional, why she enrolled in an Inner MBA programme decades into her career, and the honest moral reckonings her own leadership has demanded of her. She also speaks to what she is seeing as organisations rush into AI adoption without reckoning with what that rush signals to the people inside them. This is a conversation about what actually moves people, and what it costs the person doing the moving. | |||
| EP. 44 Regulate, Relate, Reconnect: Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes Answers Your Relationship Questions | 24 juil. 2026 | 00:58:27 | |
Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes is a psychotherapist, speaker, and author who fundamentally challenges the narrative that being a good partner means being endlessly patient, adaptable, and available. In this episode, she breaks down her foundational "Regulate. Relate. Reconnect." framework, redefining what it actually means to be present for others without sacrificing yourself. Rounding out the episode, she tackles direct, practical questions submitted by our community, offering actionable strategies and new perspectives for navigating your most pressing relationship challenges. | |||
| EP. 43 Beyond Strategy: Dr. Ayotunde Uko on the Psychology of Lasting Transformation | 17 juil. 2026 | 01:25:10 | |
Dr. Ayotunde Uko’s professional footprint spans multiple continents and wildly distinct disciplines—from training as a physician in Nigeria, Postgraduate medical training in the UK, Healthcare consulting in the US, to earning an Ivy League MBA and eventually choosing to return to the UK's healthcare frontline. We frequently misdiagnose exhaustion as simply having too much on our plates. Dr Uko brings a behavioral lens to a crucial conversation, arguing that one of the critical factors in true burnout could actually stems from a severe lack of validation for our unseen labor. We dissect the hidden psychological commitments and subconscious beliefs that quietly govern the actions of highly ambitious women, keeping them locked in exhausting cycles. Evidence clarification: During the discussion of workplace wellbeing, a global figure of US$10 trillion in lost productivity was mentioned. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 attributes this estimate to low employee engagement in 2025; it is not only a burnout-specific estimate. WHO separately estimates that depression and anxiety account for approximately 12 billion lost working days and US$1 trillion in lost productivity annually. She unpacks why lasting, sustainable transformation must be rooted in our fundamental sense of self rather than superficial metrics or productivity hacks. We also discuss how to spot the difference between genuine personal evolution and simply dressing up old habits in a new environment. Dr Uko is a Physician, Change Strategy Consultant and Transformational Speaker, Founder of Ayotunde Uko Consulting, and AYO UKO an Ethical Fashion and Lifestyle Brand. | |||
| EP.42 The Inner Work of Transition: Princess Onyeanusi on Reclaiming Identity Abroad and Protecting Vulnerable Communities | 10 juil. 2026 | 00:56:03 | |
After building a robust executive career in Nigerian banking and marketing, Princess Onyeanusi relocated to Cardiff, where she spent several years navigating frontline customer support before ascending to her current governance portfolio. In this episode, she reflects on the profound emotional weight of that drastic professional detour and the deliberate psychological work required to safeguard her true identity during those quiet, unseen years. We also discuss her organic progression into Welsh civic life, exploring what claiming a seat on deeply regional boards has taught her about the complex nature of belonging as a Nigerian woman in a new nation. Driven by the targeted abuse she witnessed, she passionately breaks down her crucial "why" for founding Safe Online Space Cymru—a deeply personal mission to shield ethnic minority groups in Wales from the devastating impacts of digital hatred and cyberbullying. | |||
| EP. 41 Adeoti Onabolu on the Friendships That Hold Women Up | 03 juil. 2026 | 01:03:56 | |
Adeoti Onabolu spent nearly twelve years in the energy sector, managing commercial operations across several countries. She left it to build Fola Keona, named after her mother, focused entirely on how people relate to each other – in the context of friendships – and how much rides on getting that right. Adeoti talks about what she absorbed watching her mother navigate friendship long before she had language for it, why so many women stay quiet about what's actually going wrong in their working relationships, and what happens to a woman's confidence and career when she's surrounded by people but genuinely alone. She's run over two dozen small-group sessions built around exactly this, and she's blunt about the patterns she keeps seeing — including who she's realized she can't help, and why. | |||
| EP. 40 Raising the Next Generation: Morenikeji Oloyede on Literacy, Play, and Identity | 26 juin 2026 | 01:04:35 | |
Morenikeji Oloyede’s life work centers on equipping young children through language and literacy. In this episode, we explore the holistic development of the African child, from the stories they consume to the home environments that shape them. She unpacks the counterintuitive, essential benefits of physical books over tablets for early cognitive growth, alongside the silent danger of youth growing up without seeing their own realities reflected in the media they consume. Moving beyond the page, we examine the deeply formative elements of the home, breaking down how to correctly interpret sudden behavioral withdrawal in kids and the critical questions caregivers must ask themselves in those tense moments. | |||
| EP.39 The Queen of Talk: Joyce Daniels on Fighting Invisibility and Finding Ikigai | 19 juin 2026 | 01:05:14 | |
At the age of 10, Joyce Daniels held a microphone at the First Lady's Children's Concert in Abuja, sparking a lifelong trajectory. Fast forward to 2007, she walked away from an anatomy degree and a conventional career path to embrace event hosting entirely. In this episode, the "Queen of Talk" breaks down the philosophy of Ikigai and the sacrifices required to pursue true alignment when society praises safety. She also unpacks why brilliant individuals fade into the background and how she actively fights to ensure great work no longer goes unnoticed. | |||
| EP. 38 The Audacity to Build: Rainara Almeida on Geographic Leaps, Imposter Syndrome, and Funding Science | 12 juin 2026 | 00:32:22 | |
Rainara Almeida was deep in the academic trenches in Brazil before realizing that leaving her research in the university meant it would just be a published paper. She made the leap to become a founder to ensure her work could actually save lives. She joins us to discuss the reality of stepping away from the microscope to pursue an MBA at Hult, forcing herself to learn the 'language of money' so she could fund her science. As the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Synvitta Diagnostics, she shares how she navigates the ego hit of Imposter Syndrome and the power of becoming a 'translator' between the lab and the boardroom. | |||
| EP. 37 The Formidable Advocate: Kemi Adegboyega on NHS Leadership and Listening to Understand | 05 juin 2026 | 00:32:58 | |
Kemi Adegboyega serves as a Band 8 Clinical Matron in NHS cardiology, where she manages teams through immense systemic strain. In this episode, she opens up about how raising a neurodivergent child through a lens of compassion and acceptance has fundamentally reshaped her views on performance and excellence within her clinical staff. We discuss how the fierce advocacy required to fight for her daughter at home has translated into making her a more formidable leader in the hospital boardroom. She also shares her strategy for pitching a new vision to a burnt-out team without sounding like just another out-of-touch management directive. | |||
| EP. 36 The Mordecai Dynamic: Shauna Barnes on Spiritual Artistry and the Weight of Preparation | 29 mai 2026 | 00:54:34 | |
Shauna Barnes believes a woman should never walk into the most defining moment of her life without knowing exactly who she is. For over 11 years, she has built an inner transformation movement out of what the world calls beauty, balancing the physical artistry of makeup with the deep spiritual work of preparing a bride. In this episode, we unpack the loaded word "preparation"—exploring the specific life events that readied her for this calling, and what it truly means to step into the role of "Mordecai" to coach modern Esthers. We discuss why she views marriage as a holy milestone rather than just a venue and a guest list, and she shares the story of a specific morning where a profound shift happened in the room that went far beyond makeup. Ultimately, her goal is simple: when that bride looks in the mirror, she must know she is chosen—not just by her husband, but by God. | |||
| EP. 35 Betting on Yourself: Edith Francoeur on Launching Polish & Co and the Reality of Mom-Entrepreneurship | 22 mai 2026 | 00:21:22 | |
During her maternity leave, Edith Francoeur studied Tech Sales—learning about 'Cold Calls' and 'Sequencing'. But instead of joining a software company, she used those high-level corporate skills to launch 'Polish & Co', a residential and commercial cleaning business. Edith lists her time as a 'Stay at Home Mom' on her resume not as a gap, but as a role where she practiced 'negotiation' and 'grit' between toddler tantrums. In this episode, we get real about the logistics of running a fast-growing business in a highly competitive California market while raising a young child. We explore the unglamorous moments of mom-entrepreneurship that Instagram doesn't show, and how betting on herself transformed her career. | |||
| Ep. 34 Under the Table to the Head of the Table: Tinuade Oguntuyi on Scaling Infrastructure and Bridging the Digital Divide | 15 mai 2026 | 00:47:36 | |
Tinuade Oguntuyi was once mocked for crawling on the floor to fix cables as an "under the table engineer". Today, she is a General Manager who has scaled critical infrastructure across over 30 states in Nigeria. She joins us to discuss her accidental journey from wanting to be a doctor to managing networks that literally save lives and livelihoods. We talk about scaling through logistical nightmares , her deep passion for rural telephony, and the profound joy of bringing an unconnected village its first phone call. Ultimately, she shares how we must bridge the digital divide while ensuring she never loses touch with the people on the ground. | |||
| EP. 33 Stop Hustling, Start Owning: Lara Kayode on Brand Protection and Fighting Counterfeiters | 08 mai 2026 | 00:59:44 | |
Are you running a daily hustle, or do you actually own an asset? Top-tier IP attorney Lara Kayode has spent 30 years protecting the creations of African entrepreneurs and world-famous brands. We dive into the heartbreaking reality of founders losing their brands because they didn't protect them early enough. From hunting down counterfeiters to the psychological switch between being a fierce litigator and a CEDR-accredited mediator, we uncover the realities of intellectual property in a complex market. | |||
| EP. 32 Beyond the Hype: Oreoluwa Somolu-Lesi on Tech Truths, Deep Reading, and True Power | 01 mai 2026 | 00:47:37 | |
Oreoluwa Somolu-Lesi founded W.TEC in 2008, long before "Women in Tech" became a popular corporate slogan. Having reached over 47,000 girls, she discusses the hard truths of the industry and the one lie we need to stop telling young Nigerian girls about working in technology. We discuss her concerns about raising a generation of technically brilliant children who are losing the ability to read deeply and think critically in the age of TikTok. Finally, this Ashoka and Vital Voices Fellow shares the ultimate lesson she wants every 12-year-old girl in her W.TEC camps to know about her own power—a lesson no code can teach. | |||
| Ep. 31 Code, Culture, and Confidence: Ebunoluwa Arimoro on the Service Sector and the Fear of Being 'Too Loud' | 24 avr. 2026 | 00:32:16 | |
How do you balance building a tech startup with dismantling cultural conditioning? Technical founder Ebunoluwa Arimoro is attempting both. She joins us to discuss her journey building Jobapay for the service market while navigating her own pre-seed fundraise. We also delve into her work leading The HERdacity Network, unpacking the cultural expectation for Nigerian women to remain humble and let their work speak for itself. She shares how she guides ambitious women to break through their self-imposed 'Glass Walls' and finally own their achievements. | |||
| EP. 30 The Business of Family: Kemi Ojenike on Complete Wealth and Family Legacy | 17 avr. 2026 | 00:51:26 | |
Kemi Ojenike is a seasoned Family Wealth Advisor who focuses heavily on transferring 'Complete Wealth' across generations. She joins us to discuss the transition from managing clean corporate contracts to managing complex family dynamics. We answer the ultimate question: in the world of Ultra-High Net Worth families, is the biggest threat to generational wealth a bad economy or a badly raised child? We also dive into the challenge of convincing a powerful patriarch that it is time to step back and trust the next generation. | |||
| EP. 29 Leading from the Inside Out: Rev. Dr. Ruth Conlon on the Authentic Self and Caring for the Caregivers | 10 avr. 2026 | 00:41:00 | |
Rev. Dr. Ruth Conlon encourages people to lead from the 'Inside Out'. In an age of personal branding, she helps high-level leaders identify the early warning signs that their 'Inside' is beginning to collapse, even if their 'Outside' looks successful. We discuss the journey toward the 'Authentic Self', how to peel off the 'False Self' we create to survive corporate environments, and whether it is dangerous to be authentic in a world that rewards performance. We also discuss what corporate CEOs can learn about 'endurance' from marginalized communities, and how to redefine the heavy word 'Holiness' into something closer to 'Wholeness' for the modern, fragmented person. | |||
| EP. 28 Leading the Sisterhood: Bolanle Ogungbe-Gogo on Support Systems and Peer Influence | 03 avr. 2026 | 00:46:28 | |
Bolanle Ogungbe-Gogo balances her demanding role as the Financial Controller of IBILE Oil & Gas with her election as the Global President of the F.G.G.C. Calabar Old Girls Association. In this episode, she unpacks what "sisterhood" truly means to her and why she felt pulled to take on this massive responsibility. We discuss how the bonds formed as teenagers in boarding school translate into the support systems we need as executive women, and how she adjusts her leadership style to influence peers and childhood friends when she has no direct structural authority. | |||
| EP. 27 Conscious Storytelling: Ruth Mahogany on Using Poetry as a Tool for Change | 27 mars 2026 | 00:40:53 | |
Spoken word poet Ruth Mahogany describes her work as "conscious storytelling," having collaborated with massive global organizations like the United Nations Population Fund and Amnesty International. In this episode, we unpack her creative process for turning "dry policy" and complex themes like human rights into art that makes people feel. She also shares how she balances the free-flowing spirit of an artist with discipline, and how she protects her mental health while constantly pouring her emotions into her craft. | |||
| EP. 26 The Business of Healing: Dr. Ijele Adimora on Sub-Saharan Healthcare and the Nigerian System | 20 mars 2026 | 00:41:17 | |
Dr. Ijele Adimora brings a unique mix of high-level medical training from UT Health and Johns Hopkins, alongside an MBA from Dartmouth. She brings her dual perspective as a doctor and a business strategist to discuss low-cost healthcare options in systems like Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing from her time on the ground in Nepal, Tanzania, and South Africa , as well as her interest in interventions in Ibadan , she shares advice for medical professionals in the Diaspora on how to engage with the Nigerian system in a way that is actually helpful. Beyond the business of healing, she also opens up about the emotional cost of high-stakes medical work. We explore the challenge of taking off the white coat after a heavy shift and how hard it is to stop being the "shock absorber" to simply be vulnerable. | |||
| EP 25. Step Forward: Dr. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo on Continuous Learning, the Pressure Cooker, and Market-Ready Leadership | 13 mars 2026 | 00:33:42 | |
Dr. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo is an Executive Head who recently completed her PhD in Business Science. We explore the themes of her new book, Step Forward, focusing on Continuous Learning, while also looking back at the unpolished truths of corporate Nigeria from her 2017 book, The Pressure Cooker. As a C-suite executive and mother of two, she discusses making peace with the guilt of relying on support systems. Finally, we unpack how she equips women with market-ready skills and teaches young leaders the importance of ethics and governance. | |||
| EP. 24 The Agility of Leadership: Kehinde Ayeni on Nation Building and Executive Resilience | 06 mars 2026 | 00:49:28 | |
As the Executive Director of LEAP Africa, Kehinde Ayeni is at the helm of youth leadership development and nation building. In this episode, we dive into how the evolution of leadership theories she studied during her Executive MBA translated to the real world during her own leadership transition. We tackle the harsh realities of driving Africa Youth Development during the era of mass emigration from Africa and how she balances the "heart" of social development with the "head" required for non-profit financial sustainability. | |||
| EP. 23 Awaken the Voice Within: Ada Onanuga on the Inseparability of Identity and Leadership | 27 févr. 2026 | 00:52:21 | |
The world of Investment Banking often demands a specific kind of 'armor'—tough, hyper-rational, and guarded. Ada Onanuga joins us to explore the profound tension between surviving the boardroom and maintaining your own vulnerability. We discuss the core message of her book, Awaken the Voice Within, unpacking the trap of waiting for permission that - as she says - "God never told you to ask for", and how to distinguish between cultural disrespect and the vital act of refusing to "abandon yourself". | |||
| EP. 22 The Poetic Strategist: Peju Abuchi on Closed Doors and Disrupting Leadership | 20 févr. 2026 | 00:40:13 | |
Peju Abuchi is a Poetic Strategist whose mission is to "disrupt LEADERSHIP spaces". But her journey to the global stage started as a shy child for whom writing was an escape. She joins us to discuss navigating gatekeeping from other women while trying to publish her book, and how she turned that lack of support into an opportunity for growth, becoming the unexpected catalyst to find and hone her authentic voice. We explore the rare fusion of using the 'soft' tool of poetry to achieve 'hard' organizational transformation and her philosophy as a Therapeutic Wordsmith —that by changing our language, we can "craft a different reality". | |||
| EP. 21 "I Moved Back": Joy Salewa on the Diaspora Dream and the Reality of Return | 13 févr. 2026 | 00:47:39 | |
Joy Salewa left a high-level finance career in London to pursue the "diaspora dream" in Nigeria. She joins us to discuss the challenging realities that forced her to leave again and how she channeled that experience into the I Moved Back podcast. We explore the real cost of doing business in Nigeria and dive into the specific challenges female founders encounter when raising capital in a system not always built for them. | |||
| EP. 20 The Health Architect: Dr. Lilian Anomnachi on Systems Strengthening and Preventing Silent Killers | 06 févr. 2026 | 00:30:56 | |
Dr. Lilian Anomnachi has spent years fixing the big machinery of public health. Now, she is tackling "silent killers" with Viedial Healthcare, a startup that monitors patients outside the clinic. We discuss why lifestyle changes are notoriously hard to engineer and how her new venture bridges the critical gap between a doctor’s 15-minute appointment and the reality of a patient's daily life. | |||
| EP. 19 "We Are Good": Sheila Chingono on Reclaiming Life After a Stroke | 30 janv. 2026 | 00:53:46 | |
At 32, Sheila Chingono was a successful Government Lawyer and Magistrate Judge. Then, in a single moment, a hemorrhagic stroke changed everything. She joins us to share how her faith and family played a crucial role in her recovery, becoming practical tools for survival in the face of deep struggle. We also discuss how building a brand rooted in resilience, unity, and positive reinforcement—Tiribhoo, meaning "we are good"—became a vital part of her healing journey. | |||
| EP. 18 From Corporate to Construction: Oare Ehiemua-Ochui on Finding Value in the "Unglamorous" | 23 janv. 2026 | 00:44:17 | |
Oare Ehiemua-Ochui left a successful corporate career at major firms like Total and African Capital Alliance to dedicate herself to an unlikely sector: construction. She joins us to discuss why she believes this "unglamorous" sector holds significant potential for young people. We explore her journey from launching OPL Academy to the tech-driven solution, LaborHack. We also discuss why she prioritizes professional ethics and soft skills over just technical training, and her advice for women in 'safe' jobs who feel called to solve real-world problems. | |||
| EP. 17 Bold Moves & Life Integration: Naomi Eyler on What the Next Generation Wants | 16 janv. 2026 | 00:31:20 | |
After graduating from university in Nigeria, Naomi Eyler made the bold move to the UAE to start her career. She joins us to unpack the mindset of the next generation: from how they define a successful career today to the leadership styles that inspire loyalty and high performance". We also dive into the reality of "life integration"—how she manages a demanding career, a new marriage, and an MBA all at once, without feeling the need to sacrifice one for the other. | |||
| EP. 16 The Reinvention Roadmap: Anne Nwaokolo on Pivoting from Banking to Healthcare Data | 09 janv. 2026 | 00:38:51 | |
After a long and successful career in banking in Nigeria, rising to a senior role at FirstBank, Anne Nwaokolo made the incredibly brave decision to start a new career in healthcare data analytics in the UK. This week, she shares the very first, practical step she took to turn the abstract idea of change into a concrete project. We also discuss her strategy for balancing the demands of intense upskilling and how she managed imposter syndrome when entering a new field. | |||
| EP. 15 Chosen by the Ancestors: Tya Bolton on "Purposeful Pivots" and Being a Legacy Maker | 02 janv. 2026 | 00:38:51 | |
Tya Bolton believes she was "chosen by the ancestors to be a legacy maker". In this episode, we explore the feeling of being called to a purpose larger than oneself. Tya discusses the concept of making "purposeful pivots" toward a life of greater meaning and distinguishes between companies that are just performative versus those building "truly authentic and impactful partnerships". This is a conversation about service, sacrifice, and the power of persistence. | |||
| EP. 14 The Generation That Doesn't Wait: Nana Yaa Serwaa on Redefining "Ready" | 26 déc. 2025 | 00:32:14 | |
Many from a previous generation might have waited until they felt "more 'ready'" to start something impactful. Nana Yaa Serwaa represents a generation that is moving differently. Co-founder of the "Dare 2 Dream Initiative" and host of "The Big Stepper Podcast", she joins us to discuss why young people today are rejecting traditional timelines. We explore the "portfolio" approach to a career and what "shaping the future" looks like on a practical, day-to-day level for the next wave of African talent. | |||
| Ep. 13 From PwC to Founder: Marina Vandeberg on the Identity Shift and the Human Element of Business | 19 déc. 2025 | 00:39:28 | |
Leaving a long-term career like that is a huge identity shift". Marina Vandeberg shares her journey of leaving the "highly structured, prestigious world" of corporate advisory to build a business from a "blank slate". We discuss the hardest part of no longer being defined by a corporate label—"Marina from PwC" —and her philosophy that strategic partnerships are fundamentally about human relationships. She reveals why she has walked away from perfect-on-paper deals because the trust "just wasn't there" and how she builds trust across cultures in her global work with Fimple. | |||
| Ep.12 Reclaiming the Narrative: Nhlanhla Banda on Resilience After Workplace Violation | 12 déc. 2025 | 00:35:04 | |
Nhlanhla Banda built a formidable career as a High Court attorney and corporate legal counsel. But her path took a turn after an incredibly difficult experience involving sexual harassment and unfair perceptions. Now, she is on a mission to create safe spaces for women. We discuss how she is "reclaiming her narrative" through her firm, Justice Edge, and her advice for women to be "pillars of strength" for one another to resist unfair treatment. | |||
| Ep. 11 Brain Drain vs. Brain Gain: Oge Onyemem on The Unique Power of Nigerian Talent | 05 déc. 2025 | 00:46:56 | |
In a competitive global classroom, what makes a Nigerian student stand out?. Oge Onyemem joins us to discuss the "brain drain vs. brain gain" debate and the most effective way to build a bridge for talent to bring global value back home. We explore the unique strengths Nigerian students bring to the table and the role the established diaspora can play in creating structured opportunities for the next generation. | |||
| EP. 10 The Systems Architect: Amabelle Nwakanma on Funding, Innovation, and the "Unwritten Rules" | 28 nov. 2025 | 01:03:30 | |
Amabelle Nwakanma is a professional builder of "enabling environments," but her approach is rooted in understanding the human mind. We discuss the critical difference between looking at a problem as a "hands-on counsellor" versus a "systems architect," and how she bridges the gap. She reveals the "unwritten rule" for making social change ideas compelling to donors and discusses the systemic barriers preventing the creation of leadership pipelines for young African women. Throughout, Amabelle emphasizes her personal responsibility to design a more resilient architecture for nurturing leadership on the continent. | |||
| Ep. 9 The Waiting Season: Bola Oduwole on Resilience, Pressure, and Inner Strength | 21 nov. 2025 | 00:44:30 | |
How do you manage profound personal challenges while maintaining a demanding career? HR expert Bola Oduwole shares her powerful personal story of perseverance through a seven-year waiting period before the birth of her child. We discuss how she navigated immense social and familial pressure and how that resilience informs her "Insider's Playbook" for women in corporate Nigeria. We also explore strategies for effective self-advocacy and the crucial difference between mentorship and active sponsorship. | |||
| Ep. 8 Building Your Own Terms: Shea Harty on Fulfillment, Sponsorship, and Navigating Beyond the System | 14 nov. 2025 | 00:41:39 | |
This week, Shea Harty shares her moving perspective on why female founders must create lives and businesses on their own terms, navigating beyond systems that don't resonate. After successfully climbing the traditional corporate ladder, she found that fulfillment was more important than success as defined by the system. We explore how this mindset shapes her work as a true sponsor for others and her mission to architect solutions for the systemic gaps she’s identified in her work. | |||
| Ep. 7 From Combat Boots to Boardrooms: Dr. Idong Essiet-Gibson on Rewriting the Rules of Angel Investing | 07 nov. 2025 | 00:48:29 | |
Dr. Idongesit Essiet-Gibson's journey defies every script. What started as a trip to a mall for a job ended in a 26-year military and public health service career, taking her from Iraq to the CDC. Now, she's on a new battlefield: angel investing. As a Deal Lead with "She's Independent Investments" , she explains why representation in funding is necessary and how "when women fund women, entire ecosystems shift". This episode is for every woman who thinks her unconventional path disqualifies her. | |||
| EP. 6 The Mindset Queen: Rebecca Nwankwo on Designing Your Second Act and Reframing Imposter Syndrome | 31 oct. 2025 | 00:51:04 | |
This episode is for the successful professional who feels a quiet unease or "constant restlessness". "The Mindset Queen" Rebecca Nwankwo shares her story of mid-career reinvention, which started with the powerful question, "Is this it?". We discuss her philosophy that the goal "isn’t to eliminate imposter syndrome—it’s to stop letting it take the wheel", and the specific "superpower" a 45-year-old professional has that a brilliant 25-year-old simply can't. | |||
| Ep. 5 Trustworthy AI for Africa: Dr. Jania Okwechime on Closing the STEM Gap | 24 oct. 2025 | 00:45:52 | |
What was it like to build face recognition technology way before we used it to unlock our phones? Dr. Jania Okwechime shares her journey of dedicating her academic career to pushing the boundaries of computer science and what prompted her significant shift into the world of forensic technology to "fight financial crime". We discuss the culture shock of moving from a university to a corporate environment and dive deep into her advocacy for "Trustworthy AI". Dr. Jania explains what this means for Africa and what must be addressed to build AI that is "relevant for the continent's specific needs". Finally, we explore a topic dear to our hearts: what can be done for young girls and women to embrace STEM in Africa, especially where infrastructural constraints like poor power, internet access, and poverty exist. | |||