In this episode of 'Stories That Shape Us', our host Samuel Agbede sits down with Niyi Oludipe, Director of Shepha Properties. The conversation ranges from Niyi's journey of moving from Nigeria to the UK, overcoming numerous challenges to establish himself in a new country and his eventual success in the property sector. He freely shares his personal struggles, life-changing decisions, the role of his faith and the importance of persistence. Niyi also reveals how books and biographies have been crucial in influencing his mindset. The episode climaxes with discussions about setting up Shepha Properties, the lessons learned and the satisfying feeling of creating high-quality homes for families.

Join us on this interesting conversation with David Forrest, a writer, software engineering tech lead, and a PhD holder in Experimental Particle Physics as he shares his experiences, life lessons, and perspectives. We delved into a variety of topics, circling the themes of self-worth, heart attitudes, diverse cultural appreciation, and love.

Join us on this insightful conversation with Ken Nwokoroafor, a leading voice in the personal finance space, and the author of the book ‘Financial Joy: Banish Debt, Grow Your Money and Unlock Financial Freedom in 10 Weeks’. In this episode, we dive deep into the personal stories that have shaped him.

Ken shares his journey from humble beginnings to financial independence and the pivotal moments that have defined his path. From growing up in Nigeria to moving to the UK and facing financial challenges, Ken's story is one of resilience, determination, and self-awareness. He shares how he overcame debt and financial struggles, and how he and his wife Mary founded "The Humble Penny" to help others achieve financial independence and create financial joy in their lives. Tune in to discover the lessons Ken has learned along the way, including the power of prioritizing values, the importance of investing in self-education, and the mindset shifts needed for financial abundance. Whether you're looking to take control of your finances or seeking inspiration to pursue your dreams, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tips for creating a life that truly matters.

Join us as we sit down with Tabitha Nyariki, a Kenyan-born advocate for child literacy and racial equality. Get to know Tabitha as she shares her life story, from her childhood in Kenya to her inspiring journey of founding the NGO Kosi Africa . From her mother's influence that shaped her childhood to her experiences in student politics, you'll hear Tabitha recount her life with honesty and wisdom. Listen in as Tabitha recounts her experiences living in different countries, and how each of these experiences helped shape her into the person she is today.

Tabitha also shares her unique insights into the complex issues of racism and equality. Hear from her firsthand about the practical ways to tackle racism and the importance of educating oneself. Be inspired by her work in the charity space and the difficulties she had to overcome in starting an NGO.

Finally, in this conversation, Tabitha talks about her personal struggles and how she learned to find motivation despite her failures. From her move from Mauritius to Glasgow to her experiences in student politics, listen to her reflect on the life lessons she has learned along the way. So, tune in to this inspiring conversation with Tabitha and be inspired by her journey, passion, and resilience

In this episode, we sit down with Peace Itimi, the founder of FoundersConnect, a platform that documents the African tech startup landscape and stories of founders on the continent.

Peace shares impactful anecdotes from her life and the key takeaways that have helped her grow. She emphasises the importance of failure as a learning opportunity and how it can lead to growth and feedback. Her journey is a reminder that success is not always a straight line, and that it's okay to take risks and learn from those experiences.

In this interview, Peace further talks about the phrase "do it afraid" and how it has become a mantra for her. For Peace, "doing it afraid" means acknowledging and feeling the fear and anxiety that comes with taking risks, but still pushing forward and taking action. She emphasizes that fear is a natural response, but it shouldn't stop you from pursuing your goals and dreams.

Bayile is a social entrepreneur and project manager with 12 years of experience in the hospitality industry in various roles in marketing,operations and consulting.

Bayile’s experiences led her to start Dechomai in 2015; a social enterprise empowering Black and Minority Ethnic communities with leadership and entrepreneurial skills so they can be financially independent.

Dechomai’s mission is to stimulate a vibrant entrepreneurship eco-system within Ethnic minority communities.

https://dechomai.co.uk (https://dechomai.co.uk/)

Bayile has a passion for developing and coaching black and ethnic minority youths into leaders and change makers and serves on the Advisory Board of many BME businesses as well as being President for the Scottish Women in Business (SWIB), Young Enterprise Scotland Alumni Board member, Women’s Enterprise Scotland Ambassador.

Bayile sits on the NSET Programme 1 Board and Scottish Government steering committee for social Enterprise, and Co-chair for Social Enterprise Equalities subgroup

Wuraola Oyewusi is a Data Scientist, Technical Instructor and Pharmacist, a passionate professional committed to advancing Artificial Intelligence practice. She has held roles in AI Research as a Researcher(Data Science and Data Curation) at the Imperial College London and previously Led Research and Innovation at Data Science Nigeria.

Her research interest is in Natural Language Processing and she has also been in the forefront of the unstructured data application and open source access, especially in the area of health and language. She is the Author and Instructor of the ⁠⁠Hand-on Natural Language Processing⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Advanced AI: NLP techniques for Clinical Datasets⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Hands-On Data Science and AI for Healthcare⁠⁠ courses on LinkedIn Learning, contributed to the Springer ⁠⁠AI in Medicine⁠⁠ Textbook and teaches Tech in Yoruba on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠. You can follow her research⁠⁠ publications⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠medium blog⁠⁠"

Ebuka Mordi is a creative fashion and commercial photographer based in Nigeria. His work has featured in Vogue Italia and he currently advises Adobe on their Lightroom suite. Ebuka's remarkable journey started several years ago when he picked up his iPod and started to shoot photos with it.

Ebuka's journey into photography, as you would discover in this episode is not just about capturing beautiful images; it's a journey of self-discovery. Throughout the episode, he shares personal stories that offer a glimpse into his stories of growth. Listen in as he recounts the moment his talent was recognized, the initial struggles of turning a hobby into a successful business, and how he overcame the obstacles on his path.

As we venture into Ebuka's creative world, he provides insights on how he continues to drive progress in his craft, including his ventures into teaching Skillshare classes, running a YouTube page, and even selling NFTs. What stands out to me in Ebuka's story is the importance of authenticity, consistency and staying true to your creative vision. Join us on this fascinating journey and be inspired by Ebuka's story.