Everyday Leadership

This isn't just for entrepreneurs or influencers. It’s for every founder, every corporate leader, every individual who wants to lead with impact and clarity.

Sope unpacks the difference between reputation and personal brand, the hidden cost of being passive, and why doing great work is no longer enough. He shares a pivotal story about how a quiet, intentional moment in corporate years ago opened the door to leading a major turnaround project, a reminder that your brand is working in rooms you haven’t entered yet.

You’ll also learn practical steps to start shaping a brand that reflects your value, attracts the right opportunities, and keeps you in rooms long after you’ve left them.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why your personal brand already exists
• The crucial difference between reputation and brand
• How Sope’s quiet leadership got him a role he never applied for
• Why people buy into you before they buy into your ideas
• Four simple, powerful steps to build an authentic personal brand
• How your brand becomes your leadership tool, not just a marketing tactic

“You can be a world-class singer, but if no one hears your voice, you're just performing in an empty arena.”

Connect with Sope

In this episode of Everyday Leadership I have the pleasure of chatting with Tope Chiedozie a creative curator, trainer and the voice behind The Sit Down UK. Together we trace his path from drawing in his bedroom and surviving a strict Nigerian upbringing to co-founding gospel-grime outfit Commission, touring the UK youth-event circuit and finally parking the music to create a live platform where artists swap highlight reels for raw honesty.

Tope shares:

• How church mentors drilled purpose into him and why he now perfumes venues, checks the chairs and insists every guest can inspire his audience.
• The unseen side of success—from sickle-cell battles to label headaches and why “breaking the illusion” matters more than clicks.
• Practical rituals for balancing confidence and humility, including his 30-minute pre-show walk and digital “praise folder”.
• Parenthood, imposter syndrome and the simple rule he now follows: let his daughter become who she already is.

If you’re searching for a fresh way to lead, tell stories or keep your ego in check, this conversation will give you plenty to chew on.

Listen in and learn how grounded purpose can power bold creativity and why the best leaders stay students of their own journey.

Connect with Tope

Tash isn’t just about networking – she’s about removing barriers, building trust, and turning relationships into real results. Whether she’s navigating the depths of government departments or supporting high-stakes business deals, Tash shows up with clarity, boldness and unmatched intuition.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Growing up in a Caribbean Pentecostal household and what dance taught her about presence
• Her first taste of activism in a mostly white school and how it shaped her leadership voice
• The power of proximity and why going underground (literally) changed the way she works
• Why she builds relationships with PAs, cleaners, and security guards before directors
• The story behind her “multi-award-winning tea drinker” title
• Living with MS and how her faith sustains her through the toughest challenges
• The time she was hit by a car and walked away with nothing but bruises – and a clearer sense of purpose

This week's episode gets raw and real.
Sope shares his personal experiences of business setbacks in 2025, the global rollback of DEI initiatives, the collapse of so-called "safe" investments, and the harsh reality of an unstable world.
He explains why staying stuck in bitterness will only hold you back and how reclaiming ownership of your mindset is the only way forward.
You’ll learn the neuroscience behind resilience and why your greatest asset isn’t the economy, your job, or the market.
It’s you.

Key Topics:

• The harsh truth of 2025’s business landscape
• Why DEI rollbacks are costing brilliant people opportunities
• The stock market crash and the illusion of financial "safety nets"
• The neuroscience of taking ownership and building resilience
• Why no one owes you anything and why that's empowering

Connect with Sope

We dive into Lilah's journey from growing up as the youngest of 11 children to leading at some of the world’s biggest tech companies like Microsoft, Oracle and now Google. But what stood out most to me was her raw honesty about burnout, worthiness, and the powerful transformation she experienced through creating silence in her life.

We explore how that one decision to prioritise stillness led to her first personal offsite and later, a global retreat that’s helping other women do the same. This conversation is full of real talk on identity, ego, values and what it actually takes to hear your own voice again.

If you’re feeling stretched thin, disconnected from yourself or just ready to move differently this one’s for you.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• How to create intentional space for stillness and clarity
• Why worthiness is the foundation of personal power
• What it means to partner with your ego instead of letting it run the show
• How to run your own personal offsite to reset your life
• The difference between joy and happiness and why it matters
• How to align your life with your values not someone else’s
• What it really looks like to lead from the inside out

🔗 Resources & Links:

🔥Quotable Moment: “I really struggle with the word ‘entrepreneur’. When I go to networking events, I see how people introduce themselves with this glee when they say entrepreneur, but it’s actually just a grind. It’s just tough.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Tola Alade, serial Founder and a creative maverick with deep experience in founding and scaling businesses across multiple industries. 

Currently, Tola is building a next-gen digital media company, Marmalade Ventures, on a mission to build a new mainstream audience shaped by Africa’s culture, stories and emerging brands. 

In this episode, we explore his path as a creative entrepreneur and the moments that shaped his career, from securing $2M in VC funding to launching the world’s first rum infused with natural plantains, after an April Fools joke went viral. 

Episode chapters: 

✅ The complexity of the entrepreneur's identity 

✅ From Nigeria to the UK 

✅ Changing the perception of Africa through creativity 

✅ Losing the joy of what you’re building 

✅ Being creative vs being commercial 

✅ From a social media joke to a new brand 

✅ The Alpha Reset 

✅ Start by leading yourself 

Don’t forget to connect: 

In this conversation, Bolaji opens up about growing up in a Nigerian household where hierarchy shaped his early mindset — and how he slowly dismantled those internal limits. We explore the tension between creativity and conformity, surviving 18 years in corporate while holding onto purpose, and how faith, failure, and fierce vision kept him grounded.

You’ll hear how he used music, events and ministry as an early training ground for leadership — long before stepping into business. Now, as the founder of Altitude AI, Bolaji is building tools that empower entrepreneurs to scale using smart, accessible tech.

We unpack:

🔥 The journey from subservient to self-led
🔥 Why AI is a tool to unlock potential — not replace it
🔥 Faith, failure, and staying power in entrepreneurship
🔥 How to unlearn cultural norms that keep you playing small
🔥 The mindset shift from challenger to champion

Expect real talk about leadership, tech, identity, staying power… and why the world doesn’t need more safe goals — it needs people who dare to try.

Whether you’re navigating corporate life, exploring entrepreneurship, or trying to reconnect with your purpose — this episode will inspire you to break your own limits and step into your next level.

Connect with Sope

Chasing work-life balance is not only impossible—it's damaging your happiness, fueling guilt, anxiety, and burnout. In this powerful episode, Sope Agbelusi dismantles the myth of balance, revealing how the pursuit of an impossible ideal sets us up for constant stress and dissatisfaction.

Inspired by Jay-Z's orchestral performance at Radio City Music Hall, Sope introduces the transformative concept of work-life harmony—a beautiful integration rather than rigid separation of life's roles.

You'll discover:

• Why the concept of balance inherently creates guilt and stress.
• Real-life examples showing the pitfalls of strict balance and the freedom found in harmony.
• Proven research from organisational and positive psychology supporting work-life integration.
• Practical strategies to shift from exhausting balance to energising harmony.

Stop chasing balance. Start orchestrating harmony.

Key highlights:

1. The three ways balance sets you up to fail.
2. Powerful real-world stories illustrating harmony.
3. Actionable steps to achieve resonance in your life.

Join the conversation: What does harmony look like for you?

Remember: Balance is the beautiful lie; harmony is your achievable truth.

Connect with Sope

🔥 Quotable Moment: “My positionality had to change from believing that I could stop this to can I reduce this? Because I now know I can reduce instead of stop, it enables me to sleep at night. If I can save one young buck other there, then I’m a good man.”

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Craig Pinkney, Criminologist, Urban Youth Specialist and Chief Executive of SOLVE: The Centre for Youth Violence and Conflict. 

Craig has over 20 years of experience as an outreach worker, transformational speaker, international gang exit strategist, training facilitator, mentor and filmmaker. 

He is internationally known for working with some of the country’s most challenging young people, potential high-risk offenders, victims of gang violence and youth who are deemed most hard to reach. 

In today’s episode, we learn more about Craig’s journey from his upbringing, being diagnosed with dyslexia and autism during his undergraduate degree to his important work as a youth worker and building SOLVE. 

Episode chapters: 

✅ Being diagnosed with dyslexia and autism at university 

✅ Childhood reflections & influences 

✅ From no GCSEs to completing his PHD 

✅ The crucial role of mentorship 

✅ Bridging the Gap between academia & the street 

✅ The ethics of research 

✅ Navigating Trauma & self-care 

✅ Understanding privilege 

✅ Challenging hyper-masculinity & building community 

Don’t forget to connect: 

Connect with Craig

🔥 Quotable Moment: “Recovery is a journey. You haven’t failed because you’ve engaged with your behaviour once more. Every hour is the opportunity to do something that’s recovery promoting.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Emilie Faure, founder and CEO of Juniver, the science-based recovery program for disordered eating. 

Having struggled with an eating disorder herself, Emilie shares her personal journey from a career in the arts to starting Juniver to revolutionise the way to recovery and helping others spot the signs of eating disorders earlier. 

We also dive into common misconceptions about this addiction, the role of social media and technology and Emilie’s advice for practical strategies to get closer to recovery. 

Episode chapters: 

✅ Emilie’s early career & her personal journey with eating disorders

✅ The need for innovation 

✅ The role of shame & self-trust in recovery 

✅ Community & navigating influences on social media 

✅ Gender disparities in healthcare and research 

✅ Common misconceptions in eating disorders 

✅ Why an eating disorder is an addiction 

✅ Taking the first step in recovery 

✅ Defining leadership in healthcare 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: “I’m just who I am. It’s authenticity - what you see is what you get with me, and I search for that in other people.”  

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Lee Anderson, founder and managing director of LeBern Property Services, founding partner of Genesis Property Network, non-executive director of Forbes Family Group, and founder of whoma.  

In this conversation, we take it right back to the start from Lee’s journey as an inspiring footballer, to becoming a father and navigating the ever-changing challenges as a business owner and leader. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ Lee’s journey from football to banking and property 

✅ Navigating the financial crash 

✅ Finding your core values 

✅ Learning from mistakes 

✅ Building deep relationships 

✅ Learning to listen without ego 

✅ Building an authentic personal brand 

✅ Disrupting the property industry 

✅ Bringing people on your journey & having influence 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: “If you are living and breathing on this earth, you’ve got a mind and access to a champion mindset. It’s not a question if you have it or not. It’s whether you’re willing to go there and make it a champion mindset.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Marilyn Okoro, Olympian, Higher Education and Local Government account Lead at Equinix, Public Speaker, Life Coach and Mentor. 

It’s not every day I get to sit down with an Olympian, so we take a deep dive into Marilyn’s athletic career, the importance of embracing failure and what it takes to build a champion mindset. 

Marilyn also very candidly shares her own experience with burnout during her athletics career and her experience navigating life beyond sports. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ Finding her identity beyond athletics 

✅ The role of confidence in success 

✅ Building your champion mindset & leaning into your potential 

✅ Overcoming distractions & embracing failure 

✅ The tough transition out of her sporting career 

✅ Faith as a foundation for resilience 

✅ The power of outspokenness, no matter the space you’re in 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: “Leaders are confronted with a myriad of challenges that are testing their ability, their adaptability and their resilience, and how you lead through it is key.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I discuss a topic that will be front of mind for many leaders today - how to navigate uncertainty. 

No matter whether it’s adapting to everchanging industry changes like AI, complexities of DEI or macroeconomic volatility - leaders are required more than ever before to navigate through times of change and uncertainty. 

But what’s important to remember, is that navigating change doesn’t mean having all the answers. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ Navigating leadership challenges in a changing world 

✅ The emotional toll of uncertainty 

✅ The importance of adaptability 

✅ The ALIGN framework to help you navigate change 

Connect with Sope

🔥 Quotable Moment: “I’ve had to unlearn being afraid of difficult conversations, how to embrace conflict in a healthy way and stop putting things off that I’m afraid of, like the hard conversations and feedback.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Angelina Darrisaw, an award-winning entrepreneur, workplace inclusion champion and Founder of C-Suite Coach, dedicated to helping organizations build high-performing, inclusive and trusted destinations.  

We take a deep dive into Angelina’s journey as a leader - from the lessons her mother taught her growing up, career-defining skills she picked up during pageantry competitions in New York and her journey into entrepreneurship. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ Building confidence and overcoming internal voices and doubts 

✅ Why pageantry was a masterclass in pitching 

✅ The role of representation in coaching 

✅ Why she still has a coach almost 10 years into her founder journey 

✅ Transitioning from a comfortable corporate career to entrepreneurship 

✅ The leadership traits she had to unlearn over the years

✅ Sticking to her purpose & the future of DE&I 

✅ Adapting to change & embracing AI 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: “If you want to have a big impact in the world, you have to start with the world around you and work your way up.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Rotimi Merriman-Johnson, an award-winning financial content creator, podcaster, author and founder of Mr MoneyJar, a UK-based financial education company. 

While Rotimi’s work with Mr MoneyJar has been widely publicised and featured on social media platforms, the BBC, LadBible and Sky News - today’s interview goes beyond Rotimi’s work and success along the way, and dives deeper into the man behind the numbers.  

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ An exploration of identity and worthiness

✅ Redefining success beyond financial wealth 

✅ Understanding Information & first principles thinking 

✅ The evolution of Mr MoneyJar 

✅ Technology & Human connection 

✅ The future of social media 

✅ Setting realistic goals   

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: “Everything about us from the point of birth to adulthood, we are created for this constant shift, change and transformation. We don’t always lean into it, but we’re made for growth.”  

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Reverend Dr Kate Coleman, the first black woman to be accredited as a Baptist minister in the UK, Founder of Next Leadership and Author of "Metamorph - Transforming Your Life and Leadership". 

With over 35 years of experience spanning across the church, charity, volunteer and business sectors, Reverend Dr Kate Coleman shares her experiences from her childhood landing in the UK as the only Black family in her school and neighbourhood, her unexpected call to ministry, and the costs associated with her faith. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ The complexity of identity 

✅ Her unexpected call to Ministry 

✅ Breaking barriers in Leadership & the power of personal transformation 

✅ Discerning God’s Voice & bridging worlds in Leadership 

✅ Learning the difference between Change and Transformation 

✅ Discovering purpose & the importance of curiosity in Leadership 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: “I wouldn’t say it was the need to fit in, it was probably not the want to stand out. As I gained more confidence, I realised that parts of my identity are my superpower.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Sebastian Wilson, accomplished Leader, property investor, serial founder, keynote speaker, model, mentor and DJ. 

With such a multifaceted career and hugely successful milestones, Sebastian peels back the layers of his career so far and discusses the importance of hard work and humility and the power of authenticity and relationships. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ Building a multifaceted career 

✅ Sebastian’s journey into music & touring with Sony  

✅ The importance of humility 

✅ The role of authenticity in professional growth 

✅ How a conversation in a pub led to Sebastian building his property portfolio 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment: "23% of individuals abandon their New Year's resolutions by the end of the first week." 

Are you tired of the "New Year, New Me" mentality? 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, your host, Sope Agbelusi, explains why that mindset doesn't work and how to make sustainable changes instead. 

Say goodbye to unrealistic resolutions and hello to real progress!

Enjoyed today’s episode? 

We've heard from leaders who, throughout the year, sacrificed everything to follow their calling—from giving up high-paying corporate jobs to stepping into unknown territories. Their stories remind us that true fulfilment often lies beyond our comfort zone.

Walking in faith isn't always easy, as we learned from leaders who received clear callings but faced difficult choices. Like the business owner who couldn't tell her husband about starting her company because she knew God's voice was clear despite the risks.

We met individuals who transformed their pain into purpose, including a former drug dealer who now gives back making sure others don't follow his path. Their journeys show us that our darkest moments can become our greatest impact sources.

Most importantly, we learned that no one succeeds alone. From the HR manager who saw potential in a hoodie-wearing interviewee to the family members who supported risky business ventures, every success story is built on a foundation of community and support.

Reflection Questions for Listeners:

1. What has been your most significant personal or professional accomplishment in 2024?
2. What challenges have you faced this year, and how have they shaped your leadership approach?
3. If you could define 2024 in one word, what would it be and why?

Connect with Sope

🔥 Quotable Moment: “Behind every leader, every Founder and every success story is a network of people. No one is self-made.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I discuss how a ‘fake it till you make it’ mentality will ultimately hold you and your personal growth back. 

Social media is notorious for making us feel like we can’t keep up. Especially around this time of the year. 

It's a constant stream of celebrating successes and people attending industry events and end-of-year parties which can often make you wonder: “Where was my invitation? How do I get to where everyone else is?” 

That’s why we need to drop the facade of perfection and lean into true authenticity and vulnerability, instead. 

In today’s episode we explore: 

✅ Why a facade of perfection can lead to isolation 

✅ Leaning into authenticity and vulnerability

✅ Building your support network for 2025 

Don’t forget to connect:

Connect with Sope

🔥 Quotable Moment: “My identity isn’t a job. It’s much more than that. I’m a human being and I have certain values and principles that I live by. If I see injustice, I’ll call it out.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Leonard Fom, The Chief Value Officer, Fractional CFO and Strategic Advisor. 

Following a successful career in finance and operations with experience in major multinationals, financial institutions and Big 4 consulting firms, Leonard took the entrepreneurial route to set up FinOps Squad, fractional finance support with a difference. 

In today’s episode, we explore: 

✅ Leonard’s upbringing and the source of his ambitious spirit 

✅ Navigating early parenthood 

✅ Climbing the corporate ladder & facing obstacles along the way 

✅ Recognising structural inequities 

✅ Growing through pain and setbacks 

✅ The importance of authenticity & knowing your identity beyond your job 

Don’t forget to connect: 

🔥 Quotable Moment "You can't be pulled forward and pulled back at the same time because if you're pulled in both directions, you'll stay exactly where you are."

After a 20-year career in dance and founding the successful platform "In The Other News," Candice has embarked on perhaps her most impactful venture yet. The Gynae Project emerged from her personal six-year struggle navigating women's healthcare, transforming frustration into innovation.

💡 Key Insights:

• The power of curiosity in career transitions and how it led her from dance to entrepreneurship
• Why handling rejection in creative industries prepared her for business leadership
• The importance of storytelling in changing social narratives around taboo topics
• How building intimate communities can create safer spaces for difficult conversations
• The role of data and research in transforming healthcare accessibility
• How recognising when to close one chapter enables new growth opportunities.

“People need to feel empowered in order to propel, especially if they’re young. You need someone that’s going to empower you, show up for you, help you and accept you.” 

In this episode of Everyday Leadership, I am joined by Shanice Mears, a multi-faceted leader and Co-Founder and Head of Talent at leading advertising agency, The ElephantGroup. 

From her relationship with her older siblings, building her confidence as a Dancer and advocating for her community from a very young age to how those early experiences shaped her career in advertising and the leader she is today. 

Tune into this episode, to find out more about: 

✅ Shanice’s drive to always “do more” 

✅ Building a career in marketing through authenticity 

✅ Why she turned down a huge job opportunity that looked perfect to the outside world 

✅ Advice on building authentic connections and networks 

✅ Learning from failures and rejection 

✅ Her definition of leadership

Don’t forget to connect: 

This week's episode is a masterclass in authenticity. We dive deep into the life of Tommie Edwards, a self-proclaimed introvert who transformed from managing a family business at 16 to becoming a venture-backed CEO of Tech1M but her story isn't just about business—it's about finding joy in life's simple moments while building something extraordinary.

🌟 Highlights You Can't Miss:

• Building a 7 figure logistics empire from feeding her curiosity.
• Losing £400K overnight and turning that setback into a comeback
• Managing a business at 16 while her peers were just starting to dream
• The extraordinary story of using modelling money to fund her UK dreams
• Understanding the crucial difference between "vitamin" and "painkiller" businesses
• Finding harmony between building tech empires and binge-watching Selling Sunset

🔥 Quotable Moment: "Pressure is a privilege. I'm excited to have this pressure, but every single day I have to wake up knowing that I'm carrying this."

Connect with Tommie Edwards