Power in Diversity

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Dr Doyin Atewologun, a psychologist and scholar practitioner. Doyin is the CEO and founder of Delta, a leadership and inclusion consultancy, and also serves as a leadership program advisor at Rhodes Trust at the University of Oxford. She has been recognized for her innovative methodologies and pioneering work in promoting inclusion and excellence in organizations. Doyin shares her insights on diversity and inclusion, drawing from her extensive experience in coaching, executive education, and program design. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of diversity and inclusion with Doyin.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

BEST MOMENTS

• "Diversity is all of the different ways in which humanity exists."
• "Inclusion is about making sure that the differences that used to matter before don't matter anymore."
• "When you put the payout from the investment in unleashing the talent of all types of humanity, it's certainly worth the effort."
• "Unconscious bias training is a starting point, it raises your awareness of implicit bias. What do you do with it?"
• "All of us have something to bring. Let us just make it okay for everybody to bring what they have to bring."

EPISODE RESOURES

https://deltaalphapsi.com/resources/

Government Report - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities/foreword-introduction-and-full-recommendations

GMC Report – Fair to Refer

BMA Report – Why are we still here

EHRC -  Unconscious Bias Report

GUEST CONTACT METHOD

https://deltaalphapsi.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-doyin-atewologun-1025343/

ABOUT THE GUEST

Doyin is a multiple award-winning chartered business psychologist, consultant, speaker, executive coach, researcher and skilled facilitator.

She is also a thought leader in diversity and inclusivity, multiple identities and organisational leadership. She has worked with several FTSE 100 businesses, United Nations agencies, the UK Civil Service and professional services firms. Past engagements include leadership development for a global financial institution, coaching for aspiring senior civil servants, a diversity audit for an industry regulator and implicit bias training for legal services.

Doyin is Deputy Chair of the British Psychology Society’s Diversity and Inclusion at Work group. She is Advisor, Scholar Leadership Development & Programming, The Rhodes Trust, previously Dean of Rhodes Scholarships at the University of Oxford. She also currently holds faculty positions at Cranfield School of Management, UK; Queen Mary University of London, School of Business and Management; Lagos Business School, Nigeria and the Human Resources Management Department at University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Doyin was the lead researcher of the 2017 Sir John Parker Review into ethnic diversity on FTSE 100 boards (commissioned by the then UK Secretary of State for Business).

These experiences and qualifications combined, give Doyin an extensive understanding of leadership development in the context of diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications:

• PhD Organisational Behaviour
• MRes Masters in Management Research
• MSc. Occupational Psychology
• BSc. Psychology
• Chartered and Registered Occupational Psychologist
• Test User: Occupational Ability and Personality qualifications

ABOUT THE HOST 

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience.

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

On returning from a 5-day conference Dr Omo would like to share with you what she has learned listening to peak performance coach Tony Robbins, top Life and Business Strategist, and supporting many people to overcome their reticence in facing their challenges and fears by, literally, walking through fire. Find out what Dr Omo learned from helping others through this cathartic breakthrough. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  As a conference volunteer, Dr Omo was responsible for helping 8000 people who are deciding to walk across hot coal as a symbolic leap to conquer fear and overwhelm.
• As we grow older the responsibility and stakes grow so the possibility of failure holds more weight. 
• When you want to achieve something the best way to build your momentum is to surround yourself with people who are going to champion you.
• We often carry false beliefs about our capabilities, even during the performance of tasks that we believe ourselves to be incapable of.
• Do not be afraid to ask advice from those individuals whose leadership you look up to and would like to emulate.  
• Be clear on your target goal and do not think you have to achieve it ruthlessly.

BEST MOMENTS
‘His name is Tony Robbins. He’s a peak performance coach and I’ve started listening to him and working with him since 2015 and my life has truly been changed. I really believe that he came into my life at the right time.’
‘God surrounds you with the people around you to make it happen.’
‘As the participants were coming to the point where they had to walk on the fire, what really, really helped them was when we were all chanting with them. We were like; ‘Yes, yes, yes!’’
‘I was volunteering and registering about 800 people and saying hello to people with ease. Despite the fact that I was welcoming people, greeting people at the door so easily, I taught myself that I was shy.’
‘Taking charge of you moving into your next leadership position is your responsibility.’

CONTACT METHOD
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease.
Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face.
I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST
Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience.
Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

This episodes guest is the exciting and inspiring Titilayo Ameh, a registered Psychotherapist (MBACP) and Counsellor, a mental health and well-being workshop leader, an advocate for vulnerable youth, a successful podcast host, and a facilitator of hundreds of clients to eliminate stress and create balanced lifestyles so they can live engaged with their loved ones while pursuing their passions and purpose with joy. Listen in to this conversation covering biofeedback therapy, misalignment and imbalances, equality, masculine and feminine energy, and Titilayo’s plans for the future.   

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Titilayo specialises in coaching areas of personal development, anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, addiction, trauma and inner-child healing.
• Having gained insight into many different cultures during her 18 years experience in international counselling, Titilayo can apply all she has learned to her diverse clients.
• Biofeedback machines access a unique energy blueprint and analyse you to find your stresses.
• The yin-yang, female/male energy needs to be in balance as too much masculine energy creates burnout, and too much feminine energy creates depression.
• Strong, clear boundaries assertively communicated save you from the stress of triggers.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I understand what it’s like to feel so lost and just the hope of knowing I can do something that I love, so I got into counselling.’

‘In this program, we’re helping people cleanse their toxins, physical and emotional. We’ll be balancing their bodies and we’re really helping them pursue their passions in alignment.’

‘Giving a voice to what it can be like for a brown woman and the inner turmoil that you go through that you can’t really explain to those around you.’  

‘There are days of rest where I’m just nurturing, self-caring and making sure I’m looking after myself.’

‘You have the right to feel safe and comfortable.’

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.titilayoamehill.com/

ABOUT THE GUEST

Titilayo is a counsellor and psychotherapist registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). She has a Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Counselling from the University of Surrey. She trained in mental health with the National Health Service(NHS) in the UK and possesses over 15 years of experience working in paediatric clinics, corporate organisations, educational settings, and youth services. She is a certified Paws B Mindfulness Curriculum Teacher and a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator trained to teach in schools and corporate organisations.

GUEST CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/titi.hill.3

https://www.linkedin.com/in/titilayo-ameh-b94b118a

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease.

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face.

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

CONTACT METHOD

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

Today’s guest is a woman who you should listen to and pay attention to. I hope you have a notepad to hand because you’re sure to learn a lot. Olasubomi Iginla-Aina is a recipient of the Member of the British Empire (MBE), Director of GNEC liaising for the Global NGO to the UN, and founder of the Lightup Foundation. She joins Omo on Power in Diversity to tell her story made up of faith, loss, trials and tribulations, and solutions. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Olasubomi Aina is the Chief Executive Officer of Lightup Foundation, an NGO that helps young people advance in their careers. The organisation inspires young people by providing support, advice, as well as organising educational programmes to help them grow. Since its launch in 2000, Lightup Foundation has impacted the lives of people across Africa and Europe.
• Olasubomi has been involved in youth advocacy in Nigeria for over 25 years and played a vital role in the preparation of the first Youth Policy Document for Nigeria, the first in Africa. She has been involved in diverse international development projects and she has proudly represented Nigeria on the global stage through her works.
• Olasubomi believes that it’s the trials and tribulations she has faced in her life that has prepared her for leading others and solving issues. Those past experiences on her journey have placed her in a position where she knows how to handle something before it even becomes a problem.
• God and her faith is what guides Olasubomi through her life and gives her the strength to do what is right. He works through her and sees herself as clay in the hands of the maker. God has truly guided Olasubomi’s journey. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘God does not called the qualified, but he qualifies the called’

‘I don’t want you to admire me to the point where you want to be like me’

‘I’m always concerned about making things better, solutions, solutions, solutions’

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Olasubomi Iginla Aina MBE on LinkedIn

Olasubomi Iginla Aina (@ainasubomi) • Instagram photos and videos

Olasubomi Iginla Aina MBE. (@ainasubomii) / Twitter

Light Up Foundation

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Olasubomi Iginla-Aina is a mother of three, a humanitarian, and recipient of the Member of the British Empire (MBE) award. The award was given to her by Prince William, who represented Her Majesty, the Queen of England. In 2021 she was globally elected to become the director of the global NGO, GNEC and liaises with the UN. Olasubomi has consistently worked behind the scenes in touching numerous lives across the globe. She is the founder/CEO of Lightup Foundation, which provides succour, inspiration and empowerment to the youth of the world. 

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

Welcome to the first episode of Power in Diversity with Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo, this podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As a great introduction to the podcast we have a fantastic guest, Dr Anna Kusi on the show. Anna is a medical doctor with a background in obstetrics and gynaecology and is the founder of Black Female Doctors UK with the aim of uniting black female doctors to support each other in their careers. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Black women and women from ethnic minority groups reach menopause on average eight months earlier than other races. We also tend to have more symptoms and more severe symptoms that last longer. This can lead to more health implications and more research needs to be done. 
• We can get menopause ready by generally staying fit, that means eating healthily, getting regular exercise, and not smoking. When your body stops producing as much oestrogen, we need to make sure our bodies are in the best state possible to deal with that change. 
• Perimenopausal symptoms include Irregular periods. Hot flashes and sleep problems. Mood changes. Vaginal and bladder problems. Vaginal dryness. Decreasing fertility. Changes in sexual function. Loss of bone. And changing cholesterol levels. You may have all or none of these symptoms. 
• Anna has experienced a lack of diversity while studying to be a doctor in Bristol, there was a lack of black women doctors for her to look up to and gain inspiration from. 
• This lack of diversity did sometimes give her a feeling of being ‘other’ like she didn’t belong. Some people even thought she was a foreign student despite growing up in Peckham. At the time it was very isolating for Anna but now she says that she works with a much more diverse group of doctors. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘We forget that the menopause can affect any woman at any age’ 

‘We need to be menopause ready and do it like a real boss lady’

‘With the lack of diversity, you can feel the imposter syndrome’ 

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Black Female Doctors UK (@blackfemaledrs.uk) • Instagram photos and videos

Dr Anna Kusi on LinkedIn

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Dr Anna Kusi is a medical doctor with a background in obstetrics and gynaecology and is the founder of Black Female Doctors UK with the aim of uniting black female doctors to support each other in their careers. She’s also a mum of two and a strong advocate of post reproductive health for women.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease. 

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face. 

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

Dr Chinwe Akuonu graduated from King’s College London with multiple awards to her name, such as London’s Best Young Dentist finalist 2022. She is currently a key opinion leader for Colgate. She dedicates time to mentoring aspiring dentists, creating education videos to promote oral health, volunteering, and advocating for inclusivity within the dental profession. Dr Cinwe joins Dr Omo on Power in Diversity to share her story and hopefully inspire you to aim for the best. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Resilience is important to build as a young person. Chinwe always knew she could do whatever she wanted because of her desire and drive. Even with the traumas and challenges she faced when her family moved from Nigeria to Italy and the racism they endured, Chinwe had the personality to let it build her character, rather than break it. 
• Growing up in an area of Italy which didn’t have a black community and without many friends at school, Chinwe had to rely on her family for support. It’s lucky she has a twin sister and another sister only a year different in age from her. 
• Chinwe has the ability to do things by herself, even at a young age she flew to London on her own for her interview at King’s College and impressed them so much they broke protocol and pretty much told her she’d got in. 
• Chinwe’s goal is to create a practice where anyone can walk in and feel like they’re safe and they belong there regardless of race or age or anything that people have made them feel other for. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘These experiences build you and your resilience.’ 

‘I’m not going to give up even if they laugh at me..’

‘It’s hard when you see injustice and others turn away.’

‘Validation does not need to come from anywhere external.’

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Dr Chinwe Akuonu on LinkedIn

Dr Chinwe Akuonu (@dr.chinwe.55) • Instagram photos and videos

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Dr Chinwe Akuonu graduated from King’s College London with multiple awards to her name, such as London’s Best Young Dentist finalist 2022. She is currently a key opinion leader for Colgate. Her dental career started 10 years ago, as a dental hygienist in Italy.

Chinwe is very passionate about her job. She has a keen interest in restorative and endodontic treatments. She dedicates time to mentoring aspiring dentists, creating education videos to promote oral health, volunteering, and advocating for inclusivity within the dental profession. She has written several articles on the topic of equality and diversity and has been invited to be a speaker at multiple events, in and outside dentistry.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease. 

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face. 

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

Dr Maggie Andi is a Dental Practice Owner, Holistic Dentist, Life Coach, and passionate Youth Football Coach. She joins Oma today on Power in Diversity to talk about her career in dentistry, the different hats she wears as a life coach and football coach, and her wonderful attitude when it comes to tackling obstacles and seeing them as opportunities to grow and give. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• From a British Nigerian family, Maggie is a working mum with three young children, one of whom is a West End award winning actress, one is a busy netballer and another a youth pro footballer. Her husband is a surgeon so the get up and go attitude extends to the whole family. 
• Maggie overcame dyslexia to make the transition from modelling to footballing dental student in 1998. She didn’t make the grades on her offer but with her drive and social skills she convinced them to let her study anyway. Maggie qualified in the top 10 in her year 2003 at age 22.
• There is a massive untapped potential within the brains of every human being. Maggie sees this every day when coaching youth football, if you tell them they can do it and show them how to practise, then that sponge like brain can learn to do anything. 
• The worst thing that will happen is nothing. If you try and it doesn’t work, then the worst place you can be is right back where you started, only with a little more knowledge of what to do next time. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘I remember thinking for the first time in a long time, it is possible to try’ 

‘I can’t handle sick children and dying people, so that ruled out medicine’

‘Sometimes you just fall into something and you know if it’s right for you’

‘The world will move in a certain way when it’s ready for something’

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Maggie on LinkedIn

Mill Hill Dental Practice

Maggie Data Andi (@maggietheholisticdentist) • Instagram photos and videos

Dr Maggie Data Andi BDS MJDF RCSEng MFDS CGDent UK (@maggie_andi) / Twitter

ABOUT THE GUEST 

“I qualified from St Barts and the Royal London, Queen Mary school of medicine and dentistry in 2003, aged just 22. It’s been a tremendous learning journey since I have embarked on several post graduate courses and gained certification in various fields of restorative dentistry. I was extremely proud to receive my prestigious Membership of the joint dental faculties of Surgery and General Practice. 

I love so many aspects of my profession, and as such have never specialised as I would rather not be limited to one niche, or indeed one profession! I inherited my fierce, stubborn entrepreneurial spirit from my father who, not content with being a Professor, is now fulfilling his ambition of building a university!”

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease. 

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face. 

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

The amazing Fiona Campbell is with us today on Power in Diversity. Her career has been very diverse, going from air traffic control to hospitality to sales. She's a clinical hypnotherapy, an NLP trainer, an executive coach, and a corporate facilitator. As a certified NLP business trainer, Fiona is helping businesses with communication skills, leadership development, and sales training.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• One of the biggest breaks Fiona had in her career was getting into sales at Xerox without a university degree. The hiring manager said we can train you, you'll learn, you've already demonstrated how you can be organised, and the attitude you’ve demonstrated is what we’re looking for. 
• If you’re telling yourself that you have imposter syndrome and feel like you’re not deserving of your success, then you should listen to Fiona’s advice on changing how you talk to yourself. Changing the way you think about yourself changes how you feel about yourself. recognise your successes, when you do something well, write it down and then when you feel like an imposter, read it. 
• When a man is asked to do something in business, he'll normally say yes and do it. When a woman's asked to do something, she'll say, oh, well, I haven't done this, and I haven't done that. Women will start talking about all the things they can't do or that they haven't done before. They verbalise it to themselves, whereas the guys do it in their own heads.
• When you're in a leadership position, say yes and then find out how you're going to do it. Don't talk about everything you can't do. Talk about the things you can do.
• Something Fiona always says to leaders when succession planning is that they need to find out the people that want to be developed and grown. You pick the people that are putting their hands up. You cannot train in enthusiasm and motivation. You have to find those qualities in a person and develop the rest. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘It’s lifelong learning, nothing stops, and age does not matter.'

‘Stop telling yourself you're an imposter. Stop it. Stop putting that label onto yourself.’

‘If you don't open your mouth in business and say what you've achieved, someone else is going to own it for themselves.’

‘Get me involved in something I want. How can I help? How can I do this? Say to your manager, in two years' time, I would love to be in that position like you. How do I do it?’

‘If you use language in a certain way, you can influence behaviour.’

EPISODE RESOURCES 

www.nlpbusinesscircle.com

Fiona on LinkedIn

ABOUT THE GUEST 

“I started my career in Air Traffic Control, moved into Hospitality and for many years worked around Europe running clubs and bars. I then transitioned into Sales and had been working in Dubai as a Sales Manager for Xerox in the late 80s when I got my big NLP 'WOW' moment.

This is when I knew that I had stumbled on something special. My introduction to NLP was the catalyst to major life changes. I moved back to the UK and immersed myself in learning as much as I could about the way the mind works.

I qualified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Business Performance Coach, NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner, Licensed NLP Trainer and finally, an NLP Business Coach Trainer. In 2001 I set up my own company focusing on helping others learn to use NLP techniques to help them become better Business  Leaders and Coaches.

I developed a range of NLP-based Corporate Communication, Presentation and Coaching courses. In 2005 I created my NLP Business Practitioner, NLP Business Master Practitioner and NLP Business Coach Programmes. I have been delivering these in the UK, UAE and India since 2020, and I now deliver most of my training online.

As we are living in a time of complete disruption, the need for business leaders to develop the mental agility that NLP skills provide has never been greater.

Having spent years refining the use of NLP for business and coaching, it's now my passion to train as many people as I can to use these amazing techniques to help others have more choices and lead the best life they can”

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease. 

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face. 

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

Today’s guest on Power in Diversity is someone Dr. Omo has watched grow from strength to strength. Elaine Cunningham Walker is an award-winning educational strategist and founder of the Global Educational Consulting firm, who has also been featured in Forbes. As a mother of two highly gifted children, both of whom were endorsed by Manasa after appearing on Channel Four's Child Genius, Elaine has become a go-to consultant for parents seeking advice on how to bring out the best in their own children.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Elaine finds that many children lack the emotional intelligence and resilience to deal with the personal struggles they face on the education path. However, she lives by the code “There is Genius in every child, it just needs nurtured and developed”. 
• Elaine has become an advocate for building the next generation of leaders, emphasising the importance of ensuring that people who look like her and her children are represented in top positions. She believes that the reason for the underrepresentation of certain groups at the top is due to a lack of access to the right schools, friends, and networks.
• Networking is all about leaving a lasting impression on people's minds. It's important to be memorable for the right reasons, and unfortunately, our community often fails to achieve this.
• As women, we often neglect investing in ourselves. We tend to invest in others but fail to invest in ourselves by seeking out mentors, coaches, or individuals who have already achieved success and can provide positive guidance or advice on what steps we need to take to reach our goals.
• When we are labelled as being angry, it is because we are trying to win the argument with emotion instead of facts. If we speak from a place of facts rather than emotion, people will perceive us differently, and we will not come across as angry.

BEST MOMENTS

‘The statistics say that if you're a black single mother, your children must end up on a particular trajectory. And I didn't want that for my children’

‘You can do everything right, but if you don't know someone who knows somebody who knows somebody, those doors cannot be open for you’

‘Pitch yourself as somebody that they need to know’

‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step’

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Elaine on LinkedIn

Elaine Cunningham-Walker

Elaine C Walker BSc, MSc (@elainecwalker) / Twitter

Elaine C Walker|Mentor|Speaker|Female Founder (@elainecwalker) • Instagram photos and videos

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Elaine Cunningham Walker is an award-winning educational strategist and founder of the Global Educational Consulting firm, who has been featured in Forbes. As a mother of two highly gifted children, both of whom were endorsed by Manasa after appearing on Channel Four's Child Genius series in 2015, Elaine has become a go-to consultant for parents seeking advice on how to bring out the best in their own children. Her personal experience in raising her children, and securing their admission with music and drama scholarships to top boarding schools, including St. Paul's, Eton and Harrow, has made her a specialist in bespoke educational roadmaps, tuition, and strategies to help children achieve similar success.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease. 

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face. 

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo

Hoda Zekavat has spent her whole life seeking answers to how she can better function and be a wholesome member of society while struggling with depression, PTSD, anxiety and other dissociative disorders. After experiencing over 30 years of Christianity, Islam, and New Ageism, her belief that everything lies within and not without has become unshakable. Hoda and host Omo will be talking about how Hoda helps others back to the truth within themselves. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Hoda’s work involves healing past childhood, generational difficulties, challenges and traumas through hypnosis. This is to release the person from feeling like they are blocked from moving forward in their life and realising a dream. 
• True inner peace is unshakable, it cannot be robbed from you by outside factors such as money troubles, losing a job, losing a relationship, anything that can shake a person to their core.
• Theta waves are strong during internal focus, meditation, prayer, and spiritual awareness. It reflects the state between wakefulness and sleep and relates to the subconscious mind. It is abnormal in awake adults but is perfectly normal in children up to 13 years old. It is also normal during sleep.
• The mother wound is the cultural trauma that is carried by a mother, along with any dysfunctional coping mechanisms that have been used to process that pain. There is a lack of fulfilment that all women are trying to deal with. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘Hypnosis isn’t about controlling another person, it’s a deep state of calm’

‘I decided never to go there again and take responsibility for my own life’

‘Once I became a mum, I lost a sense of who I was’

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Hoda Zekavat • Coach • Speaker (@phalvacoaching) • Instagram photos and videos

Hoda on LinkedIn

Hoda Zekavat - Coach - Speaker | Linktree

Love Your Phalva Podcast

ABOUT THE GUEST 

“Hi there, my name is Hoda, I’m a transformation coach and speaker based in Berlin. My expertise lies in Hypnosis, Shadow Work and Inner Child Healing, all stemming from Jungian Psychoanalysis.

I see my role as a catalyst of transformation through exploring the effects of the individual’s inner masculine-feminine energy dynamics on their external reality.

Having myself overcome decades of trauma and abuse, while accumulating 18 years of language teaching, 11 years of confidence coaching, and 3 years of transformative coaching experience, I offer a safe space for your healing and transformation into the version of yourself that feels more like home.”

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

Power in Diversity Podcast is a space where professional women from diverse backgrounds, eager to grow as leaders, come to be inspired and gain wisdom from other leaders. As my guests share their journey, I hope that it will give you; an aspiring or established female leader; meaning to your journey, illuminating your path and equipping you with a greater understanding of how to carve and navigate your success pathway with greater ease. 

Power in Diversity Podcast is also designed to equip not only individuals but, crucially, organisations who must learn to create diverse and inclusive organisations practically and not merely as a tick box exercise; especially now in this ever-changing world, everyone’s diverse insight is vital to solving world issues. I hope that this podcast allows organisations to appreciate the real barriers female and ethnic minority groups face in stepping into leadership, barriers sadly I and many others have faced, and many continue to face. 

I’m proud to be British and proud of my African Heritage, my tribe, part of the Benin Empire. I feel blessed to be a woman. This is a non-judgmental space, but a space to learn and to become aware of the gifts and Power in Diversity.

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omo Akoje Okonkwo is a practising Cosmetic Dental Surgeon working in Private Clinics in Surrey. Her passion for empowering her patients and team led her to Transformational coaching to bring about significant change in others.  Her many skill sets and ability to motivate people quickly opened leadership roles for her, including Director of Health care Projects and Clinical Lead and Senior Tutor at the prestigious King College Dental Hospital. Along her journey, she faced numerous setbacks despite her passion, academic background and experience. 

Notwithstanding, her passion for excellence and growth led her to embark on an MBA at the Renowned Warwick Business School. Her desire to empower women steered her to conduct qualitative research exploring Gender, Leadership, and Identity. Her findings revealed what she had always sensed, the leadership labyrinth for female and ethnic minority leaders that exists. It is now Dr Omo’s mission to educate and equip individuals, organisations, and countries on the necessity, mindset, and steps to create inclusion at all levels of society.

CONTACT METHOD 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.omo_uk/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omo-okonkwo-65b8a542/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omo.okonkwo