The Planned Life Podcast

She had options. Boston College. Graduate degrees from London. A career in international development across Africa. She could have stayed comfortable abroad.

But she heard something bigger calling her home.

Not to get rich. Not to escape. But to serve. To lead. To represent her people. To advocate for women and youth in Nigerian government. To bring evidence-based policy into a system that desperately needs it.

That takes a different kind of courage.

I'm sitting with Honorable Sarah Adidi today—a diaspora returnee, policy advocate, and mentor to young leaders in Nigeria. Her story is exactly what The Planned Life is built for.

In this conversation, Sarah shares:

• What it felt like to have a successful life abroad and hear God calling her home
• The real cost of saying yes to an unplanned calling
• What it's like to step into leadership in Nigerian politics as a young woman
• How evidence-based policy is changing government—one decision at a time
• The hard days of public service and what keeps her going
• How faith shows up in her advocacy work
• What she wants young women and young people to know about their potential to lead
• What she's learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned

This episode is for:

• Diaspora kids wondering if they should come home
• Young people wrestling with a calling to serve their country
• Anyone questioning whether they can make a difference in their home country
• Young women wondering if they can step into leadership
• People navigating faith and public service
• Anyone who feels called to something bigger but is afraid
• People who've left comfort for calling

The Anchor Question: What have you learned about God through the things that have NOT gone as planned in your life?

Sarah's Work: Director of Technical Services, Youth in Parliament Forum (YIPF) Candidate for House of Representatives (AMAC/Bwari, 2027) Advocate for evidence-based governance, women's empowerment, youth inclusion

Connect: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected]

#ThePlannedLife #DiasporaStories #Leadership #YoungWomen #PublicService #Faith #Nigeria #Evidence-BasedPolicy #Politics #Calling #UnplannedLife #FaithJourney #YouthLeadership #WomensEmpowerment #Podcast

When your third child is born healthy and perfect, you think you've got this figured out. You've done it twice before. You have a rhythm. You understand parenthood.

But then a health crisis hits. Extended hospitalizations. Feeding tubes. Medications. Financial devastation. Your business threatened. Your peace shattered.

This is the story of Pastor Nyke and Pastor Sewun.

They had a plan. They had faith. They had each other. But nothing prepared them for a long health crisis with their daughter that would test everything they believed.

In this raw, honest conversation, they share:

• What it's really like to live in a hospital when you're also trying to run a business
• The financial burden 
• Where God shows up when doctors prepare you for the worst
• What faith actually looks like when your baby is suffering
• How to keep trusting when medical outcomes are uncertain
• What they learned about God through it all

This episode isn't for people looking for a neat, tidy redemption story. It's for people in the hard middle right now. Parents whose children are sick. Couples navigating medical crises. People wondering if they can survive this. Pastor Nyke and Pastor Sewun are here to tell you: You can. And God never left.

The Anchor Question: What have you learned about God through the things that have NOT gone as planned in your life?

If you're:

• Navigating a child's health crisis right now
• Dealing with the financial devastation of extended hospitalization
• Wondering how to keep faith when everything falls apart
• Watching your child suffer and questioning God
• Feeling alone in this
• Facing the breakdown of your business/livelihood due to a medical crisis

This episode is for you.

Connect: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected]

New episodes drop every Wednesday 

#ThePlannedLife #Podcast #HealthCrisis #Faith #Parenthood #Marriage #ChristianPodcast #Resilience #Hope #Testimony #FaithInCrisis #Healing #God #UnplannedLife #Pastor #ChildHealth

Is your dream taking too long? Are you tired of hearing no? Have you been rejected so many times you're wondering if you should just give up? Then this episode is for you.

Roye Okupe grew up in Lagos, falling in love with superheroes. TMNT, Batman, X-Men. He didn't just want to watch them — he wanted to CREATE them. But for over a decade, every door closed. Producers said no. One said his work was good — if he just changed his characters' race. He didn't. He kept going anyway.

He quit his job. He ran out of money. He went back to work. He quit again. For ten years, the answer was no.

And then it broke through. Dark Horse deal. Iyanu on HBO Max. #1 on Cartoon Network. NAACP Image Award nominations. Three of them.

In this conversation, Roye shares what faith looks like when your dream takes longer than you expected. How to stay motivated when the answer is no. What happens when you refuse to compromise your vision. And how turning your pain into purpose sustains you through a decade of rejection.

This episode is for:

• Anyone whose dream feels like it's taking too long
• People who've been told their vision isn't marketable
• Those wondering if they should give up and take the practical path
• Anyone learning to trust God's timeline
• People who want to see African talent and stories represented in mainstream media

The Anchor Question: What have you learned about God through the things that have NOT gone as planned in your life?

Resources & Links: Roye's work: @iyanutheanimated Dark Horse Comics: darkhorse.com

Connect: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected]

#ThePlannedLife #Podcast #Faith #Dreams #Perseverance #Persistence #AnimationStudio #AfricanStories #ChristianPodcast #Resilience #Calling #UnplannedLife

We're officially halfway through 2026. And instead of diving into a new guest interview, I paused to do something different: a reset.

When my guest had to cancel this week, my husband suggested I take a moment to recap where we've been in Season 1. And honestly? We needed this.

In this episode, I'm reflecting on the five incredible stories we've shared so far — and what they're teaching all of us about faith, resilience, and trusting God when life doesn't go as planned.

WHAT WE COVER:

• My mom's story of widowhood and sacrifice (and what it means if you've been dealt an unexpected card)
• Bimbo's courage to say no to what looked safe (and a message for anyone struggling with a major life decision)
• Akintayomi's transition from photography to owning a venue (and what spiritual growth looks like when you step into something bigger)
• Ally Morgan's devastating loss and the redemption that followed (and how leaning into God is the only way through)
• Pastor Wale's unexpected calling to lead (and why being the "black sheep" might be exactly what qualifies you)

THEMES:

• Gratitude for our community and listeners
• The common thread running through every episode
• Permission to rest while planning
• Encouragement for anyone in an unplanned season right now
• A sneak peek at what's coming in Season 1
• Why your story matters

THE ANCHOR QUESTION:

What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?

CONNECT:

📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:

The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

He was supposed to have a normal life. A successful IT career. A clear, predictable path. And then his Senior Pastor saw something in him that nobody else, including himself, could see.

Pastor Wale's story is about answering a call you never expected to receive. It's about being the "black sheep" in your family and discovering that's exactly why God chose you. It's about saying yes to something that terrified you, and then finding that it becomes the greatest purpose of your life.

In this episode, Pastor Wale shares:

• Why was he the last person anyone thought would become a Pastor
• The moment his senior pastor asked him to lead
• How he balanced an IT career with pastoring young adults for a decade
• What faith looks like when you're the unexpected choice
• How being "not the type" actually became his superpower
• Leading thousands of young people through authentic, vulnerable ministry
• What he's learned about God through an unplanned calling
• Why wouldn't he trade this unexpected path for anything

This conversation is for anyone who feels like they don't fit the expected mold. Anyone who's heard a calling that surprised them. Anyone who's been told they're not "the type" and discovered they actually are exactly the right type.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Unexpected callings
• Being the black sheep
• Faith over fear
• Bi-vocational ministry
• Purpose and calling
• Leading young adults
• God's vision vs. human expectations
• Embracing the unexpected

THE ANCHOR QUESTION: "What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?"

CONNECT: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

Some losses are so devastating that they rewrite your entire life. Ally Morgan has lived through that kind of loss.

In this episode, Ally shares her story of unimaginable grief, the faith it took to survive, and the unexpected work she's doing now through Seeds & Leaven — building community for people navigating their own unbearable seasons.

Ally talks about:

• The moment her life changed forever
• Navigating the darkest seasons of grief
• Finding faith when God feels far away
• Rebuilding your life after loss
• How her pain became her purpose
• Creating Seeds & Leaven as an act of faith
• What she's learned about God through devastation
• How to show up for others in their grief

This conversation is for anyone who's experienced loss so profound it changes everything. Anyone who's wondered how to keep going. Anyone who needs to know that life can continue — differently, but meaningfully — after the unthinkable.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Loss and grief
• Surviving devastation
• Faith in darkness
• Purpose after pain
• Community and healing
• Seeds & Leaven ministry
• Hope after loss

THE ANCHOR QUESTION: "What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?"

CONNECT: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

She didn't leave because he was bad. She didn't leave because he hurt her. She left because, deep down, she knew it wasn't right.

But everyone expected the wedding. The date was picked. The dress was picked. The future was certain. And yet something inside her whispered that this wasn't God's plan, even if it looked like the safe choice.

Bimbo's story is about the courage to walk away from something that seemed perfect on paper because her spirit knew it wasn't perfect in reality. It's about trusting God more than certainty. It's about choosing the unknown over the comfortable.

In this episode, Bimbo shares:

• The moment she knew, even though she couldn't fully explain it
• How to honor someone while walking away
• The loneliness of making an unpopular decision
• Trusting your intuition when it contradicts everyone else's expectations
• What it looks like to choose God's plan over your own
• The fear of the unknown vs. the clarity of following God
• How she's learned to live with that decision
• Finding peace in trusting God, even when the path isn't clear

This conversation is for anyone who's felt God whisper "no" to something that looks like "yes." Anyone who's had to make an unpopular choice because they knew in their spirit it was right. Anyone who's chosen faith over comfort.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Trusting your intuition/God's voice
• Walking away with integrity
• Faith over certainty
• Making unpopular decisions
• Following God's plan, not your own
• The courage it takes to say no
• Finding peace after a difficult choice
• Living with conviction

THE ANCHOR QUESTION: "What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?"

CONNECT: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

At some point, you have to let go of your plans and surrender to God's.

Akintayomi had built a successful photography business. He had control. He had a plan. He had a vision for his life. But then something happened that forced him to choose: hold onto what he'd created, or surrender to what God was calling him toward.

This episode is about that moment. That sacred space between the end of "me" and the beginning of God's vision for a life beyond what he could have imagined.

In this raw, honest conversation, Akintayomi shares:

• The moment he realized his plans weren't God's plans
• What it looks like to surrender control
• The fear of letting go of everything he'd built
• How faith deepens when you have nothing left but trust
• The unexpected blessings that come after surrender
• Building an event space and ministry page that's transforming lives
• What he's learned about God through the unplanned

This conversation is sacred territory. It's about the moment when your will meets God's will, and you have to choose which one to follow.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Surrender and faith
• Letting go of control
• Personal plans vs. God's vision
• Fear and trust
• The moment of decision
• Building something bigger than yourself
• What happens when you say yes to God

THE ANCHOR QUESTION: "What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?"

CONNECT WITH ME: 📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod 🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

WATCH THIS IF: ✓ You're at a crossroads between your plans and God's calling ✓ You're struggling to surrender control ✓ You want to see what happens when someone truly trusts God ✓ You're afraid of stepping into the unknown ✓ You need proof that God's vision is bigger than your own ✓ You believe in the power of real, vulnerable faith stories ✓ You're ready to let go

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS: Akintayomi's story is a testament to what happens when you stop fighting for your plans and start trusting God's. It's not about giving up. It's about surrendering to something greater. It's about discovering that the end of you might be the most faithful place you've ever stood.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE: ✓ SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications 🔔 ✓ LIKE this video ✓ COMMENT: What are you struggling to surrender to God? ✓ SHARE with someone who needs to hear this message

New episodes drop every Wednesday 

HASHTAGS

#ThePlannedLife #Surrender #Faith #God #Trust #Calling #Podcast #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #RealStories #Podcast #NewEpisode #ListenNow #Akintayomi #TheRealStory #Hope #Resilience

She was supposed to have her husband for this season. She was supposed to navigate five teenagers with a partner, with help, with someone who understood.

Instead, she became a widow at 44.
In this episode, my mother shares the raw, honest reality of losing her spouse, raising five teenagers through her own grief, discovering unexpected strength, and learning that faith looks completely different when your worst fear becomes real.

This isn't a story of triumph over tragedy. This is a story of what it actually looks like to survive when everything falls apart. This is what resilience really looks like.

GUEST:
My mother — the strongest woman I know

TOPICS COVERED:
The moment everything changed
Navigating her own grief while parenting five teenagers
The financial and emotional toll of loss
Finding faith when it feels impossible
Rebuilding an entire life from scratch
Choosing joy after devastation
What real resilience looks like
Why she kept going

THE ANCHOR QUESTION:
"What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?"

CONNECT WITH ME:
📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod
🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

WATCH THIS IF:
✓ You've lost a loved one unexpectedly
✓ You're widowed or a single parent
✓ You're raising teenagers alone
✓ You need to see what resilience actually looks like
✓ You're navigating grief while caring for others
✓ You need hope that life continues after a devastating loss
✓ You want to hear a real, honest story without sugar coating

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS:
My mother's story isn't sanitized. It's not a Hallmark movie. It's real. It's raw. It's painful. And it's absolute proof that rising again is possible — even when you don't think you can survive another day.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE:
✓ SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications 🔔
✓ LIKE this video
✓ COMMENT: What did my mom's story teach you about resilience?
✓ SHARE with someone who is walking through loss right now

I spent my whole life planning. I controlled what I could control. I orchestrated outcomes. I had a blueprint for everything.

And then real life arrived.

In this episode, I'm sharing my story — the unplanned seasons that shattered my carefully crafted plans and forced me to discover what it really means to trust God when things don't go as expected.

I'm Shile Bello, host of The Planned Life Podcast. This is my why. This is how I got here. And this is why I created a space for the stories that don't fit the plan.

TOPICS COVERED:
-The pressure of planning perfection
-When control becomes a prison
-The season that changed everything
-Learning to surrender
-Finding faith in the unplanned
-Why I created this podcast

THE ANCHOR QUESTION:
"What have you learned about God through the things that have not gone as planned in your life?"

CONNECT WITH ME:
📱 Instagram: @theplannedlifepod
🌐 Website: theplannedlifepod.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Listen on all podcast apps: theplannedlifepod.com

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Planned Life is for people who thought they had life figured out, and then God had a different vision. Each episode features real conversations about resilience, faith, and trusting God when life takes unexpected turns.

WATCH THIS IF:
✓ You're a planner who's lost control
✓ You've walked through an unplanned season
✓ You're learning to trust God's plan over your own
✓ You need encouragement that God is faithful
✓ You believe in the power of vulnerable stories
JOIN THE PLANNERS AT HEART COMMUNITY:
People who thought they had it all figured out, and then God had a different vision.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE:
✓ SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications 🔔
✓ LIKE this video
✓ COMMENT: What's one unplanned season that changed your faith?
✓ SHARE with someone who needs to hear this
New episodes drop every Wednesday