Tosin Taiwo

He quit his job to go all in on his art. Then the savings ran out.

Ade "Asiko" Okelarin had a chemistry degree, a master's in bioinformatics and a solid career in pharma; he did photography on the side. Then he decided to quit his pharma job in Belgium and move back to London with his family to pursue his passion for art full-time. 

Within months the gigs dried up, the savings drained away and he couldn't create at all.

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Asiko shares why going back to work was the turning point, how making work that was truly his own got him signed by galleries, and why he took the slow road to becoming a full-time artist.

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0:00 Why Nigerians don't say "failure"

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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#growththroughfailure  #Asiko #careerchange #art #nigeria #africa

Why did one of the top private chefs in Nigeria shut down his business and sell all his equipment?   

Gbubemi Fregene (Chef Fregz) had the Le Cordon Bleu diploma and the celebrity clientele. But behind the scenes, a lack of business structure led to a breaking point during the pandemic, forcing him to liquidate his kitchen and prepare to be a stay-at-home dad.   

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Fregz breaks down the dangerous trap of treating a business like a "passion project," the pain of hitting rock bottom, and how he rebuilt his culinary empire by learning to view failure purely as data.   

If you have ever struggled to turn your creative passion into a profitable, structured business, you cannot afford to miss this.

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

When Denola Grey moved to London, the world assumed he was living a glamorous, trust-fund lifestyle. In reality, his savings were depleted, he was grieving the sudden loss of a close friend, and he was down to exactly £20 in his bank account.  

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, the fashion and entertainment powerhouse strips away the illusion of fame to discuss the reality of starting over in a new country. 

We unpack his defining year of failure in 2022, surviving severe depression, and how he rebuilt his life from absolute rock bottom. If you've ever felt the pressure to look successful while silently falling apart, this episode is for you.

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

When Adebayo Oke-Lawal became one of the first African designers nominated for the LVMH Prize, it looked like the ultimate win. But behind the scenes, he was burning out, trying to build infrastructure from scratch while carrying the weight of a continent.  

Today, he is the globally celebrated founder of Orange Culture.

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, he reveals why looking successful before you're ready is a dangerous trap. If you've ever felt the pressure to scale overnight, you need to hear this.

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

Long before the fame, his goal was simply the American dream: an SUV, a Ford truck, and the suburbs. But after losing his college scholarships in Michigan, M.I. Abaga was forced back to Nigeria and officially denied a U.S. visa.  

Earning a 9,000 Naira monthly salary at an internet cafe in Jos, he had to completely rebuild his identity. Today, he is a legendary hip-hop artist and the architect behind one of Africa’s greatest music ecosystems.  

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, we cut past the typical celebrity fluff to break down the reality of starting over from nothing. 

Stop letting closed doors define your final destination.

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

Feeling trapped in a "safe" career? Watch this before you make a move.

When Taiwo Adeyemi abandoned his civil engineering degree in his third year, his family made him sign a legal undertaking to absolve themselves of his "stupidity." 

Today, he is the Chief Executive at BoxxCulture, former manager to Tunde Onakoya, and the culture connector behind some of the most influential talent in Africa's entertainment industry.  

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Taiwo delivers an elite operational playbook for building a high-level career off-script. We cut past the typical corporate advice to break down:

• The vital psychological difference between "Deal Friends" and "Real Friends"  

In 2014, Moses Babatope stood in a room full of Nigeria's most distinguished guests for the premiere of Half of a Yellow Sun. He was the man responsible. 

From the first frame to the last, the picture was pixelated and the sound was muffled. He wanted to disappear. He never spoke about it publicly. Until now. 

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Moses, Co-founder of Filmhouse Group and CEO of Nile Media Entertainment Group, shares what that night taught him about accountability, resilience, and how surviving your worst professional moment can become the foundation of everything you build after. 

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

She had spent years working towards it. In 2023, at 32, she finally got the Chief Brand Officer role she had been groomed for since 2016. 

The co-founders had waited specifically for her. The investors were excited. It felt like everything was falling into place.

Ten months later, her contract was terminated mid-meeting, without warning. 

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Koromone, aka Lady Kay, shares the unfiltered story of losing her dream job, the red flags she missed, what it really costs to stay somewhere that does not value you, and how she rebuilt from scratch. 

This is for anyone who has ever been made to feel guilty for knowing their worth.

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

For years, Tunde Onakoya did one thing: use chess to change the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He broke the world record for the longest chess marathon, 60 consecutive hours in Times Square, New York. 

The world was watching. Then he took out a bank loan, designed a chess board he believed in with everything he had, and only sold one. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, he shares what the market taught him that the applause never could, and why hype is never a substitute for traction.

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO

At 19, Jola Ayeye was convinced she would never make it. She guessed 80% of a university exam, failed the module, and told Durham: even if I do a resit, I will fail again.

Today she is the co-creator of I Said What I Said, one of Africa's most beloved podcasts, with sold-out shows in Lagos, London and New York.

In this episode of Growth Through Failure, she shares exactly how she found her way out. If you have ever felt stuck, this one could show you the door.

TIMESTAMPS:

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ABOUT GROWTH THROUGH FAILURE:

Conversations with leaders who turned setbacks into comebacks. Real stories of resilience, reinvention, and growth. New episodes every other Wednesday.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔔 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO