Shows
Overnight WisdomDo Less. Lead Better. The Identity Shift That Changed Everything with Cecilia FlatumWhat happens when the strategy that made you successful… stops working?In this episode, I sit down with Cecilia — CEO of Deloitte Norway — for a necessary conversation about leadership under pressure, identity clarity, and the dangerous myth that more effort always equals better results.When geopolitical instability shook the market, Cecilia responded the way many high performers do: more action, more campaigns, more control. But instead of creating momentum, it created exhaustion — for her and for her team.The turning point? Realizing that leadership is not about doing more. It’s about leading from withi...
2026-02-251h 07Overnight WisdomHow to Take Off the Mask and Lead Like Yourself with Thorey ProppeHave you become someone you don’t recognize?Maybe leadership has made you harsh. Aggressive. Detached.Maybe you’ve learned how power works in spaces that weren’t designed for you—and the game changed you.Maybe you’re exhausted from wearing a mask, performing the version of yourself you think will succeed.This episode will help you take it off.Thorey Proppe is CEO and founder of Alda, a workplace culture platform that measures and optimises culture. But more importantly, she’s someone who’s navigated the cost of perfor...
2026-02-1857 minOvernight WisdomMoney Is Power: The Wealth Habits That Make You Rich with Ken and Mary OkoroaforIn this conversation, Ken and Mary Okoroafor unpack what it really means to build wealth — from mindset to habits to legacy. Having achieved financial independence by age 34, the couple reflects not just on the how, but on the who they had to become to get there.What began as a blog evolved into a full-fledged movement rooted in identity clarity and radical, countercultural decisions. The Humble Penny was born from their desire to disrupt traditional narratives on what it takes to truly build wealth, rather than perform wealth.They explore the misalignment ma...
2026-02-111h 50Overnight WisdomDisrupting Porn with Sex: Cindy Gallop on Identity, Power, and Sexual AgencyIn this bold and radically honest episode, Chisom Udeze sits down with legendary brand innovator and sextech entrepreneur Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love Not Porn. Together, they explore themes of identity clarity, leadership, power, sexual agency, and culture change — all through the lens of someone who refuses to play by outdated rules.Cindy shares how her tagline “I like to blow shit up” isn’t just branding, it’s a philosophy: be your own filter, repel the wrong rooms, and stay unapologetically true to your values. She reflects on her upbringing across cultures...
2026-02-041h 04Overnight WisdomWho Are You Without the Title? Leadership, Identity, and Clarity with Hanna Birna KristjánsdóttirIn this episode of Overnight Wisdom, Chisom Udeze sits down with Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, the former Mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland’s former Minister of the Interior, Chair of Women Political Leaders, and the founder and Chair of the Reykjavík Global Forum — to reflect on a leadership journey that was never planned, but deeply purposeful.With honesty, humor, and hard-won insight, Hanna speaks about what it means to lead with integrity in a world that wasn’t designed for women. She traces her path from a shy, bookish girl with no public speaking experience...
2026-01-281h 13Overnight WisdomThe One Clarity You Can’t Lead WithoutAfter a decade of working with leaders globally, Chisom kept seeing the same pattern: capable people failing in predictable ways. Not because they lacked skills or strategies — but because they lacked Identity Clarity.In this solo episode, Chisom introduces the sharpened 2026 focus of Overnight Wisdom and explains why Identity Clarity is the one clarity you can’t lead without.What you’ll learn:What Identity Clarity actually is (and why most leaders don’t have it)The cost of shapeshifting — performing who you think you should be instead of leading from who you actuall...
2026-01-2110 minOvernight WisdomFocus Your Power. Silence the Noise with Kubbra Sait.Kubbra Sait on Identity, Power & Writing Yourself WholeWhat happens when you stop contorting yourself to fit into the world—and instead begin to build a life that fits you?In this deeply honest conversation, actor and author Kubbra Sait joins Chisom to reflect on her journey toward identity clarity—from surviving childhood trauma to leaving corporate life and stepping into her power as a storyteller.Together, they unpack the cost of performance, the weight of being misunderstood, and the radical act of claiming joy without apology. Kubb...
2026-01-141h 11Overnight WisdomOvernight Wisdom, Year One: The Reflection EpisodeIn this episode, Chisom reflects on the journey of creating Overnight Wisdom — a podcast that began as an experiment in curiosity and connection and evolved into a global platform for truth-telling, wisdom, and courageous storytelling.Since launching on May 28th 2025, Chisom has released 30 consecutive weekly episodes, interviewing an extraordinary lineup of artists, activists, entrepreneurs, educators, and leaders from across the world. From conversations about legacy, grief, decolonization, creativity, mental health, and leadership — to challenging how we see power, culture, and identity — each guest brought a unique lens and lived experience.Chisom revisits key takeaw...
2025-12-2421 minOvernight WisdomNetworks, Rituals, Artifacts, and Language: Culture as a Living System with Jonathan AkwueIn this conversation, Chisom speaks with Jonathan Akwue about legacy, leadership, creative capital, and the business of culture. From his serendipitous family origin story to leading one of the most culturally influential agencies in the world, Jonathan shares the personal and professional threads that shaped his journey.He opens with a serendipitous account of how his Swiss mother met his Nigerian father in London in 1963 — a story of kindness, intuition, and destiny — and reflects on how growing up in South London shaped his early fascination with advertising. A childhood encounter with a mysterious bus...
2025-12-171h 32Overnight WisdomWhy Most Goals Fail — And How the Three Clarities Framework™ Can Fix ThatIn this solo episode, Chisom Udeze shares a powerful extension of her leadership framework — The Three Clarities™: Identity Clarity, Context Clarity, and Power Clarity. After over a decade of working with leaders and organizations across the world, she reveals why most goals fail — not for lack of ambition, but for lack of clarity.Using real-life scenarios, including what it means to launch a product-based company like Chiije, Chisom breaks down how these three forms of clarity shape not just our leadership, but our habits, boundaries, and resilience.Whether you’re planning your next career move, setting...
2025-12-1016 minOvernight WisdomThe Three Clarities Every Leader Needs to Build Trust, Direction, and PowerIn this one of a kind solo episode, Chisom Udeze breaks down a decade’s worth of research and lived experience into one of the most important frameworks for modern leadership: the three clarities every leader needs — identity clarity, context clarity, and power clarity.With honesty and precision, Chisom challenges the myths of performative leadership and highlights the hidden costs of unclear leadership — eroded trust, political teams, and exhausted leaders.She explores:Why identity clarity is the anchor of trustworthy leadershipHow leaders lose power when they don’t fully understand their co...
2025-12-0321 minOvernight WisdomValues Driven Leadership: How to Lead Through Fear, Resistance and Power with Dr. Poornima LuthraIn this powerful, emotionally honest and matter of fact episode of Overnight Wisdom, Chisom Udeze is joined by the brilliant Dr. Poornima Luthra — educator, acclaimed author, and thought leader on inclusive leadership — for a deep and necessary conversation about what it really takes to lead with values in an uncertain world.Together, they unpack what most leadership books don’t:the fear, the resistance, the unlearning.The moments when silence feels safer.And what it costs to choose conviction instead.They explore:What values-driven leadership looks like when th...
2025-11-261h 09Overnight WisdomAligned Leadership: The Work Behind the Role with Astrid SundbergIn this heartfelt and unfiltered conversation, Chisom Udeze sits down with Astrid Sundberg, Executive Director of Operation Smile Norway to explore the evolution of leadership, from corporate ambition to mission-driven impact.Astrid brings over 30 years of experience across scale-ups, start-ups, and global organizations. Together, they unpack what it means to lead with clarity, humility, and emotional honesty, especially in a world where leadership is often caught between performance and purpose.They cover:— The difference between people leadership and functional leadership— Why autocratic systems still linger beneat...
2025-11-1943 minOvernight WisdomRecognizably You: The Power of Authentic Leadership with Thandi DyaniIn this episode of Overnight Wisdom, Chisom Udeze is joined by Danish-South African ecosystem builder and leadership strategist, Thandi Dyani, to explore the evolving nature of leadership in a world shaped by disruption, cultural complexity, and systemic change.Together, they unpack:Why great leadership isn’t a title or destination, but a practice rooted in self-awareness, agility, and relational trustThe importance of unlearning and why solving tomorrow’s challenges requires letting go of yesterday’s frameworksWhat it means to build adaptive, human-first systems, especially across cultural and regional contex...
2025-11-1242 minOvernight WisdomFear Is a Companion, Not a Stop Sign with ChisomIn this solo episode of Overnight Wisdom, Chisom sits with 11 questions sent in by listeners — thought provoking, and personal.Questions like:— How do you know when to start or stop?— Is there a strategy or blueprint for building a business?— How do you navigate fear, failure, and the weight of doing too much?She also reflects on happiness, leadership, power, and the quiet truths that don’t always get said aloud.With clarity, humour, and emotional honesty, Chisom shares the invisible parts of building — the pivots...
2025-11-0538 minOvernight WisdomHope is a Strategy: Radical Responsibility as Courage with Sayantani SahaA Post-Summit Reflection with Chisom Udeze & Sayantani SahaIn this raw and deeply honest episode of Overnight Wisdom, Chisom Udeze and Sayantani Saha sit down together—post-Diversify Summit—to unpack the emotional, financial, and logistical weight of pulling off the largest equity-focused gathering in the Nordics in a year defined by scarcity and uncertainty.With warmth, exhaustion, and truth-telling, they reflect on the paradox of doing something extraordinary while feeling under-supported, under-resourced, and sometimes invisible.They speak candidly about:The pain and clarity of unmet expectations - particularly from those clos...
2025-10-2959 minOvernight WisdomUnboxable: On Art, Permission and Joy with Shruti GangulyShruti Ganguly is a filmmaker, writer, and creative entrepreneur whose work spans continents, cultures, and causes. In this episode of Overnight Wisdom, Shruti opens up about the life-altering loss that led her from banking to film, the complexities of navigating identity across geographies, and the discipline of building a purpose-driven creative career.We explore what it means to speak truth in an industry not built for you, how to lead with both clarity and empathy, and the quiet power of simply trying. From writing “ceasefire” on her arm at the Oscars to producing work that chal...
2025-10-221h 03Overnight WisdomBeauty Is Political: The Untold Cost of Survival with Dr. Yaba BlayIn this deeply reflective and expansive conversation, Dr. Yaba Blay — cultural critic, scholar, and author — joins Chisom Udeze to explore identity, race, and beauty through the lens of lived experience, history, and consciousness.Born in New Orleans to Ghanaian parents, Dr. Blay shares how growing up between cultures shaped her worldview — never fully “of” one place but belonging to both. She reflects on what it means to be first-generation, living between Ghanaian heritage and American culture, and how that duality continues to inform her voice and her work.Together, they unpack the emotio...
2025-10-151h 06Overnight WisdomThis Is What Failure Taught Me with ChisomIn this solo episode, Overnight Wisdom host Chisom Udeze steps away from her usual seat as interviewer to share her own story — the lessons, losses, and wisdom behind about two decades of building.From founding a school in Nigeria, to leading global consulting work, to creating one of her companies, HerSpace — a women’s community born during the pandemic — Chisom reflects on what it means to build with purpose and to start over after things fall apart.She opens up about what didn’t work: the lack of systems, emotional decisions, underpricing, and overextending herself to make ev...
2025-10-0831 minOvernight WisdomProduce. Protect. Restore. Reduce with Wanjira MathaiWanjira Mathai is a formidable force in environmental advocacy, dedicated to advancing sustainable and equitable development across Africa and beyond. With over two decades of leadership experience, she has become a global voice for climate resilience, restoration, and social justice.She is the Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute (WRI), where she drives strategies that center Africa’s role in shaping global solutions. In this role, she directs attention, research, and funding to climate-vulnerable communities while championing inclusive green growth.Wanjira has led landmark initiatives throughout her ca...
2025-10-0135 minOvernight WisdomGod Will Provide? How Religion Is Failing Nigerian Politics with Prince MbanefoWhat does it really mean to lead Nigeria into the future?In this candid and fiery conversation, I sit down with my childhood friend, Prince (or Ifeanyi “Ify”, as I’ve always known him), to unpack the complex realities of Nigerian politics, religion, and identity.We explore the deep fault lines that shape leadership in Africa’s most populous nation:Why do religion and ethnicity still dominate political choices?Why has Nigeria recycled the same leaders for decades, despite little track record of progress?And how do we rise above apathy, demand accounta...
2025-09-241h 00Overnight WisdomThe Price of Integrity: Duty, Accountability and a Million-Dollar “No” with Dayo OkusamiDayo Okusami is a partner at TEMPLARS, and one of Nigeria’s most respected transactional lawyers — a negotiator who lives where international practice meets local complexity. Born in Lagos and raised between Nigeria and the United States, Dayo returned to Nigeria early in his career with a conviction: that Nigerian institutions and markets could be shaped from within. He made partner in just four years, advising multinational investors and energy companies on multimillion-dollar deals, infrastructure projects, and regulatory strategy.Known for a direct blend of rigor, empathy and principle, Dayo’s clients praise his pr...
2025-09-1755 minOvernight WisdomHow to Be Brave in a Burning World with Sayantani SahaCourage in Action: Leadership in a Fractured WorldIn this episode, recorded live at the Nobel Peace Center, Chisom Udeze and Sayantani Saha sit with the messy, urgent questions of our time: What does it mean to lead with courage in a world unraveling? How do we hold hope when governance is fragile, apathy is rising, and wars claim lives with impunity?From the future of work to the disruptions of AI, from global capital flows to the realities of geopolitical climate and conflict, they interrogate the contradictions of privilege and responsibility. Who...
2025-09-0929 minOvernight WisdomAfrican Awakening: Why Decolonizing the Mind Is Africa’s Greatest Revolution with DJ BwakaliDJ Bwakali is a Kenyan writer, journalist, and pan-African organizer whose work spans climate advocacy, governance reform, and citizen media. He co-founded the Africa Youth Initiative on Climate Change and the Africa Youth Trust, and now hosts African Awakening, a platform dedicated to decolonizing education and mobilizing people power across the continent.His thesis is disarmingly practical: sovereignty is built, not begged for - through food systems that heal, visa-free movement that knits markets and people, curricula that center African history and languages, and democratic tools (like embedded referendums) that turn public will into policy.
2025-09-0359 minOvernight WisdomHip Hopera: The Art of Audacity and Breaking Boundaries with Babatunde AkinboboyeBabatunde Akinboboye is a Nigerian-American baritone and the creator of Hip Hopera — a groundbreaking fusion of classical opera and hip hop that has redefined how audiences experience both art forms. Born in the United States and raised partly in Lagos, Babatunde’s dual heritage has deeply shaped his identity and artistry. He embodies the richness of cultural intersection, bringing opera down from gilded stages and into spaces where rhythm, storytelling, and authenticity thrive.His viral performance of Figaro’s Aria layered over Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” introduced the world to Hip Hopera and cemented his place as one...
2025-08-2751 minOvernight WisdomMusic as Medicine: On Grief, Purpose, and Connection with Lujang De’NyangosLujang De’Nyangos is a South Sudanese artist whose journey through grief, displacement, and cultural fusion has shaped his sound and purpose. He discovered the healing power of music after the death of his father, realizing it was therapy not just for himself but for others. Having lived in South Sudan, Uganda, Egypt, and Kenya, his music carries influences of Arabic, Swahili, English, and African rhythms, blended into soulful melodies inspired by artists like Jonathan Butler.For Lujang, music is more than performance. It is a vessel of healing, storytelling, and connection. He acknowledges the thin line be...
2025-08-2037 minOvernight WisdomEchoes of Becoming: Art, Boundaries, and Emotional Freedom with Thaïs SalaThaïs Sala is a singer/songwriter, producer and cultural curator. She grew up between Marrakech and the UK before pursuing studies in Montreal, where she integrated a community of musicians with whom she continues to hone her sonic identity. An audiovisual addict, she approaches her craft through “sight, sound and soul”, pairing her passions for music and visual art, in stillness and movement. Her music blends electronic rhythm with soulful vocals oscillating from crystalline honeyed notes to her low husky roll, a sonic duality of vulnerability and strength. Her childhood home was filled with jazz...
2025-08-1347 minOvernight WisdomSavoring Heritage: the Rise of Zimbabwean Cuisine with Chef Kudakwashe MakoniChef Kuda is a Zimbabwean culinary visionary whose work transforms food into a powerful medium for storytelling, cultural reclamation, and connection. As the founder of Kandiro, his celebrated pop-up dining experience, he brings Zimbabwean flavors to global tables — reimagining traditional dishes while honoring their roots.Raised by three remarkable women, Chef Kuda discovered early that cooking could be both healing and transformative. His journey from a rebellious childhood to becoming an international chef has been guided by passion, resilience, and a deep commitment to uplifting African cuisine. Through his leadership in the kitchen, he...
2025-08-0652 minOvernight WisdomBeyond the Classroom: Lessons on Identity, Motherhood, and Purpose with Joy MbakweThis episode is a conversation about truth, visibility, and the emotional weight of teaching and motherhood. Joy Mbakwe share some reflections of what it means to live as a Black woman in the UK, raising children and educating other people’s children while navigating systems that were never designed with them in mind.The discussion moves through layers of identity and culture. Joy shares the unspoken inheritance of being the daughter of Nigerian parents, where resilience was taught not as a choice but as a condition of existence. That history and tenacity lives in her wor...
2025-07-301h 02