Mummying and Thriving

On this week's podcast episode, we had the pleasure of diving deep into a conversation with the remarkable Ejiro Osakede, known as the Energetic E.J.
Her energy is nothing short of infectious; it's a force that uplifts everyone she encounters.

Ejiro wears many hats, each one brilliantly. She's an accomplished Podcaster, Audiobook Narrator, Producer, Sound Engineer, Singer, and Life Coach.
Her passion lies in helping women rediscover their abandoned dreams and harness the power of their voices for healing, influence, and legacy.

In this episode, Ejiro shared invaluable insights on how to harness both your literal and implied voice to create a positive impact in the lives of others.
The conversation is nothing short of fascinating, and you won't want to miss a moment.

Tune in till the end, as this episode promises to be an engaging and inspiring experience that will leave you with a renewed sense of purpose.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
✅ Meeting Ejiro (01:00)
✅ Ejiro's Formative Years (02:44)
✅ What is our Voice? (17:41)
✅ Accent and Good Speaking Voice (22:44)
✅ Implied Voice is Your Message (27:51)
✅ Trying Something New (33:08)
✅ Practical Steps to Using Your Voice (41:58)
✅ Letting Go of Pain That Prevents Us From Moving Forward (50:11)
✅ About Stretch Street Podcast (55:55)

_____________________________________________________
Let's continue the conversation on:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mummyingandthriving?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Spotify: https://spotify.link/P3z6LIfc8Cb
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mummyingandthriving?_t=8fj8yYI4mZB&_r=1

https://open.spotify.com/show/2jcvzwY2fO57JRr0XlEElr?si=49e2d8afb5dc4d72

Motherhood today is very different from what it was before. Sure, we go through the same process, conceiving, being pregnant for about 40 weeks, giving birth, breastfeeding, tacking tantrums and raising these little humans to be well-adjusted adults.

But in reality, so many things have changed in our fast-growing, technologically advancing world. How we parent now differs from how our parents and grandparents looked after us.

According to Dr, Harvey Karp, he states that "No woman has ever had to do as much, on her own, as the modern mother. We don't have the same family or neighbourhood structure anymore.'

The key word here is ON HER OWN.
In the last decade, there has been steep growth in self-help and awareness around childhood trauma has meant that we now have a higher standard of parenting, but our support system(Village) has grown smaller. The excess stress and pressure from everyday life as well as social media platforms have led to an increase in maternal mental health issues.

Here are four things we can do to mitigate this situation. I have named this FAST.
F A STing is a spiritual practice many cultures agree is beneficial as it cleanses and gives clarity. We aren't discussing fasting today, but I think this acronym has a nice right to it.

So F means

· Find a new village- This can be in the form of car sharing, troubles and triumphs and taking turns for babysitting so that you can have the odd date night. Your village can also be virtual. I am part of absolutely remarkable facebook groups for mums where people ask questions on any topic, and the responses are very supportive and helpful.

· Ask for help—Everyone needs help and support. You aren't weak when you ask for help. On the contrary, it may be one of the bravest things you do. Knowing you are struggling or have an area of weakness, then seeking help to solve the issue is brave. If you can afford it, pay for help. Either a nanny or a cleaner that can come a few times a week to help you around the house.

· Set aside some time daily for self-care. This may be about 30mins- 1 hour, where you aren't doing anything for anyone except yourself. I know mums who get up 30 minutes earlier so they can have that time alone in the morning to work out, meditate, or do yoga. It could seem like a lot, but prioritizing this rejuvenates you to handle your responsibilities.

It could even be a 30 mins nap, a spa date, or even a home facial. Do what you feel you need to do to recuperate. Call a friend that you know can make you laugh. Laughter is therapeutic.

· Talk to someone. If you find yourself feeling low or even unclear about certain things, talk to someone. Talk to a therapist and get medical help from a healthcare professional. You will be surprised how many people are in a similar situation.

https://open.spotify.com/show/2jcvzwY2fO57JRr0XlEElr?si=49e2d8afb5dc4d72

On this week's episode of our 'Boss Mum Series', we speak with Jenny Abamu a US Diplomat and former journalist. We discussed everything from her early childhood experiences, her challenges, and how she landed a job as a US diplomat. She took us on a journey where she shares her truths and gives practical advice about making strides in the workplace.
Some highlights are

• As a child, I was strong-willed and sometimes labeled rebellious. 5:29
• Sometimes I had to sleep in my car. 18:17
• Motherhood is hard, I crashed. 23:46
• Jenny's biggest lesson about motherhood. 33:10
• Maternity leave 44:31

Jenny Abamu is a U.S. Diplomat headed to Madrid, Spain. Previously, she served worked in the U.S. Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She has been married for almost 10 years and is the mother of two boys, a two-year-old and a three-month-old.

Jenny joined the U.S. Foreign Service from WAMU, the local NPR news station in Washington, D.C. There she worked as an education reporter, appearing on shows and producing local and national investigations. Her work has been nominated for multiple awards.

She came to WAMU from EdSurge, where she had been a reporter and podcast cohost. She previously worked at Columbia University’s EdLab as a writer for their publication. In New York, Jenny also worked at NY1 News Channel as a field journalist, researcher, planner, and overnight assignment editor.

A native of Dallas, Texas, she has a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s in International and Comparative Education from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. She speaks English, Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish.

--

https://open.spotify.com/show/2jcvzwY2fO57JRr0XlEElr?si=49e2d8afb5dc4d72

For the month of November 2022, we will be interviewing Boss Mums. These are Mums who are absolutely killing it in the workplace. Our goal for this series is to inspire people who want to get back into work, mums who want to have better finances and those who want to achieve more in their careers.

We all know that women face discrimination in the workplace especially when they are taking time out to have kids. This series will explore how we can navigate through those setbacks and push forward successfully. Our guest will share their stories in a truthful and unfiltered way with the aim to create awareness and inspiration.
On this episode, we have the pleasure of having Nengi Akinola.
Nengi is a Senior Marketing Manager at FairMoney, a Fintech company in Nigeria, a Talent manager to creative influencers in Nigeria @FSVTalent Management agency.
In her spare time, she loves to dabble in interior decoration; having successfully completed 2 decor projects.

Nengi Akinola is also an experienced Marketing expert and Tech leader with over 12 years of Brand & Strategic Management experience. She is well-versed in Marketing strategy, Brand Storytelling, Advertising, PR & Media Management, Digital Marketing, and Corporate Communications. She has worked across multiple industries in Fintech, FMCG, Consumer Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, and the Public sector.

Highlights of her career include starting and growing the Global consumer electronics brand, OPPO from scratch in Nigeria in 2018, and currently leading the transformation of the Leading Fintech Brand; FairMoney from a lending company to a Credit-led Digital bank in Nigeria.

https://open.spotify.com/show/2jcvzwY2fO57JRr0XlEElr?si=49e2d8afb5dc4d72

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

But Fear isn't only the enemy. It has been one of our biggest ALLY. On a primordial level, it has kept us alive.

The fear of a perceived threat has enabled us to survive as a specie.

Fear has had its advantages throughout history. It is essentially programmed into our brain and nervous system to give us the instincts we need to keep ourselves safe from danger.

In essence, in a life-and-death situation, say, for example, you are in a jungle, and a lion is coming to attack you. Fear kicks in, sending signals to our brains. Our fight or flight response goes on full blast, and our body works with our nervous system to release Andrealine and Cortisol, which pumps out a surge of energy that allows us to escape or overcome that situation. However, this isn't the case for most of us.

We aren't in the jungle anymore? But why is fear such a dominant factor in our lives? Why are we afraid to put ourselves out there?

I heard a saying once not sure if it was Myles Monroe or Les brown, but it says

The graveyard is the richest place on earth because there you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”

SO WHAT ARE WE AFRAID OF?

Is it perhaps the fear of humiliation?

Is it Fear of rejection?

Fear of lack of acceptance.

Fear of Judgement

Fear of losing your social status

Fear of not being in control

Fear of the unknown etc..
We can't allow fear win and control us. What is the thing you want to achieve hiding on the other side of fear?
Discover it! Chase it! and Do it!

https://open.spotify.com/show/2jcvzwY2fO57JRr0XlEElr?si=49e2d8afb5dc4d72