Tosin Taiwo

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.
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro 02:08 The Failure Story 15:00 What Emotions Were You Feeling? 17:44 Who were the protagonists in your story?24:01 Three Key Takeaways 29:26 Rapid Fire Questions━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/

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.
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro 01:51 The Failure Story 11:38 What Emotions Were You Feeling? 16:36 Who were the protagonists in your story?27:10 Three Key Takeaways 34:40 Rapid Fire Questions
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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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

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.
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro01:47 The Failure Story09:24 What Emotions Were You Feeling?16:40 What Were Your Strategies21:00 Who were the protagonists in your story?31:33 Three Key Takeaways37:40 Rapid Fire Questions
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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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

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"  • How to survive a massive career pivot when your network thinks you're failing• The sunk-cost trap: Why he walked away from a 20 Million Naira buyout for his documentary,     Road to Blow • The "Fail Fast" framework for turning a career dead-end into institutional leverage  
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro 01:35 The Failure Story 07:26 What Emotions Were You Feeling? 11:07 What Were Your Strategies 17:23 Who Supported You?21:33 Three Key Takeaways 30:36 Rapid Fire Questions
You don't have to use the conventional route to succeed.

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. 
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro 01:32 The Failure Story 05:12 What Emotions Were You Feeling? 06:01 What Were Your Strategies 08:40 Three Key Takeaways 11:28 Rapid Fire Questions 
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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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

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.
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro02:09 The Failure Story12:41 What Emotions Were You Feeling?16:46 What Were Your Strategies18:33 Who Were The Protagonists in Your Story?20:30 How Support Contributed to Your Growth21:57 Three Key Takeaways36:42 Rapid Fire Questions
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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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

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.
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro01:23 The Failure Story06:57 What Emotions Were You Feeling?12:52 What Were Your Strategies20:11 Who Were The Protagonists in Your Story?32:25 Three Key Takeaways40:38 Rapid Fire Questions
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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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

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:0:00 Intro01:42 The Failure Story09:56 What Emotions Were You Feeling?14:31 What Were Your Strategies28:19 Who Were The Protagonists in Your Story?40:35 Give Us A Summary of What You Do42:02 Three Key Takeaways49:06 Rapid Fire Questions
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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📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

He had the track record, the talent, and the proof. Yet, the UK Global Talent Visa still said no.
In this episode of 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲, Ope Aikomo, Paystack’s first employee and a key architect of one of Africa’s landmark fintech exits, unpacks what that rejection revealed about the art of self-presentation and the burden of proof. 
It is a lesson on why everyone is in sales, whether they realize it or not.
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro0:52 The Failure Story04:35 The Emotional Toll06:23 Maintaining Focus10:14 Strategies to Overcome Failure13:43 How Support Helped Him Grow16:23 Three Key Takeaways22:28 Rapid Fire Questions
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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 on YT: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo

He directed a critically acclaimed music video for 𝗧𝗶𝘄𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗴𝗲. His next client made 20 people publicly vote on his work. They rejected it.
In my latest 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 episode, filmmaker 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗷𝗶 𝗞𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗲-𝗘𝗸𝘂𝗻 shares the raw story of professional setback, the danger of ceding creative control, and the split-second decision to give a costly refund, just to protect his name.
A powerful conversation for anyone navigating the reality of professional rejection. 
 
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro0:50 The Failure Story07:36 The Emotional Toll09:40 Maintaining Focus12:25 Strategies to Overcome Failure13:15 People that Provided Support16:20 How Support Helped Him Grow18:23 Three Key Takeaways23:31 Rapid Fire Questions
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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.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🔔 YouTube: http://bit.ly/3WYkMTO📧 Newsletter: https://www.tosinataiwo.com/#subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosinataiwo/🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tosinataiwo