The Audacity to Be: Reclaiming Joy, Belonging and Voice with Lola Akinmade

Overnight Wisdom

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Today’s guest is Lola Akinmade, a Nigerian-born, U.S. raised and Sweden-based author, travel storyteller, photographer, and creative force whose work moves across borders and hearts. Through her bestselling novels, award-winning photography, and global expeditions, Lola captures the fullness of life with honesty, reverence, and grace.

But more than just documenting the world, Lola writes and photographs to help us see each other more clearly, to create connection in a time of deep fragmentation. Whether she’s writing about the complexities of Black womanhood in Europe or reflecting on what it means to carry your voice across geographies, Lola does so with a kind of quiet courage that invites us to be more honest with ourselves.

She is a National Geographic Explorer, founder of Geotraveler Media, and author of In Every Mirror She’s Black, Everything Is Not Enough and most recently, Bitter Honey. But more than her accolades, it is her unwavering commitment to truth and her belief in storytelling as a sacred act that makes her unforgettable.

Lola joins us today not just as a guest, but as a mirror — for those of us who have ever felt othered, muted, or unsure of where we belong.

From listening to this episode with Lola Akinmade, you will gain:

• A Deep Understanding of Voice and Belonging
• Insight into the Sacredness of Storytelling
• Permission to Rest and Reclaim Joy
• Clarity on Navigating Identity in Global Spaces
• Reflections on Legacy, Integrity, and Enoughness:
• Wisdom on Creativity and Career:

You will walk away with grounded, practical, and soul-deep advice about standing firm in purpose, resisting dilution, and thriving without assimilation.

To connect with Lola or order her books: https://www.lolaakinmade.com/books/

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:09 The Journey of Connection

02:51 The Power of Storytelling

06:45 Silence and Storytelling

10:05 Writing as a Therapeutic Process

13:58 Navigating Duality in Storytelling

17:32 Belonging and Home

20:51 The Complexity of Identity and Safety

25:15 Moments of Transformation

29:52 The Burden of Representation

33:33 Legacy and Impact

37:04 Seasons of Courage

42:29 Wisdom in Stillness

48:38 Finding Your Why

51:52 Outro

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. The Journey of Connection (00:01:09)

3. The Power of Storytelling (00:02:51)

4. Silence and Storytelling (00:06:45)

5. Writing as a Therapeutic Process (00:10:05)

6. Navigating Duality in Storytelling (00:13:58)

7. Belonging and Home (00:17:32)

8. The Complexity of Identity and Safety (00:20:51)

9. Moments of Transformation (00:25:15)

10. The Burden of Representation (00:29:52)

11. Legacy and Impact (00:33:33)

12. Seasons of Courage (00:37:04)

13. Wisdom in Stillness (00:42:29)

14. Finding Your Why (00:48:38)

15. Outro (00:51:52)