Building Potential U: Joy Aboderin's Purpose-Driven Journey from Accounting to Fashion 🇳🇬

The Kadara Woman Podcast

Joy Aboderin shares her purpose-driven journey from a 13-year accounting career to founding Potential U, a successful global styling business. After hearing God's call in 2003, Joy eventually took the leap in 2008, selling her house to start her business. Now celebrating 17 years, Joy reveals how she's transformed her styling consultancy into a global enterprise, pivoted during COVID, and is launching the Potential U Style Academy to mentor the next generation. Her story demonstrates how aligning with your purpose and "feeling the fear but doing it anyway" can lead to a fulfilling life of impact and meaning.

You will learn:

• How to recognize your true calling: Listen for consistent inner prompts and test them with small steps first, as Joy did by taking styling courses while still working in accounting.
• How to move forward despite fear: Practice "feel the fear and do it anyway" while building your faith muscle through increasingly bigger leaps of confidence.
• How to pivot during crises: In challenging times, get creative instead of crumbling by adapting your services to new formats, as Joy did by moving her styling business online.
• How to build an authentic business: Create offerings that align with your deeper values and purpose rather than just following market trends.
• How to maintain balance as an entrepreneur: Establish regular rest days and be intentional about what you consume mentally while expanding your professional network.

What We Discuss:

[01:05] - Joy's Nigerian heritage and how it shaped her

[04:49] - Childhood dreams and the path to becoming an accountant

[06:06] - First exposure to fashion through her stylish mother

[12:31] - The divine calling to leave accounting for fashion

[15:08] - Joy's first styling client and the emotional transformation

[17:38] - Selling her house to start Potential U in 2008

[21:05] - Early business challenges and networking lessons

[26:39] - Pivoting during COVID to offer virtual styling services

[31:17] - Streamlining services and knowing your business worth

[33:52] - Understanding clients beyond appearances in styling

[37:26] - Balancing timeless wardrobes versus fashion trends

[40:11] - Launching the Potential U Style Academy

[46:35] - Faith over fear: Building confidence in your purpose

[51:52] - Finding balance and rest as an entrepreneur

[53:15] - The emotional impact of styling a terminal client

[54:26] - Lightning round: Personal mantras and life lessons

[59:39] - Destiny and pursuing your purpose

Connect with Joy Aboderin

Instagram | Potential U | Potential U Academy

Resources Mentioned: Rachel Rodgers - We Should All Be Millionaires

Fashion She Wore: Heathe

🔗 Connect With Lola on:

Instagram | LinkedIn

Follow the Kadara Woman podcast:

Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Join the Kádàrá Woman Community - Newsletter

About The Podcast

The Kádàrá Woman Podcast is dedicated to amplifying the often-overlooked impact-driven stories of remarkable African women (and women of the diaspora) who pivoted into their purpose and became barrier breakers, status quo challengers and change makers around the world. This podcast spotlights the journeys of purpose-driven African women who are reshaping their lives through intentional living and powerful mindset shifts.

While we spotlight African women's experiences, our stories resonate deeply with a global audience of ambitious, forward-thinking women seeking inspiration and practical insights.

Hosted by Lola Soyebo Harris, this inspiring series explores how impact-driven African women navigate self-doubt, embrace service, and master their purpose while making pivotal decisions in their careers and personal lives. This podcast is an essential resource for those interested in personal development, mindset transformation, African women's empowerment, and purpose-driven living.

This podcast is a production of Kadara Media LLC. All rights reserved.