Title: Boundaries, Boldness & Becoming: Leading from Limits Guest: Cece Bosah (Early Years Leader, Singer-Songwriter) Host: Joshua Okunlola Duration: 20 mins

In this heartfelt and powerful episode, Joshua sits down with early years educator and touring artist Cece Bosah to explore what it truly means to honour your boundaries in leadership, faith, and life.

Together, they unpack the internal conflict so many of us carry: the desire to be kind, the fear of causing offence, and the growing fatigue of being boundaryless. Cece shares her journey of navigating professional leadership, personal loss, therapy, and spiritual maturity—and how each has shaped her evolving understanding of healthy boundaries as an act of courage.

• Why unspoken boundaries still hurt when crossed

• The discomfort of saying no (and why it’s worth it)

• Making peace with people being offended

• Carrying others’ discomfort vs. honouring your limits

• How therapy, faith, and loss shaped a boundary-led life

• Leading with presence, not pressure

“Sometimes we carry the discomfort of being boundaryless—just to avoid the discomfort of someone else’s offence.” — Joshua Okunlola

“I was tired of carrying the discomfort.” — Cece Bosah

“Children and old people don’t filter what they need. Why must we wait until we’re old to speak up?” — Cece Bosah

“Maintaining your boundaries is a muscle—the more you use it, the more natural it becomes.” — Joshua Okunlola

• What boundaries do you know you need, but struggle to express?

• Where are you still prioritising others’ comfort over your own peace?

• What would shift if you treated your personal boundaries like your job description?

If this episode resonated with you, please:

• Share it with a leader or friend who needs this reminder

• Leave a review and tag us @joshua_okunlola_ & @cecebosah on Instagram

• Use the hashtag #UnmuddyingTheWaters to join the conversation

Cece is currently performing with Michelle John and Jake Isaac at upcoming UK events and focusing on further study in early years education. Follow her on Instagram: @ceceboasah (Check for updates, music, and parenting insights!)

Finding your own limits isn’t weakness—it’s leadership. When you lead from boundaries, you model respect for time, energy, and purpose. And you create space for others to do the same.

Title: Humility, Hiding & Honesty: Reclaiming What It Means to Lead with Truth Guest: Tonye Mack (Director, Producer, Editor) Host: Joshua Okunlola Duration: ~24 mins

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Joshua is joined by longtime friend and creative powerhouse Tonye Mak to explore the evolving meaning of humility in leadership and life. Together, they unpack how humility has been misinterpreted as hiding, downplaying, or dimming one's light and reframe it as an act of truth-telling.

From the dual identity of “Tony vs. Sonya” to cultural and faith-based expectations around confidence, they explore how systems of upbringing, race, faith, and professional norms shape how we show up in rooms and what we silence in ourselves to be accepted.

• The myth of humility as invisibility

• Confidence vs. arrogance: walking the line

• Faith, culture, and the pressure to shrink

• Reclaiming voice in professional spaces

• Why honesty not hiding is true humility

“Humility is not about being unseen—it’s about telling the truth.” — Joshua Okunlola

“In dimming your light, you’re not being humble. You’re actually lying.” — Tonye Mak

“Jesus was humble—but he was also confident. He knew who he was.” — Tonye Mak

“There’s a cultural system in me that tells me not to shine… and then pats me on the back for staying small.” — Joshua Okunlola

Ask yourself:

• Where have I been hiding under the name of humility?

• What truths about my gifts and limitations am I afraid to name?

• What would it look like to lead with honest presence instead of performative smallness?

• IG: @tonyemak

• Latest work: Dating Black Season 3 on BET International

• Upcoming: Debut short film in production (stay tuned!)

If this episode resonated with you, please:

• Share it with a friend who needs this conversation

• Tag @joshua_okunlola_ and @tonyemak on Instagram with your takeaways

• Rate and review the show—it helps amplify these necessary dialogues

Lead with clarity. Lead with courage. Start telling the truth.

In this episode, Joshua and Angela explore the metaphor of the spiral staircase to rethink how we experience learning and leadership growth. Angela shares insights from her 15-year journey in primary education and leadership—culminating in her role as deputy head during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—and recounts a powerful mentoring anecdote that illustrates how reflection, perspective and implementation drive deeper progress each time we revisit familiar challenges.

• 00:00 – 02:00 | Welcome & Introductions Joshua welcomes Angela, who outlines her 15-year teaching career, leadership roles (phase leader → assistant head → deputy head in 2019–20) and current work mentoring early-career teachers in Lambeth.

• 02:00 – 05:00 | The Spiral Staircase Metaphor

  • Linear vs circular views of learning

  • Spiral staircase: circling back at a higher vantage point

  • Relevance to life and leadership

• 05:00 – 14:00 | Core Components of Spiralling Learning

  1. Reflection – Pausing to analyse experiences

  2. Perspective – Adopting a growth-orientated, humble mindset

  3. Implementation – Applying new insights to measure real progress

• 14:00 – 20:00 | Mentoring Anecdote: A Lesson in Humility Angela recounts a meeting where she inadvertently spoke over an early-career teacher.

  • Initial shock, shame and self-doubt

  • Reflections on intentions versus impact

  • Perspective shift: modelling humility rather than stepping aside

  • Implementing new behaviours to rebuild trust

  • Outcome: a stronger mentorship relationship and broader leadership growth

• 20:00 – 24:00 | Fixed vs Growth Mindset & the Role of Humility Joshua highlights how Angela’s story demonstrates:

  • Moving beyond “I’m just not cut out for this” to “How can I grow?”

  • Embracing mistakes as invitations to go deeper rather than failures to avoid

• 24:00 – 28:00 | Practical “Why” Questions for Leaders Angela suggests reflective prompts to climb the spiral more intentionally:

  • “Why did this happen?”

  • “Why was I triggered?”

  • Exploring underlying beliefs and emotions for richer context

  • Measuring growth by comparing “what I know now” with “what I knew before”

• 28:00 – 30:00 | Closing Thoughts & Call to Action

  • “Learning isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s layering wisdom on wisdom.”

  • Lean into the spiral when you feel stuck.

  • Invite listeners to suggest future prompts via LinkedIn.

1. Spiral Staircase Metaphor: Revisiting challenges isn’t regression—it’s elevation. Each return offers a new vantage for deeper learning.

2. Three Pillars of Spiralling Learning:

   • Reflection: Pause and analyse what happened and why.

   • Perspective: Adopt a growth mindset and humility.

   • Implementation: Apply new insights to gauge tangible progress.

3. Humility in Leadership: True growth often involves confronting shame, reframing mistakes and modelling vulnerability.

4. Actionable Questions: Use “why” prompts to uncover root causes and chart next steps:

   • Why did this happen?

   • Why did I respond this way?

   • What can I do differently next time?

5. Measure Your Growth: Compare current capabilities with past ones: “What do I know or do now that I couldn’t before?”

• Joshua Okunlola (Host): LinkedIn

• Angela Gaisie (Guest): LinkedIn

• Podcast Contact & Feedback: Share episode prompts or reflections via LinkedIn message to Joshua or Angela.

Lead with curiosity. Embrace the spiral. Take it easy!