A near-firing. A hard truth over steak. And a choice to stop playing small. Bayo "Lion" Adediji, CEO of Wakanow.com, nightlife entrepreneur, and former Amazon senior leader, joins us for a raw, kinetic conversation about going from accent anxiety and a PIP in corporate America to leading a multi-million dollar travel company from Lagos—and why burning the safety net was the unlock.

We get into the inflection points that shaped his trajectory: learning to speak with clarity and conviction, documenting wins so respect isn’t optional, and choosing respect over belonging when feedback gets coded as "executive presence". Bayo shares the Dale Carnegie practices that rewired his leadership, the intentional hiring that built truly diverse, high-performing teams, and the power of pulling people with you and then coaching them to win.

Then we pivot to the return home. Bayo explains how he turned around a struggling brand by bringing Amazon-grade principles — frugality, customer obsession, speed, and high standards — into a complex African market. He lays out the second playbook too: trust but verify, relationships as strategy, deals done in social settings, and the discipline to learn from others' failed experiments before spending a dollar. His take on crisis will reframe how you see volatility: inside the noise is the opportunity, if you commit.

If you've wondered whether comfort is capping your growth, or whether your voice, background, or style can be turned into an edge, this is your map. Come for the candor; stay for the practical moves you can apply tomorrow — whether you're climbing in Big Tech or building in Lagos. If this conversation moves you, follow the Zero Generation podcast, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review to help others find us.

Join the Zero Gen community:

• Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah

Theme Music by

• Akinoluwa Oyedele

Video & Audio Production by

• JSB Video (Season 2)
• Adode Media (Season 1)

Everyone leaves home for different reasons.

Nobody tells you what comes after.

Season 2 of Zero Generation explores the lives Black immigrants build after the leap — the pressure, the pivots, the laughter, the longing, and the courage it takes to redefine success on your own terms.

Through intimate conversations with leaders, creatives, parents, and first-generation Americans, this season asks: when you’ve left home, who are you becoming now?

Some return. Some stay. Most live in between.

Season 2 launches January 8.

Join the Zero Gen community:

• Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah

Theme Music by

• Akinoluwa Oyedele

Video & Audio Production by

• JSB Video (Season 2)
• Adode Media (Season 1)

How is it that we’re already at the end of a full season of the Zero Generation podcast? The time’s gone by so fast! When I looked back on everything I’ve learned and talked about, I came to one major realization: the Zero Generation podcast isn’t over yet. I thought it would only take a season to tell the story of the brave people who make abroad their home, but there’s so much more to say. So join me as I look back on my season highlights and look forward to the future!

I list everything I’ve learned from all of the bright and beautiful guests who came to talk to me. They all inspired me in different ways and if you missed any of my episodes, this is a great way to catch up and find out what we talked about together. Wherever you’re at in your immigration journey, you’re definitely going to hear something that will speak to the questions you ask yourself about where you’ve come from – and where you want to get to.

The last message I want to give you this season is: thank you. Truly, thank you to everyone who’s tuned in, sent me a message, encouraged me, and recommended me. I don’t take your support for granted so it means a lot. I hope that you’ll subscribe to Zero Generation so that you’ll catch the first episode of the new season as soon as I’m back, and if there’s an episode you missed, you’ll find it on my YouTube channel.

Join the Zero Gen community:

• Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah

Theme Music by

• Akinoluwa Oyedele

Video & Audio Production by

• JSB Video (Season 2)
• Adode Media (Season 1)