We were lucky to catch up with Olivia Steadman- Oladipo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Olivia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents raised a contender. To be an entrepreneur, you have to compete to succeed— even when the person you’re competing against is who you see in the mirror. I am the daughter of two immigrants who left their homes and created one for me in this country. They raised me to defy the odds and not only survive, but thrive. My parents urged excellence in academia, the company I kept, and independence. These values help me navigate along this journey every day.

Olivia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Olivia Tokunbo, a writer, community builder, and yoga instructor. I utilize wellness tools as methods of healing + self-exploration while empowering others to do the same. I am passionate about storytelling, accessibility, knowledge, traveling, and intentional movement.

I send out a free wellness newsletter every week with guided reflections, journal prompts, affirmations, and practices to incorporate into your daily routines. You can join the community by signing up to receive them at oliviatokunbo.com/join. I’m excited to share that I am releasing a guided journal soon! It is intentionally designed to aid you along your journey— sign up for my newsletter to be notified of the release!

How did you get into your industry and what are you most proud of in your field?

I got into the wellness industry intuitively. My work parallels my journey with healing. Writing has been an integral part of my relationship with safety and reflection since I was in my single digits. You could always find a young Olivia with a diary, now you can always find me with a journal. My decision to become a yoga instructor was rooted in my intention to share the benefits I had discovered with my community. Combining my love of writing and movement with my desire to heal and make these tools accessible to others was organic.

I am most proud of my ability to create a safe space for people to unravel and build themselves up again. These are the seeds that root, grow, and inspire change within the world.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Interpersonal skills. I am a slow-build type of person existing in a microwave society.

Society has come to expect everything instantly these days— instant success, instant relationships, instant gratification. Because of this, what I’m seeing with entrepreneurs + creatives during this time is fake engagement. Some are producing purely for consumption, but this will only go so far. Pretending to care for the people who support you + your work is unsustainable.

I have real conversations. I show up as myself and I carefully tend to my community. I respond to every email I receive back from my newsletters. I intentionally hold space for people. I am present in my work. I go the extra mile and it shows. My reputation is indicative of my ability to show up as my whole self for others and naturally, they show up for me as well.

I have genuine gratitude for my community and how they receive me and my work. It is invaluable.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Authenticity! Wellness is a billion-dollar industry. I can’t say what I offer is unlike anything anyone’s ever seen, but the experience I create certaintly is unique.

No one can create the environment I create because I incorporate my personal experiences into my work.
With social media, there’s pressure to be like everyone else to succeed. Create the same content, contort into the same poses, use the same rhetoric— but I reject that.

It’s essential to show up authentically, create from your heart, and hold true to your values + beliefs. It creates an authentic safe space for the people seeking your guidance.

Contact Info:

• Website: oliviatokunbo.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/oliviatokunbo
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/oliviatokunbo
• Other: You can sign up to receive my newsletters here: oliviatokunbo.com/join. Thank you for your support.