S2 Ep22. Driven by Heart: Oluremi Bademosi’s Journey of Passion and Purpose

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson welcomes her brother, Oluremi Bademosi, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation on passion, professionalism and personal growth. With warmth and honesty, Olu shares what fuels his drive, how he defines success, and the meaningful lessons he’s gathered along the way as a consultant, writer, DJ, and mentor.

Together, they explore the power of being driven, not just to achieve, but to push past limits and create impact. Olu reflects on the vital role passion plays in producing authentic work and how professionalism elevates everything with integrity and excellence. He opens up about some surprising sides of himself, including his love for fitness, writing poetry and songs, and how his DJ past shaped his creativity and confidence.

Listeners also get a behind-the-scenes look at his writing projects: a biography titled Why Me?, inspired by a life-changing health challenge in 2016, and a compelling fiction novel in the fantasy-horror genre. His journey doesn’t stop at personal growth, Olu shares memorable moments of mentoring others, from helping artists who’ve opened for icons like Mary J. Blige and Robin Thicke, to supporting a successful nightclub by blending his business skills with a passion for music.

Perhaps most moving is Olu’s candid account of his health struggles and how he embraced transformational thinking to turn adversity into growth. His story is a powerful reminder of the importance of resilience, self-awareness, and surrounding yourself with people who lift you higher.

Whether you’re navigating your own challenges, seeking fresh inspiration or simply love hearing from people who lead with both heart and purpose, this episode is sure to leave you motivated and uplifted.

Tune in to discover Oluremi Bademosi’s extraordinary journey and the heart of what it means to live with passion and purpose.

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Transcript

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (00:01.142)
Welcome to another edition of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, a podcast that uses overwhelmingly positive questions to learn about our guests, where every episode uncovers extraordinary stories of triumph, growth, and empowerment. Hi, I'm Aderonke Bademosi Wilson, and my guest on today's show is  Oluremi Bademosi. Olu is passionate, driven, professional. And Olu, before you even speak, I want to let my listeners know that not only are you a guest on today's show, you're also my brother. So welcome.

Oluremi Bademosi (00:45.746)
Thank you for inviting me.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (00:48.534)
Olu, the descriptors that you've used are passionate, driven, professional. Tell me about being driven.

Oluremi Bademosi (00:58.194)
Well, driven, as it applies to me, is a bit dogmatic. I want to succeed. As a consultant, one of the attributes you should have is to be driven, because you're working on behalf of a client—whether it's putting on a workshop or trying to resolve an issue that they have that they feel is perplexing them. The driven part allows you to fight through and hopefully come up with a positive response to whatever ails a particular client. You could also apply it to your own personal life. To be driven to succeed means that you're not satisfied with the status quo. You want to continue to improve, whether that's from an educational perspective or even personal. Driven means that you don't want to be stuck in neutral.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (01:56.674)
Be passionate. What does that look like for you?

Oluremi Bademosi (02:01.350)
It's something that I think about often. What does passion mean as it applies to me and to everyone? People might have a different interpretation of it. Passion, to me, means that you like what you do. You have a passion for the work that you do. Sometimes you might find a chef who says that the passion for the food comes out in the flavor. I think the passion for me comes out in the results because it comes from the heart and it comes from an authentic place. When you really, really love something, the results speak for themselves.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (02:59.649)
And be professional.

Oluremi Bademosi (03:02.726)
It's the way that you conduct yourself. Once again, I'm going to refer to myself in the capacity of a consultant. It's your level of professionalism. It speaks to your integrity and to the quality of your work. If all of that is in alignment, from my own personal perspective, there's a bar that I don't want to drop under, and that bar represents professionalism. Anything less than being professional, partially, I think is an excuse.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (03:43.010)
What do you mean by "it's an excuse"? What does that mean?

Oluremi Bademosi (03:47.058)
Professionalism is the standard that you aspire towards, and if you don't quite get there and you never quite get there, then the question is, why not? And to be honest, if you continue to use the same excuse, then I have to wonder whether or not you're really trying to be professional. It might sound a bit harsh, but that's the level I think most people should aspire towards—that level of professionalism. Anything less than that is not something that someone should basically accept. I don't think that you should accept mediocrity. As a professional, it's something that I try to strive towards, and it's a bar that I don't want to drop under.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (04:44.009)
Thank you. So, Olu, I would like our listeners to learn a little more about you. Please share three interesting things about yourself that our listeners may not know, and your friends—and I'll say friends slash siblings—will be surprised to learn.

Oluremi Bademosi (05:03.600)
I don't know if my siblings would be surprised to learn. Three things: I work out five days a week, which helps me stay physically and mentally fit. I'm going to use the word passion again. I'm passionate about writing. I write poems, I write songs, and I'm currently working on two books. One is a biography, the other is a work of fiction. And lastly, I used to be a DJ, which gives me a unique perspective when it comes to music and the creative process. My thirst for DJing and the lessons learned from being a DJ is something that has carried me up until today.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (05:51.394)
Well, I did learn one thing that I didn't know—that you're working on a biography. I think I knew just about everything else. Tell me about your writing. Do you have anything published yet?

Oluremi Bademosi (06:05.800)
Unfortunately I don't, and I must admit I'm a lazy writer and I should have a bit more dedication towards it, but I don't. The irony is, when I start writing, I can't stop. The problem is, when I start writing, I can't start. So it's the chicken and the egg scenario, and I just need a bit more motivation. I love the book, especially the fiction. I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books and it's in that genre—sort of fantasy horror. I personally think it's a good book. I know I'm tooting my own horn, but I do. That's based on the amount of books that I've read that are of a similar genre. The problem is I should be finished by now. It's taken me about seven years to get to where I am, and I should be finished. So there's no real excuse. As I mentioned in my previous answer in terms of professionalism and the bar, I'm underneath the bar, unfortunately.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (07:15.832)
Well, I'm going to give you words of encouragement and definitely encourage you to continue your bio and your piece of fiction.

Oluremi Bademosi (07:27.792)
And the actual name of the bio is Me?

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (07:35.318)
Do you want to elaborate on the title a little more?

Oluremi Bademosi (07:39.430)
The title actually comes from an ailment that I had in 2016. It's a term that I coined during my struggle, my progress, and my rehabilitation. I coined the phrase "Why me?" So it's kind of a play on the fact that I had to go through the struggle, and sometimes we often question—whether it be questioning the Lord or the heavens above—why was I a victim? I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not deserving of this. And so I came to accept that I'm not an exception. There's nothing unique about me. Why not me?

Oluremi Bademosi (08:32.474)
So I coined the phrase "Why me?" as a play on the reality that it could be anyone, and no one's an exception and no one's special.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (08:45.982)
You mentioned there were some lessons that you learned while you were a DJ. Can you think of one or two that you can share?

Oluremi Bademosi (08:55.660)
Confidence. I think people don't realize one of the hardest things to do is go in front of some turntables or whatever device you have and play music that moves people. Because if you get it wrong, no one's going to be dancing and the results are self-evident. So having that level of confidence to go and know that you're going to put on music that's going to move and motivate a crowd and give them an experience that hopefully they don't forget—it's not easy. Once you're able to do that, you do get a level of confidence. Sometimes you don't realize that you're a bit more confident than you were maybe six months ago, prior to you becoming a DJ. For me, it gave me confidence, especially given the guys that I was with. We had a DJing unit and each one of us was really good at our craft. You wanted to please them. You wanted them to shake their head and give you that acknowledgement, "Hey, you're doing a good job." I was one of the youngest members, so you sought gratification and acknowledgement from them. You kind of look over to your colleagues and you're seeing if their heads are bobbing or they're talking about you. If they're talking about you, it's not good. But if their heads are bobbing, then that means, "Hey, you know what, the music I'm playing, I've got them." Obviously, you feel a sense of refreshment as a consequence of that.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (10:33.812)
Thank you, Olu. Can you tell us about a recent accomplishment or success that you're particularly proud of?

Oluremi Bademosi (10:43.322)
I've had the opportunity to mentor several individuals throughout my professional career, both in business and also in music. There's one experience that stands out to me—when I worked with a talented singer. I won't name her. As I mentioned, I write songs. I wrote all of her music, all of the songs for her, and we had a great working relationship. She eventually had the opportunity to open for Mary J. Blige and Robin Thicke. She performed three songs which I wrote for her. I remember before she actually performed, I told her, "If anyone asks who wrote those songs, tell them that you wrote them and that they're from personal experiences." I wrote them, but we don't want to destroy the mystique of it all. It was important to me that she felt empowered, that she felt connected to the music. I'd like to think that I made a real positive impact on her life. I believe now she lives in the UK and she's still singing.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (12:02.104)
As we look at your successes in life, please tell us about a time when you made a difference in another's life. What were the circumstances? Paint a picture for me.

Oluremi Bademosi (12:32.264)
In order to write songs for someone, you need to truly get to know them and they need to trust you. Similarly, as a consultant, which is what I do professionally, it's crucial to understand your clients and to be able to adapt to their personality. You need to earn respect and trust, just like any meaningful relationship. I rely on my ability to connect with people on a personal level and to really understand their needs. I also draw on my knowledge and experience and then package it in a way that is both meaningful and valuable to them. Whether crafting a song or providing consulting advice, the key strengths I rely on are empathy, being adaptable, and the ability to live in a way that resonates with that individual. Those are the attributes that I tend to use when I'm working with somebody, and in tandem, the impact I hopefully make in their lives.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (13:41.886)
Do you have a specific example that you might want to share?

Oluremi Bademosi (13:47.455)
Yes, one. Years and years ago, I wrote a business plan for a guy to start a nightclub. A lot of people don't realize this—I don't think hardly anyone knows this. It's one of the most fulfilling things that I had done up until a particular point. I mentioned my passion for music as a DJ, so for me, you're kind of connecting the dots. I was a business major in university, so it brought my educational experience and my passion together in a way that I would have never imagined. The outcome of that was a nightclub, and the nightclub was very successful. Every time I think about it, I have a little smile on my face. It's not something I widely broadcast, but it's still something that I'm proud to have been part of.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (14:45.804)
What were the key strengths and qualities you relied on to make a difference in this instance?

Oluremi Bademosi (14:52.498)
In this instance, I think the key strengths were adaptability, professionalism again, and experience. The experience comes from the fact that I have been involved in music, and a natural part of being a DJ is playing at nightclubs. When you take an interest in that, you kind of know what it takes to run a successful nightclub: the quality of the music, the ambience of the place, and just a whole checklist of things that you need to have in place if you want to be competitive in the nightclub business. Those are things that I knew. I had spent a lot of years working at a specific nightclub with other guys for a number of years. We always tried to improve the quality of the music and the DJing and also the sound for that particular nightclub. I always thought to myself, if I start on my own, I know what I need to do to make it competitive. It was important for me to have that experience, and it's also important for me from a business perspective to understand the cost of running a nightclub. In addition to the cost comes the marketing of the nightclub and being able to ask yourself, what sort of patron do you want to have? If you can answer all those questions successfully, then you have some of the fundamentals you need in order to hopefully run a successful business.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (16:37.358)
Can you recall a situation where you overcame a challenge that led to personal growth? What did you learn from that experience?

Oluremi Bademosi (16:48.200)
In 2016, I faced some life-changing health challenges. At one point, there was a real possibility that I wouldn't be able to walk. For me personally, it was a very difficult time, but it also became a pivotal moment for my personal growth. During this period, I really began to focus on a concept that I believed in called transformational thinking. I realized that I needed to stop living life based on negative energy and instead focus on converting that energy into something more positive. By doing this, I not only improved my mindset, but my life became more fulfilling. In 2017, for instance, I had the opportunity to give a speech about my concept and share my journey in terms of how it had helped me. A key part of that was the idea of surrounding yourself with more positive people and those who pour positive energy into you. It's important that you have people around you that bring you up or uplift you. Sometimes you have to make some difficult decisions and distance yourself from negative influences who drain you of positive energy. These are like vampires that just suck all the energy out of you. You feel tired and you're less motivated as a result. You might not even realize that it's coming from the people you're hanging around with until some time later, or you might never come to the realization. But if you're able to recognize it early in life, then you can distance yourself. It might even be some family members. So, some tough decisions you have to make. But if they're draining you of positive energy, you have to ask yourself what's more important. It's something that you become a bit more conscious of as you get older.