WHAT THEY SAY
WHAT THEY SAY is a podcast by THEY SAY STUDIOS, hosted by co-founders Amy-Lee Cowey-Small and Jessica Ashman, two women building a creative and digital world on their own terms. It is where work meets real life - motherhood and ambition, friendship and business, burnout and belief - with honest, funny, thoughtful conversations between Amy, Jess and their guests, from founders and creatives to leaders rewriting the rules, about what it really takes to build something you love and stay (mostly) sane.
WHAT THEY SAY
WHAT THEY SAY about making space when you’re not given it with Ayo Akinsete
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In this episode of WHAT THEY SAY, Amy-Lee and Jess sit down with hospitality heavyweight Ayo Akinsete, Chief Operating Officer at The Dean Group, to talk about making space when you’re not given it- and leading with calm, credibility and quiet confidence.
From Ile-Ife in Nigeria to South Carolina, Vegas, London and now Ireland, Ayo has built a global career across some of the world’s most recognisable lifestyle hotels. But this isn’t a CV recap. It’s a conversation about what it really feels like to be the only one in the room - and choose to stay anyway.
Together, they get into:
- How to build credibility in industries that weren’t built with you in mind
- Representation that’s real, not just a line in a strategy deck
- Cultural intelligence, mentorship and opening doors for the next generation
- Why leadership is less about ego, more about service
Plus, Ayo jumps into our They Say / We Say quickfire, giving his take on big leadership clichés like "you have to fit in to lead" and "calm leaders finish last".
WHAT THEY SAY is the podcast from THEY SAY STUDIOS- where creative meets digital, work meets real life, and there’s always a bit of chaos. Made for women building big lives, not just big careers, and for anyone carving out space in rooms that weren’t designed for them.