Episode 10: Andrew Osayemi - Creator of Meet the Adebanjos (Netflix) and Diversity Specialist: Earning Your Yes; Finding Your Voice

Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices Podcast

At the time of recording, Andrew Osayemi was a specialist diversity recruiter at Rare Recruitment and the creator of the Netflix TV show Meet the Adebanjos. He started his career as a city trader and then took the plunge into starting a TV production company, MTA productions – although, as he claims he did not “know anything about TV”. He is the author of the book “How my Disastrous Teenage Love Life Will Get You Your Dream Job”.
Our fascinating discussion starts with his upbringing in South London, how he found himself a job in the City and the cultural adjustments that the trading floor entailed. As his career took off and took him to the US, he found himself faced with a challenging choice. His career then took a creative turn as he started to pitch his TV ideas and ultimately started a TV production company. We hear about the series of "Nos" that forced him to focus on "earning a Yes" and what happened when he did, finally, break through the competitive world of TV.
The discussion would not have been complete without analyzing how his teenage love life could get me - or anyone - a dream job, and we look at how relationships and commitment to them can be the key to nurturing a career. We then talk about authenticity, gratitude, finding one's voice, speaking up and showing up at meetings and in careers. Andrew is now sharing his advice with the next generation and if you will follow him on LinkedIN you will see that he has an ambitious goal of speaking to 1 million young people this year to talk about his career, his choices and what is possible.
This podcast series is brought to you with the kind support of:
Romco Metals, producers of truly green aluminium, copper, and other non-ferrous metals from the African continent, dedicated to decarbonising supply chains across the globe by recycling our way to a sustainable future. Romco: Invest, Reduce, & Grow; and
Mbuyu Capital Partners, an investment company focusing exclusively on Africa, managing portfolios of funds and direct investments for institutional clients and impact investors.