Let's go to storytelling school.

Today and tomorrow I will be sharing two versions of my personal story. This is my ORIGIN story. Today's version is the full story and tomorrow I will show you how I re-work the same story and turned it into a sales message (without being sales-ey). After that I will show you how to do the same with your own story. (even if you are not a good writer)

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For now, here is the original version of my story:

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My Story

“Mum, Dad, I’m dropping out of medical school. I want to study photography.” It was 1988.

The room fell silent. It had been going so well. I was a top student in primary and secondary school and was in my 3rd year of medical school… Now this.

My mom, a director of Education, who had sacrificed so much for my education, looked heartbroken. My dad, a professor of surgery whose footsteps I was supposed to follow, sat quietly, processing my words.

Photography? Is that even a career?

This was the late 1980s in Nigeria—it wasn’t even a thing.

After searching for a new course of study, we found there were no photography schools in Africa at that time. We came to a compromise. A degree in Psychology.

And so, I started university all over again from year one.

I finally graduated after Seven years altogether in University, not just with a degree, but as a single mom to my beautiful girl and my son on the way… and oh yes, no husband.

I moved back in with my parents.

My life was a mess. With my two little ones looking up to me and no clear path forward: It felt like I had nothing… but around that time I found Jesus so I knew that all was not lost. I decided to find a way to make something out of nothing. All I had was my head, my hands, and my heart, but that turned out to be enough.

The Hustle and My First Business

After graduation, I worked a mix of jobs—selling mobile phones, balloon decorations, even a stint as a civil servant. But my heart was always drawn to creating. In 2000, I started my first business, “Handmaid in Africa”, crafting handmade notebooks and stationery covered with African fabrics. It was my first taste of entrepreneurship, teaching me that passion and resourcefulness could turn an idea into something tangible.

The UK Chapter

In 2004, I relocated to the UK.

It felt like I had already lived a few life-times but I was determined to start fresh. I was a respectable married woman now dammit (no longer the party girl—ha!) ready to take on my Master’s degree and build a new respectable life. Three months into my Masters, I found out I was expecting my lastborn. How?!?? - that’s another story for another day. My lecturer suggested I take a break, have the baby, and come back later.

I never went back.

When I was finally ready to re-enter the workforce, I soon found out that the skills that had been golden in Nigeria—typing 40 words per minute and being “computer literate”—barely got a raised eyebrow from the UK job market. I had no choice but to lean into my creative side, where I had a better chance of standing out.

The Creative Pivot

I started teaching arts and crafts at community centers—everything from bookbinding to knitting to fabric sculpture. To strengthen my teaching skills, I took a PTLLS course, and soon, creativity became both my passion and my profession. I also self-published my first book on Amazon in 2006.

Around that time, my chef husband started making these delicious home-made cakes. So I had a brainwave - “you bake the cakes, I bring my arty-farty-crafty skills and decorate the cakes and we can build our empire. Mwahahahah! *rubbing hands together like a supervillian*.

Hubby was unimpressed with the idea.

So I went ahead and did it by myself.

I taught myself to bake and decorate cakes from books (shoutout to Lindy Smith and Peggy Porschen!). Eventually, I put together my first website and launched my business: Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School in 2009. Not a brilliant choice of name, I know... At the time I just wanted something that was easy to spell. I didn't realise the name “Exotic Fantastic” would make some people think of lingerie (and make perverts think of porn…)

Oh well…

In 2012, I decided to started a blog to write about how to sell cakes. That blog opened my eyes to online marketing and set me on a path I didn’t even know existed. I published”30 Ways to Sell Your Cakes” on Amazon, joined Marie-Forleo’s B-School in 2014, and discovered webinars, Wordpress and the wonderful world of online education. I eventually gave up on the cake blog - right message, wrong audience. (another conversation for another time)

The Hardest Chapter

Sometime in 2008, my life took another turn. Both my sons were diagnosed with autism plus we encountered an immigration problem that was going to drag for over a decade.

The early years after their diagnosis were some of the hardest of my life, and for a time, I retreated from the world. But in that quiet season of being unable to travel, I found the time that most people don’t have - to study, read books and take more courses and watch more webinars on sales, marketing, and persuasion than anyone I know. That time gave me a unique set of skills and a deep understanding of how to connect with people with sales and marketing.

A Divine Encounter

In 2015, a chance encounter with Shola changed everything. After a two-hour conversation, she asked to become my first digital marketing client, and I realised I had found my calling.

In 2016, I took Donald Miller’s StoryBrand course where I discovered the power of storytelling as a marketing tool.

Everything started to come together.

I became fascinated with how storytelling and strategy could transform a business. Over time, I discovered my sweet spot: email marketing and storytelling—a match made in digital marketing heaven.

Today...

I run The Email Writers Lab, where I help entrepreneurs and course creators use story-driven email marketing to grab attention, win hearts, and drive sales. I published my third book "The Vivid Story Method". I also host The Email Writers Lab podcast, sharing everything I’m learning about the power of story-driven email marketing. My dream is to train 100 email copywriters this year to make a living from helping people tell their stories.

When I’m not crafting email campaigns for clients or teaching storytelling techniques, I’m learning (always), chasing after God (the real CEO), and spending time with my beautiful blended family, which includes my long-suffering husband, 6 children and two delightful grandchildren between us.

What I’ve Learned

Life rarely follows an orderly script. I am that medical school dropout who started over more times than she can count. I finally found my purpose in storytelling and helping others find their stories and their voice.

The detours weren’t distractions— they were part of the story all along. In each part, I gathered golden nuggets that have all come together to make me more valuable to my world today than if my path had been a straight one.

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