Zero Generation

Black Tax, Baby Bills, & Big Dreams ft. Derrick Oigiagbe

Money requests don’t stop just because you got on a plane. In fact, they usually get louder. We sit down with Derrick Oigiagbe, Head of Product Security at Netflix Games, to talk frankly about black tax, firstborn pressure, and the art of giving without burning out. Derrick opens up about growing up as the eldest in a Nigerian household, how strength and softness were modeled by both of his parents, and why being a pillar for family still brings him joy when it’s grounded in gratitude and protection. We dig into a listener’s dilemma about becoming the "central bank" of the family after relocating and landing a Big Four job. Derrick and I offer practical boundary scripts, from time-bound support to transparent no’s that keep relationships intact. We also tackle the egoistic side of generosity — why the need to be liked feeds resentment — and how to remove your name from random group chats by building a tighter inner circle that shields you from noise. Expect clear strategies you can use today: limit your information surface, define who you support and how, and move aid from ad hoc rescues to structured help tied to outcomes. Then we pivot to the workplace. Derrick breaks down the uncomfortable truth that being liked often outruns being competent, especially as you climb. He shares how to navigate that reality without losing your edge: invest in trust, read context, and let humility speak louder than titles. We round out with fatherhood — how kids expand the meaning of love, build patience, and demand steadier choices — as well as a simple legacy test: what should it mean for someone to know you? Stability, advocacy, and honest counsel beat income flexes every time. If you’ve wrestled with family asks, career politics, or the weight of being first, this conversation will hand you language and tools to breathe again. Listen, share with a friend who needs a boundary, and leave a review with the one script you’re stealing for your next tough ask. Subscribe for more real talk on identity, money, and building a life that actually fits. Join the Zero Gen community: * Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter [https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter] * Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah [https://www.instagram.com/damionwah%20] Theme Music by * Akinoluwa Oyedele Video & Audio Production by * JSB Video (Season 2) * Adode Media (Season 1)

Love Across Borders: Marriage, Migration, & Building Family Abroad ft. Nkem Akinsoto

What does it take to build a life that holds both where you’re from and who you’re becoming? We sit with writer and public health professional Nkem Akinsoto — known to early 2010s readers as romance author Myne Whitman — to unpack identity, love, and the joy of soft living across continents. From keeping her Nigerian accent after sixteen years abroad, to raising two daughters who code-switch with ease, Nkem shows how belonging can be flexible without ever being for sale. We trace her path from Enugu and Asaba to Edinburgh and finally Seattle, where career, family, and community finally clicked. She shares about adopting her daughters in Nigeria, the growth that parenting demanded, and how compassion replaced old edges. We dig into her prolific romance era: the balcony folk tales that primed her imagination, her fast‑devoured Mills & Boon years, and why her heroes live in fantasy rather than biography. The “billionaire sweep-you-off-your-feet” archetype becomes a lens on the broader Nigerian dream: access, relief, and room to build, balanced by her message to her girls to build their own wings, too. Nkem also shares how being a multi‑hyphenate turned intention into impact. With her husband’s steadfast support, she launched a nonprofit that moved over ten million naira in pandemic relief, applying program design and evaluation tools from public health to accelerate real help. And yes, hers is a love story for the ages: two anonymous message‑board posters trading sharp comments and, eventually, phone numbers — proof that words can still be chemistry’s best spark. If you’re navigating immigration, homesickness, or the pressure to blend in, this conversation offers grounded advice and hopeful realism: work where effort is rewarded, keep ties warm, and let love — romantic and communal — soften the path forward. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder that identity can travel well. What part of your story are you choosing to keep? Join the Zero Gen community: * Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter [https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter] * Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah [https://www.instagram.com/damionwah%20] Theme Music by * Akinoluwa Oyedele Video & Audio Production by * JSB Video (Season 2) * Adode Media (Season 1)

The Audacity to Stay: Thriving in Nigeria When Everyone Else Left ft. Kemi Onabanjo-Joseph

What if the boldest move isn't leaving, but choosing to build where others see only exits? We sit down with McKinsey Partner and thought leader, Kemi Onabanjo-Joseph, to explore conviction, career, and community as the real engines of a meaningful life in Nigeria. Kemi's journey pivots on a denied visa as a college-age student, resulting in a newfound commitment to purpose. She walks us through testing her way into clarity: sampling multiple career options and finally landing on management consulting. A single public sector project changed her trajectory, after exposing how policy shapes daily lives and how much impact principled talent can have in government and economic development. From there, Kemi shares why she returned to Nigeria after business school at INSEAD despite currency shocks and student loan debt, and how a simple prompt from her office manager — start your future now or in three years — helped her choose conviction over convenience. We dig into the realities of staying: the strain of fragile systems, the heartbreak of healthcare gaps, and the practical rhythms that keep her grounded. Faith, a partner equally invested in Nigeria, and a strong community act as stabilizers. Kemi offers a powerful view on opportunity in chaos, showing how discipline, audacity, relationship-building, and early exposure to senior decision-makers translate into outsized impact across African markets. Plus, a timely segment on workplace culture: how to set boundaries with grace when a colleague's "my darling" crosses your comfort line. You'll leave with a richer understanding of what staying signals to the world — belief that there’s something worth fighting for — and why the choice to go or stay is best made by purpose, not pressure. If this conversation resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who's weighing a big move, and leave a review to help others find it. Connect with Kemi and her work: Kemi's World [https://www.kemionabanjo.com/] Join the Zero Gen community: * Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter [https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter] * Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah [https://www.instagram.com/damionwah%20] Theme Music by * Akinoluwa Oyedele Video & Audio Production by * JSB Video (Season 2) * Adode Media (Season 1)

Neither Here Nor There (But Everywhere): The First-Gen American Experience ft. Kehinde Winful

What if belonging isn't something you prove but something you live? We sit down with Kehinde Winful — attorney, novelist, and proud Nigerian-American — to unpack the messy middle between two homes and two careers. From getting placed in ESL for saying three like tree, to facing men who demand culinary and language "proof", Kehinde shows how subtle pressures can shape identity, and how a strong community can dissolve them. We trace the line from childhood bias to adult clarity, exploring how growing up in a tight Nigerian community in Minnesota built a quiet confidence that later fueled her voice as a writer. Kehinde opens up about the writer-lawyer pipeline, why legal training sharpened her storytelling, and how her novel, Flooding the River, challenges the policing of Nigerianness. Along the way, we examine harmful caricatures in online skits, the urge to gatekeep, and the cost of letting the loudest stereotype define an entire culture. We also get real about politics and values: "immigrant" isn't a single viewpoint, and Nigerian communities include a wide range of social and political beliefs. Instead of purity tests, Kehinde leans on observation — how people treat others, what they prioritize, who they mentor. That leads us into representation, mentorship, and choosing neighborhoods and schools where kids can see themselves reflected. The practical takeaway is simple and powerful: identity thrives where community is intentional. Light, candid moments round it out — family pride in a house full of high-achieving women, the pull of home for vacations, and a rapid-fire game that reveals what structure, joy, and belonging look like day to day. Press play for a thoughtful, human look at accent bias, cultural confidence, the Nigerian-American experience, and the creative life of a lawyer who writes. If this resonated, follow the show, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. Connect with Kehinde: https://kehindewinful.com/ [https://kehindewinful.com/] Read Damilola's essay referenced in the episode:  https://brittlepaper.com/2020/07/is-this-us-the-many-holes-in-nigerian-american-portrayal-of-the-nigerian-experience-damilola-oyedele-essay/ [https://brittlepaper.com/2020/07/is-this-us-the-many-holes-in-nigerian-american-portrayal-of-the-nigerian-experience-damilola-oyedele-essay/] Join the Zero Gen community: * Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter [https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter] * Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah [https://www.instagram.com/damionwah%20] Theme Music by * Akinoluwa Oyedele Video & Audio Production by * JSB Video (Season 2) * Adode Media (Season 1)

From Third Culture Kid To Behavioral Scientist: Code Switching, Reinvention, & Finding Home ft. Tayo Rockson

Reinvention isn’t a branding trick, it’s how you keep your center when the ground keeps moving.  On this episode, I sit down with Tayo Rockson, a third culture kid turned behavioral scientist, TEDx speaker, and author, to unpack the real work of belonging across continents. We get honest about the moments that sting and the choices that save you: when a classmate mocks your hair, when a manager rewards your "office voice", when a resumé name changes your callback rate, when a visa status turns dating into a negotiation. Tayo takes us inside his early pivots — Nigeria, Sweden, Burkina Faso, the U.S., Vietnam — and the education that followed: how to read rooms without losing yourself, how to harness code switching as cultural fluency rather than self-erasure, and how to reclaim a name and accent that carry history. We talk about bias in hiring, the politics of natural hair, the subtle taxes paid to appear "easy", and the small rebellions that restore dignity. There’s laughter too: suya and garri debates, choosing Nigerian heat over New York winters, and the airport that raises your blood pressure more than any Monday meeting. We also explore love and visas with rare candor. Tayo explains why he disclosed immigration uncertainty on first dates, how visa stability finally opened space for partnership, and the affinities that connect Nigerian and Haitian cultures — elders, spice, music, pride. By the end, Tayo offers a clear mindset for anyone navigating identity across borders: your story is still unfolding, and there are parts of you the world hasn’t met yet. Do the self-reflection, name what you want, and close the gap between who you are and who you’re becoming, step by step. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s straddling cultures, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Your voice helps this community grow. Learn more about Tayo and his work: TAYO ROCKSON [https://tayorockson.com/] Read Damilola's short story for the Tender Visions project, referenced in the episode: How to Sing a Border Song - Tender Photos [https://www.tenderphotos.com/how-to-sing-a-border-song-damilola-onwah] Join the Zero Gen community: * Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter [https://damilolaonwah.com/newsletter] * Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damionwah [https://www.instagram.com/damionwah%20] Theme Music by * Akinoluwa Oyedele Video & Audio Production by * JSB Video (Season 2) * Adode Media (Season 1)