Hey Newsletter Fam, today you’re joining 500+ women curious about unlearning all the things that hold them back from achieving in a society built by men for everyone. If you want these stories sent to your inbox, subscribe here:
Wow friends! Thanks for indulging me. This feels like a dream come true, a personal newsletter with hundreds of women - CEOs, professionals, thought-leaders, mothers, and all-star badass babes.
I thought about this newsletter a few weeks after landing in Nigeria a few months ago. I was literally yelling like a stray dog at every single thing that unsettled me. From the traffic in Lagos to the road safety officers attempting to barge into my car (during covid times, really?), I was ready to share what I thought was on my mind on how things should be done correctly. I look back now and literally laugh. There is nothing wrong with Lagos, Lagos is Lagos, and that is what makes it Lagos. I decided to pause to better understand my new environment after 18+ years out of the country. Nothing prepared me for what was to come. Friends and family members started calling me asking if we really thought this through before getting on the plane with little kids to Nigeria. The fact that we would be living in Nigeria, enrolling our kids in schools, and keeping a non-visible (somewhat remote) job with no office was very unpalatable to them.
A friend pulled me to the side and whispered carefully in my ears, “Are you crazy?”
What she wanted me to understand was that Nigeria was on fire. People were on the Japa Express (leaving Nigeria in search of better opportunities) on a daily basis, why would we as a family of 6 come back here? To do what exactly?
This isn’t the first time I’ve been called crazy by the way. I was called crazy in 2003 when I decided to stop taking the JAMB exam, the common entrance to College/University in Nigeria, after multiple attempts, and made an announcement in the middle of a tiny one-bedroom I shared with six other siblings that I would either be attending the University of Southern California or University of Florida in exactly one year. I remember using a leftover banana from my Dad’s church as my microphone and my siblings cheering me on. My sister Rachel gave me her piggy bank full of 5 Naira notes as a show of solidarity. We were going to do this, no matter what! I grabbed that piggy bank and ran to my Dad to share my exciting news. What a crazy idea when you are literally worth less than a $1 and can’t even afford your own bus ride.
These stories are very similar to yours as a woman, mother, professional, or business owner. How many times have you thought about doing things differently only to think to yourself “thats crazy.” The truth is, the world expects women to continue in a certain path, in a prescribed lane, and the minute we make a U-turn, society scolds us, labels us as crazy and non-conforming. Sometimes, we get punished for it usually by those we love.
How many times have you been called crazy as a woman, either by other women, a boyfriend, a partner, or even worse an employer? How many times have you been called crazy when you decide a relationship or marriage no longer serves you? How many times have you been called crazy when you decide to leave a high-paying job to preserve you mental health and sanity?
That is why this newsletter exist.
To breakdown the walls of womanhood as defined by society. This newsletter isn’t just for you, it is for me, it is for all of us who are finding our voices in little rooms, and manifesting our greatness even when the path seems crazy and super unclear. In the new year, I will be inviting top-notch experts and thought-leaders, all women, who will be providing us with insights and bold audacious steps to unlearn at a much larger capacity in our relationship with ourselves, money, work, and life. I am super excited.
A few things I’m Loving: 🍞Bread
Yes, you read that right. I have been baking a storm during the holidays, and a freshly baked bread warms the loneliest of hearts especially in a crazy pandemic, am I right? Here is a recipe I used and I absolutely swear by it.
Ingredients: Flour (6 cups), Warm Water (2 cups), Vegetable Oil (1/4 cup), Sugar (1/2 Cup), Yeast (1 1/2 tbsp), Salt (1 tbsp),
Directions: In a large bowl dissolve all your dry ingredients and mix for 5 minutes with a mixer or a whisk. Then start adding your flour a cup at a time until it starts to thicken into a dough. Knead dough for 7-10 minutes and place in a well oiled bowl. Turn dough to coat and cover with a clear film or damp cloth. Allow to tase for about an hour. Your dough should have doubled in size afterwards. Punch down dough and knead for another minute. Now shape your dough and place in a large pan or divide into two into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover with a clear film and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Bake at 350F or 175C for 30-40 minutes. Cool down for 5 minutes and brush with butter. The best!!!
Unlearn To Relearn: 🔍 Twitter
Well, for one, I am back on Twitter and loving it. I used to be active on twitter a few years ago, but then I fell out of love with it, and left. Well, in a true unlearning fashion, I had to unlearn all the things that made me successful on Twitter the first time around, and relearn what I needed to scale faster on today’s Twitter. Thanks to the amazing Tosin Olaseinde of Money Africa for the quick formula. Within a few hours, my tweet went viral. I am back baby! :)
Thanks for reading my inaugural newsletter! I will try hard to make it a newsletter you look forward to each week, so if you have something you would like to unlearn, or something you recently unlearned, I will like to hear from you.
Let’s unlearn to achieve!
✌🏻 Blessing
You can also learn more about what I am building for women and families at Mother Honestly or a little more about me on my Website, Twitter or LinkedIn and follow along my daily routine on Instagram.
If you enjoy reading Woman Unlearn, forward it to a friend. ✉️
Well done Blessing for being the woman doing the crazy thing! I moved back to Nigeria 11 years ago and people still ask me regularly why I moved back. Your words resonated with me because I'm in the middle of doing something again that is considered crazy by many, so I know the feeling. I wish you - and myself LOL - all the best!