How I Crushed It

Award-winning dancer and choreographer Dickson Mbi joins Tunde on How I Crushed It to share his journey from East London to winning an Olivier Award. Get the inside track on the sacrifices, setbacks, and successes that shaped Dickson Mbi's groundbreaking dance career. Dickson Mbi's resilience after a devastating knee injury nearly ended his dancing career Lessons from a childhood split between Cam...

Join us for a no-nonsense chat with Amina Folarin, CEO of Oliver, as she discusses her unique path from HR to the boardroom. This episode is packed with insights about leadership, diversity, and defying the odds in a competitive industry. The realities and challenges of moving from HR to the CEO role Growing up in Wolverhampton, overcoming obstacles, and the impact of family How Amina Folarin impl...

Julian Boaitey is the founder of Yendy Skin, a London-based skincare brand built around African superfood ingredients sourced from Ghana.  If you enjoy the episode, subscribe to How I Crushed It for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs and people building ambitious businesses.    Stay in touch: X: @howicrushedit Instagram: @howicrushedit Know someone else who is CRUSHING IT? Email us at...

Ayo Akinwolere has built an extraordinary broadcasting career — from becoming the first Black male presenter of Blue Peter to presenting some of the biggest sporting events in the world. In this episode of How I Crushed It, Ayo tells the story of growing up in Nigeria, moving to Birmingham as a child and navigating racism, identity and the challenge of breaking into British television. After initi...

BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning producer and director Jo Johnson sits down with Tunde to discuss her rise through the UK television industry. From growing up in Kensal Rise to smashing it on Netflix, she shares hard-won lessons and candid career insights. Early life in West London and influences on Jo Johnson's work ethic Breaking into the industry and overcoming setbacks as a Black woman in TV Key c...

We revisit our chat with former Senior Director at LinkedIn, Tunji Akintokun. He has also had senior leadership positions at PwC and Cisco. Since leaving LinkedIn Tunji now focuses his energy as a Non-Executive Director, Trustee, Patron and Angel Investor using technology, sport, and the arts as vehicles for change through his philanthropic efforts to help those with talent who lack the access to...

Dr Samantha Tross is one of the UK's most respected orthopaedic surgeons. In 2005 she made history when she became Britain’s first Black female orthopaedic consultant surgeon. She was the first woman in Europe to use robotic hip surgery in 2018, and she has been regularly recognised as one of Britain's most influential Black Britons in the annual Powerlist .   Listen back to interviews with: Dr Di...

Mike Williams is co-founder of Flake Bake – the UK's most successful Jamaican patty business. In 2024 the business won Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing and in the same year Mike won the Black British Business Awards, Rising Star of the year - Entrepreneur🏆.   Website TV Advert   Listen back to interviews with: Ire Hassan- Odukale - Co-Founder of the fine dining restaurant, Ikoyi   ______________...

Sola Akingbola is a musician, recording artist and band member of the Grammy award winning band, Jamiroquai. Across his career he has performed with the likes of David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and he is also an accomplished composer for the stage and screen.   Website   Listen back to interviews with: Kojo Samuel - Music Director   ______________________________________________________________________...

With the domestic football season coming to an end over the next week or so and the FIFA World Cup fast approaching in the summer, we revisit our chat with Skysports reporter, Kyle Walker.   Kyle Walker is a SJA British Sports Journalism nominated Sky Sports presenter and reporter who also regularly works for Manchester City TV, EA Sports and FIFA. On this episode he talks about growing up in Moss...

Leon Francis has been a leader and manager in three of the biggest consumer brands in the UK, Mcdonald's, Sainsbury's and Apple. He also has his own male grooming brand called Nuevo Noir which he started in 2021. In 2024 he won the Rising Star award at the Black British Business Awards in the Consumer and Luxury category.   Website: Nuevo Noir   Listen back to interviews with: Dion Terrelonge - Pi...

Welcome to a special edition of How I Crushed It — #TheElevateSeries — created in proud partnership with the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards). This partnership celebrates past winners and the powerful impact they continue to make across their industries and communities.   In this episode, we speak with Dr Serufusa Sekidde, BBBAwards 2025 winner in the Senior Leader – STEM category. Serufu...

Darryl Edwards is a globally recognised movement coach, author and pioneer in the intersection of health and movement, renowned for his groundbreaking Primal Play Method.  A former IT Consultant in the investment banking world he's since transitioned his career and he is now dedicating his life to helping others to combat chronic lifestyle diseases. His popular TED talk called, “ Why Working Out I...

With the Oscars 2026 taking place this weekend, we revisit our chat with entertainment mogul Femi Oguns.    Femi Oguns is founder and CEO of both Identity School of Acting and Identity Agency Group and he has become one of the most influential people in the British Film and TV industry. He has shaped the careers of the likes of Michaela Cole, Damson Idris, Letitia Wright and John Boyega. He has be...

Siobhan Copland is a matchmaker and dating coach with over 10 years experience setting people up on dates and consulting them on their dating lives. She is the founder of Cupid In The City and in 2025 it won Best Dating Agency in London & the South East.   Cupid In The City   Listen back to interviews with: Audrey Indome   - The Receipts Podcast   ______________________________________________...

Phyllis Akua Opoku-Gyimah, aka Lady Phyll, is one of the most influential figures in the British LGBTQ+ community. She is widely known as Lady Phyll partly due to her refusal in 2016 to accept an MBE citing her opposition to colonial legacies that have contributed to anti-LGBTQ+ laws in many parts of the world.   Lady Phyll   Listen back to interviews with: Maggie Alphonsi - World Cup winning rugb...

Tobi Oredein is a journalist, public speaker and the founder and CEO of Black Ballad, a media and lifestyle platform for black women.   Tobi Oredein Black Ballad ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Stay in touch: X/Twitter: @howicrushedit Instagram: @howicrushedit Email us at howicrushedit@gmail.com Use the hashtag #howicrushedit on Twitte...

Joelle Owusu-Sekyere is an awarding winning publisher of bold, engaging fiction and non-fiction books at Penguin Random House and Merky Books which is the book publisher created by Stormzy & Penguin Books.   Joelle Owusu-Sekyere   Listen back to interview with: Dorothy Koomson - Bestselling novelist ______________________________________________________________________________________________...

We look back at the favourite bits of the podcast in 2025 including clips with the following guests: Sebastian Thiel Lorna Clarke Akua Gyamfi Bell Ribeiro Addy Dr Daniel Moses Dean Aston Ashleigh Ainsley Cassa Pancho Thanyia Moore Dorothy Koomson Audrey Indome Hope Powell   Thanks for you support and looking forward to shining a light on more talent in 2026! _______________________________________...

Hope Powell is currently Technical Director of the Women's football team at Birmingham City and the former manager of the women's England football team from 1998 to 2013. In her earlier career she also played for the national team appearing over 60 times and scoring over 30 goals. She has also managed Brighton & Hove Albion Women and coached the Great Britain women's football team at the Londo...

Welcome to a special edition of How I Crushed It — #TheElevateSeries — created in proud partnership with the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards). This partnership celebrates past winners and the powerful impact they continue to make across their industries and communities.   In this episode, we speak with Ken and Mary Okoroafor, BBBAwards 2023 winners in the Entrepreneur Senior Leader catego...

Bayo Adelaja is founder and CEO of Do It Now Now, an organisation which aims to improve social mobility, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship among Black communities in the UK. She has held positions at many organisations, including work at Google, the London School of Economics and the House of Commons and in 2023 she was awarded an MBE for services to entrepreneurship, social mobility, and...

Welcome to a special edition of How I Crushed It — #TheElevateSeries — created in proud partnership with the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards). This partnership celebrates past winners and the powerful impact they continue to make across their industries and communities. In this episode, we speak with Jamelia Donaldson, a BBBAwards 2019 winner in the Entrepreneur Rising Star category, cele...

Bola Sol is a personal finance influencer, published author, and Financial Adviser. Her expertise has been featured in prominent publications such as Forbes, the BBC, ITV, the Financial Times, the Telegraph, as well as being the Grazia Money columnist.   If you like this also listen to other personal finance gurus: Emmanuel Asuquo Tayo Oguntonade   Stay in touch: X: @howicrushedit Instagram: @howi...

Welcome to a special edition of How I Crushed It — #TheElevateSeries — created in proud partnership with the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards). In the lead-up to the 2025 ceremony this October, we’re shining a spotlight on past winners and celebrating the powerful impact they’ve made across their industries and communities. In this episode, we speak with Dorothy Koomson, who won the Image...