FIERCE Mothers

Mentorship is a role that is often unofficial, unstructured, and unpaid. Yet it's a critical part of every professional's career, and those with longevity will inevitably find themselves on both sides of the equation. In today's FIERCE Mothers Solo Session, host Ugochi Onyewu talks about mentorship. Ugochi defines what and who a mentor is and who is *not* a mentor. She discusses why having a mento...

Glamour and grace are no strangers to Kate Henshaw, popularly known as "Kate The Great." Kate is an award-winning actress and is one of the most popular and loved Nollywood actresses. She has a long and illustrious career spanning 30 years and has developed a strong reputation due to her talent and integrity. Kate is a decorated and stylish actress known for her role as Eringa in the 2007 film "St...

Part of the unfortunate everyday reality of living in many modern spaces is the unconscious display of ignorance that is often shown to people of color. Yes, we're talking about microaggressions. In today's Solo Session, host Ugochi Onyewu talks about what microaggressions are and gives examples that she's experienced in her career. Ugochi also discusses how to handle microaggressions. She shows h...

Finding one's purpose isn't without challenges and often takes years of exploration, experimenting, and sometimes divine intervention. But, for Blossom Maduafokwa, a chance encounter at a gym she attended helped her to start her fitness training and Zumba company called Blossom's Fitness Hub.   Blossom Maduafokwa joins Ugochi Onyewu for a conversation about fitness, health, and balancing the deman...

Thank you for joining us for the FIERCE Mothers podcast, hosted by Ugochi Onyewu! Your host, Ugochi, is a woman of Igbo heritage living in the Washington DC area. Throughout her professional career, Ugochi has built a stellar resume working diligently in the high ranks of Big tech and consulting. Ugochi is also a wife and mother of three children, Ezra, 20, Azure 20, Noah 15.   From these unique p...

Ugochi is a woman of Igbo heritage and wanted a forum to celebrate the achievements of inspirational African women and women of color. The FIERCE Mothers Podcast showcases the stories of these women, through compelling interviews with inspiring guests.

Adaku Uche Ekpo is a consultant to non-profit organizations in the following areas:   - youth program development - business development/fundraising - board development - nonprofit management   She has over ten years of experience as a staff and board member of a variety of non-profit organizations. She headed business development for the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative . Adaku w...

Today's phenomenal fierce Igbo woman is none other than Dr. Ifenlota Ojiako.   Dr. Ifenlota Ojiako, MD is a hospice & palliative medicine specialist. She is also the founder of Zebralter Medical.   Zebralter Medical is an organization dedicated to equipping lifelong learners. The organization provides success and study tips. Zebralter Medical is passionate about black children, seeing themselves i...

My guest today is the fabulous Ndidiamaka Okoli. Ndidiamaka Okoli, president, owner, and founder of olive tree compounding pharmacy. Ndidiamaka grew up in the California bay area in a traditional and loving family, who instilled in her a love for her culture. Dr. Ndidiamaka (Didi) Okpareke began her professional career after graduating with honors from the University of New Mexico College of Pharm...

In today's episode, I speak to Ijeoma Okoli, one of the founders of Umu Igbo Unite, UIU. This was such a warm interview and I found Ijeoma to be a woman after my own heart. She has such a desire to make a positive impact and this shone through during our chat. Umu Igbo Unite (UIU), was founded in 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia. The organization was founded to address the lack of a structured network tha...

I just finished a wonderful chat with Elvira Berry, who is the first of her kind on this show. She is no stranger to adversity and hardship and her story is outstanding. Elvira was born and grew up in Enugu in Eastern Nigeria. Elvira and her two sisters Cassandra and Vanessa were raised by a single mother who out of necessity was away for long periods of time. Elvira and her sisters found themselv...

In this short episode, Ugochi takes a break from regularly scheduled broadcasts to welcome listeners to the new year. Ugochi asks for suggestions from the audience on ways to improve and continue to grow as a platform. Ugochi mentions her new book titled "F.I.E.R.C.E Mothers - Create the Life of Your Dreams and Crush Your Goals." The kindle and paperback are both available on Amazon here Follow Th...

Today's amazing guest on the show is Chinyere Ukaonu Nzekwu, known as Chinny. Chinny grew up in a strict Catholic household. She was the only girl in a house with five brothers, so she learned to fight for what belonged to her from an early age. She is the very definition of Tenacity and Daring and earned the name "small but mighty" Chinny is the founder and CEO of Q-Care Inc. Q-Care is a home hea...

Today I speak with the highly accomplished Dr. Ebere Okereke. Ebere was born in London and returned to Nigeria at age five, where she grew up. Ebere is a self-professed "ABU", which stands for "Aba brought up" because she grew up in Aba, Eastern Nigeria. Ebere went to Medical school at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Today, Ebere is a public health physician with 28 years' experience of p...

Fiona Makia (Nee Ukachukwu) was born in the United Kingdom but went to secondary school in Owerri. She studied at the University of Benin, before returning to the United Kingdom. Listen with me as Fiona takes us through her journey.  After nursing school, Fiona moved to the Middle East, where she has spent the last six years. She spent just under a year and a half in Saudi Arabia and has lived in...

Zim Ugochukwu is the founder & former CEO of Travel Noire. Travel Noire was founded with one lofty goal in mind: to make international travel more inclusive and representative of explorers of color—in turn, inspiring them to frequently explore new destinations. Travel Noire was named one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World by  Fast Company.    In 2017, Travel Noire was acquired by Blavit...

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Igbo Initiative is so proud...

In this episode, I chat with Chinelo Chidozie, who is the co-founder of Bolden USA. Chinelo and I went to Business School together a number of years ago, but we only recently re-connected through a mutual friend.   Chinelo and her sister-in-law Ndidi founded the company Bolden to embolden black women to confidently embrace their natural beauty. Through expertly-crafted, responsibly-sourced, and ta...

My guest on today's thoroughly enjoyable episode is Maureen Umeh. Maureen Umeh is an anchor and reporter for FOX 5 Morning. Maureen's career on TV started a number of years ago, landing a full-time reporting job at WCIA-TV right after she graduated from college. She has been honored with several awards for her work. They include an Emmy for Best Investigative Series and Best Newscast. She has also...

This week I chat with the vivacious Ekene. Ekene Onu is the founder of Refresh with Ekene, a coaching and consulting company. She is a certified professional and emotional intelligence coach, who is also certified in Organizational and change leadership.  Ekene started her working career as a pharmacist and practiced for close to two decades prior to starting Refresh with Ekene. She started her co...

Today I sit down with Ngozi Enyia Ibe. I met Ngozi a few years ago through a friend of mine and I knew right away that she is a "girls' girl". The Urban Dictionary defines a "girls' girl" as "A girl who has respect for female etiquette. A girl who is not petty and strives to be ethical and decent in her dealings with her female friends." We wanted to do something a little different in this episode...

Today I speak to the brave and daring Ugo Arinzeh. Ugo has experienced a lot of different things, which made for an amazing and interesting discussion. After Business School, where she specialized in Finance, Ugo worked as a banker for a number of years. She started her own business as an interior decorator in DC. Eight years ago, she packed up and made the bold move of relocating to London, where...

In this episode I had so much fun chatting to Ifunanya Nwanonyiri. Raised in the U.S, Ifunanya did not grow up speaking Igbo but had a curiosity to learn about the culture, and was super conscious of where she is from. Ifunanya is a student studying for her doctorate in Physical Therapy. In spite of her busy schedule, she recently started a Podcast called " Oji Abiala Igbo Podcast ". In Igbo "Oji...

In today's episode we have an incredible discussion with Dr. Adaeze Enekwechi, former White House Associate Director of Health Programs. Adaeze was born in New Jersey and went to elementary School in Nigeria.   Adaeze has experienced a highly successful career in a relatively short time. She started her career at the Congressional Budget Office, where she analyzed the federal budget and wrote abou...

Today I chat to the incredibly accomplished Linda Nkechinyelu Oramasionwu-Leverette.   Linda is the Founder and CEO of Kupanda Capital, a private equity firm that focuses on investing in Pan African companies across all sectors. She's invested in some really cool companies, including Mavin Records, Don Jazzy's record label. Linda is VERY passionate about development on the continent, and is also v...