Episode 27 - Authenticity, Approval, and Power with Alawna Ozoka
Alawna Ozoka is a Certified Professional Leadership Coach, Speaker, and Amazon International Bestselling Author of “Awareness Put Me On”.
Her entrepreneurial journey began when she co-founded In Common, a platform to increase the economic wellness of the Black community. She later founded an operations management consultancy that supported small businesses with their customer strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While her expertise is in project and operations management, Alawna’s passion is rooted in serving others. As an Authenticity Life Coach, she partners with individuals and companies looking to align their actions with their core values. She serves on the Board of Directors at Podium RVA, a nonprofit empowering youth 11-19 to communicate confidently and boldly to succeed in school, career, and life. Alawna also serves as a speaker, leading inclusion talks around topics like owning uniqueness, pushing through fear, and living in purpose.
Whether it be coaching clients, collaborating with businesses, or speaking, Alawna’s love for humanity fuels her next steps. It is her mission to expand access to strategically undervalued groups and amplify their voices.
What we talk about
1:24 – Alawna joins: The LinkedIn connection that sparked a conversation
1:58 – Did you grow up a Good Girl? Alawna’s early experiences
4:37 – Pulling away from approval-seeking: “I’m not for everyone”
6:01 – Who am I? Identity beyond roles and expectations
8:22 – Living in the grey: Holding discomfort and growth
9:15 – Control what you can: Power in small actions
11:31 – Community, boundaries, and conscious activism
14:04 – What does resistance to Good Girl Conditioning look like now?
17:10 – Showing up authentically in business and social media
19:44 – The realness of entrepreneurship: It’s not cute
22:39 – Tenacity, resilience, and starting from scratch
24:44 – Being a generalist and creator: No labels required
25:40 – What does authenticity mean day-to-day?
29:19 – Making things enough: Small shifts in power
31:09 – The importance of community and connection
33:39 – Final reflections: Where do you have power?
Follow Alawna on social media:
Website: www.alawnaozoka.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alawnaozoka/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alawnaozoka/
Follow Michelle on social media:
Website - https://www.michelleminnikin.com/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mminnikin/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goodgirldeprogramming
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@michelleminnikin
Buy Good Girl Deprogramming
Ebook and Paperback available at all good bookshops (and Amazon - https://amzn.to/3AQHuFf)
Take the Good Girl Quiz
Find out if you’re a Good Girl at https://goodgirlquiz.co.uk/
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