Meet Kemi Ogunkoya. She’s a management consultant, leadership development strategist, author, and founder of Rellies Works. 

 

Kemi Ogunkoya wears many hats but above all, she's a remarkable mother. She's one of the female founders in the consultancy space. 

 

She's passionate about sustainability not only in her work but in her relationships. Family values and Godly living are top priorities for her. 

 

Kemi has proven that you can be career driven and maintain a beautiful relationship with your family. 

 

She's a believer that career women should also aim for the most pleasant experiences within their families.

 

In this exclusive interview, she opens up about the life of a female founder and how she merges family time with work.

 

Babymigo: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Kemi Ogunkoya?

 

My name is Kemi Ogunkoya. I’m a leadership development strategist, management consultant, author, and the founder and CEO of Rellies works.

 

 Rellies works is a leadership and development innovation hub that helps leaders develop their leadership skills. 

 

I’m also the founder of Leader X. Leader X is a mobile app that helps individuals and organizations develop their leadership skills.

 

 

Babymigo: What has motherhood been like for you?

 

It’s been a rewarding experience and one that I’m eternally grateful for. I have two kids. A 12-year-old and a 9-year-old.

 

 I’ve been intrigued going through the different transitions with them. I’d say the experience for me has been nothing short of God’s grace and being able to come from that place of intentionality around what I wanted to achieve with my kids.

 

 In terms of being able to support them to achieve their best self and discovering who they are and they remain true to themselves.

 

It’s been a journey of intentionality.

 

Babymigo: How do you merge your busy schedule with being a present mom?

 

First things first, as an individual, you need to know who you are.

 

If you don’t know who you are, it’ll be difficult to manage any other thing. I won’t say it’s about coping. 

 

Because for me coping is about “we’re trying to struggle through it.”

 

But it’s more about striving and finding a way to integrate the key areas of life and rounding certain values that are most important. 

 

So, I usually say that I started out from a place of intentionality.

 

I’ve been intentional about what’s the most important thing.

 

  My fitness is important to me, my spirituality is important to me, and my work is important to me. 

 

And each time, I’ve been at a place where I’ve balanced these key areas and said “you know what? Work should not replace family for me.” 

 

That has meant that in the areas of work, we have learnt how to leverage team members and resources of others, and find time to disconnect.

 

When I don’t have to be there finding time for myself. It helps me to prioritize these areas because they’re important. 

 

I’m not in a circle where “I’m a mom” and that’s the only thing that matters.

 

It’s pretty much fun doing the things that are most important to you and making out time.

 

 But most importantly, I’ve not been a fan of balancing because when you try to balance, you’ll never find your balance.

 

 I’m a fan of integration. Finding what is important to me and staying true to that.

 

Babymigo: Would you say you were prepared for motherhood? Did you experience any shockers? 

 

I didn't prepare for anything (laughs). I got married at 24. I felt like life would be “okay, I’m married, I’m going to have kids.”

 

What I knew was that I wanted Godly kids and I want two kids and that it wasn’t going to be by mouth.

 

 But then I believe I’ve also gone through a journey. 

 

Parenting is not about parenting the child in front of people. It’s about parenting yourself and going through the process of learning.

 

 I wasn’t entirely prepared. I got to become aware of myself. I gained awareness of the journey of marriage and parenting.

 

That was when I became more aware of myself and was intentional about defining what I want and going for it.

 

Babymigo: What challenges have you encountered since becoming a mother?

 

That’s a tough question because my mindset around motherhood is coming from a place of resourcefulness.

 

What looks like challenges to me, I’m immediately looking at solutions. For example, if I need to travel, and I’m thinking about what resources I can deploy at this time. Is my mom coming over?

 

In terms of challenges, I think it’s been more around personal challenges of remembering the core of the kind of parent I want to be.

 

And not being torn apart by the demands of the world.

 

Babymigo: What would you describe as your stronghold in parenting?

 

I think it’s the relationship with myself, my spouse, my kids, with the people who matter. 

 

Through relationships, I’ve been able to have great relationships with my kids that we can converse and not shout or pull out my wig.

 

They understand and we can communicate.

 

Babymigo: Which is more challenging, being a mother or running a successful management consulting firm? 

 

(Laughs) Management consultancy is more of a challenge. Parenting has been a friendly journey for me.

 

Babymigo: What would you tell your younger self about motherhood?

 

Parenting is a unique experience and it’s one that you first have to be to give.

 

Know who you are to parent a child to become better to allow them to adhere to their best possible life. 

 

First, be before you give.

 

Babymigo: How are you preparing for their teenage years?

 

For me, I’m intentional about the kind of experiences that I foresee in the future.

 

So you’ll hear about a lot of things going on around. 

 

I’m intentional about imagining the kind of relationship I’ll have with my kids. Not just through their teen years but their entire life.

 

I believe that the kind of pictures we first feed ourselves is very important. 

 

So yes, would we have challenges and hurdles? Absolutely but the picture I choose to hold on to are the pictures that we would see ourselves through this journey and I would forever be a friend.

 

I’ll have a relationship with them where they can feel vulnerable. My daughter is a year away from being a teenager and I foresee these memorable experiences.

 

And I’m training myself to be that parent who is not caught in perfectionism but helps them evolve and become their best selves through their journey to life.

 

Babymigo: What advice would you give other women trying to balance their careers and motherhood?

 

My advice is please do not feel that you’ll have to trade one for another.

 

Never feel that because you’re trying to build a career you lose your children. 

 

You can have it all but it depends on the foundation you’re setting from the beginning.

 

So start early to imbibe your children with values. Godly values and be as close to them as possible. 

 

Build a relationship where they can be vulnerable enough to tell you the truth and their own truth. 

 

You can follow her on Instagram and download her mobile app "Leader X" on Play Store and App Store.