Sugar Akinpelu joined us on the podcast for a deeply personal and honest conversation about her life, her memoir *My Life as Sugar*, and the experiences she kept hidden for years. Ife spoke with Sugar about growing up in Nigeria, childhood trauma, financial abuse, relationships, and the difficult decisions that shaped her adult life. She also opened up about moving to America at 22, joining the U.S. Navy, nearly drowning during training, and refusing to give up when she felt she had no plan B. The conversation also explores her relationship, surprise proposal, marriage, and what she learned about love, self-worth, and recognizing unhealthy patterns. There is so much honesty, vulnerability, and insight in this episode. We would love for our community to share their thoughts and perspectives. Don’t forget to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:14 Meet Sugar Akinpelu & *My Life as Sugar* 00:03:31 Why Sugar wrote her memoir 00:05:26 Growing up in Nigeria 00:08:34 Finding herself in boarding school 00:09:20 A childhood experience she never told her parents 00:12:47 Why she stayed silent 00:14:41 Reflecting on trauma 00:15:23 Recognizing financial abuse 00:17:51 Moving to America at 22 00:18:07 Starting over & joining the military 00:20:13 Almost drowning during Navy training 00:21:45 “I don’t have a plan B” 00:23:46 Becoming a United States Sailor 00:24:20 A new life in America 00:24:34 Reconnecting with her ex 00:25:08 The trip to Turkey 00:25:36 The surprise proposal 00:26:34 “Let’s go get married” 00:28:06 Did Sugar know what love meant? 00:29:07 Looking back at the proposal 00:29:35 The reality of preparing for marriage www.mylifeassugar.com/memoir Want more visual podcasts from DANG? SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@diaryofanaijagirl #DANG #DiaryofaNaijaGirl #DANGWithIfe About Diary of a Naija Girl Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) is an online community, founded and managed by Ifedayo Agoro, to inspire women across the world through creative storytelling. Back in 2015, it started as an online diary, sharing the everyday adventures of an anonymous Nigerian woman. Fast forward nine years, and it has become a tribe of incredible women, living their best lives one story at a time. DANG is a safe space for women to be unapologetically themselves, a family that laughs, learns and lifts each other, from Lagos to every corner of the world. About Ifedayo Agoro An entrepreneur, creative writer, content creator, content marketer and media strategist, Ifedayo Agoro is the founder of Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) and DANG Lifestyle, a premium home and body care production company, which she launched in Nigeria in 2020. Ifedayo is passionate about social responsibility and philanthropy. She sponsors several young residents at Little Saints Orphanage and partners with Lots Charity Foundation, a non-governmental aid organisation. Connect with DANG Online: Like DANG on FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/3xLjCkU Follow DANG on TWITTER: https://bit.ly/4aBgy9I Follow DANG on INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/4ay4Axu Follow DANG on LINKEDIN: https://bit.ly/3JhGpHM
