23 — From Diabetes Brunches to Bali by Creating a Type 1 Diabetes Community with Dr Temi Olonisakin

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Join John Pemberton as he sits down with Dr Temi Olonisakin — the doctor who turned a lonely Type 1 diabetes diagnosis at 17 into a movement of connection, confidence, and pancakes.

From small brunch tables in London to dreams of Bali gatherings, Temi’s story shows how joy, representation, and community can change what it means to live with diabetes.

How one young doctor turned isolation into connection — building a joyful, inclusive community for people living with Type 1 diabetes.

Diagnosed at 17, Temi knows the isolation that hits just as independence begins. Years later she began bringing people together — from one-to-one coffees to full-scale Diabetes Brunch Live events — mixing friendship, advocacy, and education with a healthy side of pancakes.

It’s not about brunch. It’s about belonging, visibility, and joy.

Say hello to Temi on Instagram @temidiabeticdoctor and join her for Brunch!

Full show notes and links
 
Chapters

00:00 Diagnosed at 17 — the lonely years
 05:30 First coffees → first brunch
 12:20 From 9 to 26 — growth & facilitation
 16:40 “Bottomless brunches” & normalising spikes
 21:30 Brunch Abroad dreams
 24:30 Beyond London — plans for the North
 25:50 Doctoring & sustainable work
 31:20 Advocacy wins — getting the right tech
 38:30 Representation & equity
 45:40 What services for teens miss
 47:50 Wrap-up & reflections

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Collaboration: John Pemberton — john@theglucoseneverlies.com

Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — anj@theglucoseneverlies.com

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