ABWilson's Heart of the Matter

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson "ABWilson"
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Welcome to the ABWilson Heart of the Matter podcast. I'm Aderonke Bademosi Wilson, and I'm thrilled to be your host. From the stunning shores of Bermuda, nestled in the heart of the North Atlantic Ocean, comes a podcast that goes beyond the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Here, we dive into the depths of human experience, one heartwarming story at a time. Heart of the Matter isn't just another podcast.It's a journey of exploration and discovery. In each episode, I sit down with remarkable individuals from all walks of life. These aren't household names. They're everyday heroes with fascinating tales to share. Drawing from my passion for Appreciative Inquiry, a management methodology focused on amplifying positivity, strengths, and successes.In fostering meaningful change, we seek to uncover the moments that define us. I unearth stories of joy, kindness, and resilience through overwhelmingly positive questions. Tell me about a recent accomplishment or success you're particularly proud of. Can you recall a situation where you overcame a challenge that led to personal growth?What did you learn from that experience? And what book recommendations do you have? These are just a few of the questions we explore together. We will delve into the heart of each story, one conversation at a time, but be warned, laughter and tears are both frequent companions on this journey. That's the beauty of authenticity. It knows no bounds.What sets ABWilson's Heart of the Matter apart is its consistency. I ask each guest the same questions in the same order, creating a blueprint of diverse experiences woven together by a common thread. So whether you need a good laugh or a heartfelt moment of reflection, join me as we celebrate the extraordinary within the ordinary. Welcome to the Heart of the Matter, where every story awaits sharing.

  1. S3 Ep17. Nurturing Self and Others: An Inspiring Life with Renee Rampersadsingh

    5D AGO

    S3 Ep17. Nurturing Self and Others: An Inspiring Life with Renee Rampersadsingh

    Send us Fan Mail Renee Rampersadsingh joins ABWilson's Heart of the Matter podcast, sharing her warm journey as a yoga educator, devoted caregiver and joyful creator in Trinidad and Tobago. With roots in a family of teachers and a lifelong spiritual practice sparked by meeting her guru at age 10, Renee inspires through her reading club, retreats and vegetarian lifestyle shaped by ethics and yoga.  Her stories highlight community building, self-care, and finding joy in bird song, dark chocolate and strategic gaming. Renee opens up about her multifaceted life, describing herself as an educator who teaches yoga to all ages, plans retreats and events and empowers people to manage their well-being through breath, movement and mindset shifts.  She reflects on her role as a carer, having supported her mother through 17 years of stage four breast cancer from age 13, which deepened her empathy and commitment to nurturing relationships. As a creator, Renee celebrates everyone's innate creativity, from hosting silent reading clubs that foster third spaces for connection to crafting origami, embroidery and co-leading photography-yoga retreats on perspective with her partner. She shares surprises like her lifelong vegetarianism rooted in family ethics, her love for strategy games and a casual spiritual foundation that sustained her family.  Proud of her year-old reading club partnering with the Bocas Lit Fest and recent joint retreat successes, Renee discusses making differences through adaptive yoga for seniors, injury recovery and palliative care, relying on empathy, patience and extensive training.  Overcoming her MBA amid caregiving taught her perseverance, willpower and self-care like pranayama for energy awareness, strategic napping and graceful aging. She envisions ripples of positivity from grounded self-awareness, upcoming events like World Labyrinth Day and International Yoga Day and her memoir on co-surviving her mother's cancer journey.  Simple joys like morning bird song, flowers, family and guiding transformations light her path. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    51 min
  2. S3 Ep16. The Healing Power of Connection: A Conversation with Dr. Irma Campos

    APR 24

    S3 Ep16. The Healing Power of Connection: A Conversation with Dr. Irma Campos

    Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt conversation on AB Wilson’s Heart of the Matter, Dr. Irma Campos shares a thoughtful and deeply human reflection on what it means to live and work with curiosity, compassion and care. As a psychologist with experience in clinical and organizational settings, Irma explains how her inquisitive nature shapes the way she supports people, always looking beyond the surface to understand the deeper why behind behavior, emotion and struggle.  Her person-centered approach comes through clearly as she speaks about honoring each person’s perspective, lived experience and worldview while staying grounded in warmth and respect. Irma also opens up about joy, describing herself as someone who appreciates the small pleasures in life, from savoring a good meal to laughing at herself and finding lightness where she can. She reflects on the value of helping individuals and organizations thrive, sharing how her work with Grossman Consulting is focused on building well-being, stronger leadership and healthier systems that create ripple effects far beyond the individual. That systems-level perspective is matched by her belief that connection matters, especially in a fast-paced and often isolating world. One of the most moving parts of the conversation is Irma’s honest reflection on grief, loss and the emotional layers that can accompany change. She speaks beautifully about acceptance, the shifting weight of grief over time and the importance of honoring loved ones by keeping their legacy alive through warmth, action and remembrance.  Throughout the episode, she offers a powerful reminder that wellbeing, rest and human connection are not luxuries but essentials and that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    37 min

  3. APR 17

    S2 Ep15. Embracing Bold Career Shifts: Coaching Hearts and Global Giving with Pamela Barit Nolan

    Send us Fan Mail In this inviting episode, Pamela Barit Nolan joins Aderonke Bademosi Wilson on  ABWilson's Heart of the Matter podcast for a heartfelt conversation filled with wisdom on bold career shifts, compassionate service and spiritual growth.  With decades in financial services, philanthropy leadership and now as a global coach and spiritual director based in Bermuda, Pamela shares her journeys, including epic world travels that sparked her passion for empowering others. Her stories radiate warmth, resilience and a deep faith that guides her work with clients worldwide through her practice. Pamela opens up about her multifaceted life as a devoted wife of 32 years, seasoned coach, certified spiritual director and dedicated philanthropist championing education. She recounts daring transitions, like leaving a lucrative Boston career after 20 years for a 16-month global adventure that ignited her call to serve women and girls and later pivoting from leading Bermuda's Center on Philanthropy following a divine nudge during strategic planning.  Pamela warmly details her self-care rituals, from silent retreats like her recent six-day Ignatian journey and yoga escapes to rowing with Bermuda Pilot Gig Club, weight training and meditative horse care, while embracing AI as a tool to enhance human connection in coaching.  Listeners will feel inspired by her client transformations, Flow Game hosting for personal clarity and gentle nudges to notice inner meh moments, seek support and step bravely into joy-filled purpose. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    56 min
  4. S3 Ep14. Joy in Every Season: Dr. Kelly Holder and Her Path to Wonder and Wellness

    APR 10

    S3 Ep14. Joy in Every Season: Dr. Kelly Holder and Her Path to Wonder and Wellness

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Kelly Holder joins Aderonke Bademosi Wilson on the latest episode of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter podcast, sharing her warm insights as a clinical psychologist specializing in psycho-oncology. She describes herself as empathetic, joyful and curious, drawing from her unique path that includes a biochemistry undergrad, neuroscience research with lion necropsies and now supporting cancer patients. This engaging conversation invites listeners to embrace joy even in challenges. Kelly lights up the episode with her infectious enthusiasm for joy as a sustaining force in life and work. She unpacks curiosity as a skill fostering wonder about people, emotions and experiences, while empathy comes from her daily practice of truly listening and seeing through others' eyes in her psycho-oncology role. Joy, for her, is a resting place and subtle presence, even holding her during hard times via gentle perspective shifts toward gratitude.  Kelly shares delightful personal stories, like her cathartic drum lessons where music surges through her body, her love for savoring hot teas' warmth and aromas and her surprising lab days handling lion tissues for FIV research. She celebrates launching her weekly podcast "Held with Joy," blending mental health science, well-being and faith. Self-care buffers her demanding career through slow mornings, exercise, play, connections, awe at the universe and curiosity about seasons of life. Kelly emphasizes sharing successes to ripple joy to family and beyond, affirming it's available to everyone right now. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    34 min
  5. S3 Ep13. From Echidnas to The Epididymis: A Scientist's Journey with David Skerrett-Byrne

    APR 3

    S3 Ep13. From Echidnas to The Epididymis: A Scientist's Journey with David Skerrett-Byrne

    Send us Fan Mail In this engaging episode of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter podcast, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson welcomes David Skerrett-Byrne, a reproductive scientist, storyteller and community builder. David shares his groundbreaking work on sperm biology, framing it as a feminist endeavor to shift responsibility in reproduction toward men, whether they want children or not.  He explains how sperm mature in the epididymis, gaining the ability to swim and fertilize eggs, and delves into epigenetics, showing how men's diet, lifestyle and even climate change can impact sperm quality, pregnancy outcomes and the lifelong health of the next generation.  David highlights the global decline in sperm counts from about 100 million per ejaculate in the 1970s to 30 million today, linking it to environmental factors rather than genetics, and calls for better male sex education and routine sperm testing as a marker of overall health. David opens up about his life across four countries, speaking three languages including Irish (Gaeilge), and his unexpected work with Australian wildlife like koalas and echidnas. He reflects on building communities in science through mentorship, emotional intelligence and showing up for friends in tough times like fertility struggles.  From overcoming imposter syndrome during his PhD, his move to Australia and then embracing German work-life balance with structured holidays and Feierabendbier, David emphasizes resilience, vulnerability and honest communication.  He critiques toxic masculinity, advocates for non-hormonal male contraceptives and envisions healthier narratives for men via outreach like Pint of Science. The conversation wraps with joys like time with his fiancée, book clubs and Alpine walks, inspiring listeners to prioritize reproductive equity and human connections. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    51 min
  6. S3 Ep12. A Good Man: Craig Simmons on Fathers, Daughters, and Legacy

    MAR 27

    S3 Ep12. A Good Man: Craig Simmons on Fathers, Daughters, and Legacy

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of ABWilson’s Heart of the Matter, Aderonke Bademosi Wilson sits down with Bermudian educator and thinker Craig Simmons for a rich, deeply human conversation about joy, responsibility, love and what it means to live a charmed existence.  Craig begins by describing himself as inquisitive, silly and lucky, bringing listeners into his playful world of adventures with his grandchildren, cloud watching at the bus stop, and declaring independence on Twin Island with no devices in sight. He introduces the very Bermudian concept of micing as a kind of meditative staring into space that lets his mind wander freely from the sound of the Earth’s atmosphere touching space to the migration of longtails and whales.  From there, Craig opens up about winning what he calls the genetic lottery, reflecting on the profound influence of his parents, especially his mother, Sylvia Marie Musson‑Simmons, and his father, Leroy Fubler Simmons, whose quiet goodness and love for his grandchildren continue to shape Craig’s understanding of what it means to be a good man. The conversation moves into Craig’s life as a teacher and lifelong learner, where he describes teaching as a calling that, by definition, should change lives. He shares powerful stories of former students who return years later to say that his tutoring helped open doors to universities and careers and he reflects on the humility required to let students become teachers, including a moment when a student challenged his idealized view of Malcolm X and gifted him an unforgettable epiphany.  Craig also speaks candidly about his evolving relationship with economics, critiquing it as a discipline that lost its moral roots and reminding us that real economies are made of complex, imperfect humans rather than tidy equations. Along the way, he weaves in his love of history and books, from bell hooks to Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Atul Gawande, Michael Jarvis and Richard Reeves, using their work to illuminate issues of morality, mortality, masculinity and uncertainty in our modern world. ​ One of the most moving threads in this episode is Craig’s honesty about caregiving, guilt and love. He shares the hard, holy work of parenting daughters with sickle cell disease, including moments in the ICU when he felt so overwhelmed he wanted to run away and how the presence and wisdom of family helped him stay.  He then describes the nine‑year journey of caring for his mother in his home, from changing her, bandaging her fragile skin and bathing her, to the bittersweet honor of closing her eyes on the day she died. Craig calls that day a happy day because it marked the end of her suffering and a sense of completeness for the family as they watched the sunset together after her passing.  He talks openly about guilt when caregiving leads to unintended harm, the strange joy he felt after cleaning and comforting his mother when she was humiliated and how those experiences taught him empathy, humility and the courage to stay present even when it is hard. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    1h 27m
  7. S3 Ep11. Positive Questions, Powerful Stories: Marking 100 Episodes of Heart of the Matter

    MAR 20

    S3 Ep11. Positive Questions, Powerful Stories: Marking 100 Episodes of Heart of the Matter

    Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of ABWilson’s Heart of the Matter, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson turns the microphone on herself and reflects on how a simple idea rooted in her early radio days in Bermuda has grown into a deeply meaningful space for conversation, reflection, learning, laughter, tears and connection. She shares how the podcast began as a radio concept inspired by the 2009 World Appreciative Inquiry Conference in Kathmandu, where she first witnessed how positive questions can shift conversations and create real change. ​ Aderonke walks listeners through the highs and bumps of producing 100 episodes, including the panic of Friday release days with no new episode ready, the lessons learned from missed deadlines and the systems she put in place so the show could continue with consistency and care. She explains why she asks every guest the same overwhelmingly positive questions and why the answers never feel repetitive, highlighting how each person’s story, wisdom, humour and perspective make every conversation completely unique. Reflecting on what the podcast has taught her, Aderonke talks about the generosity of guests who share deeply personal experiences, the surprise of how vulnerable people are willing to be when given time and space, and the joy of hearing listeners say, “This resonated with me.” She shares memorable moments, including an interview that brought her to tears when a guest spoke unexpectedly about her late mother and a powerful conversation on grief with guest Charmaine that she intentionally left standing alone as a source of comfort for anyone navigating loss. ​ Aderonke also explores how hosting has changed her: she sees herself as an intentional listener, committed to hearing the essence of each guest’s story and resisting the urge to say “me too,” so the spotlight stays on the person she is interviewing. She describes listening back to episodes in her car, imagining listeners doing the same in the midst of their own daily routines, and marvelling at the “nuggets” that surface in each conversation. ​ Throughout the episode, she answers thoughtful listener questions about why she started the podcast, why she keeps the questions consistent, what has surprised her most and what she hopes listeners take away from each episode. She speaks about the power of recognizing that while we are all different, we have so much in common and that hearing each other’s stories helps us feel more connected across distance, culture and experience. ​ Looking ahead, Aderonke shares her hopes for the next 100 episodes, including more guests, more perspectives and more opportunities to hear voices we might not normally encounter. She talks about her desire for the podcast to grow organically through listeners sharing episodes with friends, family and colleagues, even as she acknowledges that a more intentional growth strategy may someday be needed.  She also offers a glimpse of what is next beyond the podcast, including a women’s retreat in Bermuda designed to create meaningful connection, explore flourishing and thriving and invite women into conversations that go deeper than “Who are you and what do you do?” to “How are you and how are you doing what you are doing?” https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    35 min
  8. S3 Ep10. Humanity in Practice: Conversations on Belonging, Courage, and Deep Care with Veronica Olalla Love

    MAR 13

    S3 Ep10. Humanity in Practice: Conversations on Belonging, Courage, and Deep Care with Veronica Olalla Love

    Send us Fan Mail In this richly layered and deeply moving episode of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson sits down with Veronica Olalla Love, CEO of Newfield Network, artist, poet and lifelong seeker of meaning. Together they explore what it truly means to be human in today's world, diving into the practices, philosophies and personal stories that shape Veronica's extraordinary life and work.  From the meaning of attunement and the science of limbic resonance, to a family history forged in the fires of South American political upheaval, to her teenage daughter's breathtaking act of generosity, this episode is a tender and illuminating conversation that leaves you feeling more connected and more hopeful about what we are capable of as human beings. Veronica opens the conversation by unpacking what it means to be meaning centered, multifaceted and attuned, the three descriptors she uses to introduce herself to the world. Being meaning centered, she explains, is about living in close contact with one's deepest care, allowing that inner compass to guide every interaction and decision.  Being multifaceted is an embrace of life's full emotional and creative range, from dancing and piano to painting and poetry. And being attuned is a practice of presence, a conscious choice to show up with awareness and care for the people and world around us. She introduces the concept of limbic resonance, the science behind how our breathing patterns and emotional states quite literally affect the biology of those near us, whether we know them or not. One of the episode's most profound threads is Veronica's invitation to ask what it really means to human better. She shares how Newfield Network, which her father Julio Olalla founded 35 years ago after fleeing political violence first in Chile and then in Argentina, was born from a bone-deep knowing of what happens when human beings stop listening to and caring for one another.  Veronica's mother's act of covering her two young daughters with her own body during a coup in Buenos Aires is a story of love so fierce it became the seed of a lifetime's work. Newfield now brings together cohorts of ten or more nationalities at a time to do the deeply human work of learning how to show up fully, listen generously and grow together. Veronica shares a beautiful story of a coaching client who had achieved every external marker of success yet was hollow and lonely on the inside. Through their work together, he reconnected with his own wholeness, pivoted his career toward meaningful work and began showing up in his relationships in an entirely new way.  This story leads into a rich conversation about the epidemic of loneliness, the power of authentic community and the radical potential of being truly witnessed by another person. Veronica speaks with warmth and clarity about how Newfield creates the kinds of spaces where transformation like this becomes possible and how the ripple effects of that inner work spread into families, communities and organizations. https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com https://abwilsonphotography.com

    51 min
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out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to the ABWilson Heart of the Matter podcast. I'm Aderonke Bademosi Wilson, and I'm thrilled to be your host. From the stunning shores of Bermuda, nestled in the heart of the North Atlantic Ocean, comes a podcast that goes beyond the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Here, we dive into the depths of human experience, one heartwarming story at a time. Heart of the Matter isn't just another podcast.It's a journey of exploration and discovery. In each episode, I sit down with remarkable individuals from all walks of life. These aren't household names. They're everyday heroes with fascinating tales to share. Drawing from my passion for Appreciative Inquiry, a management methodology focused on amplifying positivity, strengths, and successes.In fostering meaningful change, we seek to uncover the moments that define us. I unearth stories of joy, kindness, and resilience through overwhelmingly positive questions. Tell me about a recent accomplishment or success you're particularly proud of. Can you recall a situation where you overcame a challenge that led to personal growth?What did you learn from that experience? And what book recommendations do you have? These are just a few of the questions we explore together. We will delve into the heart of each story, one conversation at a time, but be warned, laughter and tears are both frequent companions on this journey. That's the beauty of authenticity. It knows no bounds.What sets ABWilson's Heart of the Matter apart is its consistency. I ask each guest the same questions in the same order, creating a blueprint of diverse experiences woven together by a common thread. So whether you need a good laugh or a heartfelt moment of reflection, join me as we celebrate the extraordinary within the ordinary. Welcome to the Heart of the Matter, where every story awaits sharing.

Information

  • Creator
    Aderonke Bademosi Wilson "ABWilson"
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ABWilson's Heart of the Matter
  • Show Website
    ABWilson's Heart of the Matter