Grow With Kepo | The Corporate to Founder Podcast

Onikepo Omotade
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship

You run strategy for billion-dollar clients, lead teams, and solve high-stakes problems. Yet, you keep thinking: "Is this it??" There is MORE, and you are not crazy for wanting it. I am ex-Bain and ex-Deloitte. I walked away from that path to build my own ventures, and now I help other high-earning corporate professionals stop renting their skill set to one company and start designing the life and income they actually want. Grow With Kepo is the podcast for corporate leaders who are ready to design their own freedom. That starts with building a business of your own where you get paid to do what you love and do so well. I help you get clear on the specifics of who, what, and how, so you can take the first real step. Every episode is built to get you activated. You will get the no-BS truth no mentor will tell you and leave with something you can act on this week. New episodes every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Join the Paid in Full newsletter: https://onikepo.com/paid-in-full-opt-in Follow on Instagram: @growwithkepo

  1. Jul 27

    Your Excuses Are Lying to You: Kelson Hillier's Story

    My guest today is 22 years old and he is making moves that most people twice his age are too scared to even talk about. Kelson Hillier grew up in Roseville, California, got bullied from second grade all the way through eighth grade, was on suicide watch for two years, and still chose to rise above it. He read over 100 books in high school, turned down a management training position at his day job to step into his dad's $3 billion real estate brokerage, and he will tell you straight to your face: you need to learn how you make excuses and then knee-cap them. In this episode we talk about where his drive actually comes from, why he chose faith after everything, the moment he decided quitting was not in his vocabulary, and what he would tell anybody sitting in a 9 to 5 right now who knows they are meant for something bigger. If Kelson at 22 can do this, what excuse are you holding onto? Watch the full episode, share it with someone who needs to hear this, and if you are ready to find what YOUR genius zone actually is, join us at the "You're Sitting On Gold" workshop. Link below. Subscribe to Grow With Kepo for more real conversations with people building real things. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro: He is making braver moves than you 01:25 - Growing up in Roseville, bullying from 2nd to 8th grade 02:40 - On suicide watch and choosing to rise above it 03:30 - Meeting his best friend and giving his life to Christ 05:20 - The 3 things that drive him: family, faith, future 07:55 - His support system: brothers, parents, and the "fake it 'til you make it" years 10:40 - "If I am doing everything for that goal, then I am succeeding" (the core quote) 11:10 - Age reveal: 22 years old 12:30 - The skills gap: going from physical work to his dad's brokerage 14:00 - "Even if it doesn't work out, I'll have learned something" 16:50 - Reading 100+ books in high school (the work ethic origin story) 21:25 - COVID grade 11, distractions, and needing a physical classroom 26:20 - How to snip your excuses in the bud 27:20 - Surround yourself with the 5 best people you can think of

    Your Excuses Are Lying to You: Kelson Hillier's Story

  2. Jul 20

    The Exact Method I Used To Make My First 5K With No Website, Logo, or Audience

    The first real money I made in my business was $5,190. No website, no logo, no hot social media following. And in this episode, I'm walking you through the exact steps I took to get there, while still working my 9-to-5... and with zero complicated tech, funnels, or online audience. If you're a six-figure corporate professional who knows they're meant for more but you're stuck in the research-rabbit-hole stage (you know the one: 47 saved reels, 13 webinars, and still no clients), this is the episode that's going to get you moving. This is Part 3 of 3 in "The Good Job Lie" series. If you haven't watched Parts 1 and 2, go back and watch them first. They're linked right here on the channel. Part 1 is about why your company is making millions off your exact skillset (while paying you a fraction). Part 2 is about the invisible cage most corporate professionals live inside, and why the door was never actually locked. Part 3 is the execution. This is where I show you what I actually did. I was delusional for a long time. I spent over $137,000 on programs, courses, and ventures before I figured out that the thing I was looking for was already inside me, and that the people around me were my first (and best) clients. If this episode hits, do two things: 1. Join the free newsletter: Paid in Full (link below). I go in-depth every week with practical tools for getting started. 2. Sign up for the paid live workshop: You're Sitting On Gold. I host it about every month. The links are below. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The $5,190 moment (no website, no logo) 01:18 Why this is Part 3 of the series (go watch Parts 1 and 2 first) 02:21 The busywork trap (47 saved reels, 13 webinars, zero clients) 07:06 When you stop obsessing over perfection and just START 09:12 How I actually used my network to land my first clients 12:23 The voice note strategy that worked better than any funnel 13:58 Simple beats ego every single time 15:32 How real conversations drive sales (not Instagram) 🔗 Join my free Paid in Full newsletter and access a free members-only community here: https://onikepos-newsletter.beehiiv.com/ 🎧 New episodes of Grow With Kepo drop every Monday at 6AM GMT-7. Don’t miss a moment of clarity, confidence and aligned action. ❤️ If this episode spoke to you, please like, comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

    The Exact Method I Used To Make My First 5K With No Website, Logo, or Audience

  3. Jul 13

    The Cage Door Was Never Locked — Why Corporate Professionals Don't Leave

    I told my boss I was building a business on the side. He didn't threaten me. He didn't ask me to stop. His response completely blew my mind. If you're exhausted from living a double life (one person at work, a completely different person at home), this episode is going to shift something in you. Because the cage you feel trapped in? You built it in your head. And the door was never locked. This is Part 2 of 3 in The Good Job Lie series. If you missed Part 1, go watch it first. This is like Game of Thrones, y'all. You can't skip episodes. 👉 Part 3 drops next, where I walk you through the exact steps I took to make my first $5,000 on the side WITHOUT quitting my job, WITHOUT a hot online audience, WITHOUT a website or a logo. In this episode: • The exhausting double life you're probably living right now • The wig story: why I wore something that made me "ugly" for a whole YEAR • The moment I told my boss the truth (and his 4-word response) • Why your cage is imaginary (and how to walk out of it) • The 3 things to do when you're finally ready to own what you're building Resources mentioned: 🔗 Paid Live Workshop: "You Are Sitting on Gold" (link in description / show notes)📧 Newsletter: growwithkepo.com/newsletter ▶️ Part 1 of The Good Job Lie: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hBaaxCjYzxwLvc3f1XOJV?si=285bc2460ac44953 ▶️ Part 3 of The Good Job Lie is coming soon! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — I told my boss I was building a business on the side 01:45 — The double life: one person at work, a different person at home 03:30 — Why hiding is draining you (your limiting beliefs are lying to you) 05:15 — The wig story: I wore something that made me ugly for a year 07:00 — Practicing on Zoom: the week I finally planned to tell my boss 09:00 — "Kepo, that is amazing" — his 4 words that changed everything 11:45 — Why owning what you do commands respect (the entrepreneurship test) 14:00 — 42 years of pretending (why you feel dragged down on paper) 16:30 — The 3 things to do when you're ready to walk out of the cage 19:00 — The cage door was never locked 21:00 — Workshop CTA: You Are Sitting on Gold 22:00 — Part 3 preview: how I made my first $5,000 on the side

    The Cage Door Was Never Locked — Why Corporate Professionals Don't Leave

  4. Jul 6

    Your Company Charges Clients Millions For What You Do. You Get a Fraction

    Your company charges clients millions for the exact thing people come to you for at work. And what do you get? A salary that feels okay but leaves you restless at 2am wondering "is this it?" This is Part 1 of 3 in The Good Job Lie series. I pull back the curtain on why your salary has NOTHING to do with your actual worth. I spent years at Deloitte, Bain, and Wood Mackenzie climbing the ladder, negotiating for a six-figure salary like it was the finish line. Then I realized my company was charging MILLIONS for the same work I was doing. And they paid me a fraction. This episode is the fire. Not the fluffy motivational kind. The real kind that makes you stop wondering "when" and finally start building something of your own. 👉 Join the free newsletter "Paid In Full" for practical tools on getting started: https://onikepo.com/paid-in-full-opt-in 👉 Or sign up for the live workshop "You're Sitting On Gold" where we turn your skills into a business concept you can actually launch. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The One Thing Everyone Comes to You for at Work 01:30 — The Good Job Lie (3-Part Series Intro) 02:45 — My Corporate Background (Deloitte, Bain, Wood Mackenzie) 04:00 — Negotiating My Six-Figure Salary Like It Was "The Goal" 06:00 — My Company Charges Millions. They Pay Me What? 08:15 — Your Salary Is NOT Your Worth (It's What They Say You're Worth) 10:30 — The Busywork Trap: Quizzes, Archetypes, and Logo Obsession 12:30 — You Don't Have a Business Until Someone Pays You 15:00 — Stop Renting Out Your Genius 18:00 — Two Things You Can Do Right Now (Newsletter + Workshop CTA) 20:30 — The Real Goal Was Never the Job

    Your Company Charges Clients Millions For What You Do. You Get a Fraction

  5. Jun 29

    They're Replacing You With AI Unless You Do This First | Grow With Kepo Ep. 32

    Episode Summary: Your safe job is cooked. AI is reshaping the professional landscape and the people pretending otherwise are running out of runway. But the flip side is bigger: AI is also the tool that can free you. Gary Henderson, founder of Gary Club, has helped businesses generate over a billion dollars by building systems that liberate people from the grind. In this conversation he shares the exact playbook for reclaiming your time, starting with a pen and paper and ending with a fully automated personal workflow. He also explains why becoming AI fluent is the highest leverage career move you can make this year. Key Takeaways: The pen and paper exercise: list every task you do, then ask AI what it can take off your plate How Gary's AI agent handles podcast outreach, scheduling, and follow ups and how to build your own Using AI to personalize resumes and cover letters for a 20 to 30 percent pay bump The million dollar meal prep business: how one person turned a simple PDF into an empire Why AI needs to be a line item on your budget and how to shift from tool user to power user Building a business with enterprise value that does not collapse when you step away AI fluency as career insurance: why ignoring AI is the biggest risk in your professional life Connect with Gary Henderson: Join Gary.Club

    They're Replacing You With AI Unless You Do This First | Grow With Kepo Ep. 32

  6. Jun 22

    I Made $250K Year and Was Miserable | Grow With Kepo Ep. 31

    Kepo shares her raw, unfiltered journey from VP-level strategy roles at Bain & Company and Deloitte to walking away and building her own coaching business. She unpacks the reality of golden handcuffs: the ego, the coping mechanisms, the quiet misery and the specific mindset shifts and self-investments that made leaving possible.  If you're a high-earning professional who knows you're capable of more but feels stuck, this episode gives you both the permission and the push to start now. Key Takeaways: What golden handcuffs actually feel like beyond the paycheck The question Kepo asked herself that changed her internal dialogue overnight Why comparison steals both your joy AND your confidence The Ed Mylett principle: "You don't get your goals, you get your standards" How raising her personal standards led directly to her first $5,000 in coaching revenue Why the best time to start was five years ago and the next best time is now

    I Made $250K Year and Was Miserable | Grow With Kepo Ep. 31

  7. Jun 15

    Breaking the Golden Handcuffs: How to Finally Leave Corporate and Start Your Own Thing | Grow With Kepo Ep. 30

    Your perfectionism isn't a flaw. Your self-doubt isn't a weakness. The problem is that nobody taught you how to work with the thought patterns that come with being a high-achiever. Bara Quinn-Bee joins Kepo on Grow With Kepo to break down why smart, capable, six-figure professionals stay stuck in jobs they've outgrown. Drawing from years of coaching high-achievers, Bara explains why "just think positive" never works, why skill comes before passion, and how to stop the self-sabotage loop that keeps you from starting the business you know you're capable of building. If you're earning six figures in corporate, feeling the golden handcuffs tighten, and wondering why you can't seem to take the leap, this episode names the real problem and gives you the playbook to solve it. Key moments: The golden handcuffs trap: why high pay keeps talented people stuck Skill vs. passion: the counterintuitive truth about finding your zone of genius Self-sabotage decoded: why different thought patterns need completely different approaches Why corporate environments feed your perfectionism and kill your initiative How to stop waiting for confidence and start building competence instead About Bara Quinn-Bee: Bara Quinn-Bee is a coach and speaker who helps high-achievers stop fighting their own thought patterns and start using them as fuel. Known for her direct, no-BS approach. 🔗 Follow Bara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baraqueenbee/

    Breaking the Golden Handcuffs: How to Finally Leave Corporate and Start Your Own Thing | Grow With Kepo Ep. 30

  8. Jun 11

    He dropped out at 18 and manifested everything he wanted

    What happens when a 14-year-old, isolated and lost, turns to YouTube for mentorship, and ends up meeting his hero on stage in front of 6,000 people? That's just one chapter of Khaled Nawaf's story. Khaled is a life strategist from Saudi Arabia who dropped out of college after three weeks, built himself from the ground up, and is now producing a feature film, all through the power of belief, manifestation, and refusing to settle. In this episode, Khaled shares the mindset shifts and real-life stories that took him from lost teenager to purpose-driven creator. We talk about finding role models when your environment doesn't have any, why "creating yourself" beats "finding yourself," and how he manifested a trip to Tony Robbins' Date With Destiny and then got called on stage by Tony himself. In this episode: Why YouTube became Khaled's best friend at 14 and how you can use it the same way The gut feeling that made him walk out of college after 3 weeks and never look back "Life is not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself", what that actually means in practice How Khaled manifested a fully-funded trip and an investor for his film without knowing how either would happen The one Instagram reel that changed his life: "How big would you dream if you knew you couldn't fail?" Why fear keeps the middle class stuck and what separates dreamers from settlers How to define success on YOUR terms (and why it might not look like anyone else's) If you've been waiting for a sign to finally bet on yourself, this is it.

See All (37)

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

You run strategy for billion-dollar clients, lead teams, and solve high-stakes problems. Yet, you keep thinking: "Is this it??" There is MORE, and you are not crazy for wanting it. I am ex-Bain and ex-Deloitte. I walked away from that path to build my own ventures, and now I help other high-earning corporate professionals stop renting their skill set to one company and start designing the life and income they actually want. Grow With Kepo is the podcast for corporate leaders who are ready to design their own freedom. That starts with building a business of your own where you get paid to do what you love and do so well. I help you get clear on the specifics of who, what, and how, so you can take the first real step. Every episode is built to get you activated. You will get the no-BS truth no mentor will tell you and leave with something you can act on this week. New episodes every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Join the Paid in Full newsletter: https://onikepo.com/paid-in-full-opt-in Follow on Instagram: @growwithkepo

Information