78: When Success Feels Empty: A Nigerian Artist on Rediscovering Meaning | Ayola

Nigerian-born artist Ayola shares how walking away from a decade-long career in the pharmaceutical industry allowed him to reconnect with his true self. After years of professional success but growing emptiness, Ayola made the bold choice to leave Canada, return to Nigeria, and rebuild his life as a musician — confronting identity loss, financial fear, and the cultural expectations that equated stability with success. Now, as a touring artist moving between Africa, Canada, and the UK, Ayola unpacks what it means to live a life that actually feels like your own — one that values creativity, purpose, and trust in the unknown.

Find Ayola here:

https://www.instagram.com/ayolamusic/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HhGrOwO1aePIaDgMoGauG

https://www.youtube.com/@ayolamusic

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Ayola's Story

06:11 - Building a New Life as a Musician Touring Canada

07:32 - How Culture Shapes Art

10:44 - Chaos as a Catalyst:

14:05 - Letting Go of Overthinking

19:58 - Advice to His Younger Self

22:10 - Ayola's song with Amaka: “Bout You”