85. Trust Your Best Yes: Building Capacity for the Life You Want (with Ola Adeyemi)

Quick Summary: Emily speaks with Ola Adeyemi, founder of Ripples Consulting and a mom of three, about building a big business without sacrificing motherhood.

They explore choosing which version of yourself takes priority each day, what “not playing small” really means, and how to trust your best yes. Ola shares how she handled mom guilt by talking to her kids like capable people, asking them for their negotiables and non-negotiables, and building shared systems at home.

They also discuss the leadership lessons motherhood teaches (different styles for different people, boundaries and intuition), why a messy house and a hard month are just part of a season, and why you should let yourself receive support. Ola’s central message: don’t play small, communicate with the people you love, and do your absolute best, knowing your best is different from anyone else’s.

In This Episode:

Why you can build a big business without sacrificing motherhood, but not everything at the same time

How to choose each day which version of you takes priority

Why teaching kids to take on responsibility at home builds structure that supports you

What “not playing small” really means, and why it isn’t about saying yes to everything

Why women often wait until they’re 50–60% sure before saying yes, and how to build capacity after the yes

How to trust your best yes and honor early signs of burnout

What to say to a woman who feels she’s failing at both motherhood and business

Why a messy house is a messy house, and why knowing your season matters

Why giving yourself permission to receive support makes you a better leader

Ola’s definition of a peaceful mama in leadership

Key Takeaways:

You don’t have to be fully present everywhere. Choose which version of you takes priority each day.

Build structure at home as well as in the business, and teach kids to take on responsibility as they grow.

Don’t bury yourself in “I don’t have capacity.” Ask “says who?” and build the capacity to match the opportunity.

Trust your best yes and trust that you will figure it out.

Catch burnout early and check in with yourself regularly.

Kids can handle honest conversations. Ask them what matters most to them, and negotiate which events you can attend.

Share responsibility at home, and let kids own their own mistakes.

Take the break. Fresh thinking can do in half the time what stress can’t do in four hours.

Memorable Quotes:

“It can be built.” – Ola Adeyemi

“They want you to win as well.” – Ola Adeyemi

“Feelings are not permanent.” – Ola Adeyemi

“A messy house is a messy house. A difficult business month is a difficult business month.” – Ola Adeyemi

“Your best is different from my best.” – Ola Adeyemi

Resources Mentioned:

Ripples Consulting – Ola’s consulting and coaching business

Julie Cole, founder of Mabel’s Labels – previous guest of Emily’s

The love languages book for kids – mentioned by Ola as a companion to the adult version

Week at a Glance (WAG) – the alarm and weekly routine Ola’s family uses to review school emails

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation / Orange Shirt Day – the school day her family forgot, which led to her shared-responsibility story

About the Guest: Ola Adeyemi is the founder of Ripples Consulting and a mom of three. She works with businesses and business owners, bringing a leadership style shaped by motherhood: clarity, focus, empathy, firm boundaries and strong intuition. She grew her business while raising her children, including two boys born eleven months apart while she was based in the UK. [Add formal bio, website and credentials here.]

Connect: Find the Peaceful Mama Podcast on: https://open.spotify.com/show/72a7QMsPnhlROpu1N1Mur2?si=120c598d5e9a414c

Follow Emily on Instagram: @itsemilyelliot

 Follow Ola on Instagram: @actioncoachalpha Ola’s website: https://actioncoachalpha.com/