Episode Description
In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Sofi, one of the most compelling African women creators shaping culture across the diaspora, to unpack the real cost of authenticity, freedom, and building a life on your own terms.
Known online as The Odditty, Sofi opens up about choosing self expression over approval, walking away from expectations placed on African women, and turning her personality into a powerful platform. From viral moments to $25K brand deals, from being silenced to owning her voice, this is a raw, unfiltered conversation about identity, trauma, money, boundaries, and becoming unapologetically yourself.
This is not an influencer highlight reel.
This is a survival story.
We talk about the African creator economy, monetising authenticity, being underestimated, navigating family pressure, womanhood in public, and why being different is no longer a weakness but an advantage.
This episode explores:
• Why being yourself often comes with backlash, loss, and resistance
• How Sofi turned authenticity into real income and global opportunities
• The hidden cost of being a woman online, especially as an African creator
• Why African creators are finally winning and what most people missed
• Identity, self worth, trauma, healing, and choosing freedom anyway
If you are a creator, founder, artist, or anyone trying to live honestly in a world that rewards conformity, this conversation will stay with you.
Welcome to The Afropolitan Podcast, where African stories are told with honesty, depth, and pride.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00: Intro
01:42 Why now is the best time to be an African creator
02:38 Telling African stories beyond suffering
03:06 Monetising being odd instead of fixing yourself
03:35 Blogging, early creation, and finding a voice
04:35 The first brand deals and learning your worth
05:28 How Sofi landed a $7,500 Home Depot deal
06:46 Why representation and visibility matter
07:15 What African parents expect versus reality
08:39 Sexual harassment and leaving Nigeria
10:59 Moving to America and unlearning shame
11:50 Viral moments and the birth of The Odditty
12:47 Choosing creativity over law school
14:16 Family pressure, money, and misunderstanding
15:44 Paying the price for freedom
16:43 Being ostracised for being yourself
18:06 Therapy, healing, and reclaiming power
19:30 Viral videos and what happens after
22:40 Why viral moments are not the goal
24:05 Building community over chasing attention
25:32 Boundaries, friendships, and creator burnout
28:41 Business boundaries and saying no
30:58 Being underestimated and weaponising softness
32:53 “She won’t last long” and proving them wrong
35:13 Creator politics, envy, and extraction
35:39 The business of content creation explained
38:28 Managers, agencies, and skin in the game
40:51 Why representation must work for you
44:00 The New York apartment controversy
45:52 The rat race and redefining success
47:44 Choosing freedom over lifestyle validation
50:43 Turning 30 and rewriting the dream
53:37 Race in America versus class in Nigeria
01:01:20 Why African creators would win faster at home
01:04:33 Lagos creator economy frustrations
01:07:41 Why Sofi started her podcast
01:10:28 Shame, sex, and breaking taboos
01:13:46 Processing trauma and delayed healing
01:16:33 Taking power back
01:19:40 Boundaries and self respect
01:21:34 Rapid fire questions
01:23:43 Who should be on the podcast next