At 50, Oke Chinye found herself restless, anxious and asking difficult questions about her life. The answers she found did not lead her backwards. They led her into reinvention, deeper purpose and eventually, the creation of The Fulfilled Woman, a platform helping women navigate midlife with clarity, healing and renewed purpose.
Today, she describes herself as “The Navigator”, a role that captures much of what she has spent over two decades doing, both professionally and personally: helping people find their way, recognise who they are and move boldly into their next chapter.
An accomplished Organisational Psychologist, Certified Business Development Consultant, Learning & Development Expert, and Faith-Based Mentor, she has built a career defined by holistic transformation — empowering leaders, inspiring women, and shaping futures. Her work is deeply shaped by faith, self-discovery and a conviction that midlife is not a finish line, but a handover point.
She is the Founder and CEO of WORKLIFE Solutions Ltd, an Abuja-based human capital development consultancy, which trains executives, guides teams to greater productivity, and supports countless women navigating transition. Her commitment to growth and lifelong learning is reflected in her academic and professional credentials. She holds Merit-level master’s degrees in business psychology from the University of Gloucestershire and organisational psychology from Birkbeck, University of London, alongside executive education credentials from Harvard Business School. She is a Fellow of the Learning & Performance Institute, UK, a Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) and its Abuja Strategic Think Tank Committee, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK, and an Associate of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ).
In this conversation with Pride Magazine Nigeria, Oke speaks candidly about the seasons when she questioned herself, the faith that helped her find her way, what leadership has taught her, and why she believes it is never too late to begin again.
Your journey cuts across organisational psychology, business, leadership and faith. But when the titles come off, and you are simply Oke, how would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as “The Navigator”. One who shines a light on your path, reminds you of who you are, and guides you to walk boldly into your next chapter. That is who I am. That is what I exist to do.
Was there ever a point in your career when you questioned your direction or wondered if you were on the right path? How did you navigate that season?
Yes. In my younger years, I struggled with self-doubt a lot. Even when I made decisions from an informed point of view, I still battled feelings of insecurity and uncertainty. My faith, my walk with God, has been the constant light in my life. I call it my secret place, my solitary confinement. I learn best in solitude. Each time I faced an identity crisis, I would run to that place of quietness in God’s presence, and I would stay there until the path became clear. In my secret place, I receive not just clarity but the grace to continue the journey. I also journal a lot. I write about my goals, my desires, my dreams, my fears, and the insights I receive from God. Journaling gives me clarity. It enables me to see the path ahead. Those seasons of uncertainty are far behind me now; my life trajectory is much clearer. I have come a long way—I see it as my journey into wholeness.
The Fulfilled Woman speaks directly to women between 40 and 65. What inspired you to create the platform?
The Fulfilled Woman was born out of a personal experience. Not long after I turned 50, I found myself in a place of constant restlessness and anxiety. I would review my life unconsciously and feel thoroughly dissatisfied with certain areas of it. I was barely sleeping, and even when I managed to sleep, I would wake up suddenly, with my heart pounding. I felt something was missing, and I needed to discover what it was. As I said, I learn best in solitude and in prayer. So that’s what I did. I retreated from several activities and took time out to seek the face of God in my secret place.
And as I did, I saw, amid other things, how disconnected I had become from my purpose and my mission. I had to begin a journey of reinvention and reconnection to fix those gaps, and today I can say I am in a much better place.
Shortly afterwards, I was taking a stroll one evening when I sensed God speaking to me about the midlife woman. I heard in my spirit: “Many of them are wounded, hurting and broken because of what life has thrown at them. Their pain and disappointment have become infirmities, causing them to bend over like the woman with the spirit of infirmity in Luke 13.”
And then I heard God saying to me, “Tell them I still have plans for them. I still have purpose for them. I need you to heal their brokenness. I need you to soothe their wounds. I need you to give them clarity and point them to the purpose I created them for. I need you to restore their self-esteem and put them back in shape for MY use.” And I asked, “How, Lord?” And He said, “Put them in a place and minister to them. Teach them as I have taught you. Heal them with the gifts I put in you. Help them connect to the purpose for which I created them, and then point them back to Me.”
So The Fulfilled Woman was created as a safe space for the midlife woman, and today it runs across six channels of impact. There is the talk show, which empowers women to navigate the many issues midlife throws at them — from menopause to the empty nest, financial security, relationship dynamics, faith, wellness and much more. There is the daily devotional series. There is the weekly teaching and prayer series, formerly known as “Prayer Rain”, which we are rebranding as “Pain to Purpose”. There is the life mentoring programme called “A New Path”. And there are the monthly counselling sessions, and of course our thriving WhatsApp community.
You often speak about midlife as a call to purpose rather than a crisis. What does that mean to you?
At midlife, you are a bundle of assets. You’ve built skills and abilities over the years. You’ve got experiences that are valuable life lessons to others. You are a wide canopy that gives covering to others, a deep-rooted tree with branches that people can nest under. I often liken the midlife season to a second chance at life. Your children are grown, and you have acquired assets you can use to create platforms that make the world a better place.
I see the midlife season as a time to give back and to build your legacy—what you want to be remembered by after you exit this earth. So it’s a call to purpose. Midlife can be a blessing when it is rooted in the purpose God ordained for you. Midlife is not a finish line. It is a handover point. You hand over the burden of proving yourself, and you pick up the freedom of purpose.
What would you say to a woman who feels she has missed her opportunity or the best years of her life are gone?
I would say: who says your best years are behind you? Who says it is too late? No one can set those boundaries in your life except you. History is replete with people who achieved great things in their later years. Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, one of this country’s most senior lawyers, founded Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) in Ado-Ekiti at around the age of 80. Today, ABUAD is consistently ranked high as a Nigerian university. In his own words, “It is not too late for anybody to venture into anything and make a success out of it.”
Colonel Harland Sanders franchised his chicken recipe at 65, off a $105 monthly cheque, and built KFC into a global brand. I built The Fulfilled Woman Brand after I turned 50, and my most meaningful platforms have all come in my later years. Globally, founders over 50 are nearly twice as likely as founders in their 30s to build a business that scales or gets acquired. Experience is a measurable advantage, not just a comforting idea. So it’s up to you. Whether you believe your best years are behind you or not — you are right.
What has more than two decades of working with leaders taught you about what effective leadership really looks like?
Effective leadership begins with self-leadership. Your ability to lead others and to influence them will depend largely on your ability to lead yourself. The leadership expert John Maxwell puts it aptly: “To lead others well, you must first lead yourself.” Self-leadership begins with self-awareness and self-management. I have observed that the most effective leaders have mastered this art. They are disciplined, consistent, honest, accountable, sacrificial and emotionally stable. Show me an effective leader, and I will show you someone who has learned to rule over their own desires.
What personal lesson has shaped your leadership philosophy the most?
I would say the lesson of being authentic. I have learned that I am at my best when I am my authentic self. Authenticity has not only shaped my leadership philosophy, it drives it to this day—whether I am leading myself or leading others. I live by Shakespeare’s words: “To thine own self be true.”
Faith is an important part of your work and personal journey. How has your faith influenced the way you approach purpose, leadership and difficult seasons?
My faith or my spirituality is my core. Everything I am and everything I have built has been founded on it. Faith led me to my purpose and my life’s work. Faith is the anchor I hold on to in difficult seasons. Faith determines how I treat and respond to others. Faith shapes how I show up in my many roles—wife, mother, sister, minister, professional, leader. My faith is the lens through which I filter every aspect of my life.
What is one lesson your younger self needed to hear that you now understand deeply?
Life is a process of becoming. You don’t have it all figured out at once, and that’s okay. Don’t be too hard on yourself. The experiences, both bad and good, come to teach you something.
What do you take pride in?
I take pride in my values. My top three are spirituality, self-development, and intellectual stretch. My values drive my life and, by extension, my focus. You will hardly find me in environments that do not stimulate me intellectually or spiritually. I may show up there briefly if I must, but I won’t dwell there. Adhering strictly to my values has made me who I am, and it has led me to where I am today. And I believe I am in a good place.