Episode Summary In this episode of the Africa X series Kevin Y. Brown speaks with Bidemi Adedire, the founder of the Association of African Podcasters and Voice Artists (APVA), on her passion behind the foundation and growth of a community-driven organization to amplify and celebrate the diversity of African voices and create opportunities for African creatives. As a Communications and Idea Strategist and Marketing Automation enthusiast, Bidemi has always been someone who loves to think outside of the box and come up with ideas. An avid podcaster herself, she was looking for a community and saw a need for accessible home-grown resources for African podcasters and voice artists which led to her taking a lead in bringing this community together. In 2022 they hosted one of their first major events, the APVA awards, which drew in 2200 nominations and 70,000 votes while showcasing growing talent and bringing attention to the potential of the African podcasting industry. Bidemi and Kevin discuss how to turn ideas and passion into action, the many forms of generosity that strengthen a community, and dreams about how podcasting can evolve in the future.   Kevin Y. Brown Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.   Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…   Bidemi Adedire Bidemi Adedire is a Communications Expert, Idea Strategist and Marketing Automation enthusiast, crazy about discovery and constantly excited at the thought of learning new things. She is a passionate podcaster and adolescent health advocate, making every effort to promote both industries. Impact is everything! Bidemi is the founder of the Association of African Podcasters and Voice Artists which amplifies the voices of podcasters, voice artists, and spoken word artists through events and creating opportunities for African creatives. Her personal mantra is, “challenges are opportunities for growth and reskilling.”   Insights From the Episode The current resources we have that cater to the needs of African creatives How important it is to document our stories and why podcasts are an ideal way to share them Keys to balancing your goals when you have multiple projects you’re working on How to keep the passion for your work going and avoid burnout The role of mentorship and learning from others who can share their experience Thoughts on the future of podcasting in Nigeria and Africa as a whole Tips for setting up a group to keep you accountable to your goals   Quotes from the Show “I love ideas. I’m an ideas person, but I also like to test ideas. For me, passion is also key; it’s the thing that keeps us going. If I’m talking about the challenges of APVA, I also wake up every day and the first thing I think about is APVA, so it’s important that I don’t start something and get tired of it. When I put it in writing I realize there’s a lot we can do, so right now the excitement is that what we have is amazing, but there’s a lot more to achieve. Because I am looking forward to seeing these things come to pass, I keep myself energized and I want to see APVA become the community I envisioned.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193 “We have seen that as the result of the surge in wanting to share our narratives, we are shifting what people think about Africa.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193 “Philanthropy in the Global North is different than in the Global South in Africa where it’s ingrained in our culture. Because it’s in our culture, it’s in our e