For Tolu Odukoya, one of the most powerful lessons she carries today did not come from perfection, but from a moment she once saw as a personal failure.
Speaking on the Dear Ife podcast, the associate senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church opened up about a mistake she made earlier in life and the unexpected way her late mother, Bimbo Odukoya, responded when she chose to be honest about it.
Rather than reacting with disappointment or judgment, Tolu said her mother reassured her.
“God is going to use you,” she recalled being told, a response that challenged everything she had assumed about failure, especially growing up in a deeply religious household where expectations can feel amplified.
At the time, Tolu admitted she questioned whether her mistake had disqualified her from the purpose. But her mother’s reply reframed that thinking, emphasising that different life experiences can shape how individuals connect with others.
At that moment, she explained, became a turning point.
Instead of defining herself by what went wrong, she began to see growth in what she learned from it. “I realised that I’m not my mistakes. I have learned and I’m better for it,” she said, highlighting how the experience reshaped her self-perception.
Her reflection also touches on a broader reality of growing up under public and spiritual expectations.
As the daughter of Taiwo Odukoya, the church’s founder, and the late Bimbo Odukoya, Tolu has long navigated the weight of legacy. But she made it clear that her journey is not about replicating her parents’ path.
In a previous episode of the same series, she addressed that pressure directly, stating that she is not trying to “fit into” their roles but instead builds her own identity.
Her upbringing, she noted, provided a strong foundation, but personal growth requires making independent choices, including learning from mistakes without being defined by them.
The conversation has resonated with listeners, particularly for its emphasis on grace, accountability, and self-awareness. In a space where expectations often leave little room for error, Tolu’s story offers a more nuanced perspective, one that acknowledges failure while still making room for purpose.
At its core, her message is simple but powerful. Mistakes may shape the journey, but they do not have to define the destination.
