Whenever I pick up any literary work to read, beyond the letters, I want to glean from the author’s spirit. I want to know those things that they had in mind when documenting those thoughts. In Merged Chapters, Olasubomi Sofowora doesn’t just come across as a brand communications professional and social impact champion; she reprises her role as a master storyteller. Through her words, she is vulnerable enough to let her readers know how she was forged in the fire of fate, she takes us through the journey of how courage she developed in the crucible of the corporate world and how she has successfully navigated the terrains that are traditionally antagonistic to women.
Like many of us, Olasubomi acknowledges that we often fail to grasp the significance of major life events as they unfold. It is only in hindsight that we begin to see what may have been a divine orchestration aligning with our deepest aspirations. In Merged Chapters, she reminds us that those seemingly serendipitous moments are not random, but purposeful pieces of a larger puzzle. And even when we can’t yet see the full picture, the least we can do is keep moving forward. She identifies how self-awareness can help you put those outcomes in proper context and how the right perspective can help repurpose what you may otherwise consider as insignificant. In very unmistakable terms, Olasubomi takes ownership of her narrative, validates her own dreams and simply lets the world know that she is a force of nature.
You won’t find many books like this which piously document the challenges that people, especially women, encounter in the workplace. Whilst the external mitigating factors are well-documented, most times the enemy is the inner me. Hence, she dedicated a significant portion of this work to address the scourge of the impostor syndrome, not from an academic perspective or corporate-speak but anecdotally. She lays bare how easily it is to self-sabotage because an unhealthy conditioning, a disempowering narrative and an internal dialogue from a defeatist mindset. Olasubomi reminds you in Merged Chapters that you matter, and chances are that you have an exaggerated view of your challenges rather than you have an intimate knowledge of your possibilities.
A lot of our insecurities are rooted in a lack of self-love; so she prescribes how loving yourself, as basic as it sounds, is a way of developing healthy self-esteem. Otherwise, you will keep seeking validation from external sources who typically don’t treat you with the proper care, honour and reward that is reflective of your true self. Thankfully, she had mentors who were able to guide her along her chosen career paths, and these interventions sharpened her leadership skills as she climbed through the rungs of the corporate ladder. She details these elements of her success story with almost surgical precision; by using such a scientific approach to storytelling, she underscores the fact that the feats she achieved are not exclusive to her and can be replicated by anyone ready to put in the work.
The readers will be pleased to find out that most of the time they thought they failed, it wasn’t that they did something wrong, but they simply failed to discern the season of life they found themselves in. It’s like wearing bikinis in winter; sometimes you can’t change the weather – you just change your clothing. Accordingly, in life, some seasons are what they are; when you can’t change them, you change your approach so you can better leverage the opportunities that are available to you.
If Olasubomi has a single superpower, it would be showing up! Whatever life throws her way, she has mastered the art of showing up and taking a chance on herself. She doesn’t just show up physically and aesthetically, but also in her work ethic; she shows up as that person who will always do more than she is paid to do. Such that at the end of the day, it’s never about the compensation package she receives but more about the woman she becomes, which is why the subtext of the book is aptly titled, A Journey of Becoming. This aspect is key for those who desire greatness because branding isn’t merely how you visually represent yourself, but how much value you offer to the ecosystem that you serve. Olasubomi emphasised how consistency, blocking out the noise and discipline, if properly adopted as a personal lifestyle and professional ethos, will not only shift your perspective – it will position you as a sought-after talent.
In the latter parts of the book, Olasubomi steps into warrior mode because no account of her corporate journey would be complete without the hard-won lessons from steering through uncharted waters. Notwithstanding her direct approach to managing crisis, she is honest in stating that she picks her fights, not out of cowardice but from an appreciation of the fact that she is a limited resource and she has to focus on strategic areas. This balance is critical because most professionals expend themselves by engaging in fights that have little or no benefits. As a transformational leader and strategic community builder, she documents how she has used her experience to inspire not just other women but anyone willing to learn and apply the lessons from her story.
In Merged Chapters, Olasubomi Sofowora shares valuable insights that are essential for anyone with lofty aspirations. She pulls back the curtain on what really powers the visible wins, highlighting how grit, graciousness, and gumption shape her identity as a winning woman. Even though the book isn’t a personal memoir in the traditional sense, she masterfully crafts it in a way that feels intimate and conversational, appealing to everyone irrespective of their gender, like she’s speaking directly to the reader. It’s the kind of book you read when you are ready to put in the work instead of cooking up excuses, throwing a pity party and telling sob stories. Within these pages, you will learn very quickly that it takes more than aura farming to build a great personal brand; you will need a sense of purpose and willingness to go against the grain. If anything, this book leaves no one in doubt about the fact that Olasubomi is her.
