What’s It All For?
In 2006, I went on a poetry tour ‘The Hammer & Tongue Four Continents Poetry Slam’ of the UK. We visited 13 cities and towns in 14 days with one night off halfway through in Glasgow. In every city we visited, I would find an internet cafe and scribble some thoughts about the day before on MySpace which, according to a blog post on Infinite Pursuit (which I started in 2005), I ‘discovered’ in 2006. I eventually had two MySpace pages (/kojobaffoe and /kojothepoet) and, while they are both still up, sadly I can’t access either and the stuff I posted doesn’t show. The...
Farah C. Fortune, The Resilient Rebel (#69)
Written by Ayob Vania The life of Farah C. Fortune unfolds as a series of bold pivots, each one forged in the crucible of real-life trials and hard-won victories. In her conversation with Kojo Baffoe on episode 69 of Listen To Your Footsteps, she dismantles the glossy myths around success, revealing the grit, humility, and moral courage it takes to build a meaningful life from scratch. From navigating a cross-continental childhood to rebuilding after divorce, from carving out space in a white male–dominated PR industry to launching The Pad Run, a non-profit tackling period poverty, Farah’s...
Jean Daniel Kanza, Living on the Edge (#68)
Written by Ayob Vania The life of Jean Daniel Kanza reads like a map stitched across two worlds, Kinshasa and Johannesburg, marked by creativity, hustle, and a refusal to be confined by borders. In Episode 68 of Listen To Your Footsteps, a podcast by Kojo Baffoe, Jean opens up about living on the edge of identity, navigating unpredictable economies, and building a cultural and business legacy that connects communities across Africa. From early dreams of becoming a filmmaker to forging a multifaceted career as a musician, entrepreneur, and cultural advocate, Jean’s journey offers more than...
Does this qualify as a rant?
I posted this on Substack a few months back. I am still conflicted about where to share my random thoughts. Here or on a platform like Substack. They say you shouldn't post on two places. It's all too complicated, this writing on the internet thing. Do you ever get the feeling that you are doing too much? One of the disadvantages of owning one’s time and working on projects, as opposed to working on a career is that I get moments where I feel like I am doing too much. Pursuing multiple things, at the same time, means that I need to be very structured with how I approach my work...
Listen To Your Footsteps, Four Years Later
Listen To Your Footsteps, my collection of essays, reflections and (some) poetry was published four years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wrote most of it during the hard lockdowns, dedicating an hour every morning to working on it. As a result, the launch happened online hosted by Exclusive Books and, even though I had an in-person signing, there were a few people there because it was a couple of days after the 'third wave' of COVID-19 was announced. In the introduction, I wrote: "This may be the first book I have written, but it is the fifth book I have started to write." And now here...
Yasmin Furmie, Crafting a Life of Meaning and Style (Eps 67)
Written by Ayob Vania This episode of Listen to Your Footsteps is a profound exploration of resilience, reinvention, and the transformative power of embracing change. Host Kojo Baffoe and guest Yasmin Furmie dive into a deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation that traces Yasmin’s remarkable journey from social work to fashion entrepreneurship. Packed with lessons on identity, family, and the courage to pursue passion later in life, this episode offers more than inspiration—it provides a clear roadmap for anyone seeking to redefine their path and find fulfilment in life’s...
Dumi Mahlangu, A Blueprint for Entrepreneurial Growth (Eps 66)
This episode of Listen To Your Footsteps is like sitting down with a close friend who’s been through it all and is ready to share their story with honesty and heart. Kojo Baffoe and Dumi Mahlangu dive into a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like a heartfelt chat about resilience, curiosity, and the relentless pursuit of self-expression, over coffee. The conversation is a deeply reflective one that offers practical insights and lessons for anyone looking to navigate their career, family life, and personal growth. Dumi’s journey - from magazine publisher to corporate...
Alistair Mokoena, Unlocking the Secrets of Self-Mastery (Eps #65)
Written by Ayob Vania This episode of Listen To Your Footsteps is not just a conversation - it’s a masterclass in living a life of purpose, impact, and self-mastery. Host Kojo Baffoe and Professor Alistair Mokoena take listeners on a deeply reflective journey that is both inspiring and actionable. Alistair’s story - from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to becoming a corporate leader, professor, and author - is a testament to the power of deliberate planning, self-awareness, and the pursuit of significance. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to navigate their career,...
Reflecting on Salamina Mosese, Resilience, Reinvention, and Representation (Eps #64)
Written by Ayob Vania What makes the conversation between Salamina Mosese and Kojo Baffoe so compelling is the authenticity and richness of the dialogue. The episode is a tapestry of personal reflection, cultural navigation, and professional growth, all interwoven with wit, vulnerability, and insight. Whether you're a creative, a parent, or someone simply navigating the complexities of life, this episode is filled with profound lessons. Here are some of my key takeaways from the conversation and why they matter: Adapting to Change and Navigating Multiple Worlds "I was constantly navigating...
Taryn Gill, The Imperfect Path to Success – Telling Stories, Building Brands (LTYF Podcast #63)
Written by Ayob Vania Taryn Gill ’s conversation with Kojo Baffoe is more than a podcast episode - it’s a manual for those seeking to align their personal and professional lives authentically. What sets this conversation apart is its balance of practical insights and heartfelt reflections. Taryn’s honesty about the highs and lows of her journey, combined with Kojo’s ability to draw out profound moments, makes this episode a must-listen for anyone striving for reinvention, connection, and growth. Here are seven key takeaways, enriched with reflections on why they matter and how to implement...
Fortune Masina – Hip-Hop, Life, and Wisdom of Experience (#62)
Written by Ayob Vania This conversation on the Listen To Your Footsteps podcast with Fortune Masina is a rich exploration of hip-hop's influence, his personal evolution, and the profound lessons life has to offer. It’s not just a dialogue; it’s an invitation to reflect on how art, culture, and community shape who we are. Whether you're a hip-hop enthusiast, a parent, or someone navigating their purpose, there’s something here for everyone. Fortune’s candid reflections on his journey - from his early days in music to his evolution as a father and creative - are deeply inspiring. His insights...
Writing for the sake of writing
On Thursday, 15 September, 2005, at 09:20am, I posted my first blog post on my Infinite Pursuit blog on Blogger. It was titled in the beginning. Since then, I have written countless words and shared on the internet, in one form or another. The 'why' has been less of an evolution and more of an erratic, sometimes frantic, internal debating, veering from building my writing chops to putting myself out there for work (ie. promotion and marketing of my writing services) to 'why not?!' A few months after that post, I posted my first post on a second blog - Imperfect Poetry - I started, also...
Embracing Non-Linear Paths: Building a Life, Not Just a Career
While the world has changed a great deal, we seem to be struggling to find new ways of living. The typical path from birth feels linear - kindergarten, primary school, high school, university, job, career, live life when we retire. Over the last 30 or so years of my working life, I have bounced between multiple, often unrelated industries, with writing at the core. Writing stemmed less from my studies and more because it is something that I enjoy doing occasionally, and then I put the work into the craft. It doesn’t hurt that I'm relatively decent at it, from articles and poetry (for a...
The Endless Cycle of Signing Up and Forgetting: My Experience with Digital Platforms
I like the Internet. I like wandering down random rabbit holes in service of curiousity. I like how it exposes me to ideas and experiences that are far removed from me. I also like exploring the multitude of platforms, and their respective apps (or vica versa). While social media has become less my thing, I still have the habit of signing up for random things, just to see how they work. I was one of those who downloaded what felt like every app and then never used it afterwards. I still have apps on my phones that I haven’t opened in two years and yet I still can’t bring myself to delete...
Tech Writing in the Age of Speed: How to Catch Up and Stay Relevant
In another lifetime, I was a tech writer. I obsessively followed what was happening, attended countless launches in South Africa and around the world, and wrote about technology and innovation on my blog (for example, this very old review of the Samsung i8910) and in magazines. When I joined Destiny Man magazine as the editor in 2010, I had to start cutting back on writing specifically on tech because of the demands on my time. Plus, I was writing more across the board. After a few issues, the magazine hired someone else to write the technology pages. And, gradually, I stopped receiving...
Navigating the Social Media Limbo: Where Do We Go From Here?
Recently, I realised that Twitter has been my go-to social network for over a decade, but I rarely go on it now. When I do, I remember why I started to pull back from it when Elon Musk bought it, although the signs were already there - I wrote about it during lockdown in The Twitter Abyss. Social media doesn’t have the same hold on me it had previously, especially when it felt necessary for promotion/marketing and building awareness around my work. Nowadays, my posts' reach and/or engagement doesn’t feel as significant as it used to. A part of me feels we are at an inflection point where...