Becoming The Product

For a long time, Naya thought personal branding was only for influencers who wanted thousands of followers and daily photoshoot content. But navigating a non-linear career across banking, operations, product management, startup incubation, and founding GigSecure made her realize something deeper: whether you deliberately build a brand or not, people are forming an idea of who you are.In this episode, Naya unpacks why personal branding isn't about becoming famous it's about becoming understood. She explores why good work doesn't always speak for itself, how documenting process creates evidence, and how to make your true professional capital visible without performing expertise or posting constantly.

Looking back at her non-linear path from studying psychology and completing a master’s in France to seven years in corporate banking, a sudden layoff at an international fintech, product management, startup incubation, and founding GigSecure , Naya reflects on how experience compounds in ways we rarely predict. In this episode, she explores why changing careers doesn't mean erasing your past or starting from zero, how to recognize the hidden intelligence in messy experiences, and what it actually means to mine the data of your own life. Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and share your key takeaway.

I’ve realized something about myself: I love ideas. I can easily open Notion and map out a full plan for something that didn't exist 30 minutes ago. But working with startup founders at NITHUB while building my own product, GigSecure, has shown me that the gap between having an idea and building something that works is much bigger than I thought. In this episode, I explore why compliments from friends aren't validation, why smaller experiments beat massive product launches, and how slowing down to understand regulatory realities is still real progress. Tune in for a grounded conversation on moving past the high of a new plan to discover what is actually true in the real world.

In this episode, Naya opens up about her journey building GigSecure, from winning pitch competitions and receiving the Tony Elumelu Foundation grant to facing the humbling realities of regulated industries and distribution. She shares why recognition can create a false sense of progress and why she has become much less interested in looking like a founder and far more focused on building an actual business. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on changing your mind, balancing a full-time job and family with a startup, and letting real evidence guide what you build.

Working in startup incubation at NITHUB while building her own product, GigSecure, has changed how Naya views entrepreneurship. In this episode, she reflects on why she’s much less impressed by clean ideas than she used to be and shares seven practical observations about what execution actually looks like. From regulatory reality checks to the temptation of hiding behind a great pitch deck, Naya explores what happens when your plans meet the real world, and why building is ultimately an ongoing conversation with reality. Tune in and reflect on what feedback your own projects might be giving you.