Sofi (The Odditty): Being Yourself Will Cost You Everything (But It’s Worth It)

In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Sofi, one of the most compelling African women creators shaping culture across the diaspora, to unpack the real cost of authenticity, freedom, and building a life on your own terms.

Known online as The Odditty, Sofi opens up about choosing self expression over approval, walking away from expectations placed on African women, and turning her personality into a powerful platform. From viral moments to $25K brand deals, from being silenced to owning her voice, this is a raw, unfiltered conversation about identity, trauma, money, boundaries, and becoming unapologetically yourself.

This is not an influencer highlight reel.
This is a survival story.

We talk about the African creator economy, monetising authenticity, being underestimated, navigating family pressure, womanhood in public, and why being different is no longer a weakness but an advantage.

This episode explores:

• Why being yourself often comes with backlash, loss, and resistance
• How Sofi turned authenticity into real income and global opportunities
• The hidden cost of being a woman online, especially as an African creator
• Why African creators are finally winning and what most people missed
• Identity, self worth, trauma, healing, and choosing freedom anyway

If you are a creator, founder, artist, or anyone trying to live honestly in a world that rewards conformity, this conversation will stay with you.

Welcome to The Afropolitan Podcast, where African stories are told with honesty, depth, and pride.

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Website
https://theodditty.com/

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00: Intro

01:42 Why now is the best time to be an African creator

02:38 Telling African stories beyond suffering

03:06 Monetising being odd instead of fixing yourself

03:35 Blogging, early creation, and finding a voice

04:35 The first brand deals and learning your worth

05:28 How Sofi landed a $7,500 Home Depot deal

06:46 Why representation and visibility matter

07:15 What African parents expect versus reality

08:39 Sexual harassment and leaving Nigeria

10:59 Moving to America and unlearning shame

11:50 Viral moments and the birth of The Odditty

12:47 Choosing creativity over law school

14:16 Family pressure, money, and misunderstanding

15:44 Paying the price for freedom

16:43 Being ostracised for being yourself

18:06 Therapy, healing, and reclaiming power

19:30 Viral videos and what happens after

22:40 Why viral moments are not the goal

24:05 Building community over chasing attention

25:32 Boundaries, friendships, and creator burnout

28:41 Business boundaries and saying no

30:58 Being underestimated and weaponising softness

32:53 “She won’t last long” and proving them wrong

35:13 Creator politics, envy, and extraction

35:39 The business of content creation explained

38:28 Managers, agencies, and skin in the game

40:51 Why representation must work for you

44:00 The New York apartment controversy

45:52 The rat race and redefining success

47:44 Choosing freedom over lifestyle validation

50:43 Turning 30 and rewriting the dream

53:37 Race in America versus class in Nigeria

01:01:20 Why African creators would win faster at home

01:04:33 Lagos creator economy frustrations

01:07:41 Why Sofi started her podcast

01:10:28 Shame, sex, and breaking taboos

01:13:46 Processing trauma and delayed healing

01:16:33 Taking power back

01:19:40 Boundaries and self respect

01:21:34 Rapid fire questions

01:23:43 Who should be on the podcast next