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In this episode of Unapologetically Whole, Lola Dada-Olley shares her personal journey of self-advocacy and wholeness, exploring themes of identity, caregiving, and resilience. Through intimate reflections and powerful storytelling, she encourages listeners to own their stories and advocate for themselves with intention and courage.

Takeaways:

• Your story matters and deserves to be told.
• Self-advocacy is a muscle that grows with use.
• Wholeness is the integration of all parts of your story.
• Perfection is not the goal; wholeness is.
• Guilt can be a barrier to healing.
• Healing begins when you stop negotiating with guilt.
• Self-advocacy starts with small steps like asking for help.
• You are worthy of the life you are building.
• The world needs you whole, not perfect.
• Embrace the journey of self-discovery and growth.

Sound bites:

• Your story matters.
• Self-advocacy is a muscle.
• Wholeness is integration.
• Perfection was never the assignment.
• Guilt is a barrier.
• Healing begins with acceptance.
• Ask for help.
• You are worthy.
• The world needs you whole.
• Embrace your journey.

Chapters:

• Introduction to Unapologetically Whole
• The Journey of Self-Advocacy
• Embracing Wholeness
• Overcoming Guilt and Healing
• Empowerment and Personal Growth

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www.loladadaolley.com

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Summary

In this conversation, Lisa Hurley and Lola Dada-Olley explore the complexities of healing, emphasizing that it is a non-linear journey filled with ups and downs. They discuss the importance of embracing stillness and practicing gratitude as essential components of emotional well-being.

Takeaways

• Healing is definitely not linear.
• Sometimes healing can feel like it's going up and down.
• Periods of stillness are important in the healing process.
• Trusting stillness is crucial to avoid anxiety about the future.
• Introspection plays a vital role in personal growth.
• Expressing gratitude can enhance emotional well-being.
• There is always something to be grateful for, even in tough times.
• Healing requires patience and self-compassion.
• The journey of healing is unique for everyone.
• Embracing the journey can lead to deeper understanding.

Unapologetically Whole is a podcast for people who have spent years giving themselves away—to caregiving, culture, or career—and are finally ready to reclaim their voice. Hosted by attorney, author, TEDx speaker, and lifelong caregiver Lola Dada‑Olley, the show explores identity, healing, neurodiversity, cultural stigma, and the quiet work of rebuilding yourself after burnout.

Lola draws from her lived experience as an attorney, a mother of two autistic children, the older sister of an autistic, intellectually disabled adult, and the former host of Not Your Mama’s Autism. She also serves as Lead ADA Counsel for a global banking institution and appears with her family in the Vox Media documentary Sensory Overload on Hulu.

Each episode blends storytelling, reflection, and honest conversation to help caregivers and other leaders recognize the lane they’re in, redefine success on their own terms, and reimagine what it means to thrive without disappearing.

Learn more about Lola’s work and her upcoming memoir at loladadaolley.com, and join the newsletter to stay connected to the movement.

Support the show

www.loladadaolley.com

Send us a text

Not Your Mama’s Autism had its finale episode in December 2025. Unapologetically Whole is the dawn of a new podcast, guided by the same host, Lola Dada‑Olley, but shaped by a deeper, more expansive mission. After five years of honest conversations about disability, culture, and family, Lola is stepping into a new season, one that honors where she’s been while widening the lens to include every woman who has ever disappeared in service to others.

This trailer marks the bridge between two eras: the close of a beloved community built around autism storytelling, and the beginning of a movement centered on identity, healing, and wholeness. Lola brings with her the same lived experience—attorney, author, TEDx speaker, lifelong caregiver, mother of two autistic children, and older sister to an autistic, intellectually disabled adult, but now she’s inviting listeners into a broader conversation about what it means to reclaim yourself after years of giving yourself away.

Unapologetically Whole explores the quiet, courageous work of rebuilding your sense of self while still showing up for the people you love. Through storytelling, reflection, and deeply human conversations, Lola offers a space for women navigating caregiving, cultural expectations, career reinvention, and the emotional weight of being everything to everyone. It’s a podcast about choosing yourself without abandoning your responsibilities and learning that devotion does not require disappearance.

As this new chapter begins, the heart of Not Your Mama’s Autism lives on, expanded and reimagined. If you’ve ever felt unseen, stretched thin, or unsure where you end and your roles begin, this next season is for you. Welcome to Unapologetically Whole—a home for women ready to reclaim their voice, redefine success, and reimagine what it means to thrive.

Support the show

www.loladadaolley.com