24 Questions with Ekene Onu
Ekene Onu is a Mindset & Transformational Coach and a Feminine Leadership & Power expert. She is the Chief Principal of Iconic Womanhood, a Coaching & Consulting Company. Ekene is also the Founder of the Iconic Womanhood Circle, an exclusive executive coaching membership program designed for ambitious women of faith across the African Diaspora who embrace their femininity. Additionally, she leads global Workshops and Retreats.
Ekene answers Today’s Purpose Woman’s 24 Questions!
What is the name of your business or ministry?
Iconic Womanhood
How do you use your work or platform to empower and inspire others?
Through my retreats, masterminds, and courses, I help women improve in three areas: self-mastery, spiritual growth as a Christian woman, and building community.
What’s one word that best describes you?
Evolving.
How do you stay focused and avoid distraction?
I set daily intentions and keep a routine that helps me stay true to it. If something consistently tempts me to get off track, I try to remove it from my life.
What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
That Tens of thousands of women were empowered to fulfill their God-given destinies and renew their faith.
How do you prioritize your relationship with God?
My relationship with God is my end-all-be-all. I can let go of everything else, but without God, I am nothing. I start my day with prayer and end it with prayer, and I spend time daily in the word of God.
How do you practice gratitude daily?
Every day, I reflect on and verbalize what I am grateful for, especially in the midst of the storms of life.
How do you practice humility and surrender in your relationship with God?
I surrender to God daily because I know I can’t do life and my work in my own strength. I don’t strive to be perfect; I strive to walk with God even in my imperfections.
How do you handle doubt or uncertainty?
If you are going to do great things for the kingdom, you have to increase your capacity for risk and uncertainty.
I pray and stand on the word when I’m not sure of the outcome – “All things work together for my good,” so if it looks like a win, it’s a blessing; if it looks like a loss, it’s a lesson, either way, it’s good.
What is your favorite way to share your faith with others?
Storytelling. I love to share stories of how God has been so good to me and others. I also love to teach practical wisdom from the Bible.
What is your go-to Bible verse for finding strength and inspiration?
Hebrews 11:3 By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Which biblical woman do you resonate with the most and why?
Esther. Because she had a story of transformation and because she embodies many feminine qualities that I work to help my clients cultivate in themselves.
What is one of your favorite Christian books?
One of my favorite books is “A Lineage of Grace” by Francine Rivers. It’s a historical fiction book that features the women in the lineage of Christ.
What’s a life lesson you’ve learned?
Success is about commitment and consistency. The everyday little habits can either make you or break you.
How do you handle criticism or judgment from others?
I consider two things: the source and the information. I listen to the information and ask myself if it is something that I need to reflect on and learn from. Additionally, I consider the source of the information and their intent. Was it to build me up or tear me down?
How do you overcome fear and take bold action to pursue your purpose?
I may have fear, but I focus on my purpose. I focus on the calling and what I feel I need to do. I let faith be my driver, and fear can ride in the trunk.
How do you find a balance between taking care of others and taking care of yourself?
I always remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. The other thing I remember is that I’m not Jesus, and even he rested and withdrew frequently. When you know you are necessary and vital, then you don’t play with your self-care.
How do you stay true and authentic to yourself?
I try to live honestly. To be vulnerable about my struggles and still stand in the power that I have as a woman of faith, which is the power of God working through me. So, in my weakness, He is strong.
What does modesty mean to you in terms of fashion choices?
I like to be stylish, but there are certain things I won’t compromise on, no matter the trends. I don’t show too much skin, and I’m always conscious of my cleavage as a curvy woman.
What is one of your favorite retreats or conferences for women?
Well, the Iconic Womanhood retreats, to be honest. I created them because I saw a gap in the market. For high achieving women to relax, relate, and elevate with Christ at the center. Two years ago, a woman attended & she didn’t know me well; she left that retreat feeling reconnected to God & going back to church!
What is your current favorite song?
There are too many favorites, but Cece Winans’s- the Goodness of God, Tasha Cobbs-You Know My Name, Mercy Chinwo Excess Love, and Nathaniel Bassey’s – Carry Me.
What is your favorite way to express your creativity in worship?
I love to sing to God. And I love to write stories and poems that speak about His goodness in our everyday lives.
Describe a time when your faith in God gave you hope during a challenging time.
These past few years have been some of the most challenging. My father passed, and my divorce was final in the same year. I felt lost in the physical, but God carried me. I have connected to a deeper understanding of grace in the last few years. He has sent helpers. He has made me lie down in green pastures and restored my soul! I know Him more intimately now.
What is currently on your heart to share with women?
I want to remind women that they don’t have to perform; they just have to be. God is not asking for us to put on a facade of perfection or holiness, for that matter. He wants us to come as we are to him, and then he will clothe and empower us.
We don’t have to force ourselves to fit in boxes; what God has for us, eyes have not seen, neither have ears heard! So draw close to him and be open to the hand of God in your life.
Ekene, Thank you for officially completing Today’s Purpose Woman’s 24 Questions.
