When you stop waiting for a change and start to change, real change occurs
Caroline Poplar is the director of Alpha Childcare, Alpha Global Africa. She is a childcare business expert, columnist and speaker, helping school owners and practitioners develop mental clarity, improve leadership skills and embrace a bigger vision.
In this interview with the Premium Times, Mrs. Popoola shares insights into her professional journey, the challenges she faced as a woman in leadership, and how she continues to inspire others.
PT: Tell us about your professional journey and how you became a CEO.
Mrs. Popoola: About 12 years ago, I worked as an insurance company for an insurance company in the city of London. After becoming redundant, I told myself I wanted a job or business that I didn’t have to work hard. What a lie he had!
Within a few months, I began to consider a career in working with my kids, despite having no prior experience. I decided to retrain and, 8 months later, I was approached by a local school. Just eight months later, I opened my second brunch.
Then came the challenge – a sneak in doubt, and I often questioned whether I was sufficient. It was during this time that my spiritual journey became an important part of my growth. Fast forward to today, there are now 14 branches and there are plans to open four more in the next six months.
My biggest lesson? Whatever your hands do, do it with your heart — you never know which opportunity it will open the door.
PT: In your opinion, how do female leaders inspire and empower others around them, especially other women?
Mrs. Popoola: The female leader has been deeply inspiring me. Their resilience story has kept me going, even when things felt impossible. Seeing how they face the challenge head on gave me the courage to do the same.
I especially create opportunities for them to lift up other women and break the barriers that they once thought weren’t broken. Their confidence in shattering glass ceilings has shown me that their dreams are not too big and not too big to overcome.
PT: What do you think is unique about women in leadership roles compared to men?
Mrs. Popoola: As a leadership woman, I have discovered that empathy comes naturally. Collaboration is more than just a strategy. It’s the way of thinking that shapes my work and how I build a strong team. Resilience has become a second nature and pushed me to continue under pressure.
Multitasking and adaptability are part of my daily reality and help me navigate the demands of leadership. But beyond all this, I’m always thinking about how to grow. Not just for yourself, but for those around me, true leadership is to lift others up as you stand up.
PT: What challenges have you faced as a woman in your industry and how have you overcome them?
Mrs. Popoola: I worked in the care industry so I didn’t feel that being a woman was my biggest challenge. The real battle has always been in my mind – I acknowledge that I am sufficient, that I deserve to be here, and that leading reliability is my greatest strength.
I’ve often worked on questions, am I a good leader? For years, I meant that leadership was as strict and assertive as many of my men. But I have come to realize that true leadership is not about power. It’s about transformation. It’s about how I inspire and elevate the people around me.
I also question the magnitude of my vision and wonder if it’s too big, especially compared to male leaders. But the truth I came to accept is this: my vision is mine for a reason. There’s no need to scale it down to other people’s expectations. The key is to appear as my true self, lead with purpose, knowing that being me is sufficient.
PT: Can you share one of the most rewarding moments of your career with a solid passion for leadership?
Mrs. Popoola: Since I’ve been in business for the last 20 years, I only really understand what leadership is. For a long time, I have focused on growth, strategy and success, but Covid-19 has taught me the deepest lesson.
The pandemic has forced us all to remove the noise and show up as our true selves. It made me accept not only the leader I became public, but also the woman behind the door where I closed, but also the one who accepted me.
What drives me now is the shock – a realistic and lasting change. It is one of the humble experiences of my journey to hold meetings for over 1,500 people and knowing that it indirectly touches on the lives of nearly half a million children, parents and communities.
In those moments, every challenge, every sleepless night, and every ounce of stress suddenly felt worthwhile. This is what leadership means to me. It’s about not just building a business, it’s about changing your life.
PT: What advice would you give to young Nigerian women who are aiming to become leaders in their field?
Mrs. Popoola: This may sound like a cliché, but if there is one thing I have learned, it’s as good as you.
Don’t stop learning, growing, and evolution. Not because you know it all, but because you are always willing to learn and share. And most importantly, stay true to your values. They keep you stand out and ground no matter how far you go.
PT: How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with other aspects of your personal life?
Mrs. Popoola: When I was young, I often thought this was impossible. I was pulled in every direction, stretched thinly, and tried to do it all. But as I grew older, I became smarter – I learned to adjust, prioritize and focus on what really matters in each season of my life.
One thing I’ve accepted is that I can’t always get everything 100% right. And that’s fine. Instead of striving for perfection, I learned to focus on what is most important in the moment.
I also realized that when the man drops the ball he doesn’t stay with it – he picks up himself and moves forward. That’s a lesson I’ve accepted. When things don’t go as planned, I remember that tomorrow is another day, a fresh start, and an opportunity to do better.
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Above all, I have learned to be kind to myself – I give myself the opportunity to spread to others very easily. And it made all the difference.
PT: The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “accelerating action.” What does this theme mean to you and how does it reflect your leadership approach?
Mrs. Popoola: The theme “Accelerate Action” is about prioritizing everything that really matters to us as women. It is to close gender gaps from our health and well-being, improve access to education, and promote policies that truly support us. But here’s where I came to realize it. The real change starts with us, not just policies and discussions.
Every woman has a choice. It’s about accepting things as they are, keeping them silent, or taking action, creating the change we want to see. And honestly, we’ve been fighting for a long time.
So now it’s about stepping into the position of power, building our own industries, hiring them, making decisions that shape a better future for women. Actual changes occur when you stop waiting for them and start to become changes.
The interview was conducted in partnership with women from Management, Business and Public Services (Wimbiz), a Nigerian nonprofit organization committed to advance and empowering women’s leadership. Mrs. Popoola is also a member of Wimbiz.
