Business Leader, Bella Disu, received a standing ovation at TEDx Ikoyi after delivering a powerful talk titled “Say Yes Now: Why Readiness is a Myth.”

Her message was simple but arresting: we do not become ready before we begin — we become ready by doing.

In the talk, she explores why people and organisations hesitate at the very moments that require bold action. Drawing from business cases, she explained how Kodak stalled, how Blockbuster dismissed innovation, and how Apple accelerated — not because it was the largest, but because it acted with clarity and conviction.

Disu shared a deeply personal reflection on meeting her “whole self” at 38 — the creative, changemaker, lifelong learner — not in a moment of perfect readiness, but in a quiet decision to stop walking within familiar walls.

“Readiness is not a destination,” she says. “It is a posture. Every meaningful shift begins with a single yes — sometimes inconvenient, often uncomfortable, always transformative.”

Her message is already resonating across leadership and personal development circles, echoing a universal truth: courage is contagious, and when one person moves, others feel permitted to begin.

Watch the TEDx Ikoyi talk here: