HOW BEING FIRED FROM WORK LED ME INTO MUSIC — ADEKUNLE GOLD SHARES HIS STORY

I didn’t plan to become a musician the way my life unfolded. But sometimes, life pushes you out of one place just to drag you into your true purpose.

Before music paid my bills, I was living a very different life. I had a steady job. I designed logos, worked on branding projects, and sat behind a desk like every other young man trying to “make it.” I told myself I was being responsible. After all, not everyone becomes a successful musician.

But deep down, music never left me.

Even while working, I sang at night. I wrote songs quietly. I recorded covers and posted them online, unsure who was listening. Music was the one thing that made sense when everything else felt like survival. Still, I treated it like a side hustle, something I loved but didn’t trust enough to fully commit to.

Then one day, I lost my job.

There was no warning that prepared me for how heavy it felt. Being fired messes with your confidence. It makes you question your value, your direction, your worth. I remember sitting with that feeling embarrassment mixed with fear. Bills don’t wait for purpose. Reality doesn’t care about passion.

For a moment, I felt lost.

But losing that job also gave me something I didn’t have before: no excuse to hide from my dream.

With nothing left to lose, I leaned fully into music. I started recording seriously. I released songs online, sang with everything I had, and told my truth the only way I knew how. That was how “Sade” was born, a simple cover that unexpectedly changed everything.

People listened.

Not because it was perfect, but because it was honest.

That song opened doors I never imagined. It caught the attention of people who believed in my sound before I fully believed in myself. Soon after, I signed a record deal. The same path I was afraid to walk suddenly became the road I couldn’t avoid.

Looking back now, being fired wasn’t the end of my story, it was the beginning of it.

If I had stayed comfortable, I might have stayed safe. If I hadn’t lost that job, I might have continued postponing my calling. Sometimes, life removes your safety net so you can finally learn how to fly.

Today, when people celebrate my success, they see the awards, the shows, the recognition. What they don’t always see is the moment I sat with nothing but uncertainty and faith. They don’t see the rejection that redirected me or the fear that forced me to choose courage