WOMEN OF RUBIES The Best Way To Impart Moral Instruction Is Through Storytelling
Nora Agbakhamen:
Childhood Influence AS
A woman who can multitask successfully has mastered her craft and knows how to navigate her chosen career path. Nora Agbakhamen is not just a woman who wears many hats; she has equally recorded successes.
As one of the most influential Nigerians on Linkedin who is making the motherland proud, Nora helps businesses get seen and paid through content and storytelling. With over 10 years experience as a content creator and writer, she knows how to help brands increase their credibility, visibility and profitability.
A graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Maiduguri, she also holds a certificate in Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking from Harvard University ( Harvardx), a certificate in Investigative Journalism from BBC Macarthur Foundation, and several certifications in storytelling. In this interview with ESTHER IJEWERE, she shares her inspiring journey and her passion for storytelling and branding. and share value. Back in my university days, my classincrease their reputation in their various fields so they can mates would come together and ask that I summarise become more visible and profitable. It’s a win- win for us, our notes for them before exams. I would explain and I shudder to think that there was a time I gave up. what we’d been taught, but use relatable examples to How My Work Has Inspired Other Women Around Me help the point stick. They lived for those moments, I’ve mentored women, particularly undergraduates on and it was a privilege to see how those explanations Linkedin, and the regular thank- you emails I get from these helped all of us ace our exams. The more I taught, the ladies are like the icing on the cake. I’ve had female more the points stuck with me. undergraduates email me to say they started con
So, I took the same love for teaching into the storytent as a side hustle, because of the daily tips I telling aspect of content creation. I went into it with drop on Linkedin. That, for me, is the ultimate the one aim of serving. I wanted to share whatever reward. knowledge I had with my audience.
a little girl growing up in North- Eastern Nigeria, I loved to listen to beautiful narratives, and my dad was a powerhouse of tribal lore. While my mum believed in instant corporal punishment, my dad had a unique and memorable way of instilling discipline. He would tell us stories from the Bible about people who acted up and the high price they paid. He would also share accounts of those whose conduct was above reproach and the beautiful rewards they earned. That profoundly affected me, and those stories played a significant role in molding me.
So, very early, I learned that the best way to impart moral instruction is through storytelling, because you remember the lessons long after they cease to be told.
Why I Pitched My Tent In Content Creation And Media sector
Almost every adult had a transistor radio in the North where I grew up. My dad had one, and most evenings, I’d sit with him while he listened to the news. This piqued my interest in journalism, and I became intentional in watching the news. I particularly loved listening to Eugenia Abu, Ruth Benamaisia- Opia, Fatima Abass Hassan, and Hauwa Baba- Ahmed on NTA news those days. So, when it was time to go to the university, my choice of Mass Communication was a no- brainer.
For content creation, I’ve always loved to educate
The Journey So Far
When I started as a brand storyteller on Linkedin in October of last year, I had 90 followers. One year later, I’ve built an over 100,000- strong community who come together to enrich each other by consuming my content and sharing heartfelt comments, tips, and suggestions for the benefit of others.
Challenges
You know Linkedin is a global platform. I’ve had folks send me private messages with a dose of racism. I’ve also had people drop comments like, ‘ this is not Facebook; this is Linkedin, where you share your career wins.’ Were it not for the overwhelmingly positive feedback I got from others on the platform, who knows if I’d have thrown in the towel by now?
Thankfully, I persevered, and today, I can tell you that among my clients are bank executives, Architects, Accountants, Founders, CEOS, etc. I work with them to
Other Projects And Activities
I am currently running a 7- Day Personal Branding Email Challenge for entrepreneurs and 9- 5 workers on Linkedin. Many are busy folks with little time to listen to or read long courses, but want to build a sparkling brand online. So, I created these daily email challenges to help them lay the foundation for a rock- solid brand, so that they can become visible, trusted, and profitable.
Everyday, for one week, they receive emails explaining a brand- building activity. Then I give them tiny tasks they can do immediately to increase their reputation on Linkedin. I’ve also worked as a brand influencer with local and international brands on Linkedin.