My Dream Was To Become A Sculptor... Only My Wife Can Tell If I’m Romantic Or Not
I have no regrets. My belief is that a living soul is not qualified for regrets other than the dead who came to this world and failed to live a life of purpose. I am glad to answer that I am happy and fulfilled because I have not stopped living my life. Hence, the appreciation of the gift of life makes me say yes to your question once again
What factors or people influenced you as a child? I guess it would not be out of place to point to my early discovery of my humble self as a creatively talented person as a key factor. As for people, I can only recall looking into the lives of great artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Yussuf Grillo, Bruce Onabrapeya, Erhabor Emopae and the likes. As a child, what were your dreams? My dream was to become a sculptor. I dreamt about creating monuments that would become landmarks within the environment. What spurred you career line? Early discovery of my humble self as a creative person spurred my career line. As I mentioned before that as a child I dreamt about creating monuments. I went into advertising and ended up as an out-of-home advertising specialist creating monumental billboards within the environment.
What are the high and low points you’ve experienced on the job?
The high point on the job for me is the rapid career advancement that got me into management roles in my late twenties. The low points are rooted in my employers’ reaction at my decisions to join other companies and memories of needless boardroom politics or rather strife (which by the way still makes me laugh anytime I think about it).
At what point did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
It’s pretty difficult to mention the precise time; perhaps a little background into my entrepreneurship journey might explain it all. My first attempt at entrepreneurship dates back to my days of creating hand-made cards. I also got involved in publishing of a campus magazine with some friends. I recall that I resigned before I turned 30 to set up a specialist agency with a partner but it failed after six months. The lessons of my early entrepreneurship adventure got me to become what I coined, ‘intrapreneurship’ –meaning, keeping your employment and running a non-conflicting entrepreneurship venture. Hence, I became a publisher, began publishing a trade journal since 2007 while working as Chief Operating Officer in paid employment. However, I finally spurned paid employment to incorporate a start-up outdoor advertising company of my own in July 2014, Ocean Outdoor Limited.
You publish the leading out-of-home advertising journal. Share the experience, eight years down the line.
I started publishing Outdoor Republic, Nigeria’s premiere out-of-home advertising journal in 2007. It was borne out of a desire to create something of value to my colleagues in the profession and I am glad of what the publication has become today. Apparently, not an easy task to keep a day-time job, grow career and publish a monthly title consistently for close to seven years before finally resigning from paid employment then settled into it and finally moved on to another start-up. Good thing is that the journal has become an established brand in the industry and has a great team behind it. The initial challenges included acceptance of the publication being a pioneer effort. We are glad to have surmounted the initial challenges and several others like getting to convince the industry to see us as not-for-profit, merely supporting the development of out-of-home advertising in Nigeria. Interesting as a publisher, I have worked with several editors on the title but the pioneer editor and the longest serving editor deserves most of the credit.
How did you cope with the recession that ravaged the out-of-home advertising industry?
I have worked with leading companies in the industry within and outside Nigeria since 2001 at top management positions including as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. Hence, I have managed out-of-home advertising in and out of recession to the extent that I can confirm that the business is capable of keeping its own during the recession. The most important are the compelling assets and offerings that are capable of becoming brands’ properties for several years, which guarantees sustainable revenue in and out of recession. What key innovations have you introduced? I believe innovation is endless and ageless but it is easier to state that you are the first to create something. So at the risk of sounding immodest let me point to the introduction of these firsts in Nigeria by my humble self: Outdoor Republic journal, LED cube and elliptical digital billboards along Lekki-Epe Expressway. What sets you apart in the industry? There are several factors that set a company apart from competition. However, I speak specifically for Ocean Outdoor Limited now; we simply demonstrate that, ‘anything can happen.’
What else would you have been doing if not advertising?
If I was not into advertising, I would have been a sculptor. Any regrets in life? Are you happy and fulfilled? I have no regrets. My belief is that a living soul is not qualified for regrets other than the dead who came to this world and failed to live a life of purpose. I am glad to answer that I am happy and fulfilled because I have not stopped living my life. Hence, the appreciation of the gift of life makes me say yes to your question once again.
You have an unusual courage, intelligence, energy and spirit. What do you owe to this?
I owe all that I am or I’ve got in life to God Almighty. What drives you? I hold firmly to the Word of God, believe in His words and rely on the Holy Spirit to continue to forge ahead. What is your philosophy on life? I can summarise this into what I hold as my three ‘Fs’; Faith, Family and Finance. With faith being the God factor, which is the foundation for the other two.
Have you ever been disappointed –If yes, how did you forge ahead?
Sure. Also, I have come to understand that disappointment is part of the world. People would disappoint you. Interestingly, individuals will disappoint themselves knowingly or unknowingly. This understanding helps me to forge ahead through disappointments.
If you had an opportunity to do something positive to make the world a better place, what will that be?
I will create something of value. Like my mentorship project: Young Outstanding Undergraduates (YOU) through which we encourage entrepreneurship amongst undergraduates using resource personality that have made something out of becoming entrepreneurs as examples, talking to these undergraduates. Mentoring creative entrepreneurs is out of my desire to do something positive to make the world a better place. Any guilty pleasures? None that I can remember. What was the last prank that was pulled on you? I have three children and my last born is very interesting; let me just say prank is what I am used to as a father. What kind of a man are you? I am a gentle man, responsible, committed and godfearing. When was the last time you cooked for your wife? Last month. How did you meet and marry your wife? I was serving my nation when I met my wife and we got married two years after. When was the last time you said sorry to you wife? Today. Most men are not romantic. Are you? You need to ask my wife about that. Do you have any special romantic routine? We do what we call bonding routine and movies occasionally.
Have you at any point in time asked yourself, ‘Why did I ever get married?’
No. How will you describe your marriage? It is a happy marriage because God is involved in it. What are five things you like about your wife? She’s friendly, warm, kind, nice and pleasant. Can you describe your wife in seven words? She is a lovely and beautiful woman. What is the last TV show you watched? I cannot recall as watching TV show is not my thing. What five books have you read that changed you? These are: Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki; Screw it, let’s do it (Lessons of life) – Richard Branson; The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John C. Maxwell; Finishing Strong – Steve Farrar; and The Audacity of Hope – Barrack Obama. Men think about sex a lot. What’s on your mind? These are on my mind: faith, family and finance.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I guess my intuition; ability to take my own decisions, take responsibility for my life, keep myself under discipline and fear of God could be considered as strengths. The level of principle that comes in between my relationship with people is a mix of both, many resent it and I conclude it’s a weakness.
How do you find a comfortable balance being a father, an entrepreneur and a leader?
What can I say other than it’s the grace of God. What kind of boss are you? In management, we learnt about the X and Y theory; I could be more of X than Y but I believe in management by objective. What kind of staff will you hire? I always prefer and look for special people that think for themselves over sheep. What do you want to be doing at 50? I’d like to become a social entrepreneur, a mentor to many, take long vacation seeing the world over and adding value globally. What bold choice(s) have you faced? I understand that life is full of challenging choices; hence I put my own life in my hands after God’s hand and never denied my own responsibilities.