If your career journey were a movie, what would the title be and why?
I’d describe my career journey as Crossroads.
It’s been diverse and full of growth. I’ve worked across different paths, starting with journalism, then moving into social media marketing, event marketing, growth marketing, and now product marketing across various sectors. Each step has been unique, with its own challenges and learning opportunities, but they’ve all contributed to where I am today.
Tell us about your journey into the tech industry.
I started my career in media at The Guardian after graduating from Uniben in 2017. I walked into their office, offered to volunteer, and ended up working there unofficially for six months, writing stories without pay. Eventually, the editor-in-chief noticed my efforts and arranged a small stipend.
During NYSC, I continued working with The Guardian in Ibadan while earning from ads and freelance projects. Around the same time, I started writing a tech newsletter called Cloout with some friends.
After NYSC, I left print media and joined Boomplay as a content editor, writer, and retention marketer.
In 2020, I joined TechCabal as a social media manager and writer, focusing on African women in tech and consumer tech stories. I led a social media team that took Instagram from 7k to nearly 100k followers, grew Twitter by over 100k, and significantly increased engagement across other platforms. This success pushed me to transition fully into social media marketing, leaving editorial work behind.
While at TechCabal, I mastered tech event marketing during Moonshot and began exploring new opportunities. I took a short-term product marketing role at a startup, followed by leading an Edtech marketing team in 2023. At the EdTech company, I helped identify their primary acquisition channel, which was a major achievement for their B2B product.
This year, I worked in advisory roles for a real estate company while transitioning to a communications software company as a product marketing manager in October. I also took on part-time work managing social media for a fintech company. My journey has been about learning, growth, and making the most of every opportunity.
What sparked your interest in the tech industry
I’d say I got into tech because I was desperately searching for a new opportunity. When I looked around, the most progressive people I knew were all in tech, and I wanted to be just as progressive.
In this industry, if you do your work well, you can start earning an income that truly makes sense, though I’m not quite there yet, thanks to the economy. Even so, tech is such a forward-moving space that it offers the chance to build a solid and sustainable living.”
How have you successfully transitioned between various marketing roles?
While I was doing social media marketing, I took a six-month course on growth and performance marketing, which involved working with an actual company in Ghana. That experience opened my eyes to broader aspects of growth marketing, and I realised I needed to move beyond social media marketing.
I began applying what I learned during the course while still working in social media, but my next big step was joining an Edtech company as head of marketing. In that role, I handled ads, but the real growth came from learning on the job. I’m the kind of person who will stay awake until 5 a.m. just to figure something out. Being part of a community of experts also helped me push myself.
When I became head of marketing for the EdTech company, I only had a designer and a content person on my team, so I had to handle advertising and performance marketing myself. That experience stretched me and taught me how to run effective campaigns.
Every new role has been an opportunity to learn, and I’ve always embraced that. Moving into product marketing was a shift, but it’s closely tied to marketing. I’ve had to take courses on messaging, integration, building user flows, and more. Having led a marketing team before, I already had insights into how things should be done, and I’ve continued to build on that foundation.
What is your approach to networking in your career?
The people who’ve recommended me for jobs are often those I’ve worked with or friends who’ve seen the quality of my work. I’ve always made it a point to surround myself with professional friends, people I can reach out to and say, ‘I’m exploring new opportunities; let me know if anything comes up.’
Networking has played a major role in my career progression, especially in recent years. Working in media and at TechCabal gave me access to industry events where I could connect with people and share my work. When I started speaking up about my achievements at TC, it opened doors; people wanted to be associated with the projects I had worked on.
Recently, I’ve been meeting people through online communities like Digiclan, which is filled with experienced professionals. If I face a challenge, I’m not shy about posting it in the group, and more often than not, someone responds. From there, I’ll follow up with them directly, and that’s how many of my connections or friendships have formed.
I’ve also gained valuable networks through the courses I’ve taken. Many courses come with access to communities of people working in the same field, and these connections create opportunities for collaboration and growth. While I don’t attend mixers as often as I did during my media days, I still make a conscious effort to build meaningful relationships in other ways.
Can you share an example of a project or role that significantly advanced your career?
My role at TechCabal was a significant boost to my marketing career. The brand is well-known, and a lot of people interact with it, so when they come across me on social media, they often refer to the work I did there.
I’m also proud of other roles I’ve taken on. Being a marketing manager at an Edtech company for over 10 months was a major milestone for me. It helped me make a tangible impact and set the foundation for transitioning into product marketing, which has been another exciting challenge.
I’m looking forward to building an even more impactful career as a product marketing manager and figuring out the next phase of my journey, which I’ve already started working toward.
What’s next for you in your career? Any hints?
I’m currently very interested in Web3 and have been exploring blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Right now, it’s more of a personal and financial interest; I’m learning how to invest in the sector and trying to get ahead. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies can be difficult for many people to understand, but I’m taking the time to figure it out.
Once I’ve gained enough experience in this space, I plan to transition into the sector professionally, ideally working on a global level. I can see myself marketing for a blockchain or AI cryptocurrency company in the future. I also believe I’m strong in marketing operations, and there are global opportunities in that area that I’m eager to pursue.
How do you maximise every opportunity that comes your way in your career?
For lack of a better word, I’m very afraid of failure. I’ve experienced it many times, but I’ve learned to pick myself up and remind myself that there’s no success without failure. So, whenever I get an opportunity, I make sure I give it my best.
I always want to align myself with progressive people, projects, and companies. But deep down, my drive comes from not wanting to fail in life. It takes a lot of courage, but I’m also learning to be more ambitious—thinking beyond my immediate environment. I’ve realised I don’t have to limit myself to Nigeria or where I’m from.
Social media has also been eye-opening in this regard. Seeing how people are taking themselves from the trenches to global companies inspires me to aim higher. I believe I can shoot for the stars instead of crawling toward them.
And, honestly, I hate lack. I don’t like not having money; it’s a huge motivator for me to keep pushing forward.
What are some non-technical skills that have been crucial to your success?
Communication! For me, communication isn’t just about the surface-level definition people often give it. I believe in speaking up and saying things as they are. If something isn’t working, I won’t sugarcoat it. I’ll say, ‘We messed this up; this is trash.’ Being realistic about situations is critical, whether it’s about work or my career.
When people try to praise me for what I’ve achieved, I often remind myself that I’m not there yet. Measured against where I want to go, I’m still at the starting point, and there’s so much more to do. That level of honesty applies to myself and to the teams I work with. I believe you have to acknowledge when something isn’t working so you can improve.
Another key soft skill is passion—the drive to move to the next phase of your career. Over time, I’ve learned to recognise what I don’t enjoy and make decisions to step away from those areas. For example, working with startups can teach you to build a thick skin, especially when budgets are tight, or you’re dealing with difficult people. I’m still learning that skill because I’m naturally a soft person, but I’ve realised that building resilience is essential.
For me, work is a part of who you are. It’s hard to detach your work self from your everyday self, and I think many people struggle with that balance. But if I had to summarise the most important soft skills I’ve developed, it would be communication, passion, and the ability to build a thick skin, all rooted in being honest and speaking the truth.
If you weren’t in tech, what would you be doing?
I’d probably spend my time riding bicycles and swimming—two things I’ve recently learned and really enjoy. For work, maybe I’d own a furniture business or build a really cool brand, which I still plan to do someday.
My love for furniture might come from my father, who sold fabric for chairs and couches. Growing up, a lot of my memories revolve around sitting on wooden chairs. It’s something that has stuck with me.
At one point, I also thought I’d be a radio presenter. I tried it for a while, but I realised it wasn’t for me.
How has the cost of living in Nigeria impacted your career decisions?
It’s crazy; that’s why I’m constantly working.
As you progress in your career, you realise the money you’re earning doesn’t always match the financial growth you expected. I remember when I was in university, all I wanted was a job that would pay me ₦100k. I went from earning ₦50k to ₦150k, and at the time, it felt like a big leap. But then I got there and thought, ‘This is still so small.’
I’ve moved up since then, but even with a much wider gap in earnings now, the economy isn’t the same. Back when I earned ₦150k, I was happier, but now I have to think of alternative ways to make money—exploring passive income streams and finding places to invest my money. It’s a constant hustle.
Can you describe a time when financial considerations impacted a significant career choice or opportunity for you?
I left digital media primarily because the money wasn’t good enough. I had to make a switch, and I was also inspired by seeing people progressing in their tech careers; I wanted to be like them.
When I got an offer to work in tech, they even let me choose how much I wanted to be paid. Of course, the promise of better pay was a big factor, but more than that, I wanted to work with people who were doing impactful things and move away from where I was.
I love money; I think it’s the foundation of a lot of things that contribute to my happiness. Living in Lagos, you need money to have any form of relief. If you don’t have someone bankrolling you, you have to constantly make moves to earn more at every opportunity you get.
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