17 months after...

Some personal news for you my friends :)

I remember the first day I stepped into the Gokada HQ for my interview. I had taken a couple of hours off my job at the time. On getting to the venue, there were 2 ladies in the room that I was being ushered into. When it was time for the interview to happen, we all left the room and were let in one after the other. Clad in my blue and black velvety dress, I sat up in the chair, facing two beautiful ladies - one who’d become my line manager and the other my HR Lead, both of whom I’d come to know and cherish- while controlling my anxiety. 3 days after, I received my offer letter in the mail!

Before accepting the offer, I spoke to a lot of people, my mum, mentors, friends, and partner inclusive, and we all reached the agreement that I should accept the offer. 15th of May 2019 I resumed at Gokada and my sojourn began. No matter how prepared you think you are for a role, there are a good number of factors set to unsettle you. Your response or defense to them may determine the outcome and trajectory of your growth. Don’t take my word for it, this is just a 20something-year-old’s record of lessons learned after surviving in one of the most controversial startups in Nigeria.

When I was younger, my mum was my yardstick for measuring growth(read as height), all I needed to do was stand beside her and I’d know if the story of beans adding inches to my legs were actually true(in this case, it was). When adulting, growth is measured differently. I can only attempt to articulate what growth meant for me while I was at Gokada. 17 months after and I am armed with grit, resilience, and a couple of lessons to serve me for a lifetime. I hope you find these helpful:

1. Don’t let fear cripple you. Listen, I’d love to write some inspirational lines about how fear is an acronym for faith over some other thing but it won’t take away the belly knotting feeling that always comes with you taking new strides! Everyone you know (great or small) who has ever attempted something new, experiences some form of fear -butterflies, sweaty palms, diarrhea- but they do it anyway. Before joining Gokada, I hadn’t taken on any copywriting roles before, all I knew how to do was write fiction. For every copy I wrote and worked with the designer to bring to life in a creative, I fidgeted but I did it anyway. What I resorted to was, one of two things would happen when I sent them in for approval: I’d either get applauded or reprimanded. And for the record, no one has ever died from being corrected. So don’t let fear cripple you, Instead let it propel you to keep going.

   

2. Stretch! When opportunities come, pls keep your mind and hands open even when it comes clad in requests outside your scope. I understand that it is easy to play safe and stick with your job description but remember this, you are young, vibrant, and now is the time to try out new things. Take on new tasks, be helpful, try new territories, and stretch. One of the ads I was experimenting with happened to be the best ad I put up in my entire stay at Gokada and it opened my mind to what’s possible with certain kinds of content and how they are received. How did it come about? I almost fought with my associate designer at the time to make the adjustments I needed to an image I stumbled on because I wanted to try out that piece of content and the results were shocking. Another time, while at work, the product designer walked up to me to seek my help with the copy and content for a product we were building at the said time. I accepted to help and learned a lot from that experience. That was also the first time I came in contact with the term- UX Writer and realized it was also a career path. When Eyitayo of Utiva reached out to me to work on an event and get my firm to sponsor, it meant extra work for me, but the rewards from that single encounter were fulfilling. My point here is, live! Try new things.

3. Do great work! The sole aim of having you on that team is for you to do not just good work but great work! No mincing words here, be great at what you do, and don’t stop learning, do great work, and share your growth and lessons with your network as you go!

4. In your pursuit of a career, don’t forget to build relationships!

   You need people. Don’t think otherwise and act alone without acknowledging those you work with. Being a loner can get you far but it won’t grant you the access you need to get through certain doors. You need people! Don’t miss out on the quality of people around you because you have your head buried in work. Raise your head, and interact with those you see around you. I have gotten referrals for major gigs from colleagues that I have only interacted with just once or twice while on a job. I’ve gained access to an incredible network of C-level managers from simply sharing a good laugh with someone who I’d consider a stranger at the said time in the lunchroom. Build relationships, it might be the nudge your career needs. Don’t force it and be willing to nurture it!

5. Look after yourself while you’re still here. Know when to take a break and unwind. You need you to be alive and in your best state to do your best work. Take care of yourself.

And that’s it!

My watch at Gokada came to an end on the 24th of September 2020. It’s been an amazing journey I’ll be forever grateful for. Having worn so many hats, grown the brand visibility, led the brand’s revamp and pivot to delivery’s communications, my Gokada experience is one molding phase I needed to go through in order to become the person I eventually will be. 

I have also accepted a new offer and I am excited about the prospects of working with the team and the opportunities that’ll come my way!

Pray for me guys and wish me luck!

Now that you’re up to date with what’s happening with me, tell me, what have you been up to?