“You go think say you dey coded, you go just dey jam people wey you sabi plus those ones wey sabi you.” 😂
I had promised myself this year that I would invest more in networking which includes attending industry events and seminars (so far, I've done 2).
Ngwanu, rewind to yesterday, I attended Talent City's physical hangout. Considering that I had almost canceled and stayed home, check out video clips from the hangout here, here, and here.
Asides having loads of fun, I met quite a number of people in the ecosystem.
There was Gbemiro the brand perception guru, (Partner at 4C) who I read his daily newsletter and Medium Publications.
I also got to meet Tosin Olaseinde, the founder of Money Africa.
And of course, Ayodele, the founder, and CEO of Pneumacare. Ayodele pilfered my cocktail though. 😒
After I introduced myself to Gbemiro and shared how awesome it was reading from him daily, he said:
"ọmọ, so I don popular sotey people dey come meet me for event for introduction!"
It was funny and beautiful to see, however, it also got me ruminating.
How the supposed little things we do, those little steps we take daily, our progress, and consistency do not go unnoticed. And typically, everybody wants to identify with progress.
To Gbemiro, it was just writing down his thoughts and convictions about a lot of things and sharing them with his community of subscribers. To us, the readers, it is about learning from Gbemiro's convictions, understanding his values, comparing opinions on topics, and of course his commitment and actual consistency to writing daily.
To us, Gbemiro is a brand. A force.
Again, my thoughts strayed to yet another direction.
“If I had seen Ope in say, a strip club or a casino, would I have approached him and introduced myself as I did?”
To be sincere, I'm not sure what I would have done in that situation. I'd probably be conflicted as to whether approaching him to acknowledge his newsletters will make him smile at that moment or make him feel embarrassed because of the 'where'.
You see, because of certain standards society has set, whether consciously or otherwise, Gbemiro will most likely feel this need to be conscious of what he does and where he goes, in his human bid to protect his brand.
Why?
Members of the community he has created can bump into him anywhere. He does not know them, but they know him. And instinctively, he will not want to be caught doing certain things that may mar his brand (his person).
In the words of a music artist: 👇🏾
"Never to be caught
unfreshoff-guard."
I remember gisting a friend recently and sharing how I am very skeptical about becoming a celebrity and/or dating one. Of course, she was surprised. However, after I shared my concerns about the very high standards and expectations imposed on human beings all in the guise of being a ‘celebrity’, she understood why I had taken such a stance.
Excuse me, but have you met me?
I play a lot. 😅
I laugh a lot. 🙃
I am most comfortable in shorts and slides. 🤕
I no like to dey do hair. 😑
I go long stretches of zero makeup. 😒
I will now be a celebrity or have one as a partner, then blogs will keep carrying me because I am simply being myself.
Excuse me? 😥
Ehn! How will I attend AMAA Awards with patewo hairstyle? 😭
Celebrities' hangout and I will carry bare face? 😕
See ehn, let me be in my cocoon laidis. 😩
Truth is, while personal branding and fame are essential to thrive in this century, It sure comes with a whole lot of responsibilities and constantly adjusting to fit. Definitely not for the fainthearted.
Should you create a personal brand either way?
YES.
If you are like me, how will you cope?
"When you get to the bridge."
E go be. ✌🏾
Before I click on the publish button, shout out to our two new subscribers from yesterday! 💃🏾
Welcome to the community, guys. 🤗
“As dem take invite you to subscribe, epp us spread the word ehn” 😂