It was for a Unilever Brand Ambassador Programme. I liked the idea of getting in, but competition has never been my thing. I hate the fact that many people have to go up against each other for anything. But a friend had sent it to me, so I put in my entry and forwarded the information to some people around me. This was during the holiday in my final year.
When school resumed, one friend that I sent the message to inform me that they had contacted him. I wasn’t feeling bad, but he kept insisting that my name was on the email. Later, we realised there had been an error with my email and I was able to get into the programme. That programme set me up for the career path I wanted. Although I studied Estate Management, I had always wanted to get into branding but didn’t know where to start.
Taking the chance to write that essay did that for me. Immediately after University, I got to work with the Unilever Corporate Comms team and I had not even been called up for NYSC yet. I guess that’s one way that grace shows up in my life – by emboldening me to try new things that I may not even be comfortable or confident about. I have done that a couple of times; often with very high stakes.
Even when I left a good job at Andela to go after my dream in photography, I knew it was a risk. It was hard to let go of the security that came with the 9 to 5, but I have learned that happiness is priceless. My parents were concerned. They had every reason to be. In all honesty, running a business in Nigeria can be an uphill task and leaving a good job to do that sounds crazy, but crazy is paying off and I am grateful for that.