This is the story of how relocating to the UK has helped prepare me for a Marketing C-Suite Position
I have never been one to publicly post about milestones or professional achievements but Mr Mirage Islam FRSA encouraged me to and I hope it inspires someone out there...
Exactly 7 months ago, I quit the life I had known and moved to a foreign country where my earliest memory of the relocation was understanding how ‘are you okay’ here in the United Kingdom is totally different from 'are you okay' back in Nigeria. What seems like the National Anthem here is a quick call to getting a black eye back at home! lol. Talk about culture shock of the highest order, hence, my starter pack to becoming a Chief Marketing Officer in Britain relied largely on perfecting my British anthem 'ArE yOu Oukaaaaaaay?'... or so I hoped.
Starting my Masters at The University of Salford, Digital Video production and Marketing; meant putting an end to 8 important years of my life, my beautiful 20s where I had achieved so much working with multinationals, start ups, the state government and so many many other organizations across various industries with the latter 3 years being every girls dream job; incredible salary, vacation allowance, youngest manager in an IT company heading the most unique departments of the company's 25 years history! A true accomplishment thrown away, against everyone's advice.
Why?
Simple. My Expiration Date was nigh, the great year I 'clock' 30.
So I took a risk. Turned in my resignation, ended my relationship, gave out my puppies and left to explore my dream. What people never tell you is how hard quitting your life can be- -doing it cold & alone… so far from home, easily makes it one of the hardest decisions anyone ever has to make! From adventures of almost getting scammed by landlords in the UK, to being called intimidating for daring to have a voice to speak up. My time here has been nothing short of an adventure.
I have been privileged to meet some of the most incredible people ever. My experience has constantly reminded me that life will be life; an array of different people from different fields of video production and marketing; individuals giving you a taste of what's attainable in the industry, a reminder on how colorism (albeit rare) may at times, take precedence to intelligence, skill, experience or expertise no matter how much you try fitting the ‘norm’ of the decision maker or person of authority. I learned quickly that life here, like everywhere else isn't a walk in the park. Truth is nothing ever prepares you for it, no matter how many movies you watch or how loud you scream ‘God forbid’ every time a black or brown hashtag trends on social media.
It is an unfortunate reality you can't escape.
So when an essay on ‘How My Time In Salford University Has Helped me as a future C-suite executive in marketing’ is tasked, I ask myself which road to toll- the brutally honest make my ancestors proud road which might not be as easy as it seems- or the shrink myself to fit into the crowd cowardly route? I guess the answer is neither- as my experiences keep redefining my perspective of life and the emotional intelligence demanded of a great leader... a worthy Chief Marketing Officer.
I do miss home and the little things. Air. Food. Water. Familiar smells... Love. I could go on and on about the nostalgic little things I miss about home; the craziness of the streets of Lagos with people joking about how one could conveniently shop for groceries in traffic! The accompanying noise from incessant mosquitoes not here in the UK to wish me good night, and especially, the glory days of not having to endlessly swipe right or left to make connections with people. Alas, change is the only constant thing in life, especially when pursuing dreams as scary as mine.
I was raised by strong parents. Taught at an early age how important independence meant and why the sky should only be a starting point, never the peak. I was also taught in previous positions and roles I have had to play in the past; Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Online Marketing, Business Strategy, Business Development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Management that there will always be three side of a story- mine, theirs and the truth, the latter of which is purely defined by the power of a compelling story. Which is why I do hope my honesty inspires a little girl or boy to make that scary move, dream that crazy dream and speak their truth unapologetically.
Life at the University of Salford unlocks a rollercoaster of emotions - it is brutal, hard, tough and tasking- all the elements needed to bring out the tough sides of you to navigate the UK system, especially as an International student. My time at Salford Business School has offered me the opportunity to transform my career. Will my abilities, unlearn old habits, change with the new times brought about by the Covid-19 Pandemic ensuring I am positioned against competitors, offering my expertise to new and existing businesses, especially those that are adopting Search and Social Media Marketing SSMM as an integral part of their marketing strategies.
There's a great quote that states- a bar of iron costs £5. Made into horseshoes it's worth £12. Made into needles it's worth £3,000. Made into balance springs for watches it's worth £300,000. The value of something is determined by what you make of it. Life here is no different. When I left Nigeria, I had no clue I’d immediately get a job as the Public Relations (PR) lead with Kugali Media an incredibly brilliant comic, 3D animation and Virtual Reality pioneer, collaborating with one of Time’s Top 100 Influential companies, Disney on IWAJU (an afrofuturism series) and even Snapchat on virtual reality lenses! A dream and the perfect step towards building a career worthy of being inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame!
Truth is, I am still unsure how things will pan out. I however, do know I can be great at whatever I put my mind to and whether someone agrees to that or not, shouldn’t derail my ability to dream it to reality. Everything happens in its time and no two success stories are identical. Its now exactly 24 days to my 30th and an even longer journey to being CMO as I look forward to both with fear, panic, hysteria and excitement!
I write this retrospection of my journey so far, proud of how much I have been able to achieve in such little time- worried about future adventures and ambition I still have laid before me. Smiling, I remember Mr Islam’s words “its okay to dream big, but also be realistic whilst at it”. I let his words motivate me as I look to him as one of the highlights of this adventure. So, to whoever is reading this, I do hope you listen to your inner voice daring you to face your fears and go after whatever it is you dream about; no matter how scary or unrealistic it may seem, because ‘if your dreams don’t scare you, you may as well quit now!’.
I am grateful for my journey so far.
See you soon 30.