Do you believe you can be a master in your field of passion despite never enrolling to school for it? If not, I present to you the spicy and incredibly inspiring story of Nigerian author Tosin Ajibade, famously known in her country by her sleek pseudonym, Olori Supergal.
Tosin is undeniably one of Nigeria's most recognizable media influencers. She's an accountant turned digital media guru, founder of
New Media Conference, and now, the writer of a self-titled book you need to have in your hands.
Meet Olori SupergalAfter debuting her book earlier this year in Nigeria, Tosin Ajibade is in Kenya on a promotional tour of the book. We had a mellow conversation with her and she revealed, among other things, the reason she's in Nairobi.
Olori means "Queen", she explains. The always on-fleek writer says she picked the name because since childhood, royalty amused her. When we prod for the origin of 'Supergal,' the Nigerian media entrepreneur exploding with love for humanity reveals, "I am a cartoon freak. As a kid I sat through cartoon shows like
Spongebob Square Pants,
Ninja Turtles and
Lion King. Their creative aspects blow my mind away. And well, the sobriquet 'Supergal' was inspired by the cartoon
Superman."
Determined to stamp impact into the world, she founded
olorisupergal.com, a leading entertainment and lifestyle news site in Nigeria. Her irredeemably rooted grit is the cradle of New Media Conference (NMC), an annual conference whose plinking bells gather media enthusiasts to deliberate on issues in the new media space.
"The mandate of NMC is to shape and power a credible voice in media, and to see through an exchange of ideas. Its wheels went up in 2015 in Nigeria, and in 2017, Nairobi hosted the conference," points out Supergal.
From ripped rags to real ranksIt's easy to look at Tosin Ajibade right now and admire the heights she's risen to, but behind her glamorous stage, pain and disappointments tell tales. She went to school to fuel expectations of the society, and clawed through her studies, constantly failing.
"My dad wanted me to be a doctor, but I was the best at failing in sciences. I ended up choosing accounting which in my thinking was also a prestigious course; a replacement filler that dad would pride himself on."
She was however flustered, and she felt like a misfit cracking under the pressure to be successful in life, until words put down into books gave her the kicker to find her purpose. Her story bumps fists with the famous words, that:
Between the covers of a book, you can find your voice, strum on your guitar and blow sweet melodies to the world.
"I got hands on three books that changed my life. Rick Warren's
Purpose Driven Life, Ben Carson's
Gifted Hands, and Robert Kiyosaki's
Rich Dad, Poor Dad. The insights made me resolve to follow my childhood dream of becoming a TV presenter, only that this time I started an online media platform."
She narrates that she had no experience in media, but all she needed was her beaten Nokia phone and a quick sign up into Facebook in 2008, to start posting CNN-type headlines. Later, she would flick off accounting to become a blogger, and soon her passion flared out to her media site which now employs several writers and social media experts.
Book tour in KenyaA witty saying goes:
If you have more shoes than books, you're not going anywhere.
Ouch! But true.
Your bookshelf cries for her book
Olori Supergal: From Social Misfit to Social Media Hero, which has been dedicated to everyone who is trying to turn their passion to profit. It narrates her personal and professional experiences, and the promotional tour is an apt strategy to put the book into Kenyan hands.
Before we closed the interview, the Nigerian writer had a parting shot for us, and well, for you too. "Do you feel like you're frayed and nothing is left of you? Ask yourself what it is you can do, whether painting, or singing, or weaving. That's what is left of you: a shred that will open your kingdom."
