"Resilience is the ability to keep it going even when it looks like nothing is working out."
Oluwaseun Owolabi known as ‘Gabby’ is an intelligent lady with vast knowledge and experience in Content Creation and Marketing, Linkedin Optimization, Page management, Copywriting, and Public Speaking. She is the founder of a vast growing non-governmental organization “ROTNED International”, an organization with a focus on reaching out to the less privileged and the needy at large in Africa and all over the world.
Her knowledge of Personal Self Development, Motivational Speaking, and Content Creation is Top-notch. She is a certified Leader and Health Manager from the University of Washington, Certified Public Speaker, Certified Content Writer, and also a teacher by educational qualification; graduated from the University of Ilorin with a B.Sc in Physics Education.
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Table of Contents
Let’s learn a little about you and really get to experience what makes us tick – starting at our beginnings. Where did your story begin?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: Right from my undergraduate days, I’ve always loved to motivate people and encourage them to do better, specifically the youths. I created a WhatsApp platform of over 200 students then where I share daily motivational write-ups and I organize webinars just to help people become a better version of themselves
I graduated in the year 2018 and went for my service year which was a year program. Then I began searching for a job to make an end meet for myself and my family. It was that time I got to know about Linkedin and got trained by an Influencer who taught me the whole process of Linkedin Optimization. Two months after I got myself two jobs in the same period of time. One was a 9-5 job while the other was remote.
For someone like me who has been looking for jobs for months and luckily got two jobs after Optimising her Linkedin Profile made me focus more attention on LinkedIn and I did a lot of research about it, and this has made a force to be reckoned with ever since my Linkedin Optimization Training started transforming the lives of the youths out there
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: Hard times must surely come. I experienced different seasons of hard times. The remote job I was doing then was a two-month contract deal and the 9-5 job wasn’t comfortable for me. I resigned from the 9-5 job about three months later and at that time, my remote contract deal was over too. Getting another source of income was a big task for me.
It was at that time I sharpened my writing skills by taking trainings and courses, then I wrote articles for Businesses and organizations at a low price. It was a tough moment for me as I was working hours and getting underpaid. I just had to keep it going because my family needs money at that time. I remember a time atop Professional requested samples of my work, and after sending them, I didn’t hear from the person again. I was really pained.
I have been used without me realizing it on time. I can never forget an interview during those period, I was requested to write an SEO-article of 1500 words. I didn’t sleep through the night so I could meet up with the deadline, I even missed church service that day because I needed a Job.
The loved my work and even commended me but at the end of the day, I was told they’ve gotten the required number of people they needed. I cried so much that I had headache all through that day. That was a really hard moment for me.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons you learned from that?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: I remember a time someone reached out to me for an influencing gig. At that time, I have started training people on LinkedIn Optimization and had many followers but had never done an influencing job before. The guy told me the name of the company involved and it was one of the top organizations in the world. I was a little bit scared to take it and when he asked for my price. I told him a particular amount. He was shocked and asked if it’s just for a day influencing or for the number of days. It was at that time I knew I had requested a very low amount so immediately I adjusted and told him it was my charge per day. And he was like, okay that’s cool.
I have never charged such an amount in my life because I thought it’s not possible but to my surprise, I was paid before I started the Influencing work. Immediately after I received the payment, then the fear increased as I don’t want to disappoint this client and particularly the organization as a whole. So I doubted myself and wanted to give it to a top influencer I admire on the Linkedln Platform I shared it with someone before reaching out to the person that this is what I want to do and the person responded “What gives you the assurance that this person can deliver more than you”?.
That statement struck me and I decided to do it and God gave me a strategy to follow. Guess what? After the whole influencing, I was told they got over 500 participants registered for the event. It was a huge one for me as I wasn’t expecting the huge turnout. Ever since then, I learned not to underprice myself and after that day, I got more boldness to take up huge deals without being scared of it. Ever since then, I’ve been charging a higher amount for Influencing gigs and my clients never complained of not getting results. I thank God for his help and guidance.
Resilience is critical in critical times like the ones we are going through now. How would you define resilience?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: Well, I would define resilience as the ability to focus on your goals in times of distractions. Resilience is the ability to keep it going even when it looks like nothing is working out. It’s over a year now that I’ve been training people on LinkedIn Optimization. I was mocked when I started. I was abused. Some people were like, when did she join Linkedln that she’s calling herself a LinkedIn Coach. Well, people must talk but it’s my decision to listen or ignore. I shared every little testimony when it was one, two, three and now I’ve lost counts.
The results are everywhere on LinkedIn now. It’s now people reaching out to me even without broadcast. My students are making it big time, that’s enough result I need to shut out naysayers. Resilience is the ability to focus on getting results not to show off or prove any point but to make them chase after you for the results.
- Resilience = Focus + Persistency.
Resilience definitely gives results if you don’t give up.
What is most important to your organization—mission, vision, or values?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: I’m privileged to run an NGO organization with the aim of reaching out to the poor and the less privileged at large.
- Mission: To feed, empower and equip the poor, the less privileged, and the needy at large.
- Vision: Give free quality education and Shelter to them; We are going to have free schools and homes where a nobody will become a somebody. These children will be top record breakers and also help the coming generation who went through what they suffered
- Values: Commitment, Integrity, Love, Passion for the needy, and Respect
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: The three major character traits that have helped me so far includes;
- Self-confidence
- Integrity
- People-oriented
How important do you think it is for a leader to be mindful of his own brand?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: It’s very important because people believe what they see more than what they hear. Personal Branding is the way you want people to see and perceive you, and that’s really who you are to them as an individual. So it’s important to work on yourself first because you can’t give what you don’t have. Your personal branding is who you really are to the world, and it starts with you working on yourself as a person.
Branding is just packaging yourself but still doesn’t change who you are on the inside. And there are no packaged products that won’t be opened when bought. So if people buy from you and discover who you are, they help project it to the outside world.
So what you want them to discover is up to you which is why I said work more on yourself and you won’t have to struggle much with personal branding.
How would you define “leadership”?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: Leadership is serving others to become better.
Leadership is in service, you are doing something for humanity that changes and transforms lives for the better or best.
Do you think entrepreneurship is something that you’re born with or something that you can learn along the way?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: Is there such thing as being born with entrepreneurship skills?
Well, Life is based on decision.
I wasn’t born with an entrepreneurship mentality or skills. I learned it along the way. And I learned it because it’s something I’ll need to hit my goals and succeed in my visions, and I’m still learning.
What’s your favorite “life lesson” quote and how has it affected your life?
Oluwaseun Owolabi: “When you genuinely care for others, nothing can pull you down”
Your love for others keeps you at the top and even when people try to bring you down, God takes over the battle for you. To keep winning, you have to keep loving. Be a lover of people, but don’t let them influence your decisions in life.
Mike Weiss, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Oluwaseun Owolabi for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Oluwaseun Owolabi or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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