Ized Uanikhehi studied Biochemistry at the Ondo State University, (Adekunle Ajasin University) and has certifications in Project Management, Content Marketing, and Digital Media Marketing. She is currently Project Manager at a design and digital agency Indigo Arya Limited, where she runs the Nigeria office.
CN: What other work experience do you have?
I have always had a flair for marketing, I like to sell, and convince a previous sceptic to want to buy whatever I am selling. So although I have worked in all sorts of roles, as a laboratory technologist in the a chemical pathology lab, as a Maths and Biology Teacher, in an administrative role, as a PA in an insurance company, as a Branch Manager of a photo studio, as a project manager at a construction company, and even had a brief stint at the United Nations Industrial Development organization, I always did marketing on the side. At the time it was mostly offline marketing, and soon as I could I set up my own marketing agency.
CN: What were you doing prior to your current role?
I had my own digital media marketing business called Evolve Synergy and was running a couple of other projects, until the merger and acquisition by my present company.
CN: What are your primary responsibilities at work?
- I manage the Team at Indigo Arya Limited, the full-time staff, the freelancers and one-off contract staff – Administrative.
- Bring in new clients, pitch and close sales – Sales and Marketing
- Liaise with clients – Client Service
- Manage running projects – Project Management
- Plan and strategise for clients (digital media marketing) – Content and Strategy
- Execute digital media marketing briefs – Digital Media Campaign.
CN: What do you consider to be the best career decision you’ve ever made?
Moving to Lagos was the best career decision I have made in a while. I needed to grow my business, grow experience on the job, and while Lagos was quick on the uptake of social media marketing, Abuja was still dawdling about. I wanted to work with small business organizations to help them achieve their business objectives through social media marketing, and Lagos gave me the opportunity to do that, fail forward on the job, grow and improve, and gain the much-needed experience.
CN: What do you like most about your work?
Everything. Every single bit. Lord, I love Digital Media Marketing. I have this rule not to sleep any day without learning something new about digital media marketing, and every day there is something new to learn! I like the fast-paced world of Digital Media Marketing, some new invention/idea every day, you can’t afford to stand around blinking; you will lose. I like coming up with campaign strategies that subtly influences a buyer’s perception. I think it is cool how you can drive conversation flow from an influenced message and get the whole world in on the conversation.
I love, love, love the fact that it is global. You are in Nigeria and effectively selling a client in London, Germany or Mali. And it is a job that you can do from anywhere.
CN: What’s the most challenging aspect of your work?
Thing is, what should be the most challenging aspect of my work is one of the things that makes the job fun: the fast paced-ness of the industry, new inventions, updates, platforms and tools every day. It gets hard to keep up sometimes.
Something else that is slightly annoying but not necessarily challenging is the ease of entry. Any Lagbaja and their aunty with a smartphone is a social media marketer, and all that watering down makes reselling to some clients a bit hard.
CN: What is your personal philosophy?
- Trust
- Responsibility
- Expertise
These 3 things are like my guidelines in how I deal with everyone and in how I conduct my business.
Trust: Your reputation is more valuable than any cash amount you will ever make, when folks place their trust in you, do your best not to mess it up.
Responsibility: If you do mess it up, take responsibility, passing excuses and blames is for weak and cowardly people. Take responsibility and try to fix it as much as you can. If you cannot fix it, offer your sincere apologies and move on without regrets, failure is great as long as you are failing forward.
Expertise – Learn something new every day especially as it relates to your business. Do not go to bed without learning something new every day; a man who learns, grows.
CN: What advice do you wish someone had given you as an undergraduate?
Calm down, stop fretting, everything will work out eventually.
CN: Who are your professional role models?
For resilience and its accompanying success – Seun Onigbinde.
Victor Asemota, Editi Effiong, Idowu Ejere and Onyeche Tifase, because they make slaying at business seem effortless.
CN: Which books have really made a difference in the way you think and live?
- The Bible
- The Ape, the Adman and the Astronaut: Rediscovering the power of storytelling (Ogilvy Red Papers)
- The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
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