THE LADY (Cont'd)

Hello there!

I am so happy that this past week was awesome for me. I am featured in today’s edition of The Sunday Punch newspaper, Pg 33 (please buy your copy of the paper today to read my interview with The Punch newspaper. I was also featured on For Creative Girls (please visit their website www.forcreativesgirls.com to read my interview with them). For Creative girls is a platform that champions women engaged in creative work (Design, Arts, Writing, Painting, Cooking etc), showcasing them and inspiring upcoming women creatives to put their work out. I am grateful to God for these opportunities that I am given to reach out to people and inspire other women and one of the ways also through which I am able to do this is by telling the story of how I got here. This week is going to be an emotional week for me, my last 3-days in the corporate world Banking industry (my painting business will serve both corporate organisations and individuals). It is also going to be a busy week because I have a lot of painting jobs to execute immediately as I leave the Banking industry, so no break for me. I will upload pictures of the jobs as I do them so please do stop by.

The story on ‘The Journey to discovering me’ continues after the cut (if you haven’t been following my story, you can always read it Here, Here and Here).

I worked as a CSO officer for some months before I was moved back to Operations unit. During this period I knew that in few months I would be done with NYSC and I would need another job (I already made up my mind that I didn’t want to stay back at the Mortgage Bank). I decided to start my cleaning business, even though I didn’t have the capital. I was just going to clean peoples’ house and get paid for it, from there I planned to save capital to start the business. My first experience in the cleaning business wasn’t so good and that made me change my mind on starting a cleaning business.

I started thinking of other things to do so I don’t become jobless after NYSC. So in order to increase my chances of getting a job in another sector besides the Banking industry I signed up for an Aviation course (IATA/UFTAA Travel & Tourism course, the foundation level). It was a 3 month course, and 2 times in a week I would go for my classes at Landover Aviation Business School. I didn’t have much saved up to pay the fee but I made up my mind to do it and I sacrificed every penny I had to pay for it. It was a good experience and I took the classes very seriously. I was among the top 5 in my class, I hoped to get a job as an air hostess or ticketing agent. I took the certificate exams in 2012 after my NYSC, and since then I have never used the certificate for anything but I do not regret going for the classes, no knowledge is lost.

After NYSC, I applied for a job with different airlines and air ticketing companies, different banks and some other companies but I was not called for an interview. Then one day one of my sisters called me to ask me if I could work in a real estate firm in Lagos. I went for the interview and I got the job.  I was unemployed for just 3 months before I got a job.

I started working with Groveworld Realties Ltd in October 2012. It was a new Real Estate firm that was into building and selling affordable homes. My boss back then was an Architect. I was his personal assistant/office administrator. It was an easy job, I resume by 8 and close exactly 5pm.  I went to the sites occasionally, liaised with artisans and craftsmen, I worked with Architects, quantity surveyors and site engineers. The short time I worked there was an eye opener for me. I related closely with all of our clients, I had a good relationship with all of them.

What I loved most about the job and was the opportunity i had to learn from my colleagues (the Architects). I became interested when discussions on building plans or on construction was going on. I started studying floor plans on my own, checking the internet for beautiful interior designs, when I am in an empty space I just start to plan the space in my head with beautiful designs, I was always imagining what every room should look like, That was when I knew that I wanted to be an interior Designer.