Pay your dues.
Fowowe Damilola
Hello Friend,
This week’s letter is from Fowowe Damilola, Damilola is an Award-winning Copywriter. In this letter. Fowowe Damilola talks about influence, seasons, processes, finding joy and being human.
P.S: If you need help explaining what you do to your parents (possibly Boomers), you should take a cue from Fowowe.
Enjoy!
What was the turning point for you in your life/career choice?
I have wanted to study Mass Communication since secondary school. Although my intention to study Mass Comm wasn’t to do advertising, I wasn’t exposed to what advertising was. Though we watched a lot of ads while growing up, I never knew there were people behind the ads we love. I didn’t know that there were brilliant people behind “The Papilo, one day you go make am”, or “my friend, Udeme is a great man”. And I think that till now, advertising needs to get a lot more visibility with young ones.
I think getting into university, and finding out that Mass Communication is not just journalism, that there’s broadcast, print, digital, and advertising, I became really interested in advertising and the potential it held. In my second year, I stayed with a couple of senior guys who were in year 4 then, they had gone for their internships. Most of them did their internship at advertising agencies and they came back with all these stories. This is why I believe that storytelling is important and it is important to talk to younger ones. All my journey in life has always been influenced by senior ones or elderly ones talking to me, even my decision to be in art class in secondary school.
When I was in secondary school I was one of the best in my class then, from JSS1 to JSS3. By nature and design it feels like the brilliant guys to go science class, then the semi-brilliant guys to commercial class, the dullards and the ones who can’t do so much, go to art class and they are the fun and social guys, but they don’t know anything, they aren’t really brilliant, they are not good with books, they are not good in their academics, that kind of thing. But speaking to one of my seniors then, he was just talking to me about art class and what I can do with literary art and I became very interested. It was one of the influences that moved me to art class. So my point is, everybody responds to influence, humans really are people of influence. It is a lie to say you’re not influenced by anyone. There’s always something, someone, or somewhere that is always influencing you. You can see it in the influencer marketing sector, where influencers are popping up every day.
So, I stayed with those senior guys, hearing all their gists, the fancy words they were using then - pitch, brief, agency. They talk about how you can wear anything you want to work, you don’t have to dress corporate, and you have a cool life. One of them will usually show me a piece of art in the Luizers archive, and explain it to me, and it will be like an epiphany. All of that just clouded my mind, because when I got into school, what I wanted to do was write - I wanted to write articles. But, when I heard of advertising and the entire thing you could do with advertising, I was so stuck up on it. Then I heard about competitions, and I just became very interested. I heard about the Pitcher Awards and Cannes. Someone in my fellowship actually won the FCLA and she travelled to France. I heard about it and I knew that that was what I wanted to do.
Later that year, I went to my first competition. I didn’t win, but I figured that I didn’t do as badly as I thought I would. The judges commended my work, and spotted the errors. It was just something I said I must do. In the competition, I met O2 academy students, and they did brilliantly well. After the competition, I wanted to go to O2 academy but I didn’t have the funds, so all of that really pushed me. In my fourth year, I went to Roger Hatchuel Academy, and I won. That kickstarted the whole advertising journey for me.
How were you able to get your parents on board as regards what you do?
My parents kind of trust me a lot. From school, they just knew that this boy wanted to do something different. And I think it is also in education. We who work in advertising agencies don’t seem to educate people on what we do and that’s why some brands sometimes don’t see the value of what we do. Take consulting for example, you don’t really know what they do, but there’s just hype around them, there is a perception that they can take your business from here to there, so because of that, you want to give them more attention, you want to pay more attention to what they are saying. To be honest, we are consultants also, but we don’t just see ourselves as that or we don’t carry ourselves as that. So in getting my parents on board, it was just explaining that ‘Baba blue, I swear I no go do am again’ was written by someone, and that person is who I want to be. So many parents confuse it with " do you mean you’ll be showing on the screen and be in the advert”, I am like, “no, those ones are just models”. That, “We are the brain behind it” and the next question they ask is, “is it well paying enough?” So that’s how I was able to get them on board.
What was that one piece of advice that changed your life?
I am a believer and that kind of shapes a lot of my values and a lot of things I do. It is just me following the Lord daily - there is no splitting or delineation of life in living life and career. One of the principles I live by is the value of being humble enough to learn from everybody. Also being content in the process, I think that’s something quite a number of people in our generation are not familiar with or do not want to endure. For example, I was in a meeting and someone referred to me as a senior copywriter and in my mind, I was like I don’t think I am a senior copywriter yet, not because I can’t do what a senior copywriter does, but because I feel like I’ve not entirely gone through that process of building myself. In fact, if you go on LinkedIn, whatever you call yourself is what other people will call you. Our generation doesn’t like going through the process. So, from age 23 or 22, you want to be a team lead, you want to be a big boss at work, driving a big car, doing big stuff. Because the influencers you follow are your age mate and their thinking deals with crocs and European Union and many other things doesn’t mean your life necessarily has to go the same way. This is something I tell young people, ‘you have to pay your dues’, and go through the process. The process makes you solid, it doesn’t make you wishy-washy. Being content with your own journey and with the process that your journey is taking you through is very important. Because some people might get there at age 25, and you might get there when you are 31 doesn’t change anything. You have your own story, the person has his own story and you are able to bring your experience to situations. Everything we go through is preparing us for the next phase of life, and you’ll be able to rely on those experiences. But if you keep jumping and you don’t have those experiences, then how are you going to be able to bring something fresh to the table? People want something fresh and your experiences help you bring a new perspective to things. So, I feel like people should not just erase their process and journey. I mean it’s good to set targets, it’s good to give yourself goals, to give yourself short and long term goals, it’s also important to know that there’s a price to be paid. There is a process and that’s something I’m keen on and hope to rivet in people that will come after me and also it’s a thought that has carried me all through my career.
So how do you deal with not comparing yourself with other people, and staying true to yourself?
The first thing is, comparison is a stealer of joy, it doesn’t allow you to count the blessings that are right before you. You don’t see the progress you’re making, it’s the one that another person is doing. How to navigate it is, to know that everybody’s journey is different, everybody’s destination is different, and when you will get to where you’re going is different. In fact, what success is, is a different definition for everybody. At the end of the day, you’ll meet people who don’t want fame, who just want to live a quiet life. I know someone that all she wants to do is to work in the civil service all her life, just to go step by step like that, she’s not looking for plenty of money. It’s not because she wants to rely on one rich husband or something, she’s looking for very simple day-to-day work. And that is what she wants, and there are people like that who don’t want many things. For somebody like her, success will not be to be an international speaker at different conferences, with a popping Instagram. Meanwhile, I was talking to another person, who goes on Instagram and sees people who she assumes are killing it in careers, relationships with God, and in all, they are doing. And I am like, nobody posts the bad part of their life on Instagram, if you go to my Instagram you will think that all is fine, and life is just smooth. I remember when I went to Dubai, it was probably one of my worst trips, but if you see my pictures, you will think that ‘this guy went to enjoy’.
That’s why you should never compare your success with another person’s success, never belittle the little you have. Blow your own trumpet. You might have where you want to be, you might have where you want to go but be in the moment. Live a day at a time, and don’t postpone your joy till the future, because that’s what comparison does. Comparison makes you postpone things, you made #2000 today, and this person is making #5000, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be happy about #2000 until you make #5000, because you will still see another person that is making #10000. I have found out that there will always be people ahead of you. So live in the moment, be thankful for where you are, be grateful for your journey, and know that when your time comes, your time will come. Just know that eventually, your time is going to come, and things are going to work for you. Be thankful for the moment, live in the moment.
How do you deal with setbacks?
I finished as one of the best students in my class and if I want to compare the three of us, one is in Germany, and the other person is doing fantastically well (at least in my own books). If I’m foolish, I will want to compare myself with those guys and say ‘my own life is not going well’. And I’ve had my own share of when things weren’t going well. When I finished school, it took me more than a year, almost two years, before I got a job, (there’s another story to that) But the thing is, in moments like that the first thing to do is to not compare yourself to anybody. Own your journey, own what your life is. Don’t wait for a Utopia when everything is going to be alright and life is going to be rosy and stuff. Stay in the moment you’re in, live in that moment. Know that life is not going to continue like that, no matter what you’re going through now, no matter how long it goes on, it’s not going to go on like that, as it comes, it will go. There will always be good and bad times, there will always be different seasons in a man’s life. Discern what season you’re in, prepare adequately for that season, and know the season you’re in. Prepare for the next season in the current season you’re in. Let’s say you’re in the season of waiting for a job, wait for that job with the mindset that you’re going to get what you want later, get yourself busy till what you’re expecting comes. Don’t postpone your joy, it’s one of the reasons why we have mental health cases. What mental health or depression really is, is that it makes you see that there’s no hope, that’s what leads to suicide eventually. Depression/suicide is the function of the person not seeing reason of existing again, there’s nothing to be joyful about, there’s nothing to give thanks about, that’s why we must always strive to keep our joy no matter what you’re going through.
What are the three things you’ve done over the years that made a big difference for you?
Prayer: that’s the first thing. My walk with God has been what sustained me in this evil world of pressure and everything.
There’s something I feel is a well-slept-on secret: having a good relationship with senior colleagues or people who have gone ahead of you. It is an easy way to do life. Have good relationships with those who have gone ahead of you. You would make fewer mistakes, you would have so much context on things before you even get there, and you already know what to do while your mates are still struggling with it. Somewhat it sets you apart, also it helps you become wiser in handling things. All my life I’ve always tried to interact with people who are at least two steps ahead of me, it’s just something I do. I enjoy relating with people ahead of me so I ask them questions. It actually started in secondary school. Now I’m also wise enough to sift through the bad advice and good advice. What I mean is, I’m wise enough to know that ‘okay, what this guy is saying, he’s just putting fear in me’, because some people have a fear mentality with which they approach life. But the point is I think it’s something that will really help a lot of people, if they talk to people that have gone ahead of them. For example, if you’re working in a company, make friends with people who are two steps ahead of you, and ask them questions. Ask them about the things that they did right that set them apart, obviously you must also be intelligent to sift through good and bad advice.
Honor everybody you see: I think many times we honor or respect people who we think can offer us stuff, but you never can tell who holds the key to your blessing. It’s a principle I try to live by; to honor everyone, honor people who are even your mates. There was a job I was trying to get and I just told a friend on the same level as me. And she was like, “I’m the person in charge in my company, send your stuff over and I should be able to get it for you”, and it was that easy. In my mind I was like, “if I had not even respected this person enough to think this person can help me, that’s how I would have missed this opportunity”. Sometimes the connection you’re even looking for is with some of your friends in your circle, so even those your friends in your circle, honor them. We must always strive to keep relationships.
What good news/thing in the world is being overlooked?
I think it is our capacity to be human. I want to believe that at the core of every human being, there’s still that humanity in them, that even in the darkest of times, can still speak up. There’s still hope for the world, there’s something God has deposited in every man, that is a link back to God. That humanity is the link back to God, and that’s why no matter how far gone a man is, he can still give his life to Christ because there’s something in you that can respond. So I think that’s the biggest possession and power we have as humans.
If you had the opportunity to travel back in time to see your younger self, let’s say your 15-year-old self, what would you tell him?
I think the first thing I will tell him is, “calm down, everything will work out. Don’t stress”. This might sound weird but I will tell my younger self to enjoy every moment. Honestly, I am a big preacher of living in the moment. “Many times you look back, and you can’t remember so many things, so enjoy that moment and don’t get worked up on things. Whatever moment you’re in, enjoy it. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself, just live in the moment. Your life is going to take many turns, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, get corrections and love God more.”
What's something that makes you feel hopeful for the future right now?
What makes me excited is the possibility of working in a place or doing things where I can build, whether it’s a product or an organization where I can build something. A place where I can define the communication, marketing and strategy for that thing and make it a success. It’s a thought I have been having. That’s the stage I’m in, I want to do stuff, where we can take something from 0 all the way up as far as it can go. Just by doing good work, not just doing one thing but being well rounded, like every single part of the four Ps of marketing - price, product, promotion, agents of distribution, every single element. Making all the elements work together to form a beautiful thing. That’s something that is getting me excited and gingered up to work on projects. That is the kind of vision I have in mind.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting (in your space)?
The first thing I would say is to have your finger in every pie, be like a sponge, and soak up information on everything, you don’t know what you will get interested in someday. Be humble enough to know that you’re just starting. Don’t put the expectations of an expert on yourself. That is something I would like to tell young copywriters. I understand what it is to stare in front of a screen and for hours you don’t have anything to write. I understand what it is to write an ordinary caption for an hour. So don’t be hard on yourself. I’m a preacher of process, I’m a preacher of giving everything time. Things are going to get better with time.
What are you reading or listening to currently?
There’s this book I’m meant to be reading but I’ve not started it yet, ‘The Act Of Account Planning’ by Jon Steel. But previously I read ‘Creative Confidence’ by David and Tom Kelley and I think it’s an interesting book that almost everyone should pick up and read up on. I don’t listen to podcasts much, so I listen to messages from my church.
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Your friends,
From AllforDevelopment.
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