Omobabinrin Adeola Osideko is a chartered accountant, a business coach and a brand consultant. She is the founder of My Branding Academy (MBA), a public speaker and a TEDx licensee. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks her passion for accounting, branding and business coaching, about the ease of doing business in Nigeria and what she would do if she were the minister of trade and investment.
Would you say it is love of money that motivated you to study accounting? And which universities did you study the course?
I studied Accounting because of my love for figures. I was a very smart mathematics and accounting student while in school. And, maybe, I like money too (smiles). I’m a typical Ijebu woman, and it’s believed that people from that side like money.
I studied Accounting and Finance in Lead City University Ibadan, and had my MSc in Accounting from the University of London.
Your profile says you have some engagements with African Development Bank Group. What is your job description there?
I work as a finance staff in the reporting division of the bank where we prepare the financial statements and reports. My job has been interesting and challenging so far.
As an accountant, what motivated your interest in business coaching and brand consulting? You are quoted to have said your name is not just a name, that, “I have become a brand.” What do you mean by this?
My passion for coaching started sometime in 2015 when my boss, where I worked, recommended Emotional Intelligence training for me after my appraisal. After the training, I discovered I love the course because it changed my life drastically. So, I said to myself, I need to start telling others about this life-changing experience. I later got formal training on the act of public speaking and coaching, and that was how I found myself where I am today.
When I say my name is not just a name, it’s a brand, it means it’s not just an ordinary name—it’s a household name that resonates deeply with the society. It means I’ve been able to carve a niche for myself in the coaching industry where I’ve grown to become an authority.
What actually is a brand? And, can a brand continue to exist after the business has folded up?
A brand is a unique identity that differentiates one thing from the other. We’ve two types of brand—personal brand and business brand. Personal brand is an individual while a business brand is the business entity.
Both can still exist even after they die. For instance, there are people in Nigeria and in the world that their memories and works still live forever even after they are long dead. It’s same with businesses. We’ve many businesses that, even when they’ve folded up, their brand names still resonate deeply. The only difference is that they’re no longer profitable.
There are many businesses in Nigeria than brands. Is it that people do not know what a brand is or they do not know how to go about it?
Many businesses owners just operate business for survival purpose. They aren’t concern about the growth of the business and its long-term sustainability. A business brand builds a lasting reputation and identity, such that in years it’ll still strongly exist. The reputation a brand is able to build with its name, speaks to the relationship it builds with its customers or clients.
If someone walks up to you and complains that people are losing faith in their brand, how would you help the person restore the relevance of their brand?
There are many strategies to do that, starting from the brand identity/clarity, brand image, brand communication, brand equity, and so on. The truth is that building a brand requires a lot of work and it’s not a day’s job. Also, most times people don’t understand that branding is an investment. You must be ready to invest in it before you can get the good returns.
Tell us about your My Branding Academy (MBA) school, and why such kind of school is needed in contemporary Nigeria.
My Branding Academy is an online school for individuals and business owners who can’t afford the cost of hiring a branding consultant to consult for them. It’s a do-it-yourself school where individuals are taught about branding. The school also offers courses on business of coaching where people who’re passionate about the coaching industry are trained on the process, systems and structure of the coaching business and how they can make money as a coach.
The idea of the Academy was conceived out of passion to ensure individuals and business owners get it right in terms of branding, because it’s the bedrock of a profitable venture.
How would rate the ease of doing business in President Buhari’s government? If you were the minister of trade and investment, what three economic policies would you put in place to enable SMEs and start-ups flourish?
Business survival in Nigeria is difficult in President Buhari’s government. People have to struggle to make ends meet. Typically, Nigerians are hard-working because I’ve been to other countries and I’ve seen the way Nigerians work hard to survive.
The three policies I would put in place if I were of minister of trade and investment are: low interest loans for SMEs; training and development scheme for business owners; and low-entry barrier for foreign investors.
Despite the call for greater participation of women in business and leadership, corporate Nigeria is still dominated by men. How do you think this narrative could be change?
It could be changed by consistent sensitization for the need for women to wake up and take charge of their lives. Many women believe some positions or roles are permanently made for men, which isn’t true. Women should also be given equal opportunities as their male counterparts based on merit and not sentiment.
What branding work are you currently working on? And, if you were given a billion naira, what would you do with it?
Currently, I’m planning on a new structure for My Branding Academy for our new session in January. We run our session from January to November and use December to plan and strategize for the new session. I’m also working on TEDxBingerville. Few months ago, I became a TEDx licensee and I’ll be organising my first TEDx event in Bingerville, a community where I reside in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
If you were given a billion naira, what would you do with it?
I will invest the one billion naira in setting up a physical structure for my online schools.
Briefly tell us about the five books you have authored.
Each of the books are borne out of the passion for what I do. ‘Building Great Relationship’ was my first book, and I was inspired to write that book because of the lapses I discovered from the way people handle their relationship. I discovered we pay much attention to romantic relationships while our other interpersonal relationships suffer, and this has caused a lot of havoc in the society. The second one is ‘Building a Brand that makes Money’. This was written to help personal and business brands understand the concept of branding.
My third book ‘The chronicles of MINTA’ is a collection of short stories about my abroad and travelling experiences. MINTA was a nickname given to me by my online audience meaning Mummy in the Abroad (smiles). My fourth book ‘My Dreams are Valid’ is the story of my life from when I lost my father at the age of three to how I dream about getting a foreign master’s degree even when it wasn’t looking like it, but I was able to get it eventually after ten years. My latest book ‘Business of Coaching’ is a book that teaches inspiring/existing coaches about the nitty-gritty of the coaching business.
And who are your two main mentors, and why?
Presently, I don’t have any mentor. I only have role models: Rev Felix Funke Adejumo and Morenike Ogunnowo.
What are the major challenges you face in your line of work? If you were to take a foreign trip for your next birthday, which country would you go, and why?
My major challenge is time management—how to achieve much of my plans with little time without jeopardising my family life, health or relationship with God. But, so far, God has been helping me; and many people even wonder how I’m able to do many things at a time, considering the fact that I’m in a paid employment.
Canada is seriously on my mind—I really have no specific reason. I just love the country.
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