I made my first million at 20 —Actress Chika Ike

Nollywood actress, Chikadebia Nancy Ike simply known as Chika Ike is one of the most successful actresses in the industry. And she heads the actresses with the most flamboyant lifestyles in Nigeria and her public display of success becomes even more ubiquitous with the popularity of social media. In this interview by Newton-Ray Ukwuoma, the Anambra State-born, reveals the secrets of her successes in the movie and business worlds. Excerpts:

You are about the most flamboyant Nollywood actor on social media. Are these things real or part of the fake life people accuse celebrities of leading?

It is real, nothing is fake. I try to live my best life because life is short, life is a journey. This is someone that lost her mom at a very young age. My mom was very young when she passed on. Her death made me realise that life is very short and you don’t know what happens tomorrow. So, as long as you can, embrace and enjoy every moment.

Recently, a lot of actors have been saying that they are not making money from acting. Do you agree with this?

This is actually very important. People talk about it a lot that actors and actresses are usually not financially buoyant to have a lifestyle. But when you look at it properly, you will find that acting itself does not bring in as much as you would expect, but when you are an actor, you have a lot of good will. A lot of things come to you and you have a lot of avenues and opportunities to invest. For me basically, I have always had a business mind. I made my first million naira when I was 20. To some people it is not a big deal, but it is a big deal to me. I was investing in real estates. Actors must have the ability to go beyond the platform they are given to create wealth. When people say that actors don’t make money I think everybody should speak for themselves. Personally, I know the kind of investments I have made through acting. Acting gives you a platform, gives you a voice. Any actor can use this platform to his or her advantage.

Tell us about the book you recently launched?

The title is Boss Up. It is a book about my journey. I have been through a lot in my life, the highs and lows, the ups and downs. It’s been very emotional for me. I am someone that is very guarded and private. I don’t let my guards down. But in this book, I revealed a lot about myself. I told my story and spoke my truth. Boss Up is a 41 chapter book that mirrors the obstacles we go through in life, convention, money, self-esteem, love, relationships among other things. Most often we tend to shield ourselves from people, from our personal struggles and situations, but with Boss Up, I opened up about lot of things. I delved into different aspects of my life. I gave a guild to conquering fear and living your best life.

Beside your journey, what else did you talk about in Boss Up?

There are about five sections in Boss Up. I talked about Chikadibia. That is my full name. It means that my God is greater than the soothsayers. My name was given to me because of the events that happened during my birth. My mother went through a lot. I was rejected at birth by my father. He didn’t want a girl. I lived with this thought all my life. I talked about this rejection and other challenges I faced growing up. I talked about the pressure, the self-esteem issues I had as a child. I always tell people l hate my comfort zone. I push myself constantly. I do things that people do not expect me to do. So, I talked about the business world. People think I like money. But the truth is I don’t like to fail. I grew up with nothing, so I always push myself to be that person everybody doubted I would become. So, I always want to learn more, I always want to give more. So, I spoke about the tricks and tips of having a successful business.

Are there things you didn’t talk about in this book?

The thing that I didn’t want to put into the book that made me write it for a long time was the story about my family. I had a struggle. I feel that in Africa, we have this thing within the family that hasn’t been addressed in so many ways. And I wanted to address it in my book so that someone will learn from it and avoid doing those things to their children. That was why I went deep. I didn’t avoid anything. I actually feel naked when I read Boss Up.

Did you talk about your marriage to Mr Tony in Boss Up?

Yes, I spoke about family and relationship as well. We tend to talk about business, society, but we hardly remember the importance of family to everything. When I was in Harvard Business School, I thought I came to study business but the first two weeks was about personal development and case studies. I was given a coach. I was made to realise that before you can succeed in business, you must deal with your home front first. Every successful man or woman you see out there in business must have succeeded in their home. With the coach I talked about my family and all the supressed aspects of me. I thought I was very guarded, but Harvard broke me.

They made me sit in front of so many people to talk about my life, something I have never done. I spoke about how I was rejected by my father. My father was a good husband and father to all of us. But I didn’t have a good relationship with my father growing up. I talked about the grace. The grace is God. A friend of mine told me that in other to succeed you need 40 per cent hard work and 60 per cent grace or God. I call it grace, I call it God, but some people call it favour or luck. It is good to work hard, but you must have a force, which is God.

Did the book talk about the violence you endured in your marriage?

I cannot talk about my life without talking about my marriage. That too is my journey and my truth. Yes, I spoke about my ex-husband, I spoke about the violence and things that you don’t know about. I once spoke about it on social media, but in Boss Up, I went into some details.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

I wrote it for seven years. Sometimes,  I would stop because it got emotional most times. I would stop and cry and take some time off and return. Sometimes I would stop for like a month or two or three because I was feeling so much hurt. It was a journey from birth to now.

You went to Harvard Business School after applying five times. Why weren’t you discouraged at some point?

I was disappointed. I didn’t understand the selection process until I went to Harvard and realised that not even the professors have access to who gains admission to the school. I learnt that applicants’ forms are taken to another country where a board decides who comes to Harvard. So, I was really depressed and sad because I wanted to go to a business school, not just any business school. I wanted to go to Harvard because I thought Harvard was out of my reach.

I didn’t grow up wanting to go to Harvard, but I was like, “if I wanted to go to a business school, I should go to the best because I deserve it”. I was ready to do anything to go to Harvard. There were moments I cried after every rejection. But I kept trying and trying, and at the fifth time, it worked. Harvard Business School was a lot for me. I was in the same room with directors of companies, CEOs and people who control multiple businesses. But going there made me realise something that in life, you must constantly push yourself. I went to the business world to learn how to be successful in business.

What were your worst moments in life?

I once struggled to pay my rent, I was told no a lot of times, I had so many doors slammed at my face. I didn’t get to where I am today by just being a pretty face or being an actress. I got a lot of rejections in my life. Even till now, I still get no. It is normal. You will get no all your life. That is what Boss Up is about.

Are you not sceptical that people may begin to have different opinions about your personality? Aren’t you giving critics a lot to talk about with Boss Up?

God makes you go through a lot of things in life for you to learn and share. If you haven’t gone through things good or bad enough to share with others, you haven’t really lived.We must not always want to be blessed, we should also want to bless people. That is how I see life. People will always have their own perspectives about life. It is normal. For me, I have gone through the stage of being scared; of being judged. I think right now, I am learning to focus on me. People will always have their ideas. I cannot control your thoughts, I can only control my thoughts. I am only responsible for what I think not for what you think. As to whether it scares me, of course it gets uncomfortable at times, but as to whether I am worried, I would say, no, I am not worried.

How would you balance being an actress and an author? Do you intend to write more?

No. I am fine with Boss Up for now. It took me seven years to get it out. I don’t know if I can afford another seven years. But the truth is we are programmed to multi-task. We all are. But at every moment of your life, you must know which one to put at the front burner and prioritise. You can have it all, but not at the same time. So, when you are balancing Nollywood and the business it will be tough. But God cannot give you something you cannot handle. You must constantly push yourself. Because the most successful people in the world have several businesses. I will constantly push myself, and if I think I need a break or I need to step back sometimes, I will do that.