Oluwatosin Olajumoke Arodudu, popularly known as OOA is the CEO and Creative Director of Hadar Creations, an International Publishing and Media Company, the host of the Today’s Woman Discovery Talkshow and Editor In Chief of the Today’s Woman Discovery Magazine, under the ambit of Hadar Creations, which started as a clothing line. She speaks with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, on her experience, empowerment activities, limitations, women breaking frontiers and sundry issues.
Did anything in your background lead you into this line?
I was born and bred in Akure Ondo State; I hail from Erinjiyan Ekiti, Ekiti State and I did my primary and secondary school in Akure after which I proceeded to Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State to study Law. I was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008, did my NYSC in 2009 then proceeded for my Masters in Business Administration in the United Kingdom in 2011. Few years later, I did my LLM in International Dispute Resolution with a focus on Arbitration, Negotiation and Mediation at the prestigious Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. The journey has been very far and interesting. Hadar Creations started as a women clothing store. I used to buy women clothing from Germany and ship down to Nigeria for sale in 2014. I did that till 2015 and got tired because people were buying and not paying, so I shut down the business but left the Facebook page. Then in 2016 God spoke to me about starting a blog and that was how my journey into publishing started. I blogged then in 2017, wrote three Amazon published books self-published by me without prior publishing knowledge. I just went on Amazon and downloaded a format and I followed the process. I was so determined to publish my first book then, because on the first night I had my second child, a daughter, I heard the word author on the hospital bed, just like I heard start blogging in February 2016. I knew God wanted me to write a book and that was how I wrote ‘Motherhood and the Society’. Shortly after, I wrote ‘From The Perspective of The Child’ and then, I wrote ‘Life on The Street of Readlooks’, which depicted life on social media as it were.
You are big on empowerment, what inspired you?
My journey was what led me into this. I was limited for a long time in life because I did not believe in myself enough. I knew I was made for more, but there was a mind entrapment that kept me stagnated. I knew I had a voice, but it was not coming out, and if it would, it came out as a whisper because I was struggling with my identity and self actualisation. God had to take me through a journey to unravel my identity. When I started to blossom and unleash my potentialy, I realised God did not take me through this for myself alone, there are many lives I needed to touch and reach, and that was how the full journey began, and I became an Identity and Visionary Coach. I realised many people are under mind entrapment and they lacked clarity on how to proceed with their lives. They know that they are made for more, but there is this darkness that keeps them in a bondage, thereby making them resign to fate and to the philosophy “what will be will be.” Whereas if they can find someone, a true supporter and encourager, a voice, someone who sees what they do not see in themselves and holds their hand to begin to take that baby step, then they would blossom. At Hadar Creations, this is what we do with the Today’s Woman Discovery Vision. We discover people like this and support them till they start to believe in themselves and can stand on their own. So yes, I am passionate about empowerment and I love the business of Talent Discovery, a part of our mandate at Hadar Creations.
As a publisher, what do you intend to achieve?
I want to raise leaders via power books and personal development books. These are my major niche in publishing. I love to publish books and magazines that will create a mindset shift and transform lives. I love to help people find themselves via books, it is a joy for me when people receive clarity via books that are transformational. And as an author myself, this was what I was inspired to do via my book; Identity and The Visionary Life. I also want to raise leaders who can carve a niche for themselves in publishing, and to the glory of God, we flagged off the Hadar Creations Copy Editing Academy in January this year. It is an intensive coaching and training school which will birth leaders in the Copy-Editing aspect of Publishing. We plan on upgrading in subsequent sessions as we make it a full Publishing Academy.
What is a day in your professional life like?
A day in my professional life can be very tasking but fulfilling. Presently, I work as a Human Resource Generalist in an International Organisation. It is a tasking but a very fulfilling role for me. It also has a lot to do with the business of sourcing for talents and taking them through the processes that will eventually lead to their hiring. I love it because it also aligns with my passion for talent discovery.
What challenges do you encounter as a woman trying to break frontiers?
I used to encounter lots of challenges in the past, like people feeling a woman has no mental capacity to handle some tasks, or make intelligent contributions on tables where the high and mighty are seated, and this also includes fellow women. My personal development and self discovery journey made my voice to become amplified, refined me and gave me courage. Now I speak boldly and brilliantly whenever the situation arises, no matter who is seated. I am no longer afraid to show up in my higher self as opposed to before when I had the fear of the society and wanted to please the world by undermining myself in order to be accepted. These days I see no challenges aside environmental challenges and the normal and general challenges of life. I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I no longer believe I am stoppable. I am an unstoppable woman who is being backed by God. I keep moving and I cover the earth.
Do you think women are exploring their potential?
Well I could say yes because the women in my sphere of influence are doing wonders and exploring their potential. They are unstoppable women and they unleash their resources daily in other to be a better version of themselves so they can better impact their world. Also there are many women out there doing amazing things globally and changing the world. We read about them, and know some of them. However there are still many women we keep reaching and walking through the self discovery and transformational journey. I believe by reaching one woman at a time, several women are going to begin to fully explore their potentials.
Which aspect of what you do is most enjoyable to you?
Wow! I love every part of what I do honestly; every aspect of my calling is interesting and passionate for me. From book writing, to publishing other author’s books, I love it. It is a thing of joy to see the joy on the faces of every author that connects with Hadar Creations when their books get published. It always makes me so joyful and at the same time emotional. And I’d ask myself, what if I had not obeyed God when He told me to move? My obedience to God over this mandate is where my success lies. I am deeply grateful! I love the T-shirtspiration aspect where we get to inscribe power words that can inspire people to embrace their identity and to begin to walk in their authenticity. Everyone who wears our T-shirspiration clothing has always testified that it did something to them from inside out. I love the media aspect which includes live coaching and mentoring on the Today’s Woman Discovery Talkshow. It is a leadership and transformational platform which has also been making lots of impacts.
What are your thoughts on women striving for financial independence?
It is extremely important. No woman should ever believe that her lack of financial independence is okay. While I believe that women have a choice to work or stay at home to raise the children, I also believe firmly that they must never joke with their financial independence. It would give you a sense of worth; it would bring a semblance of order into your life. It would help you to support the family and yourself. Financial independence is key for women. If you are married, it would also help your family in a huge aspect, and if you are married to a good man, he would appreciate and respect you the more because he sees and feels your support. There are lots of businesses to be done from the comfort of your home that will generate steady income. So there is no excuse for today’s women not to be financially independent.
What is your opinion on the state of abuse especially on children and women in Nigeria?
It is horrible and despicable. It saddens me to see the level of abuse women have to go through in a country like Nigeria. Recently, a widow was paraded naked by men and fellow women because her husband alledgly died on top of her during sexual intercourse. She was automatically presumed to be the culprit who killed the husband and she was sentenced to being paraded naked by her community people in Anambra state. It is so barbaric and retrogressive and this barbaric culture that stems from the subjugation of women, and woman hating syndrome spreads across Nigeria. This is why a man would also choose to sexually abuse a baby and a child of two years old, I mean it’s pathetic! The recent female killings are also on the highest level now, and women are being raped and killed with their private parts taken out of them after they had been killed, the recent case of Bamise sadly comes to mind here, may her soul rest in perfect peace. Reading such news saddens me at the helplessness many women feel in a country like Nigeria. We call on our governments to make scapegoats out of every caught perpetrator.
No victim blaming, but severe punishment and public example of people caught in these despicable acts. The truth is that Women and children who should be protected are endangered species in Nigeria. It is a sad conclusion.
How do you balance all the things without getting overwhelmed?
Candidly I would say I have not been able to strike a balance. I am only able to manage it appropriately. Despite the management I still fall short sometimes most especially when family and work are placing huge demands on you at once, it can be frustrating. Sometimes I tilt towards career because of deadlines, passion and vision, other times I tilt more towards family because then it dawns on me that if my family suffers as a result of my passion for vision and career, then I will also suffer from emotional pain and turmoil. So as a Today’s Woman, I keep on discovering new methods on how to manage and juggle both together by creating structures that works for me and makes my life easier and of course my sanity intact.
What inspires you?
Worship songs inspire me and draw me closer to God. Spiritual and inspirational books inspire me, inspirational coaching and mentoring inspires me and courageous people inspire me. I draw inspiration from life in general because life keeps moving and happening, loads of lessons and inspiration is embedded in life.
What is your guiding principle?
One of my guiding principles is to treat other people the way I love to be treated. Whatever I expect from others is what I give to them in good measure without holding anything back. If you move closer to me and become a part of my circle, you will get love, honesty and loyalty which I also expect to be reciprocated to a degree. I dislike pretence and hypocrisy, I have high standard against such attitudes. I love to support, encourage and motivate people, this one is actually what inspires most of my empowerment actions. I have been in situations where I had no real support when I needed it until some angels showed up in form of humans, those experiences are some of my guiding principles in supporting and pushing people to become courageous and become a better version of themselves. I love to put smiles on people’s faces and to just give them hope.
Advice to other women with similar vision?
My advice for other women with similar vision is that they should keep working hard and diligently, one day they will stand before kings and nations will come to the brightness of their rising. Also, they should stay away from envy and unhealthy competition no matter the level they are in life. Don’t allow envy in your heart, neither should you enter into a race of competing with others. Your journey is unique; focus on your journey and stay grounded. Fortune favours the brave and the diligent. Let your attention be concentrated on your journey and path. Be grateful to your mentors and everyone who contributed to your becoming. Some women are found of wanting to take away acknowledgement of the people who paved a way for them in their journey of becoming. It is pride and ingratitude, stay away from such, it leads to a dark path that can derail your journey. It also chases away your destiny helpers and designated supporters.
If you are not doing this, what will you be doing?
Ah! I don’t know honestly; perhaps because of my law background, I’d probably be in the court practicing Law. 16. What in your background prepared you for this? I had loads of stories that needed telling so I could heal. My first two books Motherhood and The society and From The Perspective of the Child were about my healing, after I had been purged of those stories, my real journey began. 17. How long have you been into this? The whole journey started in February 2016.
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