“I think it’s necessary for people who work in the same environment to bond, not just in the office but outside the office setting to establish relationships.”
Tolu on a date with his baby outside of Lagos. Location: Anonymous.
Can You Please Tell Us About Yourself?
Yo!!! my people it’s your boy Tolu John, you know how it is, you know now…Yo!!! My name is Tolu John, I am repping southside, from the southside you know how we roll (makes sound).
No long thing! it’s your boy, it’s your boy!! Storm boy has nothing on this boy!.
Can You Be Serious Once In Your Life? Repping The South Side? Really?
Hi guys it’s your boy Tolu John aka Sugar Daddy T, aka TJ Money, money wey no fit finish, but seriously, my name is Tolu John, a graduate of Covenant University Ota, I’m from Ogun State. Omo Yoruba.
As a Yoruba Demon At Your Workplace, What’s Your Job Description?
Point of correction, I am a Yoruba Angel actually. One of the few Yoruba Angels. So I work for a Financial Institution and my current role is Digital Marketing Executive/ Corporate Brand Strategy.
Errm, so basically, the slash that is added to my job description, is there because I have a lot of roles that are overlapping with my current role. I handle digital marketing for the organization I work with (A Financial Institution/Fin-Tech).
Do You Find Other Responsibilities Overlapping Your Official Role? And Do You Enjoy It?
These overlapping roles caused me to scale up, so I’m a Corporate Brand Strategist and I also work with the Social Community Relationship Management (SCRM) department and the Customer Service department. That’s it, I do a whole lot of things aside from my designated job description.
Do I love it? Yes, I actually love it because everything I know how to do I probably just pick up for the fun of it. I am a very curious person, so when I assist the SCRM or the customer service people it’s just because I love to do what I love to do. So it helps me to acquire the knowledge of the relevant field and then I get to support my team better.
How Did You Get Into Advertising?
I studied Mass Communication at Covenant University, Ota and I majored in Public Relations and Advertising. What actually piqued my interest in Advertising was my lecturer’s kindness back then in the Uni. He was really kind and he had this real understanding of Advertising. Then when I graduated, I interned at an Advertising Agency and I went to another Advertising Agency, and then along the line I entered into Newspaper, News Writing, and I found it pretty boring, so I just picked up Advertising again and since then it’s actually been blessed.
I’m currently an associate member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), I’m working on other certifications for Advertising, not just in Nigeria but also globally
What is a typical day like in your office?
A typical day in the office is me having a headache, not because of work, but because of the A.C.
Basically, my typical day in the office is, first of all, I go through all our social media and other platforms, to check if everything is running properly, including the website, and the channels of communication. I begin to create content for the next previous months and begin to work on strategies for upcoming projects and the rest. So a typical day is just me sitting down having back pain, freezing my ass off, and working futuristic work, that’s what a typical day in the office is like.
Just one Monday dealing with Tolu John & he’s not taking it funny.
“I like non-toxic environments and then I appreciate the family I have at the Organisation where I work, everyone is quite friendly, I’m like everyone’s baby, so everyone would always invest in me as a baby, the M.D., the C.O.O, the C.F.O, everyone is quite approachable…”
How would you describe the work culture? Is it flexible or rigid?
So ehm, this part is private you understand? So basically my work is actually quite flexible, my employer allows us to work from home and Monday is a really really hectic thing for me, I do not know why. I always wonder why. Monday I just come into the office blazing with energy and I begin to work on so many things, Tuesday the same thing, and then Wednesday I work from home and I still have a lot of things that I also need to cover, Thursday I go back to the office trying to cover up for Wednesday and then Friday I tune off. Basically, my weekend starts on Friday because I do not have to go to work. So yeah, I will say my workdays are quite flexible.
What do you like best about working at your office?
So one thing about me is that I don’t play by my work environment, that’s like the basic thing, I like friendly people, I like non-toxic environments and then I appreciate the family I have at the Organisation where I work, everyone is quite friendly, I’m like everyone’s baby, so everyone would always invest in me as a baby, the M.D., the C.O.O, the C.F.O, everyone is quite approachable and then the thing is, Senior Management has this open-door policy, so I’m cool with my M.D., I can literally enter his office to gist and stuff like that, so yes it’s quite flexible and everyone is approachable, and if I have a complaint I can simply walk up to HR to discuss, not just work-related issues but also personal issues, so yeah I like the environment of my organization.
If your colleague is stuck during a task will others jump in to help? Is there a team-oriented approach?
In my organization, everybody is in everybody’s business, if you understand what I’m talking about, so if one person is stuck, everyone is willing to help, everyone is willing to show people how to do this, how to do that and that’s really one thing I love about my organization, so meeting your target, helping people is the core and my organization promotes cordial relationships between colleagues, so if I’m stuck with something, all I just need to do is ask and I have multiple people coming to put me through.
What type of person would thrive at your company?
My organization is actually sort of flexible, and to thrive, you have to be social, because no matter how anti-social you are, people will always want to make you loosen up so it is important to be a people’s person, be intelligent, and have a knack for learning, because everyone wants to learn and we are encouraged to go for trainings sponsored by the organization, so in such an organization that is keen on improving you as a person, then you must also be willing to accept improvement and also work on yourself and be flexible.
The environment is flexible and we play a lot, so one must try to adapt and blend in.
What do you think sets your company’s culture apart from others?
Just like most Fin-Tech Organisations, we have our company culture, bosses who are approachable, and firm when it’s time to work.
They promote work-life balance and not just that, they also care about your well-being. I’ve had days when I’ve come into the office with something as simple as a headache and then they are like “why did you come, you should have rested, do you want this, do you want that?…” There’s a balance to it, so the culture is quite a friendly one and everyone is welcoming, yeah, very welcoming, I’ve worked in other organizations, even media agencies and I can say, for one thing, this organization is actually more welcoming than some of the other organizations I’ve previously worked with.
What games best describe your personality?
Uh…, I don’t play games like that, na football I dey play, but then if I was to use a game or if I’m getting the question correctly, I would say a little bit of COD(Call Of Duty) you know, Gangster lifestyle, I would have said Grand Theft but omo I no dey carry gun dey shoot people like that, even if I do feel like that sometimes … but then yeah I love me some COD, 2k, FIFA, a little bit of candy crush, I don’t know if you know what I’m talking about.
Do you support working from home or do you prefer the typical office schedules?
I support working from home because it gives people time to actually relax and do some things. As I mentioned earlier, there are times when I have done a whole lot in the office from Monday to Thursday and then Friday things begin to go slowly, I use this opportunity when I’m working from home to catch my breath for the week, relax, just relax in general, because the thing is once you’ve done a whole lot through the week and you do need time to catch your breath. Sitting in the office and taking things easy, many people would raise eyebrows but work from home, you have the opportunity to work at your own pace. So yes, I’m a huge supporter of working from home.
Is there a specific time when you and your colleagues come together to socialize and get to know one another?
Yes, there are times when we come together, I and a couple of my colleagues usually plan get-togethers, we’ve successfully done about 3, there was a time we went to Omu Resort to have fun, we’ve gone to Bear Hubs, and we’ve gone to the cinema, we literally just go around and have fun.
I think it’s necessary for people who work in the same environment to bond, not just in the office but outside the office setting to establish relationships.
“…when I finished NYSC and I was being underpaid and overstressed. Even when I tried to complain, I was told I was being done a favor for even being offered the job…”
How interesting has the transition to the corporate world been for you?
My transition from a social environment to the corporate world has actually been quite interesting. I remember when I just finished NYSC. I really needed work. I had experience because I had interned from place to place and I was still working post-NYSC. I recall a particular place making me an offer, and the salary could barely cover transportation. The job was on the island and I live on the mainland. So I would have had to wake up at 5 am. But going into the corporate world, they didn’t really care about my years of experience. It was funny though, I had a very rigorous interview process, and I came up with plans, policies, strategy documents, and the rest. And then they saw that I had what it took to actually execute the job and then they offered me almost four times my previous pay. That was quite a pleasant surprise and coming from a social or should I say casual environment where I could wear jeans and sneakers to the office to a corporate setting where I had to wear a shirt and tie and shoes and socks. The environment wasn’t so strict though and I could still swagger up my outfit and still look sexy and lit.
What are the highs and lows for you in your career?
Speaking of my highs and lows, I think my high so far has been my excellent appraisals and seeing how people value my work. Hearing people say, “Oh Tolu is doing excellently”, or hearing comments from the MD like, “If you need something done in this aspect go meet Tolu, cause he’s a very bright lad.” Things like that really motivate me to do more and those have been the highs of my career. My lows would be when I finished NYSC and I was being underpaid and overstressed. Even when I tried to complain, I was told I was being done a favor for even being offered the job.
You mentioned the NYSC thing in passing, can you share more about your camp experience?
I actually didn’t have any struggles…
Wait...What? You didn’t have any struggles during your NYSC Camp? How?
My camp experience wasn’t bad at all for real, I got posted to Imo State, and I had heard a couple of things about Imo state, the girls, IMSU girls, and all of that. And it was fun. I made a lot of friends on my way to camp ‘cause I used this direct bus.
I got a place immediately for NYSC, a school. I taught IT and coding, they paid me 10k for teaching, 25k for coding, and 5k for after-school lessons.
Then I got another job immediately the lockdown was relaxed.
What do you have to tell anyone who wants to transition into Tech or Advertising?
Basically, I handle SEO, Digital Marketing, Analytics, and Splash Coding. I handle a whole lot. I just support my channels, I write codes. But I’m still a beginner in Tech. There are other advanced Tech guys like the engineers. But I strive to learn every single day.
I would like to bring these two together. Advertising for Tech is literally the most fun aspect of Advertising because you have a whole product that you can play with, and nothing major would go wrong. However, there are some grey areas of Tech that you should not play with. People who want to go into Advertising have to, first of all, understand their product.
For people who want to go into Tech, it is important too, first of all, to understand what aspect you want to explore. I’ve met people who wanted to go into Tech and they are really confused about what they want to do. There’s so much more in Tech. There’s product design, software development, and much more. Pick one aspect you think would be fun for you. Could be UIUX, designing, or any other aspect. Like I chose Advertising in Tech and it’s been going great for me. I’m very happy with what I do. I don’t think I would want to leave Tech or go back to the Agency business. I love that I always look forward to new products and how best to market the product’s uses.
Finally, what have you learned about Work and Life Balance? Do you have any hacks that you personally use to get your tasks done and manage your time effectively so that no part of your life is at the butt end?
I think as Nigerians, we all struggle with work-life balance. That’s one thing that kills a lot of us. I think you have to find times that you can get a hold of yourself. Previously, at the end of every year, I would go out to hang out and relax from work. But much more than that, you need to give yourself a break from time to time. That’s why I use my Fridays to cool out, take a break and breathe and get myself recharged for the next week. Your work-life balance is really something you should never play with. That’s one of the reasons I left my previous job, cause I couldn’t keep waking up at 5 am and getting back home at 10 pm. Personally, I feel you have to understand yourself, understand your body. Some people can handle stress a lot better than other people, so you have to understand yourself. When you feel you’re at the tipping point just catch your breath. The thing is, if you collapse today, someone else is always there to replace you tomorrow. So relax, chill out, do you, and do not forget to enjoy life. That’s the most important thing because the hustle you’re hustling is not just for the future, it is also for your present. And if you forget to live now, you may regret it in the future.
Tolu John looking funky on jeans on jeans. Tech Bro Indeed.
On this note, I’d like to say it has been a pleasure talking to you all. I still remain Tolu John aka Sugar Daddy T. And to my guy Pappy aka Dede, thanks for the opportunity. Always humbled to serve you all every single time. I thank you very much for tuning in to my TED Talk. Catch me live at @tolu_john on Instagram and Twitter.
When Tolu John isn’t online, he’s busy making friends that he cannot keep & traveling inter-state to get Asun Kini from yunno…his B. Oh, he plays that thing in the picture above and visits the gym but he’s also not committed to that as much as he loves his inter-state Asun.
👏👏👏
It’s really nice to be in a non-toxic working environment.