Leveraging Your Support System for Entrepreneurial Success

Hello and welcome to the show today. We're going to be well today I wanted to share a business audit, sort of like a case study, just to give you guys a taste of what it would be like if you have to connect with me and troubleshoot and solve a couple of problems. But instead, today I'm going to share a conversation that I had with Vidora. Not her real name, but actually is a nickname and a cool name on that because Vidora is Italian.

It's a phrase that means life should not be hard or well or life should be easy. So today I'm going to share my conversation with Vidora. There's going to be some stuff there, not just about how to start your own podcast, but then also about how family members can help promote your business. Because for her, Popsy has been instrumental to floating her business as a voice of artist. So we're going to talk some. I'm going to freestyle a bit around that.

So apologies because today is going to be a noisy episode because it's a full house and kids are home, it's a weekend and all that. If you'd love to connect and have the sorts of conversations that I've been having with Vidora and the other people who have connected with me before now, then call me on 0806466 2140 or connect with me on socials. I spend most of my time on LinkedIn and the name to look for is Tave Shima IED.

So like I said, I had a conversation with Vidora listener of the show, which has already connected a couple of people to the podcast. Now for that, I'm really grateful. So in fact, today's shout out actually should be for Vidora. I really appreciate you guys who not only discovered the show, but then also shared the show with other people. So that if there's stuff of value that you seem to get out out of it about how to build your business, to promote your career or whatever, it's, I

really appreciate that you guys, some of you who are real avid listeners also promote the show as well. So thanks for helping my ministry grow. So Vidora, currently, she works with a radio station. She's an on air personality in Lagos at Smiles FM and it has the weirdest spelling ever because it's SMAILZ dot FM and I think that's weird. But anyway, that's the name that they've chosen for the radio station. So young radio station and she handles the a musical show there where they do the top five countdown.

And the reason one me and her started talking was just because we're both members of a mutual group. That's the APVA, that's the association of professional voice over actors and podcasting. Something something, something, you know, it's a long nature. So we're both members of the group and whenever there's a new member, I always like to reach out, you know, say what's up because you never know what you can learn from people or you never know what collaborations lie in store.

So that's how me and her got this thing. So apart from working in the the radio station Smiles FM, she also works and she also handles operations in a music company. They do music management and they have some artists that they're managing on Spotify. Nobody big, you know, nobody that is on the level of, you know, blowing. I was I was hoping actually that maybe she has some connects with Don Jazzy so that me self I can start rolling in that kind of circles, But she's she's not there yet, But I'll still keep on keep eye on my address book,

you know, just in case, so that when she's at that John Jazzy level, you know me and I'll follow them, you know, private jets, you know, popping bottles, clubs and you know, that kind of lifestyle. So where are we? Yeah, so that's what she's running, walking small Smalls FM, Smiles FM and then also doing the music management thing. And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to talk about it, because a bunch of you don't realise that this whole thing about side hustle actually is a very realistic and stress free.

OK, well, not stress free because it doesn't matter which route you take, it's going to be stress. If you say let me burn on my bridges and start doing these things self-employed from day one like I did, it's stress. If you say you want to maintain a 95 and then be doing something on the side is stress. So any which way the stress. So let's not say we can't avoid the stress, but it actually is a viable alternative. And it's something that I talked to young men about particularly because I see too many young men say, OK, I want to get here, let me just jump in.

Let me burn the boats. Let me whatever, whatever. Plan A, No Plan B. But for young men, it's not realistic because you start this thing and then eventually you see one babe and then you know, you're feeling her. And then before you know it, three to five years you guys get married. And it's really rough to start building a marriage with the financial demands that come with it and raising your family and stuff like that, you know, if you're not, if the business doesn't kick off immediately.

So it's something that I actually talk about when I meet lots of young men because for some reason, young men, just like, you know, I ought to be my own man. I ought to be my own man. You know, please just relax. You will be your own man. But please, you know, for now, it might be rough staying in Popsy's house, but just stay there. You know, I haven't heard of a Popsy who says you should come back, you know, before 9:00 or something.

So well, I guess if you're young ish nine O clock might seem harsh, but it's a reasonable price to pay. Just stay there, live rent free, go to your work, have the side also, you know, continue, continue, continue. And then your cash flow, your your cash flow is what's going to determine when would be the right time to move. Rather than saying I want to be my own man, you leave and then you start living on your own. And then from day one, oh, I'm so stressed, I'm so depressed and blah, blah, blah.

Like how would you be stressed and how would you be depressed? I mean, how would you be? You had free rent over here, but you decided you want to go and be your own man, so you went out to go and get a house and then, you know, blah, blah, blah. I mean, how would you be stressed? Well, anyway, the stress any which way. But I think the whole thing of staying at home, leaving on the Popsy's roof for now while you're trying to run one or two things, I think it's a much more realistic way to go.

And even though there's stress involved there because Popsy is putting an eye on you, Popsy will say, look, it's 10:00, where are you? Or come back, lock the gate, you know, bring back my car and all these sorts of things. But I still think it's, I think it's a, it's a, it's a better way to go. So it's an option. You can have a nine to five working someplace and then be spending time building a business on the side. But of course, side hustles is not something that I talk about.

In fact, there's a podcast that is dedicated to that. And I called this, I think it's called the side Hustle show. He's not a Nigerian guy. I think he's an American guy. I think he's called the side hustle show, Abby, either side hustle show or side hustle FM or something like that. So check it out. So for those of you who are thinking, you know, like I have a full time job, I'm running something on the side, you know,

that is where you can get more. What's the word, you know, learn from other people's experiences, people who have tried to do something that way since I don't address those kinds of things directly over here on the show. So Vidora prime example, you see that it can be done. It has stress, everything has stress. You know, just pick the kind of stress that you are good to that you're good to go with. Then let's see what else.

OK, so she started off 2016. That's why she started trying to look for voice over money because people told her she has a nice voice and yes, she does have a nice voice. So that's when she started trying to look for that voice over money, that voice over hustle. And she made an initial demo or something that she thought was cool. But looking back now years later, she thinks it's laughable. And you know, in fact, since lots of people ask me questions about starting a podcast, it's something that I should mention here.

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but let me stress it again. Nobody likes the sound of their own voice. The day that you lay your voice down on a recording on something and you hear it, you'll be like, what the hell? Who is that? Is that me? Is that how I sound? Nobody likes the sound of your their own voice. No one. And this is the reason why, because now as you are talking, if you're talking to someone right now, you are hearing the voice resonating inside your skull and inside your body.

So you're picking up different frequencies, you're getting the high loads, you're getting the base notes, you're getting the everything. So that is how you hear it. Well, people who are outside are not hearing that internal resonance. So you might feel like your voice is your voice is rich, like it's smooth, like, you know, bass and everything, but that's not exactly what people are hearing. So just know that there's going to be a difference and there's always going to be that feeling.

So it's not just Vidora who had that thing. It happened to me. My father was in radio, Momsi was ATV journalist. So it happened to them. It happens to everybody. The first time you hear your voice, you'd be like, what the hell is that? And you'll be tweaking knobs and trying to get yourself to sound like you, but nobody like the sound of their voice. So just for those of you who want to be in the voice over voice, you want to become a voice voice actor, do voice over game, podcaster, whatever.

Just be ready for it and just continue. Don't let it discourage you. For me, what made me comfortable with it was I just realized that OK, this is how I sound. I sound nasally. But I was like, well, I guess people have always been hearing me like this, so it's just me that is surprised because I'm hearing it today, but this is what the whole world has always heard. So I just continue doing my thing. So if you're going to use your voice to make a living in any way, that's something that you need to be prepared to be prepared for.

The voice you hear. You are going to be shocked. You are not going to like it when they lay back the voice. Now, the reason why I said I was going to share the conversation with Vidora, not just because of this whole thing of I have full time employment and I'm trying to do side hustle. It's also because for her, one of the ways that she has been making some of her voice over money is because Popsy is a fan as her Popsy is a fan, likes her stuff and the Popsy even took demos and put on his phone.

So he has been the one that's been responsible for saying, look, this is my daughter's whatever or this is what you do. Listen to my daughter, she can hook you up, she can do this, she can do that. And she's been responsible for getting most of the clients that she has had so far. Now over here on the podcast, I keep talking about how when it comes to sales, movie market, no matter what it is they are trying to do, friends, family and associates is a wonderful place to start.

But some of you don't seem to understand. These are some of the reasons why if you're standing with friends, family and associates and you and Popsy are cool or you and Momsy are cool or you know, your cousins are cool and they're already fans, they're going to be honest advocates or whatever it is that you can do say, ah, come and see my big sis, My big sis as you see this, she did so die like her clothes are on point or come and see my big bro, my big bro does this,

you know that or oh, my younger brother does wedding photography. The guy is mad. If I come and see you something. I mean, these are very good advocates that we can have in the beginning. Then apart from that, if we use all these people to practice talking to Popsy, talking to your brother and sister, talking to your cousin, talking to your auntie, talking to all these people, friends, family members, associates, you know, church people, you know, that kind of thing.

You would have built up some what's the word, some some comfort, you know, build up some comfort and some, some confidence that will carry over to that time when you now start talking to total strangers. So whether it is profitable or not, whether like in her own case, Popsy is like this daughter of mine, she's the bomb. And then he starts going to go and promote. Whether that happens or not, my own opinion, always start with friends, family members and associates.

An easy way to gain traction, an easy way to get advocates. And it's not a bad way to practice. You know your talk track, practice pricing, practice negotiation, practice haggling, practice selling practice. It's a good and a safe, easy way to practice because these are people who know you. They have your best interest at heart. Even if they're trying to reject you, they're not going to reject you in a very harsh way.

So please, for those of you who are getting ready to do your hustle, Please remember, friends, family members and associates, do not make the mistake that I made for me stepping into wedding photography at the time, my wedding photography mumsy, of course, was like, Oh well, my son, you decided this is what it is you're going to do. I don't quite agree, but no problem. Let's let's be going. Let me see how I can support you.

So she tried hook me up with two or three people, you know, and he clicked. But then, you know, the young man, the idiot in me, I wanted to say, and This is why I keep talking to young men on this thing because, you know, as a young man, sometimes you have a good thing going and you want to mess it up because you're proud. So me, I, I was kind of feeling like on the mind, like, OK, if this thing is going to work, I want it to be my hustle.

I want it to be my sweat. I want it to be my own effort. I don't want to look back and say, this person gave me a heads up. This person gave me a prop. This person, you know, this person pushed me small like this. This person sponsored me small like this. And so after a while, I told mom said, I look, you know, mommy, I appreciate this hookup. I appreciate that hookup. The money was good. But please just, you know, stop it.

Let me be now, young men, listening to the show, your young man now is absolute BS, right? Is absolute BS. If Popsy or Momsy is trying to prop you up and then making one or two correction connections, please leverage on those connections, leverage on those connections. Take advantage of whatever it is that Poppy is trying to hook up when our Mumsy is trying to hook up. From there, you will get traction eventually because you're not lazy, because no lazy person decides to enter into business for himself or herself because you're not lazy.

Eventually you will start saying that. Oh, OK, now I've gotten to the stage where most of the deals, I'm the one that is doing it. I'm the one that is doing it. I'm the one that is doing it. But please, in the beginning, if you have a Popsy who says, my daughter, my dearest daughter, this is what you can do, blah, blah blah, I will support you. I'm your #1 fan. Please accept the traction, run with it. You're a young man and your mumsy says OK, my son, this is what you decided to do No problem.

Let me say how I can support you. Take the traction, run with it. Young men, don't be too proud eventually, because you know what life is now. Momsy's not going to be around forever. And then Momsy's connections or Popsy's connections are limited anyway. So eventually they're going to run out of a pool of people that they have to they, they can connect you with. But while they're there, while they're doing it, please, we need all the help we can get.

Business can be very, very hard, can be lonely, can be depressing. Whatever lift you can get, whatever traction you can get, please take it. So if your big bro is a fan and big bro is introducing you to people here and there, no what not. I understand as a young man you feel on the mind like, OK, this business is really my senior brother that is propping up. It's not me. Just accept the traction for now. Well, definitely don't do what I

did, which is say thank you very much, I appreciate it, but please don't introduce me to anybody again. That's a wrong way of totally wrong way of doing it. If I when I look back, sometimes I see how I shot myself in the food because think of it mumsy at the time I decided to get involved in wedding photography business was a marketing exec. The people that she was introducing me to were people who are kind of like her, in a similar position, in a similar earning capacity and also at this stage of life where their children were also getting married.

So looking back now, I said I shot myself in the food, I should have just, you know, Pipe Blue and I should have just wrote that thing for as long as possible. Would have made for a much more interesting ride on the photography font. So that's one of the reasons why I said let me just share this conversation with Vidora. So I think about 0.5% of the people listening to this show, is it like 65 to 70 something very small amount 0.3, I'd be 0.5% very, very small.

But just to let you guys know that if there's any mommy or daddy here or grandma or grandpa, you value what it is that your son is doing, your son-in-law, your daughter-in-law, you know, your grandchildren and you're promoting their hustle. I just want to say, Mommy, Daddy, thank you very, very, very much for trying to support what it is that these your young people are trying to do. You know, we might not appreciate what it is they are trying to do now.

Sometimes it might even be as if like, like yourself, you're overdoing. Can't you just let me do my own thing? But the time will come when you know, we will, we will appreciate the support and look back firmly on the on the support. So for those of you who like the Doris Popsy, you know, you become a very big fan of what is that your daughter is doing. Please, Sir, continue. Please, mommies and daddies, continue to support.

We appreciate. They might not appreciate it now, but on their own behalf, I'm telling you that we, we appreciate it. And therefore the rest of you, please take advantage of these dynamics. Friends, family members, associates, it's an easy way to get this thing going. Momsie talks to her friend, you do a good job. Mumsy talks to another friend, you do a good job. Those other two friends happen to be talking. Another person is listening, you do a good job.

That is how it will begin to grow. Small, small, small, small, small. So let's take advantage of friends, family members and associates. Some idiots in America say friends families are fools. I mean like why? Why would you say friends families are fools? The explanation I've heard is they say fools because people are blinded by the fact that they love you so they don't see whether you're really good or not. But I don't, I don't like it.

That's why I don't use the term friends, family members and fools. So friends, family members and associates. So the very easy pool to look for your first set of evangelizers, your first set of referrals, your first set of promoters, your first set of Co sellers, your first set of investors. Although when it comes to investing, talk to your lawyer or someone who has some training on these sorts of things because when it comes to family members and friends and them investing in your business, it can be quite tricky.

But you know, that's a broadcast episode for another day. But from the sales angle, please, very good run with it friends, family members and associates. So that is all I was going to share here today with my conversations with Vidora. I'll try and see how the next episode will be one of the business audits so that you guys can see what it is that we get to when I'm sitting down with you guys one-on-one. And we're trying to solve particular problems that you guys have.

So if you're ready to get actionable strategies to grow your business, you can book a no cost business audit with me by calling or messaging me on 08064662140 or connect with me on socials. I spend most of my time on LinkedIn. And don't worry, it's not going to cost you an arm and a leg. Because by the time Humi and Vidora were done talking about podcasting, how you could switch up our podcasting game, how to take the whole thing forward,

how to enhance production value when it comes to creating your content calendar, finding your unique voice, titling your show, all these sorts of things. She said that the value of the consultation that she had was worth 2,000,000 naira. And so she was grateful. And I said, oh, that's good to hear. Because you see, actually don't charge 2 million. So don't worry, I'm not going to charge you 2 million. So call up the business audit is going to be free.

Let me be sure I can even help you in the 1st place. So thank you very much for your time and attention. I will catch you guys at the next recording. Oh also shout out to some to another listener of the show who made a comment on Spotify. Santo, I replied to the message. I said just WhatsApp me, let's let's talk because the story is long so we can't keep pinging back and forth. And that's not the proper forum to discuss these sorts of things.

So yeah, for those of you who are reaching out, leaving comments on Spotify, I give my phone number in every single episode. So yes, please comment on Spotify. I really love that I keep sharing, I keep liking. But if you have questions, the surest way to have me respond to the question is actually if you send me a WhatsApp message or you connect with me on on LinkedIn, because I don't always see, I don't always. I don't check the comments everyday and put it that way.

But for WhatsApp and for LinkedIn, at least everyday I check in the inbox. So that's it. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you guys at the next episode.