Technical Skill is Just the Price of Admission: Why Creatives Must Master Sales and Marketing

Today on the podcast, I want us to look at why design skills are not enough to grow your business, or rather, design skills alone are not enough to grow your business. And the reason why we're looking at that today is because it's the opinion of Elizabeth David. And for those of you who've been listening to the podcast since I got a brand new logo, she is the head honcho. She's the chief behind Goshen Media. They're the ones who designed the new podcast art, the new LinkedIn banner for those of you who follow me on LinkedIn, the new YouTube banner and all that.

So they're the ones who are responsible for all the good work that you guys can see right now on the podcast. You know, everything is looking nice, everything is looking clean, everything is looking polished, everything is looking refreshed. So Elizabeth is the one who's responsible for that. And I'm going to run through one of her LinkedIn posts where she spoke about us working together. And then we're going to tease out why design skills are not enough to build a profitable business or other design skills alone are not enough to build a profitable business.

So welcome to the podcast. I'm your host, Tava Shima Ayede. If you'd love to connect with me, then call, send a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. And if you love these sorts of things, how do you grow your business? You know, sales, marketing, branding, you know all these sorts of things. You're on different perspectives that you're not hearing from other Nigerian podcasts, then this podcast is your jam.

So subscribe on spotifying YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. And yeah, that's it. So let's go straight into it. So Elizabeth David today she put up a post saying that she started off as a designer, jumping from 1 design course to another, going from one mentorship to another, collecting different kinds of fonts, collecting mock ups, collecting different kinds of materials. But that eventually she realised that design skills were not enough to build a profitable business.

Now let me repeat, these are Elizabeth's words. She started off buy one course, go to another course, go to another course, have one mentor, go to another mentor, collect fonts, collect mock ups, collect materials. But eventually she realized that design skills alone weren't enough. Now for those of you who have been listening to my podcast from the get go, you will know that the kind of mirrors my own journey, you know, into where we are today.

So some experience in civil service, some experience in legal, some experience as a wedding photographer, then also in the export business with my brother. And eventually, especially in the photo and video space, you know, you go from camera to camera, from lens to lens, from tutorial to tutorial, from course to course, technique, technique, technique. Well, then eventually you have to work on one day and realise that Omar, there's not by technique alone.

It's not by technique alone. There's something else that is missing. So Elizabeth said she realised that you need to understand the business side, especially when it relates to sales and marketing. And that is precisely the reason why I started this podcast, because back then as a wedding photographer, I realised that my brethren, where do I missing the way? It was not about buying camera on camera. It was not about buying lens.

People who save up. You go to what's the school called again? There's in New York, I think it's in New York, like New York Academy of Art or something that has a photography department, you know, like boys who save up, you know, or go for. There was this wedding Expo that used to happen. It's in Los Angeles or something, I can't remember, you know, travel. And then you come back and you just expect that somehow automatically, your career as a photographer will just blow no.

So while Elizabeth and the people in the branding department were collecting fonts and doing courses, you know, we photo people, video people, buying camera, watching YouTube videos, learning technique, technique. That is not what builds a business at the end of the day. It would be nice if that's how we used to work. And some people say that there was a time when it was like that in Niger. First of all, I disagree. But The thing is, even if that was the case, it was probably a matter of, you know, demand and supply.

So like at some point there probably weren't too many correct photographers in Nigeria or correct brand design people. So yeah, maybe it's a matter of demand and supply. So once you're the best, your reputation will just spread. But now that's not the case. There has to be something else. Need to understand sales, need to understand marketing. It's not just about being the best. In fact, nowadays with the level of information that is out there being good, like good, good,

good, it's just entry. It's just it's just jam one O 1. It's just entry, entry stakes with level of information that is out there in the world right now concerning photography and video and branding. You know, if you're entering the game and your skill is not tight and nothing for you. So nowadays being tight is just the price of admission, being good is the price of admission. From Elizabeth's point of view, now being knowing your craft as a brand and design person, that is just entry stakes.

It just means you're now staying on the line, you're ready to race. But she said it. She realised that design skills alone were not enough to build a profitable business. If you're a baby lawyer like I was a couple of years ago, knowledge of the law alone is not enough to build a successful legal practice. You're an architect. You just graduated uni jobs. You finish your master's. That you graduated first class in your class is not enough to build a profitable business.

Pick whatever endeavour it is. You go to Harvard, you go and study MSC finance, you come back. You want to set up your consulting outfit. The fact that you went to Harvard or that you graduated first class is not enough to build a successful consultancy practice. So just like Elizabeth learned and just like I learned that we need to know sales and marketing is the same way you 2 suppose wake up, especially if you're resting on the fact that you're smart or resting on the fact that you gas skills.

No, that's not enough. It's not enough. So excuse me, my voice is a little tired today. This is a late night recording and I had a couple of conversations during the day. So that was how Elizabeth crossed my path. She was looking for good stuff on the Internet and that's how she found me. That's how she found the podcast, and that's how our relationship began. Oh, business relationship, by the way. You know, I'm happily married.

So that's how it began. She found the podcast and then she started listening. Excuse me, Or rather, at first she found the podcast, but then the podcast art looked like crap. So she desired to fussy. But eventually they said they had listened. And when she listened, she was surprised to see that what she was hearing and then the designs that were there, you know, was not matching that the value she was getting from the podcast was really good.

But at the podcast, art was crap, which is why eventually, after listening to a couple of episodes, she reached out and then, you know, the collaboration began. And now I have brand new stuff, brand new podcast, that new logo, new everything to reflect the packaging of what we have over here. So yes, design skills really, really important. But anyway, so yeah, that's how Elizabeth discovered me. She said that my podcast bridged that gap.

The things that she needed to know as the brand designer, the non-technical skills, because you know, as a brand designer you're supposed to know colours, design themes, what else, you know, different stuff. But then there's some non-technical things that you need to learn. And she said she was getting that from the podcast. I bridged the gap. She also said that on my podcast right here. This podcast you're listening to that I was good at breaking down complex concepts into simple terms so that a designer like her can understand and apply to the business.

And you know what, to be honest, you know, sometimes I wonder if maybe I'm not oversimplifying things. You know, once in a while I run into someone who says, and, you know, that definition you gave, you know, a bit limiting. Yeah, sometimes I do wonder somebody discovers the podcast, and then, you know, they hear the way I'm talking about stuff. You know, perhaps I might think I'm being too light or being too frivolous or I'm not preaching this gospel of sales and marketing with the seriousness that it deserves.

But then when I come across comments like this, you know, from Elizabeth and those of you who reach out, I'm like, OK, yeah, I'm on the right track. So the podcast might not be sounding academically, you know, Jim, Jim, but the fact that people are listening and it's making sense and they can apply, Yeah, no problem. I'm on the right track. So yeah, that's what she said, that for her, I bridged the gap. So recently, like I told you guys, her agency and I, Goshen Media and me, we got to collaborate on rebranding this podcast, building nice visual identity.

And for her, the idea she came up with was money as movement or knowledge in motion. That is kind of what designed informed the design that they made for the brand. You know, to be honest, you know, I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to these sorts of things. So to be frank, we had the conversation where she asked me the questions. I told her my expectations and my wife and my brother, they are much more all, I put it sophisticated when it comes to these things.

So my was OK, no problem so long as I like the design. I check with wifey, Wifey is good, check with my brother, brother is good, then we're good to go. But yeah, but that was the idea that she had money as movement, knowledge in motion. And I agree. I agree. Money as movement, knowledge in motion. In fact, with the podcast, that's what I hope to achieve, that I put out knowledge. And whether you pay me or you don't pay me, you take this knowledge and you run with it.

Put this knowledge in motion, apply. So with the design that she came up with for the podcast, she was trying to reflect how insights move, how they flow from conversation to application. You know, as in we're having conversation. I'm just talking, I'm trying to drop some insights and then you guys take it and then you apply it. You know that our knowledge will now it will now how will I say it now will now give you business momentum.

You know, you listen, you apply one or two things. Now your business begins to pick up, begins to grow small, small, please. By the way, on this podcast, I do not promise 10X growth, though I don't promise, you know, triple your profits 10XI mean like, yeah, you will triple your profits eventually and you will 10X your profits eventually. But on the podcast, I'm hoping to inspire some simple behavioural change that you just change how you do one or two things or adopt one or two best practices.

You make small growth and then the big changes come over time. So yeah, can you triple your business? Definitely. But I don't promise that kind of growth here overnight. So behaviour change, first we change the way that we do things, actually start applying one or two things, then add knowledge is in what is now going to give your business momentum, sales and marketing principles, is that going to give you forward motion in your business?

So that was what you were trying to capture in the design basically, you know, logo, the colour palette, trying to capture some dynamic energy because in our own opinion, that's the value that she gets from the podcast, from listening to the podcast. It keeps you moving, keeps you learning, keeps you growing. That's what she was trying to embody, trying to capture with the designs. Now, like I said, I'm not really savvy when it comes to these sorts of things, but to be honest, I like it.

I like the logo, I like the look, I like the feel, I like it. And a bunch of you have also checked it out. In fact, there's some people who already started sending me messages that why I found out I'm noticing a new look. So it was well received. So just in case you haven't noticed that there's been a change, look into your podcast player and see look at the new one. Let me know what you think. I like it and I hope you guys like it too.

So anyway, was a fun collaboration. Glad that I've met and worked and interacted with Elizabeth. And by the way, this is what I mean when I say when people reach out to me, like I'm doing this for your business. And then some of you, when you reach out, it's only to take, take, take, take, take. So it's nice when people reach out and they're trying to give something for a change. It's really, really nice. So I'm glad that Elizabeth and I, you know, finally you spoke,

finally hooked up, finally collaborated on this. And for those of you who listen to the podcast and who wish me well like Elizabeth did, she thinks she has skills that can help me to move my ministry forward as she reaches out. I really appreciate that. For those of you who also reach out in one or two ways to try and see how you can support the podcast, I really, really appreciate it. But if you're a creative listening to this, whether you're like Elizabeth coming from the branding side or whether you're like me coming from the photo side, whether you're like my brother coming from the video side or whichever side you're coming from, you need to understand.

You need to understand for your business to grow, you need to understand the business side better, not the technical side. In fact, I think was it Mii can't remember. There was one video where somebody was talking, I can't remember, was MI or maybe was was this guy, this guy with the big head, Banky W Yeah, Banky W I can't remember who it was, but one of them was talking to somebody and the person said, look, he said The thing is called show business.

It's not just the show, it's also the business. That's why it's called show business. Basically what the person was trying to say, whether was MI or whether was Banky W or whoever, the person was trying to say that look, there's two things. There's talent that is involved, then there's the business that is involved. So you learn the two. So if it was am I that was saying it, then what that means is you learn your flows as a rap artist, you learn your art, but then there's the business side as well.

And that is why am I them, You know, Chocolate City, you know, grew to be fairly successful powerhouse in the music industry in Nigeria because they knew it was not just about the skills. It's not just about how well do you rap. There's also a business side as well. Or take this guy, what's his name Maven? What's his name? Don Jazzy, Don Jazzy. It's not just about the the art. There's a business side that goes into it.

And that's the reason why Maven is a powerhouse in the industry today. Now it was Manky W that said it. It still follows because you know, bank EW is not just the singing. He also does the the acting thing as well. So it's not just you learn how to sing, you learn how to act. There's also a business side that goes with it as well. So if you're creative, you've been listening to this podcast or this is your first time discovering the podcast, just know you need to understand the business side better.

Now, if you want to continue on this journey, I would be honoured to help you stay on this path and be, you know, walk this journey with you as you subscribe and as you listen every day or every other day or every week. I'll be honoured to help you walk this path. But I've said it time and time again, it doesn't have to be me. I'm not everybody's cup of tea. For some people I'm too blunt or for some people I'm too unserious, or for some people I'm too, you know, whatever.

Although my podcasts, you know, take too long. So it doesn't have to be me. Or please find something. Some podcast, some YouTube channel, some book, some community, some something. I'll Start learning how to understand the business side better so that in 10/15/20 years when you see people like me and Elizabeth in front and we're making progress, you won't start beefing because that's one thing we creatives do very well.

Photographers who say this guy's a scam, his photos are not nice. It's just packaging or it's just networking. There's one photographer in Abuja who graduated from Igbinidji. Yeah, finish from Igbinidji. I don't want to call his name but for those of you who have photography, you will know he's a big boy in the photography space in Niger, not just Abuja but Nigeria. And I hear people talking crap behind his back. They say the guy doesn't have skill, Lies.

If we need young connection, that's what he's using to hammer too much beef. Why are you beefing? So you're a better photographer than him? You think you're a better photographer than him? OK, that's in your own pocket. The reason why he's blowing and the guy has been blowing for two decades now and you are not blowing is because he's good at sales and marketing. That's why. So creative. Let's stop this beef. There's a business side to it.

Learn the business and you should be OK. So that's it. And that's all for today. Have a look at the new logo. I hope you guys like it. And if you're looking for a good designer to help you out on these sorts of things, I would recommend Elizabeth David and her team at Goshen Media anytime, any day, Especially since they conduct business in ways that I already recommend. Because when we're about to do the brand, the brand design, and she said we'd have to book a meeting so that we can discuss expectations, blah, blah, blah.

Once she said that, I said, I am dealing with a professional now because too many design people say we design logo, we design this. They don't ask you any question. They just come back and they present 5 designs as they pick the one you like. So yeah, I recommend Elizabeth anytime, any day. So again, it's Gaussian media Goshen, like redeem Camp Goshen. Check them out on Instagram. You need our contact details, Just let me know and I will be sure to pass you on through to her or any of the rest of her colleagues.

So thank you very much for listening. Remember, if you'd love to connect, you have any question, any query, any complaint, one or two things are not clear. You disagree with me on anything, reach out. That's the reason why I give my phone number at the beginning and at the end of every episode, again, the phone number is 08064662140. You can call, you can send an SMS, you can send a WhatsApp message. It's all good. If you want to call, please don't call me at night.

There's one idiot that called me at one, AMI said. Now wow, some people don't have sex. Please take dressing. We're Nigerians and in this part of the world is somehow total stranger. You'll just be calling at 1:00 AM. You know, please take dressing. So that's it. Thanks for listening. I will catch you at some other time. And I know that this particular episode was not sales related, but don't worry, the next one, I'll make sure we're doing something hardcore sales.

So I'll catch you next time.