What does it take for an African millennial woman to succeed in her career and have an unprecedented cultural impact on the entire world? Award-winning Nigerian author, speaker, and digital strategist, Luvvie Ajayi, is giving us the answers to this question, and best believe we are taking notes.
During a recent event organized by Bloom Africa, Luvvie shared her thoughts on the elements she believes have been responsible for her success. Based on her experience, she gave the following advice:
“There’s this wrong idea that in business you have to be cut throat to go up. You have to step on necks and shoulders. You do not have to step on necks because here’s the thing: The neck you are stepping on might be the neck you needed to get to the next level. Don’t do it! I’ve dealt with people in my space who think that we are running the same race when we are not even in the same competition. But what happens is when their name comes up am I vouching for them? No.
So as we do this business…as we do this work do not be that person who somehow sees another Black woman as competition for you. Because the only race you are running is yours to be quite honest. You could be running for the same position as someone else, but really you are not in competition with her. You are to show up as your best self. Your job is to be as excellent and as dope as you are supposed to be that is your only job, that is the only race you are supposed to run.”
She also emphasized the importance of being a nice, likeable person, and how this is a factor that can open doors for oneself, even when there are others that may be more qualified for the job:
“I work with people I like. People in general, work with people they like. I’m not the biggest influencer. I’m not the biggest writer out here. I have never had the biggest blog number wise. But I was getting campaigns that people with massive blogs weren’t getting. Why? Simply because maybe the PR person liked me. ‘I submitted your name at the top because I like you’.”
Luvvie is speaking the truth y’all! Amazing advice. Hope we all keep this in mind as we strive for career success in 2019.
