Exquisite magazine got the opportunity to have an interview with Bolaji Bolu-David, the lead coach at Say It Right With Bolaji. A lady who has a strong passion for sharing knowledge. Let’s read up on her story and learn a thing or two!
EM- PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
My name is Bolaji Bolu-David. I am the Lead Coach at Say it Right with Bolaji, while also serving as the Director of Eliz Professional Hub.
In addition, I am skilled in content creation, writing, text editing and proofreading. I have a strong passion for sharing knowledge, and Say it Right with Bolaji provides me with an excellent platform to continue doing so.
EM- HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS FIELD?
I have been an ESL (English as a Second Language) Instructor for three years now. had already made up my mind to pursue this career path after completing my studies, so I commenced my journey in 2020 during my national youth service. This experience has been fulfilling and satisfying.
EM- WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO THIS FIELD?
I find this question quite fascinating. Teaching has always been a natural talent of mine. While in school, I took it upon myself to organize tutorials and group discussions for my fellow students.
I taught my course-mates and junior colleagues and provided them with academic resources. It was a pleasure to do all of this. After completing my studies, I knew that I wanted to pursue teaching, but not in the traditional sense.
Fortunately, with the advent of online learning, I am able to engage in my passion for teaching with a sense of fulfillment.
EM-TIPS ON HOW YOU STARTED?
During the COVID-19 lockdown, found myself stuck in Kwara State where I was serving, and I couldn’t return home. One morning, I decided to start making videos and posting them on my personal Instagram account, which had roughly 700 followers at the time. To gather knowledge and information, I watched numerous YouTube videos. I had no fancy equipment, no ring light, no tripod, no editing app, just my Tecno W3 phone.
So, I improvised by stacking books on my table, placing my phone on top, rolling up the curtains, and opening the windows to let in natural light, and then started recording. I recorded for several hours each day, which extended into multiple days.
However, after shooting over 200 videos, I discovered that I wasn’t looking into the camera in any of them while trying to edit one using an app I had found on Play Store. As a result, I deleted all of the videos and started afresh. Eventually, I was able to record a video with valuable content, which I edited and posted despite not being perfect.
My friends and family were supportive; they liked, commented, shared my posts and encouraged others to follow me.
EM- YOU ARE A FORCE TO RECKON WITH IN THE SOCIETY, HOW DID YOU GROW TO THIS LEVEL?
To be truthful, I have been growing and developing by grace, and I continue to do so. I feel fortunate to have earned the favor and acceptance of God and people. My friends, family, and followers have provided me with abundance of support, continuously engaging with my posts by sharing, liking, and commenting on them. These kind and generous people have been instrumental in my success story.
I must also give credit to the quality of my content, which has steadily improved over the years. It is both informative and entertaining.
I recognised that many people were eager to learn but didn’t know where to turn for help. Therefore, I took it upon myself to assume that responsibility. I chose to ignore the criticisms that come from those who are averse to excellence and persisted in my efforts. And within the span of three years, my content had received positive feedback from my audience and gained recognition from others in the field.
So, I grew to my current level by God’s grace and favour, my consistency and educative content, and the love and support of this incredible community.
EM: HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
I believe that success is a multifaceted concept. However, I like to define it in two ways. Firstly, success is the ability to make a positive impact on others or society as a whole. Secondly, success is achieving a sense of purpose or meaning in life.
To me, these two concepts encompass the entirety of the human experience.
Leaving a lasting legacy is the ultimate form of success, whether it’s through making a difference, inspiring others, spreading knowledge, or simply showing kindness. Success isn’t necessarily about status or wealth, but rather about making an impact and achieving daily goals.
EM: IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO START YOUR CAREER OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
I don’t think I would change much if given the chance. value the support I have received from my current followers and would love to have them continue to support me.
EM- EVERY BUSINESS-MINDED SUCCESSFUL PERSON HAS A STORY, WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE?
Every day, I still encounter difficulties. Balancing the growth of my business and my page has been quite a challenge, but a fascinating journey nonetheless.
As one progresses, it becomes essential to have a team of like-minded professionals who can help one achieve one’s vision and stay focused on what matters most.
If a business is to thrive beyond one’s lifetime, it can’t be a one-man show. Finding individuals who share your vision and are committed to achieving your objectives is an enormous task.
For the past three years, I have mostly worked independently with some assistance from my friends and partners. And this is because finding trustworthy individuals to help manage my business and social media, as well as recruiting other skilled EL instructors, has been quite challenging.
WHAT SETS YOU APART?
I stand out due to my commitment to continuous learning and improvement. I actively seek out opportunities to develop both personally and professionally, and I invest in various ways to achieve this goal.
EM- YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO MANY. WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
My personal values and goals serve as a source of inspiration for me. Additionally, I find inspiration from others who have achieved success and from their experiences.
Reading books, watching movies, and engaging in conversations with self-motivated and goal-oriented individuals who are working towards achieving their goals also inspire me.
EM- WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
I stay motivated by surrounding myself with inspiring people and resources, such as books and articles, and by connecting with like-minded individuals. Also, I’m one to keep a positive outlook. It helps me stay focused on my goals, even in the face of adversity.
EM- IF YOU WERE TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT YOURSELF WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?
That would be: ‘The Power of Community: How Support Can Fuel Success”.
EM- PLEASE KINDLY SHARE SOME OF OF YOUR SECRETS TO BECOMING SUCCESSFUL WITH EM
While I am still striving to achieve the level of success that I aspire to, I attribute my progress so far to the values of diligence, persistence, consistency, and the support of others.
From April 2020 when I started creating content, the Sayitright community only saw a growth of 600 followers in the span of 1 year and 9 months up to January 2022. However, in 2022, our following grew from 1300+ in January to 65k+ in October.
This reminds me of the scripture that says, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
This scripture gives me the encouragement to persist in my diligence because l believe that the right opportunity to achieve success will eventually come. I strongly believe that those who need to find me will eventually do so, but in order to be ready for that moment, I need to stay skilled and diligent.
EM- WHAT ADVICE WILL YOU GIVE TO YOUTHS WITH THE ZEAL TO GROW?
I would advise them to stay passionate, hone their skills, keep going and not be deterred.
EM- PLEASE SHARE THE CONTACT DETAILS YOU WISH TO BE MADE PUBLIC
Alright, I could share all my social media handles then.
Instagram: @sayitrightwithbolaji
Instagram (personal): @bolajieliz
Twitter: @sayitrightwithB
Facebook: @sayitrightwithbolaji
TikTok: @sayitrightwithbolaji
