Life has taught me not to expect too much from people – Media personality, Clara Okoro:::
Media personality, Clara Okoro
Life has taught me not to expect too much from people – Media personality, Clara Okoro
After a degree in Guidance and Counselling at the University of Lagos, Clara Chinwe Okoro opted to pursue her aspirations in the fast-paced creative field of media, branding and advertising, rather than waiting for job opportunities and bracing up to be shrunk. One of her strongest beliefs is in the power of ideas to change the world. Spurred on by that, and her tenacity to meeting challenges and solving problems, she trudged on, honing her skills via different platforms before berthing her company, BrandWorld Media, a company that boasts an impressive clientele list of blue chip firms. Her high sense of humour, articulate nature and calm demeanour, coupled with impressive academic achievements, make her one of Nigeria’s female achievers. In this interview with FUNSHO AKINWALE, Okoro, a thorough-bred media practitioner, publisher and producer/presenter, speaks candidly on her success story.
You run Brand World, a corporate program on TV and you are also a publisher. How do you juggle all these roles?
The true situation is that if you are extremely determined to achieve what your vision and mission is, the pillar you build upon is your focus. And looking at that focus, you have to look at how you balance it with other areas of your life. I look at everything as investment; you invest your time, energy, resources and money into your private life and your career and I know all how to balance it to be able to be productive at the end.
Before delving into media business, did you consider the financial implication?
Not really, if you did as a business person or as entrepreneur, starting up a business could definitely scare you off. Somebody asked me a similar question few months back and said between idea and money, which come first and I said to him if the idea is good, the money will chase it. So, the most important thing is to do your plan, set aside your strategies, your process and then look for where money can chase that idea. You should endeavour to use your income, expenditure, cash flow and profit on that business. It is also an-going scenario, you don’t have money starched waiting for you, it’s a way of delivering value to somebody and they are also exchanging their money for the value you are delivering to them.
Considering the harsh economy affecting small scale businesses in Nigeria, has there been any form of return to the pulse of your company?
Definitely, for 12 years if I have been wasting my time then, I would have called myself a fool. That is what I will call myself. Like I told you, it’s a continuous process because as the money comes in, you as well plan way back into the business to stay afloat. You continue to run the business so as to pay the bills – such as rent, staff and all that. If all these are well taken care of, and some are still left in your purse, I mean the sky is your limit.
How have you been able to cope over the years with the level of saturation in the media industry?
That means I have to be on my toes and look at other avenues and opportunities to divert my business in order to remain relevant outside the media. It doesn’t mean I have to stay focused on media alone. I have to look at other lines of business that pull support for my media business. As I’m doing now, I’m exploring other areas like investing into events, partnership with international organisation to be able to represent them and activate their business here in Nigeria. Things like looking into real estate that could help the foreign investor. That is what I do now basically to sustain my other businesses.
Between print and electronic media, which are you mostly passionate about? They both have their advantages. The electronic media delivers in a way that the print is disadvantaged, because you have the audio and visual combined and the memory stays with you long after, even if you didn’t hear what they said, the pictures remain imprinted in your memory. While for print media, it is there forever. You can always go back 10, 20 years to pick up that material and read it all over again. Rarely, can you do that with TV.
Publishing in Nigeria seems to be capital intensive. How have you been surviving? I do a lot of special projects and partner with several international organisations for events. So on the long run, I get participants for their events and I also get my commission in published adverts and events in our magazine. We really don’t sell our magazines, we only distribute free at the events in order to keep the readership very strong but we still source for advert here and there to survive.
What were you doing before now?
I used to work at an advertising agency, a company that specialises in producing documentaries. I first worked in the advertising agency for about three years, then had my internship in documentary production for another two years before I set out to establish a company in partnership with a friend. Unfortunately, we were not financially buoyant so my partner relocated to the United States of America, while I stayed back in Nigeria and diversified into advertising and TV production.
Would you say your background prepared you for what you do now?
Yes, it did because when I delved into advertising, it was such a fantastic exposure for me.
How has the business fared so far?
It has been extremely fulfilling, even though the money is not rolling in billions.
Tell us about your educational back ground.
I schooled all my life in Lagos. I attended Onward Nursery and Primary School and Methodist Girls’ Secondary School before I proceeded to the University of Lagos to study Guidance and Counselling.
Why did you dump a well paid job with Chevron Oil and Gas for your personal business?
My parents were absolutely not happy about the decision initially, but now, I’ve tried my possible best in fulfilling their expectation and they are so glad that I was able to make something out of that personal calling. But if I had been a complete failure, I don’t think they would have been happy with me. Looking at the achievements, I think it has really given them so much joy and fulfilment as parents because they were afraid when I decided to quit my ‘lucrative’ job at Chevron to start my own business. As for reasons for the professional ‘porting’, I would say it was my adventurous nature that was at play.
Who is Clara Okoro?
I’m just a regular, laid-back, simple person but also complex within that simplicity because something that appeal to many might not appeal to me and something that appeal to me may not appeal to several people. I’m an abstract person. The creativity that flows through my blood seems to make a lot of meaning to me, so it’s that kind of thing that attracts my personality that also makes it difficult for me to specifically say this is the kind of person I am.
Tell us about your marital life.
That is a no-go area. I’m extremely a private person. I’m sorry if I’m going to disappoint you on that.
Cuts in…But people will like to know the man behind your success.
That is the most kept secret that can’t be divulged for now.
What has life taught you?
Life has taught me not to expect too much from people.
What is your definition of love?
Sacrifice. You have to be able to sacrifice yourself to your partner in good or tough situation.
How would you describe your kind of man?
He is a very laid-back person and very quiet as well. He understands my personality and respects it and I also understand his person and I respect it extremely.
Have you ever been heartbroken?
Of course, I’ve had few failed relationships but I never allowed it to get to me but we are still friends because at the end, you never can tell who would be of help to you in future. So that is the way I see life, so to speak.
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