From her undergraduate days in Birmingham City University to her career as a music PR where she had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest stars up till when she started her own agency, Ronke has been making things work.
She started her professional life working at a Butchers Store in Lagos because she wanted to make some extra cash and since then she hasn’t stopped working.
She moved into fashion and worked for a number of High street stores. At this time she was struggling with her course in Business school and took a year to explore communications. This was where her love for everything Media and communications and public relations began. She worked on some amazing accounts such as House of Marley – a range of products by the Bob Marley Family.
Ronke moved back to Nigeria four years ago and took on the role as Head of PR for the InterContinental Hotel and last year joined Grayling a Top global agency where she headed the Nigerian team. Now she runs BWL Agency – the exclusive affiliate of Grayling in Nigeria and looks after the Pernod Ricard Nigeria Portfolio handling some fantastic brands such as Jameson, Martell, Chivas and Absolute Vodka.
One would think that that’s enough but this achiever is also in the process of launching a new fashion platform called SLKT Fashion. SLKT will provide fast fashion for a very undeserved demographic at budget prices.
With all these, Ronke doesn’t consider herself ‘successful’ not because she hasn’t worked hard enough but because she believes she’s still trying to figure it out.
This is her advice for young female executives.
Live your life. Do not let culture, tradition and people’s opinions stifle the person you can be. See the world, get out of doing the same things. Make mistakes, learn from it. Fall and then pick yourself up.
Importantly, please get out of the mindset that you need a man to be ‘set’ in life, that you need to marry a rich man to give you the things you need. This is something I’ve heard so many times in this environment. No you don’t, all you need is your brain and prayers.
Stop the Instagram envy, remember that not all that glitters is gold. Remember your values and stick to them, it’s so easy to lose yourself if you keep comparing yourself to the next female on Instagram.
Stop putting yourself under the pressure to look like you have it all together. It’s ok to not know what you want to do – take the time to discover yourself and the person you want to be.
Knowledge – Learn and be the best in your chosen field. Be that female that can work any room. Be that female that can command attention. Be that female that when you speak the world listens. Be that female that can work a club and also a board room
