Toyin Owoseje, Proving Persistence Is The Key, Wrench and Bulldozer For Unlocking Opportunity’s Door

Meet Toyin Owoseje - a young, strongly-opinionated, ambitious woman blazing her own trail in the world of media as a lifestyle and entertainment journalist. Her persistence and work-ethic has motivated her be open to all opportunities, and dare we say bulldozed opportunity’s door to create her own luck. You don’t believe us? Read for yourself!

In the first part of this five-part post, Toyin talks to us about why platforms like Yaaya are a necessity for today’s young black girls, how she navigated her own path into Journalism, and why sometimes you have to take risks and fake it until you make it.

And so the conversation begins …

Toyin Meet Yaaya. Yaaya Meet Toyin.

 

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Yaaya:

Toyin it is a pleasure to meet you again. Most people won't know this, but we actually went to secondary school together. When you responded to our initial invitation, you spoke high praise for what Yaaya was trying to do. Would you like to share why you feel platforms like Yaaya are much needed?

Toyin O:

I feel like, in this day and age, a lot of black girls are … misguided. It is really hard to find inspiration and motivation, especially in this industry where the media is telling you how to look. Music videos are telling you that if you shake your booty, look good, and are light-skinned, you will get far in life. To be honest, we haven't got enough inspirational women out there that are going to stand up for women of all colours and say “yes, you are beautiful regardless of what you look like.”

Yaaya:

By “enough inspirational women out there”, do you mean celebrities?

Toyin O:

Most of these celebrities that young women are looking up to are contradictory of women themselves. Some are saying that they are not trying to be a role model but are still feeding off the fan-base of people that are trying to be like them and making money off of it. Seriously?!

So it is good to have a platform where it's a positive message and women can actually learn from each other. We need more social initiatives like this because women are getting lost.

Yaaya:

Can you elaborate?

Toyin O:

Young girls are saying basically, “I just want to be kept, I don't need to be successful because if Amber Rose can go from a stripper to a house-wife, so can I.” Girls are not even trying to make their own money now: “I need to find a rich guy, marry, and I am good.” That is what some of these reality shows and celebrities are showing them. So, It's good to have space where like-minded women are visible to remind us that you can be independent, successful, and just keep it classy.

The Journalist In Profile

 

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Yaaya:

You are currently a Lifestyle and Entertainment Journalist at International Business Times UK. Can you tell us more about your role?

Toyin O:

Basically, I am the person in the office that gets to do the … interesting stuff (smiles).

Our publication is business, but like The Financial Times, we also have sections for sport, lifestyle and entertainment. I am the designated lifestyle and entertainment writer in the office, so I get to cover fashion, lifestyle, celebrity news, showbiz, art, music … anything that comes under that umbrella. And I get to just go to really cool events, meet people. Some people will say I get to do the 'soft' journalism - some will say it as a good thing, some will say “it's not really journalism”.

I like to mix it up as well. Because I am lifestyle and entertainment writer and a general writer in the office as well, I get thrown in to do more [hard-hitting news], which I like. A while ago, I did a story about Stella Damasus, I don't even know how to pronounce her name right, sorry. She is a Nollywood actress, and she spoke about …

Yaaya:

“Child Not Bride” …

Toyin O:

Yes – child marriage. And I felt really touched by it. It's not really my area because we have foreign writers in the office but I said to a colleague, “she is a Nigerian celebrity [who has spoken up about child marriage in Africa]”, to which he replied “we don't really know her”. However, I said “well, she is known! And I think it's a big story.” So I wrote that story, even though it's not really under my bracket.

Yaaya:

How long have you been in the role then?

Toyin O:

I have been at the International Business Times since … it's going to be almost three years.

Yaaya:

And what has your journey been like into journalism? How did you get into journalism?

Toyin O:

It has been hard (laughs). Like most graduates, when I was in uni I was very naïve. I sort of thought “okay, if I get a degree then I will come out and get a job”. Nah! So I came out, had my degree, I was just like yeah, started applying for all these journalism roles, writer roles and administrative roles. All sorts of roles ... anything and everything to get me into the door.

I applied over the course of a year and a bit. I was very stubborn, I didn't apply for anything else but journalism related roles. And everyone was like "no, no, no". I think I got about two hundred "nos", and some of them didn't even bother replying. Literally!

Yaaya:

That is tough. Unfortunately, in this job climate, it is a situation that a lot of young people can identify with.

Toyin O:

I had been unemployed during time , so my partner was like "babe, seriously you're not working and you need to sort of look elsewhere for now, and apply for jobs you might not necessarily want but that would build up your experience." Unfortunately when I was in university, I made the mistake of doing only one internship, which was the mandatory one for my course. So when I came out of university, I actually didn't have that much experience. Even though, in theory I did, and I could write. It's just that my CV just looked really plain.

Yaaya:

What was your game plan?

Toyin O:

So after I got my wake up call about a year and half in, I just thought let me take a retail position. It hurt my pride. I took the job just to pay the bills, and while I was there I started applying for internships. I applied for a few, got a few nos.

Then I finally just tired one day so I walked in, this is how unhappy I was, I woke up one day and I said "babe, I'm going to the West End to hand out my CV, I'm going to go to their offices, because whenever I hand out the CV nobody replies or they say ‘no’. So if I meet them face to face, I can blag my way in."

Yaaya:

Wow!

Toyin O:

I left my house around eight o'clock in the morning, and walked the West End up and down looking for all these addresses I had collected. I went into their offices and a lot of them said "no, we can't see you, you have to [apply] online."

Luckily enough, I went to Bauer Media, the Heat offices. Do you know Heat magazine?

Yaaya:

Yes.

Toyin O:

So I walked in, and literally blagged my way in.

Yaaya continues the conversation in Part 2 of our five-part post where Toyin talks to Yaaya about bagging her first internship at Heat magazine and what sustains her love for journalism.

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Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Image courtesy of Toyin Owoseje.