Gift Wogu

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Blessing Leonard started her career as a Social Media Content Creator/Influencer. From creating content on social media for fun, Blessing now owns and runs a digital marketing agency in the heart of Abuja. In our first episode of the Fempreneur Journal, we chat with Blessing Leonard, a Serial Digital Entrepreneur, Wife, and Mum about life, work, motherhood, and transitioning from a degree in Logistics Management to creating a digital marketing agency in the heart of Abuja.

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Hello Bibi, thank you for agreeing to do this interview with us. My name is Mimi and I’ll be your interviewer for today.

The pleasure is all mine, Mimi. Thank you.

You are our first profile for our Fempreneur Journal at Gift Wogu. We are glad to have you here. Today, we’ll be asking you questions, mostly about your marketing agency @thedigitalstrategistbl.

I’ll be glad to answer them, thank you.

What inspired you to start your business and what problem does it solve?

My passion to help people in need of our services inspired me. I had to choose between a good working environment and my potential team members.

What services do you render? Our audience would like to know.

One of the focuses of @thedigitalstrategistbl is everything related to social media, digital marketing, and branding. Our main goal is to help brands position themselves in front of their right audience. Simply put, the idea is to help them convey their visions and brand messaging.

So you are a growth strategist?

Yes, yes exactly.

Amazing! How would you define success and how would you measure it in your business?

Making a positive impact or difference in every sphere I find myself in and achieving specific goals. It’s a feeling of contentment. So that’s how I define success.

Okay, so you find success in the success of other people. Right?

Yes, absolutely.

What is your academic background and does it relate to your business?

(Laughs) This is a very funny question. Did Gift put you up to this one? (Laughs)

No, she didn’t.

Okay, my academic background is pretty interesting compared to what I am doing right now. My first degree was in Logistics Management and my master’s degree was in Business Administration. If you compare it to what I am doing now, you’ll find they are unrelated. But the good thing about having an MBA is that it opens your mind to the possibilities in every industry and business you find yourself in. The concept of business can be applied everywhere. Although I’ve done some short professional courses in digital marketing, graphics, and design, my agency is more about passion and talent than what I studied in school.

Okay, it’s not directly related to what you studied in school, but your master’s is somewhat related.

Yes, my MBA is more related. With an MBA, you become a master in business. Put me in tech, I’ll work. Put me in finance, I’ll work. Any industry at all, I’ll work because they all follow the same principles.

Okay, that’s nice and very interesting.

Yeah.

What are some of the biggest achievements of your business so far?

Oooo, what’s the biggest achievement? We’ve had many achievements, and I’m even struggling to think because every time we think something is the biggest, another one pops up. Recently, we concluded a deal to handle everything in digital marketing and branding for one of the most luxurious apartments in Abuja.

Wow! That’s exciting!

Yes, it’s still in the works because there’s literally no information about this company online, so anything you see will be from my team and me. This is huge for us. We’ve had many international clients, and this is a significant local achievement. Our biggest achievement is that people trust us with their businesses. If they didn’t trust us, they wouldn’t hire us.

So you guys have earned the trust of your clients and many other companies, which is a big achievement for you, right?

Yes, exactly.

Right. Now, let’s talk about failure and setbacks because business is not all flowers and sunshine. How do you handle setbacks in your business?

(Laughs) Another interesting question because, in this business, you learn every day. Some mistakes I’ve made were early on, and we’ve used those experiences to set up rules and refine how we work with clients. I see failure as an opportunity to learn. Sometimes it’s painful because you lose money and relationships, but more opportunities always come. We won’t take failure lightly, and we pray that we encounter failures now while we’re still growing rather than later at a global level. I look forward to new challenges and opportunities. The more we fail, the more we learn. If we fail, we dust ourselves off, keep going, and find new ways to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

I think meeting young business owners who are not afraid of failure is rare, and I love your confidence and honesty.

Yes, thank you.

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With regards to challenges in your everyday work, how do you handle them?

I’d say God and the Holy Spirit. I wouldn’t have come this far if not for God and the Holy Spirit. I can’t point to one particular event that motivated me, but knowing this is my purpose, I’ve discovered my talent. God has given me this talent to be a blessing, and I know He’ll stand by me no matter the circumstances. God is my utmost confidant because I know that whatever I do, wherever I am, He’ll always stand by my side, leading me, correcting me, and loving me all the way. That’s my biggest motivation. I also have a very supportive husband who doesn’t judge. He listens and holds my hand when I’m down. With God and my husband, I’m able to run this business without much stress.

That’s nice.

So how do you manage risks and make strategic decisions in your business?

First, as a business expert, risks are expected. I weigh my risks and the outcomes of different decisions. Then I also seek professional help from people in my industry. I tend to run it by my team members to get their ideas and input, then I’ll compare the consequences of the risks we’re about to take. What’s the worst that can happen? We also create strategies to mitigate risks.

So the interests of your partners are considered before taking the risk?

Yes, exactly. What are their interests? What do they say? How will this decision affect our business relationship going forward? Those are the things I consider before taking any risks.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered and how did you look past them and move on?

I wouldn’t call it the biggest challenge because I know there are more to come. The most memorable challenge is ignoring red flags from the onset. Sometimes, speaking to someone or a company will tell you how their working relationship will be, but there are instances where we ignored red flags due to sentimental reasons, and later we suffered from those decisions.

Working with clients who want to dictate how you run your business is also tough. One mistake we made was not signing contracts with them. This leads me to advise: even if you’re setting up contracts for yourself, make sure you have a lawyer to proofread them. The lawyer will be in the best position to spot good terms and ways to protect your company. Anyway, the Lord has been good.

Amen! Now, let’s go into technology. What role does it play in your business?

Oh wow, technology plays a huge role in our business. Our business relies on technology, and we can’t do without it. There are new updates in technology every day, and we try to get first-hand information to stay on top of trends. You can use AI to simplify your life. Technology makes things easier.

With regards to gender bias and discrimination, how do you handle it?

There are a couple of issues here and there. I choose my battles; I don’t have the energy to waste on proving anyone wrong. I focus on results, not talk. Yesterday, someone told me that I wasn’t thinking straight because of my pregnancy, and I was just thinking, how is that even related to what we’re talking about? Some people are ignorant, so I ignore gender bias and discrimination. We don’t waste time proving them wrong; we just ignore them.

How do you handle work-life balance during times of crisis and uncertainty?

I have people I’ve entrusted to work for me, so when I need to be away, I have confidence because I’ve put things in place for times like this. With regards to family, family always comes first. If my family is good, I’m good, and the business grows. When my family is not good, I suspend everything. Thankfully, I have people who work tirelessly even when I’m away.

It’s great to have people who ensure work gets done as a business owner when you’re away. How do you handle criticism and negative feedback?

This is interesting. Negative feedback is expected, especially from someone not in the same field as you. They might think they’re giving the right feedback, but it comes out as negative because they don’t know your job. Some clients try to communicate in this way, and I understand their feelings, but we explain what we believe will work for their brand. If they insist, we do what they want. For criticisms, we take responsibility for our actions, apologize, and try to make up for the scenario. We handle it well because criticisms will always come. When it’s positive, we’ll take it, but when it’s negative, we’ll know how to address it and try to convince them. If they don’t agree, we’ll do what they want and show them the results.

How do you balance your work and personal life, and what boundaries do you set?

We try to balance by providing a hybrid working environment where our team members take one day off a week. They’re committed to taking time off as long as they submit their deliverables on time. For me, anytime I feel I don’t want to be present at work, I take a break because we need to be healthy to think and work. Health is very important to me, so anything that affects it is a ‘no’ for me. That’s how we manage it, and we provide a very nice working environment.

How do you prioritize self-care and mental health as a busy entrepreneur?

I prioritize it. I don’t overwork myself. I take enough rest, and if I feel too stressed, I go for a spa treatment and take my time for skincare. Getting my hair and nails done, looking good, and shopping make me happy.

How do you stay true to your values and vision in the face of challenges and obstacles in your business?

First, I remember the reason I started in the first place. I don’t want to go back to a stage where I didn’t have time for my family, my health was bad, and I was in a toxic work environment. I try to avoid that lifestyle. I want us to be better at what we do, reach more people, and impact more lives. Remembering why I started keeps me going and believing that the same God who led me through that time will continue to lead me. Secondly, I never let money become the king of my life. I will never compromise on my beliefs or work ethics because of money, no matter how much it is. I recognize that this is not just my work, but also my purpose. It’s something God has given me, and I don’t want to take advantage of it. I want to be a positive impact on people’s minds, businesses, and lives.

How do you prioritize your own professional development?

Right now, I’m due to get my PhD.

Wow, congratulations!

Thank you. But I am pregnant at the moment, so that will wait. I prioritize my academic growth and try to learn something new every day. I make time to research and ask people ahead of me. I make myself available to learn and don’t look down on anybody because there’s something to learn from everyone. Whenever I’m faced with the opportunity to learn, I take advantage of it.

How do you juggle everything and still find time for your loved ones?

Priorities and scheduling. I try to schedule as much as I can, and there are times when I don’t take calls or reply to texts. When I’m not resting, I know I can be a blessing to someone. I’ll either visit them or send a gift. It’s about setting my priorities right.

As a leader, especially as a woman in a patriarchal society, how do you define leadership and embody it in your business?

I love this question. I approach leadership as the relationship between God and ourselves. Jesus came to die for us and showed leadership by serving others. He washed the feet of His disciples and interacted with those considered unworthy. That’s how I approach leadership. It’s about service, giving people wings to fly, allowing them to make mistakes, be themselves, and learn from you. I don’t want to be a leader where my subordinates cannot speak to me about their personal lives or work. I approach leadership with love.

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs who are just starting?

My advice is to trust God completely and then go for it. The worst that can happen is that you fail, and there’s nothing bad about failing. If you fail, get up, and try again. Keep moving. When you fail, cry, clean your tears, and move on to the next thing. Trust God, and He will give you strength, resources, and the ability to move on.

I also pray that other young female entrepreneurs who are reading this blog today will learn something from your experience. Amen.

Amen.

Thank you for your time, Mrs. Blessing. I really enjoyed this interview with you. It was really nice.

Thank you for having me.

You can follow @thedigitalstrategistbl on Instagram, check out the website and reach out to the brand on Instagram to help your business go digital. You can also follow Blessing on Instagram @thebibileonards for amazing lifestyle content with crisp editing.