Many still can’t believe that Genevieve Magazine Publisher, Betty Irabor will be 60 soon. The truth is that this ageless beauty who is a damn good professional will be 60 in a few weeks time. And she does not look it. She also does not feel it she says. In fact, she tells everyone who cares to listen that she feels like a little girl as she clocks 60.
This pretty wife of ace broadcaster, Soni Irabor has a lot to thank God for.
She has a good family. She is professionally fulfilled. She is well respected in society and has a wide following. She is a role model to very many young ladies who want to flow with their dreams. She encourages ladies not only to dream big, but to flow with their dreams.
City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE got her to talk a few weeks back about turning 60.
How have you stayed Fab at nearly 60?
Fabulousity comes with Contentment, a sense of worth and self-love. You feel good inside, you radiate that goodness on the outside..Being fabulous in any age starts with what and who you allow into your life. I thank God for good genes from my mama and papa and I was also an athlete as a young girl when I took part in National Athletics. Staying fab comes from a choice of lifestyle; eat well, sleep well, work smart, embrace fitness, try and make peace with yourself and others as much as possible. Be content with what you have and don’t sweat the small stuff. You can’t stop the ticking clock of age but you can choose how you live your life. Pursue good health and peace more than you do material things. Staying Fab transcends good looks and fashion finery; it’s also about character.
Let God be at the centre of your life always. Make the main thing the main thing..then and only then can you stay fab.
What’s going on in your mind as you turn 60?
I think I am one lucky girl. There was a time a few years ago when I thought I wouldn’t be alive at 60. So you can appreciate the joy I feel walking out of that period of darkness into light. I feel so blessed. You don’t appreciate life enough until you come face to face with death hovering around you and you survive.
Do you feel fulfilled at 60?
As I said you don’t appreciate that life is a gift until you come close to losing it; just getting my life back is the greatest fulfilment as I turn 60. Of course, I could do with more worldly things like money, larger estate, Private jet (lol) but what I have can’t be bought by money. I am talking about the love of family, a good name and opportunity to impact the lives of others through Genevieve and the Pink Ball and to be blessed with a successful marriage are privileges I have learnt not to take for granted.
How come you and your husband are journalists? Who influenced who?
I met Soni as a famous broadcaster. He was and still is the best in his field. He actually encouraged me to become a journalist. I didn’t deliberately go out of my way to become a journalist but he helped me secure my job as Feature Writer at the Concord Press and I gave it my best shot and grew. I was always a prolific writer and joining Concord as a writer was just up my alley. Being a journalist couple meant that we understood the demands of the job and encouraged each other. We both understood the complexities of our jobs and that reduced any friction in our marriage. Even with an advanced pregnancy, I still went about my work. I remember interviewing a matron at a hospital in Ikeja while 6 months pregnant and began to bleed as miscarriage threatened; lucky for me Soni was in the car outside and we drove to the nearest clinic… If he hadn’t been there I would have lost that pregnancy. My editor thereafter banned me from field work till I had my baby…
How is Genevieve Magazine doing…
14 years is not beans in this industry as you know too well. But our best days are ahead not behind us…but its time to go digital. The dynamics of publishing have changed. These are tough times for offline publications and believe me when I say.. print is near obsolete… it’s a question of innovating or perish. It’s time to go digital and happy to say we started that process 2 years ago and by end of 2017, we should be fully digital. It’s not a question of choice or sentiment it’s the only way.
Yes, the goals that inspired the birth of Genevieve have been achieved but as I always say, success is not a destination, it’s a journey. We continue to set newer goals while keeping our focus on our vision and mission. Genevieve is 14 years and I thank God that it has encouraged many to follow their dreams of publishing; especially the women who were discouraged by stereotypes that said Publishing wasn’t for women.. we crashed that ceiling and continue to chart new courses in lifestyle publishing. Genevieve is happy about those we have impacted to go beyond their comfort zone. Let’s Go There!
Any regrets at 60?
We all have one thing or the other we could have done differently…but the focus should be on letting go the past and embracing the future. Letting go means don’t focus your energy on what is behind you and focus rather on how to recreate the opportunity you lost. Regrets are draining; they don’t allow you grow and re-ignite, so I won’t call them regrets, I would just say there are things I could have handled differently especially my relationship with my late estranged dad. But every journey of our lives are lessons from which we learn and grow. Life should not be lived in bitterness because our journey here has an expiry date.. we must strive to be better, not bitter with each step of the journey.
Life has taught me not to be quick to judge people because we really do not know what’s happening in their lives. At 60, I am more patient with people because of what I went through at a time in my life. I was having a meltdown and many thought I was deliberately losing weight. This Day Glitterati described me as Anorexic and that really hurt because I was battling with mental illness that made me lose weight. Never judge people until you have walked half a mile in their shoes. People need to be kinder to others because you don’t know their stories. You could also be saving a life.
Am I a birthday person?
The Irabors are birthday people. Birthdays and anniversaries are big deal with us. . The Irabors are Happy people (lol)
How do I plan to celebrate my 60?
I am scaling down the celebration but we shall celebrate in style but moderate. People are hungry and starving out there; we all got to have a heart, so there will also be private and personal charity in my own way.
On a Final note?
I feel very blessed. I feel like my morning is about to break all over.. I have new dreams that I would like to bring alive. I am stepping aside and letting my team continue where I have stopped with Genevieve. I have newer territories to conquer, new roads to travel. I have had a good life, run a good race but its all been a rehearsal for what’s coming next. I am a conqueror, a warrior woman. I am steel inside and silk outside…I am not easily broken any more.
I have just started a series of Lifes lessons With Betty Irabor and I am taking that and running with it. Life has taught me lessons and I need to share those lessons with a whole new generation in the hope that I can make a difference in their lives. We must impact hope to the hopeless and rekindle fires that are burning out. I am a student of life; the good the bad and ugly but I have come out on the other side stronger. that’s what I want to share with others going forward…. Hello, 60…give me a hug…love love love being Betty.
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