+The Huge Success Of Her BODEX Social Media Hangout 3.0
Sunday 31st July 2022 was a remarkable day at Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos when Lagos Big Babe, Bodex held her 3rd Bodex Hangout Event. It was a hugely successful event that attracted all the digital and social media big wigs.
Days after, City People interviewed her and she revealed her success story plus how she put together the world-class event.
Below are excerpts of the interview.
Let us talk about the success of the last hangout event you hosted. Tell us how you felt after the event.
I felt so overwhelmed and so fulfilled because we are getting what we are preaching gradually. We now have lots of media personalities from different companies; UBA, Dangote, and NDLEA.
We also have top-notch influencers, bloggers and media houses. Everything was awesome! We had an amazing time from the “Wow Factor” handled by Denrele on the green carpet to the main event. It was fulfilling!
What was the whole idea of the third edition?
The third edition’s theme was “Social Media X: Redefining The Narrative” while the X means Extra. We all know that over time people have been missing social media and it has been toxic. We felt that it was high time we started changing the narrative. If you are using your platforms for negative things, and you don’t know the negative effect on people, it is high time for you to re-strategise and change from the negativity. That was why we named it Social Media X. The third edition was a platform for everybody to come together. Social media influencers, content creators, media houses and stakeholders, let us come together to co-exist because without stakeholders, we can’t be where we are today and without us, they can’t also put their campaigns and activation out there.
This is the reason we should come together and talk about social media platforms.
Tell us about the 2nd edition.
The second edition too was amazing because we raised the bar. The first edition was done by the poolside. The second edition was done in Ijakadi Hall, one of the biggest halls in Raddison Blu Hotel, one of the five-star hotels in the heart of Lagos, so you can see that we raised the bar. We did that because of the idea that media people are not making money, so the event was totally free but strictly by invitation and registration for now pending when we can get sponsors and we can move to better places. We moved to the hall and it was amazing. All the “Wow Factor” we couldn’t enjoy at the first edition were available. It was so amazing!
What came to your mind when you were planning this version and how far have you been able to achieve the vision?
The reason we started Bodex Social Media Hang Out “was that the media industry has been excluded for a very long time and we felt it is time we started the inclusion ourselves. Before anybody can take you seriously, you have to take yourself seriously. We make people and we should be respected for that. People are paying us stipend, “thanks for coming payment”.
This is so because there is no structure, so we must teach people how to be structured, how to put themselves in a place where stakeholders will respect and honour them, and not use cheap blackmail to get to these people. A time will come when they will get used to it and when you have relevant stories to tell, nobody will listen. We now felt we should start it ourselves just like the music industry movement and acting industry with different awards and hang-out programmes, so I decided to call on other media houses, City People and other media houses and personalities, influencers, to come together and hang out to include ourselves.
How does Bodex brands fit into your bigger picture?
I think Bodex is somebody that likes to bring people together irrespective of whatever field I find myself in. For other things like Bodex Footwears, it is still me that is making the shoes, Bodex Logistics, it is still me helping to deliver your loads, Bodex Beauty House, we have a spa and other things. But I just felt that since we have all these, we can also have something on media and if you check, it is one person doing all these things. It is like a brand trying to identify.
How do you manage yourself amidst all these professions?
What I tell people is that whatever you are doing, make sure you do it well because you don’t know who is watching and rating you. Whatever you are doing, make sure you are respectful, and talk at the right time. I am a person who likes to carry people along in everything I do. That is why I called upon someone like you and your media house, and other people that believe some much in my brands and because I have the energy to do everything without being stressed.
Moreso, I am an extremely professional person. When I have events, I am going to contract it out to other professionals and you get paid. This way I do everything without stress. I use people that I know will give me the quality of what I paid for. Also, your media house and others have been one of the factors that makes everything easy and stress-free. You know I have always been the good girl, so you always support me (smiles). This is how I have been able to bring everybody together and “jam” all the businesses together.
Talking about social media, what is the state of the industry today?
I think that was why we came up with “Social Media X: Redefining The Narrative”. Social media over time, especially this year, has been used for the wrong reasons and we felt that we can’t just wake up and pass a bill because millions of Nigerians are using social media. People don’t know how to use social media and that is why we started Bodex Social Media Hangout, so we can bring in some people to teach us how to use social media to our advantage and use it to shape the nation. If you check other countries, they have higher rates of crime but because they have been able to hide some things, you will not see everything on social media. In Nigeria, someone will be dying and people around will be using their phones to record the person. Humanity is no more there. We should be able to put our emotions in place while we are using social media. If you don’t want anybody to write anything about you, then don’t put such things on social media. This is why we started the movement, so people will know that they can get paid, cool money using the same energy they put in posting negativity if they can put that same energy into posting positivity, they can make money.
How do you think we can use social media to help the conventional media: the print, radio and TV platforms?
Okay, there are many things we can do to help the conventional media houses and this was why we created Bodex Social Media Hang Out. Sorry for going back to Bodex Social Media Hang Out because it is big and wide, very broad. It is used to bridge the gap between Digital Media and Traditional Media Practitioners. We bring these people together. In the last edition, we had Segalink, Pamelerin, Kiki and Media Houses, Kunle Rasheed, UBA Media Group and Dangote.
The way we created the hall, the new media side and the opposite side, the traditional media and at some points, everybody came together to talk, co-exist and share ideas. We also took pictures. We also teach people attending the event, as a traditional media, the secret to using social media, so you can quickly switch.
The reason is social media is a part of the world right now so the earlier you understand the basic things on how to switch and bring all your traditional media on social media by creating a page to let people have easy access. Make the noise and put the same energy you put on print to the social media page too.
Trust me, nobody will regard you as a traditional media anymore. Also ensure that you go for training, especially digital training to learn more. People don’t sit down with television nowadays, they just pick up their phones to know what is going on.
What gives you the kick to continue, add and broaden the brands?
Like I said before, you need to be humane and emotional. I get pissed off when people said “Be Strong”, don’t act like you are weak”. As humans, you are supposed to be emotional but you can be diplomatic about it but being heartless is not okay for me. If you know that as a human being, you are supposed to touch lives and when you remember where you are coming from, you have to be reasonable. I want all of us to come together as there is no point in being wicked to me. If you have access that can change my life, why are you keeping it and vice versa? That zeal of I must make an impact and people must know that I am a very good cobbler, media practitioner and other things you want to call, that word “good” must be attached to it. I want all of us to come together regardless of what we have done to one another. Imagine there are good people in this world, then life will be boring.
In addition, when you see great people, the likes of Obama, Michelle etc doing great things, and you are wondering how they do it, the dreams in my head would not allow me to sleep but just to do something that will make people notice me and know that I am doing something right.
What has been your storyline to this extent?
I am from a polygamous family and I have this zeal that “Omo! I must make an impact and know all the world for something but it must be positive,
Sequel to this, I started the journey in Badagry in a dance group and anywhere I know I can be noticed by people, I jump into the place. I also ensure that the things I am jumping into must impact my life positively because I love people to be proud of me just like you said you have followed every phase that I have gone through and you wonder how I have been able to do them.
When you look back, do you feel fulfilled?
Ehn! Maybe I am still heading somewhere, I am still feeling not fulfilled. It is not like I am not fulfilled, but when you have a mental picture of where you are going and you are yet to be there, you don’t feel complete. Like on Sunday, some people messed up despite all my efforts, sleepless nights and money spent but people didn’t see that. They were commending the whole event and I was surprised and I am like it’s because they never experience one-third of the whole planned programme. You know when you have a place and a target to meet and you are not there yet, no matter how people praise you, you will still not feel fulfilled.
Does this make you a perfectionist?
I am! I am an extremely perfectionist! Anyone who attended the second edition can see the arrangement and the decoration. There was no difference or mixture in any of our settings. Everything was detailed. I am a perfectionist and I don’t like mistakes I don’t give what I don’t take, so I am always careful with everything I do.
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