It is an honor to have the opportunity to interview Ejiro Osakede. She is a woman of many talents and has made a name for herself as a singer, trainer, sound engineer, voiceover artist, podcaster, event host, and audiobook creator. Her dedication to her craft has earned her numerous awards and recognition from various organizations, making her a role model and inspiration to many. We are excited to learn more about her journey and the incredible work she is doing.
Ejiro Osakede, known as The Energetic EJ, is a woman of many expressions. She’s a Singer, Trainer, Sound Engineer, VoiceOver Artist, Podcaster and Event Host. She is the resident MC at the Female Founders Initiative MEA. She is an award recipient from various organizations as She Awards by Linbiz Magazine, Recognition Awards by ONE CONNECT community, and Phenomenal Personality in Diaspora by The Iconic Brand Awards Nigeria to mention a few.
She is an Audiobooks creator for African authors, with works from notable authors like Edirin Edewor’s Amazon Bestselling book ‘The Productivity Checklist’, Amaka Azie’s ‘My Sister’s Bestie’, Adewale Richard’s ‘Three Things the gospel project’, several books by Dr Stephen Akintayo, and many more.
She is dedicated to training and supporting audiobook creators, narrators and podcasters by creating content and courses that help them thrive in their craft. As well as provide support via a closed community.
She is the convener of THE BECOMING SUMMIT- an initiative to awaken in the young generation (Ages 18 -35) a desire to BE a better version of themselves, being fit for their purpose and has reached Africa, Europe and Asia, spanning several countries across these continents.
Ejiro is a Master Storyteller, and her Podcast, ‘Stretch Street’ focuses on documenting the stretch stories of individuals who have been through tough times and have come out of it as better people. The goal is to draw out life lessons from their experiences to inspire her audience.
She is the author of three books namely
- Six effective ways to crush shyness
- Podcasting with a difference
- The Ultimate Youtube Live Streaming Guide
She is an inspiration to many across the globe.
Ejiro, it is nice having you on this interview so please lets discuss your journey and the incredible work you are doing.
What inspired you to become an audio content creator, narrator, and podcaster?
Thanks for this opportunity to share my story via this interview. I do not take it for granted.
I was inspired by material shared at the training I enrolled for in 2014. It was a training for On Air Personalities at the ProEmcees Academy. The material was “The Bible Experience”. A project that had big Hollywood stars on it, converting the Bible to audio. It was such an overwhelming feeling and love at first site that I told myself I wanted to do the same for African authors. And ever since then, my love for audio content creation has remained and keeps evolving.
Can you tell us about your experience creating audiobooks for African authors and how you select which books to work on?
At first, it was exciting. I was passionate about it and set out to do it for free. At the time, the concept of audiobooks wasn’t well accepted by Africans. I had zero business acumen and didn’t know enough to do my research and get help from mentors or coaches.
So I did what I knew to do. I started to record, tried to create awareness and educate people on the power of audiobooks, their benefits and their profitability. But I was not confident enough to sustain it. Each time I had an objection, I would go back and tweak my model and that didn’t work out well for me.
Over the years, I’ve come to learn how to clarify my message and work with authors who understand the value of audio content. I pretty much select the books I work on based on the author. We have to connect and understand their book goals for me to work on their books. So far, I’ve covered two genres; Stories and Self-help books.
How do you support and train audiobook creators, narrators, and podcasters through your content and courses?
I have in the past organised workshops to help interested participants who want to explore the audio economy understand the fundamentals of what is required and some practical steps to help them start their journey. These live workshops were converted into courses.
Podcasting, on the other hand, is my main focus for now. I authored a book on podcasting, I also have a course and a program. I run a challenge that helps participants take action over seven days to start their podcasts. During the challenge, they learn the fundamentals of setting up their podcast, how to grow it and how to monetize it.
Once they complete the challenge, they get continued support from other members of the community of podcasters and me.
What do you think sets your podcast, ‘Stretch Street’, apart from others in the industry?
It is an impact-driven podcast. I know many people go into podcasting today just because it is trending. And no doubt it’s a great tool for global visibility, which is something I teach to my student.
However, I use my podcast as a tool that can build a legacy. Hence the consistency and growth (as slow as it may seem) to keep inspiring my audience using the challenging stories of individuals from all works of life and all nations of the world and extracting the life lessons that those challenges have taught them. I believe that the more we share these types of stories, the more we can tell and highlight the power of resilience and hope in the face of adversity.
Could you share with us one of your most memorable moments as an event host, and what made it so special?
Yes! Recently I got the opportunity to moderate one of the stages at a global cybersecurity conference in Dubai – GISEC. I was one of two female African Moderators on the list and that’s a huge win for me. I hope to have more global opportunities like that.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a successful audiobook creator, narrator, or podcaster?
For the longest time, I struggled with choosing a niche. I could not understand why it was so important. I felt it was too stifling, but now I know better. So, my advice would be to pick one area of all the types of audio content and focus on it until a brand is established before expanding.
I started with audiobooks, but at the time, I lacked confidence even though I had the technical know-how. But when I switched my focus to Podcasting and kept at it, it gave my brand more visibility. Right now, when I show up, I am referred to as the podcast coach, or podcast queen, LOL. That tells me, that when you focus on a thing, you make more impact.
That being said, people should also understand how they are wired. I am a multi-potentialite, so I am wired to handle multiple things simultaneously. I do a couple of things now, and I do well in most of them. So for me, it is more about impacting my world positively and I deploy my multiple skills and talents to do just that. So, know yourself and do what works for you.
How do you balance your various roles as a voiceover artist, podcaster, and event host?
They don’t all come to me at once, so it becomes easy to handle. My voice-over artistry isn’t a big part of my journey, I work on projects for close associates in this regard.
Podcasting for me is a tool that gets me into the door. There are people and places I may not have access to if I was not a podcaster. So, it is a tool that is dear to my heart. I am in it for the long haul. It’s more like a long-term personal growth tool, while at the same time inspiring, educating and entertaining others with it.
Event hosting allows me to spread my positive energy and that is my gift to the world. So you see, they all have a role they play for me as much as they do for my audience, clients or associates.
Can you tell us more about THE BECOMING SUMMIT and how you hope it will impact the young generation?
We are human ‘Beings’ which means we must embrace our “BEcoming”. This speaks to growth, evolving and constantly reinventing ourselves. As my guest, Dario said on our podcast episode together.
So, THE BECOMING SUMMIT aims to help the young generation see the need for constant evolution and never settle for less than their potential can create. I hope that I will get to collaborate with brands to spread the word about Becoming to their specific audience.
Your book ‘Podcasting with a Difference’ has been very successful. What inspired you to write it, and what key messages do you hope readers take away from it?
Podcasting is a tool that when leveraged, can open you up to a world of endless possibilities. However, impact and making a difference have to be top on the list of why anyone should embark on this journey if they want to get into it for the long haul.
Could you tell us about any upcoming projects or initiatives that you are currently working on?
I feel drawn to ladies who are 30 and above, more precisely between the ages of 30 and 40. Women in this age group struggle with a lot of self-doubts due to past failures, or bad experiences in the preceding years.
It sometimes takes a long time for them to find their ways and come into their own. I want to create a small support group per time for women in this category. To help them deal with the confusion, helplessness and fear they feel at this stage and move them closer to their next level.
In conclusion, Ejiro Osakede, also known as The Energetic EJ, is an exceptional woman who has made a significant impact in various industries. She is an inspiration to many, and her dedication to helping others thrive in their craft is truly remarkable. We look forward to seeing what amazing things she will accomplish next.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Ejiro!
To find out more connect with Ejiro on Linkedin
For interesting stories from Ejiro and her guests check the Podcast
