Chude Jideonwo: The extraordinary factors that make the impossible possible

And it sounds so simple, but I cannot count on both hands the number of peers, mentees and mentors whom I have had to gently ask this question: I know you’re passionate this, I know you can get it done. But have you checked with your audience and with your customer, is that what they want? If it isn’t, it doesn’t matter how good you are. It doesn’t matter how good your product is. People want you to focus on them, to care about them, to give them only what they need, or to tell them why they need what you say they need.

My third and most important lesson? Joy, Joy, Joy.

There are too many, too many people around us who are depressed. Too many. Have you noticed? They ae depressed about ‘how will I actually earn a livable income from the entertainment industry in Nigeria’, ‘how will I be able to scale my business so I stop hustling and start thriving’, how do I find a husband who will allow be what I want to be’, ‘what am I going to do when I leave school’, ‘how will I find some purpose in my work as a banker, doing this soulless grind everyday’? Joy has taken flight. Now we have fear. We have doubt. We have mistrust. We have the lies we tell ourselves on Instagram about the fabulous, fabulous lives we live. Where has the joy gone?

I run my business based on Christian principles, and one of my new favorite scriptures is Nehemiah 8.10: He said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
This scripture directly to one of our six company values in RED: Joy.

We focus on ensuring that whatever we are facing, whatever point our team is at, they know how to focus on joy, on building long-term value and happiness, on remaining inspired.

Our internal operations and everything we do from our #WorkFromHomeFridays to our #HalfDayWednesdays, extended maternity leave for young mothers, and using Joy Audits monthly to measure the effect of our policies on our team is focused on: how can we find joy in our daily lives.

And we take that to our clients, to our suppliers, to our contractors: we inspire them because we are joyful. We get passionate about what they passionate about, we drive agenda for them, we tell stories, we build movements, we reach for the stars – because for us it’s not just about making another couple millions, it’s about inspiring both ourselves, our clients and their customers.

It’s about the people we build through the inter connectivity of our work.