The Spotlight Iwalola Sobowale

On this episode of the podcast, we spotlight the one and only Emmanuel Faith, a wonderful HR expert.

Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter

We talked about:

His HR journey and his work providing consulting services through HR Clinic

The dwindling pool of mid-level talent in Nigeria’s tech pipeline 

The importance of succession planning for sustainable businesses

The wisdom in hiring talent your business can reasonably afford instead of chasing “shiny” people

Breakdown:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:55 Icebreaker

00:05:35 About Emmanuel Faith

00:13:07 Getting into HR

00:17:40 Best temperaments for HR professionals

00:20:58 Emmanuel's proudest achievements

00:28:35 Emmanuel's superpowers in HR

00:34:17 Challenges faced while recruiting talent 

00:38:56 Why we don't have mid-level tech talent in Nigeria 

00:44:40 How HR Clinic helps organisations

00:49:25 Unique strengths of Nigerian tech talents

00:53:16 The technical talent vs non-technical talent conversation 

00:58:47 Emmanuel's perspective on The Peer shutting down

1:05:24 Are people hiring "shiny" talent because of the lack of mid-level talent?

1:10:42 Hard skills vs soft skills

1:12:33 Advice for aspiring HR professionals

1:14:18 Other things Emmanuel is working on

1:18:31 Final words

1:19:14 Outro

We referenced:

Cowrywise

BCM

Fervora’s African Women’s Football Report

SHRM Podcast on Spotify

HRCI

Why You Act the Way You Do by Tim LaHaye

Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye

Myers-Briggs Personality Test

16 Personalities 

ProductDive 

AltSchool

Geneza Brands

Geneza School of Design

Innovating Africa: The Rise of Tech in Nigeria by Peace Itimi

HR Clinic

Bloomberg

Asana

No-Code Tech Summit

Luminous Consult

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at iwalola@thespotlightpod.com 

On this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we had data expert and Dataphyte CEO Joshua Olufemi with us. 

Follow him on LinkedIn and follow Dataphyte on Twitter

We talked about:


How he went from a secondary school Economics teacher to the CEO of Dataphyte
How data can drive change and social impact 
Nigeria’s data problem and the unique challenges of collecting and reporting with data
The importance of having a focused and reliable team

Breakdown:

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:00 Icebreaker game 

00:03:32 Fun facts about Joshua

00:05:37 From economics teacher to CEO

00:09:39 Being a part of the National Endowment for Democracy Fellowship

00:14:44 Proudest achievements of Dataphyte

00:21:20 The Dataphyte and Goloka teams

00:28:54: Major challenges in collecting accurate data

00:37:37 How can Nigeria be more data-driven?

00:43:55 Joshua's dream for Dataphyte and Goloka

00:45:24 Advice for people building something around data

00:47:42 Final words

00:48:30 Outro

We referenced:


Dataphyte
Goloka
National Endowment for Democracy

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at iwalola@thespotlightpod.com 

On this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we had product designer Ayodeji Olagbaiye with us. 

Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter

We talked about:


What your portfolio MUST contain if you want to land a UX design role in 2024
What NOT to do when designing your portfolio
How to get your first UX design job
The best platform to host your UX design portfolio
How often you should update your portfolio if you want to stay relevant

Breakdown:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:52 Icebreaker

00:11:02 Deji's background

00:13:03 Working with developers

00:15:50 What media is Ayodeji consuming?

00:17:18 How Ayodeji got into UX design

00:25:34 Joining Kuda

00:29:06 Working remotely

00:30:05 What he would have done differently

00:34:00 Getting your first job and having a portfolio

00:36:30 What he wishes he knew when building his first portfolio

00:43:26 Key things in a portfolio

00:50:50 Updating your portfolio

00:54:46 Can you get a job without a big project on your portfolio?

00:58:40 What not to do in your portfolio

01:01:39 Is there a best place to host your portfolio?

01:09:06 Can AI help with your portfolio?

01:10:54 Unpopular opinion about design portfolios

01:13:45 Some of the best portfolios Ayodeji has seen

01:21:40 Resources to build your portfolio

01:24:10 Advice for designers

01:31:22 Outro

We referenced:


Tintype 
Daniel Abayomi
Notion
Framer
Webflow
Wordpress
Wix
Polywork
Kuldar 
Ekemini's portfolio
Dennis Snellenberg's Portfolio
90% of designers are unhirable? | UX Collective
UX Collective
Dribbble
Behance
Layers

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at iwalola@thespotlightpod.com 

After a long hiatus, we're back with a new episode. 

On this episode, the amazing Tochy Udunwa shared some insights on marketing, the unpredictability of the industry, and how to navigate it. 

Follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram

We also we talked about:


Conversion and brand loyalty
The role of branding in marketing
Picking the right strategy for your organisation
Defining success in marketing
What to know/do if you want to become a marketer

Breakdown:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:05) Icebreaker

(00:11:35) Digital Marketing vs Traditional Advertising

(00:12:43) Conversion and community building

(00:18:49) The role of branding in marketing

(00:22:30) Tochy’s background

(00:31:25) The importance of domain experience in marketing

(00:35:47) Tochy’s superpower (project management)

(00:36:37) Tochy’s career milestones

(00:47:25) How to pick the right strategy for an organisation

(00:51:45) What makes the industry so unpredictable?

(00:54:32) Navigating the uncertainties

(00:57:40) Tochy’s future publications

(00:59:31) Defining the success of your strategy

(01:05:10) Advice for aspiring marketing professionals

(01:13:42): Tochy’s online presence

We referenced:


Google Project Management: Professional Certificate | Coursera 
Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate | Coursera
Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate | Coursera 
EDai 
MyShopLauncher
GradientFI
Microsoft Clarity 
Pretty Little Marketer
Mad Over Marketing (M.O.M)
Capturing the Moment: Maltina Cans Drop from a Billboard on a Lagos Street 

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at iwalola@thespotlightpod.com 

In episode 15 of the podcast, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Isaac Durotoye, a tech whiz who is deeply entrenched in the world of fintech. Our conversation revolved around the intriguing topics of Banking as a Service (BaaS) and APIs, and how they're reshaping the financial technology landscape. 

Together, we dissected the unique challenges and opportunities facing fintech in Africa, broke down the opportunities presented by Baas, and reflected on the critical role of technical expertise in product management practice. If you're passionate about fintech, product management, and the future of digital finance, this episode holds insights you won't want to miss.

Book mentioned:

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nil Eyal

Subscribe now and engage with us on our social media, links below.

Don't forget to follow Isaac Durotoye on ⁠LinkedIn. Check out his blog at blog.jnrjose.org 

Follow The Spotlight:


on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ (The Spotlight Podcast),


on ⁠Twitter⁠ (@_spotlightpod) and


on ⁠Instagram⁠ (@_spotlightpod).



Follow Iwalola Sobowale on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠ (@iwalolasobowale)

Also, check out and subscribe to my ⁠Substack newsletter⁠ ⁠“The Spotlight”⁠.

New episodes of the podcast will be published weekly. If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at iwalolasobowale@gmail.com

In our 14th episode, we uncover why Product Management can sometimes hit roadblocks in organisations with Nnamdi Azodo, a distinguished Product Manager with over 12 years of experience. Nnamdi, known for transforming the financial landscape in Nigerian banks and fintech startups, shares his journey, insights, and solutions. 

We dig deep into the challenges and misconceptions surrounding Product Management, the impact of organisational structures, the power of clarity, and how to overcome resistance to change. Join us for an engaging conversation that sheds light on the intricacies of this vital discipline. If you're looking for inspiration and practical insights into Product Management, this episode is a must-listen.

Subscribe now and engage with us on our social media, links below.

Don't forget to follow Nnamdi Azodo on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and Twitter. Check out his Substack newsletter WorkplaceHQ and his course The Complete Product Management Course 

Follow The Spotlight:


on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ (The Spotlight Podcast),


on ⁠Twitter⁠ (@_spotlightpod) and


on ⁠Instagram⁠ (@_spotlightpod).



Follow Iwalola Sobowale on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠ (@iwalolasobowale)

Also, check out and subscribe to my ⁠Substack newsletter⁠ ⁠“The Spotlight”⁠.

New episodes of the podcast will be published weekly. If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at iwalolasobowale@gmail.com