Student Life Radio
This is your community, but have you ever wondered who's in it?
Each month on Student Life Radio we’ll delve into the lives of our community members as we hear stories about you--the students, staff, and local community --that make UEL come alive. Each episode also comes with a playlist created by our featured guests that represents who they are, what they love, and where they want to go.
So tune in, learn about each other, and come closer together as we learn, explore, and hopefully grow with Student Life Radio.
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Student Life Radio
Black Futures Month (Part 1)
How can we build for the future of our communities whilst keeping history alive?
For this episode, Milo draws on a member of his own community to understand how we can endeavor to sculpt brighter futures, even through seemingly unrelated work. Milo is joined by Nadu Placca Rodriguez, a self-proclaimed 'event extraordinaire', who shares her experience of breaking new ground through events, education and building global bridges.
Hello and welcome back to Student Life Radio. My name is Milo, and I'll be your host for this episode. Today's episode is going to be centered around Black History Month, obviously, with it being October and Black History Month, we wanted to shine a light on the work being done currently to progress the culture. The reason that I wanted to record this is because I feel like oftentimes the focus of Black History Month often is slavery or celebrating people that had to survive hardship. And I also feel like it's become a bit of a corporate buzzword, so I just wanted an opportunity to look at it differently. I think there's ways for us to celebrate the past whilst we acknowledge that the future is still bright for us, and that's why this episode is called Black Futures Month. I thought it would be a good opportunity to initiate some conversations about how we can use our today to enable a better future for all through black oriented work. So today I'm joined by Nadu Placca Rodriguez, so Nadu, who would you say you are?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Let's just put it to event extraordinary.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Ooh, okay!
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Best way to put it.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:And besides that?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I'm a mother, I'm a wife, I'm a boss, I am a friend, I am an aunt, I'm a godmother, I'm a daughter. I'm all these things before, I guess really, I find time to find myself as Nadu. So, yeah, I wear many, many hats.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Thank you for joining me today. So everything that you say you are, how would you say you became that? Like, can you tell us a bit about your story?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Yeah, it's a journey. Honestly, it's taken time to get here. Who is Nadu. She is South London, through and through, S.E. all day, blue borough. Do you know what? And I laugh about it, but it is literally who I am. I think I can leave South London, but there will always be a part of South in me, wherever I go. I had my daughter when I was 19 years old. So at that time, I was a young mum, battling stereotypes and statistics. I then went to university, graduated, was head hunted, so I was able to really now start honing in my practice of events and figuring out what it is I wanted to do. And then I became a business owner, and this is my fourth business it's been a crazy journey from business partners, from university that you think you know you guys are the next best thing, because you're in uni together and you spend all your time. And now, when you translate that into the real world. How does it work out? I was a business owner with friend of mine who we were friends for like, 20 years. Our parents were friends, our kids were friends, then we weren't friends, and she tried to steal everything from me. Yeah, all of these things have been, like, woven in, if you would, to the fabric of who I've become today. A lot of, I guess, culture around my African heritage, understanding what that looks like, who I am as that person. A lot of international travel. So, yeah, I'll tell you so much more about how all these elements make up who I am. Because, yes, it is a journey,
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Okay, and you mentioned that you were headhunted. I think when we spoke before, you said you studied events. So did you always know that you wanted to continue with that?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Not really. So I was studying event management and music and media management, and at the time I got into it, because I was the friend who, when we were going out on the weekends, it's like, you know, what are we gonna do? Oh, don't worry. And do all sorts here. You know, we're gonna go on a holiday to do something. Who's gonna figure out, okay to do all sorts here. And then I realized, Oh, I'm good at organizing things socially for my friends and navigating. And then it was like a light bulb moment, like, oh, I can make money from this. Okay, so let me go and study some more. And then when I was in university, I would definitely say the plus side was being able to have something that was completely related to what I was studying, to be able to put that practice into reality. But I found a lot of my friends, a lot of my peers at uni, they unfortunately didn't and then they got stuck in this cycle of not being able to find a job without the experience, not being able to get the experience without the job, right? And so from there, I was like, Well, this is mad. This can't be the be all and end all. Like you study for three years, you're coming out the ends of it, you're enthusiastic, you've got these things, but the reality is, it needs to be put into practice. And so I wrote a course alongside the organization I was working with that has evolved over the last 20 years. I would say, and that was really providing an opportunity to get vocational experience, so it's accredited, but to also get the practical experience, because really and truly, that's what you need. Coming into my industry, was necessary to demonstrate that you have these practical skills that you can now put to the test.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Did you seek out jobs following that, or did you sort of just fall into running your own thing? No, so I volunteered everywhere. So throughout my time at uni, I wanted to be present in as many things as possible, but I had a very young child, so I also needed to earn money. Because when I first had an interest of going to university, I was told because my daughter, I think at the time, was probably about 18 months or so. They were like, no, wait until she's four years old and she goes to school and then apply to uni. And I'm like, sorry, so I'm just supposed to sit at home younger child for four years and do nothing. And I was like, I can't. So I ended up having to get like, three different jobs. One I worked on a party bus. So it's like, these double decker red busses that go around Central London, it was not fun, because you're navigating like 80 people that are drunk on a night out. I also worked at my uni bar, so whilst I wanted to still retain some of that social aspect, actually wanted to get paid. So I would be the one behind the bar pouring the drinks for my friends who are getting, you know, wasted on the dance floor, but still enabled me to kind of have that balance. So it was a process of weaving and understanding all of that, and then getting to a point of after university, the places that I volunteered at so and just trying to figure out what events looked like for me. They saw the potential in me and decided to offer me, you know, some contract work thereafter, which started then paving the way. So it started off, you sort of fell into it because of what you were naturally doing, and then you had, like a need to turn it into income generating. So what motivates you now?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:It's the second time someone's asked me that today.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Today?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Yeah, because I had an intro meeting with amazing woman. But one of the things was, What's your why? And it's changed. It's evolved. I will say, initially, it was my daughter. I'm now responsible for a human being. I should probably do something with my life. The life that I thought I was living pre 19 was not now the position I'm in. So how do I create a new norm, if you would, so that her experiences are different to mine, whilst creating a different kind of foundation. And it's still there in the back of me, I think, for her, but it's now grown into us. Like, how do I support my community? Like, we have a slogan which is more black women backstage. And that's not to say we don't have brown women, white women, you know, I mean people coming into the fold, but it's providing opportunity to access like, how do we get people that look like us, behind the stage, behind the screen, behind all the things, where we're actually platformed in front so it's just yeah, but it resonates a bit more with us.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:And seeing as your mission has evolved, do you feel like the types of events or what you put on has evolved with
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Absolutely, I want to think to like some of our first events that we ever did that were, they weren't actually small, I was gonna say small, but they were medium. But if I think of one of my first ones, spotlight, we used to have this event in the ocean music venue, which is now picture house in Hackney, used to be like an iconic music venue. And when we started there, it was community, it was intimate, like we still got some good names come through. But now, yes, absolutely. As time has gone on and the growth has been growing, we're now on like, global stages, looking at, like, your Afro nations, taking things all around the world, being able to really make impact. So yeah, that growth is is real.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Yeah. I'm glad that you use the word community there, because it is a big, big part of what events are centered around. It's about the people, isn't it? Like, obviously, it's about the music and it's about the venue, but really it's about the people. So I'm glad to hear you mention that actually leads quite nicely on to the next topic. I wanted to talk about, just viewing events as a tool for community and a tool for change. The way I see it. I see community as like, the basis of how you interact with the world, because that is what is around you, and obviously it plays a part into what you become. So at the university, we do a lot of events, obviously, like across departments throughout the year, and stuff like that that all serve different functions. But I think a main theme that we aim for here is fostering a sense of belonging. And I think that's like our go to way to do it. So then I just wanted to talk a bit about, I guess, the different purposes or motivations around putting on events. Yeah, so like some of the, like, the biggest events that we see in this country or in London anyway, like Notting Hill or Pride right now, we see them as, like, parties and events, but obviously they started off as protests. Do you have any events of yours or anything that you've done where you felt like, wow, this is the work like I can see that this is bearing change?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:So we've been quite lucky, if you would. I don't know if that's necessarily lucky. It's just how our journey has been that we've ended up curating events for our clients. So traditionally, maybe, like you said, out of protest, you know, put. On an event bringing community together to create some form of action where we are approached by clients to produce events. The action for me is dictated by someone else, so I had to look at what does that action then look like for me? And that was ensuring that more people from my community have space to enter these rooms. So you know very much, come sit with us. We are not gatekeepers. We are here to open up, share the stories. Understanding you're coming to our training course this evening, you'll get an opening into what that really looks like. And I think that's just been the foundation where we haven't been in a position to create events for certain change. We're able to ensure that that change is present just through how we work. I would say the closest thing we've got to was really highlighting, again, some of that importance. When we in 2021 after the murder of George Floyd, we then created a report called black in the boardroom, and that looked at the racial disparity in UK Trade body and associations within the event industry. And it just highlighted the lack and still the lack thereof black people that sit in very senior positions that help dictate and govern the things that happen in this country. So we're now approaching five years from that, next year, we're going to be doing a 2.0 and trust me, the needle hasn't moved that fast. So it was great that there's been, like, these black boxes. Everyone's like, yeah, we want to do stuff for DEI. We can clearly see that has dropped off now, like it's all different change. There's different initiatives happening, and yet it has a ripple effect. It has a ripple effect through everything we do. So yeah, ensuring that when I come into a space and show up, I'm showing up with that message of community, and what that looks like that I bring to the table is important for all of the events we do. So how was that report that received very well from the industry, really? Yeah, it shook a few things up, which is what it needed to do. You need to, kind of, let's say, put a mirror in people's faces for them to be able to really take action. I think out of the 14 or so trade bodies that we reached out to, maybe only two or three didn't respond. So I'd say it was a great response from everyone who wanted to be involved, who said, you know, how they can do better, how can they support and, yeah, even if that meant
Milo Osun-Benjamin:You mentioned about the master class then one other person now being put in a higher position, then that's at least, you know, one dial on the needle that we've moved. later this evening, and I was looking at the event page today, and I saw that it's accredited. I just wanted to ask, why was it important for you to have that as part of it?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I think it just comes with an additional layer of recognition. The two accreditations that we use are AQA and CPD. So AQA obviously, knowing that when you do your GCSEs, level three is the level we teach, and CPD continuing professional development, how do we demonstrate to people that you know, taking on these new kind of roles and responsibilities within the event industry can have some kind of reward. And so, yeah, having it accredited was important. I think our reputation speaks for itself. So being taught or trained by us for sure, but having an accreditation is a little extra touch.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Extra little gift. Yeah, I wanted to ask about that, because obviously we're talking about black futures, and I think that is a good way of like, giving the people something to carry forward from their experience and everything that they've learned from you. So when I say Black History Month, what sort of comes to mind for you?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Like, roll out the black carpet, nine times out of 10, it's people who are thinking about this so late in the year. How do we now show up? Sometimes you have the same people having the same conversations, and it can be quite tiring. I think one of the things was it last year, and I was just that if the conversation isn't in line, I'm not just going to be a puppy and someone who's put in a place to have a conversation on your behalf. Where does the meaning come from? Where does the impact and legacy then leave from this conversation. So even things that we're doing increasingly more conscious about those being placed in the month of October, because it has, you know, external optics that actually we're black every day. It's not just October. We want to be talking about and shouting about these things that you know, have impact on our lives.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:And what now if I would say black futures?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:See, this just feels warm. It feels progressive. It feels like, what can that change be like? What are you looking to do? And ultimately, we can carve that out exactly as we want to. In this day and age. There's, you know, different support, different modes of communication to be able to get messages across. Black futures. What is it that is, you know, the legacy you're building to be able to leave behind?
Milo Osun-Benjamin:What sort of role would you say equity plays in the work that you do? Or how does it come into play?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I mean, everything we've just been talking about, you know, ensuring, not necessarily to the point of there's a level playing field, but understanding that in order for us to have real space and take real ownership of elements of the industry that we are in control of and that our community has access to, we have to be looking at that in a lot of depth together. Yeah, it's not just in silos, which I see more often. It's how do we have this conversation together? Because there are things that you'll probably do. Doing that. Maybe I know someone else is doing that. Maybe we can tie and just help to kind of weave things together. I think that's an area of equity that I want to see more of, like people showing up together and not just gatekeeping.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Do you think there's a willingness like within the event space to do that?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I think there is, and I say that because face value. I think that it doesn't maybe necessarily feel like there is, but once the conversations start happening, and I say that from my own experience, that you may look from the outside and have your own thoughts and inhibitions about things, and then when you actually open up the conversation, you start speaking, you're like, oh, we have so much more in common. Okay, there is a path that we can weave together. So yeah, I would say it's just about being open to have conversations with your peers in the industry and communicating. That's why I'm always saying to people at always saying to people, it doesn't matter how many years experience you have in the industry like this, is the knowledge I have come share the knowledge you have. What can we do together with that?
Milo Osun-Benjamin:So how would you go about, maybe not necessarily like a collaboration event, but when we're talking like bigger picture things like this, like, how do you go about initiating those sort of conversations?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I mean, we're open door policies, so I'm always saying to people, just come and have a conversation. We have been really lucky to meet a wealth of people from our training courses or from our master classes, that people have an interest in the industry, maybe not quite sure how or what they want to do. They come and have a conversation with us. It opens other doors that maybe we put you in touch with people, maybe you come and do some stuff with us, like at the moment, we're in pop Brixton, so we've just moved office there, and being in the space, we've got other creatives who are in the space as a kind of ad hoc for us. Now we're adding a co working space, but then we've got a whole music venue. So if you want to produce events, what better space to come and learn how to do it with the infrastructure and the support of a global event agency like us that can come and help you. What is it that you may need? Maybe things you haven't thought about, especially at the beginning of your journey, but even for those who are well versed. So for me, it's just yeah, being open, letting people know, come and sit with us, come and have these conversations with us, so we can see what we can do together more.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:I feel like a lot of people don't have that attitude though. A lot of people like to keep themselves to themselves. I don't think you're wrong. What makes you not like that? What do you think the difference is?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:There is enough cake out there for us all to eat, like, really and truly for us, for example, we're across three continents right now. I'm not then going to be like, I'm the only person who can do stuff in these plays. There is so many, and I say to people that are wanting to start their own companies or doing their own thing, people will come and buy from you. For you, the same reason people come to work with us, it's because of who you are as an individual, and that is your superpower. And ultimately, if you're kind of utilizing that and pushing forward and then, no, it doesn't matter that you can have friends in the industry, and you can co collab with people in the industry and see how people can support I've brought people in on larger projects of mine, where I know they're great at what they do. So we want to bring that greatness over here, so we can all learn from you. We can share with you what we have. How do we become greater together? So yeah, just more of that, really.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Oh, yeah. So you mentioned you're across three continents. What have you got going on?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Well, the US team, they delivered one of our biggest but one of our favorite contracts, which is a conference in New York. So the US team have been working on that succeeding looks great on from Ghana perspective, which is where the other company is set up. We did some training courses at the beginning of the year. So we're looking at how we can expand and drive more impact across the whole continent. So we're looking at doing some projects in southern Africa, a bit of East Africa that we're looking at for 2026 and then London, we just moved into this space. So now we're building this co working space, trying to raise investment and funding for the company as a whole, so we can grow so yeah, this time of year gets quiet in certain regions, and it gets busier and others, as you know, Detty December. So yeah, hopefully we'll be making a trip to West Africa this December to get some stuff over the line.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:So would you say your mission out there is the same as it is in London?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Absolutely, it just looks slightly different. The thing is, especially in New York, being like Western world, same things apply. The black experience is very different there, and it's something that is also very beautiful, seeing how people work in their circles and how they navigate, also some gatekeeping. But I think it's just different. You're welcomed in a different way there. I know the US team have definitely felt that. And then on the continent, effectively, coming into space is always very interesting, depending on the country, because I'm coming in as, oyinbo, obroni, whatever it may be, it doesn't matter that my father was the son of Nkrumah's, you know, first assistant. And our family has royalty, and we have a home in the palace, in Togo. None of that matters when you're like, getting down to having day to day Conversations. I'm basically a white woman in a foreign country trying to do business, and that's how it's perceived. And like, once you kind of get through those layers of being a woman, of being, you know, not considered black effectively, and navigating what that looks like you. Kind of can get a better understanding of how to navigate in that world, because it is very different. So, yeah, you have to adjust the mission. Can still be the same in terms of ensuring that, you know, we're getting knowledge experience and pouring that back into an ecosystem, but it just has to be approached in a slightly different way.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:My mom's in Ghana right now, and she's trying to do business, but it's just too unserious. It's not easy,
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Because also you can't go in thinking, this is how we do stuff in London.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Exactly.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:This is gone. You have to bring that pace all the way down.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Okay, so who do you hope to be looking
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Who do I hope to be? I hope to have just forward. grown and just be in a place where, number one, I think I'm happy, like I'm in a very content place at the moment, and the things that I'm working towards and building supporting that growth of where I want to get to. But ultimately, my dream, dream, don't laugh at it, but honestly, legit, I would love to be selling homemade ice cream in Zanzibar on the beach, like that, like all right, I can retire from it. What's the plan? Honestly, well, already been looking at property in Zanzibar, navigating there. But their rules have recently changed for outsiders foreigners, which I absolutely respect. Yeah, it's important to kind of protect heritage for the people, but events is considered one of the five hardest jobs in the world. I think just because of the level of stress that it brings, I just want to live peacefully. I just selling ice cream. Oh my gosh.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Is there any reason for ice cream in particular?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Oh my gosh, that's so I make a wicked Kiwi sorbet. I made this years ago. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I'm actually just gonna make ice cream. And I just thought when I was in Zanzibar more so the ice cream there was rubbish. Every time I went to get ice cream, I was like, there's no good ice cream.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Gap in the market!
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Honestly. And then for me, the water being by the sea is something that brings, like, a different kind of peace for me. And I think it was like a combination of all those things, like, South Africa has my heart, but I don't want to live in Cape Town and it's cold these people. It's just like, it's too much. So, yeah, I was like Sandy bar. So like, long term, the piece I think that I'm describing is who I want to be, where I want to be, because I literally, last month, blinked and I said, Where has the last 20 years gone? And it is I still feel like I'm 19 in my head, living my best life, enjoying but honestly, 20 years has gone by so quickly that it makes me think the next 20 years, I need to be very intentional whilst growing, whilst evolving, whilst building the next 2030, years thereafter that I can live in a very particular way.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:So when you're out in Zanzibar, is that the business in someone else's hands?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Oh, yeah. Not doing that anymore, I'm making ice cream!
Milo Osun-Benjamin:No, that's a good deal.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I would have sold the company sitting on my millions. Yeah, 100% maybe go to, you know, two, two board meetings every now,
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Just remind them who the boss is. So what would you say to someone who might be listening, who enjoys like curating spaces and building community, but wants to give their work more meaning or more purpose, or, I guess, have a longer outcome.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I think it goes back to what we were originally saying, community. Community is, I think, the foundation that will help and support that to grow, to help it nurture and develop in the right way, because all those people pour in for their own needs, and what that looks like and feels like that. You know, as a larger community, you can all take note of and see how you can support together. So I definitely think, yeah, being able to build community within the foundation of your audience will definitely help the growth of any kind of collective movement community.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:At the moment, I struggle nowadays to see how you can build that from nothing like I don't know why, but I just felt like, back in I'd say back in the day, I'm talking pre covid. I feel like pre covid time, it was just easier to be a collective but now where there's so many more, like niche interests, for example, like everyone's world is like, or at least on Tiktok, everyone's world is individualized. So I feel like it's a lot harder to find community.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I absolutely hear that I struggle sometimes I think in me saying that to you, the community that I found is through my passion of events. Like I still think in elements, and it's so funny on Tiktok, you're absolutely right. It is about those individuals. I'm the person that is doing this. Is how I'm showing up. But really and truly, it takes a community to support those individuals. It takes you, don't mean, to have an interest in the things, and you're never starting from nothing. Even the very beginning of the question you asked is, if someone is doing this, they want to, you've already gotten something. Yeah, true. So it's, how do you build around that, you know, to help it grow.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:So what do you see ahead in terms of the future of events?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I think the future of events is going to be very interesting. We've got AI, which is, is doing a lot. I remember, this is the stuff that we can see, yeah, the stuff that we can't. What does that actually look like? And I think incorporating that for good and for bad, I think there's, there's pros and cons with everything. I think it's ebb and flow. It's going to be interesting to see what the impact of that looks like, because it's, I'd say, now the next, you know, five years or so that we're going to be seeing the development of it and how it kind of ends up panning out. I've definitely seen more interested, if you would, on the continent. So understanding how, like, the year of return evolved, how that has developed over the last five years. About two years ago, I said people are going to start, you know, going to South Africa more, because it's like a natural progression. And now I'm starting to see that East Africa is coming back into the fold. So there's been a lot of event tourism, if you would, people going to, especially from us Brits, going to Europe, to the Maltas, to Croatia, like these different events and waves of parties that are happening that I think are connecting back to everyone as individuals. And then you find in your community for art, I think music is changing and how we experience those events. And I think off of the back of like, the likes of Afro nation, who, for me, were like real pioneers in bringing people that celebrated a specific genre and culture of music to be able to take that and move that around. I'm definitely seeing a lot more of that happening. So I'm intrigued to see how the American market tap into it, and how they do it from a Caribbean perspective, because obviously we here closer to Europe, traveling. We have diasporans that go back home to the continent, but I am intrigued to see where the Caribbean show up here.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Okay, that's interesting. Yeah, you're right. It's a lot more about like party- Well, I guess there were party holidays before, but now it's more centered around like festivals, rather than like Zante or something. Do you know what I mean? Aiya Napa, Aiya Napa! Exactly. Oh yes, almost forgot one of our very important reoccurring questions, what is it that you love?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:You know, I love playing music when I'm driving love, as you see when I rolled up,
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Yeah, top down.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Yeah, that's just my time. I really love yoga. I have fallen in love it's been nearly three years. I have fallen in love with yoga for just the space it provides in my head on a daily basis when I can show up for myself. I didn't go to yoga this morning, but I am going tomorrow. I love traveling and experiencing new cultures and communities and places. Yeah, these are, like my top three loves, things I absolutely love doing.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Yeah, they suit you. Thank you. Is there anything you want to share, or any thoughts you'd like to provoke?
Unknown:I can't think of off the top of my head, maybe something to come back to.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Yeah, okay, nice. I'm just curious to know, how do you manage when you're back in Africa and trying to put things together, and it's a different world. It is completely different world. So how do you manage?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:All right, so I first started doing events in Nigeria. Okay, where are you from?,
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Okay, started with the hardest one, Ghana and Nigeria.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:So you already know, yeah and someone said to me, if you can do events in Nigeria, you can do them honestly. It's so true that experience honestly put me through the ringers like I really learned so much about myself, so much about who I am as a woman, because now I'm, like, considered white, so people aren't even considering me. So now my identity has changed, which took me back. Which took me back to my youth, because when I was younger, I went to school in Lesotho, which is landlocked by South Africa. And in Lesotho I was lekhoa, which basically means white person, and that's how all my friends would relate to me, and I was completely stripped of any form of black identity when I went to South Africa just across the border, I'm now colored so can put another layer. And I'm like, Wait, what is this? So learning and understanding about that history and now how I then am presented to people, how people perceive me, it brought up a lot, but it challenged me in a way that has enabled me to now be able to produce events, because I can speak to anyone. My dad once told me, he said, it doesn't matter who you're speaking to, whether it's the cleaner or the CEO, you speak to them the same. And what I found is that in countries like Nigeria, everything is very hierarchical, so I will literally having a conversation with someone, and the cleaner walks past, like, through us, and he was greeted with a slap in his face for disrespecting the person who was talking and me. But I was just like, This is crazy. Like, the stuff I've seen, I'm just like, what? But it's a cultural thing and, like, I can't come in as this, like, mixed race girl from South London. That's basically like. Oh, no, this is how it should be. No, no. This is culture that is ingrained into the people embedded in and so I had to look up, be like, Okay, how do I navigate this? And it was only through trial and error and tears. I remember one day I had to pretend to the team that I was crying, that I was so upset. Of they didn't do something I asked, and it just put them all into they all started, let me I was like, okay, all right, so I see a lot of moving off of that leverage this, yeah, leverage that I was having a conversation with one of the CEOs of the company, and he wasn't listening to a word I said, and maybe for three, four days. It was about a seating plan that I found out he created that was wrong, and when I highlighted it was wrong, didn't want to listen, didn't want to listen. And so every day I'm trying to explain, didn't want to hear it, didn't want to accept it, didn't want to acknowledge, until the day before, when he came to me and he said, na, do I apologize? He's like, You were right. I created this, and I didn't realize, like, how do we fix it? And in that action of him just being able to kind of take a step down, if you would, to be able to see something from my level and acknowledge it, just meant we could move the event in completely different ways. So like, fast forward, five years later, we're having a conversation about Cardi B, who's come into Ghana and do an event, and I'm expressing my concern. He's like, Okay, I'm gonna listen to her, because now we find know from this experience that her opinion is trusted and valued and we can move so it didn't come without fights, without tears. Yes, there were days I definitely cried without a lot of pain and navigating, but I would definitely say, like, I wouldn't even change it, because all of that just means I can go into country, any country, whether I speak the language or not, be able to navigate through cultures and speak to people on a human level, because now we've got the runners who have worked on events who some of them are older than me, and in their households, they are the man of the house. But when you're on this event, you're a runner. You are running around, doing as you're told, but I still have a certain level of respect for you as a human as a human, which you just didn't find very often. And so yeah, just continuously bringing that in, nurturing that, massaging people's egos and navigating in that way has enabled it to just be like, okay, working in Nigeria, tick, Ghana, tick, Rwanda, tick, Kenya. Ticks, South Africa like and just continuously growing and learning more about each culture, because every country on the continent is so different.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Is there anywhere else you'd like to take it?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Yeah, oh my gosh. I want every country on the continent, if I could absolutely like my dad used to live in Senegal. I lived there for about 10 years. I had experience there, but Japan, not good. Like, yeah, I want to do more stuff in Kenya, Malawi. I would love to do Mozambique, just places I've never gone before as well.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Yeah, definitely. Did you have any mentors in your time?
Unknown:Every time I'm asked this, I always think like, I never had like a mentor who spoke to me and took me under their wings to do this. I've had people in my life that have been mentors, indirectly. But I wish I had like, Oh, I've worked with this one person. They took me for all these things. But there are so many people that have shaped whether I've gone to a meeting with them, and whether I've helped them deliver some courses somewhere, like just learnings from everyone. But yeah, there are a few key people that stand out in my life that I would say, even now, if I was stuck and needed some advice, I could pick up the phone and where they would normally charge 10 grand or so to be able to, you know, do this professionally, they would help me as I'm, like, considered family now, and can show up for them and their family in other ways as well.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:That's the power of community. All the little bits that you pick up that enable you to be who you are today. Definitely, so powerful, definitely. What are you doing for the rest of the day?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:So the rest of the day? So I'm going to leave you, and then I'm going to the office. I'm going to set up, because we've got the training course this evening, but yeah, literally, going to be figuring out how to navigate this space. Because I didn't, I did a recce, but the the space is not what I was told it would be. So I'm gonna have to become some kind of DIY Queen this afternoon, and then, yeah, just teaching takes a lot out of me, like I have to give a lot of myself, because I want to impart my knowledge in a way that people will remember. And that's quite throwing my hands out for those obviously you can't see me. But, you know, I mean, throw my hands have to be like, very animated, exactly, ensuring that I'm given a lot of stories three hours, you will be surprised at just how quick it goes. Because technically, okay, six o'clock is when we arrive. But then 630 we're really getting into it. So that's when I properly start. Now, you know, people like you, they're gonna be late, you know, because you're coming from wherever we get into it, we got a bit of break. We got like, five minute break in between. We've got some activities. So it's fast paced, so it feels slow. And then you're like, Wait, where did the
Milo Osun-Benjamin:No, I'm sure it'll be go fast for me, but I time go? mean, for you that, yeah, no, it's a lot. Almost feels like a performance
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:100% Yeah, it's just a lot. I have to give you like, 2019, 20 years at like, whatever. I don't know how long I've been in this industry, but, you know, I mean, I have to give you all of that in three hours whilst thinking, okay, whilst everyone's got their own kind of experience, their own map of the world, their own, maybe visions of what they want to create, also trying to learn that, so absorb that, so I know what you're thinking about, so that if I'm talking, I can be like, Okay, well, it relates to what you were just saying. And you know, if you're building this. So, yeah, it's a lot of toing and throwing and absorbing and giving off energy as well. But I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way. What is it you like about passing on the knowledge, just receiving as well? Like, honestly, to be able, like, this is my experience, my map of the world is my journey. That's it. It's not saying this is how you should do this. Is saying this is how I've done it, and what's worked and what hasn't worked. And I love hearing how other people have also navigated so things that have worked for them and haven't, because there's so many similarities, there's so many times you're just like, it's happened to more than one of us. And I love learning about other people and their journeys, because it's just yeah, it's fun, and seeing how I can plug in support them, experience, knowledge. What does that look like? How can we do the same What's something that you would like to learn? Do you know what? How to do nails? How to do acrylic nails?
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Saves your money. Well, you couldn't even do them on yourself.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Exactly. No, definitely I would love to learn. That's something I've said to myself. I would love to learn British Sign Language. Yeah, definitely I can say thank you, and airplane is my favorite thing. I'm always on one, but I've been speaking to people about, yeah, exactly how to do that. So I can learn some things myself. I'd love to learn to speak French fluently. Those are like three things off the top of my head that can say, I'd love to learn.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Do you enjoy learning?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:I do think you learn every day, every day, like when I was delivering the course last week. So obviously we do versions that we run, but then we're booked sometimes to do them. One of the students was talking she's like, Oh, so it's kind of like you're filtering through things. And I was like, I love that. I'm gonna use that from now on. So now we filter, and I just started adapting it into my vocab, and it just helped break down some things that was talking through. And I was like, it is a filtering of information. I've learned something new today, a different way of expressing and, you know, people learn in different ways. So it's like, how can you also impart that knowledge on so yeah, I think we're learning it every day.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Did you have experience in teaching or training or anything before you started?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:No, I think I've always been quite patient and can explain things. Like, even when raising my daughter, it would always be like, the why in terms of just saying no, like, No, you can't do something. It's like understanding why something is there in a process to know how to navigate it. Like a prime example is, I remember my ring broke, and it was like pinching my skin and like blood was coming everywhere. And my daughter, she must have been like, six or seven, and she was like, crying and like, oh my god, Mama. And I was just like, in that moment, I too, could have freaked out, but I was like, Stop, assess the situation. What's happening. So I just said to her, right, calm down in this moment. Yes, there's a lot happening, but you need to be able to focus on what's at hand to be able to navigate it. So it was like talking her through all right. What do you see is happening? Okay? You'll cut your finger. Right? What can you do? Okay, I need to do something to stop the blood. Okay. And then what? Okay, the problem. Okay, it's the source of it. Okay. I need to find something to open it, look around you. What do you have? Okay, those scissors there. Great. Grab the scissors. Can that help and just talk him through. So there was always that deeper knowledge and learning of why. And I think you get that of doing real life experience in things. So the practical element of things. And I think I just sometimes have the patience to talk through people and to explain where events is very fast paced, very high intensity, often it's very short, sharp answers. And I can also be that person on the event day, like, but I think it's like when you can impart that why, and people can ask questions and get to understand, because everyone receives information differently. I think, yeah, it's always beautiful to see people be like, Oh, I get it. Oh, that's why that out. And then something else happens. You like, you see I told you, right, it makes sense.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Do you mind if I just ask about your dad? Seems like you're very inspired by him. I am like, Daddy, Daddy. Can you fly to London and do some DYI on my office? No, I love my dad. It's funny because he was diplomat's son. So as I said, My granddad was the first assistant to President Nkrumah, and he traveled the world. So he lived and schooled in Russia. I think where else did he go? Somewhere else in Europe. And then obviously came to London, and he stayed here when he was, I think, 14, he just never returned. And his journey, I think, definitely subconsciously, has imparted on me, like being able to move and navigate in different countries. Like he lived in France, he lived in mosque and Senegal. He just throws himself into these new territories and worlds and figures it out. And I definitely think I've taken that on from him, but he's very helpful math. So he always taught me Maths is in every single thing in life. I mean, like, if, even if you're timing to get somewhere. Like, how long do I have to get somewhere? Okay, it's gonna take me 45 to get there. So if I look, that's maths already, you're a math. So taught me that how to respect people, communicate with people, navigate. Really helped me on my first events when I was probably nine, wiring up microphones for his music night. That used to happen in in the ends. And, yeah, just continue. You know, like my dad has come and worked with me all around the world. So he's come on our stages, Afronation. Does he do events?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:He does so indirectly. So he is more in music. So he's a musical director, he music sound engineer, he produces music, he plays instruments. But he's done some events in his time, which I think I've definitely, you know, taken some experience and surpassed the body on that.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Yeah, that's good. I feel like that's what every parent wants, especially African parents.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Of course.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:They have to see you surpass them. They have to.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Of course, of course. But now, like, honestly, I literally said dad, you know, moving into office, he literally flew from France, came painted everything, put everything up on the wall, did like He did everything. And I was like, Thank you. Thanks, daddy.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Do you feel that he's proud of you?
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Oh, yeah, definitely, yeah. I had to ask him one time, because when I felt when I not say, fell pregnant, because I chose to have a child when I was 18. And I remember, just based on where he was working at that time, he was working with youth who are disadvantaged that, have, you know, in Lewisham, I think we had the highest teenage pregnancy rate when I was growing up as well. And I remember when I told him I was pregnant, he was like, you're gonna be a statistic. I completely understand, like, the environment he's working in, and what he was seeing, he was like, Oh, well, there you go. And I remember a couple of years ago, maybe, like five years ago, I was like, Dad, are you proud of me? He was like, absolutely!
Milo Osun-Benjamin:No, I can tell that you're really inspired by him, or you look up to him,
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Definitely, definitely.
Milo Osun-Benjamin:Just thank you very, very, very much for coming.
Nadu Placca Rodriguez:Thank you, Milo, for having me been a nice chat.
