Episode 48 - Adedoyin Jaiyesimi

Join host Adrian Cropley in this enlightening episode of 'A View From the Top', as he chats with Adedoyin Jaiyesimi, a strategic communications trailblazer and co-founder of The Comms Avenue. 

Adedoyin shares her journey from studying law to becoming a powerhouse in brand strategy and communication across Africa. Learn about her early career struggles, the pivotal role of mentorship, the importance of continuous learning and certification, and her passionate efforts in training the next generation of communication leaders. 

With a focus on accessible education and professional credibility, Adedoyin's story is a testament to dedication and strategic growth. Don't miss out on her invaluable tips and inspiring career path!

Some great links to what she shares

GCCC

Pathway to Certification

CSCE Membership

Transcript

Adrian Cropley: 0:13

Hi everyone, and welcome back to A View From the Top. I'm your host Adrian Cropley, and it's always great to have your company. This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Center for Strategic Communication Excellence, where we sit down with leading lights, our field to unpack their career journeys, lessons and ideas that are shaping the future of communication and leadership. Today's episode is a real treat because we're heading to Nigeria. To speak with someone whose impact on communications across Africa is nothing short of remarkable. Joining me today is Adedoyin Jaiyesimi. A powerhouse in strategic communication trainer, facilitator, and executive advisor. She's the co-founder of the Comms Avenue. A thriving platform that's been building capacity and community for comms professionals across Africa and beyond, with over a decade of experience spanning everything from Public policy to Brand Strategy Adedoyin has worked with major organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, and Heritage Bank. She's also a passionate writer and educator. Author from Clueless to Success A powerful collection of backstories from her career in comms, and a columnist committed to shaping narratives about Africa through storytelling, leadership, and connection. She lectures for the CIPR UK program at the University of Nairobi. Speaks regularly at conferences and still finds time. To coach and train the next generation of communication leaders Adedoyin again, welcome. It's great to have you on a view from the top.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 2:02

Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be on

Adrian Cropley: 2:05

I am so pleased you listened to the podcast and thank you for being a guest on this one. I was saying to you earlier, you are my first guest from Nigeria, but I hear so much coming out of Nigeria, so I'm, really pleased that there's a real difference being made in communication in your part of the world and out of Africa in general. Africa is the place to watch for leading edge communication. I really want to jump into your career and I have to say, I'm going to start out with what you studied I believe you studied law. What led you to studying law? What was it you wanted to be when you grew up? Was it a lawyer?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 2:46

Interestingly, I didn't want to be a lawyer. I. Sixth form not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Adrian, you wouldn't believe it. I had done science subjects. In Nigeria we have sciences, art, and commercial, and somehow I had done subjects in all three areas when I got to a levels, obviously my teacher, my math teacher saying, oh, you can do math, you can do science. My art teacher saying, oh, you can do this. I was so confused and I sat down. I like, okay God you need to help me here. And I was any. So therefore I am gonna study law, and that was it.

Adrian Cropley: 3:24

Fantastic. And I hear when people get pushed by their parents and things like that and I think it's really hard for anybody starting out when you finish high school, it's, what am I going to do? I don't think we're ever ready for university and what we're going to study, and I'm not sure anybody ever stays within the discipline they study.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 3:45

I think you're right and. Counseling, more guidance on options. So for us in Nigeria, your parents either wanted you to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, but I didn't wanna know there was anything called communications. I didn't even know anything suited to my natural talent. So you're definitely right because it's so overwhelming, like what do I want to do for the rest of my life?

Adrian Cropley: 4:11

It is hard. What were some of those early things? You did your studies got to the end of law and went, Hmm, now what do I do? What did you do first? Where did you go in terms of the first steps in your career?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 4:25

Okay, so one thing about me is that I've always loved reading and writing. I was that child that read almost all in writing books, a kid notes. My dad had to send the driver one day to go to all the bookstores to get me all the books. So I had this really creative mind and writing talent. But you know, I never saw my writing as a gift because I would see people, doing fashion designing, singing. I'm like, why don't I have a talent? Why don't I have a gift? So I finished university, I went to law school. I had to come back to Nigeria, and I was sitting before someone and she was asking me, so what do you wanna do? I was like, I have no idea, but I know that one thing that has stayed with me up until this point is my ability to write. And then she starts making a phone call and saying, no, I have a young girl. In front of me that wants to intern as a writer. I'm like, I never said I wanted to intern as a writer but I decided, you know what? She's made this effort to call her contact, lemme take this seriously. They asked me to send an article. I sent it to them, and that got me my first role as an intern in a media company where I was writing on a website and managing a magazine. That pretty much started my journey in communications.

Adrian Cropley: 5:27

Wow. Isn't it a shame when you hear things like. I really had a passion for writing, but why haven't I got a talent? When you look at those that are doing the creatives, yet you end up in an area that is, all about the writing, the narrative, and the storytelling, and it's such a passion and obviously a talent for you. What did that do in terms of some of those steps in your career? What were some of your early jobs?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 5:55

So when I started that internship, I always describe it as placing fish in water. I was like, wow, okay, so this writing is actually something. I was writing things. Of course it took me while because anyone that's ever written for a. Media platform or a magazine, you realize that the way you write for yourself and the way you write commercially is a bit different. So I had to learn every time. My editor was like, not there yet. The day she finally published something, I wrote with my byline, I think I screamed because I was like, finally, this has been published. But I did. That job moved from being an intern to Managing magazine and I Media.

Adrian Cropley: 6:36

Yeah.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 6:38

There were news that I didn't really care about, and I like to do work that resonates with me, resonates with my values. So I was like, I don't really care if this celebrity just did this, but the world wanted to know, they moved me to shadow the copy editor of the magazine. In a few months she had to be away. And they're like, okay. And they doing. Time for you to lead the magazine. I'm like, you say what? But I did that for a year as 21-year-old, which I thought of the magazine I thought was really crazy. But I really enjoyed the job, didn't enjoy interfacing with celebrities and all the drama that comes with that,

Adrian Cropley: 7:10

yes.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 7:11

Just going from conceptualizing in your head to seeing the final product and seeing the effect on people. And then from there, I moved on to my official communications role, because that had communications in the title, and I was a brand communications officer at a faith-based organization. Actually I was very clueless because I went in with the proposition of, Hey, I know how to write, I know how to edit. Can I help you edit the senior pastor's books? Just make it easier to read. And I get there to collect the manuscripts and they're like, oh, we have an open for a brand communications manager. Would you like to do? I was like, what is a brand communications manager? We had a conversation that a few weeks later, I started my official role in this field that I knew little about, but those were some of my early roles.

Adrian Cropley: 7:53

Moving into brand communication, how was that change? I mean,'cause yes, writing's a lot part of it, but then when you move into organization, you're doing your first official communication role and your in brand, how did you find that transition? What was the, some of the things that you really had to learn in that role?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 8:15

It jarring because the role before I

Adrian Cropley: 8:19

Yeah.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 8:21

communications officer. This person communicates. I was working in a faith-based organization, there are two elements. There's the ministry itself and there's the person of the senior pastor. I remember my first day I had to Google church communications. How does this work? He already had thousands of followers on, it was called Twitter back then, not X. He had thousands of followers on Facebook. Gamble with it. So it really got me thinking that Adedoyin, you actually need to know what this is about. So I did a lot of research and thankfully one thing I learned from my law degree is the ability to research. I have not found a lawyer who is not a good researcher, so I did my research, try a new ideas and shout out to my boss. Then he was very open to a lot of the ideas that I brought to the table. Of course I did make some mistakes, but I got the rhythm of it. I realized that it was a position of trust. Of how we communicate in a way that resonates with diverse audiences, distilling the thing that he had to say and and, and making sure that it connects with the right audience and really carrying people along. And because it was faith-based, there's also the element of hope. How do we make sure that everything being put out. Represents the man behind the message and foundational principles.

Adrian Cropley: 9:38

And there's detail and intricacy when it comes to faith-based organizations too. I think there's a really steep learning curve in the way things are termed, and I'm sure it's the same, in Nigeria, as it is here, it's a whole new world of terminology. So it sometimes is a bit hard to get the head around, but you, you went on and did a editor in chief role after that. Is that right? With, leading Ladies Africa.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 10:04

So while I was still doing that role, I went for an event she didn't have anyone to manage content. And she's like, are, are you open to doing this? And I was like, okay. Because I wasn't doing poor social media before then. I was trying this with the faith-based organization and this was more women focused and women led I started being the social media manager and then just the editorial overseeing the stories. And what it was essentially was stories. African women doing amazing things across the continent because when we talk about this thing of representation in the stories that we tell, you want a young person to see that, hey, this thing is possible. These stereotypes, you can actually overcome them. That was my whole role and it was very interesting learning how to inspiration somebody sees something and they believe they can also do it because they've read someone's story. So you're giving someone visibility, but in that visibility, you are giving another person hope, inspiration to say you can also do it. Here's someone that's done the same thing. You can also go on this journey. So that was what came with that role. Very exciting and stretch role,

Adrian Cropley: 11:06

isn't it nice to have had a couple of roles that are about purpose and more than just the, and you know, I use this term, the dirty corporate, that's not saying, oh, corporate are dirty, but it's, it's, it's that whole where I'm doing something that is a sense of purpose, many. People wait till they're at the other end of their career before they do those purposeful roles. But I think it's fascinating doing it earlier in your career because it gives you exposure to, decent communications as you move on in your roles.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 11:39

I agree.

Adrian Cropley: 11:41

And so you went on and, then took ahead of communications role. Is that right?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 11:48

Yes, so I actually started my own brand communications agency and my title, I didn't wanna give myself co-founder because like, you know what, I'm gonna call myself head of communications of

Adrian Cropley: 11:56

What a clever idea

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 11:58

yeah. And what it really started is as I was doing the brand communications officer role. This Leading Ladies Africa opportunity came. All that opportunities started coming in and it was a part-time role. I think I forgot to mention that the brand communications officer role was a part-time role, so I just used to go to the office three times a week and this was pre Covid. So the two days that I didn't go to the office, I was doing other things as well, and when it became too much and I couldn't balance, I was like, okay, there's something here. Remember I came from, I don't have a. There's need for this to not knowing there is a field communication and seeing the potential. So I decided, you know what? Lean into where this taking me and I agency that. It's different working in than creating your own agency where you have to put Tructure, where you multiple clients, where all clients need crazy. I was working crazy hours, but it was also a learning opportunity for me.

Adrian Cropley: 13:03

I think we all go through those periods in our career where, we're in transition and maybe we've got a foot in both. Camps of the in-house and creating something for ourselves. It does become chaotic. It's so busy, but there's real learning in that, isn't there? There's things that we learn along the way as we go through that.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 13:24

I think one of the things that it helped me to do was to understand what I bring to the table in terms of value, because I mean, think about it. I stumbled into. first time that I saw how a press release was supposed to be written was when I went to do my master's degree, and I was like, oh, right. So I've been writing press releases all these years, so I've just been really winging it. Sometimes you're trying to defend the things that you want to do you know, the executives, they're being dismissive. I realized that I didn't even have the language to communicate the value I was bringing to the table. I wasn't emphasizing the right things. I was so tactical in my approach, but that was a good learning curve for me, which then ended up with me going to Madrid for my master's program. That changed my career and my approach to professionalism. If you stumble into communications and you're winging it, then it affects your credibility. And your results if you didn't study it. You have to change your mindset to say, okay, this is your profession. How do I do it and get it right from the get go?

Adrian Cropley: 14:28

It's almost that moment where the light turns on, isn't it? Suddenly you're getting those learnings where you go. I'm now moving from winging it and, being the tactician to thinking much more strategically around the impact of communication. I can see in your career that's where you've kind of. Evolve to go, huh, this is how this works from a much more strategic point of view given that extra study that you did, I think it's, I mean, I didn't do it myself, but I regret. Not going back to study after a number of years in the industry. I did the short courses, but I didn't go back and do the big degree or the doctorate I think there is a time where doing that enables you. To get a sense for what you do next and then put some of those learnings in place. And it sounds that that's what you did. So what was it that you went on to next? What were some of the things that you built on top of that study and the early learnings?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 15:33

I agree with you. It gave me a lot clarity. To also share your knowledge. I've been someone that I love sharing knowledge. I love sharing with people what I know. I realized that I could teach just because I saw some of my professors. I had a professor that he was the group head of communications of one of the largest European banks. I'm like, this guy is, he's a chill guy and he's a lecturer. I knew that I wanted to be a strategic advisor. I knew that I wanted be that person that clients. Full-time in-house for anyone. I kind of wanted to operate as a consultant, but at a more strategic level. I also realized that aside from the master's program, I wanted to get certification, so I started looking at associations. I came across the CIPR. Certifications. I couldn't afford it at the time because our currency is really blessed. By the time you convert it, you're just seeing the zeros and the zeros are just making your head swing. I created a long term plan. I was like, this is something that I would like to do, but in the interim, how can I implement some of these things that I've learned? Putting the proper framework, understanding the communications framework. To measurement and evaluation. So every brief, I always insisted of going through that process with my clients and which meant that I was very selective about the clients that I worked with. I wasn't gonna work with a client, looking for a quick fix I was like, no, we have to be strategic with this. What are your objectives as an organization? And that has really helped me because it significantly changes your result. Last year I got the strategic communications management professional certification, and in March this year I became a charter peer practitioner. So I've been very intentional about building my portfolio in, in the strategic side, but also building up on my professionalism as well.

Adrian Cropley: 17:16

How important do you see that? I mean, I'm a bit biased here'cause I find this really important particularly getting things like certification as your career. Progresses, but how have you found that important, particularly in countries, in Africa? Is that seen as an absolute must that you should have that?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 17:38

You have to go to law school. People don't question their lawyers. They're not questioning their accountants. They're the icon. There's the A, C, CA. They're all of these things that bring credibility and also confidence. What do you have as a communications professional? I realized that these certifications, bring credibility. They actually help people to see that, this person you're speaking to is an expert. Because I interface with a lot of young professionals that are struggling with confidence, I tell them knowledge brings confidence. There's a level of confidence that comes with the fact that you actually know what you are doing. And that was what my master's program did for me. When I did the SCMP, I was like, yes, I am best in class with global professionals. Same thing with the Chartership. It just gives you that thing of I know what I'm doing. So when somebody is speaking to you or an organization is making you feel like, communications is just, an afterthought, you can articulate and it gives you the language. I think that's the most important thing for me to communicate the value. To say, Hey guys, no, it's not an afterthought. This is how it impacts on your reputation. This is how it's going up. Affect your market share. This is how it impact. But if we don't.

Adrian Cropley: 18:48

You brought up something very close to my heart and certainly for us here at the center is, is access to things like certifications and things like cost. Is so hard, certainly for a a, a lot of countries within Africa. It's the same here within, within Asia. And recently we've been working with the GCCC or my business partner Sia, has, and looking at some of the. The ways that we can get people to access at a local currency for some of these things, because they're important to have. For all the reasons you said, access is hard. So I often think, certainly a lot of countries in Asia and a lot of countries in Africa with the exchange rates and so on, it is just inaccessible unless we make it accessible to somebody. So I'm really excited we're starting to see some of those initiatives,

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 19:42

CMP last year I had it on my radar, one of the books that was recommended, A hard copy afford. I order that book from Amazon because there's the cost of the book and then shipping right? But I did it. Every time I would tell someone, Hey, you need to get this, book, you need to do this certification. How am I gonna get the book? And I realized was a stumbling book. I discovered that there was the gift of record, um, gift of. I can't remember what it's called. It's an IABC gift scholarship towards the exam. I applied for it, I got it, and that pretty much covered the cost of me getting certified. I told everybody that I could, two people got it this year. What I realized then happened with Sia and the GCCC.

Adrian Cropley: 20:27

Yes.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 20:28

it's$50, but at least that's a barrier that has, calmed down a little bit because people getting the hard copy book was also, difficult. But this soft copy one I got it. I mean, I've done the SCMP people that I said, I was like, I'm buying this. But it's very, very rich. So you can just imagine just a little changes can make a huge difference.

Adrian Cropley: 20:46

And that was the big purpose around Sia doing that publication to make something focused on certification and accessible to, to more people. So it does bring it into the realms of affordability and I think, I think we have to be a lot more conscious around that I would love to hear people speak up more when things are not accessible. Ask the question, how can we make this accessible to more people? I'm working with the IABC Asia Pacific region to look at how we get, more education and training accessible to those countries where. Things like membership for an association is a

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 21:26

Hmm.

Adrian Cropley: 21:26

salary. Not a week's salary or a day's salary like it is for a lot of the, developed countries. So I think we have to keep questioning those. I'm so happy we are talking about this. You keep reaching out and pushing those, points because it's important to keep getting the reminder of, how can we make this successful? The more we hear about and the more that we're able to do that. The reason I'm involved with associations is to get everybody. Access to the training, the development, the insight, and I think that's why you do a lot of what you do because, this is all about you. This podcast, by the way, is the work that you've been doing since those roles. So you've got your certifications and so on. You do a lot of the giving. So you are about the, coaching, the training, the development. So tell me a little bit about some of the roles that you have gone into, since your certification and so on.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 22:37

Again, I talk about God a lot in my career because sometimes I dunno where these ideas come from it was like start a community with communications professional. And really what it actually started from was I had shut down the agency the year before because I thought I would go and do my masters in 2019. Ended up doing it in 2020 and I didn't know what to post on LinkedIn because my LinkedIn strategy was like, Hey guys. Look at, this brief. Come and hire me. I'm the best to work with now that I didn't have it anymore, what am I gonna be writing? I decided to start writing about mistakes, lessons, reflections on the work that I had done in the last four, five years, and began to get so much traction. Adrian, I was so confused happening here, and people started sending me Ds, asking questions, and I was like, look guys, I'm just sharing from my experience. I don't pretend like I know it all, but I just decided, you know what? Let's talk. You share your challenges. Somebody else who has gone through it can share, and covid happened. We couldn't have the event and morphed into a community that is now, we have over professionals from 35 African countries. And because the communities domiciled on telegram. And people are having conversations. I realized that mentorship for the young professionals was a big thing. They had so many questions, but they did not have where to get answers. And I thought about my career, I was able to find the answers because I'm a determined researcher, Adrian. I really believe that if I didn't go into comms, I would've been a private investigator. I find that information and I just decided, you know, let see what. We did our first batch in August, 2020, and we saw the difference in made in the lives of the young professionals. And we're actually running the eighth batch of that mentorship program that brings young professionals, gives them access to direct mentorship for senior professionals from across the world. And it's such a big thing, just them having someone to be able to say, Hey, this is way, these are my suggestion. Skill gap, capacity, gap because like I said, a lot of people stumbled into communications. A lot of people didn't understand the best practices, but couldn't afford the high ticket training. So I said, okay, what can we begin to do to break this down for people? And I sat down one day because I realized that I could start teaching, I was like, okay, I can't become a professor tomorrow, but what I can do. Like I begin to share this knowledge on my YouTube channel. It's the same. It's the thing, what do you have in your hands? And so I started sharing some of these content on YouTube, just sharing videos, responding to the questions. This year I decided to build up more on that mentorship element sometimes you're trying to solve a problem and the more you interview, the more you realize this is than why did on this. That's really what it's been, for, for me over the last four, five years. And I'm so grateful that everywhere I go across the continent, I'm seeing young professionals tell me, my mentor helped me to do this because of the mentorship program, the CMP, for example, just because of the fact that I encourage her. So all of those things, it gives me joy because we have to be thinking about the next generation as we talk about communications. The older guys were great. But we have to really support the younger ones, and that's what I'm really trying to do to bridge that gap and say, how do we transfer knowledge from those behind?

Adrian Cropley: 25:57

And this was the perfect reason why I wanted you on this podcast because it really is. About sharing that knowledge with the next generation and, and for you to make the, your knowledge so accessible for, for others, particularly those practitioners coming up I always love to hear that, we are continual learners. We may not be experts in everything, but we've got enough. Grounding in the things we've done to say, here's how you can navigate some of these things and think about how you build your brand. I mean, you've done brand communication. Your, your advisor now. I mean, putting those things together is a really lovely kit bag of tools you can offer to that next generation.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 26:45

So true. And another thing that I would like to add is. Of the nature of the work we do in communications, it's always on. I dunno which platform where I was reading about mental health and communications, it's something that I hope we get a balance. There are a lot of senior people that do wanna give back, but they don't have time. What I'm also helping them to do is say, okay, can you permit one hour? To doing this. I do mentorship events in July. I'm having a mentorship conference where I'm inviting some of those senior guys, like for one hour, two hours, just answer the questions that they have. It doesn't have to take so much of your time, and I'm really hoping that also creates room for more professionals, because it's gonna be a hybrid event. More professionals to be able to say, oh. I can, because, you know, sometimes I interact with a lot of young people, that the way you feel like this thing I'm facing is unique to me. My boss is questioning my role. This has never happened before, but if you sit in a room with communications professional, you realize actually you're not alone. Here's how I overcame it. Right. So that's, that's some of the things that I'm trying to also do.

Adrian Cropley: 27:46

Oh, that is absolutely amazing and I'd love to hear more about that. So, I would love to stay in touch and even share some of the things that you are doing with our network through the center, because I think it's really important we do have a big following from Africa and it would be great to have, people connecting. With you, and connecting with the network, which would be absolutely fabulous. Now, we are getting up to time, but I want to make sure that you've had an opportunity to share some of your tips to people as they're navigating their career. What's some of the things or tips you would love to share with, up and coming communication professionals in navigating their career or the learnings that you've had along the way?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 28:30

So number one, definitely embrace professionalism. Really think about how can I give my, most professional self to this. the Center of Strategic Communication Excellence is hosting this, but I'm always on their website. They have resources, forums, the CIPR or IABC, they have Free sessions. Start taking advantage of some of those things. There reports that are coming out that really, really be helpful. I think it's so important to know your stuff in and out and for every organization that they would work with. Having that thorough understanding of the organization. So important. I was listening to one of the previous guests talking about how she had a science degree? Then she did an MBA and that helped her, to communicate the language of the business, it's so critical that understanding of the sector, whether it's business, whether it's in oil and gas, you really have to know because. We communicate how the problem is when we, we. Social media followers. Okay. And what, so it's really connecting point. How do we measure, I, I, I think it's. Communicate or follow the right. I think maybe the last point is I'm really passionate about giving back, find ways, give back. I encourage people, even if you are two years in, there's intern. How navigated my year as an intern, here's what I did. Even if it's just one thing that that person takes outta that conversation that would help that person navigate their their own journey,

Adrian Cropley: 30:20

thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing those tips. They're all absolutely excellent. And I, I always get excitement when somebody mentions numbers again.'cause it is, it is the thing, in, in terms of it's not, it's, we are not just about the words in communication. We're about the value. Right. And thank you for, for sharing that, that tip as, as well. And thank you for sharing so much of yourself. You've been absolutely wonderful to speak with today.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 30:50

Thank so much. I've enjoyed our conversation. Like I said, I love this podcast.

Adrian Cropley: 30:58

Well, I can't believe how quick these conversations go.

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: 31:01

I know.

Adrian Cropley: 31:05

So Adedoyin, thank you again. It's been absolutely wonderful and thanks to everybody for joining us on this episode of A View From the Top, we look forward to our next episode.