“Getting My First Client Was Quite Unconventional”-Moremi Elekwachi

We live in an era where young people are under the illusion that there is something as overnight success. This is why we find Moremi Elekwachi’s story very inspiring as it highlights an unconventional way of getting your first client as a PR consultant which could apply to any profession.

In the beginning…..

It all started when Moremi was a child. Fascinated by telling the stories of people impacting their world, Moremi developed a passion for storytelling. Little wonder she opted for journalism when it was time to go to college. No doubt, she did consider psychology because she believed that understanding people will help her paint their stories better. However, journalism seemed like a better option since it had more of writing in it.

Life in college……

Whilst at the University of Georgia, in the United States of America, where she had her first degree, she worked with the School’s newspaper as a reporter. Upon graduation, she had internships with magazines and newspapers. All of which heightened her understanding of story telling as a tool for shaping perception into reality. In her words, “Just because someone tells you their story doesn’t mean that is the whole picture”. This informed her decision to pick up a master program in Communication Management from the University of Southern California. There she learnt the different kinds of communication that goes into marketing strategies for different audiences.

The decision to come back home…..

Still in the United States, Moremi worked with a film production company and a few PR agencies. However, she desired more. “There were too many people back there that I did not feel like I was making an impact. So, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great to move back home. Not only to carve a niche for myself but, have the kind of work that I do impact people in unique ways”.

Working in Nigeria……

Back home, Moremi started her journey with Wildflower, a PR company based here in Nigeria. This was to set the tone for the fulfillmemt of her dreams. Starting by herself would have been a wrong move as she said, “I needed to touch base”. Having left Nigeria at about 16 and now back in her mid twenties, it would have been wrong to assume that the knowledge and experience she gained in the US will work in Nigeria. This was why Moremi sought to get into the minds of the average Nigerian, understanding the kind of marketing strategy that appealed to them.

The job at Wildflower paid N40,000. This was below the expectations of family and friends seeing that she got an offer with a bank that paid a lot more. “I actually got an opportunity to work in banking but I believe strongly in purpose. Doing something that doesn’t allign with my purpose could make me depressed”. With this understanding, she went with her Wildflower job, contributing to projects such as Studio Africa, Lagos State Electricity Board, Glo, Triple MG, X Factor, Waje and a host of others. “It was a great eye opening experience”, she said.

Activating her side hustle…..

After a year, she left for Bella Naija, one of Nigeria’s popular entertainment website. There, she wore many hats including assistant editor, Head of Business Development, Page handler and other responsibilities that came with the job. At Bella Naija, Moremi experienced the evolution of story telling via digital. “I learnt first hand the kind of stories that resonated with different people”. Moremi also confirmed that Behind The Scenes is where you really know as a post could have a lot of comments yet its traffic cannot compare to one with almost no comment.

While at Bella Naija, Moremi had started her side hustle. She focused more on Social Media Management and content creation for start ups. As it picked up including PR, she began to think of the future. Combining her side hustle with her roles at Bella Naija became overwhelming. “I had to make a choice between Bella Naija and my side hustle so that my health and lifestyle does not suffer greatly”. It was at this point, after 2years at Bella Naija, that Moremi decided to resign from Bella Naija, focusing now on her side hustle, Public Relations and Social Media Management.

Getting Your First Client As A PR Consultant….

Sharing her story on how she got her first PR client, Moremi said, “Getting my first client was quite Unconventional. I had paid a visit to Upfront and Personal when I heard the name, Andrea. That is Andrea Giaccaglia This struck a chord as I recognised it as a name I have come across in one of my email exchange at Bella Naija. I approached her and asked, Are you the Andrea who has been exchanging correspondents with a Moremi via email? She confirmed and we got talking”. It was during this discuss that Moremi mentioned she had left Bella Naija and now doing PR. Andrea suggested that they work together and as a follow up, she introduced her to EME. That became her first client at her company, Euphorique PR.

Editor’s notes…..

Working at a job that isn’t your own business is no excuse to not give it your best. From Moremi’s story, if she did not have a good work ethic, Andrea will never have suggested them working together. It did not stop there as Andrea introduced her to Stephanie Coker as well and the company has continued to grow. We also love how Moremi makes reference to Andrea. Remember, that paying it forward and showing gratitude does not take away from what you have achieved. Rather it adds to it. Look at it this way, it’s like saying you graduated from an ivy league school. The honor that comes to you from that is outstanding. Learn to pay homage and honour those who have helped in your journey.

Euphorique PR is currently promoting Juliet Ibrahim’s new book, A Toast To Life.

With love,
Oma!

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