How did it all start? “Ayege, you need to clean this room before the guests arrive.” A supervisor said to me as he walked by. I looked up at him and shook my head. “I’m not a cleaner,” I replied with confidence. I loved to be called a housekeeper but not a cleaner. To be honest, it was never part of my plan when I saw myself making an income, but now that it has happened, I don’t want anything else either. For everyone, passion is the only thing to make you a happy life. So, I looked for my passion for a couple of years before I discovered it. I faced fair treatment and sometimes it was even worse. Most people judged, some thought I was wasting lots of time doing nothing. It happened, and it kept going. My entire digital life started when I was working within the hospitality industry. I was raised from a humble background. My dad passed on when I was approaching adulthood, and I came from a family of 4 kids. I’m the second born and the only gent in my family. My mom couldn’t afford to pay for my university education, so I had to do everything it takes to start surviving on my own. When I turned 18, I joined the hotel industry, from where I worked as a housekeeper. After close to 1 year, I registered for my Bachelor’s Degree. It wasn’t enough to meet up with school fees required by universities; therefore, I had no choice but to quit studying altogether. It took about 1 year before I realized that there’s more to life than just cleaning hotel rooms all day long and earning a meager salary. So, I started saving money for university again, and eventually, Covid-19 came before I went back for my classes. It was a sad moment for almost everyone. The closure and shutdown of companies followed. We were sent home on half salary. The unpaid leave came into reality. I was left with no option but to survive with my savings. By then, I had armed myself with some digital marketing and content writing skills. I had clients and my side freelance career was at par. The Blessings from Covid-19 Pandemic. The voice of hope hit me up from the right side of my mind. “Movine, this is the right time to discover yourself.” So went deep into the internet to find ways how to monetize my skills. There were different materials available online, and that is how my journey to digital marketing was catalyzed. When the company recalled people back to work, they insisted that they would resume with the half-pay. We resumed, but the environment wasn’t quite impressive for someone young like me. There were long working hours, and I felt it deprived me of much time to explore my creative ambition. But how would I quit, yet I have no one to rely on? That was my biggest question. It was the hardest decision ever. Like I felt fed up but could not make a move since I had nothing in my pockets. And still, I wasn’t sure if everything would work out. I was in between failing and success. I didn’t give myself a chance to doubt my future too much. I knew I had the authority to break the wall of the impossible. And so, I started to apply for digital marketing roles. The responses were so interesting; I was getting invitations for interviews. The employers were happy about my profile but with a low budget. Few companies were hiring at that time, and the ones that were hiring were on a shoe-string budget. And the magic happened. I managed to have a one-on-one interview with a CEO of a specific Telecommunication company that decided to give me an opportunity as their content writer and social media manager. The positive responses got me motivated to even work extra harder. He didn’t bother to ask for my academic qualifications; my submissions alone were enough to show my competence. I had some content that was already ranking on Google. The only thing he asked was, Movine will you deliver the same for our company? And I said yes confidently since I knew my strength. And today, I’m continuing with my course. I have also produced more than 100 blogs for different companies. Both locally and internationally. I left their company but we still talk and chat like friends. They helped me to discover myself. They are the reason behind the growth that I enjoy today. I owe them much and I don’t feel there is another way I can compensate them but say, “THANK YOU.” Again, I have helped several businesses to build their social media presence and Google ranking. I am always proud to share my story to inspire people who belittle themselves based on the levels they hold. It might be low, people might take advantage of you, they might tell you anything to hurt you. But if you believe in yourself and dream, you will one day write a story like mine. What Lessons Learned From the Pandemic? I can vividly remember the days back when some of my colleagues would come and drop specks of dirt in the changing room. They would say, “we are the reason you are employed here.” It still makes me feel emotional, but that is a story for another day. If you want to overcome a situation, you first need to develop the mindset for change before you initiate the process. It will help you prepare for any result and have the proper focus. Just think, and think who you want to be in the next two years.