The Journey Before Some Money

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When it comes to rendering services, a lot of people are particular about what is in it for them. I have heard a lot of social media influencers tell their followers and anyone who comes across their content never to render any service for free. The funny thing is that common sense can easily kick in and discard their stance. As a social media influencer, you can’t make money unless you’ve invested some money, energy, time, quality content, etc. For the first few videos you post, you are probably getting nothing but likes and a few comments. With this, I think we can all agree that there is a time to sow and a time to reap!

Before I get to the level where Forbes starts displaying my worth, I think I need to share some things about my journey in life. Although money is important, everything in life should not revolve around it. This writeup was inspired by the Hive hangout that we had on Hive learners discord channel. We covered a topic on volunteering, and I alongside other group members shared our experiences.

As a graduate of Mass Communication, my first encounter with the media started even before I completed my first degree. I had the privilege of joining the university radio as a volunteer staffer. There has always been something about me and my love for the mic, and I also have a radio voice, so the radio board managers quickly employed me. Although I have the talent, I was employed as a volunteer staff member without pay for about 2 years. The radio was in the school building, so I had no extra expenses to deal with. The station was just a few steps away from my department. However, the price I had to pay was having to work night shifts and juggling work with education.

After getting used to the system, I graduated to covering field events, which was where I started making some stipends. There were a lot of experiences and challenges I encountered, but I had the passion and talent to get the best, so I kept going. After my graduation, I worked with a few companies before getting back to the media. One thing I realize in every new environment is the doubt or need to establish trust before the commitment of funds. Nobody wants to pay for something they are not sure about. At least for a period of 3 months, organizations tend to study new employees before any increment or assignment of permanent tasks. This may be different in other companies, but that has been my experience.

I currently don’t have all the money, but I can tell you that volunteering has brought out my hidden talents, which eventually got me some cash. I know I have a good radio voice, but I never thought of voicing. It was when I joined the radio world that I got introduced to voicing for advertisements, had some "on-the-job" training, and did many recordings for free before later getting paid. My first payment was #2,000 and was later increased gradually. In the media world, I am currently known for two things: voicing and newscasting, and I haven’t done either for free in a long while (like I said, I don’t make all the money).

The journey before making the money has been one of total dedication and passion, delivered via volunteering. I believe miracles occur, but we can sometimes make things happen.