[MUSIC PLAYING]
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Welcome,
everyone to Talks at Google.
I am Juliet Ehimuan Chiazor,
and I am the country manager
for Google in Nigeria.
We have a special guest today.
And that is the extremely
beautiful and special Mo Abudu.
MO ABUDU: Thank you.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Today is
a special international events
day edition.
The theme for this
year is being bold
for change-- be bold
for change, actually.
We've taken
inspiration from that,
and the theme of
this particular talk
is being bold in
entrepreneurship.
And I think Mo exemplifies
boldness in entrepreneurship.
So once again, thank
you for being here, Mo.
MO ABUDU: Thank you for
inviting me, Juliet.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
It's so great to have you.
MO ABUDU: It's good to be here.
It's good to be here.
Thank you for the invitation.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: Fantastic.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: So I'm going
to start by reading her
profile, and then we'll
get into the conversation.
So, Mo Abudu has achieved
success in various fields,
first as an executive in
ExxonMobil for nearly a decade,
as the promoter behind the
Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park,
as well as the founder of
Vic Lawrence and Associates,
one of Nigeria's leading
outsourcing firms.
She entered the world of media
as the creator and hostess
of "Moments with Mo," earning
the accolade of Africa's
first lady of chats.
MO ABUDU: Yay!
[LAUGHTER]
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: The
show was the first of its kind
to be syndicated across Africa,
with an impressive guest
list that includes Hillary
Rodham Clinton, President
Mohammad Buhari, and Christine
Lagarde, amongst others.
Three years ago, she
launched EbonyLife TV,
which is Africa's first
global black entertainment
and lifestyle network
for premium homegrown
entertainment.
And in 2014, she
started EbonyLife Films.
Her debut film "Fifty," and
her second film "The Wedding
Party"--
MO ABUDU: Yay!
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: --in
partnership with the ELFIKE
Film Collective both premiered
at prestigious international
film festivals and
broke box office records
nationwide. nationwide.
I think that deserves
a round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
Mo is highly sought-after
for her in-depth knowledge
on the African and
global creative industry.
She has spoken at the University
of Cambridge, Judge Business
School, Wharton School of
Business, Harvard University,
and New York University
Stern School of Business,
amongst others.
Mo has received
international recognition
by "Forbes" as the
first African woman
to launch a
Pan-African TV channel,
as well as Africa's
most successful woman.
MO ABUDU: Hey!
[APPLAUSE]
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: She has also
been recognized by CNN as
Africa's queen of media
who conquered the continent.
So once again, welcome Mo.
MO ABUDU: Thank
you for having me.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: It's
really great to have you here.
MO ABUDU: It's great to
be here in the hot seat.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: In
the hot seat, absolutely.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Switching roles.
So, a lot of people
have dreams, right?
And a lot of people
struggle to make that jump
required to achieve
those dreams,
especially when it involves
going into a new space.
Now, that's something you've
done quite a few times
in your career.
From the early days, you left
the security of paid employment
so set up a HR consultancy
firm, Vic Lawrence Associates.
Subsequently, you started a talk
show, "Moments with Mo," which
was new territory for you.
What inspired you and
gave you the courage
to take those initial steps?
MO ABUDU: When I decided
to leave ExxonMobil,
it was a really big jump for
me, because, yes, there's
nothing like working in
oil and gas in Nigeria.
I mean, it's a job
for life, so to speak,
unless you do the undoable.
But if you just go to work
and do the normal things,
you get paid well,
you get a pension,
you build a nice house,
and everything really
is going to be just fine.
But I think that as an
entrepreneur, or for me, for me
there was this
unsettling feeling
that there were certain things
that I felt that I had to do.
And I think when that feeling
comes, it can be obsessive.
It can almost be as if it's
an addiction of some sort.
You just feel that you
have to do everything
within your power to achieve
that particular obsession.
So, yes, I had a great job.
And the other day,
it was actually
the birthday of the PA to
the old MD of ExxonMobil.
So she had invited me to come,
and it was just last Friday.
And I went along to Exxon, and
I saw all my old colleagues
there.
And I was thinking
to myself, wow.
It could have been a
really comfortable life.
But then I decided otherwise.
And the thing is that
when you decide otherwise,
there are no guarantees
about that decision that you
have taken.
You don't know how
it's going to turn out.
So at times, I'm like, my god.
What about if it had gone wrong?
But I think sometimes you
need to take those steps.
Because what really
happens if it goes wrong?
What is the worst-- so
for me, I'm always like,
what is the possible worst
thing that can happen?
The possible worst
thing that could happen
is go and get another job.
So I think once you
understand that you are not
afraid of what's the
worst outcome can be,
and you then look at
the positivity of what
the upside can be, and
then once you are prepared,
I think preparation
is important.
You can't just go into wanting
to leave paid employment
without having had a
secure plan about what
you're going to do once you
have left paid employment.
So before I left, I was
kind of like walking
on two sides of the
street at the same time.
I had started Vic
Lawrence already.
Working with
ExxonMobil, you have
to declare absolutely
everything.
So I declared that I did have an
interest in a consulting firm.
We were doing some business.
I did employ some staff to
look after the business for me.
So when I could see that there
were many more possibilities,
and I can't achieve those
possibilities by staying
in a 9-to-5 job, I then had
to decide about resigning.
And I was warned
about resigning.
I was told that, Mo, listen,
you can go to Houston, a project
that I'm going to Houston on
three-month, out-of-station
work opportunities,
some shorter.
So I had all this
opportunity there.
And I was told, Mo,
you can grow here.
Why are you-- my MD
said, Mo, don't leave.
And I just said,
I have to leave.
And I just took that
plunge, knowing that, OK,
once I'm out of ExxonMobil,
I have no alternative now
than to do absolutely
everything within my power
to make that transition work.
So I gave plenty of notice,
about six months' notice.
And once I was doing
that, I was trying
to build up on the
outside, find an office
and find staff and get Vic
Lawrence on the right footing.
So it can be scary.
You can't just leave.
You do have to plan.
There are no guarantees
that it's going to work.
But I always believe
that with a great plan,
if you're ready to work hard,
and if you put God first,
I do believe that you will
get the results that you need.
Of course you're going
to be challenged.
You're going to go to
many, many meetings,
and people are going
to say no to you.
But for each time I
hear no, I'm like,
I'm one notch closer to a yes.
Because I totally believe
in the law of averages.
Everybody cannot say no.
At some point, we're
going to get to that yes.
Is that yes going to help
me break even that month?
Am I going to be able to
pay my salaries that month?
At some point, you
have to understand
that you can't go
into business thinking
that you're going to make a huge
profit as soon as you set up
that business.
That business has to grow.
You're going to have
to look at the fact
that you may not be able
to take extensive holidays.
Or you may not be able to do
all the things you could even do
whilst you were fully employed.
What are the
sacrifices that you're
ready to make to make
that business work?
Because sometimes, we're
not ready for the sacrifice.
You want to continue
living the life
that you led when you
were being paid 9 to 5
and there was a big company
car, and there was this,
and there was the other.
You may have to just
sort of take a step back
to see what those
things are that you're
going to have to just say,
well, I can't do that for now.
So yeah, I believe that's
answered the question.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Absolutely, So very, very well.
And you're talking about
making it work, right?
With Vic Lawrence
Associates, that
was an area of your expertise.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Because you were head of HR
at ExxonMobil.
MO ABUDU: Yes, yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
That's the part
that is a bit more familiar
for a lot of entrepreneurs,
setting up a business in
your area of expertise.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: But
that does not guarantee success.
MO ABUDU: It doesn't.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: So
what were the things that you
put in place to make it work?
MO ABUDU: Well, the
first thing I did
was to get a small
office, make sure
that I employed a
few experts that I
could afford at the time.
Because one thing I find about
going into entrepreneurship
is that sometimes the
best people that you want,
you can't really afford them.
Because they themselves
want to become entrepreneurs
and they want to
do other things.
So you have to comb the
market to find the best
people that you
can and offer them
the necessary
incentives for them
to come on board as
part of your team.
So that was really
important for me.
And being a HR
person, I knew that it
was important to have
the right team in place.
So it's about having
the right team.
It's was about having
a work environment
that I thought was
attractive enough for clients
to be able to visit.
It was about setting up all
those processes and procedures,
making sure you have a
phone that's working,
making sure you have letterhead,
making sure you have an email
address.
I mean, in those days,
there was only Hyperia.
So our e-mail address
then was vic@hyperia.com.
It's not like today,
where you can sort of
do all-- it's incredible
how things have changed.
But at one point,
all you could do
in Nigeria to get
an email address
was you had to go to Hyperia.
So we had vic@hyperia.com.
Set up all the paperwork.
And then you start
the cold calling.
You then start
running your business.
You then start going out
for business meetings.
You then start trying
to persuade everyone
to come on board and to
do business with you.
And what I used to
say to my team then
was that you can't go in
there day one expecting
that they're going to
give you that business.
We're going to have
to find-- there
has to be a period through which
you're going to have to go out
there, find out what their
needs are, and keep going back
and keep going back
until at some point,
you're going to pick up maybe
some small, small crumbs.
And then they turn into--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Prove yourself.
MO ABUDU: Prove
yourself, and then
they're going to trust
you more, and they're
going to trust you more.
And I think that's basically
what we started doing.
We just made sure.
We were just out
there every day,
covering every
possible opportunity
that we found, with all the
banks, with all the telcos,
with all the FMCGs, with
absolute-- even in those
days, even public
sector, government work.
So we were just
basically just out there,
just reaching out to everyone.
And what I noticed was that
it was important for me
to be the chief marketing
officer of the company.
You can employ someone
to do that role,
but ultimately, a
lot of it boiled down
to what you were also
doing, in trying to make
things happen at the same time.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Yeah.
MO ABUDU: Yeah.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Very interesting.
And I see your point as well
about as an entrepreneur,
you own the vision, right?
And you're the chief marketer.
MO ABUDU: Yes, yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Especially in the early days.
MO ABUDU: Yes, And you've got
to get everyone else to buy in--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Into it.
MO ABUDU: Into that
vision and own the vision
and take responsibility for
the achievements of the vision.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Perfect.
MO ABUDU: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
And then you set up
"Moments with Mo," which was--
MO ABUDU: No, before then, there
was the Protea Hotel Oakwood
Park.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Yes.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
It was Oakwood Park.
So whilst I was busy with Vic
Lawrence, what I had found
was that there weren't really
any purpose-built training
or conference
facilities in Nigeria.
We'd use the Sheraton
Hotel in Ikeja,
which is the [INAUDIBLE] Hotel.
We did use a place
called TCC Ogere, which
is outside of Lagos
on the way to Ajabu.
And in those days,
there were no phones.
There were no phones.
I mean, today the
world has changed.
People don't know how lucky
they are at times setting up
a business in the Nigeria
of today versus what
it was like back then.
So I would have a
team in TCC Ogere.
I would be dialing the number
to get through to them.
Maybe after 100 tries,
I would get through
to some landline that
started with 860,
whatever it was in those days.
So we did a lot
of training there.
So for me, the
challenge then was, OK,
you're going to focus on
training and development,
but where are the
purpose-built centers for this?
[INAUDIBLE] there could be
a wedding going on next door
or you have a training
event going on.
People can't concentrate.
Pretty much the same happened
at the Sheraton Hotel.
TCC Ogere was really far.
I started thinking about
putting together a center.
So it started pretty
much as just a center.
You could sleep there.
You could also have the
training center there.
And then one fine day,
I was at a cocktail--
which is why it's important
to go out and network.
And then I bumped into Dick
[? Kramer. ?] Dick [? Kramer ?]
is a lovely old man that's been
in Nigeria probably for about
50 years.
He's actually set
up a center in KPMG.
And he's been like a mentor
to me over the years.
And I said, Dick,
I've got this project.
And I really want to start
my own sort of TCC Ogere.
He said to me, but Mo,
why don't you brand it?
Why not get a group at the
Protea Hotel involved to brand?
So that now got me off
on another trail of,
OK, let's see if we
get them involved.
And eventually,
initially, they said no.
But sometimes people say no.
You have to ask why
are they saying no.
So I went back again
and again and again.
Eventually they said yes.
We had done some
plans initially.
We had to change the plans to
be more suitable to a hotel.
The cost of investment of
building the Protea Hotel
went up like
tenfold from it just
being a nice little
training center to it now
having some sort of
three-star standard.
Of course, I was invested in it.
And I found that my investment
in terms of my shareholding
was dwindling,
because I couldn't
afford to take on the huge
investment that it was.
I mean, I was 35 at the time.
The project cost in those
days was $10 million.
And I just wasn't going
to be able to do it alone.
So I had to say
to myself, do you
want to see this
become a reality,
even though you may end
up owning a smaller share?
Or do you just want to sit
back and say, well, I'm
just going to build a
little center, which
may not get all this branding?
Or do you want others to
come in and be a part of it
so that it can be a
much bigger dream?
And I said to myself, I'm
going to go the route of,
let me get other investors in.
So we got UBA trustees involved.
We also got [INAUDIBLE]
involved and SA, Inc.
And that's basically how we got
that project off the ground.
So that was my
second major project
after having left ExxonMobil.
And then it was a few
years after that that--
yeah, I don't know.
Sometime--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
The idea came from?
MO ABUDU: The ideas just come.
And I think that
sometimes for me--
when I'm invited to speak or I'm
being asked what inspires you,
where do the ideas come from,
I have to just say it's God.
And it may sound a little bit
basic, and it sounds simple,
and it sounds, yeah,
right, but it's the truth.
Because what I find often
happens to me is that--
I will say this to anyone.
Never go to sleep without a
notepad by your bed and a pen.
Because for me, any
idea that I've had
has come in the
middle of the night.
That aha moment just--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Really?
MO ABUDU: Yes.
And those ideas come.
And I find that if I
haven't noted it down,
by the time you wake up,
you may have forgotten it.
So I find that
the clarity for me
is always at some point in
the middle of the night.
And I instantly just
wake up, and then
I just write and write
and write and write.
And then I transfer
that into some sort
of PowerPoint presentation.
And then I'm able to go out
there and sell the idea.
So that happened one night,
the Inspire African dream just
came.
Even the name
Inspire Africa came.
The name "Moments with Mo"
didn't come for a while, but--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Had you been thinking
or was it like literally
out of the blue?
Because it looks like you're
very good at finding gaps
in the market, opportunity.
So was that sort of
in the space and you
were thinking then you got a
clarity, or it sort of just
came like a light, like a flash?
MO ABUDU: The thing is that
leaving ExxonMobil and setting
up Vic Lawrence
was easy, because--
well, it wasn't easy, but
pretty much it was the same line
of what I'd been used to.
And then doing
the hotel project,
I wasn't going to run
the hotel, so, again, I
could see that,
OK-- and also, there
was some sort of-- you could
see the alignments between Vic
Lawrence and us servicing
the Protea Hotel at the time.
So this move into "Moments
with Mo," when that one came,
I was concerned.
I was concerned because--
you know how you're like,
who are you going to tell?
What are people going to think?
And we live in a society
whereby sometimes people
get the wrong end of the stick.
And I remember telling
a particular person
about [INAUDIBLE].
All the person could
say [INAUDIBLE],
you want to become a
presenter, to be a presenter?
But for me, it was
more than that.
It was about the
fact that in order
to be able to have a
conversation around the things
and the issues that
are important to us
as a people within the
continent and within Nigeria
more specifically--
I mean, yes, I have watched
the "Oprah Winfrey Show."
I have watched the
"Ellen DeGeneres"--
I mean, I can't do
the Ellen thing.
I mean, she's so funny.
I'm like, how does she do it?
I don't know.
At the time, there was
also the "Tyra Banks Show."
So all these shows were
on the Mnet platform.
So I went in to have
a discussion with Mnet
about the fact that--
when I gathered the courage
and had done the presentation.
At this point, I hadn't told a
lot of people about the idea.
Went in to do a
presentation to them just
to see what they would think.
And the initial
response at that time
was, why do we need this show?
We already have a
lot of talk shows.
And it's incredible how
the need for local content
has changed in the
last 12 to 13 years.
Because then, we
didn't seem to have
an appetite for local content.
We didn't seem to crave it.
We didn't seem to want it.
We didn't seem to care
if it [INAUDIBLE].
It didn't even exist.
So I kept saying
to them, I think
there's going to be a
need for a show like this.
And my reasons are--
but yes, I am traveled.
I can relate to
some of the topics
and the things that have
been said on those shows.
I mean, if maybe
that particular day
Oprah is talking
about weight loss
and they're going to be
talking about eating asparagus
or carrots or
whatever it may be.
But how is that
relevant to a Nigerian
that wants to lose weight?
Where is she going
to find asparagus?
For me, it was about
bringing this message home
and saying, how do we deal
with issues in our environment?
If a man is beating
his wife and she's
a victim of domestic abuse,
how is that show in America
going to help her overcome
that battle in Nigeria?
Meanwhile, there are so
many associations that
are dealing with domestic
abuse who you can call out to
in Nigeria, who are
having no face time,
about having that conversation
with people that they could
say, listen, if this
is happening to you,
I'm here to help you.
I was a victim.
Now I'm a victor.
There were no
opportunities for that.
How come we're not celebrating
our own people that
are achieving certain things in
the world of fashion and music
and so on and so forth?
Now we have all the blogs.
We have all of that.
We didn't have those
things 12 years ago.
All we had [INAUDIBLE]
was "City People"
if you wanted to know
what was happening to XYZ.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: [INAUDIBLE].
MO ABUDU: It's totally
come to life in the last--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Especially with online now.
MO ABUDU: In the last
decade, it has exploded.
So it was really about telling
them that there was a need.
Thank god, eventually Joe Hunda,
who was then the MD of Mnet,
eventually said, OK, Mo,
I'm going to buy this idea.
But I cannot fund it.
I don't have money
to commission you.
But I will license your show.
So he now suggested that
you go look for sponsors.
I'd never been in
the sponsors game
prior to starting
"Moments with Mo."
I didn't have a clue.
But I though, OK, in
England during the summer
I'd done all these
sort of sales jobs.
And I'd been told you can
sell sand to the sheiks.
So go out there and sell.
So I went around.
I went to the banks.
I went to the telcos to try
and sell "Moments with Mo,"
looking at what
would the benefits be
and opening billboards,
saying, brought to you
by XYZ company, adverts in
between the show, product
placements.
And if your color is red, we'll
have red in the background.
So I had to now start
thinking about, OK,
what are all those
things I'm going
to do to get them to commit?
Because you can't just
keep saying to somebody,
be a sponsor.
What is the value?
What is the value we're
give to the sponsor?
I mean, it happens
to us every day.
People come and say,
be my media partner.
Media partner how?
You want exposure
on the channel.
But what are we
getting in return?
So we need to get value
so that we can give you
some value as well.
So that sort of
opened up my eyes
to the world of
sponsorships and how
to close those sort
of sponsorship deals.
And I'd gone to one
particular bank at the time.
And they were like, oh, yes.
The MD had said we
were going to do it.
And then this particular
MD a month later hired
a new head of corporate who now
said, we're not going to do it.
And I was totally
like devastated.
But I thought to myself, I'm not
going to let that get me down.
I said, Mo-- I had
to pick myself up.
I called a good friend of mine
at the time called [INAUDIBLE],
who runs a small
incubator consulting.
[INAUDIBLE] I said, [INAUDIBLE].
No sponsor [INAUDIBLE].
What do I do now?
And at the time, I was looking
for huge amounts of money
to start the show.
He said, Mo, break it down.
Why don't you just
see if you can even
do one season of the show?
If you do one
season successfully,
then you can start
going from there.
And that advice basically
is was happened.
He took me along
to have a meeting
with then the MD if [INAUDIBLE].
I did my usual
presentation to him.
I'd never met the man
in my entire life.
And I walked away thinking,
I wonder what he thinks.
And eventually, he said,
we're not going to sponsor,
but we're going to
invest in your company.
And then they had
the SME scheme.
And they bought
into Inspire Africa.
And that basically gave
us the seed capital
we needed to go
build our own studio.
Because we had to
build our space where
we were going to have
this conversation.
It didn't exist.
It's not like in
the States where
you can just walk into a
studio, dry hire the studio,
and record.
We couldn't do that.
So we then had to
get our studio space.
And we were then in City Mall.
Found an empty space.
We sort of did it up
as best as we could.
And that's where we
started [INAUDIBLE].
And before that, I went
on a training course.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Yeah, I
was actually going to ask that.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Because
that's good [INAUDIBLE].
Because that was new territory.
MO ABUDU: Yes, yes, yes,
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: And I
recall hearing you say that.
You had no prior
media experience.
MO ABUDU: None.
Never done it before.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: So it
was going into a new space.
MO ABUDU: Yes, yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: So how did you
develop your own capacity and
also position yourself in a way
that you and the show
could be taken seriously?
MO ABUDU: Mhm.
Yes.
Well, before we started,
thank god we had Sky Bank.
So they came on board as an
investor and also as a sponsor.
And luckily, eventually I was
able to persuade [INAUDIBLE]
to come on board as a sponsor.
So I had two strong
brands that were
associated with the
"Moments with Mo" brand.
And the very first
interview I did,
it was Professor Wole Soyinka.
And I chased and chased
until he said yes.
Because I thought, I need to
start this show with a bang.
I need to have a
really special guest.
And that gave the show the
credibility that it needed.
I went on a training course to
learn how to be a presenter.
At the time, Oprah had
launched her 25 years
in those video DVD box sets.
I bought the entire thing.
I would watch and watch.
Running a training
consultancy firm,
I got one of my instructors,
[INAUDIBLE] at the time,
to train me.
So we would train every
weekend at the Protea Hotel.
He would record me.
We'd play it back.
We'd look at, Mo, you
need to improve on this
and improve on that.
So I did all those things
before I got started.
So that kind of gave me a
little bit of confidence.
I was still very nervous.
But I just found that
once I got into the flow
of the conversation--
and once I was researched--
it's important to prepare
for your interviews.
So I say a lot of
advice to young girls
out there that want
to become presenters.
It's not really about how you
look or the shoes you have on.
Yes, that's nice, too.
But it's really got to be about
the quality of the conversation
and the questions
that you're asking
and the topics that
you're selecting.
Because I found when I
launched "Moments with Mo,"
I kept saying, we need to
have topics that are exciting
and people are going
to want to watch.
So one of my episodes
was this lady
that said that she was the
parent to seven children
that she claims she
had in seven months.
So we did lots of
research about,
OK, you went for the blood test.
We interviewed her.
She said she was the parent.
At the end of the day, it turned
out she wasn't the parent.
I had another crazy episode
with an armed robber.
This guy was an ex-armed robber.
And he sat and told me
entirely how he got into it
and how he got out of it.
Another crazy episode was
the snake-eating episode.
There actually are
places where you
can go and buy snake meat
in Nigeria and eat snake.
I'm thinking-- and the
lady came to the studio
with the snake meat--
looks like chicken.
And I said to her, I'm like,
I'm not trying this one today.
So it was really about
finding those topics that
would engage, that
would be interesting,
rather than just another--
domestic abuse we covered.
Of course we celebrated
lots of people on the shows.
I mean, I probably
did 1,000 episodes
before I decided that I wanted
to take a back seat before we
started on this journey
of EbonyLife television.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Right.
Still on "Moments with Mo"--
so you had several moments
in the course of--
I think it's over 10 years now.
MO ABUDU: Yes, yes, yes.
2016, yes.
2006 to 2016-- yeah,
10 years-- yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
From the discussions,
were there personal lessons
that you learned that really
had a profound impact on you?
MO ABUDU: The thing is, when
people that you don't know
open up to you, you find
yourself in a situation
whereby you think you really--
I mean, they're
sharing things with you
that you may otherwise
not have known.
And one of the
episodes that I did
for me that was very
early on in my career
that I found really
touching was when that plane
crashed in Port Harcourt.
And it had all those children
from the school in Abuja
on the flight.
And I had Mrs. [INAUDIBLE],
who lost her own daughter
in the studio.
And it was sitting next to a
woman that not only does she
come on the show, but she
was able to share her pain
and how she dealt with the
fact that her only child has
been killed in a plane crash.
And you find that those
intimate moments are just
moments that you can
never just get them back.
And people are sharing
things with you that
are really, really private.
And you're the custodian
of that information.
And how you treat it and how you
treat them I've found to be--
I had to find my
own way of dealing
with those kinds of issues.
You would leave a show at times,
and you're like, oh, my god.
And I used to do like
four shows a day.
Because in the
world of production,
that's the only way it
can make financial sense.
You can't be doing one a day.
You use the crew--
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: [INAUDIBLE]
MO ABUDU: Use your crew
till they're tired!
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: [LAUGHING]
MO ABUDU: Even
when they're tired,
they would still be recording.
So at times you would have to go
from doing a very happy episode
to doing a very sad
episode to doing
a different sort of episode.
And at times your head is kind
of like in different places.
And I'm coming
from a world where
I haven't done this before.
So having to deal with all
of that was kind of yeah--
had its challenges.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: And it sounds
like it was a lot of hard work.
MO ABUDU: It was.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
I think people--
when you say an
entrepreneurial success story,
it's very easy to
celebrate it and to think,
oh, it's all glam, et cetera.
But there's a lot of
hard work-- genuine
heard work that goes into
making anything successful.
MO ABUDU: Very much so--
a lot, a lot of hard work.
You've got to be well-researched
on whoever the guest is.
And for me, when I was doing
Professor Wole Soyinka,
I thought, you know
what he's like.
You can't sit on
the set with him
and not know what
you're talking about.
So I was petrified of
that particular one.
I must have read and
read and read more
than I would need
for the interview.
But you just have
to be prepared.
And for every single
interview that I did,
I have to be well-researched.
I had to have my
questions with me.
And sometimes the
response you get
has no link to
the next question.
So you have to be very
quick on your feet
about how you're now going
to sort of go back to them
and get the necessary
answers that you wanted.
And at times, you're going to
have technical problems on set.
Something isn't working.
A generator has broken.
We're dealing in an
environment whereby
your counterparts
in another country
doesn't have to think
about these issues.
Nobody cares-- I mean,
who cares about power?
Who cares about some
of those things here?
But here you are dealing
with those realities.
Those are my realities every
day that I have to deal with--
find a space that I could
convert into a studio,
find staff that would
understand the vision that
could get me the look and feel.
Because at the time,
as easy as it is--
I mean, now that we do
1,000 hours of programming,
a talk show is the easiest
format in the world.
But no one has still
been able to replicate
the "Moments with Mo" format.
In 10 years.
I've not seen another
talk show that replicated
the look and feel of talk.
And for us, talk is the simplest
thing for us on EbonyLife TV
today.
We've taken talk to a completely
different level from things
like "Moments."
Now we have "Moments Z,"
which is with a much younger
crop of young girls
who are having
a conversation around things
that are important to them.
We have "Love Lounges,"
which is about love, sex,
and relationships.
We've got "Men's Corner,"
which is talk about things
that men are fascinated
about that women also
want to know about them.
We have [INAUDIBLE],
which is [INAUDIBLE] doing
his own crazy thing.
It's all talk.
So we've taken the
talk, and we've kind of
given it its own twist.
So it is a lot of work.
It is a lot of work--
even convincing sponsors
to come on board.
After you convince
them, oh, yeah, pay me,
you're going to be chasing
them around to get payment.
Remember, you have
salaries to pay.
You have crew.
You have everybody else to pay.
They're not going to wait
for clients to pay you.
You're talking to the bank.
You're facilitating
overdrafts [INAUDIBLE].
You're doing all
kinds of things just
to keep the business going.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Yeah.
So talking about
EbonyLife TV, that's
one of your more recent
bold moves [INAUDIBLE].
And I remember the tagline--
everything you think
you know about Africa
is about to change--
MO ABUDU: Forever.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Forever.
MO ABUDU: Yes.
Yes.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Can you
share the vision behind that?
MO ABUDU: The vision
behind that was that--
I remember a few
years before when
I'd interviewed Hillary Clinton,
and one of the key questions
that I said to
her was, how do we
change the stereotypes
about how we
are perceived across the world?
And she said to me,
we have to have people
like you speaking
on behalf of Africa
and putting a different image
out there about the continent.
Because even with Google,
if you Google Africa,
what are the first
images that come up?
It's going to be poverty.
It's going to be despair.
It's going to be destruction.
It's going to be all these
images that the world
view have of our continent.
How do we change that worldview?
It's by creating the
reality, the other reality
that the world needs to see.
And that other reality is
showing people like you
and I in Nigeria, showing that
there's this audience here,
showing that we are capable.
And that was how we came
up with the tagline--
everything you think you
think you know about Africa
is going to change.
Because we put a positive
spin on everything.
We didn't create these people.
These people already existed.
We just didn't have a
platform so that you
could engage with them.
So we gave that platform for
engagement, from let's make
comedy, let's make
reality, let's make talk,
let's make scripted programming.
Let's do lifestyle.
Let's do everything that we can
to show the world that this--
and we have a tag.
We have this stamp that we put
on everything saying, EbonyLife
TV, made in Nigeria
for the world.
So good things can
come out of our content
and out of our country
and can be exported.
And that really was
what it was all about.
I mean, we go out to
international exhibitions,
and people ask us--
I don't know if it's a
compliment or an insult.
They say, was this
really made in Nigeria?
Yes, it was made in Nigeria.
How about that?
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Yes, we can make things.
MO ABUDU: And yes, we can
make things like that.
Because they're so used
to just all kinds-- and we
have to be careful about
what we put out there.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: And
actually, interestingly, that's
one of our priorities
as Google in Nigeria,
encouraging-- having
local content online.
Create amazing
[INAUDIBLE], business,
educational content
[INAUDIBLE] here.
So that's one of our priorities.
MO ABUDU: I mean, look
at this conversation
we're having today.
I mean, you're having it.
So thank you again.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
What are the challenges
that you encountered
in trying to set--
because that's a really big fit,
setting up your own TV channel.
Everything you've
mentioned prior to that,
I know they were very
challenging, et cetera,
but this, I think, was,
in order of magnitude,
probably another level.
MO ABUDU: [LAUGHING] It was.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
So what are the challenges
that you went through in setting
up and running EbonyLife TV?
And what support systems and
opportunities assisted you?
MO ABUDU: I woke
up one day, and I
decided that I wanted
to launch a TV channel.
And I had no idea how
I was going to do it.
But I just knew that
deep down in my spirit,
deep down in my soul, God
said, Mo, go and do this.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Did it scare you?
MO ABUDU: [GASPS]
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: [LAUGHING]
MO ABUDU: Very scary.
Very.
And I think sometimes,
the scarier the dream,
the more you need to pursue it.
Because I think there's a
message in there somewhere.
Because if it's not scary,
then what's the challenge?
And for me, I'm like, OK, try.
All you have to do is try.
If it doesn't work,
it doesn't work.
So the idea came.
And one of the first
people I called was my mom.
My mom is always--
she's my prayer partner.
And she says she's
my number-one fan.
[LAUGHING] So I said,
Mommy, I'm doing this thing.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH],
as she always says.
But that means that
she's praying about it.
So the next person
I told was a friend
of mine in South
Africa, Sandra Admadio.
Sandra was one of our
producers then on "Moments."
Because when we
did "Moments," we
used to have a Pan-African
spin to all of our shows.
And she would go
around Africa, sort
of shooting similar stories
for the show at the time.
So I said to Sandra, I
want to start a TV channel.
And Sandra's like, oh,
that sounds really cool.
And what do we do now?
So I thought, how do
you start a channel?
I couldn't get a license.
There was no opportunity to
get a license for [INAUDIBLE].
They'd all been taken, all gone.
But I also felt that it
was important to create
a platform that could travel
and one could use technology
to drive and would be
Pan-African at the same time.
So I have a show on DStv.
I said, let me have a
conversation with DStv.
So Joe Hunda, that had approved
the "Moments with Mo" I said,
Joe, I want to
start a TV channel.
And he's like, Mo,
love, you know,
we don't just do
channels like that.
I'm not sure we need another
channel, but you can try.
So I said, who do I contact?
And [INAUDIBLE] used a contact
later called [? Alexa ?]
[? Alberts. ?] I said, can
I have her email address?
So he gave me her email.
And this is how it started.
I didn't know her from Adam.
Sent her an email, and
eventually she responded.
She sent me a form that's longer
than anything else, hundreds--
I mean, not hundreds,
but several pages of,
what is the name of the
channel, what is the--
I mean, questions that
I did not even know.
It made me think about, wow,
you want to start a channel,
but did you know
you're going to have
to know this much before you
can actually start the channel--
the schedule, the types
of programs, the budget.
I mean, there were
so many questions.
Eventually, I did the best I
could to answer the questions.
And I sent the form back to her.
And then I kept chasing
her and chasing her.
And she wasn't answering me.
Because they get requests
at least 10 to 20 a day
from people that want to set
up TV channels-- from Nigeria.
So eventually, I said, I'm
going to be in South Africa.
Because I was shooting an
episode of "Moments with Mo."
And could I please
come in and see you?
So that was my hook of
getting in the door.
So I went in, and
I had a meeting.
So before having
the meeting, I then
hired someone that was
already in the world of media
to do me a beautiful
presentation around this
is the sort of content we
would have on the channel.
Went in and did the presentation
and left the meeting.
They said, well,
this isn't quite it.
So I was devastated,
because I'd actually
paid someone quite
a large sum of money
to do that presentation.
It wasn't working.
So they were like, if
you want this channel,
you have to go back and do XYZ.
And we had workshop after
workshop after workshop,
deciding on who was going
to be our [INAUDIBLE].
Who do you really want to
speak to across the continent?
What is the conversation?
What are the genres?
What are the hours?
How are you going to
produce these hours?
Who is going to
produce these hours?
Who is going to do
your post-production?
How are you going to clear
things through legal?
I mean, there is a
battle and a half
of things you need to clear
to create one hour of content.
So eventually after
several months
of now having gone back,
having left them and gone back
to do another presentation
with all of this--
I had to engage a consultant.
I couldn't find
anyone in Nigeria
to do it, because the
skill sets don't exist.
I found someone in
South Africa, again
had to invest a huge
amount of money that
could have gone into maybe
a nice bag and a holiday.
Let's just get this
presentation done.
Let's do the strategy
session, after which we then
did the presentation.
We now went back into
[INAUDIBLE] to present.
Then they bought the idea.
But now they gave us conditions.
This is a beautiful
presentation,
but you need to raise
XYZ amounts of money.
You need to have a studio
before you can do all of this.
Which is why I say
sometimes you need
to pray hard and work hard.
At the same time, a
good friend of mine--
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: You had
to raise the money on your own?
MO ABUDU: I had to
raise the money.
And the story about
how that raised
is what I'd like to share.
At the same time all
this is happening,
a good friend of mine,
[INAUDIBLE], says to me,
you need to go to Cross River
and interview the governor.
And I was like, I'm trying to
raise money for my channel.
I'm trying to do
all of these things.
I don't really--
But eventually, he persuaded me.
And I also had wanted to do that
interview for the longest time.
Went on a plane on New Year's
Day about five years ago.
Went to Calabar to go
and do this interview
with His Excellency then
at the time, Governor Liyel
Imoke, and his wife
Obioma at the time.
But at the same
time, I had a sponsor
for my show "Moments with Mo."
And the sponsor had
threatened to pull out
unless I started having a
presence on social media.
Because I wasn't tweeting.
I didn't know anything about--
I was just doing my thing.
So I got a PR person, registered
me on Twitter, do my Facebook
and do all of that.
So then I got to
Calabar that evening.
I sent a message
saying, happy new year,
lots of love from Calabar.
And someone said to me,
what's happening in Tinapa?
I've never been to
Tinapa in my entire life.
So I was with a
friend in the car who
said, let me take you there.
Let's drive around.
We went there--
beautiful place--
beautiful but empty, as
in, nothing was in Tinapa.
So the next day when I was
going to interview the governor,
[INAUDIBLE], who was
his special assistant,
said, come in and
have a conversation
with His Excellency before
you start your interview.
I never met him.
I didn't know what
to say to him.
The first thing I said was, Your
Excellency, we went to Tinapa
yesterday, but it's very empty.
What's going on?
That is how that
conversation started.
That is how we got the support
we needed for the channel.
Now, I didn't know--
I mean, on one hand, you're
looking to set up a channel.
On another hand, a
friend is saying,
come and interview
the government.
The other sponsor is saying,
you need to start tweeting.
You put all of that together,
you send a tweet message out,
and Bob's your uncle.
Somehow a couple of years
later, about 18 months later,
Cross River State came
on board as our partner.
We promised to use that Tinapa
studio as our destination
point for media.
And that was the catalyst for
getting EbonyLife TV started.
And they also supported
us in the fundraising
for EbonyLife TV.
So [INAUDIBLE] putting all
those elements together.
So when people say to
you, what is your recipe?
I can't say to you, go
tweet or go to Cross River
and interview the governor.
You're going to
have to just work
hard enough for the universe
to conspire fire to say,
OK, I am going to
give you your break.
I believe that there are
dream-makers for all of us
out there.
We all have to meet
our dream-makers.
And on the other hand, there
are your dream-killers,
those that cannot wait
to kill the dream.
So you have to balance
the dream-killers
and the dream-makers and see
how you get out of that cycle.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: The lesson
I hear as well from
just listening to this
is also having your radar on.
MO ABUDU: Sometimes you
think it's going nowhere.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR: Yes.
MO ABUDU: And sometimes
for the hell of it,
just go along with
whatever it is.
Because you never know
where it's going to lead to.
You never, ever know.
It could be one night,
you're out having a drink.
You could be in a supermarket.
You could be absolutely
anywhere when
the opportunity comes to you.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: Absolutely.
MO ABUDU: Yeah, yeah.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: Another thing
I think you're
very good at, and I
think that's really critical
in entrepreneurship,
is finding the right talent.
Where do you source talent?
And what are the things
you look out for?
Because when I think about
EbonyLife TV and everything
you've done, actually,
you have a great team.
MO ABUDU: We have
a fantastic team.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
How do you find them?
MO ABUDU: Again, I
think the universe
will conspire to sort of
bring you the right people.
But I think maybe being
an HR person I think also
has helped a great
deal in understanding
what the processes are
that you need to go through
to find the right talent.
I can't work with
anyone on my team
that isn't ready to be replying
email at 3:00 in the morning.
I know it sounds crazy.
But you must be
able to work hard.
You've got to be able to
identify where they're coming
from, the things they've done.
Someone is here with
me today. [? Eunice ?]
is there with me today.
And [? Eunice ?] was
based in America.
And I had to plead with
her to come back to Nigeria
to work with us.
Because even before she joined
us as a member of our team,
as I had a strategy,
we had already
started working together
on little bit of things--
not officially.
Like if I was going
to go to the States,
she would even
proactively volunteer.
She'd proactively help me do
things without me even asking.
And I'm thinking, this
is the sort of person
you want on your
team, to be there
for you in your own corner.
So eventually I pleaded
and said, please come back.
And she packed up her bags,
and she's come back to Nigeria.
So for me, it's really about
just putting your feelers out
there.
And you need to have
that fifth sense.
You need to be able
to say to yourself,
is this person going to
be a part of your team?
And you can pretty much suss
out people that work hard
and people that are just BS-ing.
I'm sorry to say that.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
No, absolutely.
MO ABUDU: I mean, there
are a lot of people,
they're all talk, and they're
just not going to do the work.
And I can't deal with that.
So immediately, I'll-- at
times you're going to make
recruitment errors.
And when you do, you
say, thank you very much,
but it's not going to work out.
Bye-bye.
And then you move on
to the next person.
And that's pretty much
how I've built the team.
But I think more
than anything, it's
really just about finding
people that can plug in.
And we have a lot of
young people with us.
[INAUDIBLE], head of
social media, is here.
She joined us-- I don't
know-- three, four years ago.
And it's incredible how
she has grown into her job.
And it's really
just about finding
the right team of people
and then sharing the dream
and then just
being conscientious
about the things
that they need to do
and you not having to say it a
million times before they do it
and micromanage them, for them
to practically say, OK, what
about this and what about that?
And we're all learning together.
And I like to have lots
of people around me
that even know more than
I do about certain things.
Because we don't know it all.
I don't know it all.
So my daughter is working
with EbonyLife now.
She's got some crazy ideas.
She's like, Mom,
we need to do this.
And I'm like, OK, we're
targeting your age.
OK, I will listen to you.
So for me, it's
about making sure we
have an inclusive team that
they can tell us about things
that they think
are going to work
for the channel of
whatever business is it,
and we just fly
with those ideas.
And because we're
small, for us, we're
able to just get things
done very quickly.
We don't have to get
10 levels of approval
before we do them--
maybe like you guys.
I mean, Google is such
a massive organization.
But with us, we can
pretty much say, OK,
we're going to run with this.
So we can execute
things really quickly
as a small organization.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: So I'm going
to open it up very shortly to
questions from the audience.
But I'll ask one more
question before I do that.
What gives you inner
joy and fulfillment
from all your engagement?
MO ABUDU: I think for me, the
highlight of my existence--
number one, my children.
I think that for me, they
are the most important thing
in my life.
If I had to give up
everything I have for my kids,
I would do so tomorrow, really.
And I say that 100%.
I would.
My mom is my everything,
and my sisters.
I put God before everything.
I absolutely do.
I just think it's
so important for me
to have that sense of direction.
And what I find interesting is
that people don't often know
their relationship with God.
And they make
assumptions about how
you've achieved certain things.
They don't even know
how you've achieve them.
And what I find interesting
is that it's my secret.
I share it a lot, but I
think sometimes they're
not listening to the fact
that if you put him first,
if you listen to him
truly, it doesn't matter
I've got these six-inch
heels on, I've got my lashes
or whatever.
In my moment when I'm on
my knees praying to him,
it is between him and I
having that conversation,
and he is saying, Mo, do this.
This is the most important
thing for you to do.
So he guides my every,
every move that I do.
And he just gives
me the confidence
to go out there
and say, there is
nothing that is real too
much that we can't achieve.
Because with him, we know that
all things are truly possible.
And that's what I
continue to believe in.
JULIET EHIMUAN
CHIAZOR: So I'm going
to pause with my
questions and see
if there are any questions
from our very lovely team.
MO ABUDU: I think
for me, the skills
that I struggle with most are
probably my people skills.
Because I'm so impatient
to get things done at times
that I'm sure I'm driving
everybody around me crazy.
Because I kind of like
want it to happen now.
Because at times, I'm
like I micromanage--
I would do it myself if you
can't give it to me now.
I'm the kind of person.
But I think that's
as we grow, I think
skills are something that, with
age, you get better at them.
Because I know I'm a
much better person now
than I was 10 years
ago or 20 years ago.
So I think it's gradual.
And I think it's also
important to keep
learning about the skills
that you have that you need
and to practice.
I find I practice the
skills that I need,
even public speaking.
At times I practice, because
I'm not the best public speaker.
I want to be, and I'm constantly
challenged by the fact
that I'm not going to say
no to going out and speaking
in public.
But I'm going to learn to
be a better public speaker.
So it's really about teaching
yourself those skills
that you need.
And I think skills
come with habit.
Once you practice it
enough times, then
it becomes a reality for you.
So whatever skills that
you think you are lacking,
just work at them.
If it's that you're not
smiling, you know what?
Keep smiling.
Smile enough times, you're going
to find yourself just smiling
without even thinking about it.
Because the mind is
a very funny thing.
It just kind of just takes
over and does those things
without you even
thinking about it.
From my own personal
experience, it's
pretty much been about
the fact that you
need to share the dream.
If you have a big dream, you
can't do the dream by yourself.
You're going to have to
look for other people
that you can invite in to
make the dream a reality.
When I was setting
up Vic Lawrence,
I didn't need support.
Because I started very small.
But when I moved on to do the
Protea Hotel Oakwood Park,
it was a $10 million--
I don't have $10 million.
I had to now go out there and
do a proper placement info memo
and get people to
buy into the project.
And it takes time.
You're not going
to say to someone,
come in and invest $10
million, and they're
going to just sign
the check tomorrow.
No.
Some would say yes.
Some would say no.
So there was a
process of engagement.
Pretty much the
same thing happened
with "Moments with Mo."
I had to go out there,
as I said earlier,
and engage and get people
to buy into the dream.
EbonyLife TV was the same thing.
I didn't have the required
capital to set up a TV channel.
So I had to find a partner.
And those dreams can sometimes
take time to become a reality.
Because cash is--
you need the cash.
But you just have to just keep--
once you stay focused that you
want to achieve this dream,
those things will
come into the play.
And with "Moments with Mo,"
I started with one season.
But initially, my
whole idea was I
was looking for money to get
me comfortable for a year.
And when I couldn't
find money for a year,
I decided to seek Mack's
advice and just do one season.
So if you can find ways to start
small, then you start small.
And then once people
can see success,
like now, everybody in
Nigeria wants to do a film.
After the success of "The
Wedding Party," they're like,
can we come and
partner with you?
Do you want money?
People are offering
us money to partner.
So success has
it's own successes
in that others
will come and say,
can they come and be
part of your own success?
So once you can achieve
some level of success,
then you just have
to just invite.
But never be afraid
of inviting people
in to share in your dream.
I mean, you've got to
be careful, do your due
diligence and all of that.
But all things
being equal, I don't
think there's anyone that
owns anything 100% anymore.
It doesn't happen.
That is a tough one.
Because there are
some women that
decide that when it's time
to raise the kids, I'm out.
I'm just going to focus
on raising my children.
And then there are
some people, like me,
who are a little bit
more selfish, who believe
that they can have everything.
So you need to be
singlminded about the fact
that I love my children,
but at the same time,
I have this dream.
So how am I going to be able
to juggle all of those things?
You need to have a great
support system around you.
You need to spend quality
time with your children.
Because I find a
lot of housewives
that call themselves housewives.
They're not even at
home half the time.
They're probably out
having lunch or doing
their nails or somewhere.
But they have deceived
themselves that they are there.
So in that regard, you,
that you are working,
you therefore make it--
it became part of my day
to say that I'm going to
spend XYZ amount of time
with my children.
We're going to go
out on this day.
We're going to
take this holiday.
We're going to do those things.
And when it's really
time for me to take
myself out of work 100%--
[INAUDIBLE] my son
was going to go
do his A-levels and my daughter.
I had to physically take
the time out and say,
I'm not working for a month.
I'm going to go.
We're going to have to
search for a way you're doing
to do A-levels in England.
And that was it.
And you close down shop
until you come back
to do those things.
So it's really
about prioritizing.
And I think what happens with
working mothers is that I
think your kids become strong.
I hope so.
Mine have.
Mine have.
They become strong knowing
that my mom is working.
You are also a role
model to your daughter,
that she's going to know
that her mom has worked.
Your son-- my mom
has worked hard,
so that when he marries his
wife, he's not going to say,
sit at home.
Because he sees his
mother that's working.
So I think we're also
preparing our kids for the fact
that it's OK to have--
your dreams are valid.
Please, don't let me be
sued for plagiarism here.
Your dreams are valid.
You can take that on to
know that you can go out
there and achieve your dreams
the same way that your husband
is achieving his dreams, right?
So why can't you achieve yours?
So I think it's just about
finding the fact that you need
to find the happy medium,
the happy balance,
and have a good
support system and let
the kids know you really
love them when you're there.
That's what has worked for me.
But I can't say that same
recipe will work for everyone.
Because everyone is different.
We're not all the same.
So my DNA will be different
to the next person's DNA.
But that is pretty
much what I have done.
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
That's interesting as well.
And you touched on something.
You believe that it's
possible to have it all.
MO ABUDU: Hm.
Not all the time.
I think something will give.
You can't have it
all all the time.
You cannot.
It's not possible.
So you have to decide on
what is important to you.
It's like the woman
that decides to stay
at home with her kids
that wanted a career
but couldn't have it.
She's had to give
certain things up.
So I don't think
anyone can have it all.
I think we just have to try
and do the best that we can.
And just try and be as
good as we can, really.
And be honest with ourselves
about the capabilities
and the capacities that we have.
Because we can't do everything.
There are only certain
things that we can do.
And I think we need to just
look at ourselves and say,
this is who I am.
Yes, when I am in this mode
of work, I can be obsessive.
My friends can think
I'm selfish, because I
don't want to see anybody.
But if that's what gets me to
get the results that I need,
then I'm going to
do those things.
And when I'm done,
then I will find a way
to just go back and get back
into the swing of things.
And-- yeah.
MO ABUDU: I think we have
a lot of talent in Nigeria.
And if I look at the success
of EbonyLife Television,
it has been based on
the fact that we--
I mean, one of my
biggest concerns
at the time when we actually
started the channel was, where
am I going to find the talent?
Because I looked at
the TV landscape,
and I was pretty much appalled
by the talent that I saw.
So I don't understand the
hiring decisions or how
people decided to put certain--
I look at TV.
I'm like, why is
this person on TV?
What skills do they have?
Why do they look this way?
So for me, it was really
important to understand
the look and feel
that we were after
and then find the right people
that we could put into that
look and feel,
even if they didn't
have the necessary experience.
I mean, [INAUDIBLE]
is here today.
Or [INAUDIBLE].
She does a lot of work.
She's one of our
presenters on the channel.
And I remember how she--
I mean, she's tenacious.
I mean, I remember how she
hounded me down at the time.
And she said, I want to become
a presenter on your channel.
And I was like, we
don't have any spaces.
And then she would
keep sending me emails.
And then I said, OK,
send me your show reel.
And then one day, we needed
a presenter for a show.
And that's how she became
one of our best presenters.
I mean, she is so off the mark
with just anything [INAUDIBLE].
But prior to that, did
you have any experience?
Really, she had none.
But everybody knows who she
is today, two or three years
later.
So the same applies
to our channel.
Even [INAUDIBLE] that is doing
the "Big Brother" in South
Africa has been on the
spot and has been with us
for many, many years.
We have a lot of
talent in Nigeria.
But I think the reason why
"Big Brother" is being shot
there is for business reasons.
We are also shooting in
South Africa right now.
It is for business reasons.
Also, the world is
a global village.
We can't keep
limiting ourselves to,
oh, I'm fighting this
cause that everything
must be done in Nigeria.
No-- I want to do
programs in America.
I want do programs
in the UK that I
can sell to a UK broadcaster.
Why should my limits be
just in Nigerian markets?
Especially with the naira
doing what it's doing now.
[LAUGHTER]
So, my guys and I are
actually off to England
to go and shoot some pilots
of some of our very good shows
with a British cast.
And we're going to
go to America to do
the same with an American cast.
Because we need
to widen the net.
Shonda Rhimes is a black
woman, just like I am.
She's written "Grey's Anatomy."
I don't think everybody in
"Grey's Anatomy" is black,
right?
So she's just a
very talented person
that is doing great work in
the big, wild world of media.
We have to learn to
take that on as well
and to understand that we
can go anywhere in the world
and make content and
make programming.
That's what I think
we need to do.
We need to just
open the blinkers
and just see the world
widely and what it truly is.
And that's what I want to do,
now that the naira has crashed.
And maybe you
should do the same.
[APPLAUSE]
JULIET EHIMUAN CHIAZOR:
Thank you so much.
[APPLAUSE]
