To be honest, reading the first few chapters of “This Thing Called Love” by Oreva Ode-Irri (@rehviie), I was impressed by the depth of skillfulness and professionalism displayed for a debut collection of stories.
Her skillful writing mirrors those of world renowned authors with several years of experience.
From the use of words, to figures of speech, to the research and facts intwined in her stories, and the level of immersion created with clear descriptions, connections, nuances and unexpected plot twists. I was totally blown away and delighted to read on.
More importantly, these stories (at least the chapters I’ve covered so far) are based on the Nigerian experience that is truly relatable for many – from places to slangs, culture and socialization – aptly described without failing to deliver the core message – LOVE in its various shapes and forms.
The vast range of presentation for each unique story was refreshing. I also love the modern design, look and feel of the book.
I totally love that while these stories are guided by a moral compass and a level of decency, yet, they mirror real and relatable experiences, where everyone can find themselves (past or present), their love story or have hope ignited once again for love in the future.
It was truly delightful to read something so fresh by a young Nigerian author, writer and seasoned spoken word artist.
This is certainly a book you would enjoy reading, should add to your collections of novels, or order as a gift for friends.
Totally love love love “This Thing Called Love”.💕
Without giving you any spoilers😉, you know you should certainly go get a copy in support and celebration of remarkable African writers like Oreva.
Today, the Instagram metric shows that I have posted 1000 content since inception.🤍
While many may celebrate instead a thousand followers’ milestone, I choose to acknowledge this metric because it signifies the number of times, I showed up in building my business brand and the digital footprint for Brave Publicity across social media, with a combined following of over 7000 people.
I have showed up in health and when ill, tired or weary, when weak and when strong. I have showed up when certain and when I was uncertain, when encouraged and when I was discouraged, when I won and lost opportunities, and even when I failed in attempts and when I succeeded.
For me, it represents my resilience on this journey.
The irony is, this is solely for the Brave Publicity brand as a business, as more has been done in efforts to serve other people and brands while gradually on track towards a thousand post and more. With multiple designs, slides, video production, content creation, copywriting, editing and all of the effort that goes into creating, media production and driving publicity, I’ve certainly churned out more than a thousand posts. This for me, simply represents much strength.
Through the years, I learnt to embrace the imperfect when striving for excellence.
Many designs and edits would have remained in my drafts, but I was willing to try and to put out my craft. In doing this, I witnessed much growth and observed the transformation of my craft through its growth stages that still remain. It was easy to see the difference because I was willing to put out what may have seemed imperfect at the start.
I believe that excellence is always in motion, so we must go for progress, not perfection.
I believe this because, most of what we may perceive as excellent today often change by standards in the future. In retrospect, we can always spot the imperfections and improvement opportunities, but it is the journey of growth makes us proud.
I also learnt to let others hear my voice and see my face, embracing many cringe moments.
In the early days, it felt strange to hear my own voice or speak into a lens with no one in sight. During reviews of edits and drafts, I needed to learn to let go of what I hoped it would be and embrace what was.
On bad hair days, on days when my face was puffy, on days when I had an acne break out, on days when I felt I looked fat or my face was too big on the screen, on days when the lightning was poor or the audio quality bad, on days when I forgot to turn on the mic, failed to review on site and there was no room for a retake or re-shoot. I learnt to let go of the imperfect, embraced the hard lessons and improve the next execution.
But most importantly, I learnt to create structures that aided consistency.
From day one, there has always been a brand blue-print and with God’s help, I have gotten closer each day to what the vision is – in brand communication, execution and service.
Inching gradually towards a thousand+ content/ posts has required much humility, growth and an open mind to remain a life-long student.
I don’t assume I know everything, even though I am very much aware of my capacity.
To not understand your current value may lead to undermining what you bring to the table. When you don’t know what you have, those without a moral compass and conscience would take advantage of you. So, while I remain self-aware, I also remain humble enough to learn without undermining what I already know. Being a lifelong student is the bridge towards improved professionalism, success and growth.
I have learnt from various people. Those who have led me and taught me, those I have led and those I have served. Knowledge does not discriminate and isn’t age centric, anyone can have it and anyone can learn from one who has it, including learning from formal institutions of education.
Sometimes you learn the craft, and at other times you learn the lessons about people, the craft or the industry.
With structures, consistency was easier to embrace, even on the hard days, as this helps the vision remains front and center.
There were days I felt tired and quitting would sometime cross my mind, but I always knew that it was never an option, only resting was.
So, on days I felt fatigued, stressed or tired, I would rest and then continue, while having the understanding that every vision is in its stages. As a time would come when the support of a bigger team would keep things moving. For now, I embrace the line of thinking that:
I may not where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be.
I don’t know what requires your ability to show up consistently, so I hope that this heartfelt note of my journey inspires you and helps you see what is possible only if you believe, start and stay consistent.
Thank you for sticking with me. Cheers to a thousand and more milestones at Brave Publicity.🤍
Article by Opeolu Adeyemi. Founder/ Consultant, Brave Publicity Ink!
It’s really been a full year, and as I count my blessings, I am grateful to have the capacity to execute these things, serve people, build brands and uplift the visions of corporate organizations. It has been a long year of heavy work, but also fully rewarding. The slides below showcase the details.
In this new year, I look forward to it with more hope, God’s grace and strength to scale new heights and embark on new adventures. 2025 was a good year, and I thank God for it.
We live in an era where once sought after skill sets are now gradually becoming obsolete and replaced by technology that is faster, cost effective and gradually becoming more accurate and efficient from compounded years of data training and modeling.
Is this a threat, maybe. Should you take this seriously, yes.
The latest update at @bravepublicity below sheds more light on how creatives can prepare in a changing world.
How do you prepare for a changing world as creatives? Let’s cut to the chase. Here are 5 things you can you do:
Stay curious and keep learning. Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are trained on compounded years of data and can yield great results, so it’s easy to get lazy, stop learning and stop producing. You have an intelligent mind that thrives on lifelong learning. Hence, the more reason to kick in and hone your skills and craft. True intelligence isn’t dependent on prompts alone that relies on technology that could be switched off. Can you still function effectively if those tools become exclusive or inaccessible? So stay curious, don’t let your mind get lazy. Stretch it.
Follow the Money. What are the biggest names and brands investing into? Where is there tension and pressure? When you eliminate the profit gains, do such investments still seem reasonable and futuristically relevant? That tells you what to pay attention to.
Identify the gaps and challenges. Every new industrial revolution has its fair share of challenges and those able to solve them have a chance of winning and can become relevant. The question is, how can you plug in with your skill or craft and what must you do to increase your value quotient?
Don’t be ignorant. Understand how emerging systems and technologies works. Just because you may not like them, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand how they work. Study these changes. If the world evolves and your knowledge of the new world is at base level, you just may be left behind. So read, learn, research, apply, and up-skill. In all of these, stay true to your craft and vision.
Protect your crafts and innovations, own your creations. More than ever before, you must take intellectual property, copyrights, patents and trademarks seriously. Your creative mind makes things and they can be taken, copied and hijacked if not well protected. The world may be changing fast, but some laws are more enduring and serve as a safety-net for you. Know your rights and make smart choices.
As I approached turning 30 on the 1st of November this year. I had multiple moments of reflection on my journey and life so far. While I documented a number of things, and spent some time apart to fast, pray, reflect and prepare for the next phase of my life.
I also thought about what to share in a simplified form with people in my circle of influence. So here are 30 lessons or nuggets you may find as useful.
Wishing you a splendid week.🤍
1. You are not helpless. There is always a seed in your hand. Ideas, Gifts, Talents. Don’t disregard that seed because it comes easy to you or seems too small.
2. Put your best foot forward. Always!
3. Correct people in love.
4. Be the friend you want.
5. Focus on what’s before you. Your lane is yours.
6. Smell good. Smell good for yourself first. Make sitting beside others a pleasant and comfortable experience.
7. You can’t buy the affection of anyone or perform to get their affection.
8. Be yourself and improve to become a better version of yourself. Do it for you.
9. Be happy and laugh often, life is too short to live a sad and empty life.
10. Take joy in the little and big things. Enjoy those moments and let them encourage you.
11. Some of the best advice will come from those much younger than you are, so be open minded.
12. Give your younger siblings the respect they deserve.
13. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, there is no shame in that.
14. Dream big, but start young.
15. Don’t be afraid to start again. With God’s guidance, you can build better this time around.
16. Don’t let the unrealistic pressures of society, dictate how you should live or spend your money.
17. Be prudent with what you have, live within your means and try to have multiple streams of passive income.
18. Don’t give up before you begin to see the rewards.
19. It’s okay to stop, if it’s costing you your peace of mind, health or finances.
20. Prioritize taking care of yourself. There’s no need to feel guilty.
21. Pay attention to your body. Don’t ignore signs when you are overworked, tired or need better care.
22. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Stop stressing over the small things.
23. Just be kind.
24. The world doesn’t revolve around you alone, so be sensitive enough to observe when others need your help.
25. If you don’t have firsthand knowledge about something or someone, give things time.
26. Don’t be a gossip.
27. Handle disagreements with grace. Diverse perspectives help you understand people and also see the world the way others see it.
28. Stop worrying. Pray instead, then do your best and leave the rest.
29. Pray ooo. Don’t get tired of praying. Pray about everything and anything. God listens but you also need to listen too.
30. God loves you unconditionally, so you can learn to love, and trust Him.
Thanks for reading.🤍
Article by Opeolu Adeyemi. Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant. Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!
Brave Publicity Ink! 