A popular wealth creator once said: “When money realizes that it is in good hands, it wants to stay and multiply in those hands.” That’s what Vanessa Ideh Adekoya represents in her industry. She understands the power of merging financial Literacy with creativity. Vanessa has managed to turn YouTube into a lucrative business, and she is now teaching other women how to do it.
In April 2020 she joined Youtube and started creating content around trending topics, and in June 2021, the certified financial education instructor (CFEI) and former accountant decided to start from scratch and build a brand-new channel called, Launch To Wealth.
The platform has now evolved into a goldmine, making Vanessa one of the top black Youtubers in the world. In November 2021, she made $23,700 from her YouTube channel in just five months of launching it, and her subscribers increased significantly. The inspiring financial coach has turned her hobby into a career, and she is reaping the fruit of her labour, hard work and tenacity.
In this Interview with Esther Ijewere, she shares her passion for gender equity and how she is using her platform to teach women the importance of financial freedom.
Childhood Influence
Yes, My childhood influenced me in a way. I can look back on my childhood and find patterns of creativity and expression through words. At the same time, I have always been good with numbers so I knew that whatever I would do as an adult had to allow me to use those skills simultaneously.
Why I Pitched My Tent In the Financial Literacy Sector
Making a mark in the world of Financial Literacy as a digital creator is me coming full circle with myself. For as long as I have known myself, I have been a confident speaker and creative thinker but growing up in an African household, I thought there was no way for me to express my natural talents and be financially stable at the same time. You were either a broke artist or an educated professional. So, I decided to be an educated professional and it doesn’t get more professional than being an Accountant.
However, after landing a job at one of the Big 4 accounting firms, I quickly realized that I would never feel fulfilled if I did not have room to be creative and to speak often as part of my job. That was when the search for an alternative path began. I had coffee chats with people who worked in Marketing, PR and other communication-heavy fields but it wasn’t until I found a brand called Clever Girl Finance that I felt like someone had created exactly what I wanted to create. I did further research and found that she is a Certified Financial Education Instructor so I became one too. The rest is history.
The Journey So Far
It’s been Amazing. On many days, I feel like I am living in a dream because I recognize how much of a privilege it is to show up as your full self, work in a field that you were naturally designed to work in and make a difference in the lives of many. I see it as God’s goodness and I never want to take God’s goodness for granted.
Challenges I Encounter In My Line Of Work
It depends on what room I am in. In some spaces, the challenge is explaining what exactly I do for a living. In other spaces, the challenge is finding the right people to join my team so we can move the vision forward. However, regardless of the challenges I face, I still find joy in doing what I do.
The Society and Its Support For Content Creators
It is a relatively new field and so people don’t understand it enough to appreciate it. It is only a matter of time, though. I see that changing in the future.
Other Projects and Activities
I am currently working on a project that would shed light on the creator economy. It is something I am so passionate about because it is the reason why I am able to do what I do in a sustainable way.
What I Enjoy Most About My Job
The level of impact that my work has. People literally pray for me every day because I expose them to opportunities that they otherwise would not be exposed to.
3 Women Who Inspire Me And Why
Bola Sokunbi, the CEO of Clever Girl Finance. I love the fact that she was bold enough to build a platform centered around women and money. Those are two subjects that get me fired up and as far as I’m concerned, she is a blueprint.
Tara Durotoye, the CEO of House of Tara. I love her love for life and for people. She wears many hats well and I think that is not easy for anyone to do.
Myleik Teele, the CEO of Curlbox. That’s a woman who believed she could and did. She built a social media community and then turned around to create an amazing company around the needs of the women in her community. That’s remarkable; in my humble opinion.
How I Use My Passion For Financial Literacy and Gender Equality To Create Room For Other Women in Our Industry
I actually have a closed community for black women in the financial literacy and media space. It’s one of my most recent projects and something I am very passionate about. I love to see women thrive and succeed.
One Thing I Wish To Change In The World
I would make room for more black women to thrive. We need more women at the table.
How To Empower Women In The Society
Teach them how money works. I don’t think women can be empowered if we aren’t financially empowered.
Being A Woman of Rubies
My audacity. I think it takes a lot of courage to break away from a traditional path, tell yourself the truth about who you are and then find or create a path that allows you to show up as your best self. Many more people would do this too if they had the audacity so I would say audacity makes me unique.
To Young Women Trying To Navigate Their Path In Life
I will probably say 2 things:
Who you are is enough. Find where people like you get paid and go there
Give yourself options. You never want to be in a situation where you feel stuck so ensure you make decisions that open you up to multiple opportunities
Take a look at other related interviews we’ve had in the past:
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- I Started My Business Out Of My Passion For Humanity – Dr. Joy Ezeike
- ‘I Want Immigrant Women In Canada To Have A Voice’ – Adebola Adefioye
- She Wanted To Be A Lawyer But Ended Up A Carpenter, The Story Of Comfort Adzigbli
- Opeyemi Ehi-Joshua Is Helping SME’s Increase Brand Awareness Through Hectares Digital
- Meet Kelu Ogunleye: Serial Entrepreneur Touching Lives Via Value Creation, Social Impact
- I have Taught Over Ten Thousand People The Power Of Real Estate In Canada- Deborah Ojo
- I Started Immiducation To Give Immigrant Professionals Access To Careers In Tech- Janey Buzugbe
- I started Omaness Skinfood To Empower And Enrich The Lives Of Women – Ifeoma Adibe-Chukwuka
