Mo Obadina – Barking & Dagenham Chamber of Commerce Business Award Winners -2016

Mo Obadina is the award winning founder and CEO of MO’s MOJO,
with over 20 years experience of helping business owners to plan and grow their
businesses. She offers one to one and group coaching and training on
Digital Marketing, Business Planning and Leadership and Management skills.
All the strategies, tips and hacks to make your business a success and be more
profitable.

She has helped 200+ businesses through her business
seminars and coaching. Mo’s training
sessions are always interactive and her sessions will inspire you to take a
fresh look at your business and the way you promote it. She recently won the Chamber of Commerce
Award for Micro Business (Barking & Dagenham) July 2016.

WHAT FUELS YOU?

Perseverance: I’m very focused and
determined once I set my sight on a goal. I do face challenges but try to keep my eye on
my vision. I use vision boards and
bucket lists to keep my goals alive and to keep me on track.

Passion: I am passionate about what I
do – coaching and supporting businesses to achieve wealth and freedom. I believe in the saying “Do what you love and
the money will follow” Although I’m a qualified accountant, I spend my time
supporting small and medium sized businesses to grow, helping them with their
planning, marketing and productivity.

Imagination/Creativity: I like to try new things and being in a
crowded industry – business support – I have done things differently to grow my
business – I have just won the Chambers of Commerce Awards 2016 for for our
local growing a business with in an innovative way. In my seminars I am always exploring new ways
to make the learning more fun and more interactive – this quote by Benjamin
Franklyn captures the essence of this training style – “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may
remember, involve me and I learn”

MY GREATEST INFLUENCE:

My grandmother Wonuola Ogunnowo was a visionary
and was able to achieve her vision at a time when independent and
entrepreneurial women doing so were rare.
She ran a successful business selling Kolanuts and was able to leave a
legacy of real estate, which still benefits her family.

MY TOP THREE ROLE
MODELS:

Mandela:

His ability to forgive his
perpetuators, spend 27 years behind bars and still keep his eye on his vision –
to free his people from the strongholds of apartheid. His decision to focus on what matters led to
him becoming the first black president of South Africa against all odds. He is a man that I admire for his laser sharp
focus and resilience to every challenge that was put before him. He definitely was a chosen man, as very few
would have stayed on such a treacherous journey.

Oprah Winfrey:

As a black woman she is a role model
to women of all backgrounds and races.
Despite her background and challenging beginnings she has been able to
achieve her dreams in one of the toughest industries – Media and Entertainment. Her commitment and unwavering determination
to be the best in her field as well as supporting others is inspirational to me.

Michael Jackson:

I’m a bit of a perfectionist and
Michael Jackson is a genius when it comes it finding new ways of marketing and
presenting his work. He is a visionary
and his ability to interrupt the status quo in this work is exemplary. Thriller
(1982) is still the biggest selling record of all times. He trains consistently and hires the best to
make sure that his videos are the best.
He set the pace for many in his industry. I used to spend my Fridays just watching his
dance videos and was just amazed at the amount of work that goes into getting
the perfect choreography for the routines.

IN THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS…..

My goal for the next 5 years is to
build upon what I have. I am currently
looking for bright young freelancers to build a team to help me with my
business objectives – which is to support more businesses with their business
vision and goals. I would also like to
help women business owners in Africa, who would like to embrace digital media
to grow their businesses and reach a wider audience.

In the short term I am launching my book
“Unleash Your Business MOJO!” in September 2016,
it is a book aimed at those who want to start their own businesses or have
started and are struggling to grow it. I
will be doing more speaking engagements once the book comes out in September
2015.

Yes, I do have an accountability
partner and mentor, who ensure that I am on track with my goals and taking
advantage of new and relevant opportunities, well as reaching outside of my
comfort zone. I will also be extending my seminars to online courses so that I
can reach a wider audience. Having been a resident business coach on Live TV and
Radio before, I would love to go back on TV as a host or resident coach again.

THE AFRICAN WOMAN’S CHALLENGE:

I believe there are three main challenges,
which are related, the first is lack of confidence and the second is lack of
opportunities for us, especially in the diaspora. A final one is the need for us to work
together to achieve more, coincidentally, the African proverb “If you want to
go fast go alone, if you want to go far go with others” we should imbibe this
in our daily lives but especially in our businesses. Yes, I have had a few false starts in this
area, but I am still committed to working with others and welcome
collaborations with like-minded women. My
contribution is that I host a free women’s networking event, to help bring
women together to support each other to grow their businesses. I also give my time free to mentor young
women who have demonstrated their commitment to their vision.

WHAT
I DO TO RELAX:

I do quite a few things; I am the Vice
President/PR Officer of our local Women’s Institute, where I help with social
media and other promotional material to engage new and current members.

I am also an amateur seamstress, and
now make clothes in my spare time – I made the black velvet dress I wore in the
picture where I received my Chambers Award, I also play some golf and roller
skate.

MY –
I.C.E. [INSPIRE|CELEBRATE|EMPOWER] VISION

Although, we stand on the shoulder of
giants, I believe that we (PAW) also have a great role to play as being role
models for the younger generation and even our contemporaries. Publicly, celebrating women who have been recognized
for their achievements is a great way of inspiring others to also follow their
dreams and to help them believe it is also possible for them to live their
dreams.

MY
AFRICAN UNION PLANS:

My main responsibility would be to help women break out of
employment and achieve their vision of setting up their own businesses,
following their dreams – not waiting for that “one day” that rarely comes. I will be able to support them to achieve
that dream.

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE:

African women, the world is your
oyster – we are in an age where global dominance through the modern tools such
as the Internet, has removed some of the barriers to success. Now, is a great time to think about your
vision and how you want to leave a legacy, by starting a business or growing
your existing one. And if you don’t want
to start a business, be the best at what you do in your job.

Find a mentor, it doesn’t need to be
someone you know, read their book follow them on social media and when you come
to a crossroad – ask yourself – What would _______ have done, if they were
faced with the same challenge?

For those who want success – first you
must take action. I often use the quote
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you must start to be great” Zig
Ziglar (1926-2012, American author). You
have to start from where you are with the resources that you have. There is no such thing as overnight success, people
(and women) who achieve great things, have been working quietly and often with
little financial reward over the years.
But if you love what you do and are passionate about it, the financial
rewards will follow.