Leading Without Limits

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The Spark | Ignite / Connect / Achieve www.thesparkng.com PROBONO Tolulope Omoleye-Osindero The Start-Up Counsel Tolulope Omoleye-Osindero is a Senior Associate in Udo Udoma & Belo Osagie’s Banking and Finance team. She shares her journey and some pointers towards building a successful career. I wish I could say that I had always wanted to be a lawyer, unfortunately this is not my story as I really wanted to study economics or a businessrelated course. When I look back at the many times I rehearsed debate points with my dad, I should have known that the universe was preparing me for this career. Ultimately, I am grateful that I stumbled into a profession where my skill, knowledge and input is required across different sectors. By way of background, I am a qualified legal practitioner and I have been practising law in Nigeria for close to ten years. My major practice areas are Banking and Finance, which includes Fintech and Project Finance, Corporate Advisory and Investments. How did I get here? I think my interest in economics and commerce in secondary school ignited a sense of commercial awareness that has increased over the years ... I would say that having a sense of focus and direction has played a strong role in my career choices and path. For instance, I intentionally did not choose a master’s degree in Law and instead opted for a MSc in Law and Finance specifically because I wanted to increase my understanding of the financial system. Was it easy? No, but I studied hard and took extra online classes that helped with my finance subjects. I finished my post graduate degree with just a few points shy of a distinction. Completing that course not only helped me professionally as a finance lawyer but also boosted my self-confidence and I am quick to advise anyone to identify a challenge that is pivotal to their career and go for it. While focus is important, I believe that relationships are even more important. Some of the opportunities that have helped me professionally have come from former colleagues, my supervisors or even clients. I am indeed very grateful for the support from my superiors and colleagues at work. Younger women need to cultivate professional relationships from day one. You must remember that it’s a two-way street and you can only build relationships by giving. The singular act of sharing useful information or industry updates with your contacts can help you nurture lasting relationships. Recently, I started developing capacity and knowledge in the startup space and I have found this to be very interesting. As a consultant used to advising large corporates, you need a paradigm shift to advise start-ups and smaller entities. The last three years have taught me how to invest in client relationships, become a trusted advisor to my clients and caused me to expand my service offerings even beyond typical legal advice. Last year was the year I did the most work with startups and accelerators as a lawyer and I enjoyed the process of helping the founders navigate legal and operational issues. I worked on a project two years ago and seeing the company being recognized as a force in the consumer finance space in Nigeria gave me a renewed vigor to work with even more startups. My wealth of experience advising big financiers and investors has also proved to be an asset in terms of helping startups prepare for funding. I would like to think that my recognition by the Chambers and Partners for my work in the Fintech Space is a result of some of the startup projects I worked on in the last two years. In the course of my career, I have seen an increase in the number of womenled businesses in Nigeria and Africa, even outside of the conventional retail and fashion space. Many professional women are starting and running profitable businesses and this is a development I am proud of. I am even more excited about women in the technology and innovation space and I believe that we will see more of these. What can we do better? Not being an advocate of affirmative action or policies, I would simply push that we give women the same opportunities that men are given. Lastly, I am looking forward to doing more in the start up space both in the financial services and the innovative space as a whole. #WhatSheSaid To be successful in any endeavour you’ll need to be focused, identify challenges that are pivotal to your career and go for it. You should also cultivate professional relationships from the start. 06 @the sp ark ng
www.thesparkng.com The Spark | Ignite / Connect / Achieve VITAL SIGNS Ukwuori-Gisela Kalu The Mental Health Practitioner The mental health sector in Nigeria has been relatively ignored. While there are opportunities in this sector, a mental health professional who is looking to run as a private business should learn from Dr Kalu’s experience and draw from these guidelines. I studied Psychology in the UK, I did my first degree, masters and doctorate there. While writing my doctorate thesis, I realised I lacked the support that came with a robust social network of friends and family. So, in a quest to be closer to my loved ones, and excited by the opportunity to contribute to the relatively neglected area of mental health care in Nigeria, I moved to Nigeria in 2016 and started a private psychology practice. When I first opened my private psychology practice three years ago, I had little business experience and I didn’t really understand what it takes to run a business in Nigeria. If you are considering working (privately) as a mental healthcare professional in Nigeria, here are some things that I wish I’d known. Private Practice is a Business My initial decision to establish a private psychology practice was based on the fact that the country currently lacks adequate mental health infrastructure and does not have adequate governmental investment in mental health. I wanted to provide evidencebased diagnosis and treatment for individuals suffering from mental ill health. Yet the truth is, running a private psychology practice in Nigeria is a business. No matter how much you see yourself first and foremost as a clinician concerned with your patient’s health, the sooner you accept that you are running a business, the better. The Importance of Marketing & Social Media I have learnt that you can be a terrific clinician and have a tiny private practice if you’re not good at marketing. Social media is definitely a good way, if not the way, to do some marketing these days. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are all good ways of reaching people. Not just to talk about yourself or your service, but to advocate or educate people about mental health, for example. Finding Your Niche Developing a niche can also be helpful. There is currently still a need for professionals and services in all areas of mental health and clinical psychology in Nigeria. Before moving to Nigeria and opening my practice, I gained experience and skills in working with a variety of people. Given the lack of services, this allows me to provide a wide variety of people in Nigeria with access to psychological care. However, my areas of expertise are in trauma and addictions psychology. I have a very strong knowledge base in these areas, and as a result, I not only practice, but I consult for several NGOs. I believe it’s best to specialise in an area that you are particularly passionate about and a good way of finding out which area that is can be through volunteering. The Danger of Isolation When you work as a clinician in a hospital, it’s easy to take social interaction and peer relationships for granted. There’s always someone to consult when there are difficulties. For many clinicians, the transition into private practice therefore often means a loss of a professional support system, and there is a need to actively seek social interaction and consultation. Due to the low number of trained mental health care professionals in the “You can be a terrific clinician and have a tiny private practice if you’re not good at marketing. country, this is even more so the case in Nigeria. It will be important for you to seek regular clinical supervision in your practice. The Importance of Boundaries When I began my private psychology practice in Nigeria, I was driven by the need for mental health care in the country. The stigma around mental health means that the individuals I see are often more severely ill. Accordingly, I felt a huge responsibility to be available for all my clients all the time, and so I returned phone calls and emails 24/7. As time went by, this became more difficult to maintain. It is also unhealthy and a contradiction to what I teach my clients. I have now been able to put healthier boundaries in place. if you are thinking of establishing a private practice, I encourage you to do the same from the start. #WhatSheSaid In summary, to succeed as a private mental health doctor, you have to treat it as a business, you have to market your business, carve out a niche for yourself, stay in touch with your colleagues and set proper boundaries between you and your clients. @the sp ark ng 07
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