Be adaptable, take advantage of your networks and don’t work “for exposure.” – Lamide Akintobi
Lamide Akintobi is a renowned journalist and media professional who has worked with different media platforms such as Channels TV, Television Continental, and Ebony Life TV. Lamide has over a decade of experience in TV, in front of and behind the camera, and she is currently a freelance producer & presenter, event host and moderator. She recently launched her production company – Something Special Media Productions Ltd. African Freelancers had a chat with her! Keep reading!
African Freelancers: What services/products do you offer?
Lamide: TV production and presentation, panel moderation, event hosting, voiceovers, content consulting and development.
African Freelancers: When did you realise that you wanted to become a freelancer?
Lamide: I don’t know that I wanted to become a freelancer. It was sort of thrust on me in a way. I had a freelancing stint a few years before, then got a job outside Lagos and had to move, and at a point, when I returned to Lagos, it was necessary to transition into freelancing because a) the organisation was changing how it did things, and b) there were lots of opportunities to be explored, so it worked out, even though I was quite worried about it initially. I also don’t feel like I thrive in the conventional 9-5 structure, and honestly, I’ve not really worked in that sort of environment often. So now, freelancing is just my version of normal.
African Freelancers: What factors determined your choice?
Lamide: Again, not a choice per se. I have almost always done more than one thing at a time, and with media, you almost have to be able to juggle different hats. But the factors that have determined me not going back into a salaried job include the fact that I like being able to have my own schedule, and being able to be selective about the work I choose to do.
African Freelancers: How did you initially feel when you started getting gigs?
Lamide: Extremely happy. It was an adjustment, not having a steady salary, so getting work helped tamp down my anxiety about income.
African Freelancers: Was it difficult to pitch to potential clients and how did you source for them?
Lamide: For panels and events, people mostly reach out to me, but pitching isn’t necessarily difficult; it’s more about finding the right fit for the story you’re pitching. So it’s mostly about researching which outlets your story will work for, and going for it. There are lots of “No, thank you, we don’t want this story” responses, but research, adaptability and persistence will go a long way.
African Freelancers: What are the major highlights of your career as a freelancer?
Lamide: Producing features for CNN
African Freelancers: What are the major highlights of your career as a freelancer?
Lamide: The times work was slow and I wasn’t earning enough money.
African Freelancers: What do you love most about your work?
Lamide: The variety of it, and the people I get to meet.
African Freelancers: Share a piece of advice with young freelancers
Lamide: Be careful with money. Put some away, make sure you’re saving or investing when you can. Be meticulous with paperwork and documentation. And of course, be thick skinned – rejections are plenty, but it’s not personal.
African Freelancers: Any other additional information that you would like to share
Lamide: Be adaptable, take advantage of your networks and don’t work “for exposure.”
Connect with Lamide on IG via @Lamide_a, and her website – www.lamidelive.com, where she is starting a newsletter for people interested in Media.
