Meet Ijeoma Mogo: An African Freelancer

March 14, 2020 admin No Comments 1309 Views

Hello African Freelancers, we are back with an amazing set of interviews to inspire you, educate you, and provide you with the resources you need to move to the next stage of your freelance journey.

Meet Ijeoma Mogo (formerly Madueke), who is a finance professional with a background in investment banking and project finance. She is a CFA Charterholder with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and a Master of Science degree in International Business and Finance. She calls herself a bit of a finance-nerd.

African Freelancers: What services/products do you offer?

Ijeoma Mogo: As a freelancer, I advise companies across the full finance lifecycle from business modeling for start ups to mapping out revenue streams and preparing documentation for raising capital like investor pitch decks, investment teasers, information memorandums and private placement prospectuses. I help companies and individuals outline business cases for projects to make critical decisions and advise on strategic choices to help improve the finance function. I have also found that there is an increasing demand for business plans, financial models, budgeting, loans and capital raise support and I’ve added those services to my offer portfolio as well. For single projects, I prepare outline business cases for projects and help clients prepare for and execute merger and acquisition activities. Although not typically as a stand-alone service, I also conduct market research and analysis for clients looking to map specific industries and opportunities.

African Freelancers: When did you realise that you wanted to become a freelancer?

Ijeoma Mogo: I’ve always been a bit obsessed with having multiple streams of income. While I was in University in Canada, I worked part-time at the student store, I was a fashion designer, professional makeup artist and even hairstylist. Looking back now, I wonder how I managed to juggle doing all of that at the same time. But I must admit that I am a bit of workaholic and get very bored with too much downtime. Fast forward to having a full-time job in Nigeria, I found that I still needed extra income to actually have meaningful savings. So in 2014, my mentor told me about Elance.com which is now Upwork and also connected me to my first set of freelance consulting clients. The journey started then and I’ve been freelancing ever since.

African Freelancers: What factors determined your choice?

Ijeoma Mogo: The biggest factor would have to be earning more income. There is no price on the financial freedom I get from being a Freelancer and supplementing my full-time income through not just one but multiple clients at once. The other aspect that is equally priceless are the skills I have developed from sourcing clients and then actually running transactions alone. From time management to advanced financial forecasting, building out numerous templates and business modeling to even creating marketing strategies. I have become a well-rounded professional and I owe that to the responsibility of delivering solo on clients’ objectives.

African Freelancers: How did you initially feel when you started getting gigs?

Ijeoma Mogo: I would describe getting my first set of gigs as a mix of two completely opposite emotions. First of all, I was beyond thrilled that people would actually pay me for what I know. On the other hand, I was terrified. For the first time, I was solely responsible for my own client. There was no manager to review the logic and structural integrity of the financial models or misspellings and grammatical errors of business plans. The buck stopped at my desk and that was very scary.

African Freelancers: Was it difficult to pitch to potential clients and how did you source for them?

Ijeoma Mogo: One of my main sources for clients is on the freelance platform, Upwork. My initial pitches were long, extremely rigid and quite boring. It must have been pretty obvious to potential clients that I was new to the game and a bit unsure of myself. I also leverage my network very often, let them know what I can help with and get referrals for projects. Now, I infuse my personality into pitches to potential clients, I am very clear about how I can help clients achieve their objectives and occasionally I throw in some humor. It works like a charm.

African Freelancers: What are the major highlights of your career as a freelancer?

Ijeoma Mogo: Landing the first client that paid me over $2,000 for a financial model and business plan was a really big win for me. I had finally left the league of $300 business plans and even smaller jobs just to get exposure. It was a real vote of confidence for me. The second freelance win was landing a gig with an organization that operates literally across the globe and stand for positive impact. Being a part of their story was extremely rewarding and true real honor. It paid well too, so that was the icing on the cake.

African Freelancers: What are the down-times in your career?

Ijeoma Mogo: As a workaholic, I tend to be aggressive with taking on new clients so I’ve been in a few situations where I was overwhelmed with too many deliverables at a time. You would think that I would learn from this, but it happens over and over again. What can I say? I am a work in progress.

African Freelancers: What do you love most about your work?

Ijeoma Mogo: It may sound a bit cliché but the most rewarding part about being a freelancer is actually delivering on or exceeding the client’s expectation. This is even more real when I read client feedback on Upwork. You can tell that there are excited about the work I’ve done and it makes me very proud.

African Freelancers: Share a piece of advice with young freelancers

Ijeoma Mogo: First things first, understand that although getting started is difficult, it definitely pays in the long run. Read a lot about the strategies to get started and never drop your professionalism. Your attitude to work and how you interact with clients will take you very far. Also, it may be exciting to finally get started on your freelance journey but don’t get caught up overstating your capacity, taking up jobs you actually can not do and under-delivering. It will leave a sour taste in your client’s mouth and may hurt your reputation as a Freelancer. If you decide to use Upwork or similar platforms, do all you can to get good ratings. Potential clients will see low ratings and bad feedback as major red flags. Be one with the fact that you are truly only as good as your last project in the freelance world, so give it your all.

Share on

Related posts

Things to Note When Searching for Freelance Jobs in Nigeria

Tools to Help You Improve Your Freelance Business

10 Freelance Websites You Should Consider in 2022

What is Remote Working in 2022?