A Glimpse of Alma Asinobi latest edition of Doing Life With.

BellaNaija New series “Doing life with” is a series aimed in show casing the lifestyle of individuals, how they are living, traveling, working and caring for their families. According to the micro blog which aim to document the lifestyle of people and ensure everyone is well represented through storytelling.

On her recent conversations session with Abiodun Sule, a lone dad during her father’s day special edition. Doing Life with Alma Asinobi a tech savvy, travel entrepreneur and a marketing copywriter. Below are some highlight captured from Alma Asinobi edition of doing life.

 

 

Hey Alma, tell us how you’re feeling right now in 3 words

It’s the weekend and I just got off work, so relieved, chill and happy. These are probably the blandest words you weren’t expecting but capitalism has drained all my energy 

We’ll manage that, haha! So… Alma Asinobi in 3 sentences?

Alma Asinobi is a content creator, travel entrepreneur and world citizen currently on a mission to visit every country in the world. She’s a foodie who forgets to eat, and a free spirit who always finds her way back home. Alma is Spanish for soul so regardless of what she does, you can always count on her to bring her fullness along.

What a bio! You’re in marketing, tech and a… travel consultant? Tell us all about your career journey, the choices you made and the decisions behind them

If I started to tell the whole story of my career journey, it’s probably my grandkids who will end up concluding this piece because it’s loooooong! But let’s just say I’ve proactively sought out opportunities and stayed prepared for them when they came.

I have 3 degrees in Architecture, but by degree 1, I already knew I wasn’t going to practice within the Architecture space. You’d wonder why I went on to get second and third degrees. Well, how do I answer this without sounding like the kid in class who used to remind the teachers to give us homework? 

I like school. I like the structure, the race against time, the living on the edge, and most importantly at the time – the allowance.

Being in school gave me a safety net and financial freedom to experience different ideas and explore my different passions without worrying about whether or not those passions could pay my bills. Thanks to the most supportive parents in the world, I knew at the end of the month, I would receive an allowance.

 

During the years I spent in school, I started an online business, started a blog, tried my hands on photography, and even modelling. The experience I gathered from these helped me find my most marketable skills and hone my craft without worrying about money.

It was my background with my online business and social media that got me my first job in tech. My blog transitioned into my social media content as you know it today. And before you ask, Architecture school trained my design eye too, and that gives me an edge and helps me deliver excellent work in everything I do, so it’s not a waste haha.

My career journey has been one of constant reiteration and evolution. I believe my fluidity is my superpower.

 

What’s a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me is the same as the next, except for when it’s not. My morning alarm goes off at 7 a.m. and you won’t believe how much I want to say that the first thing I do is head to the gym.

 

When I wake up – usually on my couch, where I fell asleep while watching Big Bang Theory for the 6th time – I stare into space right after I have sat up for a few seconds, just to confirm that my legs still work. You never know. 

I use that time to make a mental note of what I want to achieve that day. Next up, I have a quick worship session while I do any chores and just get ready for the day. Everything that happens afterwards is pretty much vibes and largely depends on what part of my work is finding full expression that day – tech babe, travel creator, or business owner.

I usually forget to have breakfast until late in the evening when I think of calling my mum and I know she’d ask me what I’ve eaten that day.

I’m an introvert, and the only time I don’t miss my bed is when I’m in it. So every time I have to go out, I grumble just a little bit, but sometimes I end up having fun, especially when I have my friends with me.

 

An introvert and travel creator? How does that work?

To be honest, when I’m travelling, I’m in full explorer mode. So most of my routine stays the same, except that I go out more and grumble less about it.

One travel experience that will forever be etched in your memory?

My first trip outside Nigeria by plane was a solo trip to Senegal. I had scraped my savings together and taken the biggest bet on myself to begin my journey around the world.

Once the pilot announced that we were beginning descent, I looked out the window and I could see the airport we were approaching, and my eyes started to water. Once the tyres came out and we touched down, I burst into tears. I was weeping and sobbing like a child.

Words cannot express how I felt in that moment. Surreal is an understatement. Something woke up inside me that day, and it has stayed alive since then. I’ve gone on to have many beautiful travel moments, but I can never forget that one.

It wasn’t my first time on a plane but this one was different. It’s why one of the programs I’m working on in my travel company is to give underprivileged and terminally ill children their first flying experience. Everybody needs to feel it!

Awww, love that! Let’s talk about the challenges of running a business as a young person, do you have ‘Oh! No’ moments? How were you able to navigate them?

Everyone has “Oh no” moments regardless of their age. The only advantage you have as a young person is time to try again over and over until you get it right. One “Oh no” you’ll never hear from me is “Oh no, I give up.”

I’m a we’ll-always-find-a-way girl, and it’s abundantly clear in the risks I take. I honestly believe there’s a key to every door and will stop at nothing to find it. I don’t take no for an answer.

This mindset helps me in business as much as it does in every aspect of my life. I manage my “Oh No” moments with as much optimism as I can, then keep trying till I get an “Ah yes”.

Tell us how you cope with stress or setbacks in your life you know, inflation, shaky economy, bad govt. policy – in short, everything the average Nigerian goes through

I’m no longer 100% based in Nigeria, so things are a little different for me now. Even before I moved, I spent most of my time travelling anyway, so I was hardly in Nigeria.

You know the thing about Nigeria everyone needs to understand? You can’t run from it. It will always catch up with you. Being Nigerian is almost like a tattoo on your forehead. You can wear a fringe bone straight wig all your life to cover it, but one day a pigeon will fly from nowhere and yank it off your head. And alas, you’re exposed. From the airport in that fancy island country where you show your green passport, to the website that won’t let you check out because they don’t accept naira cards. 

I deal with all the stress by shutting off and spending time with myself, sleeping, watching my favourite series, and talking to my little sister. Calling home keeps me grounded and refreshes me. It’s one of the few things in my life I really look forward to that never gets old.