Building a Startup Alongside a 9-5: A Chat with Solomon Akinsanya

Table of Contents

• Starting out in the world of marketing

• On quitting school and restarting at Nexford

• On Building Boho, an e-commerce furniture brand.

Between 2012 and 2013, Solomon Akinsanya, still an undergrad, interned at an advertising agency, and even though his primary assignment was in the compliance unit, he developed an interest in the digital operations of the company. He was allowed to join in strategy sessions and take on a few tasks, and that would be the cradle of his vibrant marketing career.

Now in 2023, he leads social media and digital community for a London-based startup and serves other businesses as a brand marketing consultant.

But here’s what is interesting: he is handling a full-time job and consultancy gigs while building Boho, a startup. And here’s what is even more interesting: he is just returning to —restarting, actually— a first degree after quitting school, in 2018, to make money and garner digital skills.

We had a chat, discussing his marketing journey, quitting school, and juggling his startup with a 9-5 as a senior professional.

Starting out in the world of marketing

Solomon started working professionally in 2018 as a social media manager and has handled several marketing niches since then. But before 2018, his switch to marketing came in 2013, startled by curiosity and interest in the digital space.

SA: “I worked in an advertising agency between 2012 and 2013, and I was an intern in the compliance unit. The company had a digital team and I really wanted to be a part of it. Thankfully, my boss gave me the liberty to join in meetings and just grow on the team, and I started observing and picking up skills. When I left, I had acquired a few skills but that wasn’t enough to get a job as a social media manager. In fact, social media management wasn’t the thing and there were not many companies hiring for that role at the time. So, what I did was volunteer as a social manager for my church and also for a few friends who had businesses. All of those experiences qualified me and made me confident to apply for social media management jobs. A few minutes into my first interview, the CEO said he would hire me, and that for me, was an opportunity to prove myself — and so did I. I was there for a year and a few months (between 2018 and 2019). While I was at that job, a friend referred me to lead social media efforts at CareerBuddy and that’s how the CareerBuddy you’ve come to know started. I left after almost 2 years to start a role as Head of Marketing in an e-commerce startup before I left in November 2022, which was when I launched my startup. I’ve been at my current 9-5 since February 2023. Over the years, my experience has been around content strategy and marketing, influencer marketing, digital community engagement, and a bit of talent management.

On quitting school and restarting at Nexford

SA: “So, my ability to multitask dates back to school day, before I dropped out. I didn’t have the financial resources to see myself through at that time. My stepbrother had been doing that for a while but the responsibility eventually fell back on me. I had to get a part-time job in my church as a treasury officer and that gave me just enough for school. I was working three times a week; Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. But Mondays and Thursdays were important class days in schools and they clashed so much that I had two carryovers. Eventually, I decided to take a break and go work for a year, save some money, and return to sit for my courses. But by the time I returned, it was too late —my studentship had expired, and I would need to go through a long and tedious process if I wanted it rectified, so I just decided to leave it. I wanted to ensure that I didn’t lose myself in the midst of all that. The world was going digital and I was almost too sure I could revisit school later. Now, I attend Nexford University, pursuing a degree from the US at my own convenience. I’ve been able to work and build my competence, and I’m working a job that trusts me enough to combine schooling with work.”

For him, school can wait when it’s necessary —if it will stand in the way of your survival in life, financing your education, or getting the necessary experience to thrive in and out of the workplace. Yet, education matters to him, and that’s why he’s back at Nexford.

SA: “Getting a degree matters. Let’s not hide under the guise that the world is tilting toward ‘skills over degrees.’ There are some rooms you might not be able to get into without certain educational qualifications, and that’s not only a Nigerian thing. But if school is “restricting your airflow,” please breeeevvvv. You’re not a failure if you take a year off to stabilize. However, If you have the opportunity to; by all means, go to school, and excel at it — acquire life skills too; entrepreneurial skills, relationship building & management skills, and other soft and hard skills; they’re equally as important.

On Building Boho, an e-commerce furniture brand.

To juggle a full-time job with a side hustle is one thing; running a 9-5 alongside a startup is another. For Solomon, Boho is not a side hustle, and he wants to build a brand that’s totally independent of him.

SA: “Boho is one year old; we’ve been operating since November 2022, and even though it’s my brand, I am building it to outlive me. It is an e-commerce furniture startup based in Lagos. We produce really stylish and functional DIY furniture locally and ship across Nigeria. We have immersive tech infused into the brand too, which is our AR (Augmented reality) feature. Right now, if you go to our website, you can interact with the furniture pieces and cast them into your space before you make a purchase decision. A couple more cool features are on the way though, to make the customer experience more seamless and visually appealing.

Starting the brand was born out of the passion to do more. I believe I have a lot of potential and at every point, I’m always asking myself “What else can I do?” “How can I maximize all the skills I have?” “Am I just going to focus on doing just one thing for the rest of my life?” I’m a marketing guy who likes to conceptualize ideas, designs, and products, and I always like to take on challenges, so why limit myself to a single path?

The first table we launched came from a random sketch I made. I showed a few friends and while some of them thought the design wasn’t realistic, I insisted that it was promising and would do well in the market. That back and forth gave me the confidence to go ahead with it. I launched and people fell in love with the product.

“I knew buying furniture is a tough and boring sport; you’d either have to walk into a showroom, or have to buy bulky, traditional furniture, or just deal with high delivery fees and so on. I wanted to ease that process and make it more fun and interactive for our consumers. That’s where the DIY idea came from. Basically, you buy the parts and set up yourself with the tools provided. It makes you feel like you’re a part of the process.”

He credits his years of handling multiple jobs with his ability to manage work and a business. Now, he creates a fine structure that helps him handle both sides seamlessly.

SA: “Before Boho, I had done quite a number of side hustles. For as long as I can remember, I have always been one to work multiple jobs at a time. I handle short-term projects for people, consult, and work part-time here and there — I’m always juggling jobs. Doing that over a number of years just gives you the ability to handle more than one job without depriving one of the other.

There’s really no difference between handling a main job and side hustles and handling two main jobs. For me, I am not underperforming at my current job. It’s the same energy I applied to my previous jobs while doing side hustles that I also apply to my current job and my brand — those who know me, know that.

One of the things that helped me is structure. When we started, before my current 9-5, I had to be actively involved in end-to-end operations. But remember I said I wanted to build an independent business, so we had to build a structure that could run whether or not I was around. Of course, I oversee the entire operations, marketing, strategy, and all that, but our structure makes it a lot easier to handle. So, I have people who work with me and all I have to do is handle the high-level tasks and delegate the others.

And for creating a balance between work and life while maximizing careers, his superpower remains “Structure” and “finding a rhythm”

SA: “I’m more than a marketing fanatic, and I’m more than the founder of Boho. I think we have the capacity for a lot more than we give ourselves credit for. So, the “how” will be the same template I’m working with; create a structure where everything can be managed. Find a rhythm and in the midst of everything, don’t lose yourself.”

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