COG: Chisom Winifred on Employing Her Copywriter Skills in Starting Her Media House 

Our “country people” sometimes do not believe in multi-tasking because “no one can do so many things at the same time”. Well, that’s because you haven’t met the Chief Original Gangstars, who are not only multi-taskers but multi-players, multi-managers, and multi-administrators. In today’s issue of Chief Original Gangstar, our COG is Chisom Winifred. A feature writer for Bella Naija Online, the Beauty Editor for Glam Africa Magazine, and the Content Lead for TrendUpp Africa. But, amidst all these, she is the Co-Founder of the fast-growing media organisation, C&C Digital House.

In this episode, Chisom tells us about how she started her company, what prepared her for the role of an entrepreneur, and the simple life she lives behind all the positions she holds.

When did your entrepreneurial journey begin and what was the inspiration behind it?

I’d say that my entrepreneurial journey started when my business partner, Chinasa Chukwu, and I started C&C Digital in 2018, after working together on a project for a client. We easily became friends because we shared similar interests and an intense passion for success. After achieving maximum success on the project we managed, Chinasa pointed out that which such corporative compatibility between us, we could achieve more together. We found our first client when we hadn’t even picked a name yet, and we helped manage the client’s social media accounts and executed their campaigns. Once again, this went really well, and we are always proud to say we have retained that first client for 5 years. The vision became clearer as we progressed. And, since then, everything we’ve achieved has purely been by God’s grace. 

Pretty interesting start! How did you later come up with your company name?

Interestingly, our name was actually given to us by a client, based on our initials. Chinasa and Chisom. C and C.

Really cool!

I know, right?

Now, would you say that being a content writer contributed significantly to running your business?

With regard to its impact on my business, the answer is yes. I would say it has contributed greatly because I’ve always been a writer. I’ve been writing since childhood and I became a professional copywriter before starting my business. So it has always been a huge part of my identity. The reason why my partnership with Chinasa works so well is that we both thrive in our areas of strength. When we started, my copywriting skills were a huge help as I was in charge of proposals, letters, campaign documents, and everything that needed to be written. It positioned us as professionals and we didn’t need to outsource. Chinasa, on the other hand, is an eloquent speaker. She held forth during meetings and presentations. So it was a perfect arrangement.  

Who is Chisom Winifred behind the corporate curtains though?

She is a girl who loves to read, watch movies, and be around people she is comfortable and happy with. She is also goofy, wants to play games, and always wants to sleep. 

Sounds fun!

It is!

As a woman, do you experience any challenges with operating a media organisation in southeastern Nigeria?

As a woman? No. The challenges that the media industry in the southeast is plagued with are not gender-specific, in my opinion. Yes, sometimes, some people don’t want to trust a “girl” with their business, but I think it is a personal bias that would happen in any part of the world. 

That said, what is one thing you think prepared you for the role of an entrepreneur?

Honestly, nothing prepares you because every entrepreneurial journey is different and unique. You find things out for yourself when you start. But it’s really helpful to be strong-willed and resilient as an individual. It will get you through the dark and tough days, and it is really important to get through those days because they birth the bright days. However, the one thing that prepared me was my mom. 

How so?

She’s an entrepreneur managing her own business, so I had someone to always talk to about my challenges. Also, my brother-in-law is a Regional Sales Manager of a multinational corporation, so I have never lacked advice or experience-backed knowledge on what to do. I’m blessed to be surrounded by an amazing support system. 

Tell us a popular opinion about running a business that is not so “factsy”

Lol! It’s this one, “Follow your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life”. Don’t be fooled! It’s just a quote. While you’ll find happiness and fulfilment doing what you love, there’s no such thing as never working a day in your life. Anything you love, once you decide to pursue and work on it every day, becomes a chore. Sure, they’ll be good days, but they’ll also be tough days. Days you’ll wake up and rather do a million other things than that “passion” of yours. But, at the end of the day, you’re better off working on something you love every day than something you detest. I think that’s the morale of the quote. 

So, what is the next level for Chisom and C&C Digital?

As an individual, I’m working on the better positioning of my brand this year. For my business, we have a lot planned in terms of events, and uplifting creators and businesses in the southeast. With God on our side, there will be no limit to what to expect from us.