Our Last GLG Comms Honoree is one of the few Canva Verified Experts in the world. Ayodotun Akinfenwa is the Global Head of Communications at The Elevation Church. She’s a lover of all things branding and she pours out this passion by training professionals and business owners. In her interview with us, she shares an exciting overview of her journey so far.
Tell us about your Global Head of Communications role at The Elevation Church.
Wow, where to begin! The Elevation Church is a global church headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, but launching in cities across Nigeria, the UK, and North America. It is also a multifaceted ministry, meaning that we are also focused on social impact in additional spiritual growth, which shows us up on many levels. “Comms”, as we are fondly called, covers core Communications responsibilities and production.
I lead a team of 30+ creatives (Strategists, Project Managers, Writers, Designers, Producers and more not counting our army of volunteers), providing strategic direction of the Ministry’s Internal and External Communications, both locally and globally. I ensure that coherent, clear messaging and content runs through all Communications channels and outlets, from Traditional media to Outdoor to Digital Media to PR to weekly, monthly and annual events to support the ministry’s brand objectives. In addition to supporting obvious programmes and flagship events, we produce a huge variety of content to support the ministry’s overall objectives, from culture-shaping material to our social intervention programmes, so it is also ministry through content!
My work scope is broken down into the following simple forms: Comms/Brand Strategy and Management, PR, Content Strategy and Production, Digital Marketing, In-Service and Events Production and Activations/Installations and, of course, Process Management and Team Building.
Many people assume it’s church work, so you won’t be busy, but the opposite is true! It’s an incredible amount of work, and I’m privileged to do it.
How did your career in Communications begin?
It first started with curiosity in my teenage years. Between checking out those shiny ads on the pages of magazines to riding by the eye-catching billboards, I was intrigued and wondered who the people were who created these materials and I knew in my heart that I wanted to be one of those people.
In the late 90s, however, you were considered lazy if you were in Arts class in High school so I was in Commercial class and then the time came to write my JAMB examination. After two trials, I finally decided it was time to switch things up, did some research and discovered the people I had secretly eyed were graduates from Mass Communication or at least, that was the course where they taught how to do what they did.
And you see, the year I switched my JAMB subjects to enable me to take that course, I made the merit list on the first try with zero extra lessons while I was busy wrapping up a different study programme. At that point, I knew I was on the right path, and with mentors like Dr Tunji Olugbodi, who got me my first holiday internship job at Prima Garnet Ogilvy in 2003/2004, a whole new world was unlocked. There, I met mentors like Lolu Akinwunmi, Steve Babaeko, and many more. I stayed in the mainstream agency space till 2015 when I set out on my own. It’s been such a colourful, rewarding journey, pun intended.
You are also the Founder and Lead Strategist at Lifestyle Hues Brand Consulting, please tell us about your journey building this organisation.
I started out of curiosity, again. Although I was in a good job, I felt there was more to discover about myself and how my career would go. I decided it was time to forge my own path, I wanted to write and produce content so I started a lifestyle blog and created content that was meant to encourage and inspire the readers/viewers through the stories of their favourite personalities.
Still, my love for brands would not let me go and so I started the consulting arm of the business which later became the focus as I shut down the blog side of operations. I wanted to work with brands, whether small or great, that did not have millions or even thousands of dollars in advertising spending but still deserved for their stories to be told. I became a consultant, and my team and I worked with everyone, from personal brands to manufacturing organisations to tech to education to not-for-profits. This business helped me to find the sense of purpose I longed for.
After a while, I discovered there was still a crop of people who could not afford my services so I started training these business owners and their designated marketing/social media/content staff. So much content poured out of me – Masterclasses, Online Courses, Workshops, Articles, Social Media content, Mass Media interviews. Brands are the core of life and existence itself and I can talk about them for hours. I would create custom training sessions for organisations, and my core areas are Branding, Marketing and Communications and finally, Canva!
Though I’m back at a 9-5, I have built a much richer career, and my business, though now streamlined, is one of the ways I stay close to that sense of purpose. I teach and empower others to navigate brand building, their PR and Communications obligations, the endless possibilities of Canva and the accessibility it offers, and much more. My Lifestyle Hues staff handle the operations of the firm where the need arises now.
Being a Canva Verified Expert is no small feat. Tell us how you were able to achieve this.
I came across Canva in the pursuit of my business and personal goals. Canva empowers brands, many of which do not have the means or understanding needed to build their brands, tell their stories, and communicate their offerings.
I found that Canva helped me as a young business owner and I thought many others could benefit from that as well. I started teaching others how to maximise the tools therein and the more I taught, the more I discovered a love for teaching and empowering others. I saw the connection between what Canva stood for and my own professional goals and so, after I met Canva reps in Nigeria during one of their visits, I applied to be a Canva Certified Creative (that’s who were) in 2020.
I sent my application with “receipts” of my track record teaching it. They immediately replied with a “WELCOME TO THE CCC PROGRAMME”.
After a certification process, the programme evolved into the Canva Verified Experts Programme in 2022, with members from Italy, the UK, the US, Brazil, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Ghana, Germany and many more!
To achieve this, I will say it was consistently showing up for and with Canva in different ways- when I’m not releasing tutorials, I’m hosting classes (free and paid), or community hangouts. Earlier this year, I collaborated with my current employer to host a free Canva class for our local community and many who joined us online from different parts of the world. I also teach my team and our army of volunteers how to maximise the platform in creating content for the ministry.
This is what Canva wants their experts to do – support and mentor others in their local communities on how to use the many business tools on there. The goal is to empower the world to design not just graphics but almost everything in Communications, marketing and documentation. It’s no longer a graphic design tool; it’s an audio-visual powerhouse house, as I always say. Today, Canva is serving not just individuals and small businesses but large corporations as well.
We have a wonderful global community where we test new features and share feedback all year long- that’s one of our obligations as CVEs.
How do you stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in Communications?
I read! And when I say that, I mean everything around me—cereal boxes and other product packaging, social media comments, mail, airport signage, books, LinkedIn articles, my Chartered Institute of Marketing articles, and Movie Credits, which leads me to my next point. I observe. Communication is directly connected to human psychology. Why do people do the things they do? Why do they buy what they buy, and why is this thing such a big deal this season? Why should I pay for this at this price point?
I also catch up with my network – especially colleagues from time to time, and that’s why Comms Avenue is such a network to be a part of.
What advice would you give to young Communications professionals?
First of all, be sure you are called to it, that you truly have gifts and a passion for it, and that you love it. That passion will help you succeed when the work pushes your mental and physical boundaries, and it will.
Secondly, learn all you can about the world around you. Your next brand can come from any sector. Ideas for that next campaign can come from anywhere. Learn people, learn cultures, observe trends, and follow motivations. These are ingredients for preparing campaigns and Communications that resonate and yield true results.
Exposure matters. Do all you can to see the world from a different perspective—travel if you can, as far as you can afford to. Take yourself out and mingle. You will learn a lot from people from all walks of life.
