There are many people who believe that all it takes to be successful in the entertainment industry is to be sexy. If you always thought so, hold on for a minute and change your train of thought because you have had it wrong all along.
You see, as much as sexiness sells in pretty much every endeavor out there today, we can’t rule out that substance is also very important for success to be achieved.
When we say substance; we mean talent, hard work, persistence and drive and the will to aspire to even further greatness regardless of how much one already has. So you see, it is beyond just having a sexy figure and seductive eyes.
In the light of this discussion, singer Victoria Kimani has advised her fans and followers in Kenya to desist from selling their bodies in a bid to hit fame and fortune.
The Chocolate City star wrote of the situation on Monday, September 19, 2016:
“I want young girls in Kenya NOT to be pressured by society to become over glorified prostitutes... Finish school .... You don't have to be a hoe to be relevant, NEVER trade RESPECT for ATTENTION. I Love you ... I would never lead you astray.”
Now that we have that out of the way, we should go ahead and highlight X other points you need to be truly successful as a lady in the Nigerian entertainment industry:
1. Your past doesn’t determine your future – Your persistence and dreams do. Genevieve Nnaji had a daughter (oit of wedlock) way before her acting career took off. It didn’t change a thing, she kept at it in a driven manner and today she is one of the most accomplished actresses in 21st century African entertainment.2. Marriage doesn’t impede the process – Contrary to what many people say that once a celeb gets married him or her stops being relevant, we are here to tell you the opposite is the case. It all depends on what you intend achieving with your brand, The likes of Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Ufuoma Ejonobor-McDermoth, Kaffy, Omawumi and several others are married yet remain some of the most successful in their various entertainment endeavours.
3. Being single won’t kill you, just as marriage won’t heal you – If you aren’t prepared for the arduousness of working till you get fame and the attendant challenges that come with maintaining your successes within the terrain, not even your marital status can change anything. Rita Dominic, Genevieve Nnaji, Waje and many others do not have a ring on the middle finger but whatever the case they aren’t any less successful compared to their married counterparts.
4. A divorce is not the end of the world – Toke Makinwa, Kate Henshaw, Tiwa Savage are all success stories today because society is replete with gross misconceptions about divorce and its effect on a lady’s career. But hey, nothing changes, be driven and goal-oriented and you can get whatever you want.
5. Beauty without brains will earn you nothing– Neither will your sexiness if you are selling just that without actual substance. If still unclear see what Victoria Kimani said above.
Better still, you can read up something we did here on Sexuality In Nigerian Entertainment.
6. Be original – Whatever you do, keep in mind that there is the need to stay original otherwise you can’t attain or maintain relevance.
7. Measured dose of controversy – Swim against the tides, go upstream, but in all, be well-timed and cautious no to overdo it so you don’t burn out in front of the audience or kill that ‘fragile’ feminine brand you have/ or are building. It is very important to remember that not a lot of females can make it to the stages men do in entertainment and that’s totally because women, especially in local entertainment, have a lower shelf life even as their brands are more easily damaged by negative press.
8. Networking – Associate with like minds, don’t develop a nasty standoffish attitude because you think you have arrived. Remember that no one was born on top of the chart and playing in best-selling movies isn’t anyone’s exclusive preserve. Once you have these in mind, you realize the need to stay pushing and developing yourself whatever the success level, as though you are prepared for lean times, because in truth there comes a time in every entertainer’s life when the music stops popping and relationships built become the way out.
9. It’s a lonely road till you make it – Initially, no one will help out. In fact, you have to be well positioned, fortunate or something close to get free assistance in the early days of your career. Be prepared. But whatever the case, don’t give up. It is this stage that serves as the real test of your endurance and determines to large extents how far you will go as an individual. Sell yourself, be humble and focused, meet industry veterans and speak politely to them about your career and where you want to get to. Distribute your materials for free at every given opportunity. You need all of these and more, except of course you are the daughter of a billionaire (like a DJ Cuppy) or you have a huge financial base from your financier, both of which do not come by every other day for the regular female entertainer or upcoming entertainers in general.10 Always be grateful – Even when it is payola and you have sent in some form of financial payment or otherwise to the bloggers, DJs, reviewers, OAPs or events hosts who have helped out in one form or another with plugging your materials, still thank them. Be loyal, even when it hurts. You will need it.
11. Dress the part – If you intend becoming a bigwig, you have to dress like a million bucks in order to attract those investors, show promoters and the media to use your pictures from concerts, hang outs and whatnot. Now, this is not to mean you go about living beyond your means and all that but as much as possible try to always leave a good impression with your outfits. You can’t have everything as an upcoming entertainer but that’s why contacts can always help out if you have the right affiliations. In September 2016, Toke Makinwa spoke to Magazine on her fashion, how much her beauty looks cost monthly and more.
She said:
“I try to tell a lot of upcoming people in this business; you’ve got to climb the tree not from the top but from the bottom. Find people with similar goals who want nothing more than to succeed and form a partnership where everyone grows together and it’s beneficial. That way we would all work when no money is coming in and then work some more when we are all MADE. Everyone on my team is now on a retainer and we started from the bottom. Let’s just say God heard our cry and has blessed us and is still blessing us.”So here you go, the lessons are as clear as the sky is blue. All the best.
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