Next challenge was figuring out how to make my passion pay my bills. Before I got to this point, I had been misinformed about how to run a business, so I hurriedly went ahead to register a company before finding out how to make money off it. So, while I was able to score a few jobs, they weren’t enough to cover my bills, neither did I have the skill set to achieve that. To compound it all, potential customers weren’t willing to pay for my services but wanted it done for free or next to nothing. As a result, I struggled to figure out how to make my business viable. Many times, I attempted to write to the FIRS to suspend activities in my company name as I wasn’t getting any inflow, but I was encouraged to persevere. And persevere I did.]
[From Aspiring TV Host to Media Project Coordinator]
[Jemimah Jatau’s dream was to be a broadcaster or nothing. Reality veered her off the path that she keeps finding her way back to. Jemimah had her career path figured out even before she graduated from the University. Having studied Mass Communication as first degree, she knew she wanted to be in the Media Business. As fate would have it, the 2010 graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria took a slight detour by taking up an Admin role in a Public Relations firm. So instead of climbing the TV broadcast ladder, she started off as an article writer and liaison between company clients and media houses. While she sharpened her writing skills, she did not miss any opportunity to apply for TV roles in whatever productions she came across. She got very close to living her dream to host a TV programme when she got dropped at the final selection stage. Not deterred, she has everything from blogging to hosting Red Carpet shows and even taking MC roles at small parties. And the she started her company, Jates Communications Ltd, in 2013.]
[The company – Jates Communications Ltd]
[Jates Communications Ltd is a media service provider located in Abuja which provides content for Radio, TV, Newspapers, Magazines, Websites and Blogs. We also produce and run media placements i.e. advertisements, for clients. In fact, the term “Content entrepreneurship”, best describes what we do.]
[The Inspiration and Desire]
[The inspiration for my firm came from the realization that there was a wide space in the media for varied classes of content and that if I did it right, I would not only make a name for myself but also make money in the process. My desire was to have content so good that media houses would struggle to air or publish them on their platforms.]
The Challenges
[The biggest challenge at the on-set for me was how to associate with great mentors who would steer me out of my comfort zone. And as soon as I found those key people who wanted me to excel in broadcasting and all spheres of media services, I surmounted that challenge.
The Itzinya Effect…
[I went into Itzinya to test my idea of running a Radio Review segment but after a lot of brainstorming and counsel mostly from my colleagues and facilitators, my value proposition altered a bit, and in a good way. I almost became a project for the class to help figure out where my biggest strength was and how to hone it.
From the class sessions, I was able to put together a better organization for my communication firm. I focused on creating a team or pool of professionals in all the areas of media such as Directors, Producers, Script writers, Sound engineers etc. I then act as the Coordinator, Liaison and Marketer. Whenever a job avails itself I don’t struggle to do everything myself. Instead I draw from my pool of experts to handle while I coordinate the project.
Before Itzinya I didn’t know that was feasible. I felt that I had to learn to play all those roles in one so I could better serve my potential customers. But having gone thru Itzinya I have understand the power of having a good team that can deliver the kind of quality I want and that my client would be impressed with. Today, I am able to focus more in growing my script writing and coordinating skills.
Itzinya was not only eye opening for me, but it pushed me past my comfort zone. The assignments made me focus and really develop my business idea way better than I would have had I not quizzed my market.]
Future Plans
[My future plan still lies in the media and content development sphere. As much as I intend to start with Radio for now, my eyes are set on getting to TV, to have a chain of syndicated TV programmes running across numerous networks, and to run it successfully for years, and in the process mentor new broadcasters to carry on from where I stop.
My advice to would be media service providers be, find your strength early enough and start to develop it. Talent at speaking isn’t enough, you must be dedicated in building yourself to a highly skilled level.]