Philanthropy is part of me – Swag Omoluabi

Seasoned entrepreneur and brand influencer, Ipadeola Abiodun Oriyomi, popularly known as Swag Omoluabi, has hinged the reason for his philanthropic works on the need to assist humanity, given the disparity in status among humans.

A virtue he embraced even before fortune smiled on him, Swag Omoluabi said it is a good thing to lend support to others, particularly those who are finding it difficult to afford the basic necessities of life.

Reaching out to this category of people, according to Swag Omoluabi, is one way to give them a sense of belonging and make them part of society.

“I love giving. No matter how small it is, I give out because all fingers are not equal and we all need to sustain this,” he said, when asked of the philosophy behind his philanthropy. “I just love giving right from time. I feed the people on the streets as well as homeless people. They are part of us. Their story may not just be the same with us what we can do is to support them in every little way we can.”

Determined to make a name for himself quite early in life, Oriyomi narrated how a combination of discipline, focus and drive culminated in him becoming a success story today, such that he has also become a renowned brand influencer in the last few years.

“I have always loved to be an entrepreneur right from when I was a child. My mum always told me, ‘son no matter the education you have, no matter the degree, make sure you also become an entrepreneur, because that’s the only way you can become your own boss.’

“My mother and the environment I grew up motivate me a lot.  I grew up in a place called Ghetto Badia. We had lots of hustling mothers and fathers that work very hard and smart, and they ended up motivating me to do well.”

A graduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic where he studied accounting, Swag Omoluabi wants young and upcoming entrepreneurs desirous of standing on their feet to cultivate the habit of saving for the rainy days. According to him, the mistake in failing to imbibe a habit of saving early in life is one he deeply regrets and which he does not want the younger ones to repeat.

“I didn’t start savings on time. Saving is very important; immediately you gain admission to an institution of higher learning, start saving for the rainy days. I worked with a construction company in Lagos known as BCL at a time and I started saving,” he recalled, adding that the quest to push for more success is one of the reasons he keeps learning at every opportunity.

“Make sure you gain something every day to add to your knowledge, do research and learn more,” he counsels.

To those with little knowledge on what it takes to be a brand influencer, Swag Omoluabi decried the frequent manner people use the phrase as if it is an all-comers affair.

While noting that a lot comes with the terrain of brand influencing, he called on those intent on walking the path to have a passion for social media and make their presence felt therein.

“As an entrepreneur and also a brand influencer, I influence companies’ brands, more like a brand ambassador. Being a brand influencer has a lot of steps attached to it; everyone can’t be a brand influencer. It is totally wrong. The responsibilities to become an influencer are legion, including, making sure you are trustworthy and a notable person; letting brands know you are open to collaborations, as well as being regular and consistent in the use of social media,” he explained.

On his initial struggles before he stood on his own, Swag Omoluabi said lack of money to start off was an impediment, saying, “there were lot of challenges but the main one was capital. It wasn’t easy but I had to try my best to save with the money I made from one of the companies.”