B
logger Linda Ikeji Made Some throwback Revelations of her journey through poverty to wealth. The billionaire blogger took to her social media page to reveal how she conquers poverty in her bid to find a good standing in life. Read below :
…somebody actually allowed me to use this photo? #lindathedreamer #2007 and no, the show never happened! I fought hard for it…but it never took off! It’s okay though! God showed up in my story! ?
In September 2007, I shot the first episode of my modeling TV show called Catwalk With Linda. It was shot at Philip Trimnell studios and cost me a lot of money back then. I took the edited show to several companies begging for sponsorship so I could continue filming but nobody answer me…lol. It’s crazy! I spent five months on the road, going from one company to the other with my pilot copy. Half the time, I didn’t make it past the reception. Choi! Sigh! But God was watching and He had his plans. Four years later, I became a millionaire! .
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As you continue to strive and not give up no matter how hard it gets, God is watching and when it’s time, He will bless you beyond your wildest imaginations.
From 2006 to 2009, I published 5 editions of FM&B (Fashion, Modeling & Beauty) magazine. I gave it up in 2009 after a series of unfortunate incidents including being arrested for owing a community bank N190k which I borrowed to add to the money I had to print the magazine and vendors taking your magazine and not paying you a dime. .
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I did an official launch of the magazine in 2006 at Golden Gates restaurant in Ikoyi. I was 26 and was so hopeful. I was sure this was the venture that would change my life! Lol. Because of my love for writing, I opened my blog a few months after I launched my magazine and never imagined that platform which took me less than 5mins to open would be it and not other things I’d dedicated my time, put my blood, sweat and money into.
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When you swipe, the last photo is the magazine I never got published. The 6th edition. Even after being arrested for owing money, I was still determined to continue. But the printer I gave money to print the magazine disappeared with my money! I should have known better because he charged me way less than others did. I was so happy, not knowing he had no intentions of printing the magazine. Lol. Anyway, after that experience, I was done. That was the end of FM&B. But it wasn’t the end of my dreams! I continued to struggle. .
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6 years later, I would buy a N500million home in one of the choicest areas in Lagos. And I paid cash! . Trust me when I say God is seeing your struggles and if you never give up, He will show up and uplift you in ways you never thought possible!
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It’s okay to give up on SOME dreams. Just don’t give up on YOUR dream. There’s a difference! Kisses!
Every single year, from 2004 until 2010, I organized a fashion show called Style Night. I started from Fantasy land in Ikoyi (I was 24), 11.45 night club in Ikoyi, Moods bar in Surulere, Golden Gates in Ikoyi etc. .
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For 7 straight years, I did Style Night, no matter how difficult it was to pull it off and it was crazy difficult. To get sponsors, I would go on the road for 3 dedicated months, mostly by myself. I would go from one company to the other with proposals and photos from the previous edition. Sometimes I didn’t get past the reception, sometimes I was lucky to meet marketing managers or owners of the company. The highest sponsorship I ever got was N500k, I got a few N200k, N100k and products. By the time I put all that money together, it was enough to pay the models, venue, music, food etc but never much left for me after the event. But I was grateful that I was always able to pull off the show every year.
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For three straight months, I would wake up very early and hit the road before 8 am. I always had a list of companies to go…some of them I went to several times until I met someone who would either tell me yes or no, or I’d been left at the reception several times, I knew I was wasting my time.
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For me to get 3 or 4 sponsors for Style Night, it meant I had asked at least 15 companies. I remember those lonely, desperate drives around Lagos, going from one company to the other, begging God to please let them give me positive feedback. 90% of the time, it wasn’t. But I never lost faith or gave up.
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I was preparing for Style Night in 2011 when I realized I was making more money blogging than anything else I’d ever done until that point. So I cancelled style night and dedicated all my time and energy on blogging. .
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To be honest, if anybody had told me then, when I would walk away from a company with tears in my eyes…so frustrated, that I would spend over N100m on a car 8 years later, I would have laughed hysterically and asked what planet.
God watches and sees your struggles. He sees your dedication and determination and when He’s ready to show up, He will use you to prove to the world that He’s God. Keep working hard and never give up!
In 2010, I released a book titled It Takes You! A book on Inspiration. There was no social media then so I wasn’t doing this for clout. I really wanted to inspire people to continue to pursue their dreams as I was mine, despite how difficult it was. .
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At that time, I had given up on a number of ventures I’d embarked on including the magazine, Catwalk with Linda, the model competition, and my marketing company. I was still struggling with my modeling agency, Style Night and the events company.
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I was a broke CEO with many years of struggling (13 years at this time), with so many broken dreams, but not a broken spirit. I was determined to be successful and every encouraging word I told myself during those moments when I was alone, close to tears, crying, feeling like a failure, nearly broken, I put those words down. I would later put those encouraging words in a book hoping that others struggling like myself would read and be encouraged to continue to fight and never loose hope.
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After the book was launched, I lost my office because I could no longer afford the rent. I moved by business back home and continued to run it from there. Just imagine losing an office you’ve had for 7 years. When you thought you would be progressing after years of hard work, you find yourself going backwards. But what I didn’t know at the time was that God was preparing me for something greater.
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I moved my business back home in June 2010 and by October 2010, companies started calling me about advertising on my blog. (I’d been blogging for 4 years at this point). A year later, I was worth about N4million. To think a year prior, I couldn’t afford N300k a year rent. .
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God sees and He knows. And when He’s ready for you to stop struggling, He will prove to the world that He’s on your side! The key is never to give up on yourself or on God! I wish you all the best! Massive hugs!
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…and did I mention that in 2009 I launched a t.shirt line called I-tees (inspirational t-shirts) by Linda Ikeji where I inscribed inspirational quotes on the t.shirts. I printed 200 of those tops then. Gave out some. Sold some. My hope was to eventually print thousands of the tops so people can walk around with positive words for them and others to read. But I was never able to raise enough money at the time to print more…so that was that! Lol.
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I’m thinking that maybe I should bring them back now that I can afford to?
I tried my hands on so many things, so it’s okay if people call you Jack of all trades. Eventually, God will bless one if not all the works of your hands!.
And yes, I truly believe that good things come to good people, eventually!
