Unhealthy rivalry, hate, competition rife in coaching industry – Coach Osideko

Omobabinrin Adeola Osideko is a trained accountant, chartered in Nigeria, the UK, and Canada. In addition to being a full-time Accounting/Finance professional, she is a Personal Development Coach, a Branding Expert, and Social Media Influencer. In this interview with RACHEL AFOLABI, Omobabirin Osideko spoke about her journey as a coach and public speaker. Read excerpts:

Tell us about yourself. Who is Omobabinrin Adeola Osideko? 

I am a young woman who is passionate about life, speaking, coaching and mentoring. I am a woman who is keen on seeing people get it right and live a purposeful life.

As a personal development expert, what does personal development mean to you? Why did you venture into personal development coaching?   

Personal development is a means of becoming a better person all around, in career, business, family and interpersonal relationships. I love seeing people get it right hence my reason for diving into personal development.

In addition to being a personal development coach, you are an Accountant by profession. Yet you once said you realise there’s more to you than just the figures and calculations. What triggered this expression?  

I love teaching and imparting knowledge, I feel this joy from within whenever I transfer knowledge, so I decided to venture into coaching.

Let’s talk about MINTA’s tribe. What is the idea behind it? What does the tribe do?  

A tribe is a group of people with common values. MINTA’s Tribe is just a name for my followers who believe in me and what I do. So, instead of calling them followers, I call them Tribe.

What are some of the achievements you have recorded in your online journey as a personal development coach and social media influencer? Also, when did you start the journey?  

I started the journey in 2015, took a break in 2017 and came back with full force towards the end of 2018. Since then, it’s been an amazing journey not without its ups and down though. Some of my achievements are that I have coached, trained, and groomed thousands of people who are also doing well in their respective niches. I am a role model to so many people and I have inspired them positively which I see as a big achievement. Other achievements are that I have been able to build a lot of brands with my name in terms of businesses and events such as THE ICONIC BRAND AWARD event, The Global Brand Summit, the Personal branding Affirmation Challenge, Crystal Edge professional services and I have spoken on so many platforms both globally and locally. I have been able to organize a TEDx event and become a TEDx organizer, I have also received multiple awards from different quarters recognizing my works, impact, and influence.

What challenges you have encountered in your journey of influencing people? How have you been able to tackle them?  

The major challenge is from fellow coaches in the industry, the unhealthy rivalry, hate and competition. Not everyone is strong enough to see other people succeed and it’s being a big challenge.

As a female coach and founder, have you encountered any gender-related stereotypes or challenges? What are they and how did you address them?  

Not really, just that male clients and audience tends to be disrespectful sometimes and I can attribute that to me being a woman, this may not be true but that’s how I see it.

What is your take on gender equality and equity? 

Everyone should be given equal opportunity whether male or female, what a man can do a woman can equally do. The society should stop limiting women with their stereotypes.

As a wife, a mother, and a career woman, how have you been able to balance your roles? Are there any challenges?  

Balance is an illusion, in the real sense there can never be a balance because one part will always be more taken care of than the other, but asking for help, prioritising and getting support have been the tools I use to get this ‘balance’.

Where do you see yourself, especially your career in the next five years?  

I see myself as an industry leader who has built capacity, who has grown and someone whose work is now recognised in global settings. I want to see myself being able to confidently say I have coached, trained and mentored thousands of people all over the globe.

What is that unforgettable lesson life had taught you? 

Everyone cannot like you because you are not ice cream, keep your focus on those that like you and keep moving.

Any advice for young people who are setting out to build an influential brand for themselves? 

Be focused, avoid distractions, know what you want and go for it regardless of what people think about it. Be kind, be confident and bold, the world is yours.