First Class, Yet I Felt Like a Failure 4 years ago, I was in the DMs of everyone I could send a message to. Cold emails, LinkedIn messages, just asking for someone to take a chance on me. I got a mountain of rejections. Regret mails stacked so high I stopped counting. For someone with a first class, I felt like a failure. I even walked into a firm once, only to be asked: ‘What do you want to do in finance with Urban Planning?’ Don’t you think you are wasting your time? And I’ll never forget the night I cried after scaling through every stage at a Big 4, only to get the dreaded ‘love letter’ after the partners’ interview. I cried so hard I called my mum, and she was so worried she begged me to come home. But life has its phases. Some chapters sting with rejection. Some feel like waiting rooms. And then slowly, the page turns. One DM led to my GT role at Pedabo. One step opened the door to the next. Brick by brick, things began to align. Today, my career is on check. And I can say, with full chest , I’ve never been this happy in my life. It’s been one hell of a ride. And I’m grateful for every ignored DM, every regret mail, every ‘no’ because then I wouldn’t be where I am now, which is exactly where I want to be. 💛

A mentor once told me something that has stayed with me throughout my career: “Not all work is valued the same way.” At first, I thought work was just… work. You get assigned a task, complete it, and move on. But over time, I realized there are different types of work that shape your career: 🔹 Task-related work – the actual deliverables assigned to you. 🔹 Performance-driven work – the quality, speed, and consistency of your execution. 🔹 Relational work – the trust and relationships you build with colleagues, clients, and sponsors. 🔹 Industry work – your understanding of the sectors, markets, and trends that influence decisions. The mistake many young professionals make is assuming all four carry the same weight from Day 1. They don’t. When you’re just starting out, nobody expects you to have a powerful network. Nobody expects you to bring in clients. Nobody expects you to be an industry thought leader. But they do expect you to do the work. In fact, many careers never make it past the starting line because people underestimate how important task-related work is in the early years. You can be the most likeable person in the room. You can have great relationships. You can speak confidently in meetings. But if you consistently fail to deliver what you were hired to do, eventually none of those things matter. As you grow, the equation changes. Relationships begin to matter more. Industry expertise becomes a differentiator. Your network starts creating opportunities. But before any of that, you must first prove that you can execute. Because the first challenge of a career is not influence. It’s credibility. And credibility is built one task, one deliverable, and one deadline at a time. Before you become known, become dependable. That’s a lesson I wish more young professionals understood. #TeacherCee #CareerGrowth #Consulting #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership

The thing about a 9–5 is that your personal life doesn’t get a pause button. You can be crying your eyes out one minute, then wiping your face and joining a Teams call the next. “Can you see my screen?” Yes. Unfortunately, I can. 😭💔

Work long enough with weird and toxic bosses, and you become weird and toxic.

😍😍

Birthday dinner 🍰

The way Providus has been stressing me lately, I’ve found myself running back into the arms of my ex, GTBank. 😂

Everything You Need to Know About CFA Registration, Exams & Becoming a CFA Charterholder 🧵 Thinking about the CFA? Before you register, here is what you actually need to know. 👇🏽 1/ The CFA Program is one of the most respected qualifications in global finance, covering investment management, equity research, portfolio management, and more. cfainstitute.org/ 2/ It has 3 levels: • Level I • Level II • Level III You must pass them in order. No skipping. 3/ Before you register, CFA Institute sets eligibility rules around education and work experience. 📌 Check requirements here: CFA Program : cfainstitute.org/programs/cf… 4/ Registration is fully online via your CFA Institute account. You handle: cfainstitute.org/programs/cf… • Exam registration • Payments • Profile setup • Exam policies 5/ Big mistake candidates make: Registration is not the same as exam booking. After registering, you still need to schedule your exam slot separately. 6/ CFA exams are computer-based and taken at approved test centres globally. You choose from available exam windows depending on your level. 7/ The curriculum is broad and practical: • Ethics • Quantitative Methods • Economics • Financial Reporting and Analysis • Corporate Issuers • Equity Investments • Fixed Income • Derivatives • Alternatives • Portfolio Management 8/ Fees vary depending on when you register. Early registration is significantly cheaper. 📌 Fee details: cfainstitute.org/programs/cf… Fees vary depending on when you register. Early registration is significantly cheaper. 9/ Beyond exam fees, plan for: • Study materials • Prep courses (optional) • Approved calculator • Mock exams 10/ CFA Institute offers scholarships that can reduce costs for eligible candidates. 11/ After each exam, results are released in your CFA account. You also get a performance breakdown by topic area. 12/ Passing all 3 exams is not the final step. To earn the charter, you still need: • Relevant work experience • References • Membership application • Ethics compliance 13/ Once approved, you officially become a CFA Charterholder. That is when the designation becomes yours.

My contribution to this conversation is simple: the CFA program will humble you. You will cry. You will lament. You will question your life choices. You will bargain with God and start planning the thanksgiving service you intend to hold if you somehow make it to the other side. All these videos were taken during my Level II preparation, but the third one stands out. I remember being in a hotel room during an engagement. We had spent the entire day with the client, from about 8 a.m. until almost 10 p.m. By the time I got back, I was completely exhausted. Any reasonable person would have gone straight to bed. Instead, I took a shower, opened my CFA materials, and continued studying because the exam was approaching and CFA does not care that you’ve already worked a full day. There were days I was running on pure stubbornness. The kind of period where your prayer points become very specific: “God, if I pass this exam, the thanksgiving will be massive.” Level II showed me real pepper. You will read a concept today, understand it perfectly, solve questions on it, and feel on top of the world. By next week, you have forgotten everything and you’re starting from scratch again. You keep reading. You keep forgetting. You read it again. You forget it again. The cycle continues. CFA Level II will have you asking yourself if your brain is still functioning properly, jare. 😂 As for Level III, I am currently in the stage of fear and mental preparation. I know what it represents, so I am respectfully giving myself time to breathe before I enter that arena. For now, the books and I are just looking at each other from a safe distance. 😭 P.S. don’t mind my reading style. I almost always have music playing in the background while studying. It’s basically my coping mechanism.

I received some upward feedback from my team members recently and it genuinely made me pause in a good way. Early in my career, I often heard the stereotype that women are difficult to work with, and I even had an experience in one of my first roles that reinforced that narrative. It stayed with me. Since then, I made a very intentional decision not to be that person. Work is already demanding enough without adding unnecessary friction, and I have always believed that how we work with others matters just as much as what we deliver. So this feedback means a lot to me. It feels like quiet confirmation that I am building the kind of environment I set out to, one rooted in collaboration, respect, and ease of working together, even in high pressure settings.

1. Be someone they can trust. If you say you’ll deliver something by a certain time, do it. And if something comes up, communicate early enough, not after the deadline has passed. Of course, things happen sometimes, but it shouldn’t become a regular thing. My managers know that once I say I’ll handle something, it’ll get done. 2. Don’t overpromise. If you realistically can’t do something, say it clearly and explain why. It’s better to manage expectations properly than to disappoint people later. 3. Learn how to navigate office politics while still doing your job well. Relationships matter more than people like to admit. 4. Be visible. Good work is important, but people also need to know you’re doing good work. 5. Ask questions when you’re unclear instead of struggling in silence for hours. 6. Make your manager’s life easier. People remember team members who reduce stress, not add to it. 7. Your technical skills can get you in the room, but communication skills will keep you there. 8. Be solution-oriented. Anybody can point out problems; people value those who come with possible solutions too. 9. Build relationships across teams. Sometimes opportunities come from people you’ve never directly worked with. 10. Protect your reputation early. In most workplaces, people talk, and impressions spread fast.

I know we live in a sharing-everything era, but I still think there should be limits. Not every moment needs to become content, especially things like simulation tests or recordings tied to professional processes. Just my opinion though.

See, in this life, if you’re praying for a life partner as a lady, pray for someone who truly understands the demands and pressure that come with your career path. Someone who understands that there’ll be seasons where you’re stressed, exhausted, busy, and mentally unavailable because you’re trying to build something for yourself. And instead of making everything an issue, they become support. Someone who won’t guilt-trip you because work is intense. If you can’t make it to something sometimes, they understand it’s not because you don’t care. Life is just demanding at that moment. A partner who can hold things down when you’re overwhelmed. If you can’t handle some house chores, they’ll help out or even get help without making you feel bad about it. As a woman, once you have that kind of support system beside you, there’s honestly no limit to how far you can go. The sky literally becomes the starting point. Because peace, understanding, and support can change everything.

God I survived this week. It has been back to back since Monday.

Normally I be fine girl, talkless of when there is make up 🥰🥰🥰

Just coming to reiterate that you don’t necessarily have to do anything directly to me before I block you. If your values don’t align with mine, or you’re tribalistic, or you refer to people using phrases like “their kind” or other slurs, I will block you. We may never even cross paths, but if we do on the TL and that’s the energy you carry, I’ll simply block you. You’re also free to block me back. I’m perfectly fine with that.

Just because 🥰

This is opened already. So goodluck to everyone applying. Use the link below. cfai.smapply.io/prog/access_… Essay topic : Reflect on a defining experience, challenge, or motivation that led you to pursue the CFA designation. Then explain how receiving this scholarship will empower you to uphold ethical standards, demonstrate leadership, and contribute meaningfully to greater financial inclusion in your community or the investment profession. Your statement must be original and grounded in your individual experiences and perspectives. Submissions that rely on generic, templated, or duplicated content will not be considered competitive.

I’m looking for a high-quality photographer. I found one whose work I really loved and I was ready to pay the premium. The only downside is that they don’t provide the raw images, and it feels like I’d be paying so much for just a handful of edited photos. It didn’t sit well with me.