Award-winning PR Consultant Yetty Ogunnubi was born in Lagos to a family of artist, both her parents are front-runners exterior decorators and artist in Nigeria.
Yetty, as she is fondly called, is a leading professional in the fashion, arts and corporate industry with over 17 years experience in Fashion, PR, Marketing, Creative & Image Branding and Event Management. Over the years, Yetty has managed publicity projects for numbers of government. organizations, corporate businesses, fashion and creative events, press conferences, promoted emerging and established labels and artists internationally of which many of them have gone ahead to become household names in their different industries.
She started her career as a Fashion designer in the UK with her brand Yetty D (Revolution by Yetty D) a lifestyle brand which became a household name, after starting off the label she started her annual fashion event which gave platforms to the UK up and coming fashion designers, models and artists.
Whilst pursuing her career as a fashion entrepreneur she contributed as a writer and proofreader for a couple of fashion magazine in the UK before she became a fashion editor for the ISAAC Outlook Magazine an exclusive lifestyle Magazine.
Yetty’s creativity as no bounds, her illustrations have been used as covers for books and art pieces over the years as well as been commissioned on several art projects.
In 2009, Alongside her legendary Uncle renowned artist Lemi Ghariokwu. she was commissioned by Punch Records Uk to create fashion pieces for Mannequinns using her uncles cover art for FELA for the Fela TOUR (Arts Own Kind) in the UK.
As a fashion designer, she has been featured in many international magazines and her designs used as costumes for blockbuster movies and music videos.
In 2012, She co-produced for Uber Africa Unmasked in the UK. A reality TV Show set to find the next best African inspired designer in the diaspora. She relocated back to Nigeria, at the end of 2013.
In 2014, She went on to become The Communications Director for Africa Fashion Week London and Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. After celebrities and organisation started approaching her for PR and branding jobs, she decided to establish her PR, Communications and Brand Agency in 2016. (YD AGENCY) and gone on to work on several projects.
She recently became one of the directors of MY AFRICA PROJECT a Nonprofit organisation. She is also a Trustee director for ELOY Foundation of the ELOY Awards and board of Trustees for the Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week by Pride Magazine.
She was awarded Pride of Africa Award at the 2018 PFW Africa Event and ForeMag PR Person and Organisation of the Year 2018.
She has also dedicated herself to mentoring youths and young aspiring professionals in both the fashion and corporate world. With the wealth of experience and knowledge, she possesses she believes in inspiring and impacting others to succeed in their endeavours.
In an exclusive interview with Zivang team, Yetty takes us through her career journey on Meet the boss segment.
How did your Public Relations journey all start?
My official Public Relations journey started with Africa Fashion Week Nigeria & London, when the founder Princess Ademiluyi approached me on returning to Nigeria to come on board as the communications director of the 2 platforms, quite challenging at first trying to manage the AFWNigeria as I hadn’t been in the country for long period of time, but i quickly got a hang of it. but majorly my real journey started with me handling the PR for my label back in London and then the reality TV Show I co-produced in the UK.
Relocating from the UK to Nigeria, How would you rate the PR market in Nigeria?
When I moved back 6 years ago I don’t think a lot of small business especially understood the need to have a PR firm but I can see in the last couple of years that has changed but a lot still need to understand the value they will be getting when they enlist a PR personnel or a firm
Did you plan to be an entrepreneur, or you just found yourself along that career path?
I’ve always been an enterprising person even right from secondary school, from making greeting cards and selling it in boarding house to my school mates, then to my father and his friends. Then what seems to be a lifetime ago I started my fashion label in the UK (Yetty D). I sort of knew from a very young age that I wanted to run my thing and my vision encompasses me doing a 9 to 5.
What’ your experience so far as a female CEO in Nigeria?
This will take a whole day to share but to summarise it. I’ve had to become a much tougher person, running a business anywhere in the world is tough but running a successful business in Nigeria is an achievement in itself, we all know the challenges businesses face in Nigeria and then being female CEO, need I say more but in all honesty God has been faithful to me, Nigeria has been good to me but I’ve also had a few challenges more in regards to partnerships and other parties fulfilling their own end of the bargain.
What keeps you going in challenging situations of running a business in Nigeria?
Trust me I have a lot of moments I just want to give up or I break down. especially when people take advantage of my goodwill but you know what I have a vision and I’m nowhere near where I want to be. The legacy I want to leave behind one day keeps me going.
With so many people calling themselves Public Relations consultant, especially the non certified ones. Do you feel Public Relations Experts have gotten that expose to improve on PR?
Like any industry there is always room for improvement, I’m also a firm believer that some people just have some talents in built-in them and should utilise it but also then from time empower themselves more.
What’s the unique selling point of YD Agency?
YD Agency is a one-stop-shop for all facets of Brand Communications and PR Management. Our Key offerings are creating visibility and expanding mindshare for our client brands, across value chains, reaching the target audience, penetration of markets, eliciting desired reactions and amplifying desired perceptions.
What’s your view of Employers exploitation of staff in Nigeria, especially those that go against the Labour Law?
I strongly believe in taking care of your own. it helps in the development and growth of the business and helps when your employees are treated well. Compassion to humanity is a keyword I abide by.
How have you been able to stand tall despite the huge competition?
I think i know my Onions I’ve somehow carved a niche so far for the agency with my team and we keep pushing more and as well educating ourselves on ways to better our services.
From research, You have a good relationship with people, especially responding to phone calls swiftly. How do you maintain this good relationship with clients, media and friends?
I think I’ve always taken the agency like my baby, so I’m quite hands-on with making sure we are a good communicator at the agency, I believe I’m quite passionate with what I do as well and You see in my industry maintaining a good relationship is key to having good collaborators as allies.
In this new decade, Any plan for trainings, To help the upcoming entrepreneurs?
Oh, definitely I have a few things I’m cooking up. I have a radio show on Africa Business Radio (Unbranded by Yetty D) which will kick off in February as well as a TV show I’m currently working on and we have a series of event to help empower young creatives. from time to time we also take in interns.
What’s your definition of style?
Style for me is being comfortable in my skin. I’m one of those people that people you can identify me from afar because of my dress sense which is Stylishly Quirky, Classy and Comfortable. I like to define my style not to follow the normal trend, I do me basically.
Your favourite business quotes?
“PR is extremely important, and being able to use it in the right way means everything. You must market your success”. -Lee Haney
Aside work, how do you relax.
I love going to the SPA and going to the cinema to watch an action movie, believe or not distresses me.
