Yvonne Ebbi, is the Senior Consultant of The Etiquette Place. Her quest for civility and decorum has birthed the passion to groom, develop and tutor people from all lifestyles. She hugged stardom when she charged N1million per participant for her first job. The multiple award-winning lady spoke with ADEOLA OGUNLADE about her life, business, and women empowerment.
TEll us about yourself
I am Yvonne Ebbi, the senior consultant of The Etiquette Place and the Executive Secretary to the United World Congress. I went to Federal Government School, Calabar and later studied Banking and Finance at the University of Calabar and I hold a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and a Diploma in Executive Coaching from The Coaching Academy, United Kingdom. I came from a family of seven. My daddy is a surgeon and mummy is a nurse. I grew up in Calabar and daddy schooled in England and mum in California, so they brought a blend of both the western and the Africa culture in raising us and that shaped our lives and world view. They taught us to be responsive, respectful, yet original, discreet, inquisitive, courteous, and whoever came around, it is our business to take care of them. I was not the best or the most brilliant student in school like my elder sister who at 21 years became a doctor. She laid a dangerous precedent for us. I was more street-wise, business-minded, but I had to strive for the best and not beg for anything. We learnt to be contented.
What childhood dreams did you nurse?
My childhood dream was to impact my environment. I remember that I watched Sound of music and, in a very interesting way, it shows that one could find his niche in life and be self aware. I realised that I am very persuasive, tenacious and l found my purpose early which was to help people find their purpose in life. I was very bold and inquisitive about life. I discovered life was about purpose and I wanted to make an indelible mark on people’s life. I also drew strength from my father who was very brilliant, noble but he had a good attitude and will not despise and look down on anybody.
What outstanding experience impacted your life positively?
For the scholarship programme, I learnt a lot from my father because he really made an impact on people’s lives. Though he studied in a remote village and, today, he is a surgeon but he had impact on people’s lives. He was not a politician, but he always gave his best to save lives, and to him it was a passion. I have heard so many testimonies from many who testified about how their lives were saved because he was there to rescue them. He really inspired me. He worked during the war. He gave his best in his work. Saving lives was his passion and that inspired him. I heard great stories about him as he was called tailor who was held in sewing wounded soldier. He also taught us how to use cutleries, good communication skills, mannerism. He taught us to be polite and it has become a part of me. You have to be responsive, well-mannered and wear the right kind of attire for the right occasion to live with my father. When I discovered Poise Nigeria, I was excited to work there because it is what we had been taught from our childhood and I was willing to teach other people.
How much leadership roles have you held?
I was the head of the teenage department in my church. Later, I was also made the vice president of my departmental union. I led advocacy groups and initiatives and I enjoy leading and meeting people’s needs. You cannot shut my mouth because I am ready to talk. I am original and I am not afraid of talking straight on issues with respect and caution.
How were you able to combine advocacy, poetry and business?
When a cup is full, you want to pour out yourself and whether it is mannerism business, law or poetry, preaching or ministry in any way, I want to display it.
You won some laurels, what is the secret?
I want to own something. I have vibe, skills and I try to position myself. I am original. My first job was in Abuja where I charged a million as participant’s fee in a workshop and the people who wanted to learn came in their number to attend. I learnt business skills from my husband who always ask me question about my business. He challenges me to build my business well as a good brand, position it and try to live the brand.
What makes you tick and stand you out?
I believe that I am an original. I believe that nobody will call you for anything else, but it is a matter of how compelling are you and your mannerism which have stood me out in this profession. I am very bold. Though, when I am alone, I do lots of thinking.
Would you say your dreams as a little girl have been achieved?
I am on the path. God has been my rock, refuge and gives me inspiration. I have a strong passion to see a new Nigeria and I am ready to speak about it. I want to influence my team, my family so that Africa, once regarded as the dark continent, will be a toast to the world. I speak and I am very compelling. I use those tools for social change.
Tell us about the Etiquette Place, its aims, objectives, successes and opportunities you see around you
The Etiquette Place is a corporate finishing school revolutionising the Nigerian communities on matters of work ethics, best practices, good attitudes, and proper public manners. The Etiquette Place is affiliated with the Protocol University, Boston USA and organises Protocol Certification Courses in Boston annually. Research has shown that business organisations that consciously practice work place etiquette show a marked improvement on their productivity margin compared to organisations that do not. Knowledge of proper business/work place manners makes for a genial work environment with consideration for the individual and respect for organisation hierarchy. I see people without manners. People are loud, airports litter everywhere. We are more than these, if we want to make Nigeria a tourist centre, we need to get our manners right, because, if not, the people will not come. We have no business travelling to Dubai daily because they don’t have what we have; we have great sights, huge population, mineral resources but the people don’t have manners: they are selfish and inconsiderate, thus many don’t see these countless opportunities around us. People are not self aware because of what they do, they can’t demands for their right. People want to outsmart their neighbour. Watch our environment, the psychology of the people around us and want they want. Position and live your brand. For instance, you can’t catch me pissing on the road side. We must also be credible and honest. You must sell yourself first before anything else. People are using their brain to task. I have an initiative Real Girls where we tell the youths to wake up as there are opportunities around us. It is sad now that we have cheap stories today as nobody wants to work to succeed. People steal money and have nothing to offer. People who are making impact are people who will pay the real price for the freedom of this nation
Everyone has a style, what is yours?
Original. Everything I do is original, even my hair style is original.
What do you think can be done to make Nigerian women have a voice?
Empowerment comes from inside of you and nobody can stop you. Empowerment can never be external, it is from inside of yourself as no one can empower you than yourself. Women are strong, convincing, compelling and have strength but they must talk and not keep silence. We have more than we can imagine, we must speak out. Behind all these, we cannot relegate child upbringing. Our leaders will hardly give us the opportunities. To engage the world, we must first engage our homes. We must not allow alien cultures to creep into our homes because charity begins at home.
Women sometimes feel they don’t want to rock the boat. The life of Rosa Park is a reminder for every woman to wake up and stand up for a good course. We must speak out, starting from our circle of influence. It is not about money all the time but having a clear vision about what we want to achieve in life while we are not relegating our parental responsibility in child upbringing. To change Nigeria, it must begin from our homes. We don’t need to be like everyone, but our family who believe in the same culture and principles that would help save our society.
But more women seem to be faced with all forms of inhuman treatment that may truncate their life dreams
Yes, it is sad that we have an increasing number of child mothers which is a result of the near-absence of parental care and support. However, I believe that young girls have options.
Where did we get it wrong?
When Nigeria began to place more value on money than our moral value systems. Many are been tortured psychologically by their parents or guardians and are pressurised to give up their virtues for immediate gain. Last year, a woman bought aso ebi between January and August for N1.4million and in November, she fell ill and was looking for money for medications. The girl-child needs orientation to become who God has made her to be. We have started an initiative called Reminisce Africa in Olowo-ira in Ojodu, Lagos where we will train and empower girls on the need to make right choices and become advocates of the same anywhere they find themselves.
What are your programmes for Etiquette Place in 2014?
We are organising a free training for 100 new recruits across different professions on the need to uphold the values of work place ethics in four cities in Nigeria, which are Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt starting from February in Lagos.
