Serial entrepreneur, Michael Imonike is the CEO of Imo Records, an outfit which he says aims to change the face of music in Africa. In this interview with OVWE MEDEME, he talks about his businesses, philanthropy, challenges growing up and sundry issues.
AT what point in your life did you conceive the idea of setting up Imo Records?
The idea of the music company came at about the last quarter of 2016 and the journey so far has been fantastic. I love growth. I love growing both personally and professionally. I love seeing growth in people. I love seeing growth in organizations. In fact, growth is one of my values as well as one of the values in Imo group. My growth goal is 1 percent daily improvement. I know if I can improve just a little bit every day, that over time my growth will be exponential.
Was there a time you almost dropped it?
Although through my journey over the years there have been good times and bad times but all were part of the learning and training process to achieve my visions. I keep telling people, if you can dream it, you can achieve it. All you need is the focus and determination to get what you want. And with time all you see is success around you.
With so many record labels in play, how do you handle competition?
It’s simple. I’m not a copycat. As a record label, I and my team ensure that we stand out from the crowd with our unique value proposition.
What id Imo Record’s overall vision?
We intend to be the best label in Africa. That’s the goal and with the team we have as well as the structures we have put in place, we believe it is doable.
What do you consider before signing an artiste?
At Imo Records, we look out for three core values before signing an artiste. And they are uniqueness, talent and hard work. With those qualities, there is no way an artiste will not stand out.
You also run Sol TV and Sunset Park. What informed these concepts?
Sol TV is a Channel from the stables of Imo Entertainment. It’s going to be a 24 hour urban and lifestyle channel that will promote Nigerian and African entertainment culture in music, drama, sports, fashion and tourism. Sol TV basically will inspire people’s passion towards entertainment. On the other hand, Sunset Park is a recreational resort in Minna that will provide maximum satisfaction in leisure activity, sports, entertainment and lots of fun events for both adults and children. These kinds of activities are lacking in the City and everyone in the area will love to have it around. By the way, I also run the popular Instant Pick Up and Instant Apartment in partnership Ubi Franklin.
What is the partnership like?
Ubi proposed the Instant pickup idea to me back in mid-2017 and I liked it. I love investing in anything that provides convenience to people or anything that has to do with providing good service through the internet. These days people want to get things done faster, delivered faster without stress. To cut the story short, let’s just say as an Investor, I made Ubi’s idea of Instant Pickup come to reality. Same goes for Instant Apartment.
How have Nigerians welcomed the idea?
Instant Apartment and Instant Pickup are doing great. We have been able to make a lot of Nigerians aware of the services and products we provide and a lot of people like it. Consumers in Nigeria are somewhat getting comfortable buying or ordering services online. You can see that with lots of eCommerce platforms online now. So the idea of ordering pickup online to clean your laundry or searching and booking an apartment online to stay while you travelling or on holidays appeals to this growing community of users in the eCommerce world. And when you have an eCommerce business, your ideal customer is someone with a pulse and a credit card.
For someone whose interests are quite wide, how do you manage to handle everything without any clash?
I plan for everything. That way I take every process one step at a time without haste or confusion.
What part of your growing up formed what you are doing today?
I believe that there is room for all human beings to succeed if we commit to giving others a chance. I am a philanthropist at heart and genuinely feel like my purpose is being fulfilled when I show loving kindness to others. I did not come from a rich backround so I know what it’s like to be poor. Now that there is wealth around me, I feel sad whenever I see people go through poverty like I did. And what else can i do than to help people in such situation. My heart bleeds when I see that others around me are suffering or lack opportunities. I do seek charities and programs that are designed to help others in need. I focus my philanthropy on anybody who is less fortunate, whether they are children who need love or adults who are unemployed and homeless.
What fuels this passion?
I know I can make a positive difference in someone’s life and in the world as a whole. I donate my time, money and emotional support to causes that touch my heart. I feel more connected to my humanitarian side when I allow myself to get involved and contribute. I receive a lot of joy from helping others. I feel like I’m helping in the work of the creator by taking care of those who are unable to take care of themselves.
With all of these, do you see yourself as fulfilled?
You tell me. I believe one’s success should speak for them. I do my best to work hard in silence and let my success make the noise. I’m on a path to fulfillment. I feel my passions in life are the gateway to my fulfillment.
As a philanthropist, do you ever get tired of helping people?
I know what it’s like to feel tired of helping people, believe me – and not just in the physical sense. The world that we live in is an exhausting place to be. It is wearing. It is thankless. It is endlessly trying and scarcely rewarding. Sometimes I’m tired simply because I live in it. Sometimes I’m tired of loving too much, caring too much, giving too much to a world that never gives anything back.
Sometimes I get tired of investing in indefinite outcomes. I get tired for all the right reasons. But with my years of experience, after all this, I realize some parts of life happen quietly. They happen slowly. They happen because of the small, careful choices that we make every day, that turn us into better versions of ourselves. Sometimes I have to allow myself the time to let those alterations happen. To watch them evolve. To not grow hopelessly frustrated in the in-between. When I’m tired, I go slowly, quietly. But I never stop because I know it’s a growth process for me. And someday that growth will give way to the exact rejuvenation that I need. But I hardly tell anyone this deep feeling. I always try to solve very complicated problems without letting people know how complicated the problem was. Thereby making everything look easy.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve always had a habit of writing my future plans down. Focusing and meditating on it on a daily basis. For me, the next four years are planned out. I guess you all have to wait till I unveil them one after the other.
You seem to have achieved a lot for yourself at your age, what’s the secret of your success story?
Well, there isn’t just one. But think about this; to me Success is the uncommon application of common knowledge. Over my years in many businesses such as real estate and business development services, I have created a habit of finding solutions to a lot of people’s problems. I try to always have a vision and the capacity to translate my visions into reality.
What was life in school like?
Life in University wasn’t 100% for me. I wasn’t the kind of person that concentrated so much in school studies. The education system in Nigeria is outdated and I couldn’t rely on it. We now live in the information age. The world is evolving so fast that something you learnt in the beginning of your university might be obsolete by the time you graduate. I knew what I wanted in life and focused more on skill acquisition outside the university environment and kept updating my knowledge when necessary.
What were the things you did to survive in school?
I did not come from a rich background. So many times I had to do jobs while in school to add up to what my parents could afford at the time. I remember when I was in 100 and 200 level; I did several hard labour jobs in building construction sites just so I could feed. It was terrible: the way I lived in school at some point. But when I think about it now, I just give thanks.