Putting in the work - Designer Oladimeji Ajegbile
About this episode…
Putting in the work — Freelance Designer Oladimeji Ajegbile
Oladimeji studied architecture but soon realised he wanted to make his own thing. Not a building or a structure, but a creative business that would free him from the nine-to-five.
Developing the skills he learned in university, Oladimeji taught himself graphic design. He put in the hours to practise and got started by volunteering his services to local businesses.
Today, Oladimeji works globally, offering a variety of design services to clients and creating content to educate and inspire the next generation of creatives.
He chats to Steve about how he meets and keeps clients, why he creates content and how he found balance after burnout.
Read the highlights in the next tab.
Supporting local businesses to get started
Oladimeji got started by volunteering his design services in his local community. Where most of the small businesses used the same signage and branding provided by Coca Cola, he wanted to show them a different possibility.
“I showed them that you can actually make more sales using something more personalized, and they really loved it. I did that for about seven to eight different businesses that I frequently visit. And many of them wanted to pay for it. But I just told them I did it out of the goodwill of my own heart, because I love what you do. I support your business. And that was my own way of giving back to them.”
To quantify the value of his work, Oladimeji told those businesses how much he would have charged them.
“Whenever people saw the designs, they would always ask, ‘So who did this for you?’ And the business owners would say, ‘Oh, it's one of our customers, he’s actually really good and expensive,” even though they didn't pay me. And that was how I started to get my first set of paying jobs.”
It’s the process that matters
Oladimeji creates his own content, including a video podcast and posts for Instagram. He started because he wanted to share what he was learning with other creatives who are trying to build something from nothing.
”I let people share their stories so that young people can understand that there is a process to things. It's not really about the destination, it's the process that matters. So start something and give yourself time. Eventually, if you put in the work, you will get something, you will make something for yourself. I know how difficult it is to start up and to maintain what you've started. So I was like, let me just use my own experiences to help them and see if this can work. And it did. And I stuck with it.”
Making time for rest
Oladimeji tells Steve about his daily routine, where he blocks out time for certain tasks and responsibilities, including time away from the desk.
“In 2019, I experienced a period of burnout and anxiety where I couldn't work for three months. I couldn't create, I couldn't design. I was messed up because I'd been working constantly for a year and a half without any form rest. And I just had this mental breakdown. I knew that if I continued that way, I would ruin my own business and wouldn’t be able to build a career for myself. So I created those systems to allow me to rest and, at the same time, be productive.”
Start earlier.
“I love having the freedom to express my creativity, but I couldn't because I was working for someone else. So I just took the decision to stop and start my own thing.
“If I could go back, I would do everything exactly the same way, but this time around, start earlier.”
More from Oladimeji Ajegbile
Transcript of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland and freelance Designer Oladimeji Ajegbile
Steve Folland: As ever, how about we get started hearing how you got started being freelance?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I started being freelance while I was in the university. That was in 2011. The first time I understood what freelancing was, was when I decided I didn't want to pursue a full-blown career in architecture because I study architecture in the university and the idea of having to work for someone and not really get so many results or get paid, which actually the worst was not it for me. So I didn't want to settle for anything less. And I made up my mind, right from there that I would just walk from and be a year or two after school and then decided to build my own thing. So I started off with freelancing by just the free jobs for people that were around me. I remember very clearly then there was a particular church I was serving with and they needed graphic design, you know services. And I had to offer it to them for free, just so that I could understand the design field and the design industry first and the business of design before I then went all out to make it a business. So it wasn't something I planned out at first or my love for architecture and design sort of, you know, variated into something else. And it led me to what I'm doing right now.
Steve Folland: Cool. So were you teaching yourself design or was that tied up within what you were doing anyway?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Architecture has a number of principles that apply to design because we learned about the design principle of reference time because, in architecture, they teach you the basics of graphic, graphic, design graphics, and then architecture itself on, in itself, the fundamental of design, the principles and everything that came with design. So it was very easy to have that transition from buildings in designs to graphics or visual design. It was, there wasn't really much difference. So I learnt a number of things in the architecture school, but then when I got out you know, being a designer, graphic design and branding identity almost everything that I learned today was through consistent practice. Whenever I saw something that fascinated me, I practised and practised it until I became very, very good with it. So probably I watched a YouTube tutorial once or twice. And after that, I practised till I'd have to go back to those tutorials. So I would say I'm self-taught, but a number of these things started from the school of architecture. So it gave me a little bit of understanding of what design is and what design shouldn't be. And everything was just me doing my own thing, practising up until where I am now.
Steve Folland: Those first jobs, so that you could kind of test the waters were free. How did you progress to, to getting paid for it?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: I remember my very first paid job was a business card design for a church member. So because I'd been doing a lot of free jobs for the church and a few businesses around my neighbourhood because any business I patronize, then I saw that there are others. So in Nigeria, I usually have this Coca-Cola branding on most buildings to just show that this is a business. So you sell something or let's say it's a grocery store. Coca-Cola does the branding for them. And then you can see Coca-Cola's name on the, you know, on the storefront. So it was really interesting to me, but I'm like, why can't they have their own personalized banners? And then I volunteered to do that for them. So I just took the name of the business to the location and then designed the banner for them.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So when I did that, I did that for about seven to eight different businesses that I frequently visit. And I showed it to them that, okay, so I feel you can actually make more sales using something more personalized, and they really loved it. And many of them wanted to pay for it. But I just told them I did it out of the Goodwill of my own heart, because I love what you do. I support your business. And that was my own way of giving back to them. And whenever people saw the designs I did for them, they would always ask, so who do this for you? And the business owners would say, oh, it's one of our customers is actually really expensive, even though they didn't pay me. And that was, I started to get my first set of jobs. So it was through referrals from these people and from a few persons, I did free designs for in the church. And if someone asked who did this for you? They mentioned my name. And then many of them say, oh, he's really expensive. And he's really good. So maybe you would consider working with him. And that was how it all started.
Steve Folland: I love did you tell them to say that you are really expensive cause that's brilliant.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Actually, it's kind of architecture. They taught us to always give the actual value of the services you're offering, even though you'd be doing it for free. So whenever I'm doing something for someone, I would always tell them, this is the actual value of what you are getting for free. So they know how valuable it is and what I'm actually doing for them. So that made it easy for them to be able to tell others that, oh, is actually expensive. Even though they didn't pay a dime to work with me or to, you know, get what I did for them. I think that's one of the main things I really learned from the school of architecture because everything was quite strange because you know how school is, they teach you something that is not, that can be like that doesn't, like you can't really practice if you want to go all out. Once you start to find things for your own self and salary work.
Steve Folland: No, that is great because I think that's a trap people can get into, you know, like doing something for free and then they don't really know what you would have charged for it. So exactly. That's great for you to do that from the start. So you were doing those jobs while you were still studying where you?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Yes, I was.
Steve Folland: So how did you have the confidence to then sort of go it alone as a, as a freelancer? Or did you go and get a job when you finished school?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So when I finished school there was something in Nigeria called NYSE. It's a way to serve the government for a year before you then start your own. So it's like a way of certifying you, that you went through the educational system and then you're prepared for life. So after I finished my masters, I went for that program for a year. And while I was in a program that would make you intern with certain firms or certain companies that are in line with what you studied. So I interned with an architecture firm. It's not like I don't love architecture. I really love it. I worked for two years before I decided to go all freelance. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, but working in a nine to five, didn't allow me the opportunity to do that because I will leave the house by 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM sometimes.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: And I would work till 5:00 PM and getting back home, I'll be tired. I couldn't even do any of my own personal things. So that, that freedom was in there. And I wasn't comfortable. I'm the kind of person that I love to. I love my freedom to express my creativity, but I couldn't because I was working for someone else. So that was when the decision to branch out started. And while I was working a nine to five, I still had a few things I was going to decide to just make sure that I don't become like a creative dollar. So I was still myself to do a few projects on the side, but it still wasn't, it wasn't that it was too difficult. So I just took the decision to stop and start my own thing. And that's how I got freelance. Yeah.
Steve Folland: How did you continue to sort of like grow the clients that you were working for? So it sounds like the first ones were coming from referrals for work that you did.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: I created the habit of turning clients into friends and that was one thing I learned from my parents. Cause we, we, in, in Nigeria here, my parents have a farm and the farm, you know, a couple of persons will come. When they come, like we do poultry and livestock. So when they come and they patronize us, I always see that there's a way they, you know, communicate with them to the point where like they become friends and they always come back to buy more stuff. And I was trying to understand how that was like, why that was happening because I designed the farm when they first started, cause I studied architecture. So I was always on the farm to understand what was going on to just oversee things. And I saw that as something that I could apply to any other part of my life.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So turning people into friends and whenever I work with someone, I always make them realize that beyond the work company for you, there is a lot more you can actually gain from, you know, working with me. So take, for example, if I'm designing, let's say brand for someone, the logo, business cards on everything that branding entails. I don't just stop there. I try to go a little bit further, even when they are looking at me for the extra services. For example, I can decide to chip in from monthly Instagram or social media banners that they can use to promote their business after we've done our own part. And that keeps them coming back to me because they have something I'm giving to them for free. And every time they need to do something like that, they call me.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Even though I'm not getting paid for it, I'm always glad to do it because it doesn't cost me anything like, so designing a banner probably take like, you know, 15 minutes? So that is something I can offer to do just that I can retain them and we can walk for a longer period. So they are coming up with any major projects or any new thing for their business. I'm always the go-to person because I've been able to establish that sort of relationship. But I also learned to be able to draw the line between going too far into that and you know, still stick into the business relationship. So that's how I ship my clients and that I get more clients. So whenever I make a new client, I just try and understand if it's kind of person I can walk with long-term if it's not, once I'm done with, you know, whatever project we're working on, electrical, where we, someone, I feel we can still build something for them, then I allow that relationship to flourish because it's a benefit me on the long run.
Steve Folland: Man, that's a really nice idea. I like the way you approached that, the idea of giving them just a small thing for free quite regularly, and then you stay on their radar on really good terms. Exactly. But also not to be taken advantage of. What about what you offer because as a designer, I imagine you're capable of designing lots of different things. Do you have like a niche offering or do you do lots of different things?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I do a lot of different things, but I know that mission down can be a problem if you do it the wrong way. So take, for example, I focus on branding and identity, that's the logo design business cards, everything you need to start up a brand or a business, that's the visuals that you need. But I realized that if I stick to that only I'll be losing a lot of clients to other persons. And in the kind of design community we have in Nigeria here is very weird where you work with someone and then the person has to go to someone else to continue the services that you started. And the continuity won't be good because once the person does one thing with you, they have to go to someone else to continue. So I intentionally decided to invest in myself and skills. I started, you know, video editing, et cetera, product design and product photography, just so that I can offer the one full service for someone.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So take, for example, someone is coming for okay, I'll use one of the projects I did that sort of made this a success for me. So I worked with a makeup studio, they wanted to, you know, create a brand, the visuals and the identity for, for the brand. And I did that identity and they realized that they wanted to also build a makeup studio. And I understood the basics of interior design because I really loved interior design. So I offered them the interior design services as well. And it was easy to go add the, the printing, the wall montage and everything that is needed for a particular project, because I started the project right from the branding and carrying it over to the interior, it was very similar. So it made the project really interesting and really fun compared to when someone is coming to me to design maybe a flyer or a business card and I didn't do the logo.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I decided to just find a way to make that work. But then when I, whenever I see that I can't work with a client after a particular, a certain stage. I refer them to other friends who offer those services that they're looking for. So add a community of designers that I'm in, where if I need someone else to take over a particular job, I just, I reached out to someone I know he's really good and can offer those services. And, you know, he continues from me to the present. So I always create some sort of relationship between all the designers who offer different services from me so we can work on the same things together. And that way I sort of become a middleman between the client and the designer. So let's say I start the branding, if someone needs UI or UX design. I refer them to someone else, although I know how to do a UX design, but so that I don't overwhelm myself with too much work. I just, you know, let the other person have it.
Steve Folland: As in you pass the client on entirely or does it run through you?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So it runs through me in certain instances, if I realize that the, the designer you know, I'm referring the person to may not be able to do everything at once I become the intermediary between the client and the designer. So I get the job, I will do my own part and then the part. So let's say it's a full-blown branding project and they need a website. They need an app and everything that, you know, come withs a startup. I did the visual part, the branding, and then the very first spot, the important part for them. And then I employ another designer to come and do the UI, the UX, the mobile app, design the product. And everything that it entails, but it's all coming from me to them since like the one contract and now the job to these others designers. And that way it allows me to understand more about this other fields. So I won't be nervous entirely to all these things.
Steve Folland: You mentioned like your workload, how do you sort of manage day to day, week to week?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: All right. So I am a bit of a productivity monster. I don't know why I said monster. Anything that has to do with productivity, I'm all out for it because I know how it can be very annoying to have a full course of a goal or a to-do list and not get anything done. So I decided to find a way to break my daily tasks into systems in such a way that I know what I'm supposed to be doing at every point of the time. It's not like exactly what I was supposed to be doing, but a field, or an idea. I'll give an example. My daily routine goes this way. I don't have a consistent waking up time because I work overnight most times. So from whenever, whatever time I wake up, the first part is for myself, personal devotion, prayers and whatever I do, whatever it is I need to do.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: And then after that, I do, you know, I run, I cycle, whatever little bit of exercise I can do. And then once I'm ready to start working, that's three hours after I wake up or four hours. The first three hours of my working hours is for client work. So whatever client work I should have done the past week, or I have currently, I get on that and I make sure that I finish it to a particular level. And then after three hours, I focus the next two hours on content creation for my, for Instagram, for YouTube and for my podcast. And then I take the next two hours for, you know, client work also. So I finish up client work, if I have to jump on a meeting and whatever needs to happen, I do that, you know, for the next two hours. And after that, I take the last hour of the day between four or 5:00 PM to just reflect on what has happened throughout the day and plan for the next day.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So once that is done, during my time from 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM, is just for me. So I can decide to, you know, watch movies. I can decide to, you know, go out with friends. I can decide to do anything with that time or focus on maybe a side project I have on the side. So that way it allows me to keep a clear mind on what I need to do at every point in time. And I'm not bothered about, oh, I'm meeting this deadline. And time is already out of, you know, time is no longer on my side, which allows me to be flexible. And at the same time, you know, be focused on what I need to do. So giving myself a specific time of the day to do certain things makes things easy, because I know the reason why I'm giving client work the most of my time during work hours is because that is what pays the bills.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So, and that, that should be my focus at first, before I knew that thing would come in. So that's how I run my business and my content creation. So there's no, okay. The reason why I actually created a plan at first was sometime in 2019, I experienced a period of burnout and anxiety where for three months I couldn't work. I couldn't create, I couldn't design. I was messed up because I've been working consistent from what I'm a year and a half without any form of rest. And I just had this mental breakdown. So I knew that if I continue that way, I would ruin my own business and I'll be able to build a career for myself. So I created those systems to allow me to rest and at the same time be productive.
Steve Folland: Um there's so, I mean, I love the time-blocking. I want to ask you about the content creation, but you've just brought up like the, you know, the burnout basically. Yeah. So you found a way to sort of get around avoiding that in the future. How did you kind of feel about it at the time?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So at the time it seemed as if I was a different person, because the regular me would always, I'm always active on social media, I'm always, I'm all over the place, making live videos, making videos, creating content almost every day. And people knew that about me, that I'm the very consistent kind of a person. I always show up. So when that happened, I knew that a part of me was going to change forever, because if I continued that way, then you know, I wouldn't make things better. And I'm the kind of person that I encourage other creatives to, you know, start off, start off something from nothing and be able to build something for themselves. But then it gets to a point where you get to the limit, where if you get to that limit, you won't be able to enter another thing.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So building that sort of structure allowed me to also leave what I've been preaching to others. And that gave me it gave me fulfilment because I was able to now see that everything I've been talking about in the past, that way theories could actually be practised and can become a reality. And that's what I've been living on for the past three years consistently. I knew that burnout is inevitable. It happens almost every time, but then you can actually reduce it to the barest minimum. And one way I do that is even within the work period I was talking about, I do this system I saw on someone's YouTube channel. I can't remember exactly who now. And you talked about how you work 90 minutes straight, or, you know, two-hour stretch. And then you rest for 30 minutes or 20 minutes, depending on what system you're working with.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: And I was able to do that. So I did so I do 90 minute stretches of work, and then I take 20 minutes break. And then, you know, I do that over and over again. So I don't have to take any long break in between work, just 20 minutes, you know, in 90 minutes and then I can go you know, 90 minutes. And that way I can put it in as you know, just working on a particular thing without getting tired or getting burnt out because I take periodic breaks in between you know, the times.
Steve Folland: I love the way you are also prioritizing your own content creation, as you say, it doesn't necessarily pay the bills like the client work, but it's still something you dedicate time to each day. So what is it that you do?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: I create content about design, lifestyle and about designer productivity, basically creativity and productivity for creatives. So I host a podcast called The Simple Creative, and I do something very similar to this. I interview other creatives in different fields who have been able to start up something from nothing. Because when I was starting out as a designer or as a freelancer, I didn't really have a lot of persons I could learn from because you know, in 2011, it wasn't really something that was big in Nigeria. So I learned mostly from people in the US and in the UK, and their systems are quite different from ours here. So I decided to now find a way to use my own experience that I've gained over the few years I've been doing what I'm doing to help other creators coming up to be able to learn and understand how to do it because you don't have to make certain mistakes if you can learn from persons have done it before you.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I realized that a number of them, you know, I've been able to, a lot of persons have been able to do certain things for themselves and others are trying to get into the same field, but they don't have an idea on how to go about it? So I sort of help them bridge the gap. I have a conversation with these persons, and then they listen to it and can learn anything from there. For example, I interviewed a YouTuber who started a YouTube channel with his smartphone, and now he's a really big YouTuber in Nigeria that has over 850,000 subscribers. And he's doing really well. But then people look at the big things now and, and, you know, they feel, oh, this guy is big and he's really doing it well. And they envy that not knowing that it started from a point where nothing was working for him.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I let people share those stories so that young people can also understand that there is a process to things. It didn't just start as a big person he started from, you know, a very small place. Worked his way up to what he's doing right now. And you know, this competition, a ton of precedents to understand that it's not really about the destination now. It's the process that matters. So start something and give yourself, you know, time. Eventually, if you, if you put in the work, you would get something, you make something for yourself. So I create content like that. So, because I, I knew how difficult it was to start up and to maintain what you've started. And I started making a few friends. And I was like, let me just use my own experiences to help them and see if this can work. And it did. And I stuck with it.
Steve Folland: Yeah, I love that. So you've got The Simple Creative podcast. You've got YouTube, you do Instagram as well. And I know you're doing that from a point of view of helping others, but do you find it helps you in your business as well?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: It actually does. I didn't know this until I started to see a very, like, it was strange at first because when you're viewing something like this it's always interesting because not many people would understand it. Like nobody understood why I was doing a video podcast at first. Nobody understood why I was creating Instagram content every day without resting. Well, then it got to, I didn't understand it as well when I started, I just wanted it to be able to put myself out there and help people. And then I realized that people started to refer me to others about design. And I never used to like advertise my design business on Instagram. All I focused on was creating content that was helping people. So I realized that as I was giving value to people and I was helping them, they were probing into more about me.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: They wanted to understand what does this, does this guy do, aside from the content he's creating on Instagram. And then people found my business page where I share my designs, and then, you know, the influence grew from my personal brand to my business. And that's one thing I learned while studying about branding. And, you know, the business of design, you can actually use your person, your personal brand to build your business because more persons know you as a person before they would know your brand. And that's, that's one, there's a particular thing that people buy from people, not brands or not businesses, because I wouldn't buy from a business I haven't gotten the recommendation for, from someone else, because someone has recommended a business to me that is why I will go to them as, because I'm buying from the person who recommended them to me, and I trust that person to some extent.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I was able to build trust using my personal brand, such that people were able to see that, oh, if this guy is this consistent and is delivering quality with his content, then that means his business shouldn't be anything less. And it was a good thing at first. I really enjoyed that. So it wasn't something that I did. You know, the personal brand I built was able to help my business grow because the more persons knew what I was doing on Instagram. The more they wanted to understand what else do I do? Because if I was excellent at content creation and the podcast, and every other thing I was doing, they wanted to understand what else does he do outside that? For example, I didn't know, Space X. I knew Elon Musk first before I knew space X. And that was because he as a person is someone people talk about a lot. And then that led me to understand and try to understand what does this guy do, or what, why do people talk about him so much? And then that led to you know the business. And I knew, and I started to understand everything he has been doing and all the other businesses and ventures he has. So I was able to leverage my personal brand to help me grow a business also.
Steve Folland: Yeah, we'll put links, of course at beingfreelance.Com so you can check out The Simple Creative and the YouTube and all of these things. Now, what about the sort of businesses that you work with, are most of your clients local or, or, yeah. Where's your work coming from?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So about 70% comes from outside Nigeria and, you know, the rest are local. At some point, I was working with only Nigerian-based brands because I wanted to find a way to help people and viewed, you know, what we have here. So it's going to be like, everything we see is just Coca-Cola branding, like I said, at first and, you know, things that were not really good. So while I was doing that for free, I realized that more persons who had businesses in Nigeria, they didn't really understand the idea of branding. They didn't really understand what marketing is and all these other things, they just want to start a business and let it grow. So I was able to figure out that if I could help them, you know, understand what you're doing and how they can make sales using design or leveraging design and social media, then maybe I can have a market in that space.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So while I'm doing the branding for you, I'm also taking you through the business or social media marketing how to leverage social media for your business and everything in between. So I was teaching what I do as a personal brand for these businesses. So they can also leverage that because I've been able to grow a social following to a certain extent, I was able to tell them that, okay. So I was I've been able to do this, I was able to build a community of 10,000 followers on Instagram within a year or two. You can also do the same for your business. And then I share, and I teach them how to do that. So what I'm doing that is making them, you know, much more knowledgeable about business in itself. And you know, while I was going on, I felt things are not really still working out well because I wasn't really earning as much as I would love to.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I started working with brands outside Nigeria and, you know, businesses as well. And for them, it's only branding I do for businesses outside Nigeria because they understand all the marketing and everything. They just need their visual ideas to come to life. And then I do that. So I knew I was able to understand the different markets and offer the services. I know the best for, you know, these different places. I can read in the Sentinel green for the local clients for those outside, because it'd be too much work and I'll break down. So I focus on branding only for businesses outside Nigeria and UI, design user interface. And then in Nigeria, I do the branding. I do social media marketing and leveraging social media for, for businesses. And yeah.
Steve Folland: How are those companies outside of Nigeria finding you?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I can't really say because I just do what I need to do for them put in my best. There's this thing I apply to my work, which is underpromise and overdeliver. So I don't really put myself as I unlocked it or lifted or something. I just, you know, make them come based on what they've heard before and when I'm delivering the results and make it extraordinary because I know that my business thrives based on referrals and recommendations. So I put in my best for any project. So I don't ask them how have you see my services. I, I, I'm not comfortable with that because I never learned how to do that. Well, then I I've heard, you know, a few times from the recommendations that, you know, that be sent to me or the referrals, that this person's job you did was really good, we loved it. Can you do something for us that is also good and has that quality.
Steve Folland: So even the ones outside of Nigeria are coming via referrals. Yeah. Because everything you're doing with Instagram, YouTube, and what have you, it's, it's, it's on a global basis.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Exactly. So I was very careful not to limit myself to the Nigerian market because we're in the digital age. I have a workspace and a studio, but I don't, it's not like I'm a physical business, and my services are not location-based. So I can work with someone in Italy and we probably have maybe one video call to just discuss the business and what they need. And then I go ahead and do the rest. Everything is email communication until the presentation. So that works for me. And I was able to leverage that quickly. So that pushed me to get comfortable with video and just be able to communicate that way and not limiting myself to the Nigerian market, it exposed me to the idea that design is global. And it's, it's just, it's a way of life for me, actually, it's a way of life for me.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So if I can use that to connect with more persons, then I can build a business out of it. And when I realized that part, it became seamless. It became really, really interesting. So I'm talking to someone, okay, let me just add this. All these referrals actually happen because of Nigerians in other places. And then from there, I started working with, you know, different, like different other persons and other like countries, all because I was able to do something good for the local community here and then maybe their friends or someone just so it's some, you see, the thing is once I do a design and maybe someone shares it on Instagram or on Facebook, anybody anywhere can see it. And we may admire it and say, oh, I want to work with the person who did this. So I put a lot of effort into any design.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Any job, no matter what location it is, I put a lot of effort into it because I don't know who is seeing it from anywhere. Like I got like my biggest client I've gotten so far happened through, um so I have a Pixels account where I create stock photos. That was how that happened. You understand? So it wasn't like I was looking for them. I just had to put myself out there and put out these resources and make it a certain quality. And because I went all out, people saw it and, you know, I was, they reached out to me and said we want to do this, can you offer these services? And I was able to, you know, offer the services for them.
Steve Folland: Your biggest client came from them following the rabbit hole, basically following the links through, from one of your stock photos that you put up.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Yeah, exactly.
Steve Folland: Amazing. And was that a stock photo, was it available for free or for purchase?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So it was available for free. And I did, at the beginning, I didn't know that something like could actually, you know, become a major deal for me because I just put out those pictures because as a designer, I'm always searching for, you know, photos I can use for designs, but I wasn't really finding some about people of colour on certain websites. I was like, maybe I should create some and use myself as the subject. And then I took certain shots me reading books, me using the smartphone, me using an iPad music, computer a depression-themed photo. And within six months, all these photos went viral, like gotten over like 3 million views and it was amazing. So that led to more designers using those photos because yeah, in Nigeria, we don't really have a lot of resources that we could actually leverage because you're doing a job and you're not really getting paid what you should be getting paid because everybody's saying there's no money. So you decide to just work with someone so that you can get referrals and build something for yourself. So you need to actually leverage all the free resources you can lay your hands on till you can afford to start paying for resources. So seeing that it was, it was like a gold mine for them when they could find someone creating that kind of stock photos for the African community and it was benefiting them. And eventually, it became something good for me.
Steve Folland: Oh man. That's brilliant. I feel like there's so much I could talk about but I'm conscious of time. Actually one thing, I mean, you touched upon pricing and costs there. How have you got on with pricing bearing in mind, of course, that you, you kind of, you're serving your local area as well as, as you know, you mentioned somebody in Italy, for example. So how, how do you cope with that?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: I, I mentioned at first that I learnt design and understood design from a few persons outside Nigeria. So I realized that their own pricing systems were quite different and it won't be directly applicable to my own local space. So I took that. So I took a period of one year. That was when I was doing the free designs to understand the business of design and human interaction and communication too. So while I was doing that I realized that more persons actually have the money to pay for certain services, but don't understand what they're paying for and why they should pay for it. So I was able to build a system, a mindset that anybody that is coming to work with me, can pay for my services. I just have to make them understand what they are getting and why they should pay for it.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: And, um, it led to me, uh, learning how I make my clients sell themselves to me instead of me selling my services to them. And this is the way it works. If I'm supposed to work with you on a particular project, I don't ask you what your budget is. I just tell you how much you think this project is worth to you. For example, you want to do a brand new project and you're, you're starting up. You've used a millionaire in Nigerian currency to start up your business. And you want to create a brand for your business. For someone who can create a business with a millionaire, you shouldn't be paying anything less than, let's say 300,000 for the branding, because if you can pay that much for your business then you can actually pay for the brand also. So if the brand is what is making you sales, like the branding would bring in more sales, then that means you should focus on that.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: So I allow them to sell themselves to me and tell me what they feel the product is worth. And for whatever they tell me, I calculate using that to give them a price and it's been working, although it's not consistent, it's been working. So if I can understand my client first, communicate with them and understand their mindset and their mentality, where they're coming from, what kind of business you're starting out. I can then give a price. I don't have a fixed price for my services, but I have a price I don't go below for certain things. For example, if I'm doing a logo, I won't go below a certain price so that I won't be on the losing end, and that is something I've stuck with for the longest time. If I'm going below that price, I either do it for you for free or I don't do it all.
Steve Folland: Now, if you could tell your younger self one thing about being freelance, what would that be?
Oladimeji Ajegbile: Do everything you did exactly the same way you did it, but this time around, start early.
Steve Folland: Oladimeji, it's been so good to talk to you and all the best being freelance.
Oladimeji Ajegbile: This was amazing. Thank you so much.