1st May, 2022
Ewawunmi just wanted to have fun and share her beauty and unique body shape on social media, but the positive and negative reactions her pictures generated online was what paved way for her to become a social media influencer.
The 24-year-old Lagos-based influencer whose real name is Sulaiman Aisha Ewawunmi who hails from Kogi State and studied Home Economics and Food Science at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), now plans to become a celebrity chef and expand her digital marketing agency.
In this interview with Taiwo Okanlawon, she speaks about her journey into influencing, how she deals with trolls and future plans.
Tell us about your journey into influencing.
My journey in this influencing has been a roller coaster, ups and downs but I keep going because I love it. I didn’t plan to become an influencer, I wanted to have fun on social media and post my pictures. Until the pictures started blowing up.
I started having engagement on my tweets and one day, a brand texted me that they’d love me to promote their brand. I speak to my friend that’s in the field about it and he told me what to do. The brand was so impressed and had to renew our contract. It’s something I’m very good at but I never knew until I started it.
You studied Home economics and food science but you ended up in Digital Marketing and an influencer, how did that happen?
Yes, I studied Home Economics and Food Science but ended up in digital marketing because I look at social media, it makes me happy and makes me laugh, I love helping people too, I give out a lot.
What else do you do aside influencing?
Well, I am also into entrepreneurship. I have a farm where I rear catfish, chicken, and turkey.
Tell us a bit about your background.
I was born in October, I’m from Kogi State but my mother is Yoruba. I was born and brought up in Lagos but only went to Ilorin, Kwara State to study over there at the University of Ilorin. I’m the second born and I have five siblings. I speak five different languages including English, Arabic, Hausa, Ebira, Yoruba, and I can speak pidgin too.
So my upbringing was awesome because have the best mother I could have ever wished for, she’s so supportive, she will do anything to make her children happy.
Can you remember the first major project you handled?
Yes, I handled many artiste projects, the likes of Rema, Oxlade, Adekunle Gold, Davido and others, but the major project I handled was for Afropop star, Bella shmurda. I have also worked with different brands like Pepsi, Mtn, Itel, Dano, Xiaomi, and many more.
How lucrative is this profession?
It’s very lucrative if you are smart
Let’s talk about social media. Do we need a bill to checkmate the activities of social media users despite having freedom of expression?
I don’t think so, that will kill freedom of speech as provided by our constitution. Social media is one of the last remaining places where we youths can express our opinions freely, this is where we can freely call out our government.
Do you belong to any Digital Marketing body or association?
I don’t belong to any bodies, I like to do my thing my own way, so I have my own agency.
What has been your greatest highlight in this field?
My biggest highlight was when I bought my car.
Have you encountered some sort of sexual harassment or online bullying? How do you deal with them?
Yes I’ve been bullied but I keep pushing because every job has its own disadvantages
As a plus-size influencer, you often causes a stir with your pictures, do you get some weird approach online and offline?
Yes, I get some weird approaches offline, but online, I get a lot of insults but I have developed a thick skin, nothing gets to me.
How do you react to trolls?
I use the block button, I don’t reply to trolls.
What is that thing that keeps you going?
What keeps me going is the fact that I want to become great in life, so I am very focused and determined.
Let’s talk about relationship, for you is it, love, first or money first?
It’s always money first for me lol.
What are the things you look out for in your ideal man?
My ideal man is a man that has respect, a man that is caring, and ready to take responsibilities.
Last year, you made a tweet advising ladies never to date any guy that knows too many girls, why?
My reason is because when a man knows too many ladies, he tends to have different problems in his relationships. It is that simple.
What are your future career plans?
My future plan is to own a restaurant, I want to become a big chef, and expand my digital marketing agency as well.