In your journey to self-discovery: be relationship-focused, and surround yourself with good people.
Sarah Udoh-Grossfurthner interviews the indefatigable Seyi Olusanya (British/Nigerian): a“compassionate soul, a mother, a businesswoman” and the CEO of Once-Upon-a-Destination https://instagram.com/seyi_once_upon_a_destinationutm_medium=copy_link
Sarah: Hello, Seyi;
Seyi: Hello, Sarah.
Sarah: I can’t begin to say what a pleasure it is to be having this heart-to-heart with you. You are one of those rare people whose very presence causes others to break into inexplicable smiles.
Seyi: Oh, yeah? Wow, Sarah, I feel honoured. Mmmh, you’ve just made my head swell. Oh, what a lovely thing to say. Thank you.
Sarah: From the heart, Seyi; straight from the heart.
Seyi: Thank you very much, Sarah dear.
Sarah: You are welcome. Now, let’s get right into the heart of this chat. Who is Seyi Olusanya?
Seyi: Uh, uh, that’s a hard one. Well, let’s see, who am I? I am a mother, a wife, a homemaker, and a destination-wedding planner, of course — that, you already know.
Sarah: Right.
Seyi: Then I guess you meant who am I, intrinsically — what makes me tick?
Sarah: Spot on! By the way, I am supposed to be the one doing the questioning here, so scoot over, don’t overtake my role, abeg. Hahaha!
Seyi: Ah, sorry, oh, my sis, I will try to mind my manners, hehehe! Anyway, before I can answer your question, let me quote a popular Yoruba saying, Eniyan l’aso mi. Do you know what it means? Ah, I forgot, you said no questions, no taking over your role — pele. Anyway, who I am is a lover of people. I love people…good people… and surround myself with them as much as I can. You could say eniyan l’aso mi is my guiding principle because it means people are my covering; they are what make me beautiful; they keep me warm and comfortable; they are what cover my nakedness. I am of the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, and this famous saying of the Yoruba people essentially captures the kind of person I am. If I were to stop right here, this saying would be more than sufficient to explain me. But you want more, don’t you?
Sarah: Yes, dear Seyi, I want more.
Seyi: Let me paint you a concrete picture then. If you were to ask me to describe what spells a perfect day for me, I would reply that it would be one in which I see myself in my home, surrounded by my children, my husband, other family members — including my employees because I view them more as an extension of my family than people who serve me for a salary. We would all be talking, laughing and generally having a great flow as I cook and treat them to a beautiful meal. This, to me, is the picture-perfect illustration of a successful life. It is an illustration that captures, wholely, who I am.
Sarah: I have known you for a while now, Seyi, so I know that you are people-centred and that relationship is significant to you. But have you always been this way, right from when you were born?
Seyi: Without a doubt, yes. They say people are a product of their upbringing. It is, indeed, true because my mother was also a people person. It was actually from her that I first heard the expression ‘eniyan l’aso mi.’ It was one of her frequent sayings when I was growing up.
Sarah: So, what this means is that you are your mother’s daughter, yes? Okay, besides people, what else are you passionate about?
Seyi: My work, of course.
Sarah: Ah, yes, that. I have seen some photos from the hundreds of destination weddings you have organized. It left me wishing I knew you before I got married…quite impressive! Anyway, not to worry, I have two unmarried children.
Seyi: Hehehe! Sarah, love. Don’t you think your darling children will have something to say about that?
Sarah: They will thank me for the recommendation once they see catalogues of your work, believe me.
Seyi: Okay, no wahala. It will be my privilege to be the organizer of your children’s wedding when the time comes. Thank you.
Sarah: Back to your passion; everything you’ve shared so far indicates you are great at what you do. Does that passion come with material success?
Seyi: What is success, Sarah? It is very subjective, as I am sure you know. But of course, if you meant of the material kind, let’s just say I am a good businesswoman. And so, I enjoy a sense of abundance, one that comes from knowing that I have all that I need and that there is nothing that I need that I can’t have. But let me make something clear here, please; most who read the preceding sentence would probably think, wow, she must be financially loaded! Mmmm, I wish oh. The real truth is that my account balance is often laughable compared to the actual work I do daily. My statement on ‘abundance’ is not based on material wealth but more on relationships. My kind of business connects me with all manner of people every day. My connection with them and the kind of relationships that evolve as a result is the parameter by which I measure my abundance; that abundance is more about impact, the way that I relate with the people who come into my life and the way that they relate with me and the flow that results from it all.
Aside from the relationships that come about because of my work, I am also a mother. I say this on a broader scale because I identify as a mother to my three children and other children I guide and mentor. When I see a little child on the road, my natural inclination is to look out for that child. At my workplace, this inclination to view everyone as a family sometimes blurs the line between employee and employer relationships and creates a problem for me. Many are the times my husband has scolded me gently to be ‘more’ formal and distant. But that’s not me. I’d rather suffer the consequences that arise from being true to myself. I’d rather care too much than care too little.
Sarah: Beautiful! Now, tell us, Seyi, if your house were burning down and you had but a few seconds to pull out three valuable things, what would those be?
Seyi: Abeg o, my house will not burn down, oh, Olorun maje…my heavenly father will not allow that, hehe! But to answer your question, dear Sarah. Well, the first two things I would automatically reach for would be my phone and my passport. The passport because it spells liberty and the ability to move about at will. And the phone because having it would mean still connecting to what matters despite my losses, people.
Sarah: Well, Seyi, we have concluded our time together today; but before we say goodbye, I always say that there is a difference between a successful life (materially rich but not necessarily happy) and a life of success (not necessarily materially rich, but happy nonetheless) would you kindly conclude in your own words how you would define a life of success from your own perspective?
Seyi: Well, dear Sarah, to me, a life of success is less about you and more about how you influence and impact the lives of others around you. That is the life I have. That is the life I will always want.
Sarah: Awesome! Thank you, Seyi, for sharing your beautiful heart with us today.
Seyi: My pleasure, Sarah. Thank you for hosting me,
END.
For more on Seyi Olusanya, wedding planner extraordinaire of Once-Upon-A-Destination, visit: https://instagram.com/seyi_once_upon_a_destination?utm_medium=copy_link
