Hi! I'm Oyinkansola Ogunyinka-Edem, and I’ve spent the past 2,372 days as a content marketer.
Straight out of uni in 2019, I began my career as a content developer at a small bootstrapped fintech (Pettysave) headquartered in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria.
While I wasn’t quite sure of myself, I knew who I wanted to be. I’d known for quite a while, to be honest, and it was as simple as it gets; I wanted to be a writer. But I didn’t just want to be any type of writer; I wanted to be a full-time author.
The OG plan was to start a regular career, then retire at 25. I’ll be 25 next year, though, so that plan is as good as stale bread now. Lol.
In my defence, I’ve already self-published 2 Christian romance novels (circa 2019 and 2021) and started bulking up my savings for an early retirement. So even if retiring in my mid-20s is no longer possible, I’m on the right track, sticking to the 9-5 grind till I don’t have to anymore.
Holding my books up in October 2022 at LumBooks, a bookstore in Lagos, Nigeria
And the good thing about my career as a content marketer? I still get to write A LOT, even if it’s not always about the great love stories and faith-based adventures I dreamed of as a child.
The early days — 2019 to 2021
Cut back to that first job in 2019. My work with that small fintech company spanned about two years, and during that time, I learnt so much on the job, immersing myself in learning resources and experiences that helped me feel less inadequate.
My hard work definitely paid off, because I got promoted twice and tripled my income (from ~NGN40k/$110 at first to NGN150k/$375 per month by the time I left). At the same time, I freelanced on the side and completed my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), earning extra income that supplemented my total take-home.
November 2019 at my NYSC Camp in Abia state, before I got redeployed to Lagos, Nigeria
But none of those were the highlight of that job: It’s the fact that the entire experience gave me the strong foundation that has largely defined my career since then.
Seriously. I resigned in October/November 2021 when I secured my first international job at a global content marketing agency (Animalz), and I believe my fintech experience was one of the key things that helped me get the gig. The part-time job I took as marketing lead at a content marketing agency before that probably didn’t hurt my chances either.
The glory days — 2021 to 2023
Here’s the thing: By the time I started working with Animalz, I was already grossing about NGN400k/$1000 per month from my full-time job, side gigs, and book sales. But that was nothing compared to the contract Animalz gave me. Their offer more than doubled my former monthly income and showed me the great possibilities available in the global content marketing space.
I shared the story of how I got the Animalz gig on LinkedIn, but what I didn’t mention is that I also got an offer from another company at the time: a Nigerian fintech.
I initially planned to combine both, but the salary for that other job was NGN250k/$610. So after considering the opportunity cost, I decided against it and focused on Animalz. And I’m glad I did, because taking on both wouldn’t have let me focus on any properly.
My feature on the Animalz website from 2021 to 2023
Despite all I had learnt on my first job, Animalz challenged me even more. Internal wikis, in-house experts, rigorous quality assessment for each piece of content, and a hands-on manager + editor honed my writing skills beyond what I even realized was possible.
These days — 2023 and beyond
Now, long after my work with Animalz ended in 2023, I still carry the lessons I learned there and use them for the benefit of all the clients and brands I work with.
In case you’re wondering, I did take on one full-time role after Animalz. I worked as the Content Marketing Lead at Talstack, Nigeria’s leading people and learning management platform (for about 4 months), but resigned early in 2024 for health reasons.
Since then, I’ve been freelancing full-time, helping fuel the revenue engines of global content agencies like Codeless, Embarque, and House of Growth. I also create content for top SaaS and fintech brands like Career Masterclass, Riverside, BWZ, Circle, and Daleel.
Somewhere in between all this, I’ve managed to get married and give birth to a lovely son, both experiences that have increased my respect for working parents.
My maternity shoot at 8 months pregnant, mid-2024
Interestingly enough, my new status as a family woman makes me want to succeed even more than before. It does feel much harder to achieve anything in this phase of life, but I’ve been doing my best and building systems to help.
If you’re in a similar season, you’re definitely the target audience for my Buffer article on staying consistent and avoiding burnout as a WFH parent.
Looking ahead
So there you have it—the summary of my career and life over the past 2000+ days. But…this is only the beginning.
I am currently expanding my freelance business into an agency while actively searching for the right in-house opportunity for me and my current goals (income and flexibility-wise).
I also hope to create time for travel and leisure, because all work and no play is a drag, and I don’t want to wake up in a few decades and realize time has passed me by.
That being said, I don’t know exactly what the next 2000 days hold, but I do hope my third novel and dream job are in there somewhere, sooner rather than later.
Ps: WAGMI! 🥂