Joyce Daniels: Stay in your lane, Enjoy your journey, and Raise others
Joyce Daniels is a professional Master of Ceremonies, a senior trainer at the prestigious Dale Carnegie and Associates, and a budding entrepreneur at her own “TAKADEMY” – Africa’s Premiere Training School for Masters of Ceremonies. With all these accomplishments under her belt, Joyce is a force to reckon with. Through her passion for speaking, Joyce has turned her skills into a profitable business hosting events and training others in the field. Despite a degree in Human Anatomy, she has excellent skills in communication and event planning. These skills have enabled her to work with clients from multiple industries and high net-worth individuals. Through her work, Joyce hopes to inspire others to stay in their line and develop their passions and skills. In this interview, Joyce Daniels talks about her passion and how she’s managed to build her brand. What led to you becoming a Master of Ceremonies? I believe I’ve been talkative from my mother’s womb. So, I decided to capitalize on my natural talent and gift of the gab. I wanted to explore a career in a field which requires no inventory, no start-up costs, and no rent. With this in mind, I found a career I enjoy, I love and I fit into PERFECTLY. How can young women refine their gift of gab as a source of income? Young women can self-train or be trained by professionals to serve in various ‘speaking’ capacities, such as TV/radio personalities, broadcasters, voice-over artists, voice actors or join my line of work, as event host MCs (Red Carpet or Main Event). Some of these can be experienced on a full time or part-time basis, in tandem with other interests or full-time job. In your opinion, how can young African women stand out in the marketplace? In my experience, my clients keep coming back and making referrals, because I ALWAYS deliver and on several occasions, surpass their expectations. For young African women, standing out requires understanding and meeting what the client wants and needs. On top of impeccable delivery, the following values can also help young women stand out in the African and global marketplace: Ensure you have top quality wrapped in unquestionable and undeniable excellence in service delivery When quality and excellence are in place, a healthy campaign of branding and marketing should be pursued. If you are top notch, yet unknown, attracting clients and income could be a problem. Therefore, strive to build your brand and make it known. [bctt tweet=”I strongly believe in raising and supporting other women as best as I can – @iamjoycedaniels ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What support did you get from other women when you started? The support I have gotten from women has helped me grow and succeed. My support base included women such as Chiaku Ekwueme of AZ4Kids, Ndidi Obioha of Enthyst Events, the Ugochukwu sisters of Sleek, Amie Georgewill of Kolor Kraft and Madam Josephine Anenih. These women believed in me and highly recommended me to other clients, some of whom hired me based on my exemplary work and because I am a woman – they support women too! Why do you always advocate for business owners to ‘Stay in their lane’ on social media? To explain my ‘Stay-In-Your-Lane’ philosophy, I’d like to use a few examples. Bill Gates stayed in his Software lane until he became an enigma. Serena Williams stayed in her Tennis lane until she became an unquestionable force. Mother Theresa stayed in her Charity lane until she became a saint. Oprah Winfrey stayed in her TV Show lane until she became a global phenomenon. Ibukun Awosika stayed in her corporate furniture lane until she gained enough credibility to become the Chairman of Nigeria’s oldest and biggest bank. Alibaba Akpobome stayed in his Comedy lane and made standup comedy a notable profession in Nigeria. Chimamanda Adichie stayed in her literary lane until she has become an international icon and multiple prize winner. The list is inexhaustible. Many people get distracted from their lane for many reasons. These factors include finance (or lack of it), fame (or craving for it), instant gratification and popularity (or non-popularity). I have taken it upon myself to remind people, especially those like me in ‘unpopular’ lanes, to remember despite the challenges, we are unique and different. With the same amount of time, commitment, self-development and optimism, we would reach great heights. [bctt tweet=”Don’t ditch your lane just because it is hard or unpopular! Stay in your lane and enjoy your journey. – @iamjoycedaniels” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Final words to young ladies Whatever your profession or career path, try your best to leave a good trail for others to follow and make conscious and deliberate efforts to contribute positively to your community and society at large.