Success, they say, is not a race and everyone has their own pace and rhythm. Every individual has a unique set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses; and by accepting and understanding these, one can create a plan for success that works better for him or her.
This understanding, the astute young Chief Executive Officer of HypeNet Marketing Group, Rhoda Naa Yemoley Odoi, said has been her smooth ride for life and in her career journey.
Rhoda is a certified digital marketer and a product of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, University of Ghana, and General Assembly, Manhattan in New York, where she pursued a Master of Arts in Public Relations, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, and Digital Communication Media/Multimedia respectively.
The 27-year-old CEO grew up in a military home, with her parents and two elderly brothers at Burma Camp, Accra.
According to Rhoda, her nuclear family was her inspiration growing up, and the mantra she picked from her father – retired Brigadier General Odoi – which has informed her journey and has shaped how she sees life is ‘staying focused and succeeding at one’s own pace’. For Rhoda, this realisation is all one needs to better play the cards of life.
Starting her business at an early age, the mantra has been instrumental in her decision and indecisions.
The HypeNet journey
Rhoda started HypeNet in 2014, when the organisation she was interning for expressed their desire for a brand influencer to assist with an activation they were working on. As smart as she is, Rhoda said she quit the internship just on the third day to become the influencer the organisation needed given that she has a lot of following on social media. She also took time to read about digital marketing and formed a group of like-minded colleagues to work with.
Currently, HypeNet is a marketing communications agency with a prime focus on executing digital/social media activations for brands.
When Rhoda observed that many corporate organisations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lacked in the area of digital marketing, she became passionate about starting HypeNet. She started on her adventure by assisting start-ups and other institutions in raising awareness and developing brand engagements and digital strategies.
Progress
Since September 2014, her company has grown to become one of the leading names in digital agencies in Ghana from an initial staff strength of just one person.
HypeNet has, over the years, served clients – including Charterhouse, MTN Ghana, Xodus Communications, British Council, Genie Intel, Musiga, Action Chapel, Bedita Pharmaceuticals, National Youth Authority, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Energy, Tel Energy, Breakfast Club Africa, and many more.
HypeNet can boast as one of the renowned influencer hubs with over 300 members comprising mostly tertiary students, with a focus on providing opportunities for young people.
Brand success
Rhoda, who has been on the entrepreneurial ladder for nine years, advised that to build and maintain a successful brand, a person must evaluate their strengths and weaknesses with regard to the business idea. They should also be careful not to follow trends, but focus on finding solutions.
For her, it is also crucial to take time to properly think through one’s options to make sound decisions. “First of all, analyse yourself. Make sure you understand your strengths and weaknesses and do not just enter into something that is not your strength, because starting a business is very difficult.
“Do not do something because that is what someone else is doing. Do not follow the trend because when you follow the trend, you would not be able to survive in hard times. The least thing will make you want to give up. So ask yourself what will motivate you to keep going even if you are not making any profit,” she indicated on Y107.9FM’s YLeaderboard series with host Rev. Erskine.
She added that working with a team that understands one’s brand and is willing to progress with the organisation’s dream also guarantees a successful brand.
Nine years on
To this end, she revealed that what has kept her going all these years as a digital marketer has been her team who believed in the journey. “No, I cannot give up on these people. I have to still continue because since I started in 2014, they have been with me. And for them, it is also not about the money, but getting the work done,” she added.
Throughout the hurdles, one key thing to Rhoda is being persistent. And aside from taking her brand to higher levels, she wants to be known for impacting society, especially the youthful fraternity, positively.
