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Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Ifeoma Williams, Koye Kekere Ekun, & Bunmi Olunloyo cover TheWill Downtown’s Latest Issue
The cover issue of TheWill Downtown Magazine, titled “Legally Creative,” brings together the stories of four different lawyers turned creatives.
Chalya Shagaya, TheWill Downtown’s editor-at-large, had a chat with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Ifeoma Williams, Koye Kekere Ekun, and Bunmi Olunloyo about their love and passion for both their professional degrees and their current careers in the creative space.
See excerpts below:
Bunmi Olunloyo
Does your law degree help you when dealing with clients, for example, a contract for a major performance?
Absolutely! Even in informal situations (not necessarily in terms of formal contracts), you are instantly heard, respected and taken more seriously. When dealing with clients, you get into the zone and switch seamlessly without even mentioning that you’re a lawyer.
It’s a wide contrast between dance and law, but law is an intensive training, so it’s embedded in you forever. It’s definitely one of the best decisions I made.
Ebuka Obi-Uchendu
What’s the most fulfilling thing about what you do now?
I love connecting with people, and many of the shows I do on TV have me either interviewing people or interacting with them in some way. That has been my greatest teacher in life. Learning from people from all walks of life and, at the same time, having to share that blessing with the world. As much as it’s a job, it continues to be a medium for me to share knowledge and inform people even when they think they’re just being entertained. I have a very curious mind, and my job feeds it constantly.
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Ifeoma Williams
Why did you decide to hang your wig for the image consult industry?
Interestingly, I had become a “people watcher” in court. My focus shifted from my actual business in court to how people “presented” themselves. I am convinced that it matters not what you say but how you say it, especially in advocacy as a lawyer. Your ability to communicate effectively through all the mediums open to human interaction and engagement, from appearance through to behaviour and eventually speaking, is what sets you apart. I finally discovered and realised that there is an actual profession in helping people put their best foot forward. The more important point to note for me is the impact; it was the late great author and poet Maya Angelou who said, and I quote– “People will forget what you said, people may forget what you do, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” To this end, the greatest impact that you can have on another is a positive memory of you. My profession actually makes for better people and a much better world. It cuts deeper than apparel.
Koye Kekere Ekun
If you were to do it all over, would you have become a lawyer or just focused on the arts?
Hmmm… If I could do it all again, my answer would be neither. (laughs). I would pursue a football career with everything I’ve got. That is what I am gifted at, my true calling in this life, and what would have brought me the most joy and possibly allowed me to bring the most joy to people (that one is debatable, (laughs)). That said, I do not regret the law. It is a solid base for anything I choose to do moving forward.
What I am most thankful for is the grace and privilege to be able to explore all these different facets of myself as I continue to discover myself.
Read the full interview here.
