Esosa E is an award winning Producer, Writer, Actress, Health Expert, and Fashion Designer. Born in New York City to Nigerian parents, Esosa grew up in New York, New Jersey, California, Jamaica, and Virginia. Her nomadic upbringing engrained in her a love for travel and sparked in her a deep desire for artistic expression. From a very young age she was blessed to observe and absorb many cultures, which now informs her chameleon sensibilities as an artist.
My Definition Of Success | Success for me used to be about reaching some end “goal” whether it be money, recognition, or status. But that has changed over time, as I have realized certain dreams; I realize that for me true success is having inner approval and inner contentedness no matter what stage in my journey I am in. Success is having the opportunity to do what I love everyday on my own terms never compromising my values. Goals are moving targets, I will always have something new I am striving for; but at the end of the day I am successful if I am comfortable with the choices I have made and I am content in the holistic sense (spiritual, emotional, relationships) no matter what my career is doing. And above all success is the ability to laugh at yourself and stay humble; to wake up each day knowing that whatever you accomplish you can’t take with you, so it’s the connections we make that matter the most.
I Am Driven By | I can’t exactly remember where I heard the quote: “I don’t want to die with my music still in me.” That’s what drives me. It’s the need I have to fulfill my purpose and share every ounce of creativity God has blessed me with. That to me is why we are all here. Whether your gift is literally music, making paintings, or directing films, I believe each individual person’s “music” is meant to be shared. So every day I try to push myself to do something, create something, or share something. No one knows tomorrow.
A Key Talent | Some of the talents and strengths that have proven extremely useful are persistence against all odds, having great follow-through, finishing what I started, and cultivating meaningful professional relationships. I have definitely refined all of these strengths over the years. I have had numerous times I have wanted to quit; but I never have. Something always happens to let me know I’m on the right path.
Follow-through is something that surprisingly a lot of people do not have. And it’s essential to closing any kind of deal or developing a professional relationship. For me follow-through has a great deal to do with if you are someone who does what they say they are going to do. I am great at keeping in touch with people who I enjoy, respect, and want to work with. This has proven invaluable, because more and more I get involved in projects by colleagues who were already thinking of me as a collaborator. The simple way to replicate this is to approach networking from a completely different point of view. Instead of focusing on meeting people who may be able to do something for you, find your tribe. The people who like the same art, create work you admire, the people you can have great conversations and fun with. Right after you meet them you should follow up. Get connected with them on social media, and continue having meaningful conversations from time to time.
Principles I Live By | Put God first, and everything else will follow. Honor your word, do what you say you will do. Always be willing to speak to strangers, you ever know who can touch your life or vice versa. The most divine synchronicities have happened to me at times because I’m generally willing to strike up conversations in any setting with people I don’t know. Count your blessings and revel in gratitude for something every single day. Treat everyone with respect, especially those who serve you in any capacity.
How I Use My Mind | I used to be really intense about goal setting. I would map out my goals and set some action steps I needed to take to achieve those goals. After some time I realized that it was much more effective to just have a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve. In essence I learned to let go and let God. When you have the vision clearly you don’t need to know how it will come to pass; you will be led step-by-step to the right people, places, etc to achieve it, and most times incredibly faster than if you were following a step-by-step plan you created yourself. I use vision boards a lot to set my goals for the year and change them often. I also visualize and daydream a lot when I have free time. 99% of the time I wake up one day living out the exact thing I was dreaming about. When it doesn’t come to pass I believe God is saying not yet, or I have something better. It’s also really important to me to speak affirmatively and positively about my goals because words create.
Lessons I Have Learnt | Patience, patience, patience. That was a hard lesson for me early on in my career. I’ve learned that everything happens in God’s timing. I’ve learned to trust my gut and honor it above all opinions. I’ve learned that a lot of times before a major breakthrough things get harder; so it’s up to me to push through the challenge to get to the victory waiting on the other side.
Dealing With Doubt | The main way I deal with self-doubt, fear, or negativity is to get in my daily meditation. It makes a huge difference and helps to silence the loud self-critic we all have. The worst thing you can do when any of those things arise is to stop moving forward, so I make a point to keep going step-by-step even if I’m intimidated. If I hadn’t pushed through fear I wouldn’t have ended up in South Africa, which has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’ve learned over time that some of the best things happen for me when I feel a little bit scared about taking something on. I love to be challenged as terrifying as that can be. When I first got out of acting conservatory in New York, I was hoping to land work as an actress and borderline depressed because I wasn’t seeing much progress. A friend reminded me of my talent for writing so I wrote a short film. I didn’t know who would direct it but I also didn’t want to wait around for someone else to do it. Although it did scare the crap out of me, I chose to direct and act in the piece and used my savings to get it done. I assumed it would probably end up as an artistic exercise and not much would come of it. It was not only a huge learning experience, I ended up winning a competition on MTV-U with that film, Best Short at the Nigerian International Film Fest, and being accepted in the Cannes Short Film Corner. That experience taught me everything I want is on the other side of fear.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | The bible and scripture inspire me and keep me grounded. Having a faith walk keeps me going when the going gets tough because in the early stages of any career or project the majority of people think you are nuts. You have to have the radical faith to see it through, to believe the vision will come to pass despite the naysayers. I love reading about successful entrepreneurs on Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur Magazine. It’s inspiring to read stories about most people who have reached levels of success because ultimately you realize everyone who is successful has experience massive amounts of failure. I’ve failed so many times. There have been thousands of auditions, many hours of study, lots of sweat and tears shed along my journey. But I’ve learned to see each failure or NO as a stepping stone. And I’ve found that even though it can be painful at the time you hear the NO, it really is something that is preparing you for an amazing YES.
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | Before I leave this planet, I will secure financing for a multimedia studio that produces films, web series, and television content centered on the African diaspora. I love fashion, so I also still have a dream of selling clothing I design to people all over the world.
