Our Dreamer joining me on the podcast this week is Sophy Aiida. Sophy Aiida is an international TV Host, actor, and entrepreneur. She has hosted a cohort of institutional and cultural events worldwide, including the All Africa Music Awards with Akon and the African Union-European Union Summit.
Sophy is the founder of Woman of Destiny, a platform dedicated to empowering women to pursue their purpose.
In this episode, you will learn about:
If you enjoyed today’s episode, here’s what you can do to support me and help more Dreamers discover the podcast:
Connect with Anne-Lyse:
A Team Dklutr Production
Our Dreamer joining me on the podcast this week is Sophy Aiida. Sophy Aiida is an international TV Host, actor, and entrepreneur. She has hosted a cohort of institutional and cultural events worldwide, including the All Africa Music Awards with Akon and the African Union-European Union Summit.
Sophy is the founder of Woman of Destiny, a platform dedicated to empowering women to pursue their purpose.
In this episode, you will learn about:
If you enjoyed today’s episode, here’s what you can do to support me and help more Dreamers discover the podcast:
Connect with Anne-Lyse:
A Team Dklutr Production
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Hello Dreamers. Welcome back to the Dreamers podcast. I'm your host Anne-Lyse Wealth, and I'm so glad you're here. My guest today is Sophy Aiida, a TV host actor and entrepreneur. She started her career in film and television 14 years ago in Orlando in New York City. Today, she has hosted a variety of events around the world, including the African Union, European Union summit, and the all African music awards. Sophia Aiida is also the founder of Woman of Destiny, a platform dedicated to empowering women to live their best life.
I'm excited to have Sophy on the podcast today. I have known her for almost 20 years. And today, we talk about building a sustainable career in media and entertainment. All right, here's Sophy Aiida.
Sophy Aiida, welcome to the Dreamers Podcast.
Sophy Aiida: Thank you so much for having me. Well, it's a pleasure to have you, and I can't wait for the listeners to find out more about your story. Do you mind telling us a little bit more about you and what you do?
Sophy Aiida: My name is Sophy Aiida. I'm an actor and a TV presenter. I'm the founder of a platform called Woman of Destiny, which is a community for women by women, and I'm an entrepreneur.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Tell us more about where you grew up. Did you always know you wanted to be in entertainment?
Sophy Aiida: So I was born in Paris, and I grew up in Cameroon. And from a very early age, I knew what I wanted to do. I think that is because I started speaking very early. And my parents, especially my mom, didn't really know what to do with me. So she put me in theater at school. And I fell in love with the stage at that point. And I knew that someway, somehow I wanted to do something that had to do with interacting with the public. From there, I started watching a lot of movies, and just wanted to understand how someone could be behind the screen till I was old enough to understand what theater really meant and what acting really was, acting for stage, acting for film, and the difference. And then I just was able and lucky I guess to pursue my dream of having a professional career when we moved to the US with my family. I think I was about 12 or 13 at the time. And being in that kind of environment, a country that promotes all kind of excellence. It doesn't matter what industry you're in. As long as you have a gift and a talent in a particular field, then there will be someone that is going to push you to achieve your dreams and your goals. So luckily, I was able to grow up in Orlando in Florida. And I was able to catch the attention of my guidance counselor who saw something in me and who kind of drove me towards my path if I can put it that way.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So what was that first job? How did your counselor driving towards that path that she suggests studying filmmaking? Or can you tell us a little bit more about that?
Sophy Aiida: My first job was that I was actually working at a cleaners. I stayed there for about I think six months. That was my first job and then I did a lot of little jobs here and there babysitting it.
Sophy Aiida: Recently, that's when I started making or learning how to make money, per se. And then I started auditioning as well. I never got an opportunity when I was auditioning when I was in high school. But my guidance counselor referred me to the theater program at school. And so I auditioned for the theater program, and I got a role. And that's just kind of how I started perfecting my craft. But before that, I had started theater, like I said, when I was two years old, you know, back in Cameroon. And, and while I was growing up, I never stopped doing theater, but I was doing it in French. So when I came to America, it took me a little bit of time to learn English before I was able to start acting in English. So yes, she asked me first to do that. And then from there, I met other people, and started just learning about the craft.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So you mentioned that you grew up in France, Cameroon, and also the US. How has that impacted your life and career?
Sophy Aiida: I think it had a great impact on my life. First of all, because it made me multicultural.
And I think it's something that's priceless. A lot of people don't get an opportunity to know different cultures. And so they're kind of closed into like a some sort of a big box. And all they know is what they what they what they've been used to. But the fact that I was able to learn different cultures adapt to different cultures, I think made me more resilient, more perseverant. And more daring, I'll say. Because you live in an environment where you're you grew up until you're like, I don't know, 10 years old, or 11 years old. in that environment, you're surrounded by people that look just like you, your family, to the people that you see in the street, people at school, everybody looks like you. And then you move to another environment. In a country that's totally different. First of all, the temperature, I'm talking about France now. The weather, and then you everybody around you is different. So you kind of have to adapt. You kind of have to find your place. And from there, you move to another country where it's a bit similar in the sense that people are different from you. But the challenge is the language barrier. So by learning how to adapt every time and learning how to find my way. It doesn't matter what kind of challenges were in front of me, I was never scared. I think that being able to travel the way I did when I was younger, made me more resilient.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So like you, you know, I grew up between Cameroon, France, and then I moved to the US when I was older. And I definitely feel like it's invaluable. And I agree that it has helped me adapt quicker, and it makes me more prone to take chances. And because I'm always thinking, okay, there might be another way. And that's just something that's something I hope my children get to experience as well.
Sophy Aiida: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So tell me about your how you started your career in the entertainment industry.
Sophy Aiida: Well, it started with me being bold enough to apply to an audition.
It was in Orlando, it was for a play. I remember like it was yesterday. Florida is not, at least it was not then I don't know if it's changed now. But it wasn't the state for entertainment is not known for entertainment. It's either California or New York. But I was in Florida at the time and
all I had to do was to try to start where I was. And so I applied for this audition. I went there. everybody around me were also young actors, but everybody was American and could speak perfect English. But it didn't stop me like I didn't let it stop me from going for it and seeing what it could bring for me. So I went and I remember the director is called Vanessa Jones. I reconnected recently with her actually on Instagram, but I did the audition. And at the end, she got it all of us in the room and said, Well, if you receive a call back in two weeks, then it means that you know you're getting to the next level of fine tuning our cast for our play. So I went back home and I told my mom Yeah, you know, I did this audition. I don't know.
How I did I think I did well, I want to believe that I did will, but with this thing you never know. So I'm just waiting to find out if I'm going to get an opportunity or not. And so two weeks pass, and I don't get a call back. And I remember feeling so bad like I was just so I was down. And I was like, man like this is, I don't like this kind of rejection. What's going to happen for the next phase of this so called career that I want to start, like, if missing one audition already feel so bad. And then a week later, I remember my, my cell phone ringing, and I see a number. And for some reason, I knew that it was from the casting call. So I pick up the phone, and the person says, Hi, is this Sofia? I'm like, Yes, yes, it is. And the person says, Well, we just want to, we're just calling you to let you know that you have been selected for a callback. And then I went to the callback, and I saw some faces that had seen the first time we got into the room. And we waited for a good 30 minutes without anybody showing up and coming to talk to us. And then at some point, a lady comes in. And then the director comes in, and she says, well, each and every one of you. And if you're here today, it's because you've been called for callback when that only you all have been cast it for the play. Everybody was expecting a second chance to prove what they got. And nobody was expecting to actually be being picked up for the play. And then I remember that they were telling me she said, Sophy, I don't know what it is about you. She said, but when I when I heard you audition, unfortunately, your accent was so thick that we it wasn't it wouldn't be realistic to portray you as a native Chicago woman. So I'm going to write a rule specifically for you, just because I really liked your interpretation of the character. And I was Mind blown. And that was the biggest encouragement I think, for me to begin my career. If that's not a sign that you're heading on the right path. Yeah, yeah. How long ago was that? That was in 2007. So it was about 15 years this year, 15 years. And so you grew up with African parents, right?
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Can you tell me more about how they reacted to you wanting to pursue acting.
Sophy Aiida: It wasn't easy. It wasn't easy, especially for my dad. Because I think that parents, especially African parents, they're conditioned to think about security more than passion and more than the love of the job, the love of the career. And so in their mind, or think of my dad's mind, by him, moving his family to the US for a better life and greener pasture. And sending us to school in these universities or the schools that cost a lot of money was for us to eventually have conventional careers, either as doctors or lawyers or businessmen and women. But with a degree, not your new version of businessmen and women where you just get up and you become an entrepreneur. What is an entrepreneur? You know, or what was an entrepreneur at a time? So my dad was more about security. And he didn't understand what I meant by that. I want to go to a University to study acting, He was not having it. My mom, on the other hand, I think because she was living in the US, because my that was going back and forth. When my mom was there. I think she was more understanding. I don't know what made her understand more. But she was more understanding. Definitely, she did encourage me, she did drop me off and came to pick me back up for my first audition, that theater audition. So she was supportive. But my dad was in my dad didn't understand it at the time. Eventually, because it took a while for me to get to where I am today, where I'm getting actually paid in a consistent way for my talent. At some point, my mom was worried. And she kind of asked me if this is really what I wanted to still do. And maybe I needed to find a regular job and start building security. So yeah, it wasn't easy. My dad wasn't having it. I mean, he even stopped talking to me for a while.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Well, that's something that's pretty common for immigrant parents. So if somebody listening might be kind of like in a similar situation, and they might be considering a path that doesn't fit in the box. Do you have any advice or is there anything that you did to bring your dad around?
Sophy Aiida: My advice? I don't know if it will fit everybody. But I've always been a goal getter. Like I've always been someone that knew what I wanted. If I wanted something, I would just go for it. And so it didn't matter how many times you would tell me that I shouldn't do something or I'm not supposed to do something, I'm still going to do what I want to do. And so I think that’s what drove me. And this is what gave me the strength to just keep going, although I didn't have everybody on my side. And I'm the kind of person, even if nobody is behind me, I don't care. As long as in my head, I know where I'm going. And I'm convinced that where I'm going is the right way or the right path. So there's two advice. Number one is, if you don't have it in you, then go to school, because school is good. It, might not be for everybody, but school is good. If you can go to school, if you can finish and get your degree. So you can give it to your parents and be like I did what you want me to do. Now I'm going to do me, that's always a way to get your parents around. But if you have it in you, like me, and if you're someone that's very stubborn, and bold, and daring, then just give you 110%. What you want to do is not going to be easy, it's not always going to be smooth along the way. But at some point, when the return on investment, like the time and the energy and the sacrifice you've invested, when you're going to get a return on that investment, then watch everybody now starting to be like, I knew she was going to do this. Ever since she was a little child, she was always entertaining us, you know, at parties. The dialogue always changes at some point for as long as you keep going and you stay focused, and you give it your 110%.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So you mentioned that it's going to be a tough road, right? Is there like something that you can share that you discovered along the way that you wish you had known earlier in your career?
Sophy Aiida: I wish I had known my why earlier. I knew I had talent. And I knew that what I wanted to do, but I didn't know why I wanted to do what I wanted to do. So I started and I found myself just accepting opportunities left, right and center just because I wanted to be known and I wanted to succeed. But I didn't know why I was doing that. And at some point, it just came down crushing on me, because I just got tired emotionally, physically, spiritually, I was just drained, because I was pulling so much out of me without knowing why I was doing it. And I was pouring it into everything and everybody without pouring it into myself. And so if I had known why I was created earlier, why that God gave me the talents and the gifts that he gave me and what purpose it serves, then I think it would have saved me a lot of time, a lot of headaches, a lot of unnecessary sacrifices. And I think a lot of pain,. So knowing your why is extremely important.
Anne-Lyse: So you've been in the entertainment industry for 15 years now, right. And you’ve been in films, you've hosted high profile events internationally. You co-hosted the All African Music Awards with Akon, what would you say, are essential qualities to build a sustainable career to keep getting those calls?
Sophy Aiida: So number one, I say, I'll say it again: knowing your why is going to keep you long in this industry. Because when you know your why you stop doing certain things and you start doing other things that will keep you focused and grounded in the long run. That's number one.
Number two consistency, you have to be consistent. Even if the opportunities are scarce. Every time you get an opportunity you have to deliver consistently so that people will see. A lot of the opportunities that I've gotten were referrals until I started doing more visible work. It was referrals, so people that knew me or saw me doing something and they liked it. And so they referred me to other people, and it kept just kept growing that way. So consistency is the second thing. Third thing is networking. Networking is extremely important. Knowing people going to speak to people. The worst thing that can happen is that they will just turn around and not want to talk to you. But that's the worst thing that can happen. When you get into a room and you know that you need to meet a particular person because that person can either teach you, or help you, or give you an opportunity you have to go for it.
There's a quote that I love from Oprah Winfrey that says you only get what you have the courage to ask for. And that's something that a lot of people fear to ask. You would only get what you have the courage to ask for. If you don't ask, then you just sit there and nothing will happen.
Build your network it’s extremely important. Don't be afraid to go towards people and speak to people.
And then I think the fourth thing is to keep learning just keep training, keep learning never stop. It doesn't matter how many times you go they're going to tell you Oh you're so great. And you're so perfect, you did so well and this was your best show. It doesn't matter.
You have to keep learning Denzel Washington to this day keeps training and acting. So who are you not to do the same thing? And that's how you differentiate the people that are here knowing their why and knowing that what they are doing has an impact. People who are actually serving other people, from the people that are actually in the industry, for the fame, and the money and the success and all of that stuff.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: That's a great point, the best investment you can make is in yourself. So it's very, it's very important to keep pushing yourself and learn.
Earlier you said that people should network, right. Something that I've been hearing a lot more recently is that people feel like you should ask them to be your mentor. So how do you suggest approaching somebody that you think you could learn from?
Sophy Aiida: Serve them! I received so many messages from young women. Oh, I love what you're doing, you're my idol. And just a lot of crazy words like that.
And they say, I want you to be my mentor. But first of all, I don't know you, number one.
Number two, I don't know your vision, I don't know your passion. I don't know how serious you are, for me to take some time out of my already busy schedule, because I'm also still trying to build myself. I also still have goals and ambitions, right. So if I have to put time aside, you have to prove to me that you deserve me to put my time away or to open my network for you and such things. So service is the best thing. And you know what service those first of all, service allows you to learn faster from someone than if the person has to literally tell you, okay, so I'm going to mentor you. Because when you're working with somebody, you're learning as the person grows, so even the thing that they don't teach you, you can see it and you can copy or mimic or write it down and learn from that. Number two, when you're good at serving others, then tomorrow, when they hear of an opportunity, and you fit the profile, the first person they'll think is you. And the first person that they’ll recommend is you. Why because you have been good to them, they can rely on you, they know that if they refer you somewhere, you're not going to make them look bad. Because you've proved to them, that you know what you want, you know where you're going, and you're serious about your passion or your craft or whatever it is that you want to achieve. For me service is the best thing. And that's why till this day, when I look up to someone, I have no issue carrying the bags, assisting them, I don't care. I don't care how many times you are going to say. You know, we see you on TV with. I don't care, please, I know me, I'm trying to get somewhere. So if me carrying somebody’s bag bothers you, it’s your problem. But I'm going to carry the bag, because there's something that I need to learn from this person. It doesn't bother me to serve other people. It really doesn't bother me, it's actually something that I enjoy. When I see that I was able to lift a weight off of someone's shoulder, I'm happy to do it. So service is key.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: I love that. It's more about what you can do for them as opposed to what they can do for me. And in the process. Instead of asking them, can I pick your brain for five minutes, you actually get to pick their brain by helping them. They become mentors without you having to ask.
Sophy Aiida: Exactly, exactly.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: I love that. So you started in film, actually you started in theater, and then you transitioned into film. And you now co-host a daily show. I imagine that it's a different from movies or hosting live events. How has that transition been for you
Sophy Aiida: So I did a little bit of TV in New York back in 2008, from 2008 to 2010. It was more like news and I hated it. But I did it because I needed the experience. I wanted to learn how to read a prompter how to be in front of the camera. But I knew that eventually I wanted to do TV at some point again, I just didn't know when or where. But it was in the back of my mind. My first passion remains acting.
And then I was getting a lot of opportunities hosting events on stage. My theater experience actually helped me a lot with stage. Because when you're on stage, you're this small thing in such a huge space. You’re in front of a large group of people. If you don't have all the attributes, or the mannerism or the techniques that you learn from stage, then sometimes you can be swallowed by the gigantic space around you. So, theater really helped me in knowing how to connect with the audience, when I'm on stage and to also project emotions easily when I'm maybe introducing someone in front of a public at an event. Coming back to TV today is not very different in the sense that I don't see the camera. I really don't see the cameras. I'm just with people and we're discussing topics. Where the challenge has been for me, it has been the language barrier. Because I grew up francophone. Then I started learning English when I was a teenager. And then I developed my career professionally in English. Coming to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, the TV station that I work for is a francophone TV station. So the show that I'm co hosting is in French. I had to learn how to speak French again, without using a lot of English words. I am getting better. I'm not perfect yet, but I'm getting better. So this is something that I'm training on to fix. The second thing is the topic. We’re talking about politics; we're talking about the economy. And those aren't really topics that I really cared about. I was really into culture, and entertainment and arts and music, film, and not so much about those topics. So it was a challenge for me. And It’s still is a challenge, to learn the jargon. What is politics? Just that before even getting into the politics of a country that isn't my country. Because I'm of Cameroonian origins. And I'm based in Cote d’Ivoire. That is where my challenge is more so than the difference between acting on stage and hosting on stage and being in front of a camera as a host.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: You've worked in the US, you've worked in France, you've worked all over Africa. Do you have any advice for someone interested in building an international career in film and entertainment?
Sophy Aiida
To be honest, I don't even know how it happened for me. All I know is that I had the will, and the desire to pursue this craft. And I was blessed to have traveled around the world when I was younger. And so it just gave me that open mindedness. So maybe if I can give an advice it will be just be open minded. And don't be scared to move.
If you have to go somewhere, if you think that there’s an opportunity or more opportunities in another city, country, town, go for it. Go for it. You can't live scared, it's not possible. If you want to succeed, you can’t live scared. If you really want to succeed on that path and you're serious about it, then you have to go for it. Otherwise, just stay where you are and go do your nine to five, come home, you know, have your family. And that's also fine. But if you want to create impact, then you can’t be scared, you can’t be scared. So travel, don't be scared to move. Don't be scared to leave your comfort zone for where God is calling you to be.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So how do you know that you're making the right decision? Is it more so you would rather try and fail? Or is it that you can feel it within you that that's what you should be doing?
Sophy Aiida: I think is a little bit of both. You know, when it's time for you to do something. And you know, when you're not supposed to do something if you really listen deep, like to your guts. And the second thing is I'm not scared to fail. I don't care how many times I'm going to fail.
I will still get right back up. And I'll keep going. Because like I said, I'm such a solitary person that it doesn't matter if people think that I'm not deserving or I'm not good enough or she failed. She tried this and Can you believe it? Who did she think she was? And how does she think she was going to make it. It doesn't matter how many times I'm going to hear it. I'm still going to go for it. And if I fail, I failed, but I tried. And now I know how to readjust and keep going. The only reason why I'm standing here today and doing what I love at life TV is because I just never gave up.
No matter how many times I had doors closed on me, no matter how many times I failed, I was never supposed to be in in Cote d’Ivoire. I hated Cote d'Ivoire, actually, the first time I came here. I came here to host an event, I got stuck and the organizer didn't want to pay me. The hotel wasn't paid for. We didn't have return tickets.
It was the first time that I came to this country and I said to myself, I'm never going back ever. And it took me five years before I came back, because my current boss booked me to host the UA-UE Summit. It's a summit of Head of states, from Europe and Africa that gather to discuss issues of the continents and ways to work better together, if I can put it in simple words.
So I hosted the presidential dinner with most heads of states from around the world and it was incredible. I saw my value go up at that time. And I think that, like I said, never be scared. Initially, when I left the first time I was scared. I said, I was stuck in a country that I don't know. But then I left and I grew up, and I matured, and I said, if I'm getting another opportunity, I'm just going to go for it because I don't like to live scared. So I came back, and I realized that was actually not what I thought. And today, look at me, I've been here for almost a year. It's going to be a year on March 12.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So would you say that you did it scared when you went back? Or you just had let go of fear?
Sophy Aiida: Oh, no, this time around, when I came back in March, I didn't go scared. I actually came for five days. It was a five day trip. And I was supposed to just meet some TV channel and discuss opportunities. But then I got stuck because of Corona. So they close the borders on the 15th. And I had two choices. It was either I listened to my guts and stayed because I knew that I was there for a reason. I didn't get a plane ticket and flew from Paris and through Marrakesh, to get here, especially at this time, and only for two days before they closed the borders for me to go back to Paris. I knew there was something. So either I stayed, or I went to the Embassy and tried to get put on flight back to Paris. It was a five day trip, but because I was supposed to I was in discussion already with live TV from 2017. And that's when they booked me to come and host the UA UA summit. So we were already talking the channel was supposed to launch in 2018. But it took some time. And because I met a friend of mine at a hair salon two months prior to me coming to Abidjan. And she told me what are you doing in Paris? There’re so many opportunities in Abidjan, you just need to move to Abidjan. I said, but how do you just move to Abidjan? You know, I can't just you know, just get up and move. She said no. But there really are a lot of opportunities. There's a lot of TV channels, launching here and there. And I said, Okay, and she said, I have a friend at a particular TV station that I want to mention. I want to introduce you to her. I said, Okay, no problem, because she said she's looking for some hosts. So she put me in touch. And the lady told me Yeah, you know, I'm interested. And I said, Well, you know, let's see, I will try to schedule a trip. I have other people that I'm talking to, but I'll meet you. And then I can see if there's something that we can do together. And so when I came, I met her. But unfortunately, what she offered was not to my liking. So I quickly dismissed that offer. But then I was still like I said in discussion with life TV, and really who I wanted to work with was life TV because of the vision of my boss and the team. And also the impact that I knew that kind of channel could have on the young African men and women. So I reached out to my current boss, and I told him that I was in town. And then they closed the borders. And I told him well I'm here for a while. I don't know when I'm going back maybe end of March because everybody thought that in three weeks we'll be done with the virus. So we started talking and the border stayed closed until June. So there was no way for me to leave. I was stuck and so it accelerated conversations between me and them. And they gave me an offer in the beginning of May 2020. And then I signed my contract literally three months after I spoke with him for the first time about life TV again.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Someone told me recently that when you know your way everything will figure itself out.
And it seems that's what happened in your situation, you went there for an opportunity. And all of those things happen. And you could have panicked, wondering how you were going to survive in this foreign country. And instead, you made the best of it. And everything else worked out.
What would you say has been the most challenging part of working in your industry?
Sophy Aiida: I think it’s the opinion of other people. Like, I don't care for it, but it's just, they'll just always come back to you. It's like you're naked in front of people. And they can just decide what you should wear, what you should say, what you shouldn't say, how you should behave. I think that will be the most challenging thing for anyone in this industry. And that's the reason why a lot of people get lost. When you don't know your why, as soon as someone says something, you start doubting yourself, you start doubting if you made the right choice. And I'm not saying it doesn't happen to me. But I just think that when you don't have that certainty of why you're doing what you're doing, then it's easy for you to crumble.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So what keeps you grounded?
Sophy Aiida: My faith?
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Tell us more about it. I know you have the Woman of Destiny platform. Can you talk to us more about that, and what the mission behind it is?
Sophy Aiida: I found out my why in 2016. So it wasn't too long ago. And when I knew why God created me, and why he gave me the gifts and talent that he gave me, it just gave me purpose. And he gave me a reason to get up every morning and to know why I'm doing what I'm doing.
And I just realized that I'm nothing that it doesn't matter how much fame, success, money, accolades, recognitions that I'm going to get. It’s temporary, and it's not for me. When I'm gone, I'm gone. And I can’t bring it to wherever I'm going. But what I know for sure is that I was created by someone and that someone had a purpose for me existing. And if at least when I'm here, I can do half of what I'm supposed to do with what he has given me and I can impact the life of the people that he wants me to touch for him, then my life has sense. It has meaning and a reason to be. And it was such an amazing feeling for me, because I just knew someway, somehow that me, just me myself, I'm just not enough. I'm not enough for everything that I want to achieve. I'm not enough for all the people that I want to impact. I'm not enough for all the things that I want to do in life. I needed something bigger than me for me to actually value why I have the gifts and the talents that I have. I don't know if I'm making sense So when I found out in 2016, my purpose I took a year off where I needed to kind of gather my all my senses and re strategize and refocus everything that I'm doing. And from there, I'll say it has led me to create a platform called Woman of destiny to encourage young women on the African continent to fight for their dreams, and to find their vision, find that purpose, so that they to on their level, in their generation, in their environment impacts people around them.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: What role does visualization plays into that? Well, I think that it's something that came to me when I realized that from a very young age, I already knew what I wanted to do. I can vividly remember what I saw, like, I don't have vivid memories, but I just knew because it's something I projected myself. And I think that everyone has had visions when they were younger of what they could become. And every one has expressed it at some point in their lives. But unfortunately, the world comes and distracts you from your vision, because life happens, right? So people's opinions and your society and social media and TV and film, everything around you will play a role in you going for your vision or not, or being distracted from it. It could be your parents and what they say to you when you're young. That's what I tell women that have children when they take my workshop, I tell them, be careful what you say to your children. And be careful how you observe them. Because you can have a daughter who's always the one, creating situations when she's with a group of kids to either break something, or your child might be that person who would lead everybody into doing the wrong thing. But actually, what you don't see is the spirit of leadership that this child has, yeah, so then you're gonna turn around and start yelling at the child, you're so stupid. But everything that you're doing now is breaking that spirit. So you're calling yourself stupid, and your child is going to grow up thinking that they're stupid and shying away from their nature.
And so that's one thing. And the second thing is children usually know what they want to do from a very early age. They'll tell you what, to be an astronaut or be a doctor. You know, it's not by mistake, it's not just a coincidence. So how do you nourish that? How do you how do you nurture that. That's something that I feel like African parents have lacked because they were conditioned so early to think that the only way to succeed is
through school or a traditional route. Because of that traditional way, the conventional way, we will see certain talents in our children and we'll try to steer them away because we're scared. No, she can’t sing. Ah, she thinks too much that she's going to become a drug addict. And to the defense, there are some people, a lot of people that have known fame and turn out to be drug addicts and die from it prematurely. But we need to nurture I think the gifts and the talents of our children. We can listen to them more, observe them more, pay attention to them more and watch out what we pour into them and speak on their lives. And that's something that I work hard at doing with my children right now.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Let's talk about money. So what type of financial education Did you receive as a child and as a young adult?
Sophy Aiida: Zero, none, nada. And yet, the only thing that I was told, I'm sending you money, don't spend all your money. That's all I heard. When I was younger. I didn't have any financial education to the point that I was ashamed to talk about money. I was ashamed to want to have money or to like to have money. It was normal for me to have money because my parents were sending me money. But other than that, I had never had conversations about money, how to make money, how to multiply money, how to become financially independent and secure. I never had this conversation with my parents before. But now by fire or by force, I'm telling them to teach me the things that they know.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Yeah, I think that if parents would do that more, then they would help their children get ahead. And that's one of the things that I'm really, really big on. And I am trying to help our community change that.
Sophy Aiida: And I'm so thankful for what you're doing. Because it's like a wake-up call, especially where we come from as Cameroonians. Being bold enough to create a platform like the platform that you created to write a book to teach children about finance. It's life changing. And I know for a fact that for me, it comes at the right time. I'm not married yet, I still don't have children. Yet, as I was going, especially last year, I had a lot of aha moments, where I knew that there was a bigger purpose, even from what I thought in 2016, for a reason why I’m here. And I want my children to be fed everything that they need to become the leaders that they're supposed to be. And without money, and without money, knowledge and education, there's nothing you can achieve, period. You want to feed the homeless, you need money, you want to help the widow and the orphans. You need money. You want to create schools, you need money, you want to be a politician, because you want to start seeing change in your country in your nation. You need money. And thank you so much for highlighting that. Because my book dream of legacy is a book about money, but it's not about money. It's about freedom. And the freedom that having your finances in order can bring.
Sophy Aiida: Yeah.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: So how do you make your money?
Sophy Aiida: Well, I guess today, so much has happened to me between last year and this year. And I keep telling people that 2020 was definitely a year of change for the whole world, but in different ways for everybody. It really depends on how you took it and how you apprehended it. I learned so much by being alone last year, and I just had a lot of revelations. I just thought deeply inside myself about certain things. Um, initially, I had one source of income, when I would host an event or organize an event, the money will come in, I put in my bank account, I pay my bills. At the end of the month, I have little to nothing. And I didn't really have savings, just because I was like, man, we're living day by day what you mean saving for what?
But then I realized that all the things that I want to achieve that I could actually achieve them if I actually had my finances in order. So I started asking questions, my friends, and they were telling me what to do. And I was taking a long time to start doing certain things. And I'm still in the learning process or in the restructuring process, I'll say, but my mind has been different. My perception of money has been different, so much so that I've attracted more money into my life last year and earlier this year than I've ever had in my whole life.
And I have also been able to do certain things with my money that I was I would have never been able to do even if I had received the same amount of money a few years ago. I'm also thinking more about investments and more ways of investing. I never really thought about those things. I just always felt like it was for older people you know, the parents and I just didn't realize that I was getting older myself. Thinking about investing. I'm actually looking into opening a chicken farm here in Cote d'Ivoire. So just different ways like that, my mind is just going to different places. And I had an aha moment last year, finding out when you start paying attention to your money, you start crawling,
Anne-Lyse Wealth: You'll find this crazy, other streams of income and other ways to save and invest. And I'm just, I'm just thankful that you shared that with us. So how about some rapid fire questions?
Anne-Lyse Wealth: A book that changed your perspective on life, okay, now I'm really bad. I have bad memory.
Sophy Aiida: So I know the author's name, I forgot the name of the book. It’s Paulo Coelho, and the book is called The Alchemist.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: One thing about money you wish you could tell your younger self.
Sophy Aiida: Don't be scared of money, money's yours. Make money your friend. If you make money your friend, money will find you wherever you are. And they'll just hang on to you. I was too scared of money.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Best investment in yourself you ever made. so far?
Sophy Aiida: The film school I did in in Nigeria in 2019. It just kicked everything back for me. And just made me willing to dream again.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Fill in the blanks in three words, or less, money to me is.
Sophy Aiida: Necessary.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: What do you want your legacy to be?
Sophy Aiida: I want younger women of African descent, especially on the continent, to know that they can be whoever that they're called and equipped to be by looking at my path. And by seeing that I never gave up and I went for it. And I and I did what God wanted me to do on this earth.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: Beautiful. Well, my friend, if you had told me 15 years ago, that I would be interviewing you, I wouldn't have believed it.
Sophy Aiida: We would have not believed that. Look at life. Look at life, life is very unpredictable. And you just have to be flexible. And you have to grow and evolve and make the most of it. I am so grateful for this moment. Thank you for coming on the podcast. And please tell our listeners, how they can learn more about you and where they can find you.
Sophy Aiida: I had such a great moment. Your question made me go back in time and realize even more why I'm doing what I'm doing. And realize that indeed, my life has purpose. I'm so thankful that you have accepted your calling and the impact that you're having on our lives and the impact that you're going to leave for the future generation.
For people that are listening, if you want to know more about me, you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube @sophyaiida. My website is under construction. Finally, it should be launched by the end of February. And Woman of destiny, which is a platform a community for women by women, based on faith, and women empowerment, resilience, persistence and finding your vision and your calling your purpose in order for you to impact generations. It is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, for now. So as a woman of destiny.co woman as in one woman not women. Thank you.
Anne-Lyse Wealth: That was Sophy, Aiida everybody. I hope you enjoyed today's episode.