Educating the masses on money, one Instagram story at a time
What you need to know:
"As I was growing in my music career I started to notice a gap in the market for experts who focused mainly on creatives, solo-preneurs and small businesses.
"I was also craving more freedom to work on my music and have more flexible hours.
"I decided to leave my full-time job to offer marketing services to this target audience," says Olivia.
With a career that spans music, marketing, and financial education, Olivia Ambani is a perfect example of a modern-day multi-hyphenate. From rekindling her passion for music after a hiatus to leveraging her marketing expertise to build a successful brand, Olivia’s journey is proof of the power of perseverance and adaptability.
As the founder and host of Money Conversations, she empowers and inspires others to break the silence surrounding financial literacy, making her a pioneer not only in the creative industry but also in the domain of personal finance.
You have a diverse career as a singer-songwriter, marketing consultant, and host of "Money Conversations." How do each of these roles play a part in your journey?
Growing up, music was a big part of my life. I went to schools that encouraged the arts and this really nurtured my musical gift. I always wanted to be a singer but I didn’t know how I could make this dream a reality. As I went through school, university and my early career days, I started to feel an emptiness.
In 2013 I decided to give my music dreams another try and put all my skill to use. By this point, I had worked in various jobs that included Marketing Manager at KikoRomeo (Kenyan Fashion House). With that experience, I decided to employ my knowledge of marketing to grow my brand online and build a community. In 2020 I released my debut album, The Awakening. Prior to that I had released my first single, Better Than Just Fine, thanks to emPawa Africa.
As I was growing in my music career I started to notice a gap in the market for experts who focused mainly on creatives, solo-preneurs and small businesses. I was also craving more freedom to work on my music and have more flexible hours. I decided to leave my full-time job to offer marketing services to this target audience. I’ve helped over 200 entrepreneurs by creating marketing strategies for them, leading social media trainings for founders and their teams, connecting them to opportunities and building their confidence. I also started a series called “Marketing Mondays” during the pandemic. The aim of this series was to make marketing accessible and easy to implement, challenging the myth that you need a lot of money to market your brand.
In the series, I share my money journey and invite financial experts. I've noticed that people are becoming more open about money and creatives are feeling more empowered to grow in this area. It has also helped me figure out new ways in which I can grow the business side of my career.
What inspired you to start the Instagram series on finances?
One of my key inspirations for setting up Money Conversations was the shame I experienced growing up whenever the issue of money was brought up. My sister, my mum, and I often had to rely on our extended family for financial assistance. Whenever we asked for help, we were labeled as 'needy' and sometimes seen as overly dependent, which brought a sense of shame and I wanted to change that. I wanted people to get comfortable about saying, “I don’t know, but I am open to learning.” In the series, I always aim to create an environment where the audience feels comfortable to ask questions, and empower them to have money related conversations with their friends and family.
I truly believe that if more of us learn about money and share our lessons and experiences, we will have a better country and economy. There is a lot of generational wealth that is lost because of the silence and shame that surrounds money.
How has your experience in marketing contributed to your success in the music industry?
One of the decisions I made early on in my career was to take myself as my own client. I decided to use my skills to my own advantage. This definitely gave me an edge because I was able to capitalise on opportunities faster and also position and brand myself. My marketing background taught me that it is important to get comfortable talking about your achievements. I also learnt to share my journey with my audience and build a connection with them. Marketing has a lot to do with storytelling and making people feel something, and that’s what I used to help me grow my music brand. My skills also made it cost effective because I was able to do everything myself.
Your music has been featured in a Netflix movie and resonated deeply with listeners. How huge an achievement is that for you?
When it comes to marketing my music I think about three main things. One, is how I want to make my audience feel and what sort of experience I want to offer. Secondly, I make sure I have the right assets to communicate the feeling I want. That includes the music profile, press release and content on the song. Third, is about building the connection by ensuring I send out the music on social media, via email or through other channels to my target audience.
I view marketing and promotion as a marathon and not a sprint, a continual journey of building a connection with my audience. This has allowed me to have a broader approach to music marketing, so it’s not just about the release strategy but the months and years after the song is out.
Do you think Netflix can help you expand your brand as a marketing consultant?
This is such a huge platform for me and my music! It will definitely increase the number of people listening to my work. Just two weeks after releasing the movie, each of the two songs has been Shazamed (searched over 200 times). I have seen an increase in new followers on my social media platforms. It has also created new opportunities for me to share my journey as a musician and marketing consultant, because I have proof of concept, that my marketing works!
But most importantly, this experience is a dream come true and a beautiful reminder that it’s possible to have a dream that comes true, and that every dream is worth pursuing.
