When I first started animating the character Tegwolo, my goal was to make people laugh and capture the hilarious, everyday struggles of Nigerian life through cartoons.
I never imagined that this simple idea would be the foundation for a full-fledged media brand, House of Ajebo, a YouTube channel with millions of subscribers.
Our newest venture, Jeni and Keni, a fun learning channel for kids with Afrobeat music, shows how we’ve expanded beyond that first character.
The journey from a single funny idea to a sustainable media business is a marathon, not a sprint.
Many people see the subscriber counts and the viral skits, but they don’t see the years of strategy, failure, and learning that happen behind the scenes.
For any aspiring creator out there wondering how to turn their passion into a profession, here are five lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Your First Fan Must Be You
Before you can convince millions to watch your content, you have to be completely sold on it yourself. You will be your own writer, editor, marketer, and motivator for a very long time.
If you don’t genuinely love what you are creating, you will burn out. In the early days, there were times when the views were low and the progress felt slow.
What kept me going? I genuinely thought Tegwolo was hilarious. I was my own biggest fan. That passion is your fuel. If you’re not excited to watch your own video for the tenth time during the edit, why would anyone else be excited to watch it once?
Consistency is More Important Than Virality
Everyone wants a viral video. But virality is unpredictable; it’s like lightning in a bottle. A sustainable channel, however, is built on consistency.
It’s about building a relationship with your audience, and relationships are built on trust and reliability. Our audience knows to expect new content from us regularly.
This consistency turns casual viewers into a loyal community. They don’t just show up for one hit video; they subscribe for the ongoing story.
Focus on creating a realistic production schedule you can stick to.
A thousand dedicated fans who show up every week are more valuable than a million viewers who show up once and never return.
Learn the Language of Business, Not Just Comedy
I am a comedian and a storyteller. But to run House of Ajebo and manage channels like Jeni and Keni, I also had to become a businessman.
This is the part of the job that nobody talks about, but it’s the most critical for long-term success. You need to understand your analytics. Who is watching your content?
Where are they from? What keeps them engaged? This data is gold. It helps you make smarter creative decisions. You also need to understand monetization, budgeting, and team management.
You are the CEO of your brand. Don’t be afraid to learn about spreadsheets, contracts, and negotiation. Your creativity deserves a solid business foundation to support it.
Your Character is Your Brand; Protect It
Whether your “character” is an animated personality like Tegwolo, a teaching brand like Jeni and Keni, or simply your authentic self on camera, that is your brand.
Every piece of content you release, every comment you reply to, and every brand you partner with defines what that brand stands for.
We’ve had offers for collaborations that would have paid well but didn’t align with the family-friendly, relatable humor of House of Ajebo. We turned them down.
Protecting the integrity of your brand is a long-term investment in the trust of your audience.
If your audience trusts you, they will support you in everything you do, including your brand partnerships.
Collaboration is a Superpower
You cannot do it all alone. At some point, to grow, you need to build a team. For me, that meant hiring other animators, writers, and voice actors who could help expand the world of House of Ajebo and create new intellectual properties like Jeni and Keni.
But collaboration also means working with other creators. The creator community in Nigeria is incredibly supportive.
Working with other creators introduces you to new audiences and pushes you to be more creative.
It’s about community over competition. The same goes for brands. The right partnership isn’t just an advert; it’s a collaboration that provides value to your audience and gives you the resources to make better content. Approach it as a creative partnership, not just a transaction.
Building a multi-brand media company on YouTube is challenging and immensely rewarding. It requires you to be an artist, a scientist, and an entrepreneur all at once.
But if you stay true to your unique voice and approach your enterprise like a business from day one, you can build something truly special.
