You can find Enitan on Instagram on itspixene.

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TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00
Rechelle
While Unabashed You started for women, it became clear men are benefiting from the content. So, we've decided to refresh the brand a bit. You will still see the pear with the teal background and the name Unabashed You stays the same. Instead of women talking about stuff because that is no longer accurate, we've moved to conversations to become who you already are on the website. It goes on to say be who you are without apology as you are one of a kind without equal. These conversations will help you think, celebrate who you are, and move you in some way. So, listen, read and be inspired and today I say, thanks for joining us. Let's start with the confusion I created when I miscalculated the time difference between California and Nigeria. Our guest for this week's Insta-Summer series episode and Enitan showed up on time and I was nowhere to be found.

00:01:03
We finally connected through some direct-messaging and I want to express my gratitude for Enitan’s understanding and flexibility. Oh, and by the way, it was worth the wait. He's a go- getter and deeply committed to his passion of photography. And did I mention kind? Yes, he is. Very. This is a pretty cool story. Someone used the hashtag unabashed you and I saw it. I admit I was quite excited, turns out it belongs to Enitan, this week's Insta-Summer guest. Here is what I know so far. He is from Nigeria. He's an extremely talented photographer and is studying biology in university. I can't wait to find out more. Welcome to the show. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay. Say your name for us one more time because I want to really make sure we get this right. How did you say Enitan?

00:02:09
Enitan? Oh, that's so beautiful. Does that have like a French influence in it?

Enitan
I'm not really. The Nigeria was colonized by the British so that any time is the local name? Oh, it's a local name and doesn't mean story exactly, because I looked it up when you first use that hashtag I thought oh this is so interesting. Exactly.

Rechelle
Ok. Enitan. Oh gosh, it's so beautiful. What a beautiful name. Is there anything you want the listeners to know before we really jump in?

Enitan
Um Let's just proceed. Maybe as time goes on we get to get something to say.

Rechelle
Okay, that sounds, that sounds good to me. What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Enitan
Wow. Just okay. Like to describe myself. It was just like um hardworking, persistent, and not giving up. Yeah. Not giving up is the main thing there.

00:03:17
Yes. Okay. Yeah. Okay.

Rechelle
Very good. Hard work, persistent and doesn't give up, persistence and then you don't give up. Doesn't give up. Okay, I love that. I can't wait to find out more. Okay, two truths and a

lie and this is where you say three things about yourself? One of them is not true and then I get to guess.

Enitan
Um, can you give me an example of what it's like.

Rechelle
Okay, you could make it around like what you study, you could make it around jobs, you could make it around your work, you can make around the things you love to do. Like my favorite color is red. I have been to New York two times. I have 20 Children. You know, then you have to decide. Then you decide which one is not true and obviously it's the 20 Children.

Enitan
I don't have 20 Children. Well, um Okay, three. Okay. Um, um, well it is kind of a difficult task for me too.

00:04:27
Take over or let's get to execute. Um Okay, I am married. Um I've traveled out of the country three times. Um Okay, wait, wait, wait, what are the rules? Two truths on one line. Right, okay. Okay. Um I am married um above 18 then.

Rechelle
Um uh what can I see what You said, you traveled out of the country three times. You want to keep that?

Enitan
Yeah, I want to keep down.

Rechelle
Okay, so married traveled out of the country three times and you're older than 18. Those are your, those are your old.

Enitan
No, no, no, no, no. Let me drop, let me drop the travel out of the, okay, okay, okay. Married 18/18 over 18 and I'm, I'm an entrepreneur. Yeah.

Rechelle
You're an entrepreneur.

Enitan
Entrepreneur like um like um self-employed.

00:05:36
Oh entrepreneur. Okay. God, I got it. Okay. I'm sorry, I was not, I was not,

Rechelle
You have a beautiful accent. It's so gorgeous. But I just wasn't, I wasn't, I wasn't grabbing that. Okay, so your above 18 entrepreneur, Okay, got it. I think you are an entrepreneur. So that was, I'm gonna tell you my process. So that one to me is true already, I think that I think you might be above 18 and I don't think you're married. So I think the lie is you're not married?

Enitan

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Only because I haven't seen any posts about you being married, so maybe I'm cheating in that way, but that's, that's a, that's, that's what I think that's cool.

Rechelle
Okay. And you are ok, you know, let's get to that in a minute. Okay. Because I, I really want to deep-dive into to what you're doing here, you know, with all the things that make up you.

00:06:40
Okay, so now this should be a little easier for you one of your favorite movies of all time, one of your favorite movies. Maybe you don't like movies, but I don't know.

Enitan
Um um I don't really see movies because I spent most of my time on youtube watching tutorial videos and learning more about photographic, but um, the movie, I was the movie, I will say it. Um there's this movie, I think last year there was 2020 Money H eist. I think, 2020 2019, 2020 is money has a seasonal movie. Okay, that has been my favorite so far.

Rechelle
Okay. And that sounds familiar to me. I can't think of who's in it, but we'll have to look that up and you liked it because it was adventure and suspenseful.

Enitan
Yeah, exactly. Okay. All right, very good.

Rechelle
Name a woman that inspires you. Is there a woman that inspires you?

Enitan
Um, I can't really say that for now.

00:07:50
I haven't really gotten any answer now.

Rechelle
Okay. Do you have a man that inspires you may be a photographer or somebody that you really look up to?

Enitan
Yeah, yeah, sure, definitely. I do.

Rechelle
Okay. And who is that? Because I think you have a mentor, right?

Enitan
He is the photographer to the president of Nigeria. Wow. Yeah. And, and he really like, opened my mind two more about photography storytelling and it was even his program I attended that actually made me use the hashtag the unabashed you because the program was actually tagged on abashed.

Rechelle Oh, nice.

Enitan

Exactly. So, when I was typing the, was called the hashtag for unabashed, which I saw on a bus. She was said to use it and oh, that's how we got to know each other.

Rechelle
I love that. I really love that. That makes me so happy.

00:08:55
All right. Is there a piece of wisdom that you keep handy or something that you, that you well, obviously you don't give up. So is there something around that or something else that you like, you know you you keep it up, you keep it ready, you keep you use it.

Enitan
Um one thing I will say I use is um musical is still like based around the issue of the hard work and persistence because I realized over time hard work learning more like not having the mindset of you know everything because which is the exhausted because if you have dimension that already know everything then you don't have to go out there. You have to leave your comfort zone, or you'll have to do is remember where you are. And that is very bad because everyday technology is improving every day. We keep learning things, keep learning new things that we don't have idea about before. So, it's not circles around self- improvement.

Rechelle
00:09:57
Self-improvement. Very good. I mean and you already talked about how you're spending time on YouTube learning more things about photography and that that brings us to the deep dive which is your passion. So, there's two things I want to talk about. One is um we'll get to photography in a minute. But I wanted to kind of start with what you're studying in university which is biology correct? Ok why are you studying biology and what do you want to do with biology?

Enitan
Um well with the way the education system is in Nigeria like actually my dream was actually to be in the military. I like to serve in the military. And yeah, and I applied The Defense Academy 3 times. I was after high school. So, I applied three times, but I wasn't selected and after then I was now like instead of staying at home doing nothing, I think I just need to apply for because now do for the meantime.

00:11:05
So that was what actually made me to select biological sciences. So the biological sciences has actually let me say opened um not really opened my mind but just give me it has given me more, more drive and let me just say it does. So, the reason for me studying biology in general is just for due to the fact that I wasn't offered admission in the Nigerian Defence Academy and I have no option of education. So, I just have to proceed to study biology.

Rechelle
Okay. Are you enjoying studying biology?

Enitan
Um well really well, yeah, to be to be to be real here and to be truthful, I won't say I enjoyed biology because that's not really my passion that my I'm just doing it to avoid staying at home and just to have knowledge on area in particular field. Well, I really can't say I enjoy studying it.

Rechelle

00:12:11
Well, I admire the fact that you are doing what you need to do to continue to educate yourself which is clearly very important to you. But meanwhile, okay, so you're studying that because that was a door that was available to you to go through. And so now your passion though, really is photography. And let me tell the listener, you have got to follow this young man immediately on instagram his photography. You're gifted. You're already gifted. You're a gifted photographer. Okay. Let's start unpacking that. When did you start getting interested in photography?

Enitan
Well, I started get uh studying photography way back as 2015 now, six years ago, six years ago. Okay. six years ago you started interested? Yeah. But then I had no access to a camera. So I only use my phone. I use my mobile phone for the photography and the editing.

00:13:15
I use my phone. But I was able to what I was able to get my professional camera, which is this one right here. I was able to get it last year. That was during the pandemic during the lockdown. Yeah, I was able to get it and ever since I got here, then I advanced to professional photography.

Rechelle
Okay. And I notice on your post. Okay, so a couple things. One did you recently change your username from pixene to its pixene.

Enitan Yeah, sure.

Rechelle
Okay. And why did that happen? Somebody else had it or what?

Enitan
Yeah. Someone else was trying to actually use the same pattern because it was before it was at underscore pixene. So, someone else was trying to use it. And most people after giving them my username, they get things mixed up and the person is also a photographer. So, I don't have to change it. It's okay. Okay.

Rechelle
Got it. Got it. Okay. That's and I will, I will include that info here for everybody.

00:14:22
I've noticed in your, in your photography. Like I've said they're beautiful. You're, you've got a great I you, it's kind of a combination of portraits and then also I would, I would think of as photojournalism because you're taking pictures of things that are happening around you or maybe you go out to seek what's happening around you and we do have a gardener here (Loud machinery in background.) So we are going to hear some buzzing. It's very fun, very fun. Okay. So, tell us about that portraits. You know, you take pictures of people versus kind of out there. What's happening?

Enitan
Yeah. Um, well my dream is actually on photojournalism. It's actually say, yeah, he's on photojournalism boats. Well, the way I have it, I started photography so I don't really have link up with like media houses and the rest.

00:15:31

So, I just mix everything up and I do this because I don't really find the portraits like interesting because you do portraits photography, you need a studio space. You need some lighting, you need some other equipment and stuff. But photojournalism, once you have the, once you have a story to tell once and events happening, you can actually go there creates like stories, compelling pictures and posts online. So, for the portraits only do the portraits for the money. Yeah, I wondered about that. Yeah, but the photojournalism since I have like no one paying me for that because I'm doing it from my own passion for it. So oftentimes when is an event and I know it is okay. This is actually up to my portfolio. I just go out there on my camera. I take pictures, creates memories and pulls them online. But if I can actually have my way my dream is actually traveling, documenting places, telling stories about them because I realized the power of the internet that's even without you having the money or the funds to travel outside the country, you can actually go online, watch videos and see pictures about places and the information about a place tells a lot about it because you can actually go online now and read about, let me say um Africa and general information that people have about Africa is like a place where most people are suffering, there's no food, there's no good water, there's disease, terrorism and the rest but there's actually truth to some extents.

00:17:17
The real story is they actually mm nice sightseeing places in Africa. They are like tourist centers. There are places to visit historical center and stuff like that. So, my dream in this documentary, photography or photojournalism is actually exploring those places, posting them online for the world community to actually see what let me say the good parts of Africa or the good part of Nigeria. So that was just my goal. And I actually wrote my last exam the day before yesterday, that was on Tuesday. So, I hope that probably from next week I should be traveling to some places and documenting. You'll be seeing everything on my stories as time goes on. Yeah.

Rechelle
Wonderful. Okay, so once you have taking pictures of a story, you're into photojournalism, where are you posting them? Do you have a website also? Are you try to sell them to news outlets or what I mean?

00:18:20
I see them on Instagram but where else are they?

Enitan
Yeah, pandemics and like I only post, I only post them on Instagram and my Facebook for now. I'll also talk some media houses and also whoever, I would be interested in buying them. So that's what I do for now and now that I'm done with school, I think I need to improve on creating a website and probably storing them there. Another folder section by section on which whichever is to either interest to. They can check room fabulous.

Rechelle
I love that idea. I can't wait to see that come to life. How much more time and university do you have?

Enitan I'm done.

Rechelle
So, you're done. Yeah, I wrote my final paper on Tuesday. That was the day before yesterday. So do they consider that you've graduated. Is that what they, is that or do you, you've graduated?

Enitan
00:19:31
Yeah. Once you're done with your final paper, then you just expect the results to come out. Then you do your clearance and congratulations.

Rechelle
Yes. That's exciting. That's so wonderful. What are the next plans? Are you going to start traveling and taking pictures?

Enitan
And that's now the plan we’re doing where our education system is. After your education. After university education you will be going for does this trouble you call National Youth Service or

Rechelle
Y ou're breaking up a little bit. I know we've got, you know, we had to really make this work. Uh, yes. Okay. So, after the, after you're done with school, does this National Youth Service that you serve with... And their aim is actually to um, involve you in the real-life situation of the working environment.

Enitan
00:20:39
It's more of like an industrial training barista, is like an advanced one. So, when you are done, you go for that that it lasts for a year. And in the process of you walk in with an organization, you get to be paid, You get repaid about I think about 17, $70. Yeah, because we paid about $70 for a month for the next 12 months. And when you are done with that, you'll be given a certificate and after that one, you are left on your own to either go and search for a job or if you have a job already good for you. And if you have a job, then brush up your skill and anyway, money.

Rechelle
All right. And is that when you will go into photography full time?

Enitan
Um, Yeah, after that, I'm planning on owning a studio and why the studios running, I'll find some trust that person to be running it for me while I pursue my photojournalism.

Rechelle
That was such a great plan. I love that. That's wonderful what you are doing some really great things.

00:21:48
You have a real love for photography. It shows and you keep learning and wanting to get better and better. I think that says a lot about you sure, your character and how you want to learn and improve and get out there and tell some stories.

Enitan Yeah.

Rechelle
Well, that's just wonderful. Do you have anything in conclusion that you'd like to say?

Enitan

Um in conclusion, I would just like to say that so many people over here, like we're here in this part of the world they saw especially the youth every Oh, this sounds good any time.

Rechelle
But you froze again. So, we got to wait for a moment. Can you hear me now?

Enitan
I can Yes, Okay.

Rechelle
You were talking about the youth?

Enitan
Yeah. Like in Nigeria, to be precise, the government doesn't really provide job opportunities.

00:22:53
Like they only leave the youth to explore their skills. Okay. What can you do? What can you do to fetch your money? So, majority of people who are done with school now, they don't really rely on the government or organization. Instead, they pick themselves up and find out this - they have worked on it and find how it can stretch them revenue and keep them going. So my advice is, let me see. My advice is just like because I believe everyone has a skill does what I believe, even everyone has the skill to just let for you to realize what your skill is, work on it. Getting necessary materials, improve and try to be the best. Because I'm actually trying to be the best photographers in Nigeria in Africa in the world. I'll also be like; I'll also be making the list.

Rechelle
I just, I love that. You know what you want to do, and you've got a plan to go forth and then also you're speaking life into anyone who listens about a skill or a gift or an interest of passion to really go for it.

Enitan 00:24:05 Exactly.

Rechelle
That's why I thank you for your patience and your flexibility and that we had a little bit of uh you know, did not calculate correctly on our time, but I I really appreciate your grace where that's involved. So, thank you.

Enitan Any time.

Rechelle
It's been such a pleasure to get to talk to you in real life. I'm so excited and I look forward to seeing all the good things you're going to do and sharing your pictures. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful evening. I owe. This has been wonderful. Really, really wonderful. Thank you.

Enitan
All right, see you later. Bye bye bye. Mhm Yeah.

Rechelle

Next I am still challenged to pronounce his name correctly and I'll keep working on it. In the meantime, I marvel at his plan to pursue photography and to show the real Africa the real Nigeria, not just the underside we hear about.

00:25:10
He wants to share the beauty to create memories and to tell stories. This is what he gets to do what he is driven to do. I can't wait. The Unabashed Y ou website has a page for each guest of photos, quotes and a blog with embedded audio at unabashedyou.com. You can find the show on other podcast platforms. Want to lend your support encouragement? We invite you to subscribe, follow, rate, review and share social media Instagram and Facebook: unabashed you. If you want to connect the email is [email protected] for questions, comments etc. And if you want to be on our weekly email list highlighting that week's episode, give me a shout. I'd be happy to add you and your info will not be shared. We depend upon website visits, social media, word of mouth to share these episodes. We are grateful for growth. Knowing these conversations, help you think celebrate who you are and move you in some way so continue to listen, read and be inspired.

And now our blessing, God bless Africa guard her people, guide her leaders and give her peace.

00:26:23
And I will add. And bless Enitan’s efforts to tell her stories. Amen that is by Trevor Huddleston
You know.
Go be unabashed.
Be you.