October tried to break me.
Four weeks of back-to-back events and activities with barely enough time to breathe (let alone create content), and the peak of tech event season in Lagos doing exactly what it does best; demanding that marketing babes like me show up, do chochocho, and keep building personal agency for the work ahead.
I will infuse my October experiences this year in multiple newsletters because reflection na waterrr!!!
I will be starting with Moonshot because it reminded me why I started this whole thing in the first place.
Moonshot Day 1- When “Hello” Becomes Overwhelming
Day 1 almost made me run.
I’m not exaggerating. It took me 90 minutes to walk from the entrance to the other side of the hallway because I couldn’t take five steps without someone stopping me to say hello, share how they leveled up in marketing with my content, or tell me they looked up to me. It was this or me seeing an old friend and getting mushy.
My cousin Favor genuinely looked confused: “Hey Aunty Too, who are all these people?!”
If not for my friend Felix who spotted my distress and staged an intervention, I might have actually fled the venue. We literally RAN to the poolside for lunch and some much-needed respite.
And there, in those few quiet minutes between the hellos and the hot gist Felix and Ama were serving, something hit me:
Tochy, you really just decided you wouldn’t be the victim of your story.
You dove headfirst into building a great foundation for your personal and career brand. You didn’t have to build it on negative sentiment or contradictions. You didn’t have to do anything you weren’t comfortable with. You simply showed up as Tochy Emereole, sharing your Point Of View and people love you like that.
I’m not going to lie, if not for my hard girl persona and Felix’s distraction, I would have shed more than a few tears right there by the pool.
If I ever doubted the value my tiny platform brings or the impact I’m making in my little corner of the internet, Moonshot erased every single doubt.
After all that introspection (and after pulling myself together), one question kept replaying in my mind:
What if I didn’t start?
What if I didn’t build that website during Christmas 2024 while working on my MBA, renovating and moving houses and trying to get some well deserved sleep? What if I didn’t write that first article? What if I didn’t shoot that first video? What if I let fear, imposter syndrome, or the noise convince me to stay comfortable?
I wouldn’t have been at Moonshot speaking on both days, feeling overwhelmed by genuine love and appreciation. I wouldn’t have built a community of incredible people who actually care about marketing excellence. I wouldn’t be here, writing this to you.
So now I’m turning that question to you:
What if you started today? Right now?
Not tomorrow. Not when you feel “ready.” Not when the timing is perfect.
Today.
Because one thing I’ve learned: There is no such thing as perfect anything. The person you’re becoming starts with the decision you make right now. And you don’t need permission, perfection, or a perfect plan. You just need to start.
Speaking of Starting: Go Watch This Video (I’m Serious)
Before I continue with the Moonshot tea, let me interrupt this newsletter to tell you about the new YouTube video I just dropped.
It’s about how 87% of Nigerian businesses are marketing on the wrong platforms and burning money in the process. I break down which platforms are actually right for your business type, platform psychology, and content strategies for over 11 sectors (yes, yours is probably one of them).
Watch it here:
Trust me, it’ll save you from making expensive mistakes.
Now, back to Moonshot……..
On stage with me were fintech heavyweights: Roosevelt Elias (Payable), Osa Odiase (9PSB), and Sidney Igidi (ALAT by Wema) and we dove deep into how API-driven solutions are democratizing access to digital financial services. To better understand why this discussion was so important, I’d paint a picture;
Before APIs: Building a fintech product meant navigating complex licensing requirements, high costs, and months (sometimes years) of infrastructure development.
With APIs: Startups can now plug into existing banking infrastructure and launch products in just one month.
These banking-as-a-service APIs are driving financial inclusion by connecting traditional banks with innovative startups that serve both banked and underbanked communities. Non-financial businesses can now integrate payment services seamlessly without becoming banks themselves.
You will agree with me that a panel session is only amazing if the panelists are chased off the stage by the host for abiii. But before they chased us away, we agreed on one thing- Achieving true interoperability across Nigeria’s siloed payment rails remains a challenge. We need to balance standardization (for easier integration) against competitive differentiation (which drives innovation).
It’s a delicate dance, and we’re still figuring out the choreography.
Anyways, the good people at TechCabal wrote a detailed article on this session, and you should absolutely read it here
Day 2 Moonshot- My Baby: The State of Crypto Adoption in Nigeria 2025
Day 2 was more bearable because I figured out the art of navigating to my hideout in under an hour (personal growth, guys).
I had come in to present a report that my Oga referred to as “my baby.”
He wasn’t lying.
And when the time came, I climbed the main stage and presented The State of Crypto Adoption in Nigeria 2025 report.
This project, this 100+ page beast of market intelligence is something I’m genuinely proud of. My team at Quidax and I poured everything into it, and calling it “my baby” is the most accurate description possible.
I hope to write a full case study on this project soon (with permission from my Ogas at the top, of course), but for now, here’s what you need to know:
If you do any form of business, product, or marketing strategy in 2025/2026 especially in fintech, e-commerce, import/export, crypto, traditional finance, or policy-making, this report is for you.
The feedback so far has been praises on the quality of data and market intelligence. And honestly, that’s all I could ask for.
One More Thing: Tochy’s POV is Evolving
Here’s some news from my recent reflections:
A big part of the brand I’m building goes beyond “marketing professional” (yes, that’s the star of the show). But there’s also a human element; the unfiltered part of me where chaotic thoughts happen about reflections, hot takes on digital discourse, books I read, movies I watch, all the works.
I want to build a community that doesn’t need to see me only from one POV.
So after giving this much thought, I’ve decided to play around with the Tochy’s POV newsletter format and see where it leads, starting with this one.
I want this space to be more than just marketing insights. I want it to be real, messy, thoughtful, and human.
Consider this edition the beginning of that experiment.
Thank You (I Mean It)
So yes, this is me rounding it all up by saying:
Thank you. Gracias. Unu emeela. Eshe.
I am grateful. I am humbled. And I am so glad to have you all in my corner.
Moonshot reminded me that showing up authentically, building without burning bridges, and creating value without negativity actually works.
And if you’ve been waiting for a sign to start your own thing? This is it.
What if you started today?
Love, light, and everything in between,
The Tochy of Tochy’s POV
P.S. – Seriously, go watch that video. And download the crypto report. Both will change how you think about your strategy in 2026!
P.P.S. – If you were at Moonshot and we crossed paths, thank you for the love.