Speaker, Coach and Trainer
Raising the bar for women worldwide
The charismatic Omu Obilor personifies a ‘woman of substance’. A multiskilled super-achiever, she’s raising the bar for women worldwide as a serial entrepreneur, transformation coach, speaker and author, and luxury event planner.
Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Omu left the corporate world 24 years ago to launch her own event planning company. Over time, this business has evolved from traditional weddings into retreats and wellness experiences all over the world.
After all, as the last of 5 children with an amazing son following in line behind them, Omu knows firsthand what it feels like to strive for excellence against all odds, no matter what life throws at you.
This understanding has also helped Omu shape her passion for offering guidance and emotional support through expert coaching techniques designed to bring out each individual’s greatest potential. “I have a natural curiosity, which helps me learn new things daily and encourages me to explore my interests. My passion for helping people embark on their personal development journey has enabled my life’s work to help people live happier and healthier lives.”
For the last 12 years, Omu has been an integral part of the Maxwell Leadership Team as one of its founding members. She is certified in Neuroencoding, Brain Health Coaching, and Emotional Intelligence Coaching – areas that allow her to speak, train and coach others on achieving personal success while maintaining well-being.
Today, she is a globally sought after transformation coach, who guides people in unlocking their untapped potential and translating the same to career and personal success. “I think it’s important to always learn and develop yourself, no matter where you are in life. You never know what opportunities are around the corner — and it can be hard to know what they look like or how to get there. But if you keep yourself open, curious, and willing to try new things, the world will give you something to learn from.”
In Omu’s case, it was her positive attitude, smartness to pick up relevant knowledge, and good decision making, which led to her success.
However, there were challenges too. “When you lead a company, you have to make sure people are willing to take on new responsibilities and understand what is expected of them. This can be difficult when you don’t have direct control over everyone on your team. Regarding family and friends, I think it’s important to try and stay connected with everyone in your life. You never know when someone will need help or support, so ensure you’re there whenever possible.”
Omu feels happy to have found the elusive harmony between work and home. “Balance gives an impression of equality. I have sacrificed many aspects of my life, but what I am most happy about is that I can go back to all places with a smile on my face because I know that at some point in the future, I will be able to do them all again.”
In the meanwhile, she can take solace in her global laurels, which include: CREA Awards 2021 by Brainz Magazine; TedX Speaker 2021; National Trainer and Executive Director – Business Network International (BNI); etc.
Have there been many challenges, we ask her? Apparently yes, the biggest being lack of gender parity and representation. Omu has experienced the glass ceiling and biases that women face in their career path. She feels this needs to change by encouraging women to take risks, break stereotypes, and pursue careers that may be less popular or even ‘masculine’.
According to Ernst and Young, women often take on the role of ‘targeters’ or ‘change agents’, which are both key roles in organizations. They can standout by: learning the behaviors and expectations of taking on greater leadership responsibilities, promoting themselves for a new title or position, and developing flexibility when it is time to make decisions.
“No one loves you more than you love yourself. Write your own story! Never give a pen to someone else to write your story. Success, growth and development are all possible with the right steps… Change your consciousness to be the best version of yourself,” suggests Omu.
She ends by telling us who or what inspires her – “I am most inspired by people who have taken their own path to success while helping others along the way, like Oprah Winfrey. Also, people who are driven, hardworking, and willing to work for what they want. My role models include my mama, who has always been there for me no matter what; my dad, who instilled in me an appreciation for family and self-love; and Steve Jobs because he had the courage to be different than every other CEO of his time.”
