Toyosi Etim-Effiong, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of That Good Media, leads one of Nigeria's most proactive creative industry companies, operating at the intersection of talent management, influencer marketing, public relations, and personal branding. She holds a degree in Economics and a post-graduate degree in Economic Development and Policy Analysis from the University of Nottingham. As the visionary behind the TGM Academy, she stands as one of Africa's most credible voices at the intersection of Media, Culture, and Business. In this interview, she speaks on clocking 40, her vision, the creative sector, her faith, motherhood, and more.
Early Life and Influences
Family and boarding school raised and shaped me. I had a beautiful relationship with my dad who was a sickle cell warrior. He became very ill when I was 11, and even though a lot of effort was made to shield me from it, I saw him in a lot of pain. He passed away a few weeks after I turned 12. By the first term of JSS 2, I was in boarding school. Survival seems like a strong word for a young girl in JSS 2, but I learned survival and independence. I also learned the importance of friendships and relationships. In boarding school, I became more aware of my faith as a Christian, and over time, that faith has become a core part of the infrastructure empowering me.
Economic Lens on Creative Industry
My training as an economist with a Master's in Economic Development and Policy Analysis means I can never just see the art. When I look at a talented person, I'm simultaneously asking: what is the economic model sustaining this talent? Can this talent survive an emergency? Is the talent aware that creativity requires structure for impact and longevity? I'm also thinking about the gaps in the industry, what it would take to fix them, and the impact that fixing those gaps would have.
Identity at 40
I will have to choose three roles: Wife, Mother, Talent Manager. Those three give me the deepest sense of fulfilment. They speak to my interaction and connection with other human beings, and playing those roles can be hectic sometimes but I find them deeply satisfying.
Seasons of Uncertainty
Yes, there were seasons that were genuinely frightening. One that stands out is after I had my first child. I felt lost, unsure of who I was or what I was supposed to be doing. Things felt strange and uncomfortable, but that season also became a turning point. It was the first time I really sat with myself long enough to ask the harder questions: What is my identity actually rooted in? Who am I without roles, titles, or expectations? It wasn't an easy process, but it was grounding in a way that nothing else had been.
Lack of Structure in Talent Management
The creative industry was built on passion, relationships, and loyalty rather than contracts and systems. For a long time, it worked or appeared to work. But relationships without structure are just dependency dressed up as partnerships. The cost to the industry is enormous and largely invisible. There are talented people who peak early and have nothing to show for it financially, careers that could have been generational that ended at 35, brands that wanted to invest in African talent but couldn't find a professional infrastructure to trust. This gap costs us not just money, it costs us legacy.
Lessons on Power, Value, and Money
That the person who sets the price has the power. And that most creatives surrender that power before the negotiation even begins, through desperation, self-doubt, or a lack of understanding of what they're actually worth. I've also learned that brands don't buy talent; they buy access to trust. When a creative has built genuine trust with an audience, they are sitting on an asset that is extraordinarily valuable. The tragedy is that most of them don't know how to convert it, and the people around them don't either. That's the gap I'm looking to close.
The Creative Academy Vision
The academy is going to be solving a structural problem. There is no shortage of creative talent in Africa, but there is a profound shortage of the business intelligence, leadership capacity, and professional infrastructure that allows that talent to become wealth. Most existing creative academies train creatives on craft. I'm building something that trains them on business, leadership, and longevity. The academy is more for talent managers and aspiring talent managers than creatives. It's for people who have the desire and capacity to convert creativity to currency, and with more trained managers in the industry, creatives can focus on creating at their highest levels.
15-Year Vision for African Creative Industry
It looks like an industry where contracts are standard and not exceptional; where a creative person can build a career that funds a retirement; an industry where fame and fortune intersect because right now there's a lot of fame but not much fortune. It's also an industry where managers, agents, lawyers, and strategists around African creatives are as sophisticated as anywhere in the world. Progress in the industry will no longer happen by accident but by design.
Faith in the Creative Industry
I always say that the values I have as a result of my faith are beneficial to everyone. My faith functions as a filter. The industry moves fast, and the pressure to say yes to quick money, fame without foundation, and access is real. Something has to act as a filter so we're not walking through every open door, including those with harm on the other side. So it's not a self-righteousness thing but a genuine internal check that protects me and my talents or clients from the dangers of a fast-paced industry. Not everybody gets it, and that's okay.
Lessons Learned at 40
I've had to learn dependence after being quite independent from a young age. No one can have a full, rich life as a one-man Mopol. I've had to unlearn the constant 'hustle' mentality and instead learn how to live and work from a place of rest. I'm daily relearning the strength and importance of gratitude. Gratitude keeps me light.
Addressing Misconceptions
I think the most persistent misconception about me is that my life is hollow. There are people who genuinely think my life is empty and I have nothing going for me personally. That's far from the truth, but honestly I don't care much to change or replace it. I read a book called 'The Let Them Theory' by Mel Robbins. It's a guide on how to stop letting other people's opinions, drama, and judgment impact your life. I recommend it. Let them opine. It's ok.
Marriage in the Spotlight
Our wedding hashtag 9 years ago was #3StrandCord. From the beginning we knew we wouldn't survive without the third strand in our union, the third strand being God. It's the grace and mercy of God that has kept us together. We've both been intentional about working on our individual selves as well as the marriage, but even that desire to stay together despite arguments and fallouts can only be God. So I wish I could attribute it to a five or seven step plan, but right now I can only attribute the beauty and success of our marriage to God and our willingness to partner with Him.
Raising Children While Building a Company
It requires a kind of daily negotiation with myself. I'm having conversations with myself early in the morning, late at night, and several times in between about how to be fully present for my husband and three little human beings who need me, while also being fully present for That Good Media, Saints in Media, and other assignments. Not many people see those daily pep talks and intentional recalibrations, but those definitely help me stay balanced.
Typical Morning Routine
My mornings typically begin with meditation while I'm still on my bed. I sit with my thoughts and turn things over before I get up to pray. Some days, that looks like a prayer walk, which often doubles as my exercise, while other days, I stay indoors. After prayers, my husband and I spend some time talking, and then one of us wakes the kids and walks them through their prayers and Bible reading. From there, depending on the day, I'll either head to the gym before going into the office or go straight to work, and my day pretty much unfolds from there.
Looking Ahead
I'll be saying I did everything I wanted to do and made the impact I set out to make, and I'll be looking forward to the next 40 because the promise is 120 years.
