The humans of Riquesa - Part one

 

It's been an amazing year working with these mad brains. Thank you and let's do it again next year. (Photo credit: Ramsey's iPhone)

Today started off on an emotional note and I still have goosebumps as I type this. Our Monday ritual, progress meeting turned into a vote of thanks session, and this brings some electrifying feeling.

I was hoping I’d write about the World Cup today or probably drag Halima for offending me on Saturday (I’m unforgiving like that) but my teammates already stole the show and it’s only right I do the honors today in my own space to appreciate every single one of them.

I was going to actually talk about the gladiators, I mean the ten people that passed through my team this year at Riquesa but I’ll make this about the entire team and then pick another day to discuss my immediate family members (Strategy and creative).

Step forward, my ever-demanding project folks, from Tolu Ayeola-George, to Tumi Armari – the energy goddess and even the one that left to go lead our baby sisters (Duo Libra) Seye Akinboade. These team leads challenged me all year long but trust me, I’d rather have them than anyone else.

It’s how there’s never anything personal for me, it’s always about the job and after every shout and emails, we’ll always dine together like nothing happened. It’s about winning, it’s us against the world and this is why our idols are now our competitors, ask around, na we dey give them headaches now.

Bishop of the Riquesa Cathedral and Victor da Eagle are the next sets of project guys I want to talk about, they’re too easy to work with. Both have this deceptive innocence that makes Sandra thinks they’re the good boys of the theatre but na lie, underrate them at your own peril. Much love my brothers.

Moji Coker, our resident pastor. Mojanja, follow up queen that you don’t want to owe anything LOL. There was a time I’ll place a bet with my life and I’ll win that Moji’s mail would be waiting in my inbox before I wake up and it won’t fail, Moji is a colleague that acts like a client, awesome teammate by all standards.

And then there’s Folachi. No one calls her my babe anymore cos we fight everyday but forget, she’s my baby. Fola with the body, the foodiano of the agency. The only one on fit fam that eats three square meals at work. Breakfast ambassador, I’ll leave it there. I love you baby, we go again in 2023.

We have three baby Riquesans that have graduated into full adults. Didi my in-law (you won’t understand this one), Ronke my melanin Kogiana with the Goldie vibes and Biodun that sometimes forget he’s not a hypeman at events, dude is the life of the party.

Y’all are the real gift of colleagues and if I ever have to choose again, I’ll choose every single one of you to work with. How do I end part one of my vote of thanks without a note for my CEO? Sandy Mandy of the Republic of Riquesa, our own King of Boys, energy overload, the real child of thanksgiving.

You know I love you Sandy, your note to me sums it up; it never promised to be easy but the end goal would always keep us moving. Seeing you on your money screen (board) tracking your targets cracks me up steady, 1.35bn target isn’t easy but mamma look at us now…

Part 2 is coming this week and that’s about the other 10 gladiators of the Strategy & Creative unit. Olamide and Paulina might get to read this so here’s me saying thank you to X-Holdings, I got a live goat, bag of rice, a box of milk and it’s still raining, I’ll write about the other two guys later, the one in red and the kingmaker… if you know you know. Thank you Riquesans.

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