Since Tayo Sobola, popularly known as Sotayo, unveiled her entertainment outfit, Sotee Entertainment, in December 2015, at the highflying Magodo Phase 2, Lagos, questions have been asked.
Some people became curious and wanted to know where she got the money from.
The Nollywood actress said that she had been working, though many people didn’t believe that acting was a lucrative profession.
“I know many people have queried where I got the money from, since they believe acting is not so lucrative. I hear this every day. If I say I made all what I have from movies alone, I am lying. We all have things we do, things that are different from our regular jobs, unless one is a lazy person.
“Since I became a grown-up, I do extra jobs. I make my money in my own way. I didn’t borrow money to put this place together; I spent my own money”, she disclosed.
Sotayo didn’t just wake up one morning and wanted to run a company. It didn’t come that cheap. According to her, she had been thinking of a place to accommodate visitors and business associates.
“People had always wanted to know my office and I was always confused. I couldn’t give everyone my house address, but I now have an office where people could always meet me.
“This is my 12 years in showbiz and people know me for different things. I used to be a dancer, TV presenter and writer. I am now doing the things I used to do before; things I could do well. I am not there yet, but I will get there. I just didn’t want to set up a cubicle; I wanted a place where we could do everything entertainment. Even when I am not around, I have people who will attend to clients or associates”, she said. To her, Sotee Entertainment is more than an office. The outfit is into photography, studio editing, public relations, production and advertising.
“In the next five years, we hope to be everywhere and I am certain about that. I don’t like to compare us with other companies, but I am not a lazy person and I am not working with lazy people. We are all working together to make sure we grow as a company,” Sotayo said.
Struggling to avoid sharing how much she has invested in the company, Sotayo insisted that everybody knew the difference between quality and inferiority. She expects people to use their discretion to evaluate the property.
“I have never ventured into something that went bad in the long run. I am a go-getter and I go for whatever I want to do. I am not a proud person, but I believe that if you do your homework well, you will get good results. And I did my homework well.
“Nigeria is a huge market and it accommodates everybody. Regardless of competitions, all you need to do is to carve a niche for yourself in whatever you chose to do in life. What stands us out from others is the production that comes out from the company,” she said.
