We recently connected with Efua Obeng and have shared our conversation below.
Efua, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Well, it’s complicated. As a matter of fact, I am not sure that I have found my sense of purpose, as my purpose and the way that I see myself contributing to the world is always evolving. Let me give you a bit of background: I was in school for 23 consecutive years (kindergarten to PhD) and did not get my first job until I became a college professor. This job allowed me to shape and interact with some of the world’s brightest young people, allowing me to find purpose during that point of my life. Fast forward to the pandemic, when I had an opportunity to extern with Amazon and I absolutely loved it. It opened a new chapter in my life (the chapter that I’m currently in) and inspired me to leave academia for a job in the TV/film industry. I want to take to take a moment here to share a few points with people who may be thinking of making a potentially life changing shift:
• My biggest regret is that I did not make this move earlier. I got to a point in my life where I felt that I had to take a bet on myself. If it worked out, then great, and if it did not I could go back to the drawing board.
• Change is hard, but don’t let fear cripple you.
• Be purposeful and strategic. Making life changes requires planning and preparation, especially if you have a family (or other people) who depend on you. I encourage you to plant seeds that will bring you closer to your goal. That may mean building a multi-year plan, networking differently, using your PTO to gain skills, changing your spending habits, etc.
Now, back to the question at hand. I work for Prime Video leading their customer strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Through this job I can impact how Black girls and boys in SSA (and across the world) see themselves on screen and how they are seen by others. This means so much to me because I remember how seeing Vanessa Huxtable (The Cosby Show), Maxine Shaw (Living Single), and Whitley Marion (A Different World) on screen impacted how I navigated the world. These characters influenced my feelings of self-worth and made me feel invincible. I am honored to be able to do this for the next generation of Black children. This is a gift.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I lead Prime Video’s programming strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa, which means that I help the business optimize its content slate for Sub Saharan African customers. I answer questions like: who is our customer, what do they like to watch, how do they like to watch content, what motivates them to stream, and what are the biggest opportunities for our business? I am privileged to be part of a team that has brought titles like Gangs of Lagos and She Must be Obeyed to your screens and that is launching In Your Dreams and LOL: South Africa (featuring Trevor Noah) in the near future.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
#1 Be open to new experiences. It is great to have direction, but I encourage you to remain flexible in case your plan does not work out as expected or if valuable opportunities arise.
#2 Develop your soft skills. I don’t think that we talk enough about soft skills and how they can be a competitive differentiator. The ability to build relationships and earn trust among your colleagues, show empathy, think critically about problems, innovate, work effectively with limited resources, exhibit situational awareness, and the ability to be a great team player are some of the skills that I believe distinguish the best leaders.
#3 Don’t put pressure on yourself to have it all figured out. Life changes might impact your purpose– and that is okay.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
When I was younger, family dinners provided a space for my parents and I to discuss everything from politics to life events. But the conversations I remember most were about my history. My parents shared their stories of resilience, persistence, and shared my ancestors’ stories as well. I remember hearing about how my grandmother in Ghana, West Africa would travel hundreds of miles to sell crops so that my dad and his siblings could attend school, and how my great great-great-grandfather sold tree sap to buy his family’s freedom. My parents even shared stories of Black leaders who were not related to us: Yaa Asantewaa, Nelson Mandela, and Huey P. Newton. Beyond inspiring me to work hard and persevere, these stories instilled in me a sense of pride—in my parents and Black heritage–and responsibility. I work hard to honor those who paved a path for me and to lay a foundation for future generations of Black children.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/efuabobeng
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