We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Claude Christian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Claude , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
From ‘College Jean Tabi’ in Yaoundé, Cameroon, it is where it all started…
Thank God, I am the last born of an amazing family. Growing up as a kid, my mom showed me love every day, my dad was such an inspiration, and my siblings were so cool with me. So basically, I was in my bubble, daydreaming every day, with no care for the “real world”…
High school was such a deluding experience for me when I attended College Jean Tabi, a private Catholic high school in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It was the first time in my life I’d been in a place where prayer, hard work, and discipline were at the heart of the formation. We prayed at 7:30 every morning before classes started, the exams were extremely difficult, and the teachers were rude to the students. So, even if I was tired and feeling the pressure, I was getting the job done. At this time, my bubble just popped, and as a kid, I realized that life wasn’t easy and that working hard was my only option to succeed.
I didn’t realize I was becoming resilient. I guess I was just trusting the process, enjoying the friction, and pushing my limits every day to reach my goals. Also, being surrounded by other kids with the same mindset, an amazing group of friends, and a supportive family helped me.
So, I am grateful for all the people around me who helped me learn resilience at such a young age.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hello, World!
I’m dedicated to sharing love, motivation, and actionable tools with my people.
April 6, 2013, marks the beginning of my journey into art. From dropping music in high school to learning music production with friends and performing shows on weekends, I’ve always been driven by the desire to see people evolve alongside me.
In 2015, I co-founded my first clothing brand, “PRVGMV,” with my friends. Our aim was clear: to create a community of individuals committed to making a positive impact in the world—the “TEAM PRAGMATIQUE.” Through hard work, perseverance, and faith, we turned this vision into a movement in our hometown, Yaoundé.
After graduating from high school in 2017, my friends and I dispersed worldwide, but our project remained alive in our hearts. I pursued studies in computer science in Nantes, launched a Social Media Agency in 2020, and later attended a Business School in Montpellier. During this time, my entrepreneurial journey was fueled by the desire to empower others with actionable tools, particularly in digital marketing.
That experience made me realize that music was my primary vehicle for creating my desired positive impact. This realization led me to Los Angeles, where I enrolled at UCLA Extension for a Certificate in Digital Marketing—an unexpected yet transformative experience. Graduating in June 2023 filled me with pride and inspired those around me to pursue their dreams, especially my family, my friends, and those who have supported me since I dropped my first single 10 years ago.
Subsequently, I dove into job applications while dedicating my summer to studying beat production and rediscovering the magic of music with one of my friends. Now, I’m grateful to be leading marketing efforts for fashion brands in Los Angeles while pursuing my passion for music as a rapper and music producer.
My current focus is on sharing my journey with the world through monthly short movie releases on my YouTube channel, starting February 14th, 2024.
Feel free to subscribe to my channel, where I share love, motivation, and actionable tools with my people.
With Love,
Claude Christian.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Being faithful, learning fast, and my marketing skills has really helped me in my journey.
I see faith as a calculation, a logical demonstration of something that seems illogical. Since I was a kid, I have always been convinced that I would do great things in life, and even when no one believed in it, I was always the one who managed to convince everyone that with unwavering faith, we can move mountains. I think I inherited this quality from my father; he has always been the first to support me in all my endeavors and to guide me towards the right tools to progress as quickly as possible.
In fact, he introduced me to reading at an early age, which allowed me to quickly develop new skills and implement them into my activities. During my university years, I spent a lot of my free time reading business books and researching on YouTube. One thing that allowed me to progress faster than others was not only to directly apply what I was learning but also to surround myself with people engaging in the same activities as me.
And finally, one of the skills that has helped me the most is marketing. What’s the point of having the most beautiful message in the world if you don’t know how to share it the right way? Over the past 5 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous companies, which has allowed me to learn a lot and develop many projects. Furthermore, my time at UCLA Extension enabled me to interact with experts in the field who have worked in major American companies.
The advice I would offer to young individuals embarking on their journey is to recognize that there’s space for everyone; thus, regardless of the project they wish to initiate, there will always be interested parties. Secondly, they must maintain unwavering conviction in the success of their endeavor, regardless of the time it may take. Lastly, it’s essential to connect with individuals who have attained the desired outcomes, inquire about their experiences, and, most importantly, implement their guidance. By doing so, they can expedite their progress and ultimately discover their unique style.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My faith in God.
When I began my entrepreneurial journey, I always put all my faith in myself and my intellectual abilities. This has enabled me to achieve a great deal, but my time in Los Angeles taught me that there is a certain level of success that my own strength cannot reach.
As soon as I arrived in Los Angeles, I ran into a lot of walls. It wasn’t easy to manage all my different businesses, classes, and my music career. Many times, I was tempted to give up, but what kept me going each time was that my story could one day inspire thousands of people worldwide.
Inspiring the world is definitely what motivates me most, and over time I’ve come to understand that the only person who can guide me in this quest is God.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by.claudechristian/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@by.ClaudeChristian
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/by-claude-christian
Image Credits
Hugo Por. Lena Mezlef. OV.MATA. Cartounet. Philippe Lugsor
