The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Empathy should come first” with Olumide Gbenro and Candice Georgiadis
Empathy should come first: think about how your decisions affect others before making a move. Share from your heart and be genuine and you should have a better time.
As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Olumide Gbenro. Olumide is a business influencer, entrepreneur, polyglot, creative artist, and experiential film producer. He is a Nomadic Entrepreneur who although based in Bali, travels frequently and has consulted with multimillion dollar companies across genres like Blockchain, Music, & Artificial Intelligence. He founded The Digital Nomad Summit, the largest community of digital nomads in the world.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My first step into social media was Youtube. I literally made 1,000+ dance videos on my old youtube every day in my small college dorm. I would post a new one on my Facebook every single day. I used to get thousands of views on the silliest videos that were not focused on any particular topic but from then I knew the power of social media and how many it could reach.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
For me it was being recognized by people on the street despite being a “micro influencer.” People in San Diego and Bali would stop me and say “you are that guy that’s always dancing” or “you are that Globopreneur guy on instagram”
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
For me it was definitely focusing on only growing a following and trying to become instafamous. It just didn’t work because sometimes I would not be fully authentic. I was trying to predict what would get views instead of what I enjoyed doing and sharing with the world. I learned to be myself and impact from growing a real and authentic relationship with my audience.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
For me it’s simple, I make content that will help shine a spotlight on the causes of people who are making a difference in the lives of others. It’s no longer about me. I now use my platforms such as my instagram to document entrepreneurs, influencers and business owners around the world who are creating products, solutions, and charities that benefit the global population. I use my podcast to share knowledge from people who have become authorities in their space.
Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
Yes! My most recent interview Chris Sperduto a man known only as “Helmet Man.” A New York born expat living in Indonesia who has distributed over 12,5000 helmets (as of June 27th, 2019) to Indonesian school children to reduce fatalities from lack of helmet use while they are on motorbikes (a very common form of transportation in Indonesia).
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
For me since I now live in Bali, Indonesia, it was important to give back and shed a light on positive causes and philanthropy that my global audience can contribute to. Not just post exciting beach photos or the beautiful nature that is typical for Instagram influencers living in Bali.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Yes! We have created a fundraising page we share on both the youtube documentary and also my social media pages @Globopreneur. Secondly we are looking for volunteers who are interested in working to educate school children in Indonesia through the non profit Chris has started named Project Protect Helmet Man. We need social media managers, graphic designers, and people with fundraising experience so we can raise more money and make more impact.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
I’ve been documenting the filming of the official documentary on my social media accounts every interaction and chance I get. One of the main tips I would share is that impact extends past social media. In this particular case we are pushing the documentary within our support network, attending various networking events, supporting and cross promoting similar projects so we can reach an even larger and targeted audience who truly care about what we are doing.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Be patient: Becoming an influencer and making real impact takes time, focus on why you are doing it and the rest will come.
- Find people like you: So many of us are afraid to collaborate because we feel it will take away from attention on us. What we don’t realize is that we can leverage from other audiences and create great collaborations as well.
- Focus on your strengths: I tried doing things I was not the best at and failed many times, it’s best to focus on strengths and grow from that instead.
- Empathy should come first: think about how your decisions affect others before making a move. Share from your heart and be genuine and you should have a better time.
- Love it and work hard: They don’t tell you it’s like a job unless you really love it. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve stayed up working on a new project or concept that matters. When I started The Digital Nomad Summit, I would stay up all night just writing out my vision and what I wanted to see in our community 5 years, 10 years down the line. It’s all part of the process.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I want everyone to realize that using their platform to support a cause is so important. I would want to inspire a movement where each social media “influencer” partners with a reputable cause or charity and cobrands to help them grow and make real influence. Just looking cool on social media is not enough anymore. We need to use our powers for good.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Gary Vaynerchuk is someone I follow closely and he once said “99% of things don’t matter” and for me I interpret that as focusing on the things that bring results and impact. If it does not do either of those things I don’t let it bother me in life.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to meet Sir Richard Branson to pick his brain on how he’s impacted so many areas and companies based on one brand. Finally it’s always been a dream to meet President Barack Obama due to the influence and love he has from people around the world and understand the psyche he has now he has cemented himself in history books.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
All of my social media accounts @Globopreneur and also through searching my name “Olumide Gbenro” or my nickname “@Globopreneur” on Youtube.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Thank you so much, I am grateful for the opportunity!
The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Empathy should come first” with Olumide Gbenro and Candi was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.