How She Built a Life of Travel, Marketing & Entrepreneurship From Zero | Chiamaka Amaku's Story

Amaka’s journey is the definition of resilience, resourcefulness, and reinvention. She started her first business out of necessity after overhearing her parents discuss cutting off her funding once she completed school. That single moment forced her to confront reality and think about what she could do to support herself. With a natural love for buying hair, she began selling to her classmates, unknowingly taking her first step into entrepreneurship.

In the process of trying to market her products, she stumbled into social media marketing — a discovery that would later shape her career. She started from scratch, with no money and no backup plan. When she made the bold decision to move to Lagos, she packed only a tiny red suitcase and arrived with nowhere to sleep on her first night. She was in the city for a job interview, and even though the circumstances were tough, she decided to start where she was and build from there.

That risk paid off. Her experience of running her small business helped her secure a marketing role, setting her on a new path entirely. But Amaka didn’t stop there. On a work trip to Ghana, the moment her feet touched the sand, she realized she wanted to see the world and experience more of what travel had to offer. That single moment sparked her travel content creation journey. She kept pushing for more opportunities to travel, and eventually co-founded a travel company with a friend to help others experience the world too.

On top of that, she runs a gifting company where she curates thoughtful, personalized gifts — another business built from a place of passion and creativity.

But none of it came without challenges. One of the biggest obstacles Amaka faced was time. Twenty-four hours never felt enough, and the constant juggling of multiple roles pushed her to her limits. Looking back, she wishes someone had advised her earlier about the importance of getting help and not trying to do everything alone.

This conversation is an honest deep dive into her journey as a marketer, travel creator, entrepreneur, and multi-hyphenate creative who keeps showing up, even when life is overwhelming. Her story is a reminder that you can start with very little, pivot into new paths, and create a life that reflects your passions — as long as you’re willing to begin.

Timestamps
01:05 - Introduction
08:08 - How she became a travel content creator
13:48 - The most challenging part of juggling multiple jobs
15:52 - I wish someone had told me to…
19:07 - Unpopular opinion
23:57 - Advice for anyone trying to juggle multiple jobs

If you love stories about self-made creatives, digital careers, travel creators, or young African entrepreneurs building from scratch, this episode is for you