Respected lady of the pen, Susan Eyo-Honesty turned 50 years old penultimate week. The beautiful publisher of Glam & Essence hosted a handful of friends to a classy mini bash. In this brief interview, Susan shared with the Editor, FOLORUNSHO HAMSAT, her journey of five decades in life and career. Enjoy.
Can you speak in brief about the success of your tabloid, Glam & Essence?
Glam & Essence is a lifestyle magazine that l started five years ago. It’s one venture that was quite tedious but with a lot of dedication and consistency, it has come to stay. l owe the success to the contribution of those who believed in me and the concept of the brand.
Why do you think it is important to have more women in the media, because the issue has been that the men dominated the industry?
Well, l don’t think one should blame the men. l think not many women are willing to pay the price required to make their mark. However, it will be quite nice to have more women at the top of their game within the media.
From the perspective of a stakeholder, how would you rate the impact of the social media as it concerns governance?
There is no ignoring the growing influence of the social media in our daily life now. It has become the medium where people get information. And there is no ignoring the fact on how it has the strength of print media, as everyone gets the breaking news free and updates on the go.
Have you fulfilled your aim of choosing journalism for a career?
l have no regret making a career in journalism, it’s been fulfilling.
Congrats as you mark 50 years of age. Looking back, what are some of those things you have done that you think could have been done in a different way, career wise?
l have had an enjoyable journey, l wouldn’t have done it any different.
You may wish to talk about your daily beauty routine.
l don’t do anything special, the regular visit to the spa does have its advantage. But it’s more the grace of God for being blessed with youthfulness.
What is changing in your lifestyle as you come of age?
I take things a lot easier now, l don’t sweat the small stuff and try to live and let live. Life is too short to waste on things that don’t add value to life.
Some would say that celebrity journalism has a shorter lifespan than the hard news reporting, what’s your view?
That seems the case in Nigeria, unfortunately. I blame that trend in the inability of many celebrity magazine owners to read the seasons as they change and refocus and bring fresh flavour to the magazine content. With the online magazines, the print ones are forced to seriously step up their game or lose readership strength. It’s already starting to happen.
Please, share one memorable challenge that had come your way before starting as a publisher.
One significant one is getting people to believe in my vision and support it. l set out at a time many felt the market was already saturated. l simply chose to believe in my project and shut my ears to all the negatives.
Share any special interesting experience with City People magazine that you can recall.
l believe all the experiences l gathered are important, as they have come to play now that I’m on my own.
If you had the opportunity of a second life, what would you choose for career, and why?
I’ve had a good journey with my career and my business; l would change any of these for anything.
You’ve retained your ravishing look, what other areas of your body do you cherish most?
All of it (laughs).
Are you aware that many refer to you as ’a self-confident lady’, and why do you think this is so?
Really! I’m not aware of that, wow!
How are you dedicating the future, and to what cause?
I spend more time now building my spiritual life. I’m at a point in my life now when l desire to impact positives on the lives of the less privileged.
