#HumansOfSudo: Employee Highlight- Amarachi Anna Awazie

Some people get their budgets approved with logic. Others rely on data. But Amarachi? She gets it done with charm, persistence, and just the right amount of sweet talk. Even if it means telling Finance Officer Amos Bwala, with a smile, that delaying salaries is a brilliant decision… as long as it means her marketing budget gets approved.

As a Growth and Communication Specialist, she is responsible for the increase in brand's visibility and user base through strategic marketing, messaging, and engagement across various channels but before even working her magic, she has one big challenge, which ist: getting ‘the finance team’ to ‘APPROVE’ to her budget.

Today, we dive into the world of what being a Growth & Comms Specialist in Sudo looks like for Amarachi. her wins, her little tricks, and just how far she will go to make sure ‘Mr Amos’ approves her marketing budgets.

What inspired you to pursue a career in growth and communications?

“I first heard the words "growth” from my best friend, who at that time, clearly saw potentials in me, before I even discovered it myself. Before then, I was someone, I used to call back the “an unpaid influential marketer” because i never seize the opportunity to speak praises of simply any brand that caught my attention, for free.

“The thing is, if I liked a product, I’d make sure almost everyone I know uses that product. And this even happens subconsciously. I was just like their (The brand’s) unpaid marketer, and the funny thing was that it worked like mad.”

“And it did not just stop there, I found myself doing things like follow-ups on their journey since their onboarding/first time using the product and majorly, gathering feedback from these people (my friends, course mates, and family), just to send back to the brand on Instagram.”

“This became something I enjoyed doing, and found satisfaction in the sense that people use a product I genuinely love and recommend it to them. This alone gave me a sense of satisfaction that even I didn't know that I was slowly becoming an unpaid marketer for them.”

She also discussed how this tiny habit caught her best friend’s attention, and one faithful day, she looked at her and said, “Amarachi, I think you will do great in growth.”

That birthed her career in “growth marketing”. She also mentioned that her best friend got her her first growth marketing job, and that was the beginning of what we call ‘The Great Hurray’

She added that growth marketing doesn’t even feel like work to her, but more like her “playground,” and imagine getting paid to do what you love? A big shoutout to her best friend for spotting a ‘rare gem’ because she was born for this.

When did you join Sudo Africa, and why did you choose to be in the Growth & Brand Department?

“I joined Sudo on September 2, 2024, after stumbling on the job listing on LinkedIn. I did the interview, and I got hired; however, I didn’t choose to be in the Growth & Brand department…… it chose me.”

“It was like the universe looked at me and said, “Ah, yes, this one was born for vibes and marketing”. I was just here doing the job, effortlessly. And let’s be real, who wouldn’t love a role that feels like fun and pays the bills?”

What has been the most challenging part of being a Growth and Communication Specialist?

“The hardest part of being a growth specialist? It is the pressure! In this job, if the organization is not growing (directly or indirectly), everyone knows you are not performing well; there is no place to hide.”

“And then some bosses expect crazy results in just one or two months.” Sometimes, I’m like, “Sir/Ma, I'm not a magician, and growth takes time.”

“The funny thing is, growth isn’t just about large numbers. Sometimes, it’s in the smallest changes.”

“The little things that help build the team and the brand over time, and you might need to do a lot of testing, to know what works and what doesn't”.

“The wins and failures are part of growth, but NO, they want big results while giving us the tiniest budget to work with.” “How does that even work?”

“And yes, I said I do this effortlessly, but let’s be real, fun still takes effort! Growth doesn’t happen by just wishing for it; we put in some hard work (we just make it look easy).”

What is your greatest achievement in Sudo?

“My achievement? bringing visibility and awareness to the brand. I mean, we built Sudo’s online presence from scratch, no shortcuts, just pure, organic growth (which wasn’t even easy).

“I created a strategy that opened the avenue for growth”.

“My team and I did not just rely on the traditional method of customer acquisition and brand visibility. We went all digital and even threw in some ambassadorship (which, by the way, never existed until I joined the team)”.

“Now people are talking about us. And trust me, that’s a major flex. I won't say it's my greatest achievement, but it's quite a significant one since I joined Sudo.”

How do you handle brand crises or negative feedback online?

“As someone at the forefront of communication… whew, it’s deep! But I won’t lie, outside of being professional, some online comments can be triggering."

“What do you mean you have been using our product happily for months, with no complaints, but all of a sudden, one small glitch, one tiny hiccup, and BOOM, you’re online, dragging the brand like we stole your lunch money.”

“No patience, no grace, just straight-up public execution”

“If I weren’t being professional, I’d honestly sit them down and give them a piece of my mind, but nope, I have to put on my sweetest professional personality, and act like they are 100% right, while sprinkling in some romantic, corporate-approved words to calm their nerves”

“Meanwhile, deep down, I want to throw a few punches, but professionalism won’t let me. So all I do is handle crises like a calm and collected chatbot.”

What advice would you give to young, upcoming Growth Specialists?

“Yes, they will pressure you, but no, don’t work under pressure. Take your time.”

“And yes, numbers are important, but do not let the pressure get to you. They’re already expecting a lot from you, but don’t let that throw you off.”

“Oh, and please, DO NOT overpromise. It is better to under promise and overdeliver, not the other way around.”

“Lastly, be consistent and find your lane. You might be more into the analytical side of growth, or maybe you lean more towards the creative and strategic side. Figure out what works for you and stick to it.”

What is the most ridiculous compliment you’ve given a “finance” team member just to make them release funds for your marketing budget?

“I told him (Mr Amos) that aside from my family and close friends, he was the only sudo staff, whose number I had saved on my whatsapp because of how special he is to me.”

“I mean, anything to get what I want from him (even though I knew it was an obvious lie)”

If the finance team ghosts you, what’s your next move?

There’s no such thing as ghosting me when I need something from you; I will haunt you. I will call you, like I am your stalker.

“Mr. Amos? I’m always on his case. WhatsApp?, Slack?, Phone call?, you name it.

“The only way he can ghost me is if he plans to resign and flee the entire organization.”

If you could say one thing to the finance team without consequences, what would it be?

“Oh yes! Let me just say this loud and clear, YOU guys are not God, oh! You can never be God.”

“You all are walking around with that mini-god energy like you run the world.”

“Please rest! You might have some power over my budgets, “but regardless upon still, you guys need to relax”

If your relationship with the finance manager were meant to be song lyrics, what would the lines be like?

“Perfect song would be:

President General among the nations,

We salute you

President General among the nations”

Amarachi isn’t just a Growth and Communications Specialist, she’s a strategist, a negotiator, and sometimes, a smooth talker. Between charming Finance, driving growth, and making sure Sudo’s brand stays visible, one thing is clear: growth may be tough, but with Amarachi on the team, Sudo is always in good hands.

#HumansOfSudo #LifeAtSudo #GrowthButMakeItFun #TheSudoWay #SudoAfricaYourSurePaymentPlug.