Monica J. Njoku
Associate Director, Communications
I’m the youngest of four to Nigerian/Ghanian parents. My father was born in Nigeria and lived most of his adult life in Ghana. My mom was born in Ghana and spent her entire life living in Accra, where my siblings were born. After deciding that they wanted to attend university in another country and create a different life for their children, my parents immigrated to Canada from Ghana in the late 70s. Many years later, I came onto the scene.
I am a leader at heart. I love facilitating conversations, thinking outside of the box, and challenging people to do better. My background is in marketing and communications, but my real superpower is project management. As a modern-day hippie, I care deeply about the planet, how we use it, show up on it, and walk through it. I read a lot about how we show up in spaces, the energy we bring, and how we can be better versions of ourselves. I spend a lot of time thinking about self-care and how women of colour, especially Black women, practice self-care, experience joy, and prioritize their health. I haven’t quite figured it out but, I’m getting there.
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What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
Since discovering that it was a "thing," I've always wanted to live and work internationally. The opportunity to live in a new country, learn a new culture and language felt incredibly exciting to me and still does. When I was in my early 30s, I applied for a job in San Francisco. I applied on a whim thinking there was no way I was going to get the job. Eight months later, I was holding a one-way ticket, my passport, and my work visa in my hand and boarding a flight to San Francisco, where I proceeded to live for four years. Now I'm back in Halifax, working remotely for the company in San Francisco, and enjoying being back in Canada. The experience taught me the importance of chasing after your dreams, trusting your gut, and taking a leap of faith. Anything is possible.
What’s your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
My vision for Atlantic Canada is that it grows and lives up to its potential. We have the opportunity to accomplish so much and I dream of a future where we stop thinking of ourselves as havenots.
What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?
I am a firm believer that we can always keep growing and learning. I look back on the person I was 10 years ago and marvel at how much I've grown and learned. I feel the same way about the person I was one year ago. Now, as I mature and have a stronger sense of who I am, I sense a new stage of growth that will change and improve the way I show up in the world for the rest of my life. I attribute this growth to my fantastic therapist and the Enneagram. If you seek growth it will find you. The trick is having the courage to do so.
What’s your favourite or most read book or podcast? Now or at each of your greatest stages of growth?
I'm a late adopter, so I've only gotten into podcasts in the last two years. If I want a dose of comedy or to feel like I'm getting a pep talk from a Nigerian auntie, I listen to Jesus and Jollof by Luvvie Ajayi Jones and Yvonne Orji. In one episode, they review the 5 Nigerian love languages and let me tell you, that episode took me out. If I'm feeling down or like my mental health could use a little help, I like to check out Therapy for Black Girls by Joy Harden Bradford. The content does a great job of speaking to issues that specifically impact Black women, and Joy is a sweetheart. But my ultimate, I need something to listen to while I vacuum is Unlocking Us by Brene Brown. I would follow Brene to the ends of the earth, and her podcast has challenged me to think about how I show up with the people I love.
What’s your deepest learning from this past year? How did/will you apply it?
Nature is incredibly replenishing. I think people realized just how vital and important it is to our lives.
Who’s inspired you, directly or indirectly? How have they inspired you?
My friend Emma B. inspires me. She has a gentle way of pushing me to do better without coming out and saying, Hey, do better. She’s a great mom, aunt, friend, and cares so much about her community. I hope that I can be like her when I grow up.
What would you have done differently?
If given the chance, I would do my 20s again. I would have tried to save more money and understand how finances work. 20-year-old Monica was having a GOOD TIME, but she probably could have taken one less international trip and invested a little more money into her RRSP.
How have you recovered from fractured professional relationships? What uncomfortable truths have you learned about yourself in those experiences?
I give people a lot of space and grace to fail. I have an open-door, call-me-when-you-need-me, let’s-talk-this-out approach to work. If a relationship gets to a point where it’s fractured, it’s likely because I’ve decided that this working relationship is not serving me, nor is it healthy for me. Similar to friendships or romantic relationships, you need to condition and teach people how to treat you. Creating boundaries helps me manage how much energy I bring to a situation. Even though I show up and operate at a level 10, sometimes people and situations need me at a level four. That’s been a big learning for me and has helped me take care of myself.
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Communicator, Bridge Builder, Community, Engagement, Marketing, Leadership, Sisterhood, Self Care, Natural, Black, Food Lover, Thrift Shopper, Dancer, Exercise, Clean, Reflective, Astrology, Creative