Titilayo Adeleye…an advocate of excellence and good social conduct
Lagos-based Architect, entrepreneur, and Life coach, Titilayo Adeleye, Chief Executive Officer of Eden Group, is a resourceful woman and a keen advocate of excellence expressed through good social conduct and proper social graces. A few months ago, the thoroughbred professional with over 32 years experience released her first book, ‘Become A Better You.’ In this interview with Geraldine Akutu, she sheds more light on her book among other issues.
Aside from being an architect, you are now an author. So, how did your passion for writing begin?
Architecture is synonymous with creativity. Aside from designing houses and spaces, writing has always been for me another medium of expressing my creativity and my passion for making a positive impact on society.
This book is your first. What inspired you in writing the book?
The inspiration to write this book, Become A Better You was borne out of my passion for seeing things done in the proper way.
This inspiration was further fueled by observations and experiences gathered from interacting and working with people across all ages and all walks of life in social, corporate and religious settings, in the workplace and in boardrooms and realizing that emphasis is no longer being placed on teaching proper conduct, appropriate behavior and acceptable ways of interaction in our society. And rather than to keep complaining about that dearth of the knowledge of proper etiquette in our society, I decided to make a deliberate effort to highlight ways to do things right especially to the younger generation.
In a nutshell, what is the book all about?
Become A Better You is a guide to good etiquette and social conduct. It is about the proper and acceptable way of interaction in a civil society.
What makes this book different from others?
This book is different from other because it presents the principles of etiquette, social polish and poise in simple, easy to assimilate format. It elucidates important aspects of socially acceptable behavior like communication, personal grooming, dining, dressing, speech and even financial and hospitality etiquette to mention a few.
Who and who would you recommend this book to?
Become A Better You is a great resource for successfully navigating the corporate and social world and an invaluable asset to everyone who wants to succeed and keep succeeding in work, family, religious and social circles.
This book has received a lot of positive reviews from all over the world and is considered an invaluable addition to personal libraries and libraries of organizations, a rich inclusion in teaching curricula, an enduring lifetime gift for yourself and your loved ones for graduation, birthdays, anniversaries etc.
For example, the chapter on attending interviews has received positive reviews from all over the world.
What is your view on the decline in reading culture among the youth in Nigeria today?
In my opinion, our youth still read but the question we need to ask is whether they are reading the right things and if they are not, why and what can we do about it?
How can we revive encourage reading culture?
We can encourage a reading culture among the youth by writing more about topics that appeal to them, in formats they can easily understand and relate to, presented crisply and graphically in interesting ways that are not too long winded. The feedback from the youth about my book has actually been very encouraging.
What is your position on feminism generally?
Feminism means different things to different people. I personally love being a woman and all that comes with it. I however always ensure that I showcase womanhood in a positive light by always making excellence my watchword. I also always admonish women to celebrate their femininity while always proving their mettle in all they do. Our menfolk should also come to the realization that women form a considerable and indispensable part of a successful and wholesome society and should not be marginalized in any way.
Should we expect more books from you?
Definitely, I have more books in the offing and another one should be released in a couple of months.
What is your advice to aspiring writers?
One of the most profound ways to become a person of influence and impact is to write and publish books by so doing, one creates a legacy that spans generations
I will advise aspiring authors not to let anything deter them from expressing what God has put inside of them for the benefit of mankind. To bring this aspiration to life, they should engage in in-depth research about whatever topic they wish to write about, carve a niche for themselves, shun procrastination and ensure that they maintain good standards of production. There are books that were written several decades ago that the society is still benefiting from till date while the descendants of the authors of such books are also still enjoying the inherent benefits decades afterwards.
Where can one get copies of your book?
Become A Better You is available online, it available on Amazon, it can be purchased via Paystack, from Roving Heights bookshop and Laterna bookshop in Lagos.
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