Who could have thought of an engineering student leading a marketing agency as a founder?

“I was a very lazy student with no skills. Everything I know now, writing, digital marketing, and content creation, I learned on the job through trial, error, and continuous learning.” Precious Obo

Welcome to another episode of the Founder’s Journey Newsletter series. In this episode, we engaged in an incredible conversation with Precious Obo, founder of The Precious Touch, a marketing and branding agency, to discuss his unconventional journey from engineering student to marketing entrepreneur.

What started as a survival strategy after personal tragedy became a masterclass in resilience, self-learning, and the power of showing up consistently.

Let’s dive in

The Spotlighthub: Hi Precious, you’re currently a 500-level engineering student at Ahmadu Bello University, yet you run a successful marketing agency. How did this journey begin?

Precious Obo: It wasn’t planned at all. I’ve always wanted to be in tech; that’s why I went into electronics and telecommunication engineering. I thought I’d graduate and work in an established electronics industry, and that would be it. I never imagined doing marketing.

But everything changed in my first year when I lost my dad. That moment forced me to make a choice: drop out and go back home to my mom, who was a housewife, or find a way to fend for myself in school. I chose to stay, and that decision pushed me into a world I never expected.

“I had two options: drop out and go back home, or fend for myself in school. I chose to stay.”

TheSpotlighthub:

That’s incredibly difficult. How did you survive without financial support?

Precious Obo:

Relationships saved me. I started helping people, volunteering, before I ever got paid to Someone introduced me to marketing and sales, and I discovered I was actually good at it. I had this natural ability to convince people, to get them to buy into things.

At first, I tried photography as a survival skill, working as a side guy for someone who owned a studio. I didn’t have money to buy my own equipment, so I just helped out. But I wanted more for myself, so I decided to go into the online space and learn digital marketing.

“Relationships saved me. I helped people and volunteered before I ever got paid.”

TheSpotlighthub:

How did you learn without resources?

Precious Obo:

That was the challenge. I didn’t have money to invest in courses. But I found a free course on Coursera; someone introduced me to it, and I learned the basics of digital marketing, specifically Facebook ads. I took that knowledge, started applying it, made a little cash, reinvested in myself, and kept stacking skills.

Here’s the thing: I was a very lazy student before all this. I’m the last born, and you know how last borns are; we’re lazy! I literally had no skills when I started. Everything I know now, writing, digital marketing, content creation, communication, and team building, I learned on the job through trial, error, and continuous learning.

“I was a very lazy student with no skills. Everything I know now, I learned on the job.”

The First Client: Proving Value Through Volunteering

TheSpotlighthub:

How did you land your first paying client?

Precious Obo:

I didn’t sell myself directly. After learning Facebook ads, I volunteered to run a campaign for someone for free. I did well, even as a novice, and he was impressed. He recommended me to my first paying client. That’s how it started.

But here’s the funny part: when that first client wanted to have a call with me, I was terrified. I was so introverted that I actually asked the guy who referred me, “Can you represent me on the call? You do the talking, and I’ll do the work!” That’s how shy I was.

“I volunteered for free, did well, and got recommended. That’s how I got my first paying client.”

TheSpotlighthub: So communication was a skill you had to develop.

Precious Obo: Absolutely. Communication became one of the most critical soft skills I developed. You can’t convert leads into clients if you can’t communicate effectively. And another huge one was team building.

I realized early on that working alone limits your impact. You need to build teams where roles are clearly defined and people are actively executing those roles. Managing people requires consistent communication and accountability.

“Working alone limits your impact. You need teams where roles are clearly defined.”

The LinkedIn Breakthrough: Three Months of “Wasting Time, Turned out well”

TheSpotlighthub:

You’re very vocal about personal branding on LinkedIn. How did that journey begin?

Precious Obo:

I was doing lead generation on Facebook first, but I wasn’t getting the kinds of clients I wanted. Someone told me LinkedIn was a goldmine, and I thought, “Okay, I’m a gold digger, so let me check it out.”

For the first three months on LinkedIn, I felt like I was wasting my time. I wasn’t getting results, and at some point, I thought, “I guess I’m a failure at this too. Let me try something else.” But then I saw other people making wins on the platform, and it inspired me. I thought, “If this guy can do it, I can do it too, regardless of my situation.”

So I decided to be very intentional. I started sharing my story, not just my services. Then a client reached out to me and said something that changed everything: “I’ve been seeing you on the platform for the past three months. I’ve always wanted to reach out, but not until you decided to share your story.”

TheSpotlighthub:

That’s powerful. So people were watching the whole time.

Precious Obo:

Exactly! It was a compounding effect. Those three months I thought I was wasting? People were actually seeing my work. They were building trust. If I had quit during that slow phase, I would never have gotten that client, which opened up so many other opportunities.

That’s why I tell people to track their progress through the small wins. Look at your LinkedIn followers; if you had 300 three months ago and now you have 1,000, that’s growth. It’s not massive, but it’s significant because you stayed true. I always ask myself, “What will happen if I don’t quit?” That’s what keeps me consistent.

“What will happen if I don’t quit? That question keeps me consistent.”

Why Founders Must Build Personal Brands First

TheSpotlightHub:

What’s your advice to founders about integrating marketing into their startup journey?

Precious Obo:

Build your personal brand on social media before you launch your product. This is critical. I worked with several founders, and I always tell them: people will trust you more if they see you in person, if they can go through your brand and see what you’ve done in the past.

When you build a personal brand, you’re building a community, people who will push your product no matter what you’re selling. These are the first people who will support your vision.

Look at high-profile founders like Elon Musk; he owns X, but he’s also building his personality on X. He has a community of people who love him, so whatever new product he launches is going to sell because he has that community.

“Build your personal brand first. You’re not just building followers, you’re building a community.”

TheSpotlighthub:

So you’re building your personal brand for future products?

Precious Obo:

Exactly. I have a dream of launching an edtech company, something I’m working on in the background. But I’m building my personal brand now so that when I finally launch that initiative, it’s going to blow up. It’ll be easy to sell because I’ll have an existing community.

Marketing should be integrated from the start, not treated as an afterthought.

“I’m building my personal brand now so that when I launch my edtech company, it will blow up.”

Embracing Failure as a Teacher

TheSpotlighthub:

If you could go back, what would you change?

Precious Obo:

Nothing. Every mistake I made came with a lesson that made me a better person. I failed as a trader; I lost a lot of money. I failed as a photographer because I didn’t see it through. But those failures taught me valuable lessons.

The best way to rediscover yourself is to do things, fail at them, come back, look at why you failed, and correct yourself. I work a lot with data; I write things down, see what’s working, go back, and reroute my steps to get different results.

I compare building a startup to childbirth. Before a woman can give birth to a beautiful child, she has to go through nine months of carrying the child and the pain of pushing. That’s the reality of life. You can’t expect things to come easy when you’re building something substantial.

“Every mistake I made came with a lesson. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Advice for Aspiring Founders Without Teams or Skills

TheSpotlighthub:

What about founders who feel they lack skills or don’t have a team?

Precious Obo:

Start with what you have. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. I didn’t have any skills when I started, and I didn’t have money to pay for courses. I found free resources and learned.

A lot of people have this mentality: “Before I start something, I want to figure everything out.” That’s not how it works. Start with what you have right now, and in the process of doing that, doors will open. But you need to start. God will use what you’re doing to help you, but if you’re not doing anything, there’s nothing for Him to work with.

The initial stage is not easy; I pity newbies because it’s crazy. But you need to agree that before you achieve something substantial, you need to go through stress. A lot of people are stuck in their comfort zone because they want things to be easy, but unfortunately, it won’t start easy. It becomes easy later when you’ve stuck around through the hard times.

“Start with what you have. Don’t wait for perfect conditions.”

What’s Next: Expanding Into Video Content and Web3

TheSpotlighthub: What’s next for you?

Precious Obo: I’m preparing to expand into video content creation by next month. I want to leverage videos, talk to the camera, and share my thoughts more directly. I’m also exploring Web3 opportunities. I’m an opportunist, so whenever I hear about legitimate ways people are making money, I’m there!

I’m still learning and stacking skills. I recently tried dropshipping but failed woefully. I went into Web3 trading, and I’m doing it, but not as actively as my business. The key is to keep learning, keep adapting, and stay open to new tools and trends.

“I’m an opportunist. Whenever I hear about legitimate opportunities, I’m there.”

TheSpotlighthub:

What do you look for in team members?

Precious Obo:

Someone who is open to learning and forward-thinking. I don’t want people who claim they know everything. I want people who are proactive, who embrace new tools and trends without constant supervision.

I learn from the people who work with me, and I learn from people higher than me. That culture of continuous learning drives innovation.

“I want people who are open to learning and forward-thinking. That drives innovation.”

Key Takeaways from Precious’s Journey:

On Starting Without Skills: “I was a very lazy student with no skills. Everything I know now, writing, digital marketing, and content creation, I learned on the job through trial, error, and continuous learning.”

On Consistency: “I always ask myself, ‘What will happen if I don’t quit?’ That’s what keeps me consistent. Those three months on LinkedIn I thought I was wasting? People were watching and building trust the whole time.”

On Personal Branding: “Build your personal brand on social media before you launch your product. When you build a personal brand, you’re building a community, people who will support your vision no matter what you’re selling.”

On Embracing Failure: “Every mistake I made came with a lesson that made me a better person. The best way to rediscover yourself is to do things, fail at them, and correct yourself.”

On Starting Without Resources: “Start with what you have. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. The initial stage is not easy, but you need to agree that before you achieve something substantial, you need to go through stress.”

Precious Obo’s journey is a testament to what’s possible when you combine resilience, self-learning, and relentless consistency. From a shy engineering student who lost his father to a confident marketing founder building toward an edtech vision, his story reminds us that our setbacks often become the foundation for something remarkable.

Connect with Precious Obo:

Find him on LinkedIn, where he shares insights on marketing, personal branding, and entrepreneurship.

The Spotlighthub shares founders’ stories that inspire and guide aspiring entrepreneurs. We believe there are different routes to founding something meaningful, whether it’s a product, a community, or an agency. If you have a story to share or know someone who does, reach out to us.

Here is what Nearpays has for you as a founder, freelancer, or business owner who has struggled with making the necessary money move in the most efficient and effective way.

If you’re building something the world hasn’t seen yet, you shouldn’t be stuck at the level of “How do I pay for this?” With partners like Nearpays on board, more founders in our community will launch faster, transact without limits, and focus on what actually matters, building.

See you in the next episode. Until then, keep building.