We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Njideka recently and have shared our conversation below.

Victoria, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve been “artsy” my whole life. From a young age singing in church with my sisters and cousins, then in middle school I became interested in theater and acting. When I realized that I had “talent” I was all in! But I didn’t grow up in a family where I knew anyone who actually made money being a creative. Or maybe I did, and just didn’t know it. So I was encouraged to pursue other paths when thinking about college and choosing a career path. So I chose to study Psychology instead and kinda put my creativity on the back burner for a while. Until I picked it back up in 2010 when I auditioned for a play while living in North Carolina. The director saw my gifts and capitalized off of them, so I was back “all in” after that. I’ve been acting, and trying to do whatever I can to feed my appetite for the arts while still working a corporate job ever since.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I call myself a “Professional Creative”. I have a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology. This was the career path I chose before reigniting my creative passions. I’m also a SAG Actress, Author of “The A-V Journal:22 Thoughts To Enhance Your Life”, and host of The V List Podcast, The podcast about everything from A-V! I created the podcast as a way to express myself and my opinions on topics that impact me. But also a way to inspire others and find community with other professional creatives. I’m really passionate about helping people develop into their best selves through their work and passions. So I Incorporate a lot of that into my podcast and other works. I believe in being authentic and open about my various life experiences and hope to inspire others through my book and podcast topics. I live by the mantra “Impact Over Influence” which is what I hope to do in the lives of everyone that I may encounter.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’m in that period of life now. I was laid off from my corporate position in Dec 2022. That forced me to pivot and look for other options, but one that is a strong pull is toward my podcast and other creative ventures. I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to re-focus on what energizes me, so I’m now trying to find a way to monetize and grow so that my passions can finally sustain my life(style). It’s not easy! Mentally I have to unlearn the things I used to let define me, like my job, or company I worked for, whether or not I have a partner or dependents, or even what I drive!
Now I’m more focused on who I am as person stripped of those arbitrary titles. I’m more focused on the Impact I can make in this world thorough the things that I produce and create!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is I get to chose what I share and what I don’t. I don’t have to filter myself, or be cautious of what my “superiors” want. I’m in complete control of how I express myself creatively.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheVListPodcast.com
• Instagram: @vlistpodcast
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheVlistPodcast
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheVListPodcast

Image Credits
Ashleigh Bing Photography, Keven Marable Photography