We recently connected with Aderonke Bademosi Wilson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Aderonke , thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

My name is Aderonke Bademosi Wilson and I’m a change facilitator, entrepreneur and photographer. The name of my brand is ABWilson Consulting.

When I made the decision to focus on photography and work to get established as an artist, I had to come up with a name. I wanted something that I could build a brand around. ABWilson Photography was born. I created the logo and the URL was available when I developed the website. It all came together seamlessly.

In addition to being a photographer, I’m also a facilitator, trainer and communications professional. I worked for the Government of Bermuda as the Director of the Department of Communications for six and a half years. I left that position in November 2021 and moved to the private sector.

After that job, I made the decision to take some time off for solo travel. On September 20, 2022, I left Bermuda with a one-way ticket to Bangkok, a week’s hotel reservation and my camera. I gave myself permission to decide, where next, as I traveled and talked with people I met. I ended up visiting Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Bali, Labuan Bajo, Komodo Island and Pink Island. It was an amazing three months.

Early one morning I was meditating at the top of a mountain in Indonesia, contemplating my next professional move. I thought about the time I was happiest in my career. It was when I had my own company with my brother. In that instant, I decided to start a consulting practice. When I returned to my room, I looked at my photography logo and it only made sense to revise the logo and replace Photography with Consulting. ABWilson Photography merged with ABWilson Consulting. Two companies. One logo.

Aderonke , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been a student and practitioner of Appreciative Inquiry for almost 15 years. (Appreciative Inquiry is a strengths- and successes-based approach to organizational change. It allows people to engage in building the kind of organizations, communities and families they want to work and live in.) Additionally, I am a PMI certified project manager and a certified change manager with more than 30 years of experience in corporate communications and group facilitation.

Over the years, I have facilitated large public meetings that examined topics of national importance in Bermuda. My love for the tenets of Appreciative Inquiry has led me to create a radio program, host conversations and deliver workshops, demonstrating the power of asking overwhelmingly positive questions which leads to positive, long-lasting change.

I have been able to create a business practice at the intersection of my knowledge and skills. Through facilitated workshops and meetings, I help entities to identify and implement sustainable change. My goal is to work for companies and organizations in African countries, the Caribbean, the US, the UK, Canada and of course, my home, Bermuda.

When I look back at my career, I’m proud of the work my team and I, at the Government of Bermuda, accomplished during national crises. Prior to COVID, many of Bermuda’s national crises were hurricane related. I can proudly state that within 24 – 36 hours of being impacted by a category two or three hurricane, Bermuda has reopened for business. I am also proud of the work we did during the first 18 months of the pandemic.

Bermuda is considered one of the most isolated places in the world. We pulled together as a country and faced the challenges of COVID. It wasn’t easy. There were huge stresses on everyone involved in creating policies, caring for those who were impacted by the disease and we all had to put in place a different way to do normal, daily tasks.

I bring all these experiences to the work I now provide for clients. As an abstract artist, I pay close attention to details. I learn as much as I can about the company, understand their goals and aspirations, and then create a bespoke facilitation that will surface new ideas and opportunities for teams and how they will implement change.

ABWilson Consulting allows me to bring an elegant, authentic and positive approach to organizational change.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My story of resilience starts with disappointment.
When I left the private sector in August 2022, I had no plan.
I made the conscious decision to take time off to travel and take photographs. Other than two or three weeks, I hadn’t given myself a prolonged break between jobs in many years.
I wanted space to destress and gain perspective. I think giving myself permission not to rush into another job helped me to define what I loved about my previous jobs and then find the courage to start my own company. By the end of my travels, I had clarity about the direction I wanted to take and I was resolute. I knew I was making the right decisions about my career and future. Today, I remain excited about the possibilities and opportunities I will encounter as I continue to grow my business.

Any advice for managing a team?

Advice I would give to someone managing a team is: ask questions and then fully listening to the answers. Listen to understand. Listen to the underlying messages.

Everyone has a perspective. This may seem self-evident but I remind myself as a manager, I have to ask questions that will lead to opportunities.

I’ve learned that solutions can be uncovered and implemented faster when the team has had a say in the process. It may take longer to reach a solution than it does when one person is making the decisions, however, implementation is faster when those impacted have a voice.

I believe a manager’s role is to be available and have a listening ear. A manager should be a person team members can talk with; someone who helps define the direction, sets the pace and gives everyone room to experiment and grow at their own pace.
One way to maintain high morale is to hold regular team meetings. This allows everyone to hear what is going on in the wider organization at the same time and learn how it will impact them directly. Research shows employees want to hear about change directly from their managers. Managers must be able to provide details and in the absence of information, not be afraid to say: ‘I don’t know, but I will find out.’ Then follow up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.abwilsonconsulting.com and https://abwilsonphotography.com
• Instagram: ABWilson Photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aderonke
• Linkedin: Aderonke Bademosi Wilson

Image Credits
All art images to be attributed to ABWilson of ABWilson Photography.
All images of ABWilson to be attributed to Kayla McConnie of Colorpophotography.