Who is Cedrick Todwell?
Cedrick is Africa’s nexttop business man watch this space and I mean it. Currently I’m full time at mycompany, Twelve Agency. We are a small time marketing and event management firm with some pretty big clients.
My childhood was full of ups, downs, and everything in between. I watched assome of the things I held close go away and I lacked all the privileges some ofyou had. It's funny how time and certain situations change things and people.I’ve learned new lessons and re-enforced old ones, trust, relationships andloyalty are extremely rare in the world. As the night falls and doors close tomy past, I will reflect on the past, and plan for the future. My now and futureis looking good, just gotta make it happen!!!!
What do you do?
I am a business development manager with Verge Media asister company to level One Communication and part time MD at Twelve Agency. Wemajor in advertising, creative and experiential marketing with some great clients like Sony/Google among others. Formore info check us out on our website.
What are your aspirations, passions with respect to your company?
I am a business gambler and an adventurer at heart, one wholoves to take risks, to discover and explore new worlds, and to travel theuntried path rather than the safe, reliable one. I am independent, freedomloving, and often very restless. I have a lifestyle that provides opportunitiesfor travel, movement, change, and meeting new people.
An incurable optimist, I have big dreams, aspirations andhope for the future and I am usually engaged in pursuing a far-off goal. I havea great deal of faith and trust in life and failures do not crush my spirit. Ialways bounce back from disappointments due to God, often with another brightdream or scheme.
What motivated you to do what you do?
When I grew up my dad always told me I need to leave alegacy and you can leave a legacy either through planting a tree, having achild or writing a book but I want to leave a legacy that will change peopleslives for the better and that’s by doing international events and raising thebar of international gospel events.
Where do you see yourself two years from now? I see myself going global with Twelve Agency mostly in areas of advertising and events becausealready we have spread our tentacles in Africa…we are already building strongpartnership with like minded partners in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and SouthAfrica and in 2012 we heading to West Africa. How many events have you done?
I have done quite a number thanks be to God. There’s the Chevelle Franklyn Xtreemeweekend/ Recharge Concert with Marvin Winans Jr, Sherwin Gardner and Damita Haddon,Love At The Dome that featured Stitchie, The Cece Winans Kenya tour, The Big Pictureevent that was headlined by Da Truth, Rapper flame who headlined the Capturedconcert and most recently the Unashamed Kenya concert featuring Lecrae and 116 crew.
Which was the best event ever?
I can say 116 was the best event cause we had lots of mediasupport especially you Hot Secrets, got some great supportive sponsors (StandardGroup, Naivas, Ghetto Radio, Mavuno, Spinrej DJ), and the attendance wasamazing just over 4000 people.
What are some of the major challenges you go through in Kenya whenorganising and promoting your events?
Malice and negativity from guys in the industry! Somethingstrange is that it is starting to get into the gospel industry. It is gettingto a point where people form hate cliques and start mudsling. There is also theissue of high taxes.
What keeps you awake at night?
Positioning myself asthe #2 guy at everything I do. All my businesses; everything that I do. Being#2 gives me a challenge: whoever thinks they're #1 I'm giving you fair warning,stay on your toes cause I'm right at your back!!! Don't sleep, don't party,don't go trickin'.
What is your advice for a young events organiser? Do not give up, the journey won’t be so smooth there aretimes you will burn your fingers but the passion is what will drive you.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
(Laughing) I won’t say that for now…..it keeps changing eachmonth.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Setting up Twelve Agency and being able to hire 5 people. Iam grateful for the team at Twelve they are so amazing. What was the biggest gig that got away?
I think it was the Megafest Unplugged that plunged me to avalley as I was planning to bring to Kenya 7 international gospel actsbut 2 weeks to the event, we realized that the artiste’s plane tickets had beenbooked using stolen credit cards. After that event I was branded afraudster/conman especially with people in the church but during that time Imanaged to find new friends who embraced me and walked with me in the journey.
If I gave you an elephant where would you hide it? How big will the elephant be? If I know the size I will know,so get me the size.
