Episode 20

full
Published on:

10th Aug 2021

Privacy Pros Academy EXPOSED II

Ever Wondered Why Even Successful Professionals Join The PrivacyPro's Academy?

We speak to Mojisola Abi Sowemimo, Privacy Pro Accelerator Mentee who reveals all.

Moji reveals what it's really like to be mentored by Jamal Ahmed - The King of Data Protection. She explains why she joined the Privacy Pros Signature 12 week mentoring programme and pursue a career in Data Privacy despite already attaining success in her career.

Moji shares her experience of the Privacy Pro Accelerator Programme and the highs and lows of her journey so far towards building a successful, meaningful and rewarding career in Data Privacy.

Moji is a Senior Business Process Analyst working with GemaltoThales, a leading firm in the IT industry. Moji has over fifteen years of experience in leading projects to improve processes, create and implement processes leading to increased revenue generation and eliminate redundancies.

Moji previously worked in the Financial industry with leading blue-chip corporations including Wells Fargo, Fannie Mae and Capital One.

She has a zeal for adding value and increasing revenue for organizations. Moji is currently expanding her risk management skill set, starting with Data Privacy. She is CIPPE trained, has an MBA from the University of Hertfordshire majoring in International Business Strategy. Moji holds a B.Sc in Accounting from the University of Lagos, a Post Graduate Diploma in Economics, H.R. and Statistics from her alma mater.

If you want to make it as a successful Privacy Pro and take your career to a new level - You can't afford to miss out on this episode!

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Connect with Mojisola on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moseymour/

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Transcript
Moji:

Wait here. If he has an academy where he trains data privacy professionals, I don't just want the training for the exam, I want the training to be a data privacy professional. Because that means that even after I pass the exam, I'll have the resources I need, the information I need to actually be a data privacy professional. Training for the exam only trains me to pass the exam. What happens after passing the exam? How do I get into the data privacy world? How do I break through? How do I succeed in my role as a data privacy professional?

Intro:

Are you ready to know what you don't know about Privacy Pros? Then you're in the right place.

Intro:

Welcome to the Privacy Pros Academy podcast by Kazient Privacy Experts. The podcast to launch progress and excel your career as a privacy pro.

Intro:

Hear about the latest news and developments in the world of privacy.

Intro:

Discover fascinating insights from leading global privacy.

Intro:

Professionals, and hear real stories and top tips from the people who've been where you want to get to.

Intro:

We're an official IAPP training partner.

Intro:

We've trained people in over 137 countries and counting.

Intro:

So whether you're thinking about starting a career in data privacy or you’re an experienced professional, this is the podcast for you.

Jamilla:

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Privacy Pros Academy podcast. My name is Jamila, and I'm a data privacy analyst at Kazient Privacy Experts. I'm primarily responsible for conducting research on current and upcoming legislation, as well as key developments and decisions by any supervisory authorities. With me today is my co-host is Jamal Ahmed who is a Fellow of Information Privacy and CEO Kazient privacy experts. Jamal Ahmed is an established and comprehensively qualified privacy professional with a demonstrable track record solving enterprise wide, data privacy and data security challenges for SMEs through complex global organizations. He is a Certified Information Privacy Manager, Certified Information Privacy Professional, Certified EU GDPR practitioner, Master NLP practitioner, Prince II practitioner. And he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business with Law. He is a revered global privacy thought leader, world class trainer, and published author for publications such as Thompson, Reuters, the Independent, Euro News, as well as numerous industry publications. Jamal makes regular appearances in the media, on television, radio and in print, and has been dubbed the King of GDPR by the BBC. To date, he has provided privacy and GDPR compliance solutions to organizations across six continents and in over 30 jurisdictions, helping to safeguard the personal data of over a billion data subjects worldwide. Welcome, Jamal.

Jamal:

Hi, Jamilla.

Jamilla:

How are you?

Jamal:

I am awesome, as always. Awesome message from one of our listeners to share today.

Jamilla:

I feel like putting a drum roll in here.

Jamal:

So this is a message from one of our listeners in Nigeria. He says Hi, I'm a lawyer who is looking to specialize in the area of data privacy. I just listened to the Privacy Pros podcast and it was insightful and inspiring. I'm waiting in bathed breath for the next episode to drop. I really love your guidance on how to transition to data privacy. I've been doing a lot of research based on my special interests, and I'm overcoming so many challenges by listening to your guests week in, week out. Thank you so much. Wow, what a great message.

Jamilla:

It's always nice to have good feedback, isn't it?

Jamal:

It makes everything that we do here worth it. Like, just getting one of those messages is awesome.

Jamilla:

Definitely. I agree with that. I think I said this last time, sometimes when I'm recording a podcast and just doing it to the air and my housemate is listening, that's about it to get to the world.

Jamal:

You have fans in over 50 countries around. Yes.

Jamilla:

I'll start signing autographs.

Jamal:

Someone once sent me a message saying, hey, we love Jamilla. Stop talking so much. Let her shine.

Jamilla:

Might be my mum.

Jamal:

I don't think it was.

Jamilla:

Well, now, as my background shows, I'm shining like a star in space. There we go. Just for you, whoever sent that message. Are you excited for today's guest, Jamal?

Jamal:

I'm very excited for today's guest, and this guest is someone I've actually had the privilege of working quite closely with. And so I'm really interested in hearing her story from different perspective because I'm so involved in when it comes to working together. It's nice to actually take a step back and hear the reflections. So I'm really looking forward to what our guest has to share with us today.

Jamilla:

That's true. And I think, you know, there's someone who is on one of our programs, and I think sometimes Jamal it's one thing you telling us how good the program is, but if someone who has experienced it from the other end can share that experience, I think people find that really valuable. Our guest today is Moji Sowemimo, and she is currently a Senior Business Process Analyst working with GemaltoThales, a leading firm in the IT industry. Moji has over fifteen years of experience in leading projects to improve processes, create and implement processes leading to increased revenue generation and eliminate redundancies. Prior to her current role in the IT environment, Moji has worked in the Financial industry with leading blue-chip corporations including Wells Fargo, Fannie Mae and Capital One. With her zeal for adding value and increasing revenue for organizations. Moji is currently expanding her risk management skill set, starting with Data Privacy. She is currently CIPPE trained. She holds a B.Sc in Accounting from the University of Lagos, Post Graduate Diploma in Economics, H.R. and Statistics also from her alma mater. She also has an MBA from the University of Hertfordshire, majoring in International Business Strategy. Welcome, Moji. It's great to have you.

Moji:

Thank you, Jamilla. Glad to be here as well.

Jamilla:

Thank you so much for joining us. And as we always do, we start off with an ice breaker question. And today's icebreaker is what was the last TV show you binge watched?

Moji:

Good question. The last TV show that I binge watched is Industry.

Jamilla:

What's that about? I've not heard of Industry.

Moji:

Talking about interns that get into the financial sector and are trying to make their way as brokers and the challenges that they face.

Jamal:

Isn't that a BBC program?

Moji:

It might be. I'm not quite certain, but I know it was on HBO.

Jamilla:

Nice.

Moji:

It's called industry. It's really nice. But it was set in England, actually.

Jamal:

I thought it was a BBC program.

Moji:

It's possible you’ve seen it on BBC. Yeah, but it was set in England.

Jamilla:

I might have to look that one up. I've got self-isolation, so I'm going to need some things to watch. What about you Jamal? What's the last thing you binge watch?

Jamal:

Peaky Blinders.

Jamilla:

I still haven't started that. Is that good?

Jamal:

It's really good. Be warned, though, it can get quite gruesome sometimes.

Jamilla:

That's okay. I don't mind gruesome. I watch a lot of Dr. Pimple Popper, so I feel like that's quite good.

Moji:

That’s a show I cannot watch.

Jamilla:

I love it. That's the last thing. Have you heard of Dr. Pimple Popper Jamal.

Jamal:

I have not. And I don't want to hear any more about it either.

Jamilla:

I think someone in a previous podcast mentioned say yes to the dress as well. So I'll send those by you Jamal.

Jamal:

I'm all right. I think I'll have a look at what Moji you suggested.

Moji:

Industry.

Jamal:

Industry. What was the last thing you watched, Jamilla, apart from this Pimple Popper?

Jamilla:

I actually watched Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban because it was on last night and my mum refused to sit and watch it with me. She was like, I'll record it and you can watch it tomorrow. So that's what I watched today. I like to have something on in the background. It can help me concentrate because I know what's going to happen. I don't have to have my eyes glued to it.

Jamal:

Wow. I'm someone that likes to play rainforest sounds and get into deep work.

Jamilla:

No, I don't think I could do that.

Moji:

For me, sometimes it is really difficult when I try hard, I just zone out. I block everything from my mind and just focus on my goal.

Jamal:

Wow. I wish I could just do that, click my fingers. Boom. I'm in the zone.

Jamilla:

Me, too. Maybe it's a skill I have to develop.

Jamal:

I think I need to do a little bit more self hypnosis. Boom. Three, two, one.

Moji:

Sometimes I might not focus because I'm thinking of something else. So I can just get it up and do whatever. And having gotten that out of my mind, I'm able to focus. It doesn't always work, but I try.

Jamilla:

Bringing us nicely onto some of the questions. Is that something that was covered in any of the Mindset sessions?

Moji:

So, first of all, the Mindset session was a really great experience. It's like a therapy session, really, because it entailed actually understanding my experience. It made me evaluate myself where currently I am. And then it made me dig deep and remember what my aspirations were when I was about 10, 15, 20 years younger. When I was much younger, I was very overly ambitious. As I grew older and I faced the disappointment of life, I got used to shrinking my goals and ambitions unknowingly. And then when we had the mindset session with Jamal, it made me actually remember how ambitious I was, and it made me realize that I've actually accomplished a lot. And it's time to stand in that role of who I am, what I've experienced, what I've accomplished, and what I'm still learning and own up to it and stand in my current self, not in myself, as I was 20 years ago, 15 years ago. It was like a rude awakening for me, and it made me realize that I can continue to have my goals and dreams. There might be obstacles, there will be obstacles, but it's not how many obstacles, but how I'm able to get up and bounce and step and move ahead, get over the obstacles. Yeah. So it was a great session. I still look back and I still remember, it strengthens me when I feel down and I'm, like, discouraged. I remember the mindset session. I remember what Jamal said. I remember what to stand in, the affirmations I need to have to remind myself my goal and how I can achieve them.

Jamal:

And one thing I want to just touch on there, Moji, is I've been sending you daily affirmations. How have you found the daily affirmations?

Moji:

The affirmation is actually a reminder for me. It helps me because it makes me remember who I am. And I stand in there every time I read it, it reminds me of my purpose, my goal. It's a good reminder. Thank you.

Jamal:

My pleasure. For you who's listening and I'm not messaging you, these daily reminders you can follow the link in the description. Join our private Facebook group. And every day Aman posts the same message. Just because you're not on the program and I'm not sending you this on a daily basis doesn't mean that you can't take advantage of it and you can't benefit from it. You absolutely can, join the community, and you are more than welcome to hang around and really benefit from one of the awesome resources that we have there. Coming on to that Moji, you have joined the Facebook community and you've added a lot of value there. Talk to us about why this community is so great?

Moji:

It's a great community. Facebook is more relaxed compared to LinkedIn, so it's a good opportunity to share and to also gather information from other people with regard to the views and perspectives on what I post there and what other people post there. So it's a good opportunity to learn. There's a lot to learn there.

Jamal:

Thank you. Thank you for sharing.

Jamilla:

You don't really have a background necessarily in data privacy. But why is it that you started to want to train in data privacy?

Moji:

I was on the website sometime last year, and I saw something pop up. Data privacy and policy notice or something and I was wondering what is this? And then I realized that ever since then, I kept on coming across it, and I did some research into it. I like the whole thing, what data privacy does. There's a system in place, the laws in place to protect people's privacy, and having to work in that kind of environment. I like helping people, making people smile, and learning about how much data privacy is all about protecting personal data, and enderared to the whole course, and learning also that data privacy also falls within risk management. Risk management is, of course, an area that I always wanted to get into, but I wasn't quite sure what approach I was going to use. So coming across data privacy, I was intrigued, and I wanted to learn more about it. So that was what basically led me to this path.

Jamilla:

And how did you first come across Jamal specifically, and the academy? And what drew you to us?

Moji:

That's an interesting question. So when I realized that I wanted to be a part of it, and I also spoke with a brother of mine, and he told me that that's a really industry to get into. I read up about it, and I said, well, this is showing also that it sounds like it's something for lawyers only. My brother was like, oh, no, you don't need to think that way, because lawyers are not able to speak the language that business people speak. It's open to people from different backgrounds to join. I told him I was going to do some research about it. So I went online, I reached out into the IAPP website, and then I went on LinkedIn, and then Jamal's name popped up. I saw that he gave training. So I reached out to Jamal. I was pretty impressed by his profile, I must say, and I thought that he had a lot of media coverage. And when I listened to the interviews, I watched them, and I thought that he brought a lot the approach with which he took into explaining questions that were presented to him. And he explained in a way that even a kid would understand what he was saying. I wanted to be a part of his training program. So I reached out to him on LinkedIn and told him I wanted to be CIPPE trained, and asked when his next class would be. I still didn't stop there. I still did more research. And then I realized, as I was researching on LinkedIn, I found out that Jamal had an academy. So I said, okay, wait here. If he has an academy where he trains data privacy professionals, I don't just want the training for the exam. I want the training to be a data privacy professional. Because that means that even after I pass the exam, I'll have the resources I need, the information I need to actually be a data privacy professional. Training for the exam only trains me to pass the exam. What happens to me when I pass the exam? How do I get into the data privacy world? How do I break through? How do I succeed in my role as a data privacy professional? I would need this. So I reached out to him again and said, okay, I don't just want to save money, I want to be a part of your academy. How do I join? And then he explained to me the steps I need to take and one of the best decisions I've made so far. My mindset has changed. I look at things differently, starting with my relations with people, or how I view people. During the mindset sessions one of the things he said is, there's no bad person. Everyone is doing the best that they can do based on their ability. So the best thing is to understand someone and work with them in a way that you can get the best out of the relationship. That is what I'm doing. I've started to look at people, also apply the knowledge of gained from the mindset sessions to my daily life. Right now, I'm changing the mindset for the better, preparing me for the role ahead, and also enabling me to get some of the best of my potential in my current situation right now.

Jamal:

Great stuff. Just for the sake of clarity, if you're listening and thinking, hang on a minute, what's going on here? Moji is one of our mentees on the Privacy Pros accelerator program. For those of you who have been listening and following some of the hard work that we've been putting in, the accelerator program is a twelve week program. It's designed to take you from where you are right now and where you graduate as a transformed world class privacy professional in twelve weeks. As part of the program, we have five pillars. The first pillar is all about the mindset. And you've heard how Moji is actually really benefiting and enjoying the mindset because it's really important to make sure that we have strong foundations. And when we have the right mindset, when we have the outlook, everything else just falls in place. And we don't just want to have the mindset of a positive person or the mindset of a successful person. We want to make sure we have the mindset of a world class privacy professional as well so that it aids us in everything that we do. And you heard earlier, one of Moji's biggest takeaways from that is the belief that everyone is doing the best they can with the knowledge and resources available to them. And how that's helped her to empower the relationships and really transform the way she views all of the interactions she has with people on a day to day basis. So the first step is all about the mindset. The second step is all about making sure that you have the actual in-depth knowledge so that you can be confident as a privacy professional. So one of the things Moji identified was I can go and read a book and learn how to pass an exam. I could probably take a very short course and learn how to pass the exam, but where does that leave me? How do I break through into the sector? How do I get hired and how do I do a great job? And as we've heard from Moji's bio, she is a very inspirational and successful woman. So the second thing we do is the in-depth knowledge, make sure you have breadth and depth of knowledge and Moji, we're working with that right now. Right, right. We'll come back to learn more about those sessions in a second. The third step is making sure that you have the credibility and authority that you deserve and that you've earned from everything that you've done through the program. So yes, we can have the great mindset, we can have this knowledge, but we need the world to know that. We need to be credible, we need to be authoritative, and therefore we need to make sure that we get a globally recognized credential and a qualification that's recognized everywhere on the planet and that employees are actually after to demonstrate that you have the gold standard of knowledge when it comes to data privacy. So we put you through the certification program for the Certified Information Privacy Professional over Europe and as an official IAPP training partner, we can really make sure that you get the most of that experience. That’s the first three steps. The first step is mindset. The second step is the subject matter expertise. The third step is the credibility and authority. And then we realize that, hang on a minute, we've given people the knowledge, they can demonstrate the credibility authority. They have the right mindset. But they need to know how to do the doing when they get in front of the clients and they need a data protection impact assessment. When they need to respond to a deletion request or another kind of subject access request. When they need to draft a privacy notice that a child can understand. When they need to do the data mapping to put in place a record of processing activities for their clients. How are they actually going to be able to excel in that? And therefore, the fourth part of the program is all about getting the hands on practical experience to make sure that you can excel. Not just know and understand how to do things, but really excel in it, so you can really go out there and make a positive contribution to data privacy and the organizations that you have the privilege of serving. And finally, the fifth step is all about personal branding. And Moji is going to share a little bit more about how the personal branding has already helped her to transform who she is and how she shows up in the world. And the personal branding is all about creating your own personal brand so that you are magnetically attracting opportunities. So how are you showing up? We want to make sure that you show up as your best self. And not only do you know that you're showing up as your best self, but you emit that charisma onto the world, to everyone that you come across and to everything that you do as well. So I'm going to stop talking now and I'm going to get Jamilla to ask Moji, the star of today's show experience, about her experience on each of the five pillars that we've mentioned and all of the other great questions Jamila's gotten for Moji.

Jamilla:

My time to shine Jamal. Moji, what has been your favourite thing so far about the Privacy Pros Academy?

Moji:

The masterclass sessions that I had with them Jamal. It's interactive and when we cover every topic, Jamal breaks it down in a way that the books don't break it down because he applies it to the role of a data privacy professional. So he shares his experiences with us, given us scenarios that relate to what we're learning, the challenges that the data privacy professional could face, and he lets us know how he handled a similar scenario in his career. It helps not only to understand better what we're studying or learning, it also helps to put things into perspective, where we are able to imagine ourselves in the role and imagine ourselves having to deliver to a client. It's the interactive session and also the scenario application that Jamal gives. It a really good experience.

Jamilla:

Like you were saying earlier, that will really help. You want the kind of well rounded, holistic experience of being a privacy professional. You don't want to just pass the exam and then say, and then what? Whereas now you’ve got the experience on top of the exam and on top of everything else that is offered. How do you think you've benefited from the personal branding aspects of the program?

Moji:

Jamal had mentioned earlier on how we present ourselves to the world matters a lot. We know who we are, we know what we're capable of doing, but other people don't know this. So we have to realize that I need to communicate my strength to the people on any platform that I have. The platforms that we have right now, we have LinkedIn, Facebook, expressing myself there as it relates to data privacy, I have posted there on a regular frequency. When he first said it, I'm thinking, why do I have to post it on LinkedIn? I don't want to be one of those people that keep on posting and posting or they're going to be going like, oh, so what next now? What's she sharing now? But I realized that it's important to be heard. There's no way people out there know me or what I do, what I'm learning. What I’m capable of doing if I don't tell them. Everything has to do with personal branding. I’ve always known that personal branding is big, but how to approach it or navigate was quite vague to me, but he gave it a lot of direction. Professional resume writers, it helps you to actually convey and express your true self on your resume. So when people read your resume, they not only understand what your goal is or what kind of career path you're looking for, you understand the other side of you. You as a person, what your strengths are, what your skill set is, all that was with the personal branding included in the academy, which I'm able to benefit from.

Jamal:

I have to give the credit to my team here when it comes to some of things mentioned, such as the resume and your LinkedIn profiles. I'm an expert in data privacy, but I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to writing CVs and creating LinkedIn profiles. And that's where the team really come in and add the value. So our careers coaches, between them, they have over 50 years of combined experience of bringing out the best of people, really helping them to get from where they are to the next step in their career, doing a great job of interviewing you and working with you and coaching you to pull out all of the greatness that you have within you. And sometimes when it comes to creating a CV, people forget about all of the amazing deals they have, all of the amazing achievements they have. And it's not until you sit down with some of our skilled careers coaches like Jane and Helen and Lynn, where you actually really get a chance to say, oh, I've actually achieved some of these amazing things and I do have these skills. And I didn't even realize I had that skill, which I do every day for you to put to a recruiter, a hiring manager, to say, okay, wow, this is amazing. This is the person that we want to speak to. And that's all the purpose of the CV is, right? We want to get it in front of a person to show them, this is the value I bring to the table. Would you like to have a chat with me?

Moji:

Yeah. That was my experience working with the professional resume writers. She asked me what I'm passionate about, what I'm looking at achieving? And she was able to pull out some information from me that I normally wouldn't have put on my resume. And she made me realize how relevant and irrelevant some things were on my resume. So it was my experience. I got an email asking me to be on a panel for a webinar by PECB, and no one's actually asked me to be on a panel on a webinar before. And this happened when I haven't even completed training yet. That speaks volumes.

Jamal:

What do you think attracted them to email you?

Moji:

I was just about to go there. What attracted them to emailing me? Because I didn't know who had reached out to me. I'd never met before, and I know the only platform she sees me on is LinkedIn. So that was just as a result of a month's worth of putting posts on LinkedIn related to data privacy. That's all she knows about me. And that caught her attention enough to make her believe that I have information enough that would be credible to share in one of the webinars. That was big for me and that was encouraging. I'm looking forward to the webinar and putting the information together. It's amazing what doing little steps consistently can achieve. This is an example. I'm an example of that. And I've been having people that are actually really well versed in data privacy reach out to me to connect with me on LinkedIn. And I've been dealt with nothing but gratitude to be able to connect with very learned and knowledgeable professionals because of following simple steps that Jamal advised to take, which is people need to see your passion. People need to see how you are able to interpret what you read and what you're capable of delivering as a data privacy professional. So, yes, thanks to you, Jamal.

Jamal:

You’ve done all the hard work. All we've done is given you a proven strategy.

Jamal:

And this is what you said that was really amazing. And if you take nothing away from this podcast and all you take away is that one thing, that Moji said, then you know it's going to change your life. It's the little things that make the big things happen when done consistently.

Moji:

So people can see that not only am I doing personal development, I'm also getting a mentor to actually coach and give master class sessions. I'm excited about the takeaways, I just have to share it. And I've been doing that, doing masterclass sessions twice a week and also post about the podcast doing this consistently, new experience for me but so far it's been great. And even if I made a mistake or two here and there, it's okay because I'm doing it. It's progress over perfection. Like I said, it's earned me a place on the panel. I'm CIPPE trained, but it's still new compared to what I've been doing over time. So when I worked as a Business Master's analyst over 15 years, I haven't been called to be on the panel of any webinar. But here I am getting into this industry, and I'm getting called to be on a panel. So great. I'm excited.

Jamilla:

I'm looking forward to seeing your LinkedIn post after this podcast.

Moji:

Thank you.

Jamilla:

In terms of the knowledge classes, what topics specifically has really resonated with you so far?

Moji:

That's a good question. I'll go with what Jamal said, in everything we do, we always have to remember the principles for data protection. Once you make sure that you have all those covered, you can tackle any issues having that as your backing.

Jamilla:

If I was to test you now, could you do them?

Moji:

Let me try. Lawfulness. Purpose limitation. Data minimization, accountability, integrity and confidentiality. And we have data storage and there's one more. Data accuracy. That's it. Yay.

Jamilla:

He should come into your academy sessions and just randomly pop in and be like tell me the seven principles you really should.

Jamal:

We can have, you know, mystery shoppers, you can be the mystery tester or something.

Jamilla:

It'd be like an episode of The Chase maybe. Have you watched The Chase?

Jamal:

I know what The Chase is. Controller at the top and then people are trying to get up the ladder and and they have all of these books that they eat for lunch and they know all the answers and then you go home. Very sad.

Jamilla:

I don't think that that's the description the TV guide uses. But back onto the questions. What are your future aspirations with respect to your career in data privacy?

Moji:

My future aspirations are work as a data privacy professional and then I'd like to get my CIPM and also the ISACA certification for data privacy on the IT side, which is the CDSPE, because I understand that in as much as we have to look at the operational side of it, there's also the IT part of It. In order to be able to fully implement privacy regulation in all process of the company, it has to be involved in the design of operations and having some IT background on how that can be done would help to make me utilize my skills and excel as a data privacy professional.

Jamilla:

With those goals. How far in the future do you see yourself?

Moji:

Max? Two years to get them.

Jamal:

Anything is possible, it just depends on how badly you want it, right? The thingnis my mentor said to me is, look, anything is possible. If you believe it's going to take you ten years, it will. And if you believe it's going to take you twelve months, it will. Whatever you believe is what's right. But the question is how badly do you want it? If you want it so badly, like when you hold your head underwater and you want that oxygen, that's how badly you've got to really want it. And if you want something that badly, you put all your efforts behind and you work smart and you have strategy and you have someone to guide you, then it's only a matter of time. It's only a matter of time. Your path, your journey is what is going to make you. And he said to me, the winners are not made in the ring. Winners are made in training. It doesn't matter how long your journey takes, as long as you're on that journey and you wake up every morning and you know that you're going to be working towards your goal, and you're going to do something small, consistently, every day. The big things will happen.

Jamilla:

It's very weird thinking of you having a mentor, Jamal. It's like when my baby niece can't understand that her parents have parents like they can't.

Moji:

I would like to who Jamal’s mentor is.

Jamilla:

We're about to come to the question for Jamal.

Jamal:

I have so many people in different areas of my life, so I have a mentor to help me with my mindset. I have a mentor to help me with my actual practice. I have multiple mentors that help when I go to my privacy related stuff. I have a mentor that helps me in my personal life, and I'm looking for a fitness mentor right now. I feel like that's one area of my life I've neglected recently. My business mentor said, hey, guy, come on, man, what's going on here? Healthy body, healthy mind.

Jamilla:

Well, if any of our listeners, fitness hobby or know anyone, please get in contact.

Jamal:

Look, whatever you do in life, you can do it yourself. You can try and figure it out. I could read a book on fitness and try and figure it out, but that's not going to help me. I need to get a mentor. I need to go and be with them. I need to do what they've done to get to where they are. And I need them to give me a strategy in line with my goals. I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder, so I need to make sure I have the right strategy and I need to have the right program. For me, too many people go on programs, whether it's a privacy program or some other program where it's a template, it's very tailor made. And the reason I spoke about the five pillars is, yes, we have the five pillars, but within those five pillars, we tailor everything around the individual.

Moji:

Yes, that's been my experience. Having you as my mentor helped me a lot, improving myself as a better privacy professional, because I'm already one. It helps make that task easier. It looks achievable. I know I can do it.

Jamal:

Absolutely. There you go. One of the reasons we limit the class to three people maximum, is so that we can give that one on one, dedicate that time, dedicate that support, dedicate the energy to developing just three people. We don't take on 50 people, but we could take on 5, 10, 12 people. But it's not about taking on lots of people. It's about taking on one or two, up to three individuals and really helping them transform their lives so they can really go out there and inspire other people to do the same.

Jamilla:

What is your question for Jamal?

Moji:

Jamal, as a data privacy super professional, what are your career goals?

Jamal:

What are my career goals? Upskill myself in a privacy technology. So artificial intelligence, machine learning. There's huge data privacy implications. And because it's evolving so rapidly. It's an area that I really want to develop my knowledge in. So moving forward, I believe we will see a lot more artificial intelligence being brought into normal business operations, and I want to make sure when that comes in, I'm in a position where I can, number one, make sure that I am upholding the rights and the freedoms of the individuals of whose personal data is subject to this artificial intelligence and the machine learning. And number two, I'm able to really add value, look after my clients, protect their interests, and protect them from reputational risk. And not only just protect them from reputation risk, but really make sure that they're in a position where they can use data privacy as a competitive advantage to inspire confidence, to cultivate trust, and to ultimately do what they do best on a much greater level.

Moji:

Awesome. Sounds great. Looking forward to sharing that experience with you. Awesome.

Jamal:

Yes, absolutely.

Jamilla:

Every time you say AI, I really want to set off your Alexa.

Jamilla:

And on that note, thank you for joining us on today's podcast, Moji.

Moji:

Oh, it's a pleasure. It's a pleasure. Thank you for having me. I've always listened to this podcast, and I've always enjoyed it, so to be actually a guest on this podcast is a great privilege. Thank you for having me.

Jamilla:

Thank you, as always, for being my co-host Jamal.

Jamal:

My pleasure. Jamila.

Outro:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, like, and share so you're notified when a new episode is released.

Outro:

Remember to join the Privacy Pros Academy Facebook group where we answer your questions.

Outro:

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you're leaving with some great things that will add value on your journey as a world class, Privacy Pro

Outro:

Please leave us a four or five star review.

Outro:

And if you'd like to appear on a future episode of our podcast or.

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Have a suggestion for a topic you'd like to hear more about, please send.

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An email to team@kazient.co.uk

Outro:

Until next time, peace with you.

Show artwork for Privacy Pros Podcast

About the Podcast

Privacy Pros Podcast
Discover the Secrets from the World's Leading Privacy Professionals for a Successful Career in Data Protection
Data privacy is a hot sector in the world of business. But it can be hard to break in and have a career that thrives.

That’s where our podcast comes in! We interview leading Privacy Pros and share the secrets to success each fortnight.

We'll help guide you through the complex world of Data Privacy so that you can focus on achieving your career goals instead of worrying about compliance issues.
It's never been easier or more helpful than this! You don't have to go at it alone anymore!

It’s easy to waste a lot of time and energy learning about Data Privacy on your own, especially if you find it complex and confusing.

Founder and Co-host Jamal Ahmed, dubbed “The King of GDPR” by the BBC, interviews leading Privacy Pros and discusses topics businesses are struggling with each week and pulls back the curtain on the world of Data Privacy.

Deep dive with the world's brightest and most thought-provoking data privacy thought leaders to inspire and empower you to unleash your best to thrive as a Data Privacy Professional.

If you're ambitious, driven & highly motivated, and thinking about a career in Data Privacy, a rising Privacy Pro or an Experienced Privacy Leader this is the podcast for you.

Subscribe today so you never miss an episode or important update from your favourite Privacy Pro.

And if you ever want to learn more about how to secure a career in data privacy and then thrive, just tune into our show and we'll teach you everything there is to know!

Listen now and subscribe for free on iTunes, Spotify or Google Play Music!

Subscribe to the newsletter to get exclusive insights, secret expert tips & actionable resources for a thriving privacy career that we only share with email subscribers https://newsletter.privacypros.academy/sign-up

About your host

Profile picture for Jamal Ahmed FIP CIPP/E CIPM

Jamal Ahmed FIP CIPP/E CIPM

Jamal Ahmed is CEO at Kazient Privacy Experts, whose mission is safeguard the personal data of every woman, man and child on earth.

He is an established and comprehensively qualified Global Privacy professional, World-class Privacy trainer and published author. Jamal is a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) and Certified EU GDPR Practitioner.

He is revered as a Privacy thought leader and is the first British Muslim to be awarded the designation "Fellow of Information Privacy’ by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).