Croydon woman who worked at Five Guys in Forbes 30 under 30

Shola West, 24, was born and raised in Croydon, learning at Norbury High School for Girls.

Despite facing challenges, like growing up in a community with a lot of negative news, dyslexia, and not pursuing traditional educational paths like university or A-levels, Shola managed to carve out a successful career in media by providing advice and guidance to young and underrepresented job-seekers.

Shola recently heard from a journalist in New York who had seen her material and encouraged her to apply for the global recognition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list – a compilation that recognises accomplished individuals under 30 that have thrived in their fields.

Shola told Your Local Guardian: “When I was in school, they told me that my predicted grades would be just Es.

“So, I worked hard on all my subjects, and ended up achieving As and Bs.

“I didn’t want to do A-Levels because I hated all the subjects I did, and I really wanted to get into the media industry so, I went to my careers advisor, who told me I wouldn’t be able to get into an apprenticeship because her daughter hadn’t got into one, based on my grades.”

Shola then got a second careers advisor who she described as “amazing”, and, after spending a year at fashion college and working at Five Guys, managed to pursue an apprenticeship with WhiteHat, now rebranded as Multiverse, in 2018. 

The apprenticeship helped her to undergo a dyslexia test, which later confirmed she had it, which Shola says explains why she had faced difficulties in school.

Since then, Shola has used platforms such as TikTok to inspire and encourage the next generation to pursue their dreams, despite obstacles and challenges they may have faced.

As time went on, Shola was able to make partnerships with companies worth millions, as she was doing media partnerships and influencer marketing.

Shola explained: “The first partnership I was pushing on was a partnership with Barclays and Channel 4 as a campaign.

“The budget behind that was a million pounds, and that’s something that’s not very common when you work in agency.

“They are usually a maximum of £500,000, but they saw potential in me.”

She says the bosses told her to go for it and take control, resulting in a very successful campaign.

Shola was able to launch six episodes on Channel 4’s YouTube channel and get a TV and social media advert involved.

Shola added: “That was quite big and basically contributed to me getting the 30 Under 30.

“So since then, I’ve had personal partnerships with Channel 4, and I’ve been helping them drive their apprenticeships.

“I’ve gone to their office in Leeds and in London, and I’ve filmed what it’s like to work there.”

Shola posted the video on TikTok, and she says it generated more than 70,000 views.

She was soon contacted to apply for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and explained: “They gave me the link to apply – it was a very long process.

“You had to document all the things you’ve done, how you’ve helped people, and then you find out the same day as everyone else if you’ve got it or not.”

Shola did make it onto the list, and on Friday, May 3, she will be going to Africa for the Forbes 30 Under 30 summit.

Although Shola never took the traditional paths of A-levels and university, she encourages people to pursue an apprenticeship, saying: “If your job is journalism, or physically writing, or graphic design, it should be through an apprenticeship, as you’re better off getting experience.

“Every job I’ve gone for, no one has asked me to have a degree, or my apprenticeship qualifications either.

“What they’re more interested in is the experience I have, so I definitely recommend apprenticeships.”

Looking back, Shola added: “Going from Five Guys to Forbes really shows it doesn’t matter where you start.

“But it’s also not just the end journey, but it’s how you got there.”

Shola thanked her mum, who she described as her "rock and BTS supporter."