Fame is an opportunity, not a financial plan — Calabar Chic

Actress and content creator, Stephanie Isuma, popularly known as Calabar Chic, has urged entertainers to develop financial intelligence and build assets rather than rely solely on fame.

Calabar Chic, who describes herself as “The Chic Investor” and advocates financial independence, told Sunday Scoop, “I think entertainers need to understand that fame is an opportunity, but it is not a financial plan. This is something I am passionate about, especially when I speak to women.

“I believe every woman should understand her money. You don’t have to be a financial expert or know every investment instrument that exists, but you should know what is coming into your account, what is going out, what you own, what you owe and what you are building.

“There is nothing wrong with enjoying the rewards of your hard work. Please, if you have worked hard and you can afford the nice bag, buy your bag. I am not fighting anybody’s enjoyment. But, I also want us to ask what is happening behind the lifestyle.”

“You can look very wealthy and not actually be wealthy. For entertainers, this is particularly important because our income can be unpredictable. Your face can be everywhere today and tomorrow, the industry has moved on to somebody else. That is simply the nature of the business. We need to learn to turn visibility into opportunities, opportunities into income, and income into assets.”

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Reflecting on her journey across entertainment, content creation and entrepreneurship, she said diversification had changed the way she viewed money.

“It has taught me that earning money is only the beginning. When you earn money, you have solved the problem of income for that moment. Building wealth requires you to think about what happens next.

“I used to ask, ‘How can I make money?’ Now, I ask, ‘What can I build with the money I make?’ That is a very different question,” she added.

Isuma added that, beyond entertaining people, she wanted to build businesses, creative projects and systems that could create lasting value.