I sit at the intersection of two worlds.
On one side, I lead Inside Success, a business that has turned over £13 million in three years. On the other, I steer U Got Jokes, an entertainment brand producing licensed content for global platforms like Amazon.
As a Black British CEO of Nigerian heritage, I don’t just build businesses; I build ecosystems. Whether I am launching My Sounds Global in the rapidly developing districts of Nigeria or producing events at the Radisson Blu, I see the future through the lens of Afro-futurism—a world where culture and technology merge to create borderless ownership.
But even with an 8-figure track record, when I step back into the UK’s traditional infrastructure, I hit a “brick wall” that my legacy competitors never see: The Venue Tax.
The Systemic Friction of Success
Whether I am booking an awards show for Inside Success at the O2 Indigo or a headline comedy special for U Got Jokes at the Hammersmith Apollo, the story remains the same.
I recently sat down with venue management at the Apollo. I wanted dates. The response?
“Pay £20,000 plus VAT upfront.”
That is £24,000 of working capital tied up immediately. It’s not a credit; it’s a barrier to entry. On top of that, the ultimatum is absolute: the entire balance must be paid 30 days before the show even happens, or the venue can cancel the date entirely.
Meanwhile, legacy companies—the “Old Guard”—operate on a different planet. They book 15 dates at a time, pay on a 60-day invoice after the show, and receive massive cost deductions. They get to keep their cash liquid, and they get to breathe.
This isn’t just a “discount”—it’s a systemic anchor designed to price black businesses out of the market entirely.
The “Single-Night” Risk Trap
In the entertainment business, risk management is everything. A legacy company with 15 dates can survive a bad night. But for a Black British entrepreneur forced to pay £24k upfront for a single night, the margin for error is zero.
