Meet Raphael and Opeyemi Sofoluke, authors of Twice as Hard
Twice As Hard is an exploration of Black identity in the workplace as well as a blueprint for success, written by entrepreneurial husband and wife Raphael and Opeyemi Sofoluke. Their debut book exposes the obstacles that limit opportunity for Black professional progress, how to challenge racial stereotypes, be productive, find purpose and ultimately design a successful career.
Twice as Hard has been hailed as one the number one books that explores Black identity in the workplace. What unseen opportunity sparked the idea for Twice as Hard?
O: When starting out in my career, I was one of 2 Black women on the Graduate Program. So being a Black woman who started out in corporate I've always known what it feels like to be “the only one” and tied to that I’ve experienced the challenges of climbing the corporate ladder without having many people who look like me to reach out to for advice. Sometimes, as a Black person, you just want to seek guidance from someone who can truly relate to you, someone who understands what it feels like to navigate predominantly white space - but I did not have that. I knew that if I was feeling this way then there were certainly other Black men and women going through this so for me it was important to create a resource that provided the advice and guidance I knew Black professionals would benefit from.
R: Running the UK Black Business Show since 2017 has meant that everything I do has been centred around inspiring and connecting Black business owners and professionals. With the work I do, writing a book that would support the Black community, aligned well with my goals and the change I want to see for Black professionals. We were discussing the idea of writing this book during 2019 and it has become even more relevant to society because of the tragic events of 2020 such as the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests. For me this book is not only a tool book for black professionals but also something to educate allies on the challenges and experiences Black professionals face.
What do you both hope to achieve with Twice as Hard? Who is your ideal reader?
When we came up with the idea for Twice As Hard, it was important for us to write a book that could be read by anyone. While we directly address the Black community for the most part, Twice As Hard is a book that anyone can learn from regardless of race. So, with that in mind, our aim was twofold. First and foremost, it was important for us that Twice as Hard would empower and encourage Black professionals and entrepreneurs, providing them with practical advice to develop.
Secondly, our hope was to educate and inform people outside of the Black community of our experiences. The reality is, the phrase “twice as hard” is not just a popular idiom used in Black community - for many of us it is a way of life. Whether in school, university, in the working world as a professional or entrepreneur, Black people are under constant pressure to work harder than our white counterparts. We’ve both experienced this pressure at different stages in our careers and when starting out we didn’t have many Black professionals to turn to for advice so we hope to provide a resource we know would have been invaluable for us when we entered the world of work. We hope to make it easier for the Black community.
You’ve both accomplished so much as professionals and entrepreneurs. Tell us about your experience working together as a husband and wife duo?
O: Working with Raphael has actually been an amazing experience, we really worked well together. Raphael has a really strong work ethic and is super driven so collaborating with him kept me motivated. We definitely encouraged each other throughout the process.
R: Working with Opeyemi on this project was a great experience, she’s an expert in her field so if we weren’t married she would still be a great person to write this book with. Our jobs are so similar yet so different and being able to get two different perspectives from a Black man and a Black woman was so invaluable to the book.
What aspect of the creative process did you both enjoy the most?
We really enjoyed the ideation process as it gave us time to brainstorm and reflect on our personal experience. We spent time talking about themes we would have found useful as well as topics we considered to be essential for our audience. Eventually we created a shortlist before settling on the following: Branding, Networking, Mentors and Sponsors, Navigating White Spaces, Growth, Finances, Mental Health and Allyship.
Would you say your life experiences shaped the direction of Twice as Hard? And did you learn anything new about yourselves along the way?
O: Most definitely. Throughout the book we both share experiences we have encountered in our career that have been linked to our race and in a way, reliving those experiences showed me how resilient I have been and how driven I am.
R: Yes, definitely. When you read the book, you can really see that for me growing up in Bermondsey and working in predominantly white spaces had such an impact on who I am today. The microaggressions, the code switching, the lack of space to network with Black professionals all contributed to the person I am today. Writing the mental health chapter was an eye opener for me, as I wrote about having a work life balance and finding time to rest, I realised there was still a lot I needed to do to ensure I don’t burnout. I’m now trying to implement some of the amazing advice I have received from our contributors.
Your book shares the obstacles, but also powerful steps to navigate both the professional and entrepreneurial experience of Black people. What would be your top three tips for Black professionals wanting to challenge racial stereotypes in the workplace?
Firstly we would say call it out straight away as soon as you can but the way you do it may vary from time to time. We heard some horror stories from our contributors in our book and it is not always easy to call out such behaviour but be brave. Secondly, if colleagues make remarks that are laced with bias, ask them probing questions like “what do you mean by that?”, “Can you explain to me what you're trying to say?” This way you can ask for more detail to find out if the person is just being ignorant or racist and it also causes them to actually think about what they have just said.
Finally, don't be afraid to escalate the situation, sometimes Black professionals fear reporting as they feel no one will believe them and it may put their job at risk but we need to break this mentality as we can not just allow negative behaviour to continue.
Would you say it’s the job of Black professionals to educate their colleagues to spot racial bias and develop an anti-racism strategy in the workplace? If yes/no, why?
Information is easily accessible for those who want to find it, so it is important that all employees do their part to research how racial bias manifests itself in the workplace. Employees should be willing and ready to be proactive and self-educate, people should not expect to be spoon-fed. Many Black people are tired of being the point person for anything related to race at work and should certainly not be responsible for developing an anti-racism strategy. Yes, Black people can offer invaluable first-hand experience and insights to such strategies but this responsibility should not fall on their shoulders just because they are Black.
Twice as Hard shares the experiences and advice of Black industry leaders around the world; including Matthew Knowles, Trevor Nelson, Charlene White and more. Why was this inclusion vital to share with your readers?
For us it was important to get voices from different industries to show that whatever career you are trying to pursue there is someone in the book who can offer you advice. One thing that stood out was that regardless of how successful these industry leaders were they had all faced challenges at work directly related to their race. A key message we took away from all the contributors was that although they faced a number of barriers they continued to push through and challenge the status quo - so we hope this book acts as a guide for others to do the same.
How did you both feel when you received your first copy of Twice as Hard?
O: It was such an exciting feeling. To be able to hold and see all our hard work in its physical form was incredible. I just remember smiling and feeling so proud of us. So proud.
R:I was speechless, I didn’t know what to say. It was such an unreal feeling and one I will cherish for a long time.
What advice would you give to budding authors trying to build a publishing history or an author platform?
O: Don't give up at the first "no". It's ok to go back to the drawing board and review, adapt and update ideas. Also I would say try not to be overly critical about your work to the point that you question yourself. Yes, it is good to challenge and push yourself but do it in such a way that you build your skills. Finally, as a budding author, own and embrace that part of your identity and recognise the power of your voice on paper.
R: As a new author there is not a huge amount of advice I can offer. My advice is that whatever you are going to write about you should just be passionate about it. It’s the passion that will keep you focused during the late nights of writing.
As successful entrepreneurs and now accomplished authors - what’s next for Raphael and Opeyemi Sofoluke?
Well right now everything is about Twice As Hard but we’re super excited about supporting initiatives that relate to championing Black professionals and entrepreneurs.
