AGATHA Adeshigbin is the CEO of Jedidahs Grand Services and convener of the decorator’s summit and she has done a lot to make the sector more lucrative, vibrant and attractive as well as compete favorably with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
At the second edition of the Summit it was a gathering of who is who in the sector and an opportunity to brainstorm on how to make things better and mentor upcoming decorators.
So, what inspired Adeshigbin to go into the sector you ask? “Before now, we attended different Summits and it was like a one size fits all. Here you see caterers, decorators, cocktail, ushers and different stakeholders in the sector. You attend those summits and see that sometimes you come out with nothing”.
The crux of the matter was that they were not getting the desired feedbacks and information that should take them to the next level in the business. “This is because it is not tailored towards your own kind of business. However, the decorator’s summit is tailored for decorators. So, that was what informed having this summit. It has been awesome because of the testimonies that we had from the event last year”.
Scroll down memory lane and she takes you through her experiences during the first edition of the summit and the fall outs. “We had it at the NUT Pavilion. It was during the COVID-19 period and we were very strict about the number of people that we had but had a full house. We didn’t have online participation because we had three practical sessions in floral, balloon artistry and decoration pop up making.”
She continued: “So, we felt that it should be something interactive and you learn more by seeing what the facilitator is doing. That way you can ask questions and learn better. If you are watching online, response time would be slow because of internet. It was therefore best for people to experience it firsthand. We also offered physical mentorship”.
The conversation moves on to talk about the criteria for participation, lessons learnt and the achievements. “Last year, we had 70 people with COVID restrictions in place. This year, the number increased and we had over a hundred people. There has been an increase, there has been awareness and they appreciated the Summit and what it offers them”.
Like every sector, it comes with its challenges but the most important thing is to carve a niche for your brand, be creative and maintain proper standards. “The industry is porous and we have had people that do not know anything about decorating calling themselves decorators. Even though we do not segregate, we help you, mentor you and groom you to become what you say that you are.”
Adeshigbin opines that it is a lucrative sector but unfortunately the government has turned its eyes on the sector. “It is no longer for dropouts as they used to say. It is now something for people who want to add value and receive value. There are lots of challenges , this include policies, difficulty to access funds , high interest rates and when you need to import the interest rates , staffing issues and a whole lot .The country is not friendly to entrepreneurs”, she informed.
You want to know how she got into sector and Adeshigbin takes you down memory lane. “I studied Microbiology and after NYSC I had worked a bit, started my family. I practiced for a bit, did some other things. I was in Abuja at that time and my family was in Lagos and I was in Abuja. Then, my husband felt that we should all be in Lagos and it was a bit difficult to get the kind of job that I would have wanted to do. So, someone in our church, Daystar Christian center then told my husband that I should come and learn this while I was still looking for a job. I started, found a job, did the job but my passion was still here and so I left the place”.
What was the experience like at the beginning? “Like every startup you had difficulty getting clients, accessing the right tools, and getting people to believe that you can actually do the job. So, I started out doing a lot of free jobs just to make people know that I could do it”
Quitting? “Several times but I then looked at why I came joined in the first place. I love creativity and it inspired me. So, if I want to quit, it would say go back. There is a whole lot out there, please check out which is your passion. If you love creativity you can come into the sector and pick a sector and go for training, don’t just jump in. Mentorship is very important”.