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Tag: adetorera idowu

  • ‘How to generate income from Social Media’

    ‘How to generate income from Social Media’

    Bukola Opanuga, a digital marketing strategist, runs an agency called Modavate in Atlanta Georgia. She is helping businesses leverage the power of the internet to grow their businesses, engage and attend to stakeholders and also increase profits. Adetorera Idowu reports.

     

    Though Bukie, as she prefers being called left Nigeria for the United States several years ago, she is visiting Nigeria to partner with Top Village to motivate women through a series of workshops in order to train them on skills and opportunities in the New Media space.

    “I’m speaking on marketing of brands to the world and helping people think more from a global perspective. We are targeting not just those in media but also young enthusiasts interested in new media. Some young women have talents in speaking, writing and creating videos. I’ll be helping them take those skills to create original content, put it on the web and make a good income, or at the very least position themselves for great positions in companies they might be a part of,” she said.

    Bukie’s agency Modavate, has overtime built a strong resume by helping brands like ZTE (Mobile device manufacturer from India) and the Nigerian Consulate of Atlanta to create strong digital presence.

    Her aim of coming to Nigeria is to help women, especially those who are unemployed think outside the box. “We all have digital devices and sometimes you don’t realise the power of that thing in your hand, we spend a lot of time on facebook and twitter joking and having fun, but you really could have a career, if you have the interest and passion in one of these many things that you can do on new media,” Bukie explained.

    Her passion for digital marketing and entrepreneurship started years ago as an engineering undergraduate. After taking a basic html class, she started designing websites for friends and family.

    She later went on to get an associate in Mathematics and Bachelors in Business with a focus on entrepreneurship. To further hone her skills, she got her masters in Internet marketing. It was right after that she decided to set up her own agency and was successful at creating websites for businesses.

    But her client’s growing concern with marketing and growing visibility for these websites created, inspired her to expand into digital marketing.

    Commenting on the growth of the digital marketing space in Nigeria she said: “There are a lot of opportunities and there’s still a lot of room for training, education and awareness for business owners and entrepreneurs on what the possibilities are. I think if there’s a lot more awareness and people are seeing more results, they’ll be more interested in those opportunities.

    “The statistics from last year is that 90percent of consumers in developed worlds make buying decisions after doing online searches, but even in Africa we are catching on very quickly as we now have websites where people can have reviews. It is growing rapidly and we are going to see quite a spike in the near future.”

    She advised business owners, to try to harness the power of the internet, understand the opportunities and the fact that they exist and also employ the use of social media.

    She also encouraged businesses looking to have better engagement online and a stronger digital strategy to look to serve mobile customers because a large majority of customers do not wait until they have access to their laptops or desktops to access the internet.

    Bukie is not stopping, with her passion for helping women discover a career in New Media; she is using her agency, Modavate, to train businesses to create very strong digital strategy that can compete on a global space.

    She encouraged women to harness the opportunities by learning programming languages and basic site development and also getting freelance jobs online, “There are market places online where you can enroll, take one or two tests and start bidding on jobs and I have had to do that in the past, when I was still freelancing.  What happens in those market places is that if you do those jobs and do them well, you can get better reviews and you have more people wanting to work with you. If you’re very diligent you can buy a book, or get on websites where you can learn to code for free.

    “If you want to go as far as learning php, you’ll even be hotter on the market because there are lot of sites and content management systems that are built on these languages and they are not going to go away anytime soon. If you are a designer and like to create designs in Photoshop there are a lot of projects that you can possibly get once you get those skills and the good part is that you can learn these things for free. Most agencies are not looking for a degree or certificate; they are looking for someone who can do the work.”

    She advised women to take full advantage of the opportunities online by making a financial commitment to learn by going to cybercafés if they have to and soak in as much knowledge as they can.

    And to those who still believe that the grass is greener on the other side; “If you want to be in New Media I think you have a lot more opportunities in Nigeria.  You can acquire the skill and get freelance jobs without adding the extra cost of visa, travel and accommodation. If, you’re going there to get a job, you would have to get an education, even if you’ve already gone to school in Nigeria. There are many resources available to you with just internet connection” She concludes.

     

  • ‘Why Africans should not bleach’

    ‘Why Africans should not bleach’

    Forbes top 30 most promising young African Entrepreneur Christian Ngan, who made fortune with his bio-cosmetic company Madlyn Cazalis, speaks with Adetorera Idowu on his foray into the beauty industry from a background as an investment banker and how he is tackling the issue of skin bleaching among Africans.

    You were recently listed on Forbes as one of the 30 most promising young African Entrepreneurs’. What would you say you did differently in business that got you on the list?

    After staying ten years in France, working in the investment banking industry and private equity industry, I decided to go back to Cameroon to start a business. I think it is my courage that got me on that list. The courage to leave a well paying job and come back to Africa to start with only $3000 of my savings. Only two years later, I have made it to the Forbes list.

    You said you work as an analyst what informed your decision to go into the beauty industry from finance?

    I saw a lot of women who keep bleaching their skin and I wanted to provide them good product, good African made product that could be an alternative to bleaching and that was why I decided to start a cosmetic theory.

    Was there someone that influenced this career path?

    My mother is a pharmacist and Works in a chemist store. I remember ten years ago she said to me that she does not want to end her life in a chemist store and I promised that one day I will launch a cosmetic brand. Through her, I had the opportunity to watch her working with clients and advise them on the skin problems, so she was my inspiration to go into the industry.

    What are the specific skills you acquired as an investment banker that helped you in your new business?

    I acquired skills like financial modeling skills, and with the knowledge I gained from EMYLON, I was able to think as an investor and to study the industry. Also EMYLON has a very large network and it was easy for me to find opportunities to talk with professors in this industry.

    What will you say is Madlyn Cazalis’ selling point?

    We are a bio cosmetic company so we provide natural products. We are the only relevant brand in central Africa that provide natural cosmetic product so there is a market. We also listen to our customers. Some companies do mass production, they sell it and turn their backs, but that’s not what we do.
    We are pharmacists, and we have excellent customer service. When they come, we discuss with them and if there is a problem they tell us and we can change the product. We have good customer service and good customer experience. Not all companies do that. We also provide services and listen to our customers. We don’t only sell product and let them go.

    What are some challenges you faced introducing it to the market?

    The main challenge is the environment. It is not easy for young entrepreneurs because the government does not encourage entrepreneurship. I believe you have to start small if you want to succeed and I want to do things step by step. I want to be a significant company and experience has shown that if you want to be a significant brand you have to take your time.

    What are your plans on retailing your product around Africa?

    The main goal is to be a Pan- African brand. We just started in Cameroon because I’m from Cameroon.  I have received calls from all over Africa like Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe and Gabon, but we want to structure ourselves and I think we will want to develop the company through partnerships and grow our brand in other countries in West Africa like Nigeria which is a big market. We are also looking at East Africa which is booming at the time but we need investors in these countries because our main goal is to have a Pan-African brand.

    What is different about your brand?

    There are not enough natural cosmetic brands for dark skin. If you go to Europe or to the U.S, You will find a lot of bio cosmetic brands, but we don’t have a lot of bio-cosmetic brands for dark skin dark and milk skin especially central Africa. I think there is a place for us.

    What will your products do for the average African?

    It can repair your skin. Our best selling anti spot lotion called the green lotion repairs spots naturally and people really like it. Our products are 80 to 100 percent natural we can repair your skin and make you proud of your skin. We are out to make African women proud of who they are so you can have a very good skin with our products naturally.

    Many companies have made a fortune selling bleaching products to African consumers, how is your cosmetic company dealing with this issue?

    We are doing in-house prevention, telling people to stop bleaching their skin through conferences and events. I have also had the opportunity to talk to women and men who bleach their skin. In our adverts we also get this message across.  I would say that we are activists.
    I think it’s the better way to provide a good image and do something good for Africa.

    Africans believe that international cosmetic brands are superior. How can African made cosmetics beat the current growing market for international brands.

    We are doing education as I said and we want people to stop thinking that products from Europe and the U.S are the only good products. We want them to be proud of their own products and to buy their own products. I think it’s only through education we can do this.
    I think Africa is moving forward and a lot of countries are conscious of the fact that they can be part of the international trade. Because of the crisis in Europe, many African businesses are thriving and more people are buying and using African products. Thanks to sites and brands like Jumia who are helping market African made products. This new trend and we want to be part of this trend.
    Eventually this mindset will change. We want people to be proud to buy Africa. A lot of customers are proud to buy our products not just because it works because they don’t want to buy European products and because it works. This is why the company is successful.

    Would you say your Job is challenging?
    The challenges I face every day is meeting people from different fields, to imagine, create and to plan. The future is very important and I have the motivation everyday which is very important.

    Whats the future for Madlyn Cazalis?

    The future is to develop the company in other countries and internationally and also in different areas and segments because we don’t only want to do cosmetics but create accessories, hair care, makeup. I think that through partnerships we could do that.

  • Women of change

    Women of change

    As the world celebrates International Women’s Day which has been observed since the early 1900s, a London-based firm pays tribute to 4 women who are trailblazers in their own right.

    Tokie Laotan-Brown

    Tokie Laotan-Brown has written a well-received book called ‘10 Steps to Managing your household budget’, is currently undertaking a joint Phd Program in Economics and Techniques for the Conservation of the Architectural and Environmental Heritage at the University of Nova Gorica and Universita Iuav di Venezia, Italy. She is as an environmental architectural technologist. She is also a full-time mother and wife!

    Atiti Sosimi


    The multi-award winning Atiti Sosimi successfully manages to juggle family life, being a mother, running a business, writing books, inventing, producing and selling the Shhh or Tell it board game, lecturing in HE part time, mentoring business owners to become award winners and young people to believe and achieve! As if all of this wasn’t enough she has launched the high end fashion label, Eyato! She still finds time to be human too – a moment in her company will stay for a lifetime in your memory!

    Amanda Rabor

    Isossy Children was founded by Amanda Rabor in 2010. Isossy Children is a celebration of
    colour, vivacity, global influences and fashion. It offers children and their parents’ choice, style and design, which is why many of the pieces are limited edition prints. Amanda has worked tirelessly to grow this business from scratch, earning international fashion acclaim along the
    way! Amanda’s passion and enthusiasm for her business is not only an inspiration but also an indication of what really is possible when one dares to dream.

     Hazel Chawapiwa

    Hazel is a passionate business woman who started her first business in 1999 whilst studying at University. She often says the financial strains of being a young single mother and a student was the motivation for her to start her own business. A redundancy and the need to raise a deposit to
    get on the property ladder led to her becoming involved in a number of business ventures most notably The 2Inspire Network which is inspiring women from across the UK to truly live their best lives! Hazel continues to strive for the very best for herself and other women, inspiring us all to do better!

  • 6 reasons to marry early

    6 reasons to marry early

    The question of the right time to get married has been a hot topic in different groups and talk shows over the past few months. Society and some cultures have driven the concept of late marriage deep in the consciousness of everyone because of the alarming increase in divorce which has made marriage a feat for only those with courage.  Damian, a married man says “Our culture is all for marrying very late and then having kids. And that does work for some people. But if you find the right girl/guy, don’t waste time for the sake of marrying late”

    This article in no way endorses a rush to the altar however; we must outline the benefits of doing it early.

    1.       Prevent sin: For those who believe in the concept of purity before marriage. Early marriage is one thing that can help you enjoy sex the way it was designed. “In the confines of a marriage union” Despite our culture’s acceptance sex outside of marriage, doing it within marriage helps prevent things like rejection, pain and unwanted pregnancy.

    2.       Earn more: It is said that those who are married earn more than their single counterparts. An online journal published by Oxford University Press states “It is shown that married men feel less satisfied with their financial situation as compared to their single counterparts. These results indicate that a lower level of pay satisfaction induce married men to put more effort into their work, which leads to higher wages.”

    3.       Respect: Whether or not we come accept this, married people are more respected in society than their unmarried counterparts. Toke Makinwa, an on-air-personality, once said that traffic enforcement agents are more careful with women who have rings on their fingers because they do not know who they are married to. This is true, even in the work environment and society in general; a promotion will readily be give to someone who is married and one who is perceived to be more responsible. Since we all want to make significant advancements in our career and make it fast. An early marriage may be the solution.

    4.       Have kids young: Stephen Miller aptly sums this by saying “Having kids young means they graduate and are out of the house when you’re still young. Only instead of being young and broke, you’ll be young with money. You’ll likely have spent years establishing your career and finances, and will have the finances and freedom to do many of the things you always wanted to do.

    5.       You’ll never find the right companion: Many are in constant search for their ‘one true love’ and this tend to make them spend more years waiting, but as Stephen Miller says “You will never really find the right person and if you do, you’re probably not the right person for them – at least for long. I don’t mean this to sound fatalistic and this doesn’t mean just marry the next person you date because you’re not going find “the one.” You’re both going to change a ton over the years.

    6.      You can never really be ready: You will always want to make more money and be more comfortable and be a better person to ‘increase’ your options. But it’s even better when you can grow and become better with the person you love by your side, supporting you and propping you up during this journey. Therefore, waiting till you are ready for marriage is wrong because you will never be ready. Rather, get married when your resources can take care of your wife and she also has her source of income as well.

     

  • From beauty queen to image consultant

    From beauty queen to image consultant

    Ifeoma Williams former Miss Lux, now an image consultant speaks to Adetorera Idowu about her love for consulting and how she set up Fruition Image consulting.

    What’s the focus of your company, Fruition Image?

    The umbrella of image consulting is very broad. Fruition image is the holistic image consultancy. This umbrella covers; public relations, media relations, personal image enhancement, corporate group training, personality brand management, etiquette and everything that can help show an individual or corporate organisation in a positive light. An image consultant helps you put your best foot forward and our focus is to be holistic.

    How would you describe your life as an image consultant?

    I would say it is heeding God’s call for my life. I started out as a lawyer but growing up I was known for packaging and putting people together, be it the way you look or if you’re asked a question. I would say “That’s too many words, say it in 3 or 4 words” I was the family copyrighter. It came to me naturally, and I readily transitioned from my legal career into it. You know what they say about monetizing your passion. I’m blessed to be in image consulting.

    What was the journey like to where you are now?

    It’s been a very interesting and eventful one but I guess when you’re passionate about and believe in something you’ll stick with it. Image consulting was very new when I started 7years ago and at the time I knew only two certified image consultants; myself and someone else. When I wanted to leave my career to go into image consulting, I remember my father saying “You want to leave law to go tell people how to carry shoe and bag?” So I had to explain further. When I came back from my training, people called me a stylist because the initial thing I did was fashion and fashion styling. I had to educate a lot of people on the fact that, styling is a miniscule part of image consulting. But even though styling was what I started with, it caught on because Nigerians are very fashion forward. It’s been an interesting journey, a gradual process and I’m very proud of the fact that I have risen in my career. Currently, I’m President-elect of Associate of Image Consultants International (AICI) – Nigeria Chapter. I also like the fact that the pioneer image consultants and I opened the gateway for the many young fashion stylists and image consultants. My advice to fashion stylists is; though it comes naturally and every man and his purse is a stylist, styling is an art and getting training will actually enhance your God-given talents. My advice to them is; get trained and join the association.

    Who are your major clients?

    I do not like to mention names so that one client does not feel less special. The industries we service are the banking industry, entertainment, media, fashion and lifestyle as well as top corporate executives. As a former lawyer myself, we have started doing a lot of corporate training on etiquette for the legal community.

    Can you tell us a few of the challenges you’ve faced on the job?

    Number one challenge is infrastructure. Number two is that though Nigerians are very knowledgeable, they do not understand concepts. So when you say to someone “I want to enhance your image” They think it’s such a simplistic thing and don’t believe they should pay for that service. Nigerians generally do not understand paying for services but when you spend time with an image consultant and they help you work on your image, you’ll see that it’s a service worth paying for because you can tell the difference post image consulting.

    What are the strategies you’ve employed to overcome some of these challenges?

    Infotainment basically, because the world is very visual. I simply kept my prospective clients informed of the benefits. It’s advertising of sorts. Thank God for social media. This makes it easier to inform your would-be clients of the benefits. I wrote a lot of proposals, it wasn’t just text, there were pictures and things to show, I held a lot of talks and I think over time people now realized that there was really something to look into with image consulting.

    So what was the turning point?

    I would say I’ve been quite lucky. But the turning point was the day I gave my first talk. It’s been a life of blessings. After my first talk, people started to invite me.

    What are your tips on how we can exude a professional image?

    My number one advice is, be true to yourself. My number one style guide is that trend and fashion do not equate to style and as Yves Saint Laurent said, fashion fades but style is eternal. Not every trend will suit you. It is alright to stay with classic and timeless trends. Know what suits you and stick with it
    Number 2 and most importantly, learn to highlight your assets and conceal your flaws. If you have k-legs, you cannot wear skirt above the knee cap. It won’t work. If you stutter, public speaking might be difficult, so work on it by slowing down your pace and speech and you’ll become better at it. Know your body type, stick to your style preference and buy classic pieces not trends. For other tips you should be speaking to Fruition.

    What are some of the memorable moments you’ve had in Fruition and your personal life?

    As I say watch this space, because a remarkable one will be before the end of the year. But some of the memorable moments in the past were; when we moved to our office in Lekki, when we single handedly organized the First Lagos carnival queen competition in 2010, when we spoke at the RISE Network organized by Toyosi Akerele in 2007. There have been too many memorable moments.
    In my personal life, the days that I gave birth to both my children, the day I won the LUX competition, and the day I took the leap of faith to become an image consultant.

    Do you think winning the Miss Lux Competition shot you to limelight?

    It did shoot me to limelight, albeit at an early age. It also has its pros and cons, but I would say it did help because, when you are known, people want to know what it is you’re doing, so it did help my career.

    Do you have any mentors?

    I have many mentors. My father, Mr Tunde Ezichi is one of my mentors. My other mentors are, Mr. Yemi Candide Johnson SAN, My life coach, Mr Lanre Olusola. Someone I admire greatly would be Mo Abudu who is also a very good friend and Mrs Gbemi Sasore, an older sister, a mentor and a friend.

    Out of all these people who has had the greatest influence on your life?

    My father- I’m an orator like my dad, public speaking because I watched my dad compère events when I was a child. The comedian side of me came from my father as well. My father is straight in his dealings in life and I think that I got that from him as well. He is generally someone I admire. He is in his 60s and he doesn’t look one day over 40. So I think the image side of things was greatly influenced by him. My father is also a great fashion lover with impeccable taste even at his age.

    Beauty pageants are gradually fading out, what do you think is the reason for that?

    I don’t think they are fading out, I think that their style is changing because I’m involved in a few of them, pageants are becoming more cerebral and there’s now a focus and it’s beyond just the entertainment. Crowned beauty queens are now indeed ambassadors. When we sift the shaft from the wheat, what would stand out are the truly substantial beauty competitions because people are not just looking for physical beauty anymore, they are looking for voices in this generation.

    If you had to advice young women, what would you tell them?

    I’ll say that experience is not the best teacher, but other people’s experiences are the greatest teacher. I’d say listen more than you speak and be patient and prayerful. A good name is always priced over mundane worth and you’ll discover in the long run as Solomon said that ‘all is vanity’. So if you pursue your dreams, only that which you sow shall you reap. This law holds true, when you always remember that and you pursue your dreams, you’ll see that in good time, what you have worked for will come to you.

    How do you maintain work life balance?

    Through the grace of God and a conscious effort. To maintain work-life balance, you have to be deliberate and make up your mind on when you will work and when you’ll relax. As an image consultant, I can only portray a holistic physical image if my mind, body and soul are intact and the only way I can make sure of this is to give each aspect of my life time. There are other people in my life, like my family and I need to spend time with them. I must differentiate between me-time, work-time and their-time