Stories That Touch: "From Serial Entrepreneur to Serial Debtor"

Tell us your first experience with making money

Well, I used to take a lot of contrabands such as sweets and chocolates to my secondary boarding school. I noticed my dorm mates weren’t good at sneaking theirs in. Hence, they would result in begging from me. So, I started offering it to them at a price and they jumped at the offer. That’s how I got the nickname Contra Mama. I became the go-to for contrabands and I made sweet money from it. I was selling an item for over double the price of the initial cost.

Impressive! So was that when you decided to be a Business Owner

No, I wanted to be a Lawyer. I studied law at the University of Lagos. However, right from year one, I was into one business or the other. I always took advantage of my environment and created opportunities for them.

Do you think it has anything to do with how you were raised?

Hmmm! That’s very possible. My mum is a Medical Laboratory Scientist but she runs a SuperMart. Thinking back now, I think my mum has dived into several businesses. I remember her selling gold, fabrics and even paint at different times. So maybe you’re right, she may have had an impact on me.

Now, let’s talk about running a business while being a Law Student. How was that?

I actually ran 3 businesses.

What!!!

*laughs, Yes. I sold wigs, jewelry, shoes and bags. That’s 4 businesses actually.

Well, it was pretty easy for me. I had a lot of referrals and made use of social media to promote my business as well. I did that till I graduated. My business was doing so well that I decided to skip Law School and focus solely on being an entrepreneur. If only I knew, I’d have chosen differently.

Really?! What makes you say that?

Well, I guess it was pretty much a lack of information on my part or maybe I knew and I just chose to ignore it. My business was doing so well; I never thought about saving. So I always reinvested the money into the business or used the profits on funding my baby girl lifestyle.

Sometime last year, I made a huge purchase of human hair from China. However, I got scammed and I lost a lot of money. It’s been difficult to bounce back as I have no savings. I had to borrow money from friends and family to pay my customers who made early payments for preorders.

That’s sad to hear. What’s the next step for you?

Well, first I have to settle all my debts. I’m running sales so I can make some money selling off some old wares.

My elder sister already promised to support me with capital to reorder the goods. So, I'm going to start my business again.

What do you plan to do differently this time?

It’s a case of once bitten, twice shy. This time around, I’m saving as I’m making a profit. I can’t afford to let what happened repeat itself.

I already opened a LifeTime Savings plan with Enterprise Life. I’m really excited to get back to my regular way of doing business.

Stories That Touch: "How I missed out on going to my dream school"

What was growing up like?

I am an only child, and I attended a private primary and secondary school. My dad worked at a Telecom company and mum is a lab scientist. Hence, we lived well above average. When I was 9, my father was diagnosed with Lung cancer. He died shortly after. After he died, I also spent some time with my uncle at Ikorodu, where I had lots of friends to play with, and it was fun.

Sorry about your dad, how did your dad’s death change things?

Well, it was just my mum and I so we were able to survive with her salary. That was until she had an emotional breakdown which made her lose her job. This was when things got really messy. It affected me as well as I started to lose focus in school. I remember I was preparing to write my common entrance exam.

That’s really sad to hear. How did you survive?

A few months after she lost her job, things went really bad. She had exhausted her little savings and family members started to withdraw. We moved out of our 2-room apartment to rent a self-contained room.

When I was in SS1, my mum took me to my uncle’s place at Ikorodu to start living there. I finished secondary school at my uncle’s place. I gained admission into a German University to study computer science but I lost the opportunity.

How?

Well, even though I had a scholarship. We couldn’t afford the travel expenses.

So were you away from your mum throughout your stay at Ikorodu?

No, she came to visit me from time to time. I always missed her. I visited her once in a while too.

So were you away from your mum throughout your stay at Ikorodu?

No, she came to visit me from time to time. I always missed her. I visited her once in a while too.

How do you think she managed without you?

She always tried to convince me that she was fine whenever she came around but I could see she wasn’t.

She was able to set up a small lab with the help of her siblings and that helped us a bit. I went back to stay with her to help with the lab while preparing for university.

Which university is that?

I got admission to study Mathematics at Obafemi Awolowo University and graduated in 2016. I attended a free coding training session in school and that’s how I started coding.

Interesting! I love that you jumped on the opportunity. So, why tech?

Well, I’ve also been fascinated with computers. My uncle was a Computer Engineer and while I was at his place; he noticed my interest in computers. This was why he advised me to study Computer Science in university. He’d always say that computers will make me more relevant in the future.

Nice, did they really make you more relevant?

When I was in my final year, which was 4 years of learning how to write code and working for free. I got my first freelance job as a Front-End Website Developer. The company paid me N145, 000. I thought I was dreaming. I still clearly remember calling my mum to tell her the good news. I also sent her my first salary.

Now that I look back at it, that job was my breakthrough into the industry. The client liked my work and from there I got referrals, built a strong portfolio. By the time I was serving, I was already working with a Fintech company. Safe to say I was a Lagos Big-boy.

Oshey! Tech bro. Share this money now.

What would you say is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt in life?

I think I’d draw my biggest lesson from my parents’ life. When life is rosy, always prepare for the rainy days cause life is full of surprises. I don’t think anybody would have guessed that my dad would leave us so soon. I know he loved for me to go to Germany to study Computer Science.

I’m inputting these lessons into how I raise my family which is why I already know I’m getting a Child Educare plan for my children immediately after they are born. It’s really never too early to plan for your child’s future.

4 ways to express love to your family

We find it very easy to say we love our families, but do we show them that we do. The love amongst families comes with its unique feelings, behaviours, challenges, and rewards. You must be intentional about finding ways to show and grow love in the family.

And guess what? Family isn’t just about blood relations, as friends become family.

It’s easy to get consumed with our busy schedules and dream chasing that we forget what’s important to us- FAMILY. You should also realize that there is no perfect time to show love to your family. It shouldn't be reserved for just holidays and grand gestures. It’s the little things we do and how we do them every day.

Here are 4 ways you can express love to your family all year ‘round.

1- Communicate daily- As simple as this sounds, many of us hardly find time to actively listen to our family members and friends. By taking an active interest in their lives whether it’s listening to details of their long day or just letting them vent. It could also be as simple as asking your parents about their new interests and hobbies or listening and talking to your children. It will help the family feel closer and develop a deeper emotional connection.

2- Show physical affection- Sometimes, all you need is a hug or smile to brighten up a person’s day whether it’s your parents, spouse or child. Being physically affectionate will also encourage the whole household to do the same. When kids see their parents being affectionate it shows what a loving relationship should look like.

3- Spend quality time together- The lack of quality time takes a toll on all kinds of relationships whether between couples, parents and their children, or siblings. Take time off and spend it performing bonding activities such as cooking together, going for walks, shopping etc.

4- Secure their future- The greatest love letter ever written to a family is a Life Insurance. By having a life insurance you’re making sure your family which includes your spouse, parent or children will be well taken care of in your absence. When you prepare for life's surprises it shows how deeply you care about your family’s well being. You can call a Life Planner on 0700 3683 777 473 to find a plan that works for you and your family.

Remember to not only show love to your family but to say it as well. Don’t expect your family members to know just because you think you are demonstrating it through your behaviour. People need to hear it, say the words, ‘I love you’ as often as you can. When you say ‘I love you’, it is the ultimate validation and confirmation of their feelings about your action. It is like an unwritten contract of affection between two people.

Stories That Touch: "I never imagined life without my father"

Tell us a bit about your childhood

I like to think my childhood is my favourite part of my entire existence. I was an only child for 10 years and had all the attention to myself. I remember my dad traveling and returning with lots of toys and chocolates. My mum made the best yam porridge, and she made it whenever I wanted. She was a stay at home mum. I remember the day she told me she was pregnant with my little sister. I was so excited, finally I’d have someone to play with. Little did I know I’d get more than I bargained for.

So, what happened?

Well, my mum had twins, a girl and a boy. Next thing I know, I was mum number 2. It wasn’t so bad though because we had two helpers at home at the time. Also, it was only for the holidays, as I got enrolled into a boarding school. Boarding school was amazing, I went to a private boarding school in Victoria Island. My dad also worked there so he dropped at my school quite often with gifts. I like to think that’s why my love language is receiving gifts. My dad loved to spoil me silly with gifts.

Daddy’s girl, so you grew up rich.

Yes, I don’t recall a time we ever had to struggle for money. My mum didn’t work but I remember she enjoyed hosting parties. She also used to buy a lot of clothes. I remember seeing different vendors in our house trying to sell to my mum. I think my dad started a new business at this time. We also started taking family vacations abroad during this period. Life was perfect! I didn’t think I’d ever have to worry about a thing, my daddy was always there to provide. Well, that was until everything changed.

What do you mean by life?

My dad died in a car accident in my second year in university. My mum took a while to adjust to our new reality. She sold some of my dad’s property and started a retail fabric business. She had a hard time managing the business. Soon we had only the house we lived in and one car left to our name. I’m still amazed at how fast our lives changed. I sometimes feel like my mum could have managed our funds better but how can I blame her; no one prepared for this.

My mum was adamant about retaining my siblings in their highbrow private school while I was in a private university. This meant we had very little to run the house after paying school fees. At some point, my allowance became irregular. So, I stopped asking.

How did you survive then?

I started selling Shawarma in school.

Shawarma?! How did that start?

Shawarma wasn’t allowed in my school. However, I had my way of getting one for myself. If you went to my school, trust me you’d understand how big of a deal it was to get hold of anything that contained meat. People started asking me to get for the

m as well. So, I doubled the price. I’d buy the Shawarma at the price of N500 and sell it for N1000. Soon, word spread and I was making at least 30k a week. I did this till I was in my final year. I had to stop because I couldn’t risk being suspended at my final phase.

Wow! Talk about a Risk Taker. How’s life going now?

I interned at my late dad’s friend’s agency. This was where I picked up an interest in design. I started learning on my own, started with graphics design. During this period, my mum’s business started to fair pretty well so I was able to pay for Product Design classes.

Ahn Ahn! Tech sis in the building

*laughs* Don’t start o. I mean the journey has been good, I can’t lie. I now work with a startup fintech and I run a couple of side gigs once in a while.

I send money to my mum regularly and I started a poultry business with her supervision. I also have investments in stock and crypto.

That’s really nice. How often do you miss your dad?

ALL THE TIME! I miss him so much. I never imagined life without him. I was pretty sure I was going to be a daddy’s girl for life but life has its way of surprising us. Sometimes I wish he saw the future and made a backup plan for us to fall back on.

Wow! There you have it, don't wait for life to happen.

Get a backup plan with Enterprise Life today to secure your family's future.