Interviews&profile Archives

In Interviews&profile January 24, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE WOMAN WHO OWNS THE FIRST EVER BLACK-OWNED HOSTEL IN THE U.S.

Deidre Mathis, a 31-year old African-American woman and a self-proclaimed avid traveler, used her love for wanderlust as an inspiration to build her own hostel in Houston, Texas. Now a successful entrepreneur, she is the author of a budget travel book and the owner of WanderStay Hotels, the first Black-owned hostel of its kind in the U.S.

Growing up in Florida, which is considered a vacation place with beautiful beaches and good weather, she said she wasn’t really interested in going to different destinations before. Until a study abroad program at Florida A&M University sent her to the Dominican Republic and she told herself, “I need this all the time.”

Since then, she has traveled to over 37 countries on all 7 continents and learned a lot of things. She shared those in a book she wrote entitled Wanderlust: For the Young, Broke Professional where she talks about tips on how to save money, manage time to prioritize travel, and plan your dream trip.

Moreover, one of the best things she said she discovered through traveling alone is how hostels build instant connections and cultural diversity. It has inspired her to build her own hostel in the most diverse and fourth largest city in the U.S. which is Houston, Texas.

Hostels, different from hotels, are popular types of establishments that provide inexpensive food and lodging for backpackers, students, and other types of travelers with limited budgets. Some hostels offer travelers their own private rooms, but many hostels operate as dormitories whereas travelers can rent a bed and space in a large room with others. There are currently more than 50,000 hostels around the world.

In Interviews&profile January 24, 2019 By Women of Rubies

MEET HANNAH BEACHLER, THE FIRST BLACK OSCAR NOMINEE

Black Panther which also got 7 nominations at the Academy Award made the highlight of Hannah Beachler’s career.

Below are some facts you should know about Hannah Beachler:

1. Beachler grew up in Centerville, Ohio and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, studying fashion design.

2. She was responsible for designing Front Street Gym that appears prominently in Creed in 2015.

3. Beachler is the first-ever female production designer of a Marvel film

4. She studied film Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

5. She designed Beyonce’s 2016 TV special & visual album, Lemonade.

6. Beachler first worked with Coogler on his first feature, 2013 indie Fruitvale Station, which went on to win awards including Sundance’s grand jury prize and the audience award.

7.Moonlight in 2016, Black Panther in 2018 and several other blockbusters.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

In Interviews&profile January 15, 2019 By Women of Rubies

ADENIKE BUSARI: RUNNING AN ALL-WOMEN SPA

‘With Female-Only Patrons And Therapists, You Can Do Your Treatments More Comfortably Without Being Self-Conscious, And Focus On Results’

Joyce Adenike Busari is the Founder of Biyou Women Only Spa and Health Bistro, a health restaurant based in the hearts of Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos. Joyce is an accomplished and CIBTAC Certified Esthetician, Electrologist, Laser Technician and Holistic Nutritionist, with over 15 years experience in the beauty and wellness industry.

In 2005, upon completion of the prescribed training in skincare and nutrition, she gained valuable experience while employed by one of the United Kingdom’s pioneers in the health and beauty field, and was recognized as one of the top therapists in their various clinics across the country. Advances in technology have now enabled her to broaden her extensive experience in skincare and weight-loss over the past 10 years with the use of heat and light therapy.Joyce is European-trained and graduated from the renowned Champneys College in Tring (UK). Joining a progressive team of skincare professionals at one of Europe’s elite spas expanded her knowledge and expertise in advanced skin care therapies.

As a wife, mother of four, and a dedicated professional, Joyce is acutely aware of the importance of continuing education; she has furthered her studies in anti-aging skincare practices and technologies, as well as holistic modalities such as Aromatherapy and Reiki.Her passion for total health, beauty and well-being led to her intensive study of Nutrition. This knowledge has given her the ability to remedy the skin from the inside out and also assist individuals in reaching their optimum health and weight-loss goals.This birthed Health Bistro a restaurant providing meal plans and only Healthy Continental and African dishes.

Standing behind Biyou’s philosophy and the products and services it promotes is extremely important to her. As a result, she is diligent with her research and testing which can take weeks to months to satisfy her high standards, before a potential new product or service can be offered.She expatiates more on why she chose to run a women only spa, women’s wellness and her recently opened health restaurant in this interview with GuardianWoman

Tell us how the spa started?
After studying in the UK, I worked in a Spa and when I got back I realised that there was something missing. Most of the spas were targeted at relaxation but I wanted something more, I wanted to help women be the best version of themselves. When women have children, they tend to have missing links, but I want to help them be the best of themselves amidst all. Help a woman be how she used to be.

Is that possible?
Of course, I am a living witness; you can burn all those fat with the right eating habit.

How old is the spa?
It is about four years old officially, but before then we were running little portion of the business before expanding.

Describe the sections of the spa?
We have the skincare aspect that includes the facials, body scrubs, waxing and massage. And then the weight loss and nutritional aspect where we consult with women to know what their needs and weight-loss goals are and then we take it up from there. Then we have treatment plans and protocols for her to achieve her desired body. We also have our skincare line, which is organic and natural body products that I make myself and I am happy to do it. For the skincare range we have the black wash, which is the African black soap. We have about four skincare range, which we will gradually expand- we have the Blak Roc deodorant that lasts for about 18 months, the British Cancer Research has endorsed it, because when you use it, it allows your pores to breathe. We have the black castor oil, which is good for people that want to grow their hair; we have the lotion, which has natural food enzymes that exfoliates the skin and moisturises. Our best seller is the Black Wash with honey, Shea butter and avocado. At the spa we have different products for people with stretch marks, who want to hydrate their skin and then want their skin looking brighter.

Why run a women-only spa?
When I was working in the UK, I never liked the idea of working on men, and coming home to Nigeria, for most of my friends, their husbands are very particular about where they go and so I just thought to myself, since this is what I am comfortable doing, I will just continue with it. Because every woman who comes in here is naked and free and that for me is the reason I am sticking to women. We have some Arab women that come here, too, and their husbands are very strict with where they go, sometimes, they call in to know if it is truly a female spa and so they are comfortable. I think all married men are comfortable having their wives here.

What are the advantages of running an all- women Spa? Do women network here? What calibre of women patronise your place?
As an exclusive Spa, our clientele are mostly high-end that love to network with other women. An all-women Spa provides the ideal space for workouts and treatments without the disturbance of being approached or ogled at by men. The Spa is to be treated as a place for doing result-oriented therapies, and not as a dating venue. Most women do not like to mix up the two activities. Husbands, too, are more comfortable and encourage their wives to visit the spa more.

Secondly, when you are not in shape, it is much more embarrassing to do treatments and workouts in the same building with partially naked men. With female-only patrons and therapists, you can do your treatments more comfortably without being self-conscious, and focus on results. Nigeria is an amazing mix of different cultures, and there are women coming from conservative backgrounds. Such women are not free and find it highly inappropriate to be partially naked with men present, and it clashes with their religious beliefs. All-female Spa are specially tailored for a woman’s physique and her specific needs. A woman’s body develops and works, in quite a different way than a male’s one. Only a woman can best understand the problems faced by another woman, whether it is physical or emotional. The women-only Spa provides the best support group you can imagine. You will already be struggling with being out of shape and overweight, and the right support can do wonders to your routines. You immediately start gaining confidence, and know that getting into shape is definitely within your reach. Other members of the Spa would have gone through the same struggles you are facing, and you can always turn to them to clear your doubts and fears.

Has it been a lucrative venture, since you’re limiting yourself to a particular segment of the society?
Yes…we thank God. I would not use the word “limiting” because even with regards to a unisex spa, women clientele are the majority and the most important segment to target.

How does your weight loss system work on women, since you have said that most women do not have the time to follow strict regime?
When a woman comes in here, we check her weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI), from there I can now calculate what her ideal weight should be. From then we can now talk about how often she can come around and then we can talk about how we can achieve it. Apart from that we also do meal planning; I am an advocate of eating once a day I call it intermittent fasting. As an adult, we don’t need much food unlike children who need it to grow.

What calibre of women do you cater to?
We have the middle and high profile women and it is also responsible for the location we have chosen too, nobody wants everyone to know they were seen entering a spa and out.

Do you have other professionals working with you?
Yes, my manager is trained abroad, too, hence every other staff gets these expertise from us.

How affordable is your spa?
Very affordable

Are you planning to open more branches?
Yes… Abuja is in the works

What is the capacity of your place?
We can treat about six to nine people at a time.

How did you come about the name of your spa?
My mum is Japanese and that influenced the name. I want people to come in and feel comfortable in their skin. There should just ‘Be You’, be confident and happy with you.

Tell us more about your weight loss services?
We have two types of weight loss services we run; the sporadic which helps to firm and break body fat and the Ultra-sound calibration which also breaks body fats internally and your body processes it, that is why we can’t do more than twice a week on that machine. Depending on your body type, in one month some people will have lost about five kilogram.

Kindly give examples of clients with results
We have a client who started with us at a 110kg, she is not yet where she wants to be but currently, she is 95kg and this is two months into the weight loss journey.

You are doing some expansion, what other things are you introducing?
We have just introduced the restaurant; this came about because I saw that healthy living and healthy skin is all about what is inside and a lot of our clients, even when you give them a meal plan to follow, some of them are too busy to stick to it. Not only do we handle weight loss but also for people with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol level. They want to get better but do not know how to go about it and so we decide to help them by showing them what to eat. Aside cooking for them, we sell the ingredients so they can cook them at home, too.

Is it only for your clients or for the general public?
The restaurant is opened to the general public to both male and female but it serves only healthy foods and pure drinks. This idea was born out of years of nutritional consultations, counselling and writing meal plans for my customers. It finally became clear that most of my clientele did not have the time or understand the science of food in order to prepare healthy wholesome meals daily….this gave birth to “Health Bistro” Serving lower-calorie traditional Nigerian food and beverages which is not only good for guests, I believe it’s the right thing to do. It’s good for my soul.

You recently turned 40. How do you feel at this age? How have you been able to maintain your well-toned shape and youthful look?
Indeed…Family and friends insist we are vampires (smile). My husband and I eat only once a day, one healthy meal daily without snacking. We have been eating like this for over 10 years now and we both feel like teenagers.

You job entails helping fellow women to relax and unwind, how do you find time for relaxation too?
I get high in my own supply. I practice all that I teach and regularly join customers in various treatments at the Spa

Tell us about your growing up?
My mum was a health freak, so I grew up doing exercises and it became my passion and since I couldn’t get the certification here, when I got the opportunity to travel in my family, I just went for it.

How about family life?
I have four children. My husband is very supportive and we are into this together, he is also very passionate about health and wellness.

Do you think people are paying attention to their health and wellness?
Currently, I think that there has been a lot of awareness, I don’t think anyone wants to spend the later part of their lives going from one hospital to the other, I think the awareness is getting out there, that what you put in is important.

Why should anyone pay attention to his or her wellness?
At the end of the day you want to live longer and be better in your outlook in life and in your daily life.

What is your fashion sense?
I am very conservative in my dressing.

Who is your style icon?
Michelle Obama- she doesn’t show her body, but there is class in her dressing. Here in Nigeria, it is Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Joke Silva.

Being of a mixed-blood, how have you been able to merge the Japanese and Nigerian cultures?
My father is from Ondo and I was born and bred in Nigeria, I only know my Yoruba roots and culture. I speak pidgin and Yoruba fluently, but I do not understand Japanese nor can I speak the language. My mother who is Japanese is very much Nigerian also.

Kindly advice them on how they can look good for the season.
Avoid over-eating; eat only between 12:00pm and 6:00pm. You may drink water, tea or coffee outside the eating window. Start with a broth-based soup, smoothies or salad.
By the time you reach the main course, a few bites will be all you need to feel satisfied.Eat what you love. Instead of piling your plate with things that you don’t really like, pick only the foods that give you true enjoyment.

Avoid treats everyday; keep your treats to one day a week. Alternate alcoholic beverages with sparkling water. Alcohol turns to sugar in the body and will make you fat. Go to social gatherings, work parties and events to socialise (not to eat). Watch out for sneaky sugar, avoid processed foods and sauces. Start the New Year with a good full body detox.

Credit: Guardian Woman

In Interviews&profile January 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

“I WANT THE WORLD TO FINALLY HEAR AFRICAN STORIES TOLD BY AFRICANS”– EDIRIN EDEWOR

Edirin Edewor is a Multiple Amazon Bestselling Author, an award-winning Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Consultant, Trainer and Coach at the Edirin Edewor Company. She is the founder of the Online Publishers and Entrepreneurs Network (OPEN), a community of over 20,000 Authors, Writers and Entrepreneurs, dedicated to helping Africans tell their original stories from their African perspective, showcasing Africa’s literary skills by helping writers become published as well as profiting from their skills. In 2018 alone, she helped over 250 authors get published, with more than 35 Amazon Bestsellers

Edirin is committed to work that focuses on youth empowerment, women-focused organizations, education, and employment as part of the United nations Sustainable Development Goals. She has collaborated with several NGOs directed at youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, education for the girl child and women equality. In September 2017, she was nominated for Supportive Publisher of the Year by the Mainland TV Fashion Show and Awards and has been profiled by several media outfit. Edrin has spoken at different life changing events both home and abroad. She shares her inspiring story with me in this mind blowing interview.

Childhood Influence

I had a very interesting childhood. We didn’t grow up with any toys. The only things we had were a couple of Children’s Britannica and Encyclopedia than an aunt had brought back from London. It had pictures of places, of British Royal History, dinosaurs and other wonderful things that piqued my interest and curiosity. I became an avid reader and I have been ever since. I learned about journaling and writing stories from one of those books and thus began to write from a very young age.

However, I never imagined it would become a career. I didn’t even think it would become a career as at the beginning of 2017. I had a written my first book in 2016 as a process of self-therapy after I was diagnosed with Early-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis that same year and didn’t really think anything of it, even after it became a bestseller on Amazon. It was a program with Steve Harris, and a nudge from John Obidi, that set me on this course, in May of 2017. It’s been amazing since then.

Edirin!

I always like to say I am a product of grace, because truth be told, I shouldn’t even be alive today. I struggled with Chronic depression from my teens and by the time I was 20, I had gone through 2 suicide attempts. The last one in 2011 was meant to kill me, but somehow, I survived it. I didn’t know what purpose meant at the time, but after that experience, I realized that God had kept me alive because He had something planned for me that I was meant to do.

I graduated at the top of my class from the Department of Fisheries, faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, in 2012. From my Youth Service year and beyond, I amassed professional certificates more times than I can count. Yet, with my stellar CV. I couldn’t get a job. 502 applications latter, still nothing. I started several businesses to make ends meet and failed in 9 out of 11 of them.

My Jewelry business and Interior Design Company were just beginning to take off and become successful in 2016 – we even won an award for company of the year- when I felt the nudge to shut it down and focus on helping people. I believe that if I wasn’t diagnosed with Early Onset RA, I still wouldn’t have listened to that voice and I would have been miserable. Many times, the things that afflict us are not there to make us suffer, nut to help us pause, reflect and re-adjust course.

Inspiration behind OPEN

OPEN (Online Publishers and Entrepreneurs Network) first began as eBook Profits Mastery. We started out with the vision to help people write, publish and profit from their books; however, as the scope of the vision became clearer and clearer, we realized we could do more for people, besides just writing and publishing books. We could help entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial people leverage their published assets – books, blogs, social media articles, online courses, and all kinds of content – to build influence, visibility and profitability in their industry. This, we rebranded from EBook Profits Mastery to the Online Publishers and Entrepreneurs Network. Since we did that, the community has grown to over 20,000 members in just a little over one and a half years.

Impact of my work

Whew! It’s hard to quantify the impact that my work has had on people. Besides helping people with publishing, content creation, storytelling and business strategy, I also use my story to show people that anything is possible, and that challenges are only stepping stones to success, and not excuses.

In the past one and a half years, my book “The A – Z of eBook Publishing” has reached thousands of people. Over 250 of them have personally told me of their newly published books. We shine the spotlight on them on OPEN at no cost at all. Dozens of them have become Bestsellers on Amazon in a time where people still don’t believe Nigerians can self-publish on international platforms. I’ve consulted with big personal and corporate brands on online publishing and using storytelling to drive their marketing ad bottom line. By sharing my story of depression, surviving suicide attempts, abuse, failures and serious health challenges, I am helping youths and women in Africa see themselves as more than their circumstances, and beating the odds to make something remarkable out of themselves. I cannot put an exact number to the lives I have touched, but I hope it’s a lot.

Challenges

The biggest challenge I face in my work is still the issue of inclusion. For example, it’s still a challenge and a more difficult process for Nigerian and African Authors to go global by publishing their books on international platforms like Amazon. We still find it difficult to get paid royalties from our books because of restrictive payment channels. When we do, all that’s left is little because of heavy taxation. This can be quite discouraging for African authors who want to go international.

Another challenge is copyrights issues. We do not have very strong copyrights laws in this part of the world, so we see a lot of piracy in different forms. This discourages a lot of would-be authors from getting published.

Yet another challenge is the access to information. Still a lot of writers think that they have to have a publishing house accept to publish their books before they can get published.

My Drive

My drive is simple. I want the world to finally hear African stories told by Africans, so they can experience the heart of the people, their passions, their struggles, their victories and the unique blend of cultures that make us who we are. There are a lot of opportunities available to African Writers when we build influence, get discovered and are given a bigger platform.

Other project and activities

I have a number of projects I’ve already begun, and others I’m beginning in 2019. One of the biggest projects we’re planning for 2019 is to host a book fair where authors can showcase their books, bookstores can also exhibit theirs, new publishers can have a platform to launch their books and even have a contest where amazing writers can win publishing deals. I’m also starting a support community for women in Africa, connecting them to power circles via mentorship and accountability programs, so they can break barriers and achieve their business goals.

Reward

For me, the biggest reward is hearing someone say, “You showed me what’s possible, and because of what you said or did, I have also done”. Nothing trumps that in my books.

In five years….

I’m not one to tell. I mean, less than 2 years ago, I was on a different trajectory, and here we are today. What I am certain of, is that my purpose will remain the same, but the platforms to fulfill it will definitely be bigger. My purpose is to inspire people to see possibilities in themselves that they never saw before, and help them turn those possibilities into reality.

Recognition for women

I believe more can be done in the area of recognising women in any sector, for their contribution. This not only encourages these women, but gives the younger generation proper role models to aspire to, so that we raise better generations of women who can dare to dream and dare to act on their dreams.

My Inspiration

My mum inspires me to be better. Not to sound cliche but she has been my rock and backbone ever since I could remember. She’s sacrificed a lot for me and my sisters to be where we are today. She says I make her proud everyday, but I want to do more. She’s my biggest motivation. I also have a younger sister who is still in her teens and she looks up to me. I want to be the kind of role model for her that I wish I had when I was her age.

Being a Woman of Rubies

What makes me a woman of rubies….my unrelenting passion and drive to leave this world better than I met it.

Advice for female writers and aspiring publishers

I always say that everyone has a book in them. You don’t need permission from anyone to write and publish your work because nobody is going to give it to you. You have to step up and take what you want. You have a book you want to write? Write it. Today.

In Interviews&profile January 11, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE MOTHER AND TWO DAUGHTERS WHO OWN 13 MCDONALD’S FRANCHISES

Patricia Williams and her daughters, Nicole Enearu and Kerri Harper-Howie, have built an empire of McDonald’s franchises in the Los Angeles, California area. Combined, they employ more than 700 people in the community and generate annual revenues of almost $50 million. In April 2017, they opened their 13th franchise location.

Getting started

More than 30 years ago, Patricia, inspired by other family members who also owned McDonald’s franchises, took the leap herself. She was working at the time as a rehabilitation therapist, and her husband was a police officer for the LAPD. But they decided to cash out their retirement plans, and take out a small business loan to enter the world of fast food.

They opened their first McDonald’s location in Compton in 1984, but Patricia says it wasn’t easy. To become a certified McDonald’s owner, you have to spend some time working in the store yourself and take required classes.

Patricia told the Los Angeles Sentinel, “It was a pretty intense, a three-year program and I had two young daughters. But like most things in life, it was the right time and the right place. The opportunity presented itself so I jumped right on in and I haven’t regretted one moment.”

Growing the business

Because the McDonald’s brand was growing so rapidly in the 1980’s, the first location became a quick success enabling Patricia and her husband to purchase a second store.

However, shortly afterwards, their marriage fell apart and Patricia ended up buying out her husband’s share of the company. But through the years, she continued to work hard on customer service and marketing, which helped significantly to increase the revenue at both locations.

In 1995, she made the smart move of selling both of her stores… and purchasing five more. Now, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel, she is the owner of every McDonald’s in the city of Compton!

Patricia is also a recipient of the Golden Arch Award, the highest award that any McDonald’s owner/operator can be given!

Bringing her daughters on board

It was never really Patricia’s plan, but in the early 2000’s, both of her daughters ended up getting involved.

After making a major career change, her daughter Nicole went through the McDonald’s franchise training program for owners and purchased a store. She later went on to became the first female, African American Chair for the McDonald’s Southern California Regional Leadership Council.

Her other daughter Kerri, who is a lawyer, started out first by providing legal and HR help to her mother’s franchise locations. But, she too wanted to be her own boss, so she completed a training program with the Next Generation program at McDonald’s – a program for children of McDonald’s owner operators.

She told the Los Angeles Sentinel, “The opportunity to show my kids what it’s like to be my own boss is invaluable and I’m lucky enough to have a sister who I work extremely well with. She and I have been close our entire lives so that made the decision even easier.”

Creating a better experience… and community

Today, the three of them are together running a multi-million dollar company that provides hundreds of jobs to the local community. Via their non-profit organization called the Williams/Enearu Organization, they also provide scholarships to local students, and fund various local and national charities.

But technology and modernization in their community is also important to them!

Their newest franchise location features digital touch screens at every table, and self-ordering kiosks. But traditional customers who still wish to order at the cash register can do so via their HD television digital menu boards. The location also features Wi-Fi for customers who want to connect to the internet, and an innovative, interactive and digital Play Place for children.

Patricia and her daughters say that implementing these changes is a reflection of their ongoing commitment to enhance and contribute to the local community.

Source: Black Business

In Interviews&profile January 7, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET ZAYNAB ALKALI, THE FIRST WOMAN NOVELIST FROM NORTHERN NIGERIA

Zaynab Alkali is a Nigerian novelist, poet, short story writer and is regarded as the first woman novelist from Northern Nigeria.

Born in Tura-Wazila in Borno State, she graduated from Bayero University Kano with in 1973 and obtained a doctorate degree in African Literature in English in 1979.

She became the principal of Sakera Girls’ boarding school and went on to be a lecturer in English at two universities in Nigeria. She rose to be a dean in the Faculty of arts at Nasarawa State University in Keffi where she taught creative writing.

Although, Zaynab writes to empower women economically, politically and psychologically, that was not her focus when she started. She was a very bad speaker and had a phobia for public appearance.

“I actually started writing because I discovered that when I was in school and the teacher asked questions, I had the answers, especially in literature, but I was too petrified to put up my hand. So I would right the answers down. Soon, one of the teachers, who happened to be a European, noticed that whenever I had an assignment in literature, I would score an A or B+. Yet, my hand was never up in class,” she told Punch in an interview.

By the time she was 20 years old, married and still a student, she started writing but the stories weren’t for publication. She was just writing to express herself.

Even though she didn’t plan to publish her work, she gave an expatriate, who called for submission of short stories her manuscript and begged him not to show anyone, but, the expatriate went on to read one of the stories read on the British Broadcasting Corporation.

For Zaynab, writing is therapeutic. “Unlike some people who have said that they do not write because of any trauma in their lives, I think that writing has been the only thing that has helped me to pull through a lot of things, including depression. I suffered severe depression in the past. But whenever it happened, I would sit down,” she said.

At first, she wrote only for her own pleasure and benefit. But, when she started getting positive reviews and comments in the newspapers, she had to change her mind.

In Interviews&profile January 7, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE FORMER HAIRSTYLIST WHO HAS A TECH COMPANY WORTH $173 MILLION

Njeri Rionge, one of Africa’s most celebrated entrepreneurs, used to work as a hairdresser and a yogurt vendor. When she saw a business opportunity, she immediately acted on it, made it grow and became one of the very few pioneers in the technology sector. In fact, one of her several successful companies, the Wananchi Group, is now worth over $173 million!

“I believe that success is defined by increased value — not simply financial rewards,” Rionge once said and she continues to demonstrate that throughout her own entrepreneurial career.

Humble beginnings

At age 19, Rionge started her first business of selling yogurt from a friend’s car trunk to two schools in Kenya over their school breaks. They would go to another town to stock up on their products and return to school every day to sell it.

Around that time also, Rionge also worked in a salon as a hairdresser. In her line of work, she realized a business opportunity in selling luxury products to her wealthy clients. She regularly flew to London using discounted airplane tickets. There, she would buy luxury goods and re-sell them to her clients for a profit.

A leap of faith

During the 1990s, many people didn’t have any idea about technology and the Internet yet but Rionge already saw a great opportunity to make it accessible to the general public. In the year 2000, she co-founded East Africa’s first mass-market oriented Internet Service Provider called Wananchi Online, which is a Swahili word meaning ‘citizen’ or ‘the people. It made Internet connectivity affordable for the average household for the first time.

As one of the very few pioneers in the ICT sector, Wananchi sure faced challenges including industry regulators, government monopoly, existing competition, and even the firm belief that Internet was only for the upper class. But despite it all, she grew the business from a $500,000 startup business to East Africa’s leading and largest ISP worth over $173 million.

Continuous success

Because of her passion for creating businesses, she continued launching numerous companies that are becoming successful one after another. She founded Ignite Consulting, a business consultancy firm; Ignite Lifestyle, a health care consultancy firm; Insite, a digital marketing company; and Business Lounge, Kenya’s leading startup incubator.

“I create companies serially because I believe that Africa is the next economic frontier and we must build indigenous organizations that will support this growth,” she said.

Aside from building companies, she also builds dreams that ignite the potential of other entrepreneurs. She invests more on Business Lounge to help start-up entrepreneurs develop their ideas into successful businesses. She also provides motivational speaking and coaching to encourage future entrepreneurs through sharing her wisdom and experiences under her personal brand Njeri Rionge.

With over three decades of experience in leadership and management, Rionge is definitely a perfect inspiration for other entrepreneurs. She encourages them to be resilient as she believes that resilience, or having a strong backbone that can handle challenges, is the key to successful entrepreneurship.

Source:Black business

In Interviews&profile January 4, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE 10-YEAR-OLD MATHS GENIUS WHO JUST ENROLLED IN COLLEGE

At first glance Esther Okade seems like a normal 10-year-old. She loves dressing up as Elsa from “Frozen,” playing with Barbie dolls and going to the park or shopping.

But what makes the British-Nigerian youngster stand out is the fact that she’s also a university undergraduate.

Esther, from Walsall, an industrial town in the UK’s West Midlands region, is one of the country’s youngest college freshmen.

The talented 10-year-old enrolled at the Open University, a UK-based distance learning college, in January and is already top of the class, having recently scored 100% in a recent exam.

“It’s so interesting. It has the type of maths I love. It’s real maths — theories, complex numbers, all that type of stuff,” she giggles. “It was super easy. My mum taught me in a nice way.”

She adds: “I want to (finish the course) in two years. Then I’m going to do my PhD in financial maths when I’m 13. I want to have my own bank by the time I’m 15 because I like numbers and I like people and banking is a great way to help people.”

And in case people think her parents have pushed her into starting university early, Esther emphatically disagrees.

“I actually wanted to start when I was seven. But my mum was like, “you’re too young, calm down.” After three years of begging, mother Efe finally agreed to explore the idea.

A marvelous mathematical mind

Esther has always jumped ahead of her peers. She sat her first Math GSCE exam, a British high school qualification, at Ounsdale High School in Wolverhampton at just six, where she received a C-grade. A year later, she outdid herself and got the A-grade she wanted. Then last year she scored a B-grade when she sat the Math A-level exam.

Esther’s mother noticed her daughter’s flair for figures shortly after she began homeschooling her at the age of three. Initially, Esther’s parents had enrolled her in a private school but after a few short weeks, the pair began noticing changes in the usually-vibrant youngster.

Efe says: “One day we were coming back home and she burst out in tears and she said ‘I don’t ever want to go back to that school — they don’t even let me talk!’

“In the UK, you don’t have to start school until you are five. Education is not compulsory until that age so I thought OK, we’ll be doing little things at home until then. Maybe by the time she’s five she will change her mind.”

Efe started by teaching basic number skills but Esther was miles ahead. By four, her natural aptitude for maths had seen the eager student move on to algebra and quadratic equations.

And Esther isn’t the only maths prodigy in the family. Her younger brother Isaiah, 6, will soon be sitting his first A-level exam in June.

A philanthropic family

Not content with breaking barriers to attend college at just 10 years old, Esther is also writing a series of math workbooks for children called “Yummy Yummy Algebra.”

“It starts at a beginner level — that’s volume one. But then there will be volume two, and volume three, and then volume four. But I’ve only written the first one.

“As long as you can add or subtract, you’ll be able to do it. I want to show other children they are special,” she says.

Meanwhile, Esther’s parents are also trying to trail blaze their own educational journey back in Nigeria.

The couple have set up a foundation and are in the process of building a nursery and primary school in Nigeria’s Delta region (where the family are from). Named “Shakespeare’s Academy,” they hope to open the school’s doors in September.

The proposed curriculum will have all the usual subjects such as English, languages, math and science, as well as more unconventional additions including morality and ethics, public speaking, entrepreneurship and etiquette. The couple say they want to emulate the teaching methods that worked for their children rather than focus on one way of learning.

“Some children learn very well with kinesthetics where they learn with their hands — when they draw they remember things. Some children have extremely creative imaginations. Instead of trying to make children learn one way, you teach them based on their learning style,” explains Efe.

The educational facility will have a capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 students with up to 30% of students being local children offered scholarships to attend.

Efe says: “On one hand, billions of dollars worth of crude oil is pumped out from that region on a monthly basis and yet the poverty rate of the indigenous community is astronomical.”

While Paul adds: “(The region has) poor quality of nursery and primary education. So by the time the children get secondary education they haven’t got a clue. They haven’t developed their core skills.

“The school is designed to give children an aim so they can study for something, not just for the sake of acquiring certifications. There is an end goal.”

Source:CNN

In Interviews&profile January 4, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE $100 MILLION WOMAN WHO CREATED THE “LOVE & HIP HOP” FRANCHISE

Mona Scott-Young is one of cable television’s most sought after executives. She is the CEO of multi-media entertainment company Monami Entertainment, which is best known for creating and producing VH1’s most popular docu-franchise Love & Hip Hop.

Mona herself created the original franchise of Love & Hip Hop: New York, which premiered in 2011. It’s remarkable success has resulted in several spin-offs based in Atlanta, Hollywood, and Miami. Averaging about 5.5 million viewers per episode, the franchise series is reportedly worth an estimated $100 million.

A rival of Real Housewives, the series follows the personal lives of former and current hip-hop stars. Artists that have appeared on the show with their families include Cardi B., Waka Flocka, Remy Ma, Papoose, Cam’ron, Soulja Boy, Ray J, Lil Scrappy, Joe Budden, and more.

How she did it

51-year old Mona says her secret is in the power of branding. According to USA Today, “Since the inception of her career, her drive has been to showcase the fullness of women in an entertainment industry that seldom shows them as multi-dimensional, powerful people.” She also never deviates from the purpose — the “why” — of her projects.

In addition, she emphasizes consistency. She feels that regularly putting good content out gives her higher credibility with her audience. After building credibility, the influence will come. And that is certainly true because nearly every hip-hop star wants to be on her show, especially those who are not as hot as they once were in their music careers.

Not just a TV exec

Mona does more than just produce hit television series. She also is in the music industry. In fact, USA Today reports that she has “an incredible track record in rap and hip-hop entertainment”. In the early 90’s and 2000’s, she co-founded Violater Entertainment and Violator Records, which successfully managed the careers of Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, LL Cool J, and more.

Most recently, Mona has authored a book entitled Blurred Lines, which was co-authored by New York Times best-selling author Courtney Parker. In addition, she owns a line of jewelry called “MPower Rings”, a clothing collection, and a fruit-infused wine beverage.

Source: Black Business

In Interviews&profile December 28, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

22-YEAR OLD BLACK ENTREPRENEUR LAUNCHES RESTAURANT WHERE CUSTOMERS ONLY PAY WHAT THEY CAN AFFORD

Francesca Chaney, already a successful Black business owner at the young age of 22, has great taste for food and a big heart for underserved people. Her Brooklyn-based vegan restaurant called Sol Sips, is not only famous for its healthy food but is also recognized for letting patronizers pay what they can afford – even if it cuts into her profits!

Chaney developed an interest in healthy eating when she was just a child. She was inspired by her mother, who is a vegan, and became a vegan herself when she was 18-years old. Since then, she began dreaming about opening up her own restaurant that offers nutritious, plant-based foods.

Initially, she started Sol Sips as a pop-up shop in the neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn. However, in April earlier this year, Chaney made the location permanent. Her and her staff serve plant-based beverages and plant-based “bites” made with only four ingredients or fewer that are soy-free and with low acidity. One of the best-sellers is a plant-based dish that is an alternative to the New York staple — eggs are made of chickpeas, bacon is tempeh, and the cheese is dairy-free.

More than introducing a unique and healthy food alternative, Chaney wanted more people, especially those who are in underserved communities, to be able to come and eat at Sol Sips. So she decided to create a brunch menu with a sliding-scale pricing — which means people can enjoy their dishes for a price that’s anywhere between $7 to $15. That way, she hoped everyone can take part in the dishes.

“We started that initiative,” Chaney told the Rachel Ray Show, “because we wanted to make sure that everyone that lives here can get more foods that help us to get our nutrients in.”

Since it’s already a given that she couldn’t make much money with such altruism, there are people and organizations who wanted to help Chaney with her cause. Dairy-free brand So Delicious — which Chaney herself uses in her dishes — donated $5,000 to help her continue her advocacy.

Also, earlier this year, Chaney started a GoFundMe campaign to help her with the expenses to further expand Sol Sips. So far, it has raised over $5,500 and contributions from $5 to some hundred dollars keep coming in.

For more information about Sol Sips, follow her on Instagram at @solsipsnyc

Source: Blackbusiness.org