Interviews&profile Archives

In Interviews&profile June 13, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET THE WOMAN MAKING SOUNDS WITH HER MOUTH TO HEAL AND COMFORT PEOPLE WITH INSOMNIA, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Popularly called the pickle lady, Spirit Payton munches on lettuce, pickles, candy, and other foods directly into a microphone to create soothing sounds that trigger ASMR.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a term used for an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.

Payton was having a bad pain anxiety on a particular day in 2012, so much that her daughter laid on top of her and her son put pressure on her feet, holding her down.

Later, her daughter put headphones on her ears and she was hearing some light tapping and some crinkling sounds. Surprisingly, it calmed her as she slept for two days.

When her daughter showed her what she listened to, it was a lady tapping on the camera, crinkling paper, and just making sounds. The more she listened to ASMR, the better she became and that was how she learnt about ASMR.

In 2015, she started making videos when she lost her growing florist business, her home and had to live with her children in her car, and then, she got diagnosed with a rapidly degenerating bone disease.

Payton’s diagnosis read that she was going to die within five years. The only place she found succor was with ASMR as it became the only way to relieve pain, find peace, and fall asleep.

When Payton started watching ASMR videos, she realized they were all the same. With the belief that there are sounds that has to be ‘eaten,’ Payton started to munch on edibles.

For her, the sounds of someone eating are some of the most beautiful in the world. She believes that a person naturally eating is making water sounds, crushing sounds, sounds like one is walking in the snow, like one is in a cave or like water is dripping.

One of her most popular clips is of her loudly crunching on a pickle, with comments like, “I never understood why it was so relaxing but it is.”

Credit: woman.ng

In Interviews&profile June 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET ARIKE OGUNBOWALE, THE BASKETBALL PLAYER WHO MADE THE “THE SHOT OF A LIFETIME”

US born college basketball player of Nigerian descent, Arike Ogunbowale, made headlines when she helped her team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish win the NCAA championship.The win gave her team their first women basketball title since 2001.

In a semi-final match against Uconn, Arike had beaten the team with a 2-pointer with just 1 second left.

Arike got her team the championship when she scored a 3-pointer with just 0.1 second to go, a feat widely described as a ‘shot of a lifetime,’ in her game against the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs.

Her shot will reportedly go down as the greatest last-second shot in championship game history as she was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

Born in the United states to Gregory and Yolanda Ogunbowale, her father reportedly used to be a footballer in Nigeria and once served in the Nigerian Army before he relocated to the United States. Her mother, Yolanda, was her grade-school basketball coach.
Born to parents that are sports oriented, it is no surprise that Arike excelled in her career even while growing up.
She won four Wisconsin State Cup championships during her club soccer days with Lake Country United (2010-12) and FC Milwaukee (2009)

In Interviews&profile June 6, 2018 By Women of Rubies

EVEY WOMAN SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY LITERATE – TOYIN SANNI

Oluwatoyin Sanni is the Group CEO of United Capital Plc, a leading African Investment-Banking Group, which provides capital and financing solutions to African governments, companies, and individuals.She was the African Business Woman of the Year at the All African Business Leaders Award (AABLA 2017) and also the first female that won the PEARL Award for the most outstanding CEO the same year. In this interview with KEHINDE OLATUNJI, she speaks on her life as a mother, author, wife, pastor and stockbroker among other things.

You are a notable CEO, author, stockbroker, and chartered secretary among many other things, what drives you?
My driving force is the convictions I have that every human being came to this world for a purpose. I have a very strong sense of purpose and I especially believe that women, aside the fact that we are frequently wives, mothers, sisters which makes the society to rely on us, does not mean we do not have our own individual mission. I believe every woman should take the time to connect with our Maker and confirm what is her purpose in life and set to fulfilling it.

It is often said that irrespective one’s background one could still achieve a lot, how has your background contributed to your success?
I was born into a family of seven, my late father was an accountant and my mother was a businesswoman, I studied Law at the University of Ife and graduated at the age of 18. I worked at the Ministry of Justice as a prosecutor after which I joined the financial industry and I have been in this industry for a couple of decades. I have been in investment banking for about 18 years. I qualified with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and also qualified with the Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers, which I am a Fellow. However, I would like to attribute my success to a combination of sources: My Heavenly Father who is the source of all wisdom, my late mother who was a serial entrepreneur and irrepressible survivor, my late father who was a role model when it comes to financial discipline, ethics and governance. The wealth of experience gained from my rich and extensive working career cannot also be left out.

It is said that women are not given enough space in politics, governance, business and other key areas in leadership, do you agree with this?
I totally agree with you that women do not seem to have the same opportunities that men may have had and that is across major areas in leadership and politics. It is also clear in financial inclusion and this narrative has to change. It is especially hard for a woman to achieve much without ambition due to the limiting beliefs and societal bias, which would hardly allow anything to be handed over to her which she had not first actively pursued or striven for.One of the initiatives I am part of which is Women in Finance is an initiative that engages policy advocacy to ensure that the government put in place policies that would be favourable towards the economic advancement of women. This initiative was established in 2016 with a view to becoming a strong voice for the financial empowerment of women, it is a networking platform for women. Part of its mission is to advance the cause of women, pursue financial inclusion, advance financial literacy, engage policy makers on initiatives that will grow the economy and be favourable to women and promote gender parity in the country.

Having highlighted the mission of Women in Finance can you tell us what steps the organisation is taking to achieve this task?
We develop skills in women and we do this through workshops and seminars for the development of financial skills. Though it is not every woman that will work in the financial industry or be in a finance role, however, I am convinced that every woman should be financially literate. Financial literacy is a passion I have and worked on, both on the platform of Women in Finance, and also in the financial literacy committee which runs across our financial industry where I am the Chair. We also extend the hand of fellowship to the male counterpart; it focuses on creating financial literacy in every Nigerian. I must admit that there is a low level of financial literacy among our women.
It is believed that every woman should understand basic principles of keeping track of their monies, delayed gratification, saving a proportion of their earnings or income, discipline of budget that enables them to know how far they should go in terms of spending so that they can have something put aside for the future. Women should be in control of their financial destiny. It is surprising that some women cannot balance their checkbooks; you will be surprised how many women don’t even know how the bills in the house get paid, I am not suggesting that they should insist on paying the bills where the man can or insist on paying a particular portion of the bill, but it is good for us to have a good understanding of how much is consumed in electricity, water and other things and have an idea on how this bills are settled.

How do you balance work with home and every other thing you are involved in without getting dilapidated?
I guess one of the things that help me is planning; with disciplined planning any woman can multi-task and I believe that every woman should multi-task. Also, I support myself with capable assistance many of which are women and I think that they are good people to work with. Surrounding ourselves with capable people to support us both at work and at home is very important and that has helped me a lot.
I have never involved myself in anything I don’t believe is part of my mission in life. This gives me the drive, commitment and willingness to sacrifice and enables me to keep doing what I do without regrets. I love and enjoy every part of my life. My work is not a chore or job to me, it is a big part of my mission, my life’s work. It all fits together nicely. Also, being a pastor enables me to fulfill my goal of helping others maximise their lives and being a wife and mother is not only a joy, it also helps to demonstrate to younger women that they, too, can combine all these roles and maximise their lives.
Writing books, articles and posts closes the gap by providing a platform for remote mentoring. Beyond the above, I enjoy tremendous support, encouragement and understanding from my husband and children who are all equally purpose-minded. Finally, I have amazing assistants at home, work and in church to whom I delegate everything not requiring my personal attention and who are also growing and learning from me so that they, too, can lead people in the future. It’s an entire ecosystem.

How do you relax and what time do you devote to writing?
When I am working on a book project I set aside time everyday to work on the project. My writing desk is very close to my bed, when I am working on a project I will not go to bed until I have put in a number of hours that I have committed to work on it. I read a lot. I love to watch movies and, as I raise my children, we get used to going to the cinema together, sometimes we stay at home to watch the movies together. I enjoy music a lot, I listen to music, I sing and I jog and walk for exercise.

In 2017, you got the award for the most outstanding CEO, what are the criteria for winning this award?
The award is a recognised Capital Market Award that reviews and gives award to private companies across the country. It was the first time in the 22 years history of the award that a female CEO would emerge as the CEO of the Year. The Pearl Award committee have a highly respected board which comprises of former SEC DGs. They have a very credible award committee which reviews the performance of Nigerian CEOs year after year, they look at the financial performance of the company, the brand perception of the company, the returns of the company, they rank the CEO across all these different areas, they also rank within the sector which you operate and based on these different rankings a winner emerges.
In that particular year, United Capital which I run won five awards, we won the best Corporate Governance Awards, Sectorial Awards for Financial Services, the Highest Dividend Yields award, the CEO of The Year award and the Most Outstanding Company of the Year award. I believe that rating my performance and the performance of the company across all those indices earned us the awards.

Advise to women aspiring to achieve great things
The first thing to every young woman is to believe in yourself, don’t let anybody put you down or underestimate what you are capable of. I tell women that there is no female brain and there is no female spirit, so the person on the inside of you is as brilliant, capable and powerful than anybody could imagine. Against the background of your confidence in yourself and what has been put in you, work as hard as you possible can, demonstrate to everybody that you are not asking for special favours.
I like one of the things that Meghan Markle said recently. She said: “Women deserve a seat at the table and, if that is taking time coming, create your own table.” So I tell any young person to do the best to get a seat at the table and peradventure the seat is slow in coming consider inventing your own table. Change the game if you need to in order to win. People usually say that all that is needed to do is to play hard at the game, but if you play hard and you are not winning, perhaps you are playing the wrong game and you should play the game in which you are equipped to win; there are always alternative games.

As you climb the ladder of success what is your advise to companies who think less of women?
Companies need to understand that there are hidden treasures in the other 50 per cent of the population that they often do not consider when they are recruiting. Women are skilled and increasingly better equipped in terms of education, professional qualifications. They are a flexible band and they possess lots of leadership and management skills. Companies should give women the opportunities to prove themselves, they won’t disappoint them on the contrary we will pleasantly surprise them.

What role do you think the government can play in this?
We have to start from the protection of the girl child. Government needs to ensure that our schools are safe for the girl child and the community is also safe for them. The should provide adequate security for them and make sure that our daughters are not kidnapped, abused or prevented from going to school because that is where it starts. They should make sure that employment practices are fair and not discriminating also, the judiciary needs to protect women who have been discriminated against and our laws must be fair and even- minded all the time.
In closing, I will like to encourage all of us to believe in Nigeria and recognise that there is plenty of room for our dreams to be fulfilled even in this nation and to understand that our economy can grow again and women have a big part to play in the development.

By Kehinde Olatunji

For Guardian

In Interviews&profile June 1, 2018 By Women of Rubies

NO BUSINESS IS EXCLUSIVE TO THE MALE GENDER OR TOO DIRTY FOR WOMEN – AJAYI BEAUTY MARTINS

Ajayi Beauty Martins is a 400level student of the University Of Port Harcourt in the Department of Sociology and the reative Director Beauberry creations, the umbrella company of her signature brand “Tyniture” where she is reusing and recycling of tyres into furniture with a sense of class and beauty such as sofa, coffee tables, side stools, chairs, thereby reducing waste in the environment and at the same time Creating a source of livelihood.
Beauty Martins is also a volunteer for Non profit organizations and Social Work groups within and outside Port Harcourt serving in different capacity. The young entrepreneur shares her inspiring story in this interview and where she sees her brand in the nearest future.

Growing Up
Yes it did and I can say 80% of what I do today is as a result of my growth process, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon , and we had to live at the mercy of family and friends, at some point in my life, I had to tell myself the truth about Life, because I knew I would have to emancipate myself and my family from the den of living on others and the only way out was for me to Work Hard. At age 7 my grandad used to buy me chicks to train and sell, although most of them died (lol) and then after school hours I used to make coconut candy and ice-cream made from milk and water to sell to my mates around my area, some evenings my aunt would roast corn and sell oranges in front of the compound and I always had to join her so we could make sales, at home we also sold drinks and sachet water in small quantity to keep us running, for me it was fun and I always looked forward to getting back from school to start selling.
My mum had a salon and most evenings I and my younger sister would have to go to her shop with our ice-cream and candy to sell so we could raise money although it was little but it gave me a sense of responsibility and every step of these way I had to learn different skills to keep me going and all these indirectly prepared me for the business world.

Meet Beauty
I am the first of two girls, raised by a single Mother, born on the 4th of April 1997.Attended De-Harry International School from Nursery to Junior Secondary school and then Moved over to Government Senior Secondary school, Elekahia and currently a 400level student in the department of Sociology, University Of Port Harcourt. I am a fun loving lady and a fighter.

Inspiration behind your brand “Tyniture”
Basically for me, I had always been disgusted by the unending and indiscriminate increase in poor disposing of waste, mostly non-degradable, the rate of tyre waste has recently been on a high side, I thought to myself that I needed to do my bit and also in trying to avoid being killed by breathing bad air and the soot menace, that has clouded our beautiful city, of which a certain % comes from tyre burnt in abattoirs, tyre burnt in streets, used to burn bushes and just randomly burnt most times ,i needed to create my own little awareness by showing to my community that great and beautiful things can still be made out of waste Tyre and that birthed Tyniture for me.

Balancing school and work
I prioritize my time. I work extra hard and smart to put in as much effort as I put into my academic into my business, so I don’t flop in any area and even if I flop, I get up, balance things and continue to push.
When it’s time for School I face School strictly and When its time to get dirty and work, I give full dedication.
It’s not been easy, because it takes discipline and sometimes I get really stretched but it’s been worthwhile.

Work challenges
Restriction in getting these tyres from some locations. Restrictions and Poor Support System in Creating a Clear and Truthful Awareness about the hazards in tyre burning and misuse.
Lack of Material/Machine Support in Getting new tyre artifacts, designs and arts produced due to lack of funding.

I do more….
Aside from the Tyniture brand and Waste to Wealth Recycling.nI am involved in Handcraft using Africa Inspired Materials. I am Currently the Primary Licensee and Organizer of TEDx University Of PortHarcourt. Volunteer at Keeping it Real Foundation, I volunteer for center for youth entrepreneurial development.I was also Privileged to Volunteer for NBC Youth Empowered PH in 2016.
On a personal note I run an Outreach, made up of a group of friends, we do social media and crowd funding to buy gifts and foodstuffs during festive periods to visit orphanages, hospitals (children wards) and street children to have fun and share the good news of Love with them.

Reward
The greatest Reward for me has always been that I am happy with what I do and whether or not anyone rewards me, I am proud of the fact that I am making impact from my little corner.

“Tyniture” in 5 years
Growth is a process and I am sure that with continuity and sustainable work, The brand would be known far and wide for Excellence and Top notch designs in a Few Years to Come.

Giving up
When I first started I had a lot of persons who told me I was going to fail and that drained me so much that I became depressed for a while but I stepped on it and worked harder, Here I am today because I didn’t give up on my dreams

My Inspiration
My mum is my biggest Inspiration and my hiding shell, even on days when I get tired and broken, want to relent and just be a normal girl, she tells me I can’t stop till I reach the finish line. My mum is my Biggest Fan.
Also, Mrs. Bitebo Gogo inspires me to work hard and excel as a woman. Her life is an example of Excellence despite the odds and Challenges. The Zeal to Make Impact, Create a mark on the steel of mother Earth and Hearts of Men Keeps me pushing.

Being a woman of rubies
I am a woman of Rubies because My Strength and Passion is found within the very depth of my heart and I am a Precious Stone that’s rare to find.

To young female entrepreneurs in Nigeria….
No business is meant for the male gender or is too dirty for a lady, You see something you like to do and feel you can? Go ahead, People will talk but Remember what matter most is your Happiness and the love you have for your business. Never Relent, Even when you fail, Try Again,Make sure you fail forward.And to those thinking about starting, Its never too late or too early to start anything. All you need is GOD ,Iron Will, Hands to Work, a Strong Heart and Indisputable Zeal.

To women all over the world
Be true to yourself at all times. Never let Circumstances get the best of You, Sit at the table and add value wherever you find yourself.

In Interviews&profile May 26, 2018 By Women of Rubies

#INTERVIEW: YOUNG PEOPLE BRING LOTS OF VALUE TO ACTIVISM -SANDRA OKELEKE

The developed countries integrate and engage their youth in the mainstream development and governance processes. They believe that these young people, in particular, have the power and responsibility to stand up and take action to achieve unity and sustainable development in their countries.

While resisting the temptation to start rolling out names of many young people, who have changed the world today, there is no doubt that the passion and commitment to creating scientific breakthrough and social change, demonstrated by these young individuals, remind us how much the youth achieve when given the right opportunity.

But it is a twist in the tale in Nigeria where the youth are never given the chance to exhibit their innovative and leadership skills. For instance, we see many university graduates (even with First Class Degrees) being churned out but end up wasting away or gallivanting on the streets while others do dubious ventures.

The plight of the youth, in Nigeria, is very disturbing!

As part of Women of Rubies’ collaborative work with NGOs, I am delighted to introduce Sandra Okeleke, the President of ‘Passion for Self Discovery Initiative’.

I interviewed this ‘young activist’ to discuss some of her NGO’s most iconic campaigns and her quest for a better Nigeria.

Meet her and her kind of Activism
Okeleke Ifeanyi Sandra is my name – born to be ‘MAD (Making A Difference)’. I’m a graduate of Mass Communication from the prestigious Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (Abeokuta, Ogun State) and also, a BSc student of Crescent University where I’m studying Mass Communication.I’m the Founder of ‘Passion for Self Discovery Initiative’ – it is a Non-Governmental Organisation. Our aim is to create an atmosphere where youths can thrive in every facet of life while contributing positively to nation building. We also help our youth to discover their talents, nurture it and put it into use. There is this gap we help to bridge in the literacy level between the rich and the poor. So far so good, we have seen our impact as we continue to help the youth develop patriotic, entrepreneurial and self-reliant spirit.Our organisation is not gender based – it is for both male and female.

The alarming increase of unemployment in our society was what motivated me and I strongly believe that when we teach these young ones how to be self-reliant, this problem would be reduced to a minimal level.On facing the ‘youth stigma’ as the President of an NGO since young people are often dismissed in the ‘running of things’ simply by virtue of their age:Youth stigma is inevitable and I am one of its victims but I have learnt to go for what I want and never accept “No” for an answer. My passion, to make a difference, drives me on – always!

The value young people bring to Activism
Young people actually bring lots of value to activism for reason being that the entire society looks up to us to be ‘MAD’ and so, as a youth, when you ‘Make A Difference (MAD)’, the society appreciate you and want to reckon with you.

On funding her NGO
Funding? That’s a major challenge for a young lady wanting to make a difference – I must say it hasn’t been easy at all. I am a student (a corps-member) and running a Non-Governmental Organisation without a good paying-job – you know what that means! Well, in spite of all these commitment, some people share my vision and would always support financially when the need arises; more so, my family and friends are not left out, especially my fiancé, who has been of tremendous support in all ways.Her NGO’s campaign she is most proud of

I can’t readily pick one or call to mind but generally, I am proud of all our campaign as we have identified the hidden potentials in young ones and helped them to grow in those areas, and the results have been wonderful.On issues limiting the chances of the Nigerian youth and her advice.My advice to the younger generation, any time and any day, is for them to discover who they are, discover their passion and work on it and I tell them, they would never regret doing so.

On thoughts to give up on her project
Many times, I have felt like giving up, especially due to lack of funding. There are times we have had projects (already prepared and everything is set) but there was no money to carry those projects out and we had to cancel them. Such experience breaks the heart and I’ve often felt like quitting but each time that feeling arises, something in me reminds me that so many lives would suffer if I take such a decision. That reminder has always been my driving-force.

In Interviews&profile May 25, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET LEILA DANESHVAR, IRAN’S FIRST FEMALE MANUFACTURER

When Leila Daneshvar was a little girl, she used to sit on the floor of her father’s workshop, asking for small jobs.

“He was a mechanic, and I always had the most fun when I was in the garage with him,” She told AFP.

“But in those days, there were no mechanical careers in Iran, so I went to college in India. Even there, I was the only girl in my year of 139 students. I had a hard time.”

But she persevered. Now 37, she runs her own company in Iran, making mobility equipment for hospitals and the elderly.

“I went to Europe and saw how disabled people live happy, independent lives. I wished my own people had this equipment, and I thought: ‘This doesn’t look complicated. I’m a mechanical engineer — I can do it.”

The breakthrough for the company, called KTMA and selling under the brand “Lord”, came in early 2016, just after Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers came into force, lifting international sanctions.

Within a couple of months, a Swedish investor, Anna Russberg, had agreed to buy 25 percent of the company, bringing much-needed business skills and capital.

“Leila had a reputation for quality production, which was practically unknown here. But I needed to turn the business upside-down,” said Anna.

“It worked. People could tell we were a good mix. We respect each other’s knowledge. She’s the engineer, I’m the businesswoman.”

Being women in Iran’s patriarchal business world could be tricky, but also an advantage.

“Hijab is difficult when you’re a manufacturer. You have to climb things, go below things,” said Leila, laughing.

“But being a woman has its advantages. Everyone remembers you.”

Anna added: “People don’t know how to treat us exactly, which is useful in negotiations.”

Things were looking up: low production costs meant they could charge five times less than foreign firms and they were doubling sales each year, finally landing a major contract with Qatari hospitals.

But then, President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear deal.

It soon became hard to import crucial raw materials, particularly stainless steel.

“We already had problems in getting raw materials… and now it’s impossible. Either I have to close the factory, or have to continue with much higher prices,” said Leila.

“We had to let four or five workers go last month because we couldn’t pay their salaries, and it breaks my heart.”

“These sanctions are not on the government, it’s on the people. I can give less to disabled people, to the elderly. Our saying was that we are providing European quality with affordable prices. Can I do that anymore? I don’t know.”

Anna remains positive.

“Iran has 10 million older or injured people who can use our product. With or without Trump, we still have a business,” she said.

Leila Daneshvar, Managing Director at KTMA, working with an engineer at the company’s factory in Tehran’s Shahriar neighbourhood, on May 17, 2018. (AFP)

“It’s a real pity. Being an investor in Iran is a rollercoaster — you take one step forward, three steps back. But it’s an amazing country with great opportunities,” Anna said.

Leila stays positive by remembering her father, who passed away last month.

“When I become weak and tired… I remember his strength,”

“There is no going back. Iran faces so many problems, but I learned from him that the strength is inside me, and my partner. When we believe we can do it, we will do it,” She said.

Credit: AFP, Pulse News

In Interviews&profile May 22, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET ALETHEA BORMAN, THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDER TO REPRESENT NAMIBIA AT AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT

Legal adviser and bodybuilder, Alethea Borman succeeded in putting Namibia on the map two years ago by becoming the first professional bodybuilder from the country to win a medal at an international event.

(Photo: Informante)

Borman took part in the just-concluded Arnold Classic Africa in Johannesburg. It was in the 2016 edition of this bodybuilding and fitness contest that she got the chance of becoming the first International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) pro-elite athlete to represent Namibia. She did well with that chance by taking the second place at the competition.

38 years old and making her way to the top in professional bodybuilding, Borman is arguably Namibia’s foremost female bodybuilder. Speaking with The Namibian, she said she was inspired to go into bodybuilding because she wanted to take care of herself – and since taking part in her first bodybuilding event in 1994, she’s been hooked.

While she’s juggling her time between training and attending bodybuilding events around the world, inspiring other women to take their health seriously keeps her going. In her own words:

“I’m a legal adviser, a mother of three children, married for nearly 16 years, but I find time to look after my body. It does take a lot out of you sometimes, but we women need to take care of ourselves too.

I have been dieting since July 2017. I train two times daily from Monday to Friday, and Saturdays only once.”

(Photo: Arnold Classic Africa)

Credit: konbini.com

In Interviews&profile May 21, 2018 By Women of Rubies

PROFILE| MEET PRINCESS FIFI EKANEM EJINDU, ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ARCHITECTS IN NIGERIA

Fifi Ekanem Ejindu is a Nigerian Architect, businesswoman and philanthropist.

She is featured in the 2018 edition of the Famous African Women Architects published by People Maven.

Fifi, as she is popularly known, is one of the most celebrated Architects and businesswomen in Nigeria.

Educated at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA; Pratt Institute School of Architecture, New York, U.S.A; Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, Senior Staff Primary School, University of Ibadan, she is the Chairperson of StarCrest Group of Companies; CEO, Building Support Systems; Executive Director, Delmar Group of Companies, Principal Partner of StarCrest Associates, an Architectural Firm, 1995 till date.

Fifi worked at a private firm, Grant Associates in New York, USA. She is the first black African woman to graduate with a B. Arch from the prestigious Pratt Institute School of Architecture, New York. She holds the title of Her Highness Obonganwan King James. Recipient, African Achievers African Arts and Fashion Lifetime Achievement award, 2013.

Appearing on CNN’s African Voices in 2013, Princess Fifi has been ranked as one of the African female pioneers in the fields of Architecture and Business. She has been inducted into the Global Women Leaders Hall of Fame – African Charter, as one of Africa’s top 20 Women of Influence in 2013.

She has also received a commendation from the American state of Georgia House of Representatives for her achievements and has been awarded African Female Economic Champion 2013, She is also a winner of 2014 African Child Nobel Prize and has been named as one of the 2015 Top Twenty Inspirational Women by the African Diaspora Professional Women In Europe (ADIPWE) 2015.

Princess Fifi describes her style of architecture as Neo-traditional which she defines as “building a new project [with] new materials, but with traditional and old style details and features” and hence most of her projects, as she explains, bring back the Renaissance period.

In Interviews&profile May 19, 2018 By Women of Rubies

I AM INSPIRED BY PEOPLE WHO GENUINELY MAKE GREAT IMPACTS – TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Temitope Balogun is the founder of Temmy Balogun, an online media firm that renders content development, public relations and digital marketing services to individuals and businesses. The 24 years old graduate of mass communication from the Lagos State University was the youngest graduate in my set, currently a postgraduate student of the Herriot Watt University, UK where she is studying a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree

A native of Epe, Lagos state, She enjoys surfing the internet in search of Africans who are doing well in their chosen fields and also impacting the continent positively with their ideas, through her motivating Temmy Balogun Motivates 45 minutes interview, where insights, career tips and practical entrepreneurship knowledge are given by men and women of African descent who are leading lights in their fields. The initiative has in no little way helped a lot of young entrepreneurs online , especially LinkedIn users. Temmy has not only carved her niche for herself but she is gradually becoming an household name in the entrepreneurial world. In her words : “Believe, work hard, read, learn, and do not let the world or anyone define what you can and cannot do. Here is my inspiring interview with the young woman who is so confident that she will interview Oprah Winfrey one day.

My childhood didn’t prepare me for Media
Yes, it partly did. My childhood played a role in the creation of my motivational platform. I grew up listening to inspirational songs, which I still do and I find that they always seem to lift me up when I need that extra boost. Growing up, I felt I should, in my own way, help lift people, motivate them in the same manner that music and my family did and still do. I, at a point, wanted to do this through music too. I was very passionate about building my music career and started writing my own songs and got a studio in Bariga through a Facebook friend where I went to learn about songmaking after lectures. I was 17 years old at the time, I auditioned for MTN Project Fame but was scared off by Uncle Ben’s height and tough look.
As time passed, I got caught up with school work and my passion for a musical career waned though it’s still part of me. The passion to inspire still burnt bright, so I started writing and in 2015, I created the motivational platform that is now Temmy Balogun Motivates.
On the other hand, my childhood didn’t prepare me for the media career and entrepreneurship journey I embarked on. I didn’t grow up surrounded by entrepreneurs or media personnel. I owe my parents for my self-confidence though especially with my early enrollment into school which I believe helped me grow into this decisive and focused woman.

Meet Me!
My name is Temitope Balogun. I hail from and was born in Epe, Lagos Nigeria on the 17th of August 1993. I am a focused individual who believes there’s no unattainable dream as long as the dreamer is ready to make it a reality. I am a strong lover of Christ, and I try my best to live by the word of God daily. I appreciate creative, hardworking, humble, and impactful people.
In 2016, I founded Temmy Balogun, a media firm that renders content development, branding and digital marketing services to individuals and businesses. We also have a motivational platform called Temmy Balogun Motivates, where we share content geared towards driving youths and entrepreneurs in Africa to be innovative, not lose hope and become better versions of themselves.

Inspiration behind Temmy Balogun motivates
Temmy Balogun is a brand focused on adding value and impacting lives and brands positively. It was established to provide media-related and bespoke solutions to Individuals, entrepreneurs and organisations within and outside Africa.
Temmy Balogun was established as a solution to the lack of a one-stop channel for quality content development and publicity services for Africans within the continent and in diaspora, especially Nigerian independent consultants and entrepreneurs. I made this discovery during my stint as a freelance content development provider.

The creation of Temmy Balogun Motivates was driven, among other things, by a desire to correct misconceptions most Africans have about the entrepreneurship journey. It’s also to fill the motivational gap as both problems play significant roles in the fall in numbers of promising entrepreneurs as a large number of those that decided to venture into businesses give up and return to job searching.
After speaking with a few Nigerian entrepreneurs who experienced this and strategically observing online African youth communities, I discovered two major reasons for this. Firstly, many don’t get have clear picture of the journey before venturing into it. So when they face many unplanned challenges, they get demoralised and give up. For instance to be self-employed in Nigeria, in addition to all known skills, one needs a thick skin to overcome the many unique unexpected challenges that will surface while running the business. But many young entrepreneurs don’t know this, as business books don’t extensively discuss these challenges.

Secondly, most African entrepreneurs surf the internet daily but they hardly find indigenous motivational content uniquely created to keep them going while in this tough time.
I believe the misconception and lack of motivational support for African entrepreneurs needs to be eradicated, so we don’t continue losing promising entrepreneurs. Africa seriously needs more employers of labour in order to grow at a geometric pace.

I decided to solve these problems by providing insights into the entrepreneurial journey in Africa, including Nigeria on my motivational platform, Temmy Balogun Motivates. The motivational contents will hopefully enlighten and inspire youth both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to persevere till the journey becomes fruitful.
Our Interviews are targeted at Africans living within and outside the continent.

Being of the 43 semifinalists in Sterling Bank’s Meet The Executive Series in 2016
It was a memorable one for me. I felt so happy that an idea I coined based on the problem I was facing as a full-time worker could pass through the intense screening conducted by the Bank of Industry (BoI) and still get selected. When I got the selection mail, I was dumfounded. The experience actually boosted my confidence enough to get me started my entrepreneurial journey. The two-day training we received at Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) helped shed more light on the practical side of the entrepreneurship journey, and preparedme for the journey ahead.

Challenges
There were quite a number of challenges when I started my brand fully in 2016. Though they have reduced now, I will touch on few. The first issue I had was the paucity of funds. There wasn’t adequate funds to set up as a startup, and I had to rely heavily on my knowledge of operating a lean model. At the time, we had no physical address and had to wait till this year before getting an office space and studio in Ikeja, Lagos state. Output was adversely affected during this period but we beat the odds.
Then, as a media firm in the online space , we need to get our content out there more, but Nigerian banks wouldn’t allow us use our Naira card for promotions, except we open as dollar account which has vigorous process . So after going through the stress of production, we can not promote the content as much as we desire as we run on a lean budget.
But I count these challenges as part of a phase we have to pass through as a growing firm.

New project coming up
I have few ideas which are going to be in the tech space. One of them, which I hold dear to my heart, will be my next baby when I am done putting Temmy Balogun on its two feet. I also have bigger plans for Temmy Balogun Motivates, as I want to impact more lives and brand positively. So I and my team are working on innovative motivational concepts.

Greatest Reward
Positive feedbacks from clients I work for, people whose stories I tell and the audience who read our content are my greatest rewards so far. Youths and entrepreneurs following my platform frequently talk about how we inspire them to continue working on their dreams. All these are priceless to me because my brand is out to impact lives and brands positively.

My brand in the next five years
I am on a mission to build a globally-recognised brand that in five years would be known for the provision of bespoke content development, branding and digital marketing services as well as production and sharing of impactful content in Africa.

Giving up
Yes, there were times I felt like giving up but the thought of not posting in a day, not conducting interviews to inspire more people, and not rendering services that I have the skillsets for does not sit well with me.

Who and what inspire me
I am inspired by people who genuinely make great impacts in their field against all odds. I am inspired by the works of Chimamanda Adichie, Mo Abudu, Tunde Kelani, Kunle Afolayan, and Oprah Winfrey. Their works speak creativity, originality and add value.
I am also driven to do better on my platform because I understand that values placed on hard work and creativity in this part of world has deteriorated, but I still want to see youths who are interested in giving their best in Africa, so my platform has to grow to the extent that when they are celebrated on it, the world will become aware of them.

Being a woman of rubies
Have been faced with situations that should have driven me back to paid jobs which I get offers for frequently, but with my focused, determined and relentless spirit, I chose to stick to my entrepreneurship journey as it is where I believe I can make the most impact.
Final words of advice for women all over the world
If you truly believe in your ability that you can get something massive done, you will. Remain focused, be your number one cheerleader and let no one define what you can and cannot achieve.

Reaching me
You can get through to me by sending a message to baloguntemitope60@gmail for your content writing, branding and digital marketing services. You can also reach out to me if you want to be on our interview series on Temmy Balogun Motivates.
To keep up with my motivational contents, visit www.temmybalogun.com daily and follow me on:
IG: @temmytadabalogun; @temmybalogunmotivates
Twitter: @temmytadabalo
Facebook: Temmy Balogun’s Platform
LinkedIn: Temmy BalogunMBA (HRM)

In Interviews&profile May 18, 2018 By Women of Rubies

#PROFILE: MEET PRINCESS ADEYINKA TEKENAH, FOUNDER OF “HAPPY COFFEE”

Adeyinka Tekenah is the founder of one of Nigeria’s premier indigenous coffee franchises: Happy Coffee, and a recipient of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs Foundation award.

Adeyinka is a Bachelor of Arts graduate with high honors from the prestigious Harold Washington University, Chicago. She also went ahead to acquire a Business Management degree from the University of Phoenix.

Her career has traversed government, charity and business development. A life member of the Phi Theta Kappa honours roll call and Dean list, she serves as an advisory member of “Apple of All Nations Nigeria and UK” (a charity for the needy and fatherless).

She is currently the Business Designer for Ochaoptasia Limited and Lead Consultant for Reywal Ventures. Adeyinka previously served as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on CSR, PPP and MDG to the Amuwo Odofin LG Chairman.

She’s passionate about business designs and advancement leading to sustainable growth and development for African women.