Dear fashion preneur

The business of fashion is not easy and it has nothing to do with being Nigerian or being in Nigeria. If you were shopping for ease , you chose the wrong career. However what I have noticed is that most of what we struggle with has nothing to do with the business in itself, the bulk of our problems lies in the pressure put on ourselves, our definition of success, comparisons with other brands and not understanding that our business is a going concern.

We are not meant to figure it all out in a year or 2 or 3. The first 10 years of your business I believe you measure success by how far you come into your own , knowing what kind of brand you are and digging deep into that is success of a monumental proportion. Once you do this and focus, then the ease comes and you are on the up and up. Challenges will come but the battle has been won.

If you are an entrepreneur in Nigeria you already know the economy and the business terrain is challenging but that does not mean you should throw in the towel . Adjust your expectations if you must, adapt by cutting costs and explore new income streams if you must but this is not a reason to quit it’s just part of the journey , a small bump in the road. Another chance to test your resolve and your commitment to this career choice. If you work it right you will come out on the other side of this season a stronger and more powerful brand . Hang in there. I’m rooting for you.

So this is the end of another series. If you missed any scroll down to view previous blog posts.

Dear fashion preneur

The customer is King but she is not always right. She also doesn’t always know what she wants and she is open to discovery and adventure. The customer is King but she is not in control of your creative process. That is too much power.

My mentee’s story is not new. As creatives we are constantly torn between being commercial and being original but it doesn’t have to be one or the other. If you get too comfortable servicing the same small network of customers with the same style you risk loosing your edge.

What you must do is be open to exploring your gift but introducing your new ideas strategically and gradually to your tribe . Also your business needs to be open to new people constantly, you are building a business not a fraternity. The more diverse your clientele the more of your creativity you can explore. More importantly you don’t need permission from anyone other that yourself to use your brand as a creative outlet. Just be smart about it.

On Friday I will offer practical ways you can introduce new ideas to your customers. I’m excited about this podcast episode and I will be sharing my journey in this regard. I know it is scary but being able to show off my creativity through my brand is the best thing that ever happened to my brand. Click the podcast button on the home page to subscribe to my podcast and stay tuned.

Dear fashion preneur

So I had a conversation with one of my mentees who is a veteran in her own right. She has run a fashion label successfully for 8 years and has survived all the highs, lows and bumps in the road that come with entrepreneurship. I respect her immensely and I’m a fan of her brand.

So back to the conversation that inspired this post. In a moment of inspiration she decided to step out of her signature style and design a collection she felt really connected to and one that was a reflection of her personal style. She put together the collection and launched it on her shop floor with so much excitement and then waited for feedback.

It came. It wasn’t good. Her customers resisted this new point of view and politely advised her to go back to the status quo they knew, loved and were ready to buy. That was it. She managed to sell a few and gave out the rest. Then resolved never to experiment again.

Her lesson from that experience was to do what the customer was ready to pay for and nothing more. “Stick to the lane you are put on” she said “give the people what they want” . I smiled and shook my head at the same time. I didn’t agree and I’ll tell you why in my next post.

Dear fashion preneur

You may be due for a price increase.
It’s scary right? Your business has been telling you this for a while but your fears won’t let you. You do good work, you know it and your customers know it. Your passion drives you to over service your customers and outperform your competition but still under price your product. It seems the only person being shortchanged is you. It is also you that will get overworked, resentful and (heaven forbid) out of business.

If you are under pricing yourself out of profit for fear of loosing your customer then you may be targeting the wrong people or sending the wrong message. You may also be underestimating your customers, some of who are paying more for less elsewhere.

To fix this I want you to do 3 things. First is to identify and define your ideal customer (her capacity to afford your service is part of this) next I want you to determine your ideal price for your service/product after considering your costs, price point category and ideal profit margins then I want you to listen to my podcast on Thursday where I will be sharing some of my strategies with price increase. Whatever you do know that your business is meant to serve both you and your ideal customer so get out of the way and let it.

Dear fashion preneur,

I hear your complaints. I hear them everyday. It’s difficult to block them out because you go on and on . Your frustrations are valid and they are real too however they are not peculiar to you . We are all in the same ship, dealt the same hand but while you are complaining your competition is adapting.

Sade could not afford a store on the high street and was loosing business from not having a physical store, she complained for a minute then she decided to Adapt and now she has her pieces in 2 concession stores and is also offering free shipping to prospects in Lagos.

Tiwa adapted too. Her clothing line was for children, her finishing impeccable but she lived outside Lagos and business was dreadfully slow, she too complained before adapting, now she has partnered with a bigger brand and manages their children’s line.

I have so many examples of people who have turned things around by focusing their limited energy on creating solutions that totally turned what seemed like a disadvantage to a strength.

You can too. Start first by changing your circle of co complainers and begin to hang with game changers. Invest in crafting a plan and use your God given creativity to create new winning strategies. Think outside the box , innovate , collaborate , do whatever is needed but know that to survive a difficult climate Adaptation is necessary. Try it, all the cool kids are doing it.

Dear Nigerian,

I am not a patriotic person. I know I may have picked the wrong day to admit this but I’m not alone. I complain about Nigeria, it’s leaders and it’s hard hard terrain but somehow I’m still here. I am an adult now. I can choose to be anywhere else doing anything else but I CHOSE to be a fashion entrepreneur in Nigeria.

Choice is a powerful thing, it really can change your life. So today I choose to be patriotic. Maybe for the first time ever. I’m a rookie at this so forgive me if my attempt is rusty, here it goes….

We may not have a great health care system, we may have corrupt leaders and poor infrastructure. We may have no welfare system and a difficult business terrain, but anytime I look in the mirror I see one great thing that came of Nigeria.

I see myself and I am proud of who I am becoming against all odds. I dream of a country that will live up to its potential possibly in my life time, but while I wait for that to happen I will do my bit to be the best Nigerian I can be. I do what I can , my complaining does nothing but distract from solutions I can create.

This country and its imperfections are all we got. So be the best Nigerian you can be while we wait for the country to catch up.

Dear Fashion Preneur,

One of the most difficult things you will ever do in your journey to becoming the greatest creative you can be is staying true to you. It is both the most difficult and the most rewarding. It is possibly also the simplest thing but like most truths , it’s complicated because it’s so simple right? It’s difficult because you are constantly trying to balance being authentic with being relevant and you try to manage being creative with being commercial. Then there is the almighty fear of rejection which is second only to the almighty fear of “the month end payroll” 😂. What to do?

When in doubt, do you but first know who you is. It took me a while to understand my creative process and even longer to appreciate it and honor it because it’s so different from most. I think that is what I appreciate most about being a creative entrepreneur and being an observer in this community. We are all so different, no two are the same, so why are you trying to be like someone else.

Your authenticity is your money maker, your USP. Your originality is your bread and butter , your cash cow. It may not seem like it right now but that is because it’s a long term play, you have to discover it, deliver it, repackage it , refine it and then honor it consistently. That process takes time, lots of it. Don’t worry though, you’ve got time.

Resist the urge to go the quick money / short cut route. The world is resisting the cookie cutter brands and celebrating uniqueness. If this is what you want to do with your life, if you want to survive the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship. Stay true to who you are, it is the best business advice I can give. Actually it’s the best advice period. #

Dear Fashion Preneur,

How do you respond to success?

When the stars align and everything you touch turns to gold. Your collection sells out, your loan is approved, you get testimonials that make your heart sing and an alert that make your eyes pop. It’s one lucky break after another and you are fooled into thinking you have arrived…..big emphasis on the word “fooled” .

Success scares me. After 17 years in the game I now know success is not a transaction, a big break or even a fat bank account. Success is not a destination, it’s a journey….a long windy journey to become the best you can be.

You see there is a great designer in you, one that touches life with her talent and her story. The opportunities that show up, if you are sensitive enough, will bless you beyond the money they put in your pocket.

If you miss the chance to learn humility from success, to learn how to treat people with honor and respect, if you don’t get the chance to develop your talent and invest in your health and your relationships, then success is lost on you and will soon be lost for real.

So let’s ditch the idea of the stereotypical high flying designer with the larger than life ego and her nose in the air, the last two years has humbled our global industry and that should teach us to stay humble especially when we experience success.

Dear Fashion Preneur,

How do you handle rejection?

This two letter word can cause some real damage if you let it. The word can make you doubt yourself, recline into your shell and even make you second guess your talent. We’ve all been there. The difficult customer, the rejected proposal, the sample that didn’t turn out right, the unsold inventory, the unsuccessful campaign and even the post that wasn’t liked enough, it feels like the universe is finding new and more creative ways to say No. How do you handle that?

I need you to know that the rejections will come and it is important they do. I am grateful now for all the customers that didn’t “get me” they helped me focus on those who did , they let me value my tribe more.

I am grateful for opportunities I lost , it wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t ready….I am now. I have survived so much rejection that I now realize they may hurt but they don’t leave scars, they don’t scare me anymore.

Embracing the possibility of rejection has made me bolder. I take more risks now. I’m open to experimenting , I don’t take your No personal because it’s not about you, it’s about my journey. Also don’t hate the Naysayers. Don’t be one of those people that stays focused on “haters” ( ain’t nobody hate you 🙄) your creative energy can be put to better use.

I would much rather get a “No” and learn from it than a “yes” that teaches me nothing and keeps me on the wrong path.

I AM BACK.

Today was my second run since I got back and somehow I feel I am truly back in mind and spirit and able to take whatever this crazy city has to throw at me.

Going off on holiday is great but readjusting back to everyday life for me is always tough. This time was particularly difficult, first it was the family emergency, then I came down with a throat infection, of course my skin had to start flaring up again and let me not even start with the drama at work.

If you can’t tell already, I take comfort in my habits. My good habits give me hope. they give me confidence. Every time I go for a run, lay my bed or record a podcast I feel a little empowered knowing that these little steps add up to something great.

I’ve kept the running going for 3years and now I’m shopping for another life changing habit to pick up before the year runs out. I’m doing this for me, I guard this habit jealously and selfishly but it is rewarding to see how it is inspiring those around me too. So what good habits are you proud of ?