SHORT TERM THINKING vs A LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE.

The first one will lead to panic, fear, comparisons, a need for instant gratification and unsustainable success.

Long term thinking is faith based. It instills discipline, you plan, project and strategise against an expected future achievement. This kind of thinking is not rewarded in a hurry, be ready to look and possibly feel ridiculous but when the future comes it will make sense.

Some of my greatest assets, the intangible ones in terms of my brand journey are rewards from some decisions I made at least a decade ago. At the time it was difficult sticking to it but now I am so glad I did.

I have heard people say “ Nigerians don’t like ready to wear, Tomi you will starve o” They were right at the time but I knew that a time would come when they would be wrong if only I could wait out the “starvation” season .

Then they said “ hmmm Tomi your designs are too simple , Lagosians like glam” right again but I was targeting the growing 2% who were like me and now just like I anticipated “simple is the new glam” I have been told other things like “stick to your linen” “your designs are getting too young” “you need to do more regular stuff” “ your prices are too high” “ you need to start taking fabric “.

In my journey towards the picture in my head and as I evolve and reinvent myself and my brand it has been tempting to compromise, to earn a quick buck but I’m glad I stuck to my plan because most of the brand equity I am enjoying now are based on decisions I made years ago. 

Now those values are part of our DNA and difficult to shake off. I’m still making crazy moves under the radar that nobody understands except me and the voices in my head. I’m also still making a few errors and course correcting but I have learnt to be focused on the long term play, it’s all coming together….one day it will make complete sense.

So in-spite of the pressures society places on you, go with your convictions and make moves today that your future self will be thankful for. I hope i made sense today.

My babies are growing up. They are changing and so are the dynamics of our relationship. They need me in a different way now and I need to be sensitive to my new role in their lives if I want to be an effective parent.

Sometimes, admittedly, I miss the babies they used to be and how desperately they needed me for everything. How I had a ready answer for any question they asked and how cute their responses were to some of mine.

Now some tables have turned and I’m the one asking the ridiculous questions as they are the ones bursting out in laughter at how clueless I am in their world. But they need me. They need me more now than they needed me then. My role is different but it’s still the same.

As my business evolves so does my role as it’s creative director. It’s sometimes humbling to accept this. My business also doesn’t need to be mothered the way it used to. My team needs direction not micro managing . If I’ve done things right, my brand also now a teenager should be mature enough to run on its own without my hand holding.

I also must admit that I need help. This phase in both respects is more complicated. There are people who have been down this road before and I can learn from their journeys. Please be sensitive to your role as a CEO. You run the risk off loosing momentum if you let go too soon or hold on to less strategic roles too long. Learn to empower and trust listen, yes listen to your business. Mine seems to have a life of its own and has a lot to say.

If you are going to be an entrepreneur of any kind you must be a fan of the roller coaster. You must be ready to study the ant and remain humble.

If you want to be a fashion preneur you must first be an entrepreneur, a real one , a business type. Get familiar with numbers, trends and market dynamics. If you choose ….among every other option on God’s earth to be a fashion entrepreneur in Nigeria, then contrary to what you may look like , you are a little crazy .

You must be ambitious, dogged and extremely and I mean extremely focused. There will be noise you must ignore and opportunities you must create. You are however exactly where you are supposed to be. I know it’s hard and near impossible sometimes but it’s going to be okay because you belong here.
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It’s been 27 days since my last run. In those 27 days a lot has happened. My initial excuse was the weather, then in my determination I started running in the rain. Then it was work, then I had to nurse an injury,then it was travel,then more work , then finally it was my jeans not fitting as easily…..then you know the rest of the story…it’s downhill from there, we have all been there.

So today I decided to go on a run, I knew once I got back on the road It would trigger my love for running again and it will be life as I know it again. It took me an hour to get ready, My head phones were not charged, I lost my phone, my new work out clothes looked weird, and I literally had to push myself out of the house. 60 minutes later, I’m done. I’m pleased and I know I will be back tomorrow. My mind will also get stronger, weight will be shed and all will be ok.

My business took a hit too for a minute. All our businesses have in one way or the other. The business of fashion cannot be sustained only by creativity in designing. These days (and this is a global phenomenon ) your ability to adapt, pivot and reinvent will determine your success and your existence. 

If something is not working anymore stop doing it and explore new methods or territories. If you have lost your mojo, find it, be intentional about whose energy you are feeding off , what you are allowing to take your mind space and if you need to make some hard decisions, do so…quickly.

Whatever you do remember it doesn’t have to be “downhill from here” you can do something unusual today to change course. So do it.

Entrepreneurship is many things but Easy is not one of them . It is fulfilling and in many cases life altering. It will influence your faith, your family life, your life philosophies. It will make you doubt yourself, love yourself…..it will feed you humble pie and in another season put you on a pedestal.        

It is the best thing or the worst thing that will ever happen to you depending of course on your perspective. Personally I love being an entrepreneur. I love that I get to explore and create and control. I love how I can learn , unlearn and relearn. I love the journey and the privilege to serve. I am thankful for the highs and the lows. I will do it again and again and again and again.

If you are an entrepreneur, take a moment to stop dreaming big, creating content, managing infrastructure, raising money and all the other crazy things we find ourselves doing in this jungle…take a moment to take it all in and just love this moment you are in and marvel at how far you have come.
Ok ….a minute is up….back to the grind.

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.

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.  I have offered practical ways to introduce new ideas to your customers in my latest podcast. I’m excited about this podcast episode and I will have shared 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 to subscribe to my podcast.

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.

Back to the conversation that inspired this blog. 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.