CAN WE MEET YOU?
I'm Blessing Chinenyenwa Ikezue, a presenter, professional make-up artist and hair stylist. I'm the fourth child of my parents and I have 5 siblings. I'm from Anambra State, but I was born and bred in Lagos. Mum is from Ekiti State anyway.
WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS AND HOBBIES?
I enjoy talking to people and making them look and feel beautiful. This is what inspired my choice of career. I also love writing, I write articles and short stories
WHY INSPIRED YOU TO GO INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
I never intended to go into entrepreneurship. I wanted to have a professional course and just have a professional career. And most times, things don't go the way you planned. I wasn't able to get admission into Medicine. I got admission into Biology Education. I was to get second degree in Medicine but along the line I discovered that Medicine would not be what I wanted so I transferred to Mathematics. My first first and second years was very easy but in the third year, I just realized I couldn't be waiting upon my parents to send me money or depending on other people for financial support.
So I gathered my income together and I started something. The first business in ever tried out was selling wares. I sold cloth and after 300 level I went for industrial Training and was been paid little stipend. Thereafter, I gathered money, I bought clothes, shoes and others things to sell. I took them to hostels and sold them off but I realized that the business was not so good because there were a lot of people, who would purchased and wouldn't pay up their debts. And knowing that I have this talent of how to make people look good. Normally in the hostel, I do make-up and make people hairs for free, then I set out to furthering my make-up business and I went for a training for two weeks. Thereafter I came back to school and I decided to make it a business.
HOW CAN YOU DESCRIBED YOUR GROWING UP?
Growing up was pretty fun. I have a pit of siblings and I have very strict parents. We had a big compound and we were stocked in the house for hours. Because of this, I don't have friends around just my siblings that were my friends. Anyway it was fun.
HOW HAS YOUR GROWING UP INFLUENCED YOUR CHOICE OF CAREER?
Growing up has really influenced my choice of career. My dad is a businessman and at some point my mum was a trader and when she doesn't have to be in the shop I would helped her out in the store. I just realized that I enjoyed convincing people to buy goods and get items from the shop and I enjoyed selling things for her at that point, it helped me in making some decisions and taking some risks. So it really influenced my choice of career. And my SIWES period in 2015 also contributed to my business decision. I worked with a marketing firm, PALLY & PALLY Enterprises. I worked in the Sales and Accounting Department. So I have to do a lot of accounting and customers' service relations. All that put together made me to be able to decide in what I want out of life. Immediately, after that I set out into business of my own.
WHY DO YOU PREFERRED BUSINESS INSTEAD OF USING DEGREE TO GET JOB?
What really inspired me into entrepreneurship instead of a career was what is going in around us. Not even the fact that what is going on around us should deter us from getting what we want. You see people who had jobs, they lose their jobs. You see young graduates come out of school, people with second degrees and yet they don't get job. There are fewer jobs that people coming into labour market can get. Some people are even been cut off their jobs because of the current economic situation in the country. How about I create job, not just to help myself but to help others out? That's one thing that inspired me to go into entrepreneurship.
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU INTO GOING INTO BUSINESS?
I think my major motivation is that I do not want to be looked down on especially with my sex. You know, I hear people say things like, she is a lady, she would finally ends up in her husband's house. So she doesn't need to pursue a good career. She doesn't need to make enough to take care of herself. Maybe because you're a lady you should depends on a guy. I know it's really strikes me as a perverse way of looking at things. I feel everyone was created equal and has the ability to make something out their lives. If there are no opportunities, you can create opportunity. Part of my inspiration are those around me and the word of God which is the main thing for a successful businessman and businesswoman.
WHO IS/ARE YOUR ROLE MODEL(S)?
One of my role models is Chinamada Adichie. I like the fact that you can barely hear negative stories about her. She is a very private person. Aside that I like every other young entrepreneurs who are into something and getting busy. Whenever I looked at them , they inspired me. Basically I got inspired from all of them.
AS A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR, WHAT ARE YOUR FEARS IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET LIKE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?
My major fear as an entrepreneur is something that should be every entrepreneur major fear. Most times, things don't go the way you planned, you would invest your time, resources into a particular thing and it won't worked out as expected. My major fear is losing ideas and not been creative. Itbie not about what you do right now. Its about your ability to pick up and meet up with what's going on around you now. Many people have lost it because their creative abilities are zero. They don't know what people need right now and they can't deliver. They were only to delivered then.
HOW HAS YOUR GENDER INFLUENCED YOUR BUSINESS AS A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR?
One of the roles my gender has played as an entrepreneur is the fact that my market base is basically Women. So I know what its takes to be a woman and I know what a woman needs. But that doesn't stop me from having male clients too.
WHAT MAKES BIC UNIQUE AMONG OTHER BRAND IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?
What makes BIC unique is the fact that in BIC we are not stereotype with what we do. BIC is a beauty firm and we are into makeovers ( vision make-up, hairstyling, Manicure and Pedicure). The combinations of all our services make us unique.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS AS THAT WANT TO BE WHERE YOU'RE NOW?
My advice to young entrepreneurs is for them to do what make them happy. In as much as you do what makes you happy despite what people say, remember that you're contributing to the purse of some people, you're offering a service to the people. Go for whatever you think will make you happy and productive. Secondly, patience is the key word. Nobody get it at first. The beginning is going to be very rough but in as much as you continue to strive and learn from your mistakes, pushing and moving on, failure should not be the best option, just look up to success and strive hard to get there.
WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THE STATE OF THE NATION?
On the state of the nation, I think everyone should wake up. Get something doing and stop blaming the leaders. Currently, the state of the nation has influenced the people to the point that people are even influencing the state of the nation. Kids were brought up to believed that politics is about making money so everyone has a corrupt mindset in them. People should change their mindsets and everyone should stop sleeping and get to work.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OUR LEADERS.
My advice to our leaders is to try to be good examples to followers. They are one we should look up to and not the other way round. They should try as much as to build trust and help people to trust them. They should help entrepreneurs. They should make money available through low interest rate and grant.
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