Ifunada
A girl of many components, Ifu Ennada is a a number of awards winner, businesswoman, content material creator, producer, actor, and actuality TV star.
In 2018, she based beautIFU Ennada, a magnificence model that at present focuses on skincare, hair care and caters to black women. Admired for her consistency and resilience, she is consistently inspiring numerous women along with her work and life. She just lately launched a group of pre-stretched hair extensions that make braiding and hairstyling hassle-free by fixing money and time wastage issues. She plans to make use of her life experiences and classes to assist different women.
In this interview with TOBI AWODIPE, she talks about transitioning from a actuality TV present star right into a businesswoman, rising a sustainable profession, and serving to younger women to interrupt into, survive and eke out a residing within the leisure business, amongst different points.
Reality TV star, actor, magnificence mogul, entrepreneur, and plenty of different roles you will have performed efficiently in the previous couple of years. Tell us what the journey has been to date?THE journey has been full of ups and downs no matter how simple it appears to outsiders. I’d be a liar if I say it has been a mattress of roses. Just yesterday, I launched my line of modern pre-stretched hair attachments which I name beautIFU Hair and plenty of congratulatory messages and help got here in. Looking at all of it, I have to say that when it will get laborious, these form phrases and help from folks preserve me going. In all, I’m grateful to God for every part. For each time it seemed like I failed, I discovered a lesson. God has been my hope and benefit in every part I do.
Ifunada
Since leaving the BB home, you will have develop into a family identify, what would you say has been your endurance?I’d say consistency has been an enormous contributing issue to my endurance. The truth is that I’m all the time doing one thing productive, whether or not it’s with my enterprise or my dealings within the leisure business. I’m by no means idle and that’s one factor my followers and followers will freely inform anybody who cares to hear. I’ve had a variety of viral moments with my enterprise due to the type of options I give with my distinctive improvements. Everything I do, particularly with my enterprise, provides actual worth to numerous lives and due to these, I’m all the time remembered.
You stated just lately that you simply stop a enterprise you began. Has this dampened your ardour for entrepreneurship in any method?I consider you’re referring to the time I rebranded my beautIFU Ennada Haircare line and introduced this with a video that noticed me crying and saying I used to be achieved with the outdated? This is the viral issue I talked a few second in the past. That clip at first of the video, which I first shared earlier than sharing the precise rebrand video, was simply my method of getting consideration. I did stop the outdated look, however I didn’t hand over on beautIFU Ennada, it’s alive and doing effectively.
As an energetic entrepreneur, what would you say have been the challenges you confronted?The struggles have been out of this world, particularly with the current pandemic. My enterprise was affected and I misplaced lots as a result of sudden adjustments within the financial system, particularly as a result of I’ve enterprise dealings overseas. I grew to become depressed, however in all these, I used to be capable of uncover a brand new supply of earnings. I used to be impressed to create digital merchandise, notably for my beautIFU Skin Acne Solutions. I created a category and an eBook the place I train folks perceive and defeat pimples for good. Acne has made many individuals waste cash on merchandise that don’t work as a result of they fail to know that skincare isn’t a one-size-fits-all and attributable to its nature and causes, one thing that labored for A won’t work for B. Acne is one thing I confronted and defeated myself after every part and all of the consultants failed me. I acquired data myself and removed it. Acne has despatched many into melancholy. This remains to be energetic through the beautIFU Skin platform and folks can get entry to my assets on beautifuskin.com. In all, I’d say that struggles and downtimes in enterprise might encourage us to both create or uncover very worthwhile options or new streams of earnings. It all will depend on how your thoughts works and the way you select to see issues.
How did you overcome these challenges?First, it was by analysing and understanding my scenario. I additionally took stock of the instruments obtainable to me to see how they may be used to assist different folks to unravel their issues. If you examine my companies, you’d see that every of them addresses an issue and provides an answer that works. Truth is, individuals are all the time blissful to pay for one thing that provides worth and helps them clear up an issue.
Ifunada
To somebody planning to alter from being a actuality TV present star to rising a sustainable profession, what recommendation would you give?I’ll advise the particular person to be able to work very laborious and sensible. The hype that comes with being on a actuality TV present is fleeting and if you happen to don’t handle it effectively, you’ll be forgotten in a short time as a result of yearly, new stars are born. In truth, it appears like each different week a brand new expertise is found now. People prefer to observe folks which are recognised for one thing, so if the enterprise is one thing you wish to do, you must present it. People have to see it; you must present up on a regular basis. People ought to consider you and tie one thing to your identify–on this case, your profession. You have to be good at what you do as a result of that is the way you can efficiently have an effect on the change and folks will preserve remembering you. You want to know that there are not any shortcuts. Being a actuality TV star doesn’t translate to rapid or steady success. If you don’t put in work, you’ll be shortly forgotten.
You have appeared in a number of notable films and high TV sequence in current instances. Is this one thing you propose to do long-term?My appearing profession has been blessed with notable awards. I’m grateful for that. Being an actress is one thing that comes simple to me as a result of I can simply match into and play any character. This is why I took a while off to construct my enterprise, which isn’t a joke, a minimum of to me. Acting is one thing I’ll all the time do when the script is sweet and the worth is wonderful as effectively.
How are you utilizing your expertise and voice to assist different women, particularly those who look as much as you?One factor I do, particularly with social media, is to share my story with folks. Oftentimes, folks suppose that life is a mattress or roses as a result of some celebrities solely present the great aspect of it, however I attempt to share my struggles- as a lot as I can afford to as a result of I do know in doing so I encourage and encourage folks and assist them perceive that whatever the struggles, there’s all the time mild on the finish of the tunnel. I need folks, particularly younger ladies to consider me and say as a result of I didn’t hand over, they received’t hand over both. My final purpose is to encourage and lift as many individuals as I can by way of my work and story. I really feel like my function right here on earth is to offer hope and contact lives. This is why I don’t maintain again from sharing the great and the dangerous. I additionally do some charitable works and provides monetary help after I can afford to, however I desire educating folks fish and letting then know that success may be very attainable no matter one’s poor background. I need younger ladies to know that they can be successful without having to sleep with males for cash or compromise their values. I need my life to be an instance of this.
There will definitely be stress on you from pals and followers to stay like a star, having achieved fame in a TV actuality present. How do you deal with this?Recently I needed to unfollow a variety of pages on Instagram simply to keep away from placing pointless stress on myself from issues on my timeline and unconsciously judging myself based mostly on what I see. Pressure doesn’t solely come from pals or followers; it can additionally come from you. One method I deal with it’s what I beforehand acknowledged. I additionally simply usually keep away from something that’s not good for me. Unrealistic expectations can be detrimental to 1’s psychological well being and I can’t afford to harm my psychological well being.
The leisure business can be a tricky one, particularly for younger ladies in search of to interrupt into it. What would you inform them to do or keep away from?The leisure business is very like some other business with regard to breaking into an business and succeeding in it. I believe it’d assist to review successful folks there, get near them if you happen to can, and discover out what labored for them. Filter and modify it and apply to your self. Really, nothing good comes simple. If good issues come simple, everybody would be successful. One factor I additionally wish to say is to contain God in every part you do. It’s additionally essential to not do something that’s towards your perception in God. For instance, sleeping with administrators or producers for roles, as a result of if it’s God’s will, you’re going to get what you’re on the lookout for without having to garbage your values. Put the work in and have religion.
Tell us precisely how you’re altering lives along with your merchandise as you stated?My skincare line is lower than a 12 months outdated, but it surely has achieved fairly effectively and is gaining grounds amongst my followers who’ve turned prospects. I created merchandise with elements derived from nature as a result of there are a variety of harsh chemical-laden merchandise out there that has destroyed the pores and skin of many individuals. My pores and skin model encourages women to know and love their pure pores and skin tone, it’s an advocate towards pores and skin bleaching and to date, we’ve got gotten a lot optimistic feedbacks and testimonials. People can entry my merchandise through shopbeautifu.com. My haircare model will be three years outdated in just a few day’s time and to date, we’ve got achieved fairly effectively. Whenever celebrities ask their followers for haircare merchandise suggestions, I would really like my prospects and followers that observe them to tag my enterprise web page and encourage them to make use of my model. That’s an indication that we all know what we’re doing. I just lately launched beautIFU Hair, my line of pre-stretched tangle-free hair attachments. I name them E’Zee Braids as a result of they clear up the time wastage drawback that comes with slicing, pulling, and brushing hair extensions first earlier than use. I all the time put myself within the sneakers of my prospects to know what they want and need, and I’d go all out to ship them. I’m additionally presently engaged on launching my magnificence studio, which has been within the works for some time. The main problem I’ve is getting the correct workers however as soon as we get the correct folks, we’ll open it to the general public.
Looking again, do you will have any regrets or wished you had achieved issues otherwise?Sincerely, I’ve no regrets. Everything has been a studying curve for me, whether or not it was a superb or dangerous expertise.
How finest can we assist extra women to personal companies/startups particularly at these tough instances?One recommendation I can give is “spend money on your self”. Don’t restrict your self to what you understand. If you need to develop, you need to always search data as a result of the scene is all the time altering and there’s all the time competitors. Take related programs whenever you can and take motion so that you’re not left behind.
What adjustments would you prefer to see occur for Nigerian women within the subsequent 5 years?I’d like to see extra successful feminine entrepreneurs. I’d like to see society respect women extra. These days when a lady buys a home or a automobile, most give glory to an imaginary sugar daddy, it is because women are very underrated by these folks. This has to alter. I’d additionally need the federal government to work out methods to offer women in enterprise an edge that sees them fly excessive and excel.
What closing phrases do you wish to go away with readers?So many issues come to thoughts, but when there’s one factor I have to say is to all the time consider in oneself, to know that it’s okay to fail as a result of failure solely makes us higher, and to know that nothing is unattainable with God. This is the which means of Ifu Ennada. If I can make it, you can.
https://guardian.ng/guardian-woman/young-girls-women-can-be-successful-without-compromising-their-values/
