Motivation
Adenike Ogunlesi: A Quintessential Entrepreneur
Born on July 14th, 1959, to a Scottish mother, Adenike grew up in a vibrant polygamous home in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. Her father was a medical doctor, while her mother, Elizabeth Okuboyejo, inspired her entrepreneurial spirit as a fashion entrepreneur.
After completing her secondary education in Ibadan, Oyo State, Adenike attended Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria to study law. However, during her second year, she made the bold decision to leave school in pursuit of her true passion, joining her mother in her tailoring business. Along the way, she also enhanced her skills through executive training at Lagos Business School.
Married to Adegbola Ogunlesi, an industrialist in the beauty industry and co-founder of the men’s fashion label Sofisticat, they are blessed with three children, including Ade Ogunlesi, a talented Nigerian music producer and singer.
Initially unsure of her path after leaving university, Adenike found encouragement from her mother to delve into the family fashion business. She worked alongside her mother at Betti O, a growing fashion label known for its unique designs using local Adire fabric. The experience sparked her creativity, and she embraced this venture wholeheartedly until marriage led her to focus on being a stay-at-home mom.
Adenike’s inspiration for creating children’s clothing came from a personal need when she searched in vain for pyjamas for her kids. This necessity transformed into a flourishing opportunity as her handmade pyjamas were embraced by family and friends, prompting her husband to encourage her to expand her efforts. Thus, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble was born in 1996.
With humble beginnings, Adenike started selling clothes from the trunk of her car at local markets, passionately showcasing her designs. Her relentless dedication paid off as demand grew, leading her to hire more tailors and eventually open her flagship store in Ikeja GRA in 2000. She furthered her business acumen by studying at Lagos Business School.
Today, Adenike Ogunlesi has transformed her clothing line into a national brand of respect and recognition. Ruff ‘n’ Tumble stands as one of Nigeria’s most successful and innovative companies specializing in children’s wear, operating a warehouse and factory with locations across major cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, and Kano.
In her pursuit of innovation, Adenike broadened her brand offerings with Trendsetters and NaijaBoysz, catering to the unique fashion tastes of today’s youth.
Additionally, her leadership extends beyond her business as she serves as a non-executive Director at Lafarge Africa PLC, an advisory board member at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Lagos Business School, and Women in Successful Career (WISCAR). As the founding member and first president of the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) at NECA, she uplifts aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring initiatives at the FATE Foundation, WISCAR, and MARA Foundation. She also coordinates the Marriage and Family Life unit at her local Catholic church.
In honor of her late mother, Adenike founded the Betti-O Foundation and Betti-O School Fashion, a non-profit organization aimed at training young individuals in fashion design, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. The foundation has empowered countless Nigerian women to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys with limited resources, partnering with the Lagos State Ministry for Wealth Creation and Employment to train youth in fashion design.
Adenike also established the ‘I Share Cuz I Care’ foundation in 2014, dedicated to educating and empowering children while promoting empathy within the community. Her journey embodies resilience, creativity, and a relentless spirit, inspiring the next generation to dream big and transform their lives.
Born on July 14th, 1959, to a Scottish mother, Adenike grew up in a vibrant polygamous home in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. Her father was a medical doctor, while her mother, Elizabeth Okuboyejo, inspired her entrepreneurial spirit as a fashion entrepreneur.
After completing her secondary education in Ibadan, Oyo State, Adenike attended Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria to study law. However, during her second year, she made the bold decision to leave school in pursuit of her true passion, joining her mother in her tailoring business. Along the way, she also enhanced her skills through executive training at Lagos Business School.
Married to Adegbola Ogunlesi, an industrialist in the beauty industry and co-founder of the men’s fashion label Sofisticat, they are blessed with three children, including Ade Ogunlesi, a talented Nigerian music producer and singer.
Initially unsure of her path after leaving university, Adenike found encouragement from her mother to delve into the family fashion business. She worked alongside her mother at Betti O, a growing fashion label known for its unique designs using local Adire fabric. The experience sparked her creativity, and she embraced this venture wholeheartedly until marriage led her to focus on being a stay-at-home mom.
Adenike’s inspiration for creating children’s clothing came from a personal need when she searched in vain for pyjamas for her kids. This necessity transformed into a flourishing opportunity as her handmade pyjamas were embraced by family and friends, prompting her husband to encourage her to expand her efforts. Thus, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble was born in 1996.
With humble beginnings, Adenike started selling clothes from the trunk of her car at local markets, passionately showcasing her designs. Her relentless dedication paid off as demand grew, leading her to hire more tailors and eventually open her flagship store in Ikeja GRA in 2000. She furthered her business acumen by studying at Lagos Business School.
Today, Adenike Ogunlesi has transformed her clothing line into a national brand of respect and recognition. Ruff ‘n’ Tumble stands as one of Nigeria’s most successful and innovative companies specializing in children’s wear, operating a warehouse and factory with locations across major cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, and Kano.
In her pursuit of innovation, Adenike broadened her brand offerings with Trendsetters and NaijaBoysz, catering to the unique fashion tastes of today’s youth.
Additionally, her leadership extends beyond her business as she serves as a non-executive Director at Lafarge Africa PLC, an advisory board member at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Lagos Business School, and Women in Successful Career (WISCAR). As the founding member and first president of the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) at NECA, she uplifts aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring initiatives at the FATE Foundation, WISCAR, and MARA Foundation. She also coordinates the Marriage and Family Life unit at her local Catholic church.
In honor of her late mother, Adenike founded the Betti-O Foundation and Betti-O School Fashion, a non-profit organization aimed at training young individuals in fashion design, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. The foundation has empowered countless Nigerian women to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys with limited resources, partnering with the Lagos State Ministry for Wealth Creation and Employment to train youth in fashion design.
Adenike also established the ‘I Share Cuz I Care’ foundation in 2014, dedicated to educating and empowering children while promoting empathy within the community. Her journey embodies resilience, creativity, and a relentless spirit, inspiring the next generation to dream big and transform their lives.
How The Pain Of Loosing One Billion Naira Changed My Life
As he greeted me. I quickly took notice that he was emaciated. It was as though he was just a bag of bones. So for fear that he might have contracted a venereal disease or even worse, I asked him what the matter was and why he had become so skinny all of a sudden.
He sighed and amidst lamentations recounted to me how he lost Ten million naira in a business deal gone wrong.
He wondered why I was smiling as he spoke and before he could give voice to his thoughts, I asked him, “Only ten million naira?”.
He was too surprised to respond, and before he could say anything else I told him to take a seat and let me share with him how I lost one billion naira.
As he sat in disbelief, I shared with him how I and a few friends came up with a billion naira to invest in stocks with the intent of doubling the amount in three months.
Unfortunately, before the due date the stock market crashed and we lost everything we invested even to the last kobo. At this point, the young man was sweating profusely as his eyes widened in disbelief. He swallowed hard as he managed to ask, “And sir, you are still standing?”
I almost laughed out loud and before I could respond he asked again, “How did you manage to survive such a loss, sir?” I then went ahead to share with him how I survived and went from pain to gain in the shortest time.
In order not to elongate this space, I have broken them down into 5 bullet points.
I had a positive life stand. For me, life has always been a win-win affair. No matter what I do in life I always believe that all things work together for my good. With this mindset, it is almost impossible to catch me sulking because of a ‘bad experience’. It is either I’m winning or I’m learning.
I embraced the bad experience. I acknowledged what had happened as an unfortunate event, but rather than try to ignore the pain, live in denial and let it weigh me down, I used it to turn on my creative bulb to find a solution and ensure it never happened again.
I embraced the value of the bad experience. It was one of my mentors Napoleon Hill who said, “Every adversity has in it the seed of a greater benefit.” But sometimes, we miss out on it because we fail to see value in our bad experience.
I made good changes after learning from my bad experiences. People either change for the better or change for the worse, but while it looks like the justifiable thing to do when hurt is to hurt others too, it doesn’t improve the situation but rather deepens the pain and worsens the situation. My pain of losing one billion naira pushed me to seek help and so I sought to work with mentors and coaches who taught me financial education and the value of personal development in building sustainable wealth I am forever grateful to them because what I learned from them have made the difference in my life, business and outcomes and today I am helping more and more people do the same.
I took responsibility for my life. Thankfully I realised early in life that growth and success will be almost out of reach for the person who does not take responsibility for his/her life. Our ability to respond to life’s events will ultimately produce the kind of outcomes we get. Life events are given. Things that will cause you pain are sure to happen once in a while but how you choose to respond to them will determine the kind of outcome you will get out of them. That is what it means to take responsibility for your life.
Let me stop here for now, till next time. I hope you got some value from this.
Golf Is Not Just A Game, It Is A Metaphor For Life
Oluwole Olaleye – Oluwole.olaleye@jitaconsultinglimited.com
The sport of Golf teaches us valuable lessons that can be applied to various aspects of our lives.
Referencing SB Abubakar Golf Club, Lagos, Nigeria (my home club) on my experience from the swing practice at the Driving Range to the Holes 1 – 18 repeatedly that birthed the confidence to play on Golf Courses around the world.
Here are the five essential life lessons learned from the game of golf.
Golf requires immense patience and persistence. It is a game that cannot be mastered overnight. It takes years of practice and dedication to improve one’s skills.
In life, we often encounter setbacks and obstacles. Golf teaches us to stay patient, keep trying, and persevere even when the going gets tough. Just like in golf, success in life requires grit and determination.
Golf demands focus and concentration. A moment of distraction can lead to a missed shot or a lost opportunity. Similarly, in life, if we allow ourselves to be easily distracted, we may miss out on important opportunities or make costly mistakes. Golf trains us to stay fully present and concentrate on the task at hand, teaching us the value of focus in achieving our goals.
Golf is a game that requires adaptability and flexibility. Each course presents unique challenges, and the weather conditions can significantly impact the game. Golfers learn to adjust their strategies and techniques accordingly. Life, like golf, is full of unpredictability and changes. Adapting and being flexible in different situations is crucial for success and personal growth.
Integrity and sportsmanship are integral to the game of Golf. Golfers are expected to adhere to the rules and respect their fellow players. Honestly, fairness and respect are qualities that golf instills in its players. These values translate into everyday life, where integrity and sportsmanship are essential for building strong relationships and earning the respect of others.
Golf teaches us the importance of resilience and perseverance. Every golfer experiences failures and disappointments on the course. However, the ability to bounce back from setbacks, learn from mistakes, and keep pushing forward separates successful golfers. This resilience and perseverance are invaluable life skills that help us overcome challenges and achieve our goals.
In conclusion, Golf offers far more than just a recreational activity. Its lessons extend beyond the green and fairways, teaching us valuable insights that can be applied to our everyday lives.
Productivity Vibes
Remi Dairo – remidairo@gmail.com
The fundamentals of productivity vibes that can increase your productivity. Think about how to increase your productivity in life, in your career and in business.
Mental Vibe: How ready are you mentally? Your mental vibe includes your knowledge about what you do. If you do not have appropriate knowledge of what you’re doing, you may not get the appropriate result you are expecting. You need to know about what you are doing. You must know something about everything.
Emotional Vibe: The emotional vibe is your emotional capacity, the emotional dimension of productivity. People get more productive when they are emotional and when they are happy. They are less productive when they are sad, when they are down and when they’re disappointed. Emotion has a lot to do with your productivity. According to my recent research, happiness has a lot to do with productivity; when you’re happy, excited and in a food spirit, you’re more productive because the energy of creativity and performance is all rated in the energy of productivity. That’s why organisations where people are angry and where people gossip don’t progress; you will see their productivity going down. So, you need to understand the corporate emotional vibes you need to have to achieve higher performance.
Physical Vibe: Your body is an engine of productivity. How well are you health-wise? How do you take care of your body? In case, you wake up in the morning, and you have pains all over your body, you’re fatigued, and then you want to force yourself to work. I wonder how productive you will be in that kind of state. You need to understand and take good care of your body. You probably need to do a body massage, take a walk, and exercise yourself because when your body is in good order, I tell you your productivity will go to the next level.
Spiritual Vibe: A spiritual vibe is not a religious vibe. I am not talking about any religion here. What I mean is your essence. Your essence is your spirituality. It is who you are. It is that thing within you. That thing that you feel within you that nobody can touch. That is who you are. So, the originality of you is your spirit. When you want to have the right vibe, you also need to charge up your spiritual vibe because from there, you will catch deep things, deep creativity, deep innovation, and deep invention. All this comes from your spirit. The essence of your productivity is deeply rooted in your spirituality and not religion. When your essence is in order then your productivity is good.
Relational Vibe: Relational vibe is your capacity to relate with other people. How do you manage people’s perceptions, emotions and expectations? How do you manage people wherever you find yourself in business, career, etc? All you need is to understand the relational vibe. When you relate with people positively, be sure that people will relate with you back positively, and then your productivity will go to the next level. Note that it’s not all about your productivity all the time but about what other people feel about you.
We shall stop here today and continue in the next edition, where we will do some practicals of these five personal productivity vibes. Productivity Vibes
We shall stop here today and continue in the next edition, where we will do some practicals of these five personal productivity vibes.
