Joy Adesanya
Joy Adesanya, a creative businesswoman of many attributes is the Group CEO of AJ Skylar Holdings; a holding company for her subsidiary brands Sshhh Lingerie Ltd and The Braiding Vault Ltd, both based in Nigeria where she combines her proven leadership and interpersonal abilities to drive cost, time, and quality benchmarks. A woman of great Faith, vision, determination, hard work, consistency, passion & a drive for philanthropy, mentoring, overcoming great odds and sticking through challenges is a creative force whose journey and story to becoming the woman of her vision is one we had to tell and share.
Joy Adesanya
Interviewed by: THOMASINA R. LEGEND
Photography: EDVINAS BRUZAS
Why entrepreneurship? I grew up with an entrepreneurial mother who had her hands in many pies and a dad who was focused on his career and extremely good with people. Throughout my childhood, I didn’t realise an entrepreneurial seed was being sown within me, whilst imagining I would become a marketing director for a Fortune 500 company and hold down a 9-5 job. I never dreamed I’d own my own business but that seed eventually blossomed and I became an entrepreneur, like my mom and a people person, like my dad.
Before relocating to Nigeria, you not only worked a 9-5 job but also owned a restaurant and hair business. What drove your passion for business? My Mom encouraged me to get into business and not depend solely on the pay from my 9-5 so I embarked on the journey with selling Mary Kay cosmetics, which were popular at the time so I could have another stream of income. I became an agent but it’s not easy to sell door-to-door let me tell you. Luckily, I inherited some of my dad’s people skills, which really helped me. I went on to sell Body Magic and then moved into hair sales. I stumbled across hair from China and decided to order it. I named my brand Angel Hair and believe it or not but my Mom was my first model. I ordered labels and stuck them on packaging and began selling. My parents were both pastors so a lot of people in the church trusted me and my sales really boomed. What drove my passion was the desire to have a good lifestyle. I knew I would have to work twice as hard as other people to become the person I wanted to be.
What really motivated your relocation to Nigeria and why was it so important to make the move when you did? I was 17 the first time I experienced Nigeria and it was a culture shock for sure. So many things didn’t make sense to me in terms of how things operated there but I felt a sense of belonging and I could picture myself living there. At 17, my parents knew I was too young to make that move so I came back to London but returned for subsequent visits over the next 5 years. Each time I went, I fell more deeply in love with the people and the land, I got into Nollywood films, and I realised I could live there.
I had gone through a really horrible break up in the UK, which drained me and damaged both my self-esteem and my confidence. I was working in a job I didn’t enjoy, and I felt stuck. When I get stuck in a routine that isn’t bringing me joy, I start to feel suffocated and I have to move, to shift. I decided to go to LA with a friend and try living in America. After 3 months, I realised it wasn’t my vibe, so I went back to London. Four months later, I made the move to Nigeria, and I’ve been there for 9 years now.
So, what did you do when you first arrived in Nigeria career-wise?My first priority was to get a corporate job and start trying to understand the land, the people, my people, the economy and how I could fit in. I knew this was important because I couldn’t plant myself there without this understanding.
You cannot go to a flourishing garden and just pop up as a rose. Before you plant the seed, you must understand the soil and the weather and prepare the ground. Only then can you plant yourself and grow into the rose.
I had no idea I would start a business, I just thought I would work my way up the ranks of a company and become a CEO, so I took a PA job for a fantastic lady who owned a modelling agency. I did that for a year and then moved to a job in Micro Finance where I was head of corporate communications. Following that I was headhunted by the NSE (Nigerian Stock Exchange), In the course of the interview, one of the executives said he thought I belonged in this line of work because I had so much passion and intelligence. I was quite happy where I was actually but he wouldn’t take no for an answer and he had integrity, too. In Nigeria it’s very rare for somebody to want to help you without asking for anything in return but this individual didn’t. He was straight up and determined to win me over. He went to his HR department and did everything he could within his power to ensure that I got through the door. I ended up working there for 2 years and they ran me to my bones. The rigorous schedule and demands took their toll and I became a shadow of myself; I aged, I lost a lot of weight, looked super frail. Eventually I had to resign. I went back to the UK for 2 months but I heard God tell me to GO BACK to Nigeria. He gave me the vision for my first business in my sleep in 2015 while I was visiting my uncle in Atlanta. That’s how Sshhh Lingerie was born.
Fear holds a lot of creatives back. From where does your boldness come? It comes from my faith in God. I tell my staff and all the people around me that I am not the CEO of my business, and I couldn’t have come up with all these things they’ve seen me create if I tried. It was given to me. I was blessed with it, the ideas, the creativity, and the businesses, all of it. I am just a tool in the hands of God. Moses trusted God, when tasked to go and free the Israelites because God reassured him that he wasn’t just sending him but God himself was going with him, I, too, believed the same. And because God went with Moses, Pharoah’s capitulation was guaranteed. He let God’s people go. So, when I got the vision and decided to run with it, I told God, I know I cannot fail, and I will not fear. I don’t want anyone to say, “Where is her God?” because my Lord and my God is one and there is no other. God gives and God therefore can also take. If my businesses were to fail, I would simply say, ‘What next, God?’.
How did you receive the vision for your business? My friends call me Josephine the dreamer and those that know, know God has been speaking to me through dreams from a very young age. It’s something I’ve never taken lightly. I always told my mom all my dreams. Often, I would forget them but when they came to pass, she would remind me that I’d dreamed it.
I had a dream, and I woke with it on my mind. I googled it and what I saw in the dream was there on the page I was looking at. I realised this was the vision for my first business.
The second vision, for the Braiding Vault, came during a daytime nap at a friend’s house. There was a woman sitting down with a child between her legs and she was braiding the girl’s hair. It was a dark room and I stood there watching. The woman kept looking at me as she was braiding and I thought, ‘What am I doing here?’. The woman said, ‘Listen, you’ve been praying, and you’ve been asking God for your next step of how to expand your financial portfolio. This is your next step. You’re going to open a braiding salon, this is what it is going to be called, this is what the staff uniform will be, this is the discount you’re going to give, this is how much you’re going to charge, this is what your interior is going to look like. It was so detailed that when I woke up, I had to catch my breath. My friend was actually scared and asked me what was wrong. I related the dream to him word for word and, as people often do, he told me it was just a dream. I said no. I knew it was a sign and I called my mother immediately.
She told me to run with it, so I did. I wrote down every detail of my dream and researched the name I heard. It didn’t exist anywhere, not even on social media so the next day I registered it with the business authorities, and I trademarked it immediately.
Every move I make, I make it with God and even people who don’t believe in God or are not religious cannot deny that there is something always pulling and tugging at you to be greater. Maybe they don’t want to call it God, but I can only attribute it to what I know and that is God.
Both my businesses were born during the recession and so I always remind God that He birthed me during a recession therefore I cannot sink because we were birthed at the bottom. All God can continue to do is take me higher which He has done faithfully. So, in everything that I do, whether people want to believe or not, I will continue to attribute it all to the only source that I know. There is no other and I don’t have my own power. I genuinely don’t have the ability to operate under grace of my own. I can only operate under His grace.
What advice would you give to people who are terrified of the prospect of going into business or being an entrepreneur? Feel the fear and do it anyway. Understand that you will make mistakes because everyone does. The fear of making mistakes will actually create greater complications so let that go and just learn from them. One lesson I had to learn was to put aside my own opinions and listen to my target audience. I had to stock what they wanted, not necessarily what I personally preferred.
Don’t expect to make a profit in the first five years of setting up your business and if you do, count yourself fortunate. All the profit you do make will need to be funnelled back into the business for quite some time. Be prepared to do that.
Managing your expenditure must also be done with care and forethought. Don’t go off on a whim and spend without considering the health of your overall business. Listen to your accountant and heed that advice because this is their arena, and they look at things objectively.
Acknowledge your mistakes openly especially with your staff and teach them a culture of ownership and responsibility. Don’t let shame or pride take hold of you because this will damage your business and your relationship with those trying to support your success. Equally, leave room for others to make mistakes as well and be a role model for them.
What does being an entrepreneur actually entail?
For me it’s about service, self-sacrifice and humility. It’s impossible to be an entrepreneur if you don’t know how to serve others. You must understand your business completely and see those helping you as vital. You can have all the passion in the world but if you don’t treat people well or you put profit before integrity, you will fail.
It’s not about being at the top and having others run around after you. Mutual respect has to be a priority and we have to nurture that. Treat others how we would like to be treated, in other words. Establishing healthy and respectful relationships with others has to be done by you because you don’t have an HR Department to outline and enforce those ideals. When we treat people well, they work hard and remain loyal.
Rectify your mistakes. Improve every time there’s an opportunity to do so. Don’t let your customers or staff remain unsatisfied. Listen when they have a complaint or concern and address it humbly. When you find ways to express your grateful appreciation for your staff and customers, don’t advertise it. Keep a low profile about this and do it from your heart. Invest in those around you, better their lives any chance you get, and you will receive peace.
Could you talk us through the steps of establishing your business from research through to launch?
It started with research in January 2016. This involved me checking other lingerie stores in Nigeria, price points, quality of existing businesses and physical stores, etc. I asked people why they were going abroad to buy their lingerie and it turned out to be they preferred the aesthetics of the stores. I employed a marketing company, which sent out questionnaires to 400 women and from there we formed a focus group of women aged 18 to 55. We discussed their preferences regarding colour, price, aesthetics for the retail environment, etc., and all this took about 7 months. In that time, I was able to find a location and build a relationship with a fantastic interiors company.
Research and planning, strategizing, ordering, pricing and labelling stock and hiring decisions were more stressful than the actual physical set up. So much went into creating and establishing a high-quality brand with integrity and transparency. I do things by the book legally and don’t take shortcuts because this is a God-established company. You can’t proclaim God as the creator of your dream and then use the devil’s key to open the door. I also employed a great accounting firm and followed their advice even before opening the business. In fact, I sought professional advice in many circumstances because I didn’t know a great deal about many aspects of getting started. All this took me a total of 9 months, beginning to end.
Now I’ve done all this and understand how it works, opening other locations has been more straightforward.
How did you finance your business? I put money aside for 4 months. I was working full time then and I’d always been a saver anyway, so I had an established saving’s pot. Nonetheless there were times of discouragement and impatience at how long it was taking. I told God He would have to bring the money as I was only scratching the surface. As it happened, I met someone who was intrigued as to why I was in London and what I was trying to achieve. Once I told him about it, he encouraged me to put together a business plan and forecast and send it to him. I had to google how to write a business plan and find an accountant to provide a 3-5 year forecast. I did all this and then sent it to him in January but didn’t hear back until April. During those 4 months I carried on doing research, paid for rent on the store, conducted market research and managed the accounts. Money was running very low and just when I began to worry that all hope was lost, I heard from him. He was going to invest the entire amount I needed.
When I opened the store, he called to say congratulations and well done. He’d driven by and seen it.
When I was ready to repay the money, he’d invested he asked what I wanted to do next. I shared my hope for opening other locations and he told me to use the money instead to open a second location. I was gobsmacked. When God shows up, He really shows up. I was being rewarded for acting with integrity and doing what I said I would. If I had been foolish with that investment, he would never had continued to believe in me and reinvest.
To further illustrate this point, I’ll tell you that in my fifth year of business, Covid struck. However, much to my account’s surprise, even with being closed for six months of that year, we had our highest financial returns.
I was even able to take those profits and start my second business, The Braiding Vault in Lekki. When that business became successful also, I opened a second branch.
Starting a business is not easy. Where did you find the strength? First and foremost, I get my strength from God who gives me faith to believe in His capacity to oversee my life. I have down days, days where things don’t go as planned or expected, of course, but those don’t last. Something always comes up that requires my attention and action, and I don’t get time to feel sorry for myself. Also, being the oldest child trained me well for accepting responsibility and pressure. I believe tomorrow will always be better and I carried that belief into my business.
What are some of the prevalent challenges to setting up a business in Africa and what are some of the solutions that could help? Funding. There’s a huge challenge in Nigeria because we don’t operate on a credit system. It’s cash upfront in everything that we do and there’s only so much a bank will give to you based on your status. In the UK it’s more accessible but in Nigeria it’s only accessible to the elites.
I believe if more people had access to funding it would change the economic reality of the country. People are struggling and suffering and they’re hustling, literally living hand to mouth. They don’t have the opportunity to put anything away because not only do they not trust the banks with their money, but they also don’t trust the government either.
The unreliable supply of electricity affects everyone. It makes life there unsettled and the people should not have to deal with that. I shouldn’t have to buy a generator to keep my business operational. Security is also a huge issue. People want to return to Nigeria and invest in their country but it’s not safe. There are no regulations, there’s no security in terms of personal safety and there’s corruption. All this holds people back and makes creating a viable and thriving business very difficult.
Opening a second location, which you’ve done, means you can’t be in two places at once. How did you go about hiring staff for your Abuja branch and what was it like relinquishing power and delegating responsibility? The first step was to relocate the manager of my Lagos store to Abuja for one year and have her help with the set up and staff training. She was instrumental in helping me select the right candidate for the store there and though I always select my staff based on how my spirit perceives the individual, my manager was more perceptive than I was and her intuition was spot on. I tell my staff they must have good intentions towards me and the company because I have good intentions towards them. If they betray me, they will be disrupting their future. It’s my intention to better you and I ask for that in return. It’s difficult to delegate but if you trust the people you hire, you will make a family of sorts where everyone is on the same page working together for the common good. Satisfied and happy employees create a welcoming and warm atmosphere for new employees and they teach them the culture we believe in. They witness me coming in and working hard as well. They take their lead from me.
Have you encountered competitors trying to sabotage your business? What challenges have you faced with competitors?
Competition is inevitable and I have had some interesting experiences. The most common is for competition to pose as a trader who wants you to carry their line. In this capacity, they can ask you questions, which will help them in setting their prices to undercut you.
I had such an encounter. A lady came in who wanted to stock her product and asked me to price point for her brand and asked at what price we were selling our current lines. She came into the store and viewed the interior but she turned out to be opening another lingerie shop close by. This really upset me; of course, because I was new to business and didn’t realise I should expect this kind of thing. Very upset, I called my mother and she asked me to calm down and look at the sky. Have you ever heard of two planes colliding? I said, ‘No’. ‘That’s because the sky is big enough for everybody.’ She went on to explain that business is the same, there’s room for everyone and all you have to do is stay in your lane. Focus on your route and you won’t crash into anyone.
I realised the vision originated with God and was given by Him so I shouldn’t worry. I dropped my annoyance and told my staff if we didn’t stock what a customer required to refer them to the competition nearby. When those customers told my competition they were referred by us, she was shocked. In the end, she began to refer to us as well.
Unfortunately, her company is no longer operating.
There are some things we can’t get worried about. For example, no one owns braiding. It is a culture so if somebody opens a braiding salon, good for them. The only thing I ask is that no one copies my logo, plays around with my words or my branding. People have come into my premises trying to find out for how much we sell things, and my staffs have been trained to pick up on it very quickly. They know exactly how to shut down questions like ‘Where do you get your stock from?’.
It’s wrong to ask those who have done their research and due diligence to give you the results of their hard work for free and to masquerade as something you are not. When you hear people complain about those who have made it refusing to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs, what you’re really hearing is the unmotivated and sometimes incapable asking for a free ride.
What do you love about being a creative entrepreneur? I love meeting new people and helping them transform their lives. Providing a professional service at my stores and knowing something I’ve sold will bring satisfaction to a customer gives me joy. Equally I love my staff, all of whom are family to me. I appreciate them so much because they are dedicated and loyal and remain faithful even though much is demanded of them. I always seek to treat them fairly and never cut corners or underpay my employees because they make my business thrive.
Bringing my vision to life has given me a great sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I find it hard to believe I own what I do, and I have to stop and take it in.
What were the behind-the-scenes challenges in launching The Braiding Vault? First and foremost, it’s important to understand that hiring artisans in Nigeria is a very different affair than doing so in the UK. Signing a contract doesn’t guarantee anything. It’s common for people not to show up, sometimes for days or weeks. You call them and they say they’re just around the corner and will be with you in 5 minutes but they don’t arrive. Time is money so the more people that pull the disappearing act, the more things remain up in the air, the longer it takes for you to open your business and generate your revenue back. It’s very difficult.
Also, the interior design, work and fittings were a challenge and that’s usually what takes most of your energy when you’re setting up a brick-and-mortar business. I wasn’t happy with the initial designs my interior designer presented though she was fantastic, so I practically redesigned the interior. Remember I had seen it in my dream. We got the interior work done only to discover a pipe that runs to the air conditioning burst and it was behind a piece of marble we’d placed on the wall. The salon was flooding, and it was two days before our opening. Then Covid hit and the furniture was delivered but one of the chairs was ripped. It was one thing after the other.
I thought opening the Ikoyi branch would be a snap. I’d just copy and paste the Lekki store but I found out the hard way that wasn’t possible. That location didn’t have certain pipes we needed, I had to pull the floor up and rebuild the toilets. As soon as we resolved one issue, another would arise. Then there was inputting prices in the system, setting up the computer, etc. It’s so time consuming and draining. The girl handling my social media shot a before and after video and when we viewed it, we cried. We couldn’t believe all we’d overcome and how beautiful the space was. It takes sacrifice, hard work, day and night, to get where you want to be and that’s precisely why I show the before and after so people understand the true process.
What kind of support has your family given you? I don’t feel comfortable allowing others to influence my vision, so I tend to keep family and business separate. The only voice I want to hear is God’s because He can’t misguide me. My family supports me through prayer and offers me sanctuary. They keep me grounded and I love them very much but it’s important to protect and preserve family and business as individual domains so that lines don’t become blurred.
What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The greatest lesson I’ve learned perhaps is to be resilient and trust that God ordains everything that happens in my life and covers it with His grace. It’s enabled me to keep fighting no matter what the circumstances.
I, like everyone, ask myself questions about how I am contributing and making a difference and that helps me remain humble. I realise that everything God has given me is literally because God wanted to give it to me. In Exodus 33:18, God says, ‘I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy’. God showers me with grace, and He grants His mercy, too. He is greater than me and therefore, I can embrace the whole journey knowing He is in control.
I’ve also learned the necessity for work/life balance. Entrepreneurs don’t have set working hours, have no boss and can become overworked and overwhelmed. We also neglect some areas of our life. It’s been crucial to learn how to stay steady and not become emotional when things don’t work out. Accepting the blows life naturally deals us is healthy and realising we can’t control most of what happens is necessary.
I’ve learned that the only way forward when difficulties arise is to keep my faith and pray and to surround myself with like-minded people. Eventually things improve and we move forward. I’m so thankful to have amazing people praying and working hard for my success. I want to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
How do you protect your mental health? I dive into the Word of God and listen to worship songs a lot. I recite scripture so much that I hear it in my sleep. I believe this protects my mind and quells my anxiety. I constantly tell God how much I need Him because without Him, I am nothing. He imparts strength to me, and I build on that. I’ve learned to enjoy my own company so if I’m feeling low or sad, I get up and watch a movie, take myself out to a restaurant, go to the spa or book a holiday. I address my depression by being physically active, by praying, praising and reading the Bible, which elevates me and changes my mood. The environment becomes a lot lighter and hopeful, which in turn helps me release the endorphins into my bloodstream. This helps me shift into gratefulness and trust in the One Who gave me life.
I also call others to see how they are. Reaching out to people in this way helps me because loving and care for others settles me and gives me peace. When I advise them, I am also reminding myself of what I need to remember and what I need to do which consoles and encourages me as well as them.
What would you say have been the most important aspects of building the life of your dreams? Both business and personal?
The most important aspect of building the life of my dreams has been my authenticity. I have remained true to the woman I wanted to be, and I’ve worked hard to grow into that person. It’s a ‘becoming’ process and it’s beautiful with its challenges and struggles.
Equally, it’s been crucial to keep my vision at the forefront and to stay focused on it. I haven’t let anyone or anything deter me from my goals.
And who is this woman you envisioned that you wanted to be so badly? Can you describe her? A person that is effectively changing lives through her work, through her words and through love. I’m enjoying what I do. The places in which I find myself now are the result of conscious intention. I strategised about how to arrive at these particular destinations and how to become the woman I want to be.
I would love to be the woman described in Proverbs 31; one in whom her husband takes pride, one of whom her children sing and one her friends applaud. I am also fine being that woman for myself. I can cheer myself on and be proud of my own accomplishments. Ultimately, I must remain true to who I am and fulfil my personal destiny. If others are proud of that, wonderful. If not, that’s ok, too.
What business advice would you give creative entrepreneurs? Be intentional and stay focused. Don’t get carried away with a fantastical version of what you think an entrepreneur should look like or what the accompanying lifestyle will be. Master your craft first and foremost and know what you’re getting into because honestly, it’s not glamorous. You have to work extremely hard so be very intentional and focused. Don’t lose yourself and remember why you’re doing it.
What attributes or skill sets would you say every creative entrepreneur should have and hold onto? Good communication skills are a must. That’s fundamental. It comes across in your brand; it comes across in your personality and everything you do so if you fault in that, your business will suffer.
Is the playing field different for a woman and how have you held your own in business, especially back in Nigeria? My upbringing really set me up to succeed in some respects. I am the only girl amongst three brothers. I was a tomboy but also an Alpha female. I was fighting boys who picked on my brothers. I was the protector and somewhat the big brother but just in a female body. So, with that bullish mentality and that boisterous nature, I know how to talk to men, I know how to sit at the table.
Like all women, I’ve encountered a lot of sexist discrimination but that’s only motivated me more to be my full, authentic self. I have no issue making my voice heard or believing in my capabilities though in Africa, men very much believe women should not be in charge, independent or in positions of power.
There, women are treated as second-class citizens. This is something, which has to change, and men will have to remove themselves from the table if they can’t understand this. I’m always going to speak for the voiceless and I’ll be every bit as successful as any man.
What advice would you give female creative entrepreneurs? Prove yourself for you and not for other people. Believe you deserve a seat at the table and walk through the door so you can leave it open for others to follow you. Your hard work may well be the inspiration others need to move forward.
If you could dispense with any stereotypes woman face today, what would they be? The idea that being single lessens our success. That we must have a sugar daddy somewhere or be promiscuous if we’re doing well. That we are misguided in our pursuit of success and should be settling down to have a family. That being single, no matter what the age cut-off may be, is a disgrace. That our comments, advice and contributions are considered irrelevant or a threat. That women should be quiet and settle down. All these are destructive to the individuals they target, to society as a whole, the economy and the psychological and emotional well-being of families. Personally, I will continue to speak, to succeed and to take my place at the table until the power imbalance is corrected. Teaching females to play the second-class citizen needs to stop.
You mentor women in business. How do you advise them? A lot of people go into business prematurely believing that anyone can be a successful entrepreneur but they really have no idea what’s required. I tell them there’s no such thing as overnight success and encourage them to slow down and ask themselves some questions like What is my mental state? What’s my financial background? Would it be better for me to enjoy my twenties rather than force myself into business too early? Am I merely trying to jump on a trend without exploring if I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Sometimes I have to leave them to discover the difficulties of business on their own by sending them out with tasks so they can see if they can handle it or not. If you tell them directly they won’t be in business in 5 years’ time, they will simply think you’re hating on them. If they come back and say, ‘Yeah, this is not for me’ you have allowed them to determine this for themselves. It’s more powerful for them and they can then move in a direction more suited to them. If they come back and think they feel called to it, I advise them to take things step by step. Start with a business plan, do a financial forecast, do your research.
What are some of your favourite quotes or scriptures? Stay sane and keep going. Feel the fear and do it anyway. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. (Whenever I feel weak, I say that to myself). Tears might endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Thank you so much for your time. You’re welcome.
