Above Whispers WomenPreneur Series is a platform to showcase amazing business women. Young women who have taken the bold step to starting a business and fighting the odds surrounding entrepreneurship in Africa. We share in their journey, share in the challenges and growth process to inspire other women. We believe that when a story is shared, there is a leap in the heart of those struggling with doubts. The purpose of this, is  to push that woman out there to engage in what she has been afraid of, by reading through the inspiring stories of other women.

Our guest is a young woman who owns a Natural Hair Salon in Ekiti State, Leonzora’s Place. Omolola Aluko shares her journey into entrepreneurship; the success, the challenges and plans for the future.

Do enjoy this interview and be inspired.

AW : Kindly introduce yourself

I am Omolola Aluko, the creative director of Leonzora’s Place, a natural hair care salon and Jewlery store. I am a trained Barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. I will be 10years at the Honourable Bar come November.  I am the first of four siblings ; and married with two children.

Omolola Aluko. Creative Director, Leonzora’s Place

AW : Why did you chose to go into natural hair care?

I chose to go into natural hair care for two reasons; My hair suffered some damage from chemical relaxers and I became worried so I started researching into natural hair and found this was what I wanted . To go back to my natural roots.  I knew so many women who were suffering same damage to their hair and didn’t have a clue as to what to do to rectify the errors and I needed them to see there could be a solution.

AW : What’s has been the greatest challenge in this environment? 

The greatest challenge so far is getting people to change their minds about the myths surrounding natural hair. Most people think it’s unimaginable to wear your God given hair and see any form of beauty in it. But we are gradually bursting those myths.

AW :  Do you think lots of women handle their physical hygiene properly?

I don’t think a lot of women in this environment handle their physical hygiene properly . Imagine walking past someone and you catch a strong whiff of body odour; or the obvious plaque that has built up on a person’s teeth and the resultant mouth odour can only be best imagined.

 
AW : There is this common saying that the African woman hair is a tough one, how would you describe the hair of an African woman?

I would describe the African woman’s hair as glorious, vibrant and in your face. It is not mere coincidence that God made the hair so voluminous , bouncy and popping with lots of curls. I don’t believe in coincidences anyways.

AW : Tell us about your brand

Our brand is a natural hair care salon aimed at helping women embrace their natural God given hair( the type that grows out of our heads without chemical alteration). Our goal is to ensure every woman sees the beauty in her hair and know how to care for her kind of hair. We also provide consultation on products to use or not use  for our kind of natural hair. We sell products and works are in the pipeline for producing our own brand of hair care products. We want to bust myths surrounding natural hair and let people know that we have had enough of all the lies that our curly hair can’t be beautiful or easily manipulated without some form of chemical alteration.

 
AW : Share some of success stories with us

The major satisfaction we have and would consider a huge success is the huge response to the natural hair movement in Ekiti. More women are becoming aware of the dangers of chemical alteration of their hair and are beginning to see reasons why we are in this business. The highlight for us is when our customers tell us they had a painless salon experience; that just does it for us.

AW : We know how difficult it is to be an entrepreneur in Nigeria, how have you been able to surmount your challenges as a brand?

One major challenge is financing or sourcing for funds to sort some major projects.  I am however glad to say nothing beats financial discipline and delayed gratification. I started the Jewelry line of the business with only N3000 and grew it steadily.

I believe more grants can help growing businesses like this . This will go a long way to provide some buffer for the business.

AW : How do you keep yourself abreast in your industry?

I always ensure I go for paid trainings within and outside the state. I don’t limit myself to just hair trainings; I attend entrepreneurship, leadership and business trainings too. For times I can’t travel, online trainings to the rescue. Nothing beats personal development. It is an investment nobody can take away from you.

AW : What keeps you going?

The drive to always do better than what or who I was yesterday keeps me going.

AW : What would you advice young people who want to be like you?

For aspiring business people, I will say they should have a goal. Have a problem you are passionate about providing solutions to. Train your mind to be super disciplined in achieving your goals. Delay gratification and put in the hard work. Be willing to learn, unlearn and relearn.

AW :  Do you think the beauty of a woman lies in her head, her hair or her body?

The beauty of a woman definitely lies in her head. The others are jara {extra}.

AW : Share your social media handles with us

Our social media handles are:
Instagram: @leonzoras_place
                    @leonzoras_accessories

Facebook: Leonzora’s Place