Today we’d like to introduce you to Temi Ajibewa.
Hi Temi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my entrepreneurial journey when I was 10 years old, in my home country Nigeria. I was raised by a very enterprising single mother. I grew up seeing my Mum buy and sell things to others in the neighborhood. From selling food to some local artisans close to our home to owning a shop where we sold groceries and some homeware items. That was the beginning for me, where I began to learn business basics.
Later on, while at the University, I began selling jewelry and other fashion accessories in the University. At one point, I had a laundry business where I would wash clothes for my schoolmates for a little token. I did so many things in school, but I’d say my current business started in 2014 after I began my online business.
This online business entailed my buying and reselling mobile data bundles. I would buy in bulk of 10 gig and resell in bits of 1 gig each at 50% profit margin. If you don’t live in a society where access to the internet was really limited (at least as at 2014), you wouldn’t understand this business model but suffice it to say that was my introduction into the online space.
Within four months of running this business, I had made cumulatively over a million naira, which was approximately three thousand dollars then, from a business I started with less than twenty dollars.
From running this business successfully, I began to teach other women how to do this same business because I had the heart to help them achieve what I was achieving with my mobile phone as a stay-at-home mum.
While teaching these women, I discovered my passion for teaching and became a coach. I got certified in 2016 and began working with entrepreneurs to grow their businesses online with my digital marketing skills.
In 2019, I niched further down and began to coach coaches on how to launch a successful coaching business. Currently, I also coach and consult for thought leaders on how they can attract more opportunities and build a legacy around their names by building their personal brands online.
In 2022, I was recognized by the U.S. government as an individual with extraordinary abilities, which gave me the opportunity to move to the United States as an entrepreneur, and I chose Houston, Texas as my business location where I currently operate as a business coach and personal branding expert for visionary professionals and CEOs.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish it had been a smooth road, really. But initially, one of the struggles I faced was being trusted online. In 2016, a lot of Nigerians did not trust paying for things online. So, there was a lack of trust, and people would not patronize me.
There was also the challenge of family life balance, where I was given into working so much that my young family suffered, and I needed to be more available.
Another challenge I had was getting the support of my husband because he saw me working so hard, but I wasn’t making as much money as I should have initially. As time went on, especially as he began to see the reward of my hard work, he became a lot more understanding.
Also, as a developing country, doing business in my home country, Nigeria, can be quite frustrating when you consider the issues of insecurity and lack of basic amenities like electricity and good internet. These were real struggles that frustrated me doing business.
Another challenge I encountered was building a team and getting committed people to work for you, not just for their personal gains or what they’d learn from you and move on, but getting people that were committed to helping you grow your business while they also grew.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Our business focuses on helping businesses and upwardly mobile individuals to increase their brand equity and sales through our personal branding and digital marketing services. We train, coach, and consult as experts in the area of digital marketing, personal branding, and knowledge monetization via online courses and book publishing.
We also help organizations increase their brand equity by building the personal brands of the CEO and other top executives of the organizations.
We are proud of the results our students have achieved after taking our courses and helping thought leaders to publish their expertise and become well-known and well-paid for what they do.
We want the readers to know us as the company that delivers on their personal branding and digital marketing needs. Our offers and services include workshops, executive coaching, consulting, and online courses on personal branding and digital marketing.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the next 5-10 years, there will be more emphasis on personal branding, way more than corporate branding.
Currently, most people are used to corporate branding, but as the years go by, there will be more need for individuals to be very visible about what they do and how they can serve the world. There will be a need for them to publish more of their works, be visible in their awesomeness and let the world know the light they carry.
Also, organizations will hire and do business with individuals that are Googleable way faster than those who are not. Potential employees will consider hiring professionals who are Googleable and clearly seen as experts in their field, while prospective employees and customers will connect more with organizations whose CEOs and Founders can be perceived to be relatable.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.temiajibewa.com, http://www.winorwininternational.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/temiajibewa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/temiajibewa
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/temiajibewa
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/temi_ajibewa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/TemiAjibewaTV
- Other: Phone number: 13465754852
