Valerie Obaze – ceo/founder r& r luxury and the Mumpreneurs Network
Today in Nigeria, a group of women have started an instagram group dedicated to mothers who are entrepreneurs in Nigeria. One of its founders Mrs. VALERIE OBAZE, a mother of three, a PR Consultant with 15 years’ experience and the Founder/CEO of the natural skincare brand “R&R Luxury”, in this chat with Muna Onuzo, shared her views on motherhood and entrepreneurship in Nigeria and on the concept of “MUMPRENEUR.”
How did R & R Luxury start?
I started R & R Luxury in 2010 after giving birth to my first child and identifying a gap in the market for natural products that that had these three attributes –
1. Easy to use
2. Available in abundance locally with no chances of diminishing anytime soon and
3. Gentle enough to use on my newborn baby’s skin.
After a chance encounter with a massage therapist who used melted Shea butter for his treatments, the idea for R&R Luxury was born and the rest, as they say, is history! Incidentally, slogan, R&R was taken from my first daughter’s initials.
Is this your first business?
No. Prior to moving to Lagos in 2009, I co-owned a PR Agency in the UK called RVPR; and being the serial entrepreneur that I am, have tried my hand at many other small businesses along the way.
Could you share one of the hardest Learning curves you have experienced?
To be honest I have been incredibly blessed along my entire entrepreneurial journey. From a young age, I always knew that I wanted to be successful and to be able to afford the things that I liked. So, I started working early so as not to put pressure on my parents. Not everything I’ve put my hand to has been a huge financial success, but at the very least, it has been a great learning curve and has given me the power to know what I want to do and what I don’t want to do.
Admittedly my greatest but not necessarily hardest learning curve came when I had to figure out how to juggle motherhood with running a successful household and a business all at the same time. I wouldn’t say I’ve finally gotten there yet, but I’m continuing to learn; and along my journey I have met and have had the privilege of working alongside so many dynamic women in the same situation, which was one of the reasons I came up with the idea of starting “The Mumpreneurs Network Nigeria”.
Tell us about MUMPRENEURS.
The Mumpreneurs Network Nigeria is a new platform for women who face the unique challenge of balancing motherhood and business. The network is currently run by myself and my cousin Frances Asemota, who owns the Lekki based Children’s vocational Centre “The Mustard Seed.”
The idea is to have a central place where Nigerian Mumpreneurs can have instant access to a pool of likeminded women who face the same challenges and issues and also share the overwhelming benefits of being able to have children as well as career and financial independence.
Where do you see it going?
We are still in our infancy. However, we are growing fast which clearly shows that there is a need for such a network. Our blog – a central place for ideas, tips, advice and inspiration – will soon go ‘live’. There will be regular networking mixers and events, and by the end of this year, we plan to have our first Mumpreneurs Business workshop – a two-day course working with some of the biggest names in various industries that will help to take our businesses to the next level.
Most women and men do not think Mumpreneurs is a great label for businesswomen who are also mothers. What is your opinion on this?
The great debate! I personally have no problem with the moniker. Yes, women can be described simply as being “Entrepreneurs” just like everyone else, but being a mother and an entrepreneur, makes us unique and indeed pretty special. So, I feel that using the term in no way harms our credibility. In fact, if anything, I feel that it sets us apart. The only limiting factor to our success that we need to worry about is ourselves and not a label.
As an entrepreneur how will the current economic and political climate in the country affect your business?
When any country faces economic downturn, many businesses may fail to survive, but in my humble opinion, such a season is a time for a business to sit down, go back to basics and see how it can re-align its brand strategy to ensure stability without sacrificing the essence of that very brand.
What in your experience are the three attributes an entrepreneur needs to succeed in the Nigeria business environment?
Simply put:
a. Tenacity
b. Ingenuity
c. Self-belief
What new business, service or product are you working on currently?
For now, I’m immersing myself in the world of R&R Luxury, and working on taking the brand to the next level and making it a household name while at the same time, growing and developing the Mumpreneurs Network.
What does success look like to you?
Three things:
1. A close relationship with God
2. A harmonious home filled with a happy and contented family
3. A booming business
For more information on the instagram group on Mumpreneurs, please follow the links below. www.randrluxury.com | www.themustard-seed.org and
www.instagram.com/mumpreneursnetworkng .