I recommend entrepreneurship for women – Afodeso

November 30, 2014 by Ife Adedapo 0 Comments

 

 

Kehinde Afodeso

Kehinde Afodeso, 27, is the Director, Atoke Makeup, a beauty and makeup outfit. She speaks on the attributes that make her business unique in this interview with IFE ADEDAPO

 

What was your growing up like?

 

I actually had a very strict and humble up-bringing. I remember growing up in a home filled with love. And I also remember not growing up with a silver spoon, but one thing I know we had then was love and we had each others’ back.

 

What kind of business do you do?

 

I am basically into makeup, bridal makeup, runway makeup, fashion makeup, skin consultation and skin care.

 

How did you start the business?

 

I started the business in 2011. When I started it was not a choice career for me although I had a keen interest in it. I remember seeing people beautifully made up in magazines because most of the time then, we usually see well made up faces mostly in magazines, unlike now that people wear makeup everyday and everywhere. I became curious as to how it is being done. After my NYSC, before gaining admission into a Masters degree programme in university of Ibadan, I decided to pick up a new challenge and learn makeup artistry. I enrolled in makeup school and make one in 2011.

 

What inspires your makeup style?

 

When I meet someone, the first thing I look at is the person’s features. I watch out for the shape of the eyes, and lips, and I come up with a makeup style that would enhance the person’s beauty and features. Unique facial features motivate me to try out different makeup styles. I find out that no two persons have the same facial structure. It is different for everybody and it is actually a challenge to try out new faces and see what can be done to improve their beautiful faces. I draw inspiration from works of older colleagues in the industry. I admire the beautiful jobs they do and i want to do better than they actually did.

 

What is your educational background?

 

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from University of Ilorin and a Masters degree in human nutrition from University of Ibadan.

 

Do you regret not working with your certificate right now?

 

No I don’t because I still have plans to work with it in line with makeup artistry. I don’t intend to abandon what I have learnt in school. I have plans to incorporate human nutrition in to the makeup business. There is a saying that beauty comes from within and we all know that it is what we eat that radiates outside. Nutrition plays a significant role in beauty and they go hand-in-hand. It when people feel comfortable in their skin that their beauty can radiate out. Like when someone who is fit, has good nutrition and feels confident, then the beauty tends to radiate. That is where makeup comes in to complement the beauty that already exists. I still intend to work with my knowledge in nutrition, I don’t just want to dump it.

 

We have a lot of makeup artist in the industry today, but what makes you business unique?

 

For now, it might just seem like all makeup artists are doing the same thing but I would say apart from the future plans that I have to start incorporating nutrition into the business, the unique aspect of my business is customer service. I try as much as possible to tolerate people. In the industry, people tend to look down on makeup artists, treat them with disrespect and price the them down. For me, I tolerate all these and don’t let it get to me and it is portrayed in the way I treat my clients. When I go for jobs, people often say most makeup artists are rude and they are surprised that I am not. I just tell them that in order to survive in this business, one has to be tolerant. A makeup expert should not always have his or her way at all times because such attitude can be perceive as insulting.

In addition, I try to work on the features I see on people. I don’t try to give them a different face from what they have. I give them a different complexion from their natural one, but I enhance their natural beauty.

 

Who is you role model?

 

In the makeup industry, Banke Meshida inspires me to want to be better and improve on my skills.

 

If you go back to when you started, what would you do differently?

 

I would have tried to create a balance between my makeup and Masters programme in the university. The programme was full time and took up a lot of my time, making it difficult to set up a makeup studio. When you have to always be in class and it was so difficult for me. In order to start a makeup studio, I need make myself available at all times and before leaving the place to people to man. I wish I had tried to crate that balance. Then, I thought I should concentrate on my Masters programme and after I would set up the studio. I wish I had done that differently.

 

What are your challenges and how do you tackle them?

 

Like every other business, competition is one of the greatest challenges we face. Competition is everywhere and the makeup industry is becoming saturated and the charges are not standardised. Basically, I tackle that by leveraging on referrals from friends, family and clients that I have worked on before because I found out that people tend to believe their friends and family than when you introduce yourself to them as a makeup artist.

When I work with someone I try as much as possible to give my best so that the person can actually refer me to friends and family.

I improve on my skills as well. I learn, read and practise every day so as to be better in it. Another challenge I face is when clients don’t keep to commitments. For instance, when someone books a date with you and then two to three days to the day, they tell you they are cancelling. That is a very big challenge because I would have planned my time around that day. What I do in the situation is to tell my clients to pay a certain amount as commitment fee prior to the day.

 

Where do you see your business in 10 years times?

 

I see my business not only as a makeup business, but as a beauty outfit and also a well centre. I tend to combine wellness and makeup to beauty people inside out. In ten years time I see myself as a beauty and wellness expert.

 

What is your take on graduates choosing entrepreneurship over full time employment?

 

I am an advocate of entrepreneurship most especially for women, not because there are few jobs available in Nigeria but because there is a fulfilment and joy derived from knowing that you can actually utilise you talents and be creative with your hands. The money there might be very little at the beginning but consistency is the key. Anyone going into entrepreneurship must first find his or her passion. And try to gain addition knowledge on how it can be improved on. Patience is very key to survive as an entrepreneur because it is a long process for an entrepreneur to be successful. It is not a journey of two to six months.

Also, in everything you do, try to put a bit of professionalism.

 

Culled from punchng.com