The Bulletproof Entrepreneur™

Meet Catherine Lückhoff, the founder and CEO of the highly successful HQAfrica, a strategy and business development consultancy which helps companies launch and expand their business in Sub-Saharan African. With years of experience in the industry, HQAfrica aids companies going into the M-Commerce, mobile, music, and data industries launch and grow their business in Africa through localization and strategic business and development practices, which drive revenue and promote lasting relationships in the market. Prior to founding HQAfrica, Catherine solidified her status as an entrepreneur to watch with her first start-up, Mango-OMC, which holds the title as one of South Africa’s leading integrated PR communication agencies. After seven years of working in the trenches and giving her all to Mango-OMC, Catherine sold her shares in the company, and embarked on a new business opportunity with Bozza. After a successful run at Bozza, she decided to take a sabbatical leave to understand how the start-up ecosystems in various parts of the world work, and how best to apply the different strategies and platforms to the African market, and the rest, as they say, is history. What you will learn The Big Idea How she started her first company (Mango-OMC) Her involvement and experiences with Bozza What inspired her to start HQAfrica How she built up her team How the start-up scene in South Africa differs from other African countries The start-up space is a lot more formalized in South Africa (Silicon cape) Why betting on yourself works , especially for her The Heretic (Pascal Finette) “DO EPIC STUFF!” The initial obstacle and challenges she faced in setting up and running HQAfrica How the trust factor plays an important role in attracting clients to do business with you Can you deliver what you say Some of the successes she has experienced since starting HQAfrica Entrepreneur she admires Elon Musk Her new business venture (NicheStreem) Key Advice To entrepreneurs looking to venture into the African market: Don’t bring preconceived ideas with you. Be prepared to be open to what the market holds, as opposed to what you think it holds. To young Catherine starting out : Get the proper structures in place. Good contracts make for good relationships. Biggest mistake: Allowed the business to take over her life. Resource Silicon Cape The Heretic Contact HQAFRICA

This may come as a surprise to some people, but I’m not a very good marketer. I have a challenging time coming up with creative ways to promote the podcast online, be it Mobile, Social, PPC, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. The whole thing just becomes a little overwhelming. That's why I decided to interview Stephanie Obi, a fast-rising online marketer based out of Lagos, Nigeria, because she's developed a cure to help businesses improve their online presence. Stephanie is the founder of the popular marketing blog, Stephanieobi.com, and the Steph B-School. While Stephanieobi.com focuses on presenting her uniquely personalized marketing strategies to people, the Steph B-School is an online business school that trains entrepreneurs and business savvy individuals in the skills necessary to create, launch, grow, and monetize their businesses. Stephanie is very passionate and enthusiastic about helping people use the internet and new media technologies to create the life of their dreams. In addition to all this, she provides a training program where she teaches entrepreneurs to leverage the power of the internet to sell fashion accessories. And she also runs a nonprofit training center that empowers young women with the skills necessary to go into business with knowledge and confidence. Ever the scholar and natural-born entrepreneur, Stephanie has a first-class degree in Computer Science from Covenant University, and an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School. She also has a wealth of experience from working with blue chip companies like Ericsson, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and L'Oreal. Armed with all these experiences and achievements, she is quietly becoming the go-to person for brands that want to succeed in the highly competitive West African market. In addition to her business endeavors, she is also an award winning entrepreneur, obtaining the first prize at the Wimbiz Impact Investment Competition, as well as the first runner-up position at the Standard Chartered Bank sponsored Dragons Den Competition. Every week at www.stephanieobi.com, she inspires thousands of people to use the internet strategically to grow their businesses.  What you will learn The Big Idea How she started her entrepreneurial  journey selling Ankara accessories How online marketing influenced her business and inspired her How she transitioned into the online training field The evolution of  her  personality from that of an accessories business owner to an online marketing trainer The struggles of building an audience for online business owners The opportunity in online education and why it needs to be as  prevalent as online shopping prevailing skepticism about  using online technology bias towards gathering certificates as opposed to getting applied skills to use How she provides  technology friendly online educational courses Concerns regarding the issue of piracy Thoughts on young people going into entrepreneurship Getting funding to start her online school Winning the Women in Management and Business Competition  (Wimbiz) How her family viewed her entrepreneurial journey Some of the major challenges she faced starting her business Accommodating the power and technology needs in the Nigerian climate Entrepreneurs she admires Tara Fela-Durotoye of House of Tara Sim Shagaya of Konga Bukky George of HealthPlus Books Bishop Oyedepo books  Key Advice Advice to recent grads thinking of launching a venture in Nigeria,: It is okay to be confused. It is through your confusion that you will find answers. It’s okay to explore because it is through exploration that you learn what you like or don’t like. Start a business for the right reasons. Work hard and encourage yourself. Prepare your mind for challenges that will eventually come. YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT! Words of wisdom The internet is an amazing tool. You can use it to shine, and so you should, but use it well. So, SHINE ONLINE! Contact me: www.stephanieobi.com

   Have you ever wondered how some major international fashion brands got their start? Today’s guest, Cecilia Ostman, co-founder of Njema Helena, shares the story of how their company, based in Nairobi, Kenya, went from a small start-up in a friend’s guest-house to a fast growing international fashion brand.goo         Njema Helena creates modern fashion with an African aesthetic for everyday life. Each item of clothing is produced exclusively in Kenya, and the colorful designs are made from fabric sourced from local traders. The company was founded in 2012 by Anne, Cecilia, and Annika Ostman in loving memory of their deceased daughter and sister, Helena. Helena had felt a strong connection to Kenya and had a true love for its art, culture, and people.  Despite the tragedy that led to the creation of the company, Cecilia and her co-founders have continued to honor the memory of their beloved Helena, by creating a world class company with products that are sold by international online retailers such as House of Safi Hadi, Kuwala, Sapelle, Mor & Matilda, as well as boutiques in USA, Sweden, Italy, UK, South Africa, and Kenya. The brand has also been featured in several international publications and fashion shows, including the Africa Fashion Week in London.   Though the company is still a relative newcomer in the fashion industry, Cecilia, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and the creative mind behind the venture, is a seasoned industry veteran with prior experience designing for international fashion labels including Ralph Lauren, has big plans for the company. With a focus on African fabrics and a “made in Africa” ethos, they aim to create fashion items that will promote the endlessly inspiring African aesthetic and new opportunities. With all their items being made exclusively in Kenya the company intends to offer training to Kenyan tradesmen, particularly female workers, as well as providing them with fair and sustainable employment.

Misan Rewane is the CEO and co-founder of West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE). WAVE is a vocational training platform that seeks to empower millions of West African youth with industry-relevant employability skills that transform their mindsets, and provides access to employment opportunities to enhance their social mobility. WAVE provides self-motivated youths with the skill-sets employers look for, and teaches them how to stand out professionally by reinforcing a mindset of continuous improvement.   Born and raised in Nigeria, Misan is no stranger to the difficulties of education and social mobility in West Africa. When her parents, unable to ignore the education system's breakdown, were compelled to send her to the US for college, Misan resolved to play a role in transforming the region's education and skills development systems. After earning her Economics degree from Stanford University, she worked in management consulting with The Monitor Group on a wide spectrum of projects in both the private and public sector. Post-Monitor, she supported aspiring Ivoirian entrepreneurs through TechnoServe's Business Plan Competition, and developed a scholarship administration model as a consultant with the Center for Public Policy Alternatives in Nigeria. While enrolled at the Harvard Business School in 2012, she sought out and connected with fellow socially-minded Africans to discuss ways to tackle youth unemployment in the region. Those initial discussions were the seeds that eventually grew to become West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE). The Company was launched in 2013 to focus on training and placing unemployed youth in the hospitality and retail industry.

In today’s episode we learn how Suzie Wokabi, the founder of SuzieBeauty, Kenya’s first cosmetic line goes from a humble make-up artist to Africa’s budding beauty titan. Before venturing into the fashion and beauty industry, Suzie received her degree in International Relations in the United States. Upon graduating, she decided to pursue her love for make-up artistry by training at MAC Cosmetics and the Award Studio Make-up School in Los Angeles. After working in the fashion and beauty industry in the United States, she decided to return to her hometown of Nairobi, Kenya in 2007, where she became a highly sought after make-up artist with extensive industry experience ranging from Print Media, Television, Film, Videos, Commercials, Runway, and Bridal.  While working with her numerous clients, she realized that many dark-skinned women developed unsightly skin reactions, as a result of a combination of the use of counterfeit make-up brands and extended exposure to the unrelenting African sun. Filing the idea to start her own unique make-up line that would alleviate the problems these women faced at the back of her mind. She was inspired to start SuzieBeauty in 2009, when the time came for her to replenish the stock in her make-up kit. She realized that she would need to pay more than three times the retail price of the products in United States. It was at that moment, she decided to launch her own distinctly African beauty products line. It wasn’t until December 2011, that her dream of offering high quality, affordable and bespoke beauty products would be actualized. Today, SuzieBeauty products can be found online and in retail outlets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and even in Kampala, Uganda, Addis Ababa, and Cote D’Ivoire, and soon in Nigeria. Oscar Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o when she wore SuzieBeauty’s Zamba lipstick to her appearance on the Queen Latifah Show and posted it on her social media paid a great compliment to the brand. Suzie has also been featured in various international publications like Italian Vogue L’Uomo magazine, the New York Times and several others. In addition, she has received several accolades and awards from many organizations home and abroad. She is without a doubt one of Africa’s brightest stars. What you will learn ·       The Big Idea ·      Her inspiration to start the SuzieBeauty cosmetics line ·      How she developed the product ·      Her valuable partnership with her husband ·      How she merged the creative aspects with the business side ·      Where she got the funding to start the company ·      How she manages to keep her products affordable ·      The challenges she faced marketing her brand ·      The competition with foreign brands in Kenya ·      Her current product distributorship and plans for growth o   Lessons she has learned along the way ·      The company’s performance since inception ·      Thoughts on the growing youth unemployment problem in Africa ·      A significant personal failure she faced, and how she overcame it ·      How she balances work and family life ·      The person she admires the most: Bobbi Brown    Key Advice ·      Advice to recent grads thinking of launching a venture in Africa: You need a certain level of bravery. Whatever it is that you think you want to do, the number one thing that you must have is pure passion for that thing. There is no way that you can survive without that.  The 3 P’s - Passion, Patience, and Perseverance.   ·      One piece of advice she would give herself if she could go back in the past:  Be careful about the partnerships that you take on. Be sure about the alignment that you have with whomever you are getting together with in business. Don’t jump into things. Make yourself a priority, not them.   Words of Wisdom ·      Everything always works out in the end. So, if it hasn’t worked out, then it’s not the end. ·      Don’t Give up Inspirational Makeup Artists: ·      Bobbi Brown ·       Kevyn A

Modupe Macaulay is the founder of Capital Square, a pioneering co-working space in Lagos Nigeria. She serendipitously happened upon the co-working industry while reading about the life of a blogger during her studies at the Warwick School in the U.K. After returning to Nigeria, she started a branding agency with a friend but did not feel strongly about it. Meanwhile, she kept  to the co-working idea. She eventually decided to start the company but did not have the funds to make it happen. After spending some time to draft a business plan, profit analysis and feasibility study she pitched the idea to her dad and after much convincing her decided to invest in the business.  Using some creative marketing strategies she was came up with the pricing structure and pitched to potential clients. She then worked assiduously with contractors and artisans to create her vision. No small feat given the challenges of finding qualified artisans and contractors. Today, Capital Square is growing steadily and becoming a quiet force to reckon with in the industry.  

While on a routine business trip, on behalf of the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Northern Nigeria, Mira Mehta observed that there were tremendous amounts of tomatoes wasting away on the side of the highway. Ever inquisitive, she asked around and soon learned that there were several easily mitigated factors that caused the current waste. She also learned that Nigeria was the number one importer of tomato paste in the world (spending over $400 million a year on this product- enough to fill the Empire State building twice).  She then had an idea to create a factory to produce tomato paste domestically in Nigeria. However, the idea remained at the back of her mind for four years until a serendipitous conversation with a friend at the Harvard Business School (HBS) enlightened her that Alhaji Aliko Dangote (the wealthiest man in Africa) was building a tomato paste factory in Nigeria. Feeling that her idea was validated by one of the shrewdest businessmen on the planet, she and her co-founder, Shane Kiernan, decided to pursue this dream. They began extensive research and put a team together for the Social Enterprise Track at the HBS New Venture Competition. The team placed second in the competition, and secured a $25,000 grant to launch the business. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of research, meetings with government officials, visiting potential sites, forging relationships, incorporating in the U.S. and Nigeria, trademarking their brand name “Tomato Jos,” and modifying and testing their business model. Along the way they’ve had to overcome numerous obstacles, and faced difficult and dangerous situations. That notwithstanding, this intrepid duo have also managed to make a lot fans along the way They are currently running a crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter to raise $50,000 to purchase equipment for their factory. This is the start of their bulletproof entrepreneurial journey. Donate to their Kickstarter fund and help make “Tomato Jos” a reality.

While on a routine business trip, on behalf of the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Northern Nigeria, Mira Mehta observed that there were tremendous amounts of tomatoes wasting away on the side of the highway. Ever inquisitive, she asked around and soon learned that there were several easily mitigated factors that caused the current waste. She also learned that Nigeria was the number one importer of tomato paste in the world (spending over $400 million a year on this product- enough to fill the Empire State building twice).  She then had an idea to create a factory to produce tomato paste domestically in Nigeria. However, the idea remained at the back of her mind for four years until a serendipitous conversation with a friend at the Harvard Business School (HBS) enlightened her that Alhaji Aliko Dangote (the wealthiest man in Africa) was building a tomato paste factory in Nigeria. Feeling that her idea was validated by one of the shrewdest businessmen on the planet, she and her co-founder, Shane Kiernan, decided to pursue this dream. They began extensive research and put a team together for the Social Enterprise Track at the HBS New Venture Competition. The team placed second in the competition, and secured a $25,000 grant to launch the business. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of research, meetings with government officials, visiting potential sites, forging relationships, incorporating in the U.S. and Nigeria, trademarking their brand name “Tomato Jos,” and modifying and testing their business model. Along the way they’ve had to overcome numerous obstacles, and faced difficult and dangerous situations. That notwithstanding, this intrepid duo have also managed to make a lot fans along the way They are currently running a crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter to raise $50,000 to purchase equipment for their factory. This is the start of their bulletproof entrepreneurial journey. Donate to their Kickstarter fund and help make “Tomato Jos” a reality.

Do you think it is possible to create 10 million jobs by 2030? Well, today’s guest Kola Masha believes that through Agriculture, Nigeria can create 10 million sustainable jobs to combat the growing unemployment problem in the country. So who is Kola Masha? He is the founder and managing director of Doreo Partners, an impact investing firm that leverages agriculture venture capital to drive youth employment — a critical need in countries such as Nigeria, where half the population is younger than 19 years and youth unemployment exceeds 50 percent. Doreo, invests in early-stage ventures in the agricultural value chain in West Africa, provides strategic advisory services to select clients, including the Gates Foundation and leading global investors in African agriculture. Kola has significant leadership experience on four continents with leading companies such as GE, ABIOMED and Notore Chemicals. At the latter, he was  responsible for raising $130 million in equity and restructuring $360 million in debt at one the region's largest agro-allied firms Notore Foods. A true renaissance man, Kola holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a Master's in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, as a teenager he was the host of a widely syndicated talk show in Nigeria with a record of interviewing 23 guests in one day.   What you will learn ·       Why he returned to Nigeria ·       How he decided to go into the Agriculture sector ·       How his company helps small holder-farmers achieve 5X the yield from their plots ·       How his company has achieved 30X increase in yield over the course of 3 years ·       How his company applies the franchising model similar to McDonalds to Agriculture ·       Talent Management Developing a talented teamLook for employees with a willingness to learn Work with young people who have passion   ·       The challenges of the business ·       The management style of the company ·       How Doreo Partners developed its current fund strategy ·       Advice for entrepreneurs regarding funding new start-ups Focus on learning ·       How to select a business/life partner ·       Criteria for selecting a good business partner  Seek wise counsel   Key Advice ·       Think of what you can do today to create a job for a young person   Words of wisdom   ·       Work hard in your job ·       Learn from both good and bad bosses ·       Push yourself   Contact www.doreopartners.com    

Eran Feinstein is a former airline pilot who felt there was more life had to offer. After much soul searching he decided to eject from the cockpit, and parachute into the land of entrepreneurship. He is the founder of “3G Direct Pay”, a pioneer payment processing company in Eastern and Southern Africa. Eran’s, journey started as a result of a phone call from a company in East Africa that had heard about his skills as a consummate professional Airline industry specifically relating to ecommerce. With little information and a lot of guts, he immediately decides to go to Africa to help set up the ecommerce strategy for the company. Little did he know that phone call would forever change the trajectory of his life. After successfully completing the project, he decides to co-found Enoyaone to help fledgling airlines build their online booking management systems. In the course of running Enoyaone, he observed that the domestic Kenyan market had a huge gap in the Internet and payment technology space.  He subsequently launched 3G Direct Pay to provide online booking systems and credit card payment facilities for Safari enthusiasts from the U.S and Europe. Today, 3G Direct Pay is the leader in the online payment industry in Eastern & Southern Africa with operations in over 5 countries serving customers in a wide variety of industries. What you will learn ·       How he got into start-ups First start-ups  (Enoyaone Ltd) ·       How he left piloting in Israel to become a technology Entrepreneur in Africa First experience of Africa ·       The Evolution of E-Payments in Kenya ·       Talent Management Lack of trained personnel Initially had to get developers from Israel Today, the local talent has expanded and grown ·       The challenges of the business Gap in knowledge The merchants and the consumers find it hard to trust e-payments ·       Focus on the travel industry Leading industry when it comes to online payments ·       The management style of the company Work in teams to generate flow of information Openness in sharing information and ideas ·       Funding for 3G  Direct No investors in the last 8 years. Everything was done with personal funds without raising money or using outside investment ·       Advice for entrepreneurs regarding funding new start-ups Start by yourself. You will be much more stabilized, and you will gain more experience  It is much more important to know who you are and what you can do, before you go to others to ask them for their money ·       Entrepreneurs/ companies that have inspired him   Southwest AirlinesEveryone that works with them understands why they are there §  The vision is shared all across the company ·       The  frustrations of being an entrepreneur Nothing is frustrating, but there are a ton of challenges You must have a lot of patience ·       How he recovered from a  significant personal failure Separating from a business partnerLessons learnt: §  When you need to take a decision, just do it §  You need to admit to yourself that you’ve made a mistake ·       Criteria for selecting a good business partner  Seek wise counsel   Key Advice ·       Advice to recent graduates who want to launch a venture: Take some time and go to work with other companies to gain some experience, and then go out by yourself Respect what you learned from your education, and take the basic things you learned and use it   ·       Advice to someone from another country who wants to start a new business in Africa: To understand and know how much they don’t know, and to respect the different mindset in that environment Respect the process. Take the time to learn about the culture and the people     Words of wisdom   ·       Advice to young Eran: Be a bit more patient. Be the old ox, and not the young ox that runs all over. Slow down. Do it slowly.     Contact  

  Mazen Helmy, is the managing director and co-founder of “The District” in Egypt, the country’s first co-working space launched during the Egyptian revolution.The District provides an inspiring workspace (approximately 1000 square meters) for entrepreneurs and freelancers. Forbes magazine recently dubbed him as one of the young entrepreneurs to watch in Africa. Although, Mazen is an engineer by trade, and a professional swimmer who was on the Egyptian national swim team, his passion and vision has led him to speak at various conferences notably TEDx.

In this episode we learn about how a former investment banker and private equity analyst left his high paying job in Paris to follow his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. Christian Ngan, is the CEO and founder of Madlyn Cazalis, a cosmetic and beauty line based out of Cameroon. Prior to founding his company, Christian studied at some of the most prestigious schools in France and worked as an investment banker and private equity expert at companies like Findercod, Quilvest, and Societe Generale. In 2012, he decided to quit his job, and scratch his entrepreneurial itch. With $3,000 in savings, he moved back to Cameroon to launch  Madlyn Cazalis. Today, the company's products can be found  in more than 40 retail outlets in Cameroon,  boasts a growing employee base and is on track to break even by December 2014. Christian, was also featured in the venerable Forbes list of  “30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa 2014.”

Today’s bulletproof entrepreneur, Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, is the co-founder of Wecyclers, a for-profit social enterprise working to help communities reclaim their neighborhoods from unmanaged waste. Bilikiss and her cofounders started Wecyclers in 2012, using low cost cargo bicycles called Wecycles to provide convenient recycling services to households across Nigeria. Before dipping her toes in the entrepreneurial waters, Bilikiss gained valuable business and technology experience at IBM where she worked for 5 years. She then went on to pursue an MBA at MIT, and it was here that she got the inspiration for Wecyclers from one of her classes. Her love for business and passion to contribute to Africa’s development led her to turn this idea into a reality, and she relocated with her family to Nigeria to further this goal. Today, Wecyclers has won numerous awards and accolades in the environmental industry and continues to grow.

  At the age of 19 yrs old Churchill decided to that he wanted to be an entrepreneur. Instead of enrolling in university,  he took a year off after graduating from high school to follow his dream. In that time, he taught himself to write software code by working in cybercafés for free. His strategy of giving out his services for free enabled him to he learn while on the job through visiting online forums and garnering skills sets from there. That year off enabled him to parlay his knowledge of into a teaching position, and while at this teaching position he came up with his first start-up.  Today, he is the brains behind the company Forbes.com dubbed "Africa’s fastest growing job search engine, Njorku.com, an online platform that bridges the gap between employers and job-seekers". Churchill is currently working to ensure that Njorku.com becomes a tool as necessary as your daily toothbrush. 

Today’s bulletproof entrepreneur, Raphael Afaedor, is the co-founder of SupermartNG, a leading online grocery store in Nigeria. Prior to founding SupermartNG, he was the co-founder of Jumia.com, Nigeria’s largest e-commerce store, where he and his co-founder helped oversee the company’s rapid growth from a start-up team of 10 people to 450 people in roughly two years. Before dipping his toes in the entrepreneurial waters, Raphael gained valuable business and technology experience at some of the world’s best companies i.e. Monster.com, Goldman Sachs, and Notore Chemicals.  However, his love for business and passion to contribute to Africa’s development led him to turn his back on a lucrative career in favour of the arduous, but rewarding life of an Entrepreneur. Now, his company is currently revolutionizing the grocery business by providing a 3 hour home delivery service of fresh produce and other goods to families that are pressed for time. The grocery business in Lagos, Nigeria is conservatively estimated to be a $72 billion a year industry that is largely informal in structure and fragmented. SupermartNG aims to differentiate itself by taking the stress and hassle  involved in the weekly grocery shopping (Families spend an average of 6 hours a week  trying to shop for groceries primarily due to the notorious traffic jams in the Lagos metropolis).