I put in all my savings to start my brand, Just because, I aspire to carve a niche for myself in the Makeup world.- CEO Shop Sisi

By Kemi Mobuse - Thursday, June 09, 2016

Being in the make up business nowadays, requires a great deal of dedication, an innate ability to discern what works best, and what doesn't work, the determination to stick with it, even when the going is tough, but more importantly, the ardent desire to make a name for yourself and carve your own niche in a highly competitive field.

As the CEO of Shop Sisi; Opeyemi Bhadmus learnt and shared; Change is the only constant thing in the business....in her words...

I'm thankful because being in this business has afforded me, the opportunity to always think out of the box. You can't afford to lag behind. You constantly have to better yourself, makeup keeps evolving and we in the industry have to evolve as well.

She shared motivation, hope and journey of her brand with KMB, excerpts below;

KMB: Can we meet you? What do you do?

Shop Sisi: My name is Opeyemi Bhadmus, I'm a Makeup Retailer and Artist

KMB: What inspired your brand name; Shop Sisi?

Shop Sisi: That is actually a funny story. For years, I have dwelled on one business name or another but, none of it felt right. The 'Sisí' is my daughter's nickname. And as we know, Sisí means a beauty/fashion conscious lady. So it was just apt. I also didn't want a brand name that had 'beauty, makeup' or so in it because I wanted a unique name so I decided to use the brand name 'ShopSisí'.

KMB: When did you decide that you wanted to venture into the makeup business?

Shop Sisi: The decision to be wholly into the beauty business was one I made, just a couple of years ago. Prior to that, it had been my hobby for a while. I only decided to get serious with it and stop running away from my calling. And you know, the best job is getting paid to do what you love.

I love makeup. Everything about makeup. I love how well applied makeup enhances beauty, not creating a totally different person but just enhances the beauty that's always been there.

I decided to get into the retail aspect of makeup because people around me always ask for beauty items. The focus has always been to deliver the best products to people at the best prices ever and I'm glad we've stayed true to that.

KMB: How old is your brand now and how has the market reception been?

Shop Sisi: Yes, I do have my own brand of cosmetic glitters. They were launched on the 6th of December 2015 and thankfully, the reception has been amazing so far.

I'm so thankful for the great feedback so far because a lot of work was put into the products. It took months and months of research to find materials that are 100% safe for the face and body and I also had to ensure the quality was top notch

KMB: Why cosmetic glitters in particular? And not general beauty products?

Shop Sisi: Cosmetic glitters because I noticed that there was no such Nigerian brand at the time who offered cosmetic glitters. I saw it as a need that had to be filled and also because a lot of clients always asked for cosmetic glitters and the brands I had for sale at the time were either too expensive or didn't give off the effect people wanted. So I thought it would make a lot of sense to carve a niche for my brand in the Makeup world.

KMB: What major challenges have you experienced since starting out and what can you it has taught you?

Shop Sisi: Oh there are always challenges. For now, I've been operating online because that way, I can reach clients all over and even outside Nigeria. A huge issue was capital because it’s a capital intensive business. There's also been the issue of finding ways to carve a niche for yourself because this is a highly saturated industry.
I'm thankful because it has afforded me the opportunity to always think out of the box. You can't afford to lag behind. You constantly have to better yourself, makeup keeps evolving and we in the industry have to evolve as well

KMB: How did you start out capital wise?

Shop Sisi: I put in all my savings to start and also had help from family. I have to chip in here that a lot of people are of the opinion that you must have huge funds to start out and I don't necessarily agree with that. Start with the little you have and be strict about it. I used to re-invest both profit and capital and I still do that. That's one of the ways to grow your business faster.

KMB: What can you say being an entrepreneur has taught you?

Shop Sisi: It has brought out so many strengths I didn't even know I had. I had no idea how resilient I could be. Also, like I mentioned earlier, it has made me think out of the box all the time. It also taught me patience and perseverance because, there would be periods when it seems you're doing nothing right but you have to pull through.

KMB: What words do you live by for the success of your brand?

Shop Sisi: It’s actually a quote from a movie I saw years ago and it stuck with me. Pursue excellence, and success will follow pants down!.

KMB: Any advice for upcoming entrepreneurs?

Shop Sisi: Advice for young entrepreneurs would be the same words I live by: Chase excellence and success will chase you

KMB: Lastly, how can you be contacted?

Shop Sisi: Contacts;
Email: shopsisimail@gmail.com
Phone: 080955961969
Website: www.jumia.com.ng/shop-sisi
Instagram: @shop_sisi

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