I chose to start small and work from home as opposed to renting a space and getting it equipped - Fruit Carver and CEO Sora Tulip

By Kemi Mobuse - Friday, July 01, 2016

Just when I thought I have seen it all, I came across a fresh perspective on creativity on Instagram; Fruit Art on the page of Talented Ladypreneur, Hilda Enodano the CEO of Sora Tulip. Right here in Nigeria, to say i was intrigued was saying something, I was very curious and excited at the same time and off to the web I went to learn more about it.

Fruit art is an untapped venture here in Nigeria and a lot of opportunities abound in the Art. Well..employment opportunities can be found in self employment by providing fruit displays for private and public functions . Proficient carvers can go on to establish their own carving schools.

Some hotels also have full time carvers in their employ...the possibilities are endless!

Moving on, I cajoled Mrs Hilda to grant me an exclusive and educate me on her brand and how the journey has been...read below...

KMB: Can we meet you?

Soratulip: My name is Hilda Enodano

KMB: What do you do?

Soratulip: I run a Fruit Art business.
The business is based on two pillars.
One is providing creative fruit displays for events and second is teaching the skill to anyone who wants to learn.

KMB: What inspired your going into this business?

Soratulip: My inspiration comes from a desire to live a healthy lifestyle and a love of creativity.

KMB: What is the name of your brand and how old is it?

Soratulip: Business name is Sora Tulip and its 3 years going strong...

KMB: How was starting out for you capital wise?

Soratulip: It’s not a capital intensive venture.
But then again...I chose to start small and work from home as opposed to renting a space and getting it equipped. Someone else in the business may decide to go all out with offices etc which requires more funds

KMB: How has the market reception been since inception?

Soratulip: Market reception has been great!
Things matured faster than I thought. It’s still a new and unsaturated area in Nigeria so there's a need for more fruit carvers. One of our business goals is to promote the art through our classes and partnering with private and public organizations.

KMB: Before starting out, where you not worried that creative fruit display is a rarity in Nigeria and as such, it may not be well accepted?

Soratulip: Honestly, I wasn't worried
Positivity breeds positivity and I was confident that if it was a success in other parts of the world.. It can be a success in Nigeria too.
I was also bringing my experience in my time spent in England where I first came across the art.

KMB: What major challenges have you had to deal with, since starting out, what can you say those challenges taught you?

Soratulip: One major challenge I can think of is that; some people don't see the value yet in fruit carving so it can pose a challenge to convince them.
But I have succeeded in the past in changing a few minds so it’s only a matter of time for fruit carving to be a well known and lucrative area in Nigeria.
There's definitely a future
My experience so far since I moved back to Nigeria has taught me that nothing is impossible as long as I remain determined.
There are days I feel discouraged especially when things aren't going the way I want but I try to blow past it and move on. My head is always bursting with ideas and I have had to refine those ideas to suit my audience.

KMB: Your brand sounds completely unique, what inspired this choice of Name?

Soratulip: SO is my late father's initials, RA is my late sister's initials
Tulip is a flower that comes in different colors just like fruits. So, I decided to put it all together

KMB: Given a chance to start over is there anything you would have done differently?

Soratulip: I wish I had started sooner. That's my only regret.

KMB: Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

Soratulip: Inspiration for designs comes from various channels...a client's request, other fruit carvers (we have an association on social media) and mostly my imagination

KMB: What do you plan to achieve with your brand in say 5 years?

Soratulip: I really don't care so much about being a household name but my goal is to promote fruit art across Nigeria and West Africa if possible.