Meet the Ex-Banker turned Smoothie Maker - Mrs Mary Dogun (Creative Director - MAY'S CHILLS)
By Kemi Mobuse - Thursday, April 19, 2018
How I managed to get through Six years in the University like that, is still a big mystery to me.
I started living in Lagos after school, I was determined to fatten myself up and get some curves, but I forgot, a big tummy usually comes with all that. All attempts to incorporate my school lifestyle into my new lifestyle flat tummy wise, failed miserably. The Lagos Mums around me weren't helping matters too. You see them going up and down, with flat tummies after two/three kids.
After much thought, I decided to get my own flat tummy by exercising. The first day, I tried to do some sit ups and crunches; believe me, that was also the last day I ever tried it. Hian! who invented that kinda punishment in the name of exercise?😠😠😠
It wasn't long after that, I came across tummy blasting smoothie. This to me was a welcome blessing and that is what I have used ever since.
With 95% of Nigerians especially Lagosians looking to stay young and healthy, smoothie has certainly come to stay. And made in Nigeria food brands like May's chills , are your best solutions these nutrient filled and healthy liquid Diet.
KMB was privileged to interview Mrs Mary Dokun, an ex banker and the brain behind the May's Chills brand....Now, whether you're looking for help on your road to weight loss or just want some delectable smoothie inspiration, read on, and dust off that blender.
KMB: Can you talk a bit about your
background and how you decided to start Mayschill?
May’s Chills: My name is Mary Dogun. I'm from a family of
8 who love hospitality especially caring and cooking for people. Because of
this, I have always known that I'll end up in the hospitality industry even
though I didn't know when or how.
While working in
the banking industry, I picked on a bit of weight due to childbirth and the
sedentary lifestyle of banking operations and sought ways to lose it but found
all the diets I tried at the time unrealistic and unsustainable. Being a fruit
fan and a 'liquid being' I searched for ways to use fruits to lose the weight
and stumbled on detox smoothie plans. This answered my prayers as I did a 7 day
detox and lost over 6kg. Family, friends and colleagues saw this and wanted to
experience same... Voilà MAYSCHILLS was born.
KMB: Tell us about Mayschill – what
are the main goals for this brand?
May’s Chills: Our main goal is to help as many people as
possible eat healthier by incorporating healthy drinks and desserts in their
daily meals thereby improving their overall health.
KMB Did you ever imagine you would
own a brand centered majorly on smoothies and parfaits?
May’s Chills: No, not until June 2016 when I fell in love
with smoothies. I knew it would be food somehow but I never thought it would be
these healthy options.
KMB: Can you talk a bit about your
style of making smoothies and parfaits?
May’s Chills: Our major style is to ensure all our
produces are organic and fresh.
KMB: Your smoothies come in how many
flavors and what benefits do they offer?
May’s Chills: We currently have 11 blends of Smoothies
and 5 flavours of juices... As time goes on and demand rises, we plan to add
more.
KMB: Which among your products can you
say your customers love the most?
May’s Chills: There really isn't a BEST product as demand
for each one comes at different times. Sometimes, everybody wants to indulge
and the parfait gets so high in demand. Then, there are other times (which are
more frequent) everyone decides they all want to lose some weight or improve
their health and go for the greens especially the detox packages.
KMB: Can you talk about how your
educational background has influenced your ability to run a successful brand
that has gained a very strong national reputation?
May’s Chills: I'd say the strongest point taken from my
education would be Public Relations/Advertising because I learnt a bit of that
in school. Apart from that, what I'm doing now is totally different from my
field of study.
KMB: You must be an incredibly busy
person. What are the challenges with owning a successful business and raising
children?
May’s Chills: Yes I am, thank you for noticing and
acknowledging that ma'am. It isn't easy for us startups especially when you
have young children who need your attention. I try to create a balance between
the business and my family because it is majorly because of them I resigned
from my banking job.
KMB: If you could go back in a time
machine to the time when you were just getting started, what business related
advice would you give yourself?
May’s Chills: I'd say, Mary you need to get a professional
training so you can be guided in the right direction. Because I didn't have a
guide and worked with research, I wasted a lot of Money on importing gadgets
that weren't made for our climate and power. This went on for a while before I
started getting things right.
KMB: Do you think that
entrepreneurship is something that is in your blood? Or is it something that
can be learned?
May’s Chills: Entrepreneurship was never in my blood.
Infact, I never imagined myself leaving my paid employment to do something of
my own and be solely responsible for the business but in all I thank God for
how He's helped me grow these past months.
So yes, it can be
learned. It might seem difficult at the beginning but with determination and
persistence, you will be fine.
KMB: Is there anyone that you look up
to and model youself on? (You can name more than one)
May’s Chills: There are a lot of women I'm watching and
reading from/about that inspire me.
KMB: What is the best advice you have
ever been given?
May’s Chills: The best advice I'd say I've received will
be when I experienced my first major loss in business. It was about 7 months
into business and before then, it was one success story after the other so, this
came as a blow to me and I was devastated. Infact, I cancelled my orders for
the week and my husband sent me a message reading thus.... ‘‘Madam, you should
be grateful to God He let this happen. It's for you to know that in business,
you win some and lose some because, if it doesn't happen you will never learn.
You can't stay down. Go put up one of those your creative and hilarious posts
and get to work''... The message got to me and I sprang up immediately from
where I was. Since then, if I get any set back, I just write out all the
lessons learnt and then go back to the drawing board.
KMB: Have you any plans (personal or
business) that you can share with us about your future plans / goals / lifetime
goals?
May’s Chills: We have a lot in the pipeline and praying
for the manifestation soon. We can't wait to share them with you all.
KMB: What are the biggest lessons
you’ve learned, and would pass along to others just getting started in your
field?
May’s Chills: Not everyone will support your dream when you
start out but keep pushing.... Never get consumed with our popular entitlement
mentality thinking anybody owes you anything. Workout your success by yourself
and God will surely reward your hardwork.
KMB: How can you be contacted for your
products?
May's Chills: We can be contacted for our products,
through our social meda pages:
Instagram -
MaysChills
Facebook - MaysChills
Twitter - MaysChills
Email -
mayschills@gmail.com
Phone -
08036815517 for Lagos
- 08064377758 for Abuja
Some pictures of their products below.....
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