Who Is Jane, And How Would You Describe Your Journey Into Beauty And Entrepreneurship?
My name is Jane Nnadi. Jane Nadi is an entrepreneur. I’m also a certified Google digital marketer and a website designer. The website, zuba.com.ng, was designed by me. I’m married, with 4 lovely kids. I’m a faith-based woman, a believer. I am from Nnewi, Anambra State, South East Nigeria. I did economics at Lagos State University.
How Did You Juggle All These Skill Sets?
Right from when I was still in school, studying economics at LASU, I’ve been someone who always liked to do something, plan for the future. I never wanted to start looking for jobs after school. I was already on the lookout and learning some skills online. That was when I stumbled onto website designing, learning that. But when I finished, we had some kind of financial challenges in the family. I had this urge in my spirit, a fire in my spirit, to get up and then do something. We were able to rent one of our apartments. So, we got 300,000, I ran to Trade Fair, I rented a shop there, and then I started my business. I started as NetVoice Connect, selling IT products like laptops.
I had very few laptops in my shop, like 4 laptops in a whole shop; they were not much, but I brought in my IT services. So, as I’m showcasing the product, I can earn from the side. I did website designing. I also help authors to publish their books online, on Amazon. I collected some fees for it, to keep the body and soul together. So, I was into the IT, products and services for a while,
I needed some kind of everyday sales, a business that can give me everyday sales, but the laptop sale wasn’t giving me that, so maybe in a week, we can sell, like, one or two or something, because it was brand new. People really didn’t buy it that much since we were not at Computer Village but at Trade Fair.
Something happened, a turning point that led me into the beauty industry. So, I visited one of the companies for which we designed a website. The wife of the owner of the company was into cosmetics; they had their own brand of makeup products. The wife gifted me one of their eyeshadows. I took it, used it, and fell in love with the product.
I said to myself, “This product is lovely, I need to reach out to people and tell them how lovely it is”. Then, I created a page for them online and started selling the product. I brought out, like, around 50,000 from my IT sales, bought some powder, foundation, lipstick, and I listed them online, on the same site I have been using to sell my IT products. Boom! People were buying, and I was making everyday sales, something that I had prayed for all the while, to sell every day. I found out that 80% of my revenue comes from the beauty, and not from the IT.
I decided to focus more on it, since it was really doing more for me. Let me dig deeper. I started bringing in other brands, and that was the beginning of my journey into the beauty industry.
What Is The Story Behind The Name Zuba, And What Inspired You To Choose It For Your Brand?
I initially sold my products on Konga and Jumia. I decided to set up my own e-commerce site since I design websites for people. I decided to have my own platform to be able to sell a lot of products. I needed a name to call it, and in my mind, I needed a place where I could call a marketplace. During my time of meditation, Zuba came to my mind. I wrote it down. So, this Zuba is an Igbo word; it is an umbrella word, which means buying and selling, like markets.
It’s a very big name and very broad. I started going for CAC registration and all that. My lawyer told me there was a town in Abuja with the same name, and that there was no way I could have this name. I said, “This name is my name, it’s available”. He did and said it was available.
We were selling a lot of things like IT accessories, power banks and so on. But at a point, I decided to streamline to beauty now. But when we started, it was a place where many things were happening, y
Looking Back Over The Years, What Would You Consider One Of The Most Defining Milestones In Your Journey With Zuba?
So, I’ve had a lot of milestones, but the one I would say is defining for me is this year. This year, we launched our baby brand, which is called Philadore Beauty. This brand was created to promote self-love in women, build confidence, and celebrate the beauty of African women. So, the story behind this brand, as a woman leader, I’ve had a lot of women come to me for counselling. And I do hear stories. One thing with us. African women, when we get married, start having children, we tend to forget ourselves, we forget who we are, our dreams, we forget our identity, and we just get lost. We carry so much on our heads, without even giving ourselves some breathing space, or some maintenance, or some oiling.
When you oil something, the thing will still be strong enough to carry out its purpose, but at times, we don’t even remember to oil ourselves. We’ll just be carrying it all. I have had some scenarios where I, myself, might feel down or depressed. Then, I was just like, let me just take my bath, dress up and make up. When I make up, I look at myself in the mirror, and I start feeling different. A different vibe! So, women can feel different vibes when they are down. And this vibe, you can get it from beauty products. So, we want to launch products that will promote self-love. “I’m not a makeup type of person.” No, it’s not about being a makeup type of person.
It gets you. Everybody likes to be beautiful! Makeup has different ways to apply it. You can apply it to still look natural and beautiful. Some do it glamorously. Some can change your entire look, vibrant, so it depends on how you want to do it. Makeup, in general, enhances beauty.
So I want to project it in the sense that this thing can be used as a tool for you to just show yourself some love, pat yourself. Put on some powders, some makeup, some glosses. So that’s the idea behind the launch of Philadore Beauty. And when you know, when you are starting something, you have these goosebumps and fear that come, tell yourself, “I can do this”. You keep on pushing yourself. The day I launched this, I didn’t expect the people who came to support me; I never knew that they would come on board. So, it was really a milestone for me. The launch was so successful. We were able to register some distributors. We have distributors in Abuja. They even did the Abuja Fair and our Philadore products were there. We have a distributor in Accra, yeah, even in other parts of the country, we have a distributor in Burkina Faso. It was not really an easy step, but God helped us to do it. So, to me, it’s really a great milestone.olor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Every Founder Faces Tough Seasons. Were There Moments You Felt Like Giving Up, And How Did You Find The Strength To Move Forward?
Yes! When I entered the selling of makeup products, my core audience was retail customers. The profit margin there was very okay. But at a point, I started targeting wholesale customers. We have this registration to become a distributor for makeup products. You can sign up, register with us, and become a distributor. People, we are signing up as wholesalers under us. And when it comes to wholesale, you sell with little margin. There was a point in my business where it was as if I was rolling money from point A to point B, and doing little, and there wasn’t much growth.
That’s why it’s good for one to go out for training and all those seminars, conferences, and all that. I was listening in during an online conference, the speaker was analysing that if you are in a business, your business is supposed to give you enough to do other things, like promote your products well. Then, I sat back to analyse my margin, and I found out that I’m really burning my hands.
I’m rotating money, doing my normal expenses, paying salaries, and all that, but the money that I need to step up wasn’t really there, so I began to think of a way out. Then, I found out that I can go into the importation of these products. I can get it directly from the factory. As God will have it, I was able to get contacts based in China, but what I needed was the finance.
What broke me down at that stage, I would say, was that someone I looked up to, who I thought would lend a hand, then disappointed me so badly, Someone I assisted when he was down. From the ground, I helped him up. This person never even wanted me to rise; he just looked for a way to say words to bring me down.
I wasn’t feeling bad about what he said, but at the time, I was still looking for other opportunities. I was going to banks, doing so many things, and every step I was taking, I still came back to tell him what I was doing, the feedback I got, thinking that we were on the same page. When your heart is free and so pure, but you didn’t know there was another side of the world like that, it was a shock for me, that moment, when I discovered there was no support here. That this person really does not want, by all means, for me to rise. I was depressed to the extent that I would be going on the road, and tears would be falling down my face.
I came out of it because I know my place in God. I have my altar. I have the one that I call, the one that is able to do all things. So, those periods, whenever I go for prayer, I kneel to do my normal midnight prayers. I would spend, like, 30 minutes crying, and 15 minutes praying. But at that point, a word came to me, that word was, “stop crying”
And when that word came, it came with a grace. That grace held back my tears. Know when your tears are uncontrollable, that you are walking on the roads, you have to cover yourself to clean your tears, so people will not notice what is happening. But when that word came, the tears went back. I couldn’t cry. It was like a new strength, a new energy was given to me.
So, before you know it, I don’t even know how I did it, I was able to bootstrap and raise some money, though it was less than 50% of what I planned for and wanted. I put it all together, I sent it to the China factory, demanded some products, they sent it down, and the favour was amazing. I sold out, sent more money, and within two rips, I was able to raise the initial capital. And within one year, I was seeing over 10 million in profit, something I started with less than 1 million.
This God is good, He’s a great one. He’s too much. But I don’t even know what words to say, but the thing is that when it feels like no one is standing for you, this God is always standing for you. And if you know your place in God, not just go to church. I always tell people, if you have God, you need to have a relationship with Him. Not about being born in a Christian home, and you are given a Christian name, it doesn’t define you. You call Him Abba Father from your heart, and He will call you daughter, or call you son. You are good to go. Whatever scorn comes in your life, scorn will come, of course, but there is someone to pull you out.
And I see the reason God allowed me to go through that test was that He was about to take me to another step in my life, another stage in my business.
Zuba Encourages Women To Embrace Confidence And Self-Worth. From Your Experience, How Can A Woman In Business Or In Her Career Space Deal With Self-Doubt, Pressure And The Demand To Always Show Up Strong?
First of all, I would say self-awareness, you need to know yourself. Knowing yourself means that you need to know the kind of things that you can take and the things that you cannot take. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses. When you know yourself, then you know who you are in God, which will give you some level of confidence. Those doubts are like walls that come to block you. They always come. There’s nobody who doesn’t suffer self-doubt at some point in their lives. But what’s different from this person and the other person is that when those bells come, they don’t embrace them; instead, they shatter them. Some people compare themselves to others a lot. Things that will bring more doubt to you, more pressure. In this life, all of us have different journeys, different starting points. And God have a different map, different plans for us. You need to find yours and stick to yours. When you eye another person, you will rubbish yourself.
When you focus on another person, that person you’re focusing on keeps while you keep shrinking yourself. You need to find you. And when you move from point A in your life to point B, celebrate yourself, pat yourself. You are in point 1 or 2, celebrate yourself, and begin to warm up for point 3. That means you are moving. When you have all those things on ground, it will help you to erase self-doubts, those pressures, societal pressure, words like, “This person is making it, me, I’m not making it”. You may be making it in your own way, but you’re not appreciating the little success that you are making.
And there’s this thing about life, when you live the life of gratitude, it does something to your mind, and your environment. It brings positive energy to you when you live a life of gratitude. That little you’re achieving appreciates God for it. Be grateful to God for it. It will set your mind and open it up for more things to come into you. So, we know women are going through a lot. Yes, even though you’re going through a lot, you need to know what you want, know yourself, know what you want. Set your goals. When you set your goals, make plans to achieve those goals, and then take action, whether you are afraid or not afraid, take action. Then, when you achieve it, celebrate yourself. It takes you to another level of confidence.
From Your Perspective As A Founder, What Are Five Key Areas You Believe Every Woman Should Intentionally Build If She Wants To Grow, Lead And Stay Relevant?
Number one, build your relationship with God. God first in everything you’re doing. It’s not about going to church and feeling, your relationship with God is very important. Your prayer life. Your Bible study life, your meditation time, you have to take it seriously. Because, through that period, God can tell you something. God can lay some things in your heart. Like, when I started this business, normally I wouldn’t have started this business, but I have this urge in my spirit. And it was God trying to bring me into something, because at the time, my family was starting to have financial issues, and for a year, the family was feeding from my business. Had it been, I was a carnal person, and stayed back and relaxed, maybe that period would have been us begging. When you are close to God, God have a way of revealing things to you, because He’s supernatural and we are just all human beings, but God is the creator of the universe. He knows it all. He knows everything. God gives expo to His children. So, when you come close to Him, He shows you the next step. So, a relationship with God matters a lot. You cannot do without it. Know God. Accept God in your life. Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Build a relationship with God. It’s very important.
Then number two is self-awareness, and I will add emotional intelligence. It’s very important. Emotional intelligence. Know yourself, know your weaknesses, know your strengths, know your triggers. Know how to control your emotions, manage your emotions. I would just say, when you know you’re triggered, you know how to manage, so that you don’t end up being the one who is wrong. Maybe someone did something wrong, and then, because of your reaction, you become the wrong one; it won’t be good for you.
The third will be self-development. You need to pay for that course. You need to go to that conference. You need to do that thing that you need to do to give you more knowledge. So, you need to do things that will push you forward. Mind developments. Learn new skills, you cannot do without them. Then the fourth one will be to build good relationships with people. They say that your network is your net worth. It’s very important. So, I know that there are bad people on this earth. They’re also good people. Connect with people. Don’t be the bad one, be good.
And as you’re connecting with people, that will lead you to number 5, value! What value are you bringing to the table? What are you bringing to the table, woman? Be a woman of value. Be a problem solver. A fixer. Don’t be area scatter. You enter a community, and all you do is bring more problems. Bring value. So, impact other people’s lives, wherever you are, in any community you find yourself. When people see your value, they will also like to connect with you. That’s how network works. When you come with nothing, nobody will like to connect with you. But when you come with value, people will be able to respect and connect with you. How you build those values is from number 3, self-development.
I’ll add, be strategic in your thinking. Set your goal. Make plans to achieve those goals. After making your plans, take action.
When You Picture The Future, Where Do You See Zuba In The Next Ten Years?
Yeah, in the next 10 years, I see Zuba having presence in other African countries, East Africa, South Africa and the likes. We’re already putting leg in Accra. So, in the next 10 years, we’ll be fully on the ground. From there, we can then extend to other parts of the world.
Finally, Give Us One Powerful Statement You Believe Every Woman In Business Should Hold Close To Her Heart.
Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. See, this verse may be popular. Many people see it, and they read it every day. But to me, it’s not just an ordinary verse.
It has two very important things that I always pick from that verse. Number one is my source. That verse always points me to my source. Where is my source? Where is my strength coming from? My source is from Christ. So anything I’m doing in life, I always remember where I’m coming from. I don’t just go, I’m coming from somewhere. Someone sent me here. I have to report to someone. I’m accountable to someone. So, wherever or whenever I am finding it hard, there is still someone who is there to help me, there to give me the hand that I need. And that’s through Christ.
The second thing is whenever I’m feeling fear in me. Whenever there’s that big project that’s in front of me, and I begin to doubt myself, I think of this verse, I meditate on this verse, and then I remember, “Yes, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me”. And this thing that I’m about to do is one of them, so I can do it. It’s not just about my strength; there’s someone I’m connected to.