Entrepreneur Spotlight: Temitope Mayegun Has Discovered The Secret To Success. Guess What It Is
In the world we are living in today, beauty is a highly esteemed part of life. In addition, it is currently a multi-billion dollar industry globally. However, despite the numerous beauty products being offered, there is a gap that needs to be closed. Temitope Mayegun, our entrepreneur spotlight from Lagos, Nigeria, decided to roll up her sleeves and do the needful. Her success story is nothing short of inspiring.
Who is Temitope Mayegun?
She is a homely woman who wears many hats. She is a wife to Abiodun, a mother of four children, and a highly focused founder and CEO at Avila Naturalle Ltd. To many, she is the Proverbs 31 woman who makes her husband and the entire family proud.
Mayegun, who is a firm believer in God, is most passionate about caring for humanity. She does this by enriching other people’s lives through programs like ‘Become A Distributor’. From this program, many people have gotten into income-generating businesses thereby raising their living standards.
She is also passionate about correcting the wrongs done to society for many years by creating and promoting natural skincare products. Her other products include safe and healthy foods and beverages. This is not a small mountain to climb bearing in mind the huge number of unhealthy products that are already well established in the market.
Temitope Mayegun’s Educational Background
It is worth noting that she is highly educated. This portrays her determination to succeed in all areas of her career and life in general. She holds an advanced diploma in skin care formulations, a B.Sc in Accounting, an International Masters in Business Administration(IMBA), a leadership course in Leading Difference and High-Performance Team just to name a few.
Many high-flying African professionals and entrepreneurs start their businesses and careers after they acquire wealth and experience from other countries abroad. Interestingly, Mayegun was brought up, schooled, and eventually got married in Lagos. This did not deter her from achieving her goals and making a positive impact globally. She is grateful to her family for their support and for not dimming her star.
Divinely Inspired Idea
Mayegun says that she got the idea to produce natural skincare products through divine inspiration back in 2017. After receiving the inspiration to provide a solution to numerous people suffering from skin conditions, she started doing her research. The research confirmed that indeed there was a great need for natural remedies for various skin conditions including stretch marks, dark patches, sunburns, among others.
According to her, these natural products would bring healing to many people suffering from low self-esteem due to their skin conditions. Similarly, those whose skins had been damaged by unhealthy and non-natural skin products would get relief. The lower price point compared to the synthetic products is also welcoming.
Growing $100 to a Global Brand
The old adage, ‘never despise small beginnings,’ is evident in Mayegun’s business. With $100, not many would start a business let alone a global enterprise like Avila Naturalle. However, that’s all Mayegun had in her pocket when she opened her company formerly known as Avila Natural.
The first product was coconut oil extracted from coconut fruits that she bought with the $100. She began the operations from a mini flat bungalow and has grown the business to a million-dollar company with numerous distributors all over the world. Her experience in team-building and offering excellence has seen her business grow exponentially. In an interview with Alimosho Today, Mayegun said,
“Our goal for 2022 is, ultimately, to add more value to our customers, our stakeholders, Nigerians, and people in the rest of the world in line with our overall vision.”
Temitope Mayegun and her team are also promoting and creating awareness on the benefits of using organic natural products. They do this by educating people on the dangers of using or consuming chemical-based products which eventually harm their health in the long run.
Challenges on Mayegun’s Path to Greatness
Every big business today has had its fair share of challenges. The case was not different for Mayegun as she had to overcome several challenges to get to where she is today. The greatest of them all was the lack of capital to set up a well-structured company regardless of producing high-quality products that passed all the necessary standards.
The current global COVID-19 pandemic has also brought its fair share of challenges to the business. For instance, it took longer to import farm produce and packaging materials from other countries like China and India due to the imposed travel bans. At the same time, getting organically grown produce from the farms was difficult.
5 Business Lessons From Temitope Mayegun
#1. Offer an irresistible product that solves problem
The moment you identify a problem and offer a solution, you become relevant to your society. Mayegun identified the need for natural products that would cure many skin and health issues and she offered authentic products. This is what she says about her products.
“Our products are 100 percent natural, free of parabens, animal by-products, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, mineral oils, colorant, petroleum, and chemicals. While based on purely natural ingredients, our Research and Development team are well-equipped and constantly focused on the future.”
#2. Do not compare with others
At the time when Mayegun was starting her business, there were no companies to use as a benchmark. Although it seemed like a challenge at first, it made her and her team do a lot of research which led to high-quality products that exceeded many people’s expectations.
#3. Target a niche and follow-through
Once you have a product or service to offer, target the right niche and market. This will ensure that you offer your product to those who really need it. Mayegun and her team had a clear vision and knew the product they needed to offer their clients.
“When we started Avila Naturalle, the vision was clear, we started with just production of coconut oil because you know coconut oil is also natural oil from the coconut fruit.”
#4. Create a conducive working environment
By creating a conducive environment where everybody feels worthy and appreciated, you ensure the smooth running of your business. As the team leader, Mayegun believes in leading by example and she has this to say,
“I believe in collaboration. I believe in teamwork; the fact is you lead by example and you lead from the front. Late Nelson Mandela said ‘you lead from the back’ but it works for me in both ways.”
#5. Do not despise small beginnings
Although starting small may be despised by many, it is the only way to go up and become big. The big businesses also started somewhere and all you need to do is to start from where you are. Avila Naturalle had a really small beginning and it has grown to be the big company it is today.
“This is a business we started with just 30,000 coconut oil and you know as we speak, now we have over 2,000 distributors across different cadres. We have like 150 staff strength and still counting and just last February we diversified into the food sector.”
Conclusion
Having seen it all on her journey to a successful business, Temitope Mayegun had this piece of advice to fellow women desiring to dip their feet in the world of business and entrepreneurship.
“A woman needs to surround herself with a strong support system. I say, be very sure of what you want in and from life and leave no stone unturned in achieving it. You must understand that the stakes are higher for a woman and be prepared to go beyond it. Find your source of inner strength and always go back for refueling when life throws you challenges. Set your goals and do your best to surpass them.”
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