BRANDS And BRAINS - showcasing entrepreneurs, creatives, fashion, events and places!: 2016

Saturday, 14 May 2016

Women Entrepreneurs... This is an opportunity for you!

Do you know the World bank actually offers scholarships for women in business? If you do, that's good enough but if you don't, here is an opportunity for you. If you want to be part of this program, click on the link below
http://onlineregportal.com/Womenx/Home#instruction

Please click on the link below to fill application form.
http://nigeria.smetoolkit.org
For more information, kindly visit:

www.edc.edu.ng

Kindly follow the instructions on each link careful so that you can be shortlisted to be part of this great opportunity

Thursday, 21 April 2016

HiVoltage Magazine............... the next big thing!

It is a blessing to see young people who make up their minds to go out of their way and do something out of the ordinary- for Mudiaga and Mohammed; it was all about their love for words, fashion, events and celebrity lifestyles which triggered the collaboration that led to the birth of a magazine called “HiVoltage” . HiVoltage is a new magazine owned by Mudiaga Emmanuel Awhinawhi and Mohammed Ahmed Bello- it showcases the best of Nigerian fashion, lifestyles and events, write-ups, advertisements and all what not. Join me as I take you through my time with them and I promise you, you will be inspired after it all…..

· Please introduce yourselves……

My name is Bello Mohammed and my friend is Mudiaga Awhinawhi. We are our early 20’s and we are the owners of HiVoltage magazine.

· We wanna get to know you……….

Mohammed;

Ok. I was born in Calabar, Cross River state though I am originally from Kwara state (Fulani Kwara) and I am the first born in my family. I spent my early days in Kaduna before I went back to Kwara state where I attended Model Secondary School Ilorin. After my secondary education, I got admission into University of Abuja where I studied English and Literature.

Mudiaga;

I was born in Sokoto state but I originally hail from Delta state. I am the second child in my family. I attended a catholic nursery and primary school and Mother Redeemer Catholic Secondary School all in Delta state. After that, I got admission to study English and Literature in University of Abuja.

· Tell us about HiVoltage magazine- What is it all about?

Hivoltage magazine is all about fashion, lifestyles and events. The main aim is to showcase fashion styles in Nigeria; not only in Nigeria but different part of the world- we showcase different fashion trends, events that take place within Abuja like Abuja fashion week, the picnic by Delphino entertainment and other events. Also, we showcase different cultures and lifestyles of different celebrities within and outside Nigeria. It is also a magazine where young entrepreneurs can showcase and advertise what they do.
How it all began............
We both have mutual likeness for this- before he actually spoke out I had intentions of owning a magazine. What I had really wanted is a hit magazine and he is more into fashion than I am. Eventually when we spoke concerning it, we decided to marry our ideas into one and that was it.

· What/who inspired you?

Mohammed;

My inspiration is a British-French magazine called “chic” magazine and Vogue magazine. My prayer is that our magazine goes beyond their standard.

Mudiaga;

My inspiration is George Okoro- his works inspire me a lot.

· #tellthetruth-What are the challenges you face in your business?

Finance- the money is not really there for us and no one is ready to be a part of a maiden magazine. Another challenge is people want to see a pilot before they put in their money and it is so discouraging.

· #dropitlikeitshot- say something to inspire someone …

Keep doing what you do best and never relent. Be hard working, keep your head up and love what you do and stay focused.

Thank you guys for your time, God bless you.

see some of the pics in the maiden edition below;

Mudiaga and a model.

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

The Bank Nightclub Abuja- The Stars Assembly!

Touch of style and class, the right ambience, beautiful people, most importantly; good music is what you get when you visit one of the hottest nightclubs in Abuja – The Bank! I still remember my first time there- it was an all-girls night out and trust me; it was one of my best nights ever. The bank is where you spend the money with no regrets because indeed, they Bank in style. I was privileged to get in touch with the MD/CEO of the place and all I can say is he is one person who is very passionate and consistent in what he does. I learnt a lot from him and I know someone out there would be inspired too……. Let’s get to know him as I take you through his success story…..

· Please introduce yourself…..

My name is Uyi Ogbebor and I am the owner of The Bank nightclub Abuja.

· We wanna get to know you….

Ok. I am the first son in a family of 7. I was born in Akure, Ondo state but I hail from Benin City, Edo state. I attended universal school and police children school for my primary education then proceeded to FUTA staff secondary school for my secondary education. I completed both my primary and secondary education in Akure. Upon my graduation, I got admission into Igbinedion University.

· You are a very popular person especially when it comes to the night life, how did it all begin?

I came into Abuja in 2008. First of all, I was into wallpaper business - I use to import wallpapers and sell so I did a lot of Marketing. During the course of that, I met a lot of people- the owner of A- Lounge that is the place where my club is located and I was also opportuned to meet the owner of the GROTTO Lounge to show him some of my wallpapers then I told him I could drag people down to his club because I knew a lot of people based on my kind of business and the university I attended. In June 2011, I became a managing partner of Grotto lounge- my first event was a bachelors’ party and it was a banger! People started visiting the place every weekend and business was good. Soon after, I met the owner for a raise in my salary and he refused to do anything about it so I resigned. I was there for only 6 months. In January 2012, I became one of the managers of Cubana alongside my friend Lanre - we did a little renovation and I branded the place to “Club Vaniti”. We had everyone there every weekend and it was another success. I was there for 2 years.

· The bank nightclub is one of the most celebrated nightclubs in this city, how did all begin?

At some point, I got tired of being a mediocre, I got tired of managing other people’s business because I know where I am coming from and where I am going to, coupled with the fact that I did some courses in business management, I made up my mind to start doing my own thing. I approached Lanre and talked to him about collaboration so that we can start up our own club but he was reluctant so I left to start off my own. I met people and a lot of them turned me down not until I met Mr. Yankee who was a good influence in propagating my idea. The Bank officially kicked-off in March, 2014 and you would agree with me that it has been a successful journey all the way. In fact, to tell you how successful it was, we were able to pay all our debts in 6 months.

· So everything was all your idea?

Yes.

How have you been able to sustain your business judging from the fact the club business is not really a sustainable one especially in the city of Abuja?
I am relentless! I don’t stop pushing! I always strive to stay on top of my game and God has been faithful.

· What is your staff strength?

I have about 76 staff and most of them are graduates. In fact, 26 of them are masters degree holders- my general manager has 2 masters. They are all well paid.

· #tellthetruth- What are the hitches/challenges you currently face in your business?

The Nigerian Economy- the price of drinks is usually determined by FOREX and the inflation of prices really affects us most times because we cannot increase the prices of our drinks so we are usually at a loss. Secondly, we have to always be on our waiters so they remit the right amount to us or else they will swindle us. Lastly, our customers- some of our customers look down on us simply because they know where we started from. They order drinks and they don’t pay, some even go as far as not taking our call or replying messages which may eventually lead to a loss.

· #dropitlikeitshot- Say something to inspire someone out there…….

Keep pushing, don’t stop and keep doing what you love.

Thank you Uyi for your time, God bless you!

See pics after the cut;