From Fan to Founder: Replicating Your Heroes' Wins

Hello and welcome. My name is Tavishima Aidi. I saw sales and marketing challenges and I'm currently making this podcast recording at my desk. It's late at night with families around, so there will be some interruptions. The goal of this podcast is business education. So please spread the word, let your friends and family members know in Nigeria and abroad so they can benefit from the questions that we tackle. They can do that by subscribing on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of their choice.

And if you have any sales or marketing questions, then bring them to me. You can call, you can SMS, you can WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Now today on the show all I put this, OK, let's just say the question is how can I be more like my business heroes? And of course when I say me, I don't mean like me me, I mean the person that I was talking to. Now this is the background. I was talking to someone who is a budding fashion entrepreneur and as his inspiration he has two correct guys, Lagos based boys, Shay Vodi and Yomi Casual.

Both of them are high how I put it. Now they have high profile clientele, you know, celebrities, politicians, as in these are like big boys. OK, sorry about that. Just like I promised, there was going to be some interruptions. So that was my little 1. He just came in because he needed my attention for something. So I said no. This guy, the budding fashion entrepreneur, the people that he's trying to model himself after, Shay Vodi and Yomi casual Lagos boys, the the deal with celebrities, politicians, high profile people pretty much now she she Ivody his kind of stuff is he mostly does men's suits and natives.

And from what I saw online, they said that the guy does vertical silhouettes, Abbi silhouettes, Abbi silhoue. You know, I don't know how it's pronounced and since I'm not in the fashion, I don't even know what a silhouette or silhouette is because it means something else in photography than it means in fashion. So it looks like the guy has a certain kind of style, but you know, since me, I don't have a fashion bone in my body when I

look, I'm like man, sure, his stuff is is tight. But to be honest, you know, if you want me to break it down, like I can't break it down because I don't know fashion. I don't do fashion. Then Yomi casual, you know, some people would say his stuff is contemporary designs, but he always does African fabric. So like that's his thing. So, yeah, I mean, those are them basically. And this guy wants to model his business after these two.

So if you want to model yourself after your heroes, the first thing you have to do is to try and figure out the ingredients to their success. Good news, the Internet is here, so you can Google, you can search. Sometimes people do case studies on certain kinds of entrepreneurs. You can use Google Gemini, you can use ChatGPT. There are lots of tools that you can use to do some research. Sorry, one moment and I will be back.

OK, sorry about that. I am back. This time was my wife was looking for my attention because you know, it's late night evening. So in the middle of making dinner and so she needed one or two things so she can sort the boys out. OK, where was I? So I was talking about how if you want to monitor yourself after somebody nowadays, it's not hard. There's lots of stuff available on the Internet or you can use these AI tools to make your research a lot easy or share.

You'll be able to find one or two things that the person that you like did to get to where they were. Now there's something that I tell lots of people, which is that ideas are the easy part. When I repeat, ideas are the easy part. Execution is the main thing, especially since I have started consulting. Now for some reason, you sit down with someone, you guys come up with a plan, you drop the list, and for some reason people just don't execute.

There are lots of people who don't understand that, like we can sit down and we can come up with the ideas from now until Kingdom come. If you are not going to do one thing to take a step in the right direction, then you have wasted your time and your money. Now, because I'm a Christian and because I have judged mind, I feel bad collecting somebody's money and we're not making progress. So I'll always try to make sure that we are making progress, no matter how much or no matter how little you are paying.

But for now, please know that the idea, the thing that you need to do, that is the easy part, precisely because we have Google and we have AI tools. So finding the answer, what should I do that is easy? We need a resolve. We need the resolve and we need a plan so that tomorrow morning, 8:00, nine o'clock 10:00 whenever you start your day, you can start implementing this thing that is actually what will make things move forward.

So me and the guy, we have some back and forth to try and figure out what it is that makes Shay Vodi and yummy casual, what makes them tick. And we came up with a couple of stuff, quality and craftsmanship. So I don't know much about fashion, but I must admit that when I see yummy casual because I've seen it live on some people, I'm like, OK, OK, I can see that is a correct. This is a correct workmanship here. Like this is nice.

There's no bad, there's no bad. So both of them, she and yummy, they clearly have a thing of if I touch something, this thing has to be on point gas to be 5 stars. So that is one thing that she Woody and Yummy casual have and that we can attribute to their success. Oh, by the way, since I don't know Shay one-on-one and since I don't know yummy one-on-one, and since I've never had conversations with them, all these things I'm coming up with is just me and this other guy,

the young and profession entrepreneur, just trying to, you know, based on what we've seen online, I'm trying to figure out a couple of things what we think was responsible for them coming up with the level of success that they have. So next was what I would call unique value proposition, which is why should somebody do business with me? But I guess other people would in the fashion space would probably call it a design philosophy or a calling card or something.

I don't know how to explain to you. But The thing is when you look at shave or the when you look at Yomi casual, you can see clearly there's a difference. You can't say one person is copying another. I mean, it's a they're definitely not doing Taylor and Cotton join and all of that, but it's a clear design philosophy that is going into what it is that they do. So like I said, she his thing is men's suits and native and they have a certain look.

Some people say it's vertical or silhouette or silhouette or whatever, whatever that means. But she he has this kind of look, yummy casual. Of course you say yomi casual, not your me formal. So yomi casual contemporary designs and then African fabric. So he also has his thing. So clearly they have their calling card. They have their style, they have their design philosophy, they have their unique fashion elements. On my own case, I would say unique value proposition.

Why do people do business with you? So if somebody wants something Afrocentric, Afrocentric, cosmopolitan, you call up your MI casual, but then you want something more men's suit and native, but something more structured, you call up she body. So that is also another thing that we figure can attribute to their success and then networking and relationships. Yeah, we think that that was instrumental to their success because remember both of these young men.

So excuse me, both of these young men or both of these guys, let me not say young men, just in case any of them are older than me, Let them not look at me and say that you're calling me young man, you're no born. You were, you know, that kind of thing. So so both of these individuals shave body and Yomi casual just in case they're older than me. They, their clientele, like I said, high, high profile celebrities, politicians, all those big, big magazines, so so and so's birthday party, so so and so's naming ceremony, so so and so's, remembrance of burial and all whatnot.

All those big, big, big things. African movie AM VCA Africa movie and something awards red carpet back when I was in Lagos, Yummy casual, you know, you do see some some celebrities on the Billboard. So I mean, that is the kind of those are the kind of circles that these guys roll in. So definitely we know for sure that networking and relationships is part of the reason why they're successful. In fact, for Yummy Casual, we speculate.

We guess that because Yummy casual is the younger brother of a why the the comedian? AY is it Ayo Marco or something? I can't remember his name. Anyway, I think he did this movie with Ramsey Noah. What was it called again? Something demons. Is it Yoruba demons or something? I can't remember anyway, but he was he was in a comedy with Ramsey Noah, Jim Ike, who again, like four or five of them anyway. So definitely, I'm assuming Yomi Casual would have told his brother.

Hey bro, how far now I know, say you get one or two connects and you know me, I'm doing this fashion thing, you know, I beg one or two introductions, you know, I bet you hook me up with this person, that person as a people nice, you know, that kind of thing. So I'm assuming we both assume we are not trying to take away from the level of success that Yomi Casual has built for his business, but we suspect that his brother may have made one or two introductions.

So networking relationships, trying to utilize your existing connections, we definitely think that that is a part of it. Then personalized services because especially for the kind of clientele that they have, you know, bespoke is a thing because people don't want to spend hundreds of thousands and millions on you. And then what you're delivering them is the same thing that you're delivering to anybody else. So there has to be a bespoke element.

There you go. You do fitting, you do resizing. Because I heard my my Atafo or me Atafo, I'm not sure how his name is pronounced. I saw me Atafo on something on DSTVI was talking about the whole consultation process. You know, you come in, you sit down, you sketch, you agree, you draw the something, and then you do the first whatever, you come, you do the fitting, and then you go back in. I think they do like 2 fittings or something.

So I mean, at that level where people are paying you good money for their designs and good money for their clothes, they expect a certain level of personalization and customization that goes with it. So we think that that was also part of the things that made them successful. And then of course, sorry, 1 moment. OK, sorry about that. A reminder just came up. I actually have to be leaving soon. I have a meeting to get to.

OK, well, let me wrap up. So and then we also think word of mouth. So especially since it's more of networking and relationships, it has to be word of mouth introductions, you know, all those sorts of things. And then of course, visibility and then brand presence. So lots of celebrity endorsements. My guess is that they were giving lots of gifts to celebrities because especially in the early days, you know, when you don't have a brand, I

doubt, I doubt that every single celebrity in the in the beginning were, I don't think every single celebrity that put on their stuff in the early days was a paid client. Because I also was listening to Kelechi Amadi Obi. This was a while ago. Kelechi Amadi Obi, he's a photographer based in Lagos. For those of us who are young, young and up and coming back then he's someone that we really, really respected because Khalechi Amadiobi was really good with off camera lighting,

advanced lighting, these sorts of things. And eventually he would, Khalechi Amadiobi would start doing work with the South African Tourism Board and would also start rolling in, you know, Nigerian high life, I say high life, no high life, all I say, you know, high society circles and things like that. So, so I was at one event where Kelechi mentioned that the early photos he took of P Square that, you know, they didn't pay him.

That was a matter of him just like, oh, I've seen your stuff, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to be in town or I'll be come to my studio, you know, one or two things, you know. So I was surprised to find out that even for Kelechi, Amadi will be some of those early celebrity stuff. Wasn't he paid something he was on that hooked up the whole thing by himself because he wanted to try out some creative concepts and also because he was looking at all?

I put it, it would help with the visibility and with the with the brand presence. So I suspected yummy casual and she body have done some of these things. By the way, if any of you is connected to these guys, you know, let me know. I'd like to have their phone number, like to have a chat with them, maybe self even interview them for this podcast, because a whole lot of what I'm saying is just plenty speculation. Well, I'm assuming that this is stuff that help them in their business.

Then of course, being featured in the media and then public relations and things like that. So in my own opinion, and for this fashion entrepreneur, these are the reasons why we think Shay Vodi and Yomi Casual are successful business people in the fashion space, successful fashion entrepreneurs today. And that's the reason why they have the the name that they carry in Lagos, you know, Yoruba land, you know, kind of because in Abuja, you know, if you say you're me, Kajra and Abuja people will be like, you're me who, you know, they don't Abuja people don't know that kind of stuff or don't dress that kind of stuff.

So that's it. Now, the whole point of asking this question, what are the ingredients to this person's success is because you know, Tim Robbins, I'm easy, Tim, Tony Robbins. So Tony Robbins, he's famous for saying success leaves clues. So the idea is if we can figure out this is what the person did and I do this kind of thing, then I should be all right, I should be good. So yes, that is one step. Now the second part to it and the conversation that I like to have because lots of people don't realize how they're putting, setting themselves up for failure is this.

Now that we've figured out what the ingredients are of being able to guess, this is what the ingredients might be. We also need to have realistic time frames and realistic expectations about what we can achieve. And this is how I told this. This is what I told this fashion entrepreneur. I told him that show, you know, Shave Audi started in 2001. You guys say yes. So you know that Shave Audi, excuse me, his journey has been 24 years as at the time of this recording, Shave Audi has been running this game 24 years.

You guys say yes, So Yummy Casual, you know, Yummy Casual started around that kind 2007 say yes. So therefore Yummy Casual has been running this game for 18 years. We say yes. The reason why we need to have this conversation is because lots of you are looking at somebody, you know, in America they call this a snapshot. You're looking at, you know, the snapshot theory, you're looking at the snapshot of somebody today not as that person was yesterday or when he started.

So a lot of you today are saying I want to be like Shay Vodi and I want to be like Yummy casual. But you're thinking you want to be like how they are today and forgetting the fact that Shay has built this thing 24 years, Yummy has built this thing 18 years. So with this whole snapshot theory, what you should be doing is don't be looking at Shay Vodi as he is now in 2025 or Yomi Casual as he is now 18 years later. Try and figure out 24 years ago how did they start.

That is the snapshot you should be looking at and that is the realistic time frame that you should have. If you're looking at two people and you think these two people are certified big boys, they are correct guys. One of them took 24 years, another person took 18. Why are you thinking your own journey will take one year? These are things that we do that give ourselves unnecessary BP. If two people you think are correct guys, each of them two decades, why do you think 2

years? You're always set. Let's just be realistic here. Now, yes, there are some people that one year, 1 1/2 year, everything don't set as everything clicks, Yes, but remember, those people are outliers. That is not the average. So we need to have a realistic time frame. I'm not saying that you should assume that your own journey is going to be 20 years, especially for those of you who are like 4550, you'll now be saying 20

years. What are you saying they will not live the soft life or no hammer until I'm 70? I'm not saying that. I'm not saying we need to have realistic expectations. So another thing that I recommend for people who can, if you can be close to the source, it is a way that you can work for or internship for she or Yummy try. I heard that Yummy has the guy I was talking to say Tommy has like 40 something people that so for him, you know, if you can go and be #45 as in try if you can enter that click, you will help because you will see from the source.

You will learn from the source. And if you're enterprising and if you're helpful and if you're trustworthy, they will be giving you small, small assignments. The assignment will increase more and more responsibility. By the time you stay in that kind of setup, like 1 1/2 two years, you learn a couple of things and then you you start your own business journey. You'll be starting on a higher level than somebody who's just coming from day one and who wants to use idea to blow.

So if you can internship, if you can go and work there, try some people want to go the mentorship route. That's OK, that's good. But this is the advice I'm going to give. If you want to go the mentorship route, don't want to say Shay. I love your work. Please mentor me. That's awkward. It's somehow those kind of conversations don't they don't work. Like Oprah Hophrey was on TV one time. Somebody was talking about female empowerment and blah,

blah, blah. And she said that for her, it's very awkward when a young lady walks up to her and says, oh, mentor me, You know, she said, you know, she doesn't know what to do. That's what Oprah said. You just roll up my hand and say, Oprah, I love you. Please mentor me. Please be my mentor. Oprah doesn't know what to do next. The average person doesn't know what to do next. These people are business people. They're not coaches.

So if you try and take the the if you try and take the scope that you want to deliver value 1st and you roll up on someone and like, oh Shay, yummy, love what you do, blah, blah, blah. Really inspired. I on the other hand, I have this skill set. I think I can use this skill set to grow your business or grow this particular part or this small department or this small department in this and this and this and this and this way.

I would love the opportunity to be of service. If you come from that angle, you will find that you will naturally fall into a kind of mentoring habit, mentor mentee relationship because you're a smallie coming into this thing trying to derive value to somebody. So naturally this person has is taking value from you will also be giving you one or two things like, OK, this thing you are trying to do, no, next time run them like this.

Next time do it like that. Or if it was me, I would have done it like this. So don't call me and saying you're me, mentor me. Come in and saying this is me. This is my skill set. This is the value that I think I can bring to you, to your operation, to your business, to this particular aspect, to this charity, to this thing you're paying attention to, to this pet project, to this whatever. So if you come at it from that angle, you will just naturally over time, fall into a mentor and mentee relationship.

So that for me is the answer to the question. How can you be like your business hero? Go and do some research, figure out the ingredients and then come up with an action plan. Start movementing. But then remember snapshot theory, the journey that took them three decades. Don't think you're going to do it in two years. So the picture you should be looking at is when they were at your own level, where were they or how did they start?

If you can internship, please go and do it. If you can go and learn what go and do it. If you're going through the mentorship route, never roll up on anybody and say please be my mentor. If I go and I say down with it, please be my mentor. Down with it is going to rightfully think, you know what, I have too many things on my table right now. I'm not looking for extra work because I will sound like I'm giving him work.

But for all upon that what I say, love what you do. I like the fact that when you and Otatolla tried to have what's it called? Was it Black Star? I think it was Black Star. When they wanted to buy the refineries, they came up with a proposal under ambassador's regime. I think Second time, I think during ambassador's second term, they came up with a consortium, I think it was called Black Star or something, or Blue Star.

They wanted to buy all the refineries, that's Port Arcot, Katuna, where again, they wanted to buy it and then operate it. And I think they won the bid, but there was a lot of popular outcry against Dangote and Alterola at the time. So the the thing was revoked, even though they had paid money. And anyway, so if I approach him saying that, oh, Mr. Dangote, I remember when I was in secondary school, we were trying this thing.

This thing didn't work. I'm glad you stuck to it. You've been a visionary. You've inspired me, you know, blah, blah, blah. I like what you do. This is my skill set. I think with my skills I should be able to add value here, add value here to this particular project, to this thing, to this thing, to that thing, you know? Can I get your pH number? I would love to have a meeting to see if my small skills can help move your ministry in any way.

If I come in from that angle, I'm not saying it's a guarantee. I'm not saying I might stand a shot because at least I'm not looking like extra work. If I come and say down with it, mentor me, I'm definitely looking like extra work. I'm looking like homework. And as far as he's concerned, he would say, look, you know what? With the government, with this, with that, with oil marketers or whatnot, my hands are full. I don't have time for any pet projects the other way.

I stand a chance somehow. So that's all for today. Remember, if you have any sales or marketing questions, then bring them to me. You can call an SMS. You can WhatsApp on 08064662140. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you all at the next episode.