Nonnas & Naira: What a Netflix Movie Can Teach You About Starting a Restaurant (and Avoiding Failure

Hello and welcome to the show. I'm taking today's recording at my desk. My neighbor is still doing renovations on his house, just in case you hear lots of bumping and clanking and all of that. So yes, there will be some interruptions in the background. Now, the goal of this show is free business education. I'm not here to tell you about my neighbors. So if you're looking to learn something about sales, marketing, business in general,

then you are in the right place. And if you get value from today's episode, then share, promote and talk about it so that Nigerians, family members, people here, diaspora, you know, all over the place can benefit from the questions that we tackle. Now, they can do that by subscribing on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of their choice. And if you in particular, dear listener, you the very person listening to the show right now,

if you have any sales and marketing questions, then bring them to me. You can call, you can SMS, you can WhatsApp me on 080 64662140. So today on the show we're going to do something I haven't done in a very long time. We're going to look at sales and business development themes from the Netflix movie known as known as is NONNAS. So we're going to look at Netflix movie and then we're going to see what we can learn about how to start a restaurant business or how to start any business in particular.

For those of you who've been listening for a while, you know, I keep on saying that you can learn about business or get ideas about businesses, you know, things like that just by, you know, keeping an open eye, see what's going on in movies, on the news, you know, things like that. So this is going to be one example about how we can take some of our pastimes like chilling and watching Netflix and how we can use it to improve our sales skills and our skills in growing businesses.

So let me give you guys a summary of the biz of the movie. Hopefully I won't spoil it for you guys as anybody who wants to watch the movie known as again, it's O sorry, NONNAS. So the movie stars Vince Vaughn. He plays the main character. You know, those of you who are on the youngest side, you don't know who the hell Vince Vaughn says. But no, I like watching the movie show. It was still all right, It was all good. And so Vince Vaughn, now his character, wants to build a restaurant to honour his recently deceased mother as a Mumsy.

Don't die, you know, Grandma, of course, died. So he's now alone as in the pillar of his lives, you know, Mumsy and grandma see, you know, they're gone. So now he's all alone in the world. But because his mum and his grandmother were huge influence in his life and their cooking gave him really strong all, I put it because of the way they live their lives and, you know, all the food days to cook and how do I peel off the community,

how they used to keep everybody around. You know, every family has, you know, women like that. So he gave Vince's character very strong associations about food and how, you know, food, community life, how you show love, you know, all these kind of things. So, and believe me, these people exist in every family. If I'm not going to call in my Monty's family, you know, we have one. I'm not going to say what her name is because she's a very private woman, but everybody knows like once you enter Michael D, especially when she was much younger, if you go there, you be sorted.

Food, you'll be sorted. You might not have a place to stay. But this particular answer of mine, like she's the all I put it, she's like the cornerstone of that side of the family. Everybody knows her. And you know that if you come here, your problems will be sorted. Even if your problems are not have not been sorted, she will know how to, you know, step you down and say, OK, you know, reason I'm like this or maybe go here or go there, you know, that kind of thing.

So he wanted to build a restaurant now to honor his mom and honor his grandma. And then, of course, you know, there are some of us who are starting businesses, you know, based on these emotional, you know, emotional, emotional, you know, you understand something happens to you or you're feeling like this, you're feeling like that. So you want to start an Ng or you want to start this business. You understand that business or some emotional whatever.

And it's one of the themes that was running throughout the movie because at some point, the guy, his best friend, how to tell him that look, guy, grow up now like you've been you've been like this since we were kids. I grew up yes you love mumsy. It's a pity that you know she's not here again, but you can't continue to allow like this now like Josh just move you want to set up this restaurant to to honor her. This thing is not going to work.

You didn't reason this thing you didn't plan this thing. You know, so the attention I was running throughout the whole movie, I'll let you guys watch it and then you see how the whole thing ends. But coming up with some brilliant idea or some personal idea or some idea that the thing just shooks your heart in a certain way. It doesn't mean that The thing is going to fly. You know what's in your heart. It's not as if the whole world knows what's in your heart.

And to be honest, it's not as if the world even cares that your mum see has passed. So might be a compelling story for some, might not be a compelling story from others. So there are just plenty themes to look at from a business perspective and I would because of that. Of course, there's some small romance inside the film shine. So no action, just drama and romance. So if you're looking for shooting and explosions, then don't watch this film.

So yeah, I'd recommend that you guys watch it anyway. So one, there's some questions that the guy's character, that's Vince Vaughn, his character had to answer from the get. Number one was how will you distinguish or set apart your restaurant from other people's restaurants so that people will have reasons to come. Now this is the background, the guy is a New York person and of course we all know that New York, at least those of you that have traveled to New York, you know, haven't been there, you know, wifey has been there, mom say has been there.

But me, I've never haven't travelled reach that side yet. But everybody knows that, you know, New York and restaurants is like 5 and 6 everywhere you go, restaurant, restaurant, restaurant, restaurant, Italian restaurant, Chinese restaurant, Turkish restaurant, this restaurant, that restaurant has a restaurant, restaurant everywhere. So to get hard to answer one very key question, how am I going to differentiate my restaurant from other people's restaurant?

This highlights a key problem in business nowadays because nowadays everything is commodified. Commodification just means everything is the same. You all look the same. So if you happen to be in that kind of town like New York or Lagos, where everywhere you look, restaurant day, you look to the rest, to the left, restaurant, to the right, restaurant, go to his next estate, restaurant everywhere, restaurant, everywhere at nightclub, your own nightclub,

how are you going to make it stand apart? So that's the key thing that the guy had to face. And it's something that you have to face if you're facing commodification in your business. If you're setting up a nightclub in Lagos, you need to have the gas be a compelling reason. Like what makes your own nightclub different from any or the other person's nightclub? At least back when I was still in The Catcher on Allen Ave.

Nightclub like 2 or 320 St. nightclub, maybe like 1, or maybe nightclub maybe like 3 or 4. That's just one small stretch. One small stretch of Rd. really have like 7-8 nightclubs. If you're going to go and open another one nightclub #9 why are you opening it? Why are you different? Why should somebody come? So Vince Vaughn's character had to deal with that question and you most likely will have to deal with that question as well.

If you are opening a business in the space where it looks as if everything don't commodify as in everybody just look the same as in we are plenty. Why am I standing out if I'm the same as everybody else? What's the particular reason why people have to come to me? Now? The guy's solution was for him in his own restaurant, all the food that was going to be made there, everything. Because the guy can cook, but he was not cooking because,

remember, the guy is a foodie, you know, like me. Because me, I like to eat. So, you know, you cook our lamb, our chop was not safe. When I cook, I mean, I do some basics, like I fry yam, I boil beans, I can boil rice, I can fry egg, you know, the basics. But this guy, yeah, the guy could cook. The guy could cook, but he was not going to be the cook in his own restaurant. All the food there was going to be made by Nonas.

Nona. It just means grammar, What they do, you know, whatever it is you call it in your language. NONNASI think that's the Italian word for either. OK, sorry, I should have checked. I'm not sure if it's a word for mothers or for grandmothers. So nonas, NONNAS. So that was the solution. Everything there was going to be made by grammar, by nonas, by real life nonas, and it was going to be authentic regional cuisines that people have received from their family.

So at the time that the guest started the restaurant, because he's on, he's of Italian descent. So of course all the grandmas and all the mommies and all the big aunties he knows are Italian, so plenty of Italian cuisine. But now in 2025, the scope of the restaurant has been broadened, so it's grandmas from all parts of the world. So I'm surprised if you go to his restaurant and maybe you see a grandmother is Gary and she's cooking Gary cuisine or there's a grandmother who is Steve and you know, the grandma is now cooking Bush meat in thief style.

That would be nice to see. By the way, for any of you who happened to be on, I think the restaurant was in Staten Island. If you're in Staten Island and you check out the guys restaurant, you know, please come and report back. Let me know what do I what do I cook in there? So maybe when I get visa, I can go there and see, you know, what's on the menu. So that was his own way of setting the restaurant apart in the kitchen.

We only have grammars, real life grammars and they think they'll be on the menu is not something we have planned beforehand. It will be the things that these women have received from their village, from their Muncie, from their local government, from their wherever. That's all beyond the menu. Now, of course, that's a differentiating factor because like I said, in New York, restaurant everywhere, New Jersey restaurant everywhere,

you know that I mean, what they call it tri-state area restaurant everywhere. So for some people, they promote their restaurants by putting a celebrity chef or you know, a Michelin 5 star trained celebrity chef, you know, that kind of thing. That's the distinguishing factor. Like come to this restaurant because this restaurant was set up by Gordon Ramsay. All these chefs have been trained by Gordon Ramsay. This is a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, you know, that kind of thing.

So that's how other people are setting their own restaurants apart. Now, those of us in Nigeria were already familiar with this kind kind of things because is the model that people are using nowadays. So in some circles you get a Nigerian celebrity chef, somebody who did foreign training, you know, fine boy or fine girl who went to Michelin Institute in Paris, in Paris or who went to this cooking institute in this place or in that place.

The person has received training. The person is a big influencer on social media, huge Instagram accounts, you know, whatever person has influential backers and then they open a restaurant. So that is the model that we're familiar with in Nigeria at the moment. At the time of this recording, I'll call any of the celebrity chefs, but just Google Nigerian celebrity chef hit enter. You see all their names coming out and you see the restaurants that they're opening in Lagos.

OK, there's one guy. OK, the guy in Abuja, I don't know if he has opened a restaurant, but his own is a, is a school, a training school. Now I know that because my sister-in-law, that's where she went. Grand, Yeah, get her own certifications, our own chef chefing, own chef free skills, that's where she went. So that's the motto. He, his own is going to be different. No celebrity chef here, no fire star anything here. If you come here, grandma's cooking straight, authentic,

come here because you want an experience, Come here because you want a different kind of menu. So now was this a, a compelling UVPUVP just means unique value proposition. Unique value proposition can be defined in many ways, but for me, the way I like to define it is unique value proposition is the reason why people keep coming back to you. Whatever reason they tell you, that's your unique value proposition. If somebody because your goal might be you want to have the best tasting food in the world.

But The thing is, if you ask 50 of your customers and 45 percent, 45 of them say the reason why we come here is because you're the most professional restaurant in the world, then I'm sorry, your unique value proposition is not that you have the best tasting food in the world. It is that you are the most professional restaurant. I can say this out for a fact because back when I was waiting photographer, I thought my UVP.

I thought the main reason why Brad used to come to me was because they don't like Photoshop. So I thought that was my UVP. If you come with me and I take photos of you, pictures of you, you'll see your natural beauty shining. No Photoshop, you'll look at your photos, you'll see your expressions and be like ah truly truly I am fine and truly truly in my wedding I was having fun. I thought that was my UVP. But after talking to lots of brides, I discovered that the reasons why people came back to me was because I was the wedding photographer, the only wedding vendor.

In fact, that's what somebody said that you were the only wedding vendor that I did not have to worry about. Anyway, I was happy in a way. I was also sad because I was thinking, you know, it's my images that wow them, but wasn't my images. It was the other things that I do in business that was making people come back to me. So UVP is not what you think of. Ask your customers. You'll be surprised that you're thinking one way.

That is where people are feeling me. These are people are coming to me. Or by the time you ask your customers what's up, you will now hear that. Oh, OK, there's another reason why people are coming to you. So if you're a restaurant person and you think the main reason why people are coming to you is because of your preparedness, you might be surprised that actually people are coming to you because they think you have the best time.

I like in town. So your UVP, your unique value proposition is not something you just decide by yourself. Decide by yourself because you have to aim for something, but start asking people. Hope you enjoyed your meal. Hope you enjoyed this, hope to see you again. Oh, by the way, what was the best part of the evening? Oh, I heard you recommended so soon. Also, why did you recommend this person? How would you like us to take care of this person?

From all these small, small, small conversations, you figure out what your UVP is. And when you find your unique value proposition, you now deliberately make that to be a part of your marketing, a part of your branding, a part of your messaging. Because if the market is already telling you this is the main domain you best believe, and you better key in that has the main thing. So what was I? So was this a compelling unique value proposition?

Not in itself, maybe, I don't know. Watch the movie for yourself and you decide. But The thing is, the restaurant had lots of financial difficulties and they almost closed down because there was no sales and marketing plan. Now, Sir, hold on. Let me just somebody's at the door. I'm just going to turn to this. I'll be back. OK, I'm back. Sorry about the interruption. So like I was saying now the restaurant almost closed down because they didn't have a sales and a marketing plan.

Remember I told you that the guy and his best friend that they were fighting at some point because his best friend was the contractor that was help him to build the things small small. And the contractor now started dropping his own money in building this thing. So that was the fight that look guy, you've always been like this. You don't think things true. Any small thing you just took head. Now see how you put us in serious trouble?

The money that you have 0. The money that you inherited 0. Even me sell from my own business. You are now putting me at zero. And this restaurant is not flying. You should have reasoned this thing before we started was a big quarrel. Almost ended their friendship. You know, there's reasons why I tell people. Look, yeah, it's a wonderful idea, but what's the plan? How are we going to sell this thing? Because you haven't started thinking about these things.

How will I sell this thing? How will I let people know about me? How will I let people know about us? You will just take millions and millions and millions and then throw it down somewhere that the thing will not move. For this guy, for this restaurant. He went ahead. The guy buy land. The guy bought building buy everything, started to do work. He only started telling people about the restaurant after they have opened and he was only telling friends, our family members, associates, coworkers,

you know, that kind of thing. That's a good place to start. But The thing is, eventually we need to have a plan to start reaching out to strangers and the wider community because your friends and your family members, your coworkers at work, your people in the church or people in the most, that's not enough to keep your business afloat is not in the beginning. Some people come as far less support our guy, But I want that initial, let's support our guy or let's support our babe.

When I initial, let's support my, you know, my friend when I think it feeds, then what? What next? There has to be a plan for talking to the strangers, talking to people that you don't know, reaching out to strangers, reaching out to the wider community. Now, to the guy's credit, he tried out influencer marketing, but not influencer marketing the way that we do it nowadays because, you know, I'm recording this podcast in 2025, you know,

but this movie was made. The movie was made reflecting a different time period. So influencer marketing back then went about running this restaurant, trying to run this restaurant was using food critics and restaurant reviewers, you know, in the New York literary scene, because like I say in the, I really call it tri-state area and the tri-state area, you know, New York, New Jersey, you know, that whole side, plenty of restaurants.

And so there's a industry there where, you know, that influencers, people who write newspaper columns, you know, things like that, that people go and read and follow up on to find out where is the newest restaurant, which one is the best, which one they rain, which one is rubbish, which one is cool, you know, all those kind of things. So those are the people that he was courting. So he was trying to do influencer marketing.

So those of you listening to the podcast right now, you see how I keep saying that there's nothing new under the sun. Some people think influencer marketing is something new. People have been doing influencer marketing since we were embryos. Influencer marketing does not just mean Internet. Influencer marketing has been here since before the Internet. It is here during the Internet. And I don't know what's coming after the Internet.

I don't know. Well, whatever comes next has to be Internet enabled. But The thing is, influencer marketing is has always been here. It's still here and will always be here. So you're better off learning about influencer marketing in itself, learning the principles and try to apply them instead of always thinking in terms of Internet and digital, digital, digital, Learn the principles. The principles will apply across different technologies.

So in this case, you're seeing influencer marketing. So if you watch the movie, you'll see influencer marketing being applied in the newspaper space where it is paper. Somebody will go and buy paper, open the newspaper and be reading. Nowadays we are exposed to influencer marketing in the online space, in the digital space. But anyway, the guy was trying to influence our marketing. He was trying to toast food and restaurant reviewers, you know,

write them e-mail, write their message, you know, that that kind of thing. But nobody came. At some point, the guy vex, he cooked, told the grammars like you should cook up something to give him. And I went to go and start approaching them one-on-one with food. You see, on podcast, I keep talking about how not all outreach that you do should be behind the keyboard. Sometimes actually have to stand up and go and see somebody.

I had to take on some of those meetings. Good morning, Sir. How you doing? Sorry, I'm interrupting you. You know, I've been trying to reach out to you. I've been to e-mail you, but I didn't get any response. I sent a letter, I didn't get anything. So I say my address show Bros no vex, this is me. This is my restaurant idea. If I want guy was like, how'd you get in here? How'd you get in here? Security security wanted to throw him out, but at some point you have to get up.

I have to go see someone. This thing I'm trying to build a business behind the keyboard is is good. It's efficient because you can see that your keyboard and you can e-mail 100 people, but at some point, get ready, be prepared to stand up, carry one or two samples and go to somebody's office. The ones that will happen, like in this guy's case is somebody would look at you and the person who shout how'd you get inside here?

Security, security. That's the ones that will happen, but you won't die. Funny enough, that's what turned out to be his saving grace that he tried this last minute gimmick that let me carry food and let me go begin the visit them 1 by 1 turned out to be his saving grace. See, but The thing is, even though he was trying to do influencer marketing now or some of you call networking, the thing was he wasn't trying to network or do all these activities until after he opened the restaurant.

That was the big flaw. He opened the restaurant first before he now started toasting food critics and going to meet food reviewers and restaurant review and everything because that guy that was now shouting security, security. Eventually the guy calm down, listen to him. And the guy told him, bro, I can't help you see my calendar now I'm booked for the whole year. And the guy told him if to say, you came up with a plan before and he reached out to me, you know, like last year, you could have been on the book.

Now we'll come and see your place, but see my calendar now I'm full. And then the guy said, OK, thank you very much, Sir. He left the food and then he he left. That's what turned out to be his saving grace because guy tasted the food and like this food is not Badger. Then he now told one of his junior employees, says, Cecilia, come here, take the address, go and see the restaurant. That's what turned out to be saving grace.

When it comes to networking and all these sorts of things. You can't start networking today because you need help in your Business Today. So about that noise in the background, you know, I told you my neighbors doing all kind of work, the foundation of the house wants to collapse, collapse. So you know, the digging and reinforcing and everything. So it just brought one trailer of a Sharp's hand now to do the work and it creates lots of noise.

But The thing is actually me, I'm happy because I was wondering this one, I just moved here. This guy's house wants to collapse. I better go. It's come and fix this thing because I don't have money to move again. But anyway, I have to move maybe like next year because it's ridiculous. Where was I? So you can't start networking today because you need help in your Business Today. The thing is you start networking today because you might need some benefit tomorrow, next month, next year shy.

You're just networking now to lay the ground just in case, in case of Incase City, if you wait until you need help and then you'll start networking and start running to people now, now, now, now, now. You've waited too long and then people will see you as a pest. That's the reason why that guy was not asking him. Who are you? How did you get in here? How did you get into my office? Security. Security. Because at this point, now you need something.

You're coming to harass me like you're a pest. Get out of my space. Now be the attitude. But if you don't need anything, you take your time. You know, you're socializing. You show up with someplace, you introduce yourself on a very cool and calm level, like, oh, so, so so I love what you do. I'll be reading your review in the Washington Post in the something, something in the this and that. I think you're a brilliant writer, blah, blah, blah.

Oh, by the way, can I have your business card? You know, when next I'm in, you know, New York and I pass through, I'd love to say hello, blah, blah, blah. So if on that level you're just doing small, small networking like that over like 2-3 years of building relationship with people, then when you start your restaurant you don't know who to call. And it's not a matter of your. Pest, they will see when I say ah, Mr. Hedy, ah, welcome,

welcome, welcome. Sit down, sit down. How are you doing? You mentioned you might be. Starting a restaurant, How's your idea coming on? So actually, so that's the reason why I'm here. You see how networking works? The problem is. Some of you are just waiting until like you need the help now now now you need the money now now now. You now start decide to be running after people now now now and then they're thinking of you as a pest.

So we network. For the future, we don't network for today. So all the networking you're doing just be doing it. You know, in case of in case it now you know anyhow, anyhow, let me just be building a relationship. You never wish you never know which way the wind will blow. That's the way you should be doing networking. Not that oh, I need 5 M right now. These are the people that might have 5 M Let me start chasing them so I can get 5 M At that point it's too late.

Everybody think of you as the best. SO how did the restaurant start seeing signs of success? Like I said, that his last minute ditch of, excuse me, carrying food to people up and down doesn't work because the guy was booked for a year. But he told his junior reviewer, I said, hey, can we go and check out this restaurant? Let me know what you feel. And so she went. But The thing is, she came on the final day. That restaurant was supposed to be closed because after a while he got to go and meet his best friend.

Go ahead and meet the grandmas that were in the kitchen to tell them, look, I'm sorry, I know to reason this thing well, So all the time and money we've put into this thing is like it's a waste. This thing is going to close. And they all said, well, my son, you know, the woman was supported. How My son, you tried. It was good at least me coming here, me cooking, me everything. I was beginning to feel alive. I was beginning to feel that has a grammar that my life was useless, but at least hanging around here, hanging with you people trying to do this restaurant thing that was good.

They think gave me life small. And so they decided let's. Go out on a high note. We have bought the food. The food is here. Let the food no waste. We'll invite everybody. We'll do one final cook off. We'll just cook and always just chop. When we finish eating, we'll now close up the restaurant and then go. So that was their plan. So there was that junior reviewer. That was the day that she now came, that final day. That day was supposed to close.

And the girl was. Impressed by what she saw because she didn't see a five star restaurant. Remember this guy wants a restaurant that is different. She didn't see a five star restaurant. She didn't see professional chefs the way that the thing they built the restaurant was an open. I think calling open kitchen concept or something. They're there behind open kitchen is that you're here, you're waiting for your food, but you can see straight into the kitchen.

You can see the people as they're cooking I. Don't think it would be a good. Idea for Nigerian restaurant because if you can see all The Dirty dice inside the restaurant, some of you just want me to come back again. So and that was the concept. So she showed live that look inside that kitchen. Those are real grammars. Real or the day? Real Mama, real big aunties, those are the ones that are cooking. And then she saw the food.

She saw the fun. She saw cuisine from different parts of Italy because they even had this thing like, like ECO. Yeah, it was a good head. Pepper soup. I didn't know Italians eat this kind of thing. So they carried the ram head. You put vegetable, put everything inside you now go and bake it. And then you put it there. Look left to me, nothing looks ugly. I don't know why people eat easy. My mom sees one of those people that eat them.

You bring it to crack it open and should start eating brain. I'm like, mommy, how can you be eating brain? Which is like, brain is sweet. Brain is the best part. But the way I look at is like. Look, are we cannibals? How can we be eating brain? You eat brain, you eat eyeball. You eat lungs. You now be eating stomach. I'll be what house I do is it can't can't be can't OK, like how can be eating all these things when all cannibals are big anyway, not just my own personal pet peeve.

So doom I saw everything there. She even saw you say who live. And she was impressed. And she wrote a glowing review about the newspaper. So about the restaurant. Oh, by the way. Like I said, this movie was made in a different time period. At that time it was mostly Italian cuisine because the guy is of Italian descent, so of course his mom's is Italian, his grandma's is Italian, all his big aunties are Italian, the neighbors are Italian.

So it turned out there were lots of Italian women there. But on the end credits, you can see some black grandmas in there and even one grandma that does wearing hijab, you know, so looks like they now have grammars from different parts of the world. So really, really interesting concept. So was after that junior reviewer gave these reviews in the national in in the papers that were not able to get some attention to keep the restaurant open.

So. In my own opinion. Now the main lessons from this movie remember from a sales and business development perspective, because there's other things that you know, there's also some small romance going on in the movie, you know, ask Anisha be giving on to you and. He was liking one. Babe. But I didn't have to leave her to say, you know, babe, what's up? You know so. That's one of the things you can learn ask Anisha be giving on to you.

So if you're a young man right now. There's one babe. You've been feeling but you think she's too high. Her level is too up for you. You don't have what it takes. Just try your. Luck my guy, shoot your shot, ask and shall be given. The worst thing that you do is I should laugh at you and say is he your kind? That's what's that will happen when you recover, you will recover from the embarrassment. And eventually you. Find one of your dreams.

So ask and shall be given on to you. Although that's not the different, that's not the main reason why you should watch the movie. 1 also for babes too, you know, I don't think babe should be toasting, but it's a way that the babe signaled that the course was clear, that the path was open, that he can ask. So babes, you know you to find a way to show that the small green light. In case the guy. Doesn't have courage so he can,

you know, so he can shoot his shot. But anyway apart. From all those lessons that we'll learn, for those of you who like romance, you know, watch that film. Some good romance there. So the main reason? Is we need a sales and marketing plan from the beginning? Your brilliant idea. Is not enough, Too many of you think I have this brilliant idea. This idea will sell itself something something once people see, they will get it.

No, it doesn't work that way. And if anybody says but Apple Computer, I will knock you on the head. Apple Computers was not a matter of the ability. There was proper marketing plans and everything. In fact, I even found out that Apple models itself after Sony. And the reason why Sony was a success is because they knew we're a Japanese company. We're in an industry where America dominates. If we're going to our class and outbid American businesses, we need to go heavily into sales,

marketing, branding, and that is what was responsible for Sony's success. So Jobs now and the others coming after looking at Sony started patterning themselves after that. So stop this whole myth that Apple made such a brilliant product that people saw and I started rushing to it doesn't work that way. It's a myth. By the way, do that in another podcast. So there's no. Brilliant idea that will sell itself. Yes, this is your grandmother's idea.

It is your grandmother's recipe. The food is tight. The food is enough to resurrect the dead. Yes, we agree. But if you don't have a. Marketing plan from the beginning, this thing will die, this thing will not work. Your brilliant idea is not enough. You need to have a plan. To make sure that enough people know that you exist, people have to know that you exist first. Before they even like your idea, before people come and experience your grandma's cuisine and the revolutionary food that you have and everything they need.

To know that you exist, you need a sales and marketing plan from the beginning. That is the main lesson. Sorry, my neighbors, them doing this hammering thing then #2 We've already explored this. You need a differentiating factor in your business because if you're the same as everybody else, then why would anybody else come to you? You need to differentiate yourself. And that's something he did well actually, because that his concept of real life grammar is not something I've seen anywhere before.

Never heard of it before. OK. But when I was in OAU, we used to go to Obuca to go and eat. And there was this place. Yeah, again, she, she was not exactly a grandma, but she had some of those big anti vibes. And she was very rude, Very, very rude when her food was good and the soup was hot. So yeah, you need a differentiating factor. There needs to be something about your own business that is different. Then another thing I want to stress, because in the business community, people argue about this all the time.

Luck or Providence is still is a factor in business because there's no way that we can orchestrate all possible outcomes. There's no way that we can plan for all possible outcomes. Sometimes things happen and it just happens to fall in our favor because think about it, let's say August said. Or I'll go and review this place. But then she said, oh, sorry, Olga, I'm doing something tomorrow. Can I come next week Friday?

If the Babe had come one day late, not to talk of next week Friday, the restaurant would have never taken off because the restaurant would have closed because the reviewer came on the last day, the very last day. There'll be nothing to review. So the lesson is, yes, luck plays a role. The Christians among us who said, no, I'm not guided by luck. Yes, that's also say Providence. So God also has a hand. The thing is just do what you can.

Let things fall the way they will. Do what you can, say your prayers. Let things fall the way they will. But we can't plan for. Everything we just do, our best luck happens. If happens in your favor, we thank God. If it doesn't happen in your favor, no problem. We live to fight another day. So there are some problems with this movie. The movie had an improper understanding of Christian piety and Catholic prayer. Also they throw.

In some countercultural lifestyles, I'm not going to open my mouth and talk, fool, you understand, so that they won't come and block my podcast and say that I was saying this, I was saying that. So just reading between the lines. So then now we're putting countercultural lifestyles in there, if you know what I mean. The problem I have with these. Things is the countercultural things that Putin is not central to the story in any way.

Now we're here and it's about a businessman who is struggling and trying to front a business. So which one? You're beginning to choke this agenda took the agenda again. I won't use my mouth and say it because if I do, you know they will now block my podcast. So reading between the lines or watch the movie, you understand what I'm saying. But then the best part of. The movie now if we forget the business side, the best part of the movie is this.

You guys pay attention because all of us, we have mothers, well most of us that some of us who are orphans. But so for those of. You who are not orphans. All of us. We have mothers, we have big aunties. You know, we have important people in our lives like that. So the best part of the? Film is it explored how our mothers and our big aunties, because they're old, they're already beginning to feel as if they're past their prime.

Now we need to feel as if they're out of touch. They're beginning to feel as if I have nothing to give my family or my community. Again, it's something that can relate to because when we want to go and see grandma, see before she passed, that's back when was too small. Now I was like like in the 90s or so. At some point my grandma was crying. And then my father said. Why are you crying? And then she said, look at me, I'm now old, that when I was a young woman, when my children come, I used to go to farm and bring pounded German.

I'll cook for all of you that see me here. I'm lying down here. I cannot do anything. And my grandmother was crying in our presence. My father was trying to. Comfort her. But, you know, my father was not a very soft man, so he didn't do you know, he just started saying, Mama, stop it, Mama, stop it. You know, speaking language, you know, but he didn't really comfort her. But The thing is, you know, big monies, they feel as if they're past their prime.

They feel as if they're old. They're spent. There's nothing they can contribute again. So apart from leaving it. As a small boy. I'm now. Old enough, I'm still a young man, but I'm not at that age where, you know, my big aunties, you know some of them, like my oldest relative now is 83. So, you know, you go home, you know, having you're not having some kind serious conversations. So for my big aunties, they feel as if, you know, I failed in my life, I failed in my career or I

made this mistake, this life choice. I didn't quite do it. Well, because of that, now I don't have anything to give you. Again, I don't have anything to give the children. I don't have anything to give the family. So some of our big mommies are my big aunties. They're feeling as if I'm spent, I'm old, I'm out of touch and I'm useless. So after you watch that film. Or after listening. To this podcast, please, I beg all of you, call your mother's,

call your big aunties. Just call them those. Mummy, I'm just going to greet you. Just call and greet them. Because these people have nurtured for nurtured children and nephews and nieces all their lives. They have been nurturing, they've been given, they've been providing. Now all of us are. We're all grown up. We're all hustling, you know, those are hustling in Abuja, were here. Those of you hustling in portal culture are there.

Those of you hustling in the UK, in Canada, in Japan, in Korea, we're all hustling. Everybody's doing their own thing. But now our big mommies, they're all left. They're living. It's like they're living in a vacuum, you know, in the village or wherever they are and they don't know what's next in this next phase of life. So after I watch this movie, I beg just call your mom's. Call your big aunties. Don't let it be as if.

They're just believing to die. So I really think that's the best part of the movie. Everything. That's the best part. So how about these podcasts? I beg your mums is still alive. Call your mumsy mommy. How you doing? I don't seem I agree to you, that's all. Once in a while if you. Can afford because like I was talking to my electrician he hadn't seen his mumsy in like 4 years and the mumsy will say. Amos, when are you coming?

And he would say, I don't remember, I'm coming, I will come. And then he raised some. Small money and then he will now look at it that this money that I've raised, instead of using this thing to travel, let me just send to my brother because his brother still in the village, let me send to my brother. If my brother uses it, he can do one or two things around the house that will be better for Mama than for Mama to see me.

And then he will travel again. And that's how four years he had not seen his mom see and even they said mom sister asked him Amos, when are you coming? So yes, you know. It's nice that you can send money, but if you can once in a while just drop in. I don't have anything but I. Said let me come and greet you. Anyway. So other lessons, yeah, because there are some customers are looking for authentic connections in business.

For instance, people who discovered this podcast, they like my tone, they like my delivery, they like the Niger Connect and just like the restaurant, there's some people who value that grammar feel in the restaurant. So excuse me. So think about it. Is that something that you can incorporate into your business? But Shah, as we are thinking authentic connection, let's go back to the main thing that I'm stressing. Remember, you will need to have a sales plan or a marketing plan or some way to validate or to prove or to measure or to quantify or to show that this your idea is something that the market is looking for, something that your customer base is looking for.

So. Yes, there's a personal connection to an idea. There's a there's a personal connection to the idea of a restaurant being run by grandmothers. But you need to have a plan to figure out, will people pay for this thing? Are they interested in this thing? Will they come? If I open this thing, it'll come up with a plan. Then there's that whole thing of building relationships and not just transactions in the movie. And yes, that is good because it looks like the restaurant eventually is going to thrive.

But because of word of mouth and the loyal customer base, you know, people come, they experience, they like and then they tell someone else. So that's also a good element we can put into our business because some of us are just two transactional with our business too. More too many of us are just pay me my money and go. And that's not going to work well today. Because The thing is, you're not the only business in town.

And I say that with a pet with a heavy heart because there's one guy that's back from my wedding photography days. We used to make friends from me. I was able to hook him up with someone to do some business and the person wanted the things delivered to somebody else. The person made a set of birthday frames that are supposed to be delivered to another client. And then I hooked everything up. They paid the guy. And then when I was talking to him yesterday, I said, OK, how far the delivery said I've already paid a a delivery guy to go and drop it on a kind of driver.

And in my mind, I'm thinking I didn't tell him Michelle, where my mind, I'm thinking like, what the hell, These are people I've done good business with before. The frame is going to be delivered. The frame is looking good. We don't give trap the thing everything and you will now give it to dispatch rider to deliver. Go and deliver this thing yourself. This is how we build. Businesses now this is how we build relationships, you know,

put on a cutter rider. We don't know how the. Dispatch rider is going to be whether his body will be spending whether I could be on time. You know it was a small job. Go there by yourself. Go and face the end client. So good afternoon, ma. I'm from so so so and so she made this because of your birthday took the time out to deliver here myself. Happy birthday, ma'am. Here's your portrait. The delivery was going to happen in the office.

Try and make some small. Small talk. That's OK. Sorry Madam. Can I have your business card please? I'd like to call you after you get home. By the time you've opened up your frame, I want to be sure that you love it so I can get back to so, so and so. Of course, the woman will give you a business card. You know, give it a day or two, you call back. Good afternoon, man. This is in the BC. I was at your office 2 days ago.

I'm the fellow who delivered the frame from so so and so a young man. I remember you, blah, blah, blah, blah. I hope you like the frame. Oh, it is lovely. I've never seen this before, blah, blah, blah. But she of course the woman wouldn't have because it's acrylic frames. They are now becoming popular again. They used to rain maybe like 10 years ago, but I now become popular again. So some people think it's brand new tech, but it's not brand new.

So of course we want to be wild like, well, I've never seen this before. It's wonderful. You know, it's in my living room is something, something, something. Oh, I'm glad that you're very happy, man. I will tell. So, so, so, so I'm sure should be glad to hear that. So no, don't worry. I even called her to say thank you and that I'm impressed. And then you build some small rapport. By the way, man, how did you meet? So, so, so and so.

Oh, I used to mentor her when she was in something, something, something, blah, blah, blah. You know, this kind of small talk, building rapport, that kind of thing. And then, you know, you cap it off, man. I'm glad that you liked your frame, just in case you need frames in the future or you know anybody who is celebrating a birthday or you want to make a gift for someone else. This is my line of business, man. This is what I do.

So thank you very much, young man. I will keep your number. I'll be in touch. Well, first of all is a lie. No man is not going to store your number. But this is the reason why we have a plan for relationship building and nurturing because this is not the last time you called the woman. So this is the reason why I was vexing. I've hooked up this thing. But my guy doesn't. Have a plan for building relationships because for him it's just a transaction.

You come and you pay for a frame, he will deliver the frame and then that's it. End of story. Relationship building is not even entering into the picture in any way, and too many of you are running your businesses that way. Stop thinking in terms. Of transactions, we should learn how to build relationships. This one was an easy layup for the guy. An easy layup. He should have gone and delivered the frame by himself, spoken to the Madam and there could have been room for potential referrals and a new client in the future.

It's not a done deal. It's not as if Madam we give him business guaranteed. But The thing is, you do enough of these things every week or every month or every year, and over time you start reaping the benefits. Anyway, it's almost. 15 minutes. So let me bring this to a close. So I'll take the biggest lesson for the days when we're watching movies. Watch it with an eye for exploring business ideas and how people execute their businesses.

You know, these are ways that we can get ideas and then please, I'm going to stress it one more time. Excuse me, have a good. It's was a key tension throughout the whole movie. Whatever you do, make sure you have a sales and a marketing plan. Do not wait until you have finished the restaurant. Do not wait until you have finished the whatever. Before you come up with a. Plan start coming up with a plan in the beginning as your reasoning this thing.

I want to start a restaurant. Start reasoning. How are we going to market this thing? As you are reasoning your AI startup start reasoning, OK, how are we going to market this thing? How are we going to sell this thing? Don't wait until The thing is finished and you are now wondering, OK, now that this thing is here, how are we going to promote it? How are we going to market it? See the process of creating one. See the thing?

The plan doesn't even have to be written out. It doesn't have to be fancy or laminated. Should I just be thinking about something, writing on some scraps of paper? Even if it's only in your head, The thing is, at least you would have been thinking, how am I going to promote this thing? How am I going to execute this thing while he's still in the incubation phase, While he's still in the growing phase? Because one reason why lots of businesses die, people say it's lack of capital.

No, it's not lack of capital. This guy's business was going to fail not because of lack of capital. It was going to fail precisely because nobody knew that he existed or where he was. So he wasted money in buying land, money in buying building, money in buying kitchen, money in buying food, buying oven, paying for paying for staff salary, paying for everything. Nobody knew he existed. That was the problem. And nobody knew.

Nobody knew he was there or where he was or what he does. That's the main reason why. Businesses fail, and that's the main reason why I started this podcast, because as a young wedding photographer, I realized that the reason why I was suffering, me and my brothers and sisters in the photography phase, the reason why I was suffering is because we're not doing a good job of letting people know this is who we are. This is where we are, This is what we do.

This is why we're the best. This is why you should work with us. We had no plan. We're just, we're good with a. Camera and we say I shall let's enter the business. And that's not a recipe for success for anybody. You can't just say I'm good with the kitchen, let me set up a restaurant. Doesn't work that way. You need a sales and marketing plan. So that's all for today. Sorry for the 15 minute episodes. If you have any sales and marketing questions, then bring them to me.

You can call you, get an SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you, dear listener, at the next episode.