Our #MillennialQueenBoss for today, decided right after school to just keep herself busy and then, the idea for the jewelry business was born.

Nonye Kanu is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, a Brand Executive with a Communications Firm and is the CEO of My Jewelry Hub, a minimalist jewelry brand in Lagos, Nigeria.

Founded in December 2016, Jewelry Hub is a minimalist jewelry brand that was created right after Nonye finished school and wasn’t sure of what the next step was, all she wanted to do was stay busy. Fashion had always been her go to source for inspiration and chokers were a fashion trend at the time but she hated that there was lots of mass production and everyone had the same chokers. So, she learnt the basics of making chokers and started making hers to look different and unique.

Founding Jewelry Hub was a move that helped Nonye figure out the career path she really wanted. Also, because it wasn’t treated as a business initially, there were so many things she didn’t know. It wasn’t up until last year, she decided to fully re-brand and make it official.

One of the major core missions of the brand is to offer great quality at an affordable price. They believe everyone should own a beautiful piece of jewelry without breaking the bank.

We love to see millennial queen bosses like Nonye reach for higher heights. We are rooting for you girl!

Follow on Instagram: @thejewelryhub  @thatnonyegirl

Our #MillennialQueenBoss for today, took advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity and is now building a business empire from being a shoe maker.

Stephanie Obijiaku is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and is the CEO of Nyne and Nuel, an indigenous footwear company in Lagos, Nigeria.

Founded on the 4^th of May 2017, Nyne and Nuel is a footwear producing brand that was created during Stephanie’s NYSC days. The initial motivation for Nyne and Nuel was due to lack of good employment opportunities during her youth service. After spending days worrying about how to make a living, she decided to learn a skill with the NYSC Skills Acquisition programme. With the help of her Local Government Inspector (LGI), she joined the shoe making class and fell in love with it. Few months after, she produced the footwear’s first collection called “Ekaabo” by Nyne and Nuel.

Nyne and Nuel is a contemporary Made-in-Nigeria footwear and leather brand that produces durable, affordable and beautiful footwear (mainly slides, slippers and sandals) for both male and female.

The brand’s core values are Beauty, Durability and Impact. They pride themselves in the fact that their footwear is super pleasing to the eyes and have great quality and durability.

We love to see millennial queen bosses like Stephanie break societal norms and reach for higher heights. We are rooting for you girl!

Follow on Instagram: @nyneandnuel @stephanie_nyne

Kunle is an actor, model and entrepreneur. After a short stint studying Fisheries and Wildlife Management in university, he decided to study filmmaking at NewYork Film Academy after discovering his passion for acting, filmmaking and directing. He started acting professionally in 2011 after winning the reality TV show, Gulder Ultimate Search.

From then on, Kunle has featured in many award-winning Nollywood films such as Tiwa’s Baggage, Sobi’s Mystic, Falling, etc. He has also starred in several TV series, including Tinsel, Lagos Cougars Reloaded, Africa Magic’s Forbidden and a bunch of others.

Regarding his modeling career, he has featured in numerous ad campaigns for brands such as Zain Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, DSTV and Diamond.

In 2018, he was nominated for the City People Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor of the year.

Kunle is also an active advocate for Men Against Rape & Violence (MARV). MARV is a collection of actors, models and youth ambassadors, who speak out against rape, child molestation and violence against women.

We applaud you Kunle!

Our #MillennialQueenBoss for today, understands that there is a pressure that comes with being fashionable – the urge to overdress and “come through” on a daily basis, especially for the ‘gram.

Deola Adebiyi is a lifestyle and beauty blogger, YouTuber and the CEO of Omoge Tees. She created these tees as a reminder that style can be minimalistic and affordable yet still fashionable.

Founded in March 2018, Omoge Tees is a T-shirt producing brand that was brought to life after Deola made the famous ‘Feminist AF’ shirts for Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2017. When she posted a photo of herself rocking the shirt on social media,  she was inundated with so many requests from people who asked where it could be purchased from. That wa show Omoge Tees was born.

Omoge Tees provides comfort, style and has the most unique and fun inscriptions on them. What is more exciting than having your T-shirt reflect your personality?

The brand has worked with popular fashion and style influencers including Noble Igwe, Nonye Kanu, Lade Ibikunle and more.

Omoge Tees are available in all sizes for both men and women.

When she is not creating awesome tees, she plays the role of content creator, and also loves to listen to music in her spare time.

We love to see millennial queen bosses like Deola soar to new heights. Well done girl!

Follow on Instagram: @d3ola

Our #MillennialQueenBoss for today, has established her brand as a hair company that specializes in the sales and retailing of human hair, full and front lace wigs, hair products as well as hair accessories.

Joy Innocent is a graduate of Agribusiness Management and the CEO of JoxyLuxuryHair. She started the brand because she wanted to fill a gap in the hair industry which is to; balance quality with affordability by providing quality hair at an affordable price.

Joy also hosts online training classes where she teaches all about the wig business: how to make wigs, what it entails to start a wig business, etc

Founded in October 2018, JoxyLuxuryHair is a hair company that provides hair extensions and accessories at affordable prices.

JoxyLuxuryHair has since its inception, been able to collaborate with other entrepreneurs, create the avenue for customers to shop from the comfort of their homes, and has helped many people acquire skills in this area of business.

They also go a step further to provide their clients with hair styling tips and options to enable them look stunning and glamorous.

The brand’s core values are built on passion, creativity, accessibility and quality. They go the extra mile to exceed their customers’ expectations by being creative, pro-active and affordable.

We love to see millennial queen bosses like Joy soar on to greater heights. We applaud you queen and we are rooting for you.

Follow on Instagram: @joxyluxuryhair @miss_joxy

This subsequently created a rift between her and her father, and they didn’t speak for years as a result.

After years of hard work, Asiyami, now 26, is now a full time instagrammer, photographer, designer, and model, with over 192,000 followers.

She recently spoke to Cosmopolitan about her journey. Here are excerpts from the interview:

You’ve been described as a visual storyteller, an artist, a photographer, an artistic creator, and, obviously, an Instagrammer. How would you describe yourself?

I would say that I’m more of a creator or creative.

But at first, you thought you wanted to become a nurse. What made you change your mind?

I had tricked myself into believing that’s what I wanted to do with my life. I had a Tumblr, and on Tumblr, you get to reblog beautiful images of people, and I was just fascinated by the fact that people could create such beautiful imagery and I wanted to replicate that. When I got on Instagram [when I was 21] I saw more of it but I didn’t see anyone who looked like me. So I began to wonder, “This aesthetically pleasing and beautiful lifestyle I’m drawn to — is it only attainable by people who don’t look like me?” So I decided I wanted to give different perspective to women of color. I decided to quit nursing school.

What’s it like to tell your family, “Uh, hey, I’m quitting nursing school?”

My older brother had always told me to do what I wanted to do instead of trying to please mom and dad. He said they’d figure out how they can fit into [my] life plans. So he was excited. My mother was not.

And your dad?

My dad and I actually didn’t speak until this year. I’m from Nigeria, and those with Nigerian backgrounds know that to our parents, education is the most important and most valuable thing you could ever achieve in your life. So when you work that hard and then you have this daughter who wants to now be an artist, to them it’s like saying you want to be an astronaut. They don’t understand.

What led him to a change of heart after so long?

Last year, his sister died. So when I reached out to him last December, he was a bit more receptive. In [the first e-mail he sent me in years], he was very open. At the end of the day, his sister’s death made him realize our relationship was important. He still brings up that he wants me to go back to school, though.

What did you do after you quit nursing school?

I moved to New York from Georgia. A friend who lived in Harlem told me I could stay with her for the first two weeks. I remember on the way to New York I was reading The Alchemist for like the fifth time and I remember praying and I said, “I just need a sign to know that I’m not making one of the biggest mistakes of my life.” I got to New York on a Thursday, and that Friday, at my new job at the Urban Outfitters in Williamsburg, I checked my e-mail, and [there] was a message from Gap. They wanted me to be one of their Atlanta photographers for a children’s project.

How’d they find you?

They’d seen my Instagram. I had about 20,000 followers from sharing my adventures and had been on Instagram for two years by then. But at the time, I didn’t know this influencer thing was … a thing. From then on, though, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

What difficulties have you encountered?

I honestly don’t think I get to book as many jobs as most [white lifestyle influencers do]. I usually ask people, “Hey, how much are they paying you for stuff?” And I’ve learned a lot of times, when brands come to me, they offer me the lowest amount. My [white] friends [who book similar jobs] tell me, “Oh yeah, I was offered about $5,000-$10,000.” But with me, the offer normally comes in around $2,000. So I always have to figure out how I can talk my way up and show people, “Yes I’m actually valuable. And I’m exposing you to a different market, you know?”

What is the biggest misconception people have about influencers?

You [can] go through a month, two months, three months of not knowing where your daily bread is coming from. Sometimes you have to save that $5,000 you got for the next five months, because you don’t know when you’re going to make money [again].

Read the entire interview on Cosmopolitan

Photo Credit: Cosmpolitan/Michelle Kaye/Asiyami Gold

The two 14-year-olds are both on the edge of major breakthroughs: Martin is the Black-ish star-turned youngest executive producer of a film in history (for the upcoming Little, that she also stars in). Meanwhile, Parker is building on the legacy of her award-winning actress mother Thandie Newton with a co-starring role in Disney’s Tim Burton-directed live action remake of Dumbo, Teen Vogue reports.

Coincidentally, both Marsai and Nico grew up with a similar familiarity with Hollywood and the way the entertainment industry works.  She was 10 when she first pitched the idea for the movie to Universal, as a reversal of the Tom Hanks‘ classic Big, which was her mom’s favorite movie at the time. In February 2019, her company, Genius Productions, which she founded in 2017, signed a first-look deal with Universal for her scripted projects, according to Teen Vogue.

Dumbo features Nico as Milly Farrier, an aspiring scientist who sees Dumbo for the magical being he is, instead of as a freak or a series of dollar signs. Milly is both an adventurer and a caring, stabilizing presence for her unstable family; she’s quietly the catalyst for the whole movie’s sequence of events. It’s her and her younger brother’s patience and critical-thinking skills that save Dumbo’s life and the life of his mother.

Marsai shares an important message with the world: “Don’t count the kids out.”

Photo Credit: Teen Vogue

Well we’ve got news for you! Girl, you can have a succesful career in the fashion industry without necessarily being an Instagram vendor.

I started my clothing line in my first year at University. Five years later, today, I can stay I have learnt a whole lot, and my ideas are evolving. I always wondered what do about by love for fashion.

After researching over time, I discovered that there are so many career opportunities for fashion lovers like me, who want to be in the business, but don’t necessarily see themselves going the Instagram vendor route, which is currently trending in Nigeria.

You don’t have to join the popular trend of selling shoes and bags on Instagram. Did you know you can actually secure the bag by monetizing your love for fashion in other ways?

Here are some attractive fashion career opportunities I discovered during my research:

Fashion journalist 

You don’t necessarily have to a journalism graduate before you can become a fashion journalist. As long as you have a flair for writing, you can create a niche for yourself in the fashion industry. Thank God for social media, you can create a blog for yourself through your smartphone or computer and write about fashion.

If you frequently create good content, your audience will grow over time, to the point where you became a thought-leader about all things fashion. And soon, you can begin to monetize that influence.

In addition, you could freelance for existing fashion publications.

Fashion Stylist

Do you have a good sense of style? Do you have an effortless ability to combine different items of clothing in fashionable ways? Then you could actually start a career as a fashion stylist. You can begin by styling your friends and family members for  events and special occasions. Use them to build your portfolio, and then eventually; you can start pitching your services to celebrities and other public figures.

Fashion designer

A fashion designer is the brain behind the beautiful garments you see around. A fashion designer sketches the designs and brings the whole idea of the outfits to life.  You can be a designer when you have knowledge and skills in designing.

Marketing & PR

A Fashion Marketer and Public Relations professional sells the business and its products. This can include writing press releases, organizing shows, managing social media accounts and a host of other savvy media methods to help create a buzz about a fashion brand.

Fashion Retailer

Buying and selling ready-to-wear or bespoke clothing to a targeted audience. Some sell menswear, unisex, kids clothing, sportswear and so on. You may own a boutique or do personal selling.

Fashion Influencer

The era of social media has birthed the “influencer” culture.  With consistency and persistence, you will build followership and gain endorsements from bigger brands.

Other jobs in fashion to consider include: Merchandiser, Personal Shopper, Sales Representative, Store Manager, Perosnal Assistant, Fashion Illustrator, Tailor, etc.

I hope that after reading my article, you have gained some business insights, and you are ready to launch a career in the fashion world.

I wish you success in your fashion career.

Feel free to share your progress on this journey! Happy to read

Photo Credit: satisfashionug

Our #MillennialQueenBoss for today, has ultimately established her brand as a shopper and gift consultant and also bestowed herself with the responsibility of sourcing top quality items at great value for money, for people who simply don’t have the time to go gift shopping by themselves.

Bukola Temitope is a gift curator, interior designer and the CEO of GiftsbySisi. She started the brand because she wanted to fill a gap in the industry. She felt that the number of gift concierge services in Nigeria were quite few and she wanted to make up for that.

By day, you will find her curating beautiful gifts for clients, creating content for the brand’s social media pages or taking amazing product pictures. By night, she is typically a Netflix junkie and a foodie.

Founded in October 2017, GiftsbySisi is a gift concierge service that brings a fresh and approach to gift shopping and gift giving in Nigeria, serving both individuals and corporate organizations.

GiftsbySisi provides a significantly easier, more convenient, and customized shopping experience with minimal interruptions to clients’ daily activities. So basically, they do all the hard work, source for what their clients need and deliver right to their doorsteps.

They also go a step further and provide their clients with advice on the best gifts to give their loved ones to communicate the intended message.

The brand’s core values are built on honesty, professionalism and excellence. They pride themselves on not just meeting their clients’ needs, but exceeding their expectations by being proactive, innovative, creative and cost-effective.

We love to see millennial queen bosses like Bukola reach for higher heights. Keep up the good work, we are rooting for you girl!

Follow on Instagram: @giftsbysisi. @girlbosslagos

One key player in the Nigerian skin care market that is revolutionizing the organic beauty game is Ndali Modebe of Hazel Oils.

Ndali is a beauty enthusiast, TV producer, PR expert and CEO of Hazel Oils. She is also the founder of www.allthingsdame.com – a lifestyle blog with content ranging from talk shows, lifestyle, fashion, beauty, food, travel, etc

Founded in September 2018, Hazel Oils is a luxury body oil brand founded on the philosophy of transforming one of the world’s favorite and sweetest gifts, chocolate, into the most enriching beauty products. The brand has grown organically to produce a wide range of 100% natural beauty and body care products such as body oils, beard oils and essential oils.

The benefits of Hazel beauty products range from fighting acne, to the removal of dead skin cells, and scars, leaving a healthy glow.

This year, the brand announced Nigerian model and actor, Emmanuel Ikubese as it’s official ambassador. Over the last year, the brand has worked on collaborations with a number of public figures including, Chris Okagbue, Uriel Oputa, and more.

The oils are available in 50ml and 100ml sizes.

We love to see millennial queen bosses like Ndali thrive and reach higher heights. Keep up the good work, we are rooting for you girl!

Follow on Instagram: @hazel_oils  @ndalimodebe