Life is a beauty with art work. We all are the creative art work of God. Art Crafts speaks to the soul, making life meaningful in all its glamour. Today we have an amazing lady in the house. I love her already because she looks like me😆😍.
Super welcome Miss. Please let’s meet you.
I am Oluwadamilola Oshifodunrin, you can call me the no1 CRAFTOLOGIST of the federal republic of Nigeria 🤗. I’m a graduate of physics electronics from Federal University of Technology, Akure. Ogun State is my state of origin. I love creating amazing art pieces and meeting Amazing people. Currently, I run a creative crafts hub (ÀRÀ HUB) in Ibadan Oyo state Nigeria . By God’s grace, I am the founder of Ara Crafts NG.
Wow, super woman. How long have you been an entrepreneur?
Well, I can say I’ve been an entrepreneur for 6years . Although I’ve been into business quite earlier, my path became a lot clearer in 2014 and that was my first year as an undergraduate.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
I would say the quest to explore my creativity in solving problems and also the fulfillment from getting paid for doing what I love to do.
Amazing. Being an entrepreneur, can you say it has brought fulfillment to you?
A lot! … Nothing makes me happier than using my talents and skills as a platform for impact, showing people how to explore their creative ideas, helping them unleash the Amazing potentials within them and seeing them fly high, solving problems for individuals and the community at large… All of these bring fulfillment to me.
I know that right😘. What problem are you solving with your skill?
At Ara Crafts NG, we produce Beautiful handmade bags, allowing people carry confidence in their hands and shoulders.
We package gift items with thoughts attached to spread and strengthen love amongst humans. We provide product packaging solutions for brands to help improve their business outlook. We style spaces, adding magic to walls especially to help improve productivity in people by transforming their spaces to induce Creativity from within. We upcycle waste into functional items thereby saving the environment from waste.
We also groom children, teenagers and young adults who would become problem solvers by training them in crafts with a syllabus that encourages their all round growth
Fantastic. We protect the environment🙌🙌. What has been the major challenges you have faced as an entrepreneur
Asides the environmental and economical hitches of poor electricity supply, terrible internet network and the likes that we are all quite familiar with, I think a major challenge initially was getting the right people to work with who would see things the way one would expect and have the right determination to be excellent in all they do. Another challenge is funding.
Hmm. As an entrepreneur, what strategy (ies) did you employ to overcome the challenges.
Well, over time I started giving more energy to impact and building my network. Being very intentional about this, I started finding people I could work with… In the beginning it was not perfect, but the ability to not give up on people and staying committed to transforming their minds has been a very helpful step. For funding, we’re beginning to apply for grants, not won any yet but God has been Faithful.
You will win a grant soon💥. Can you say your customers have derived maximum satisfaction thus far from your services?
Yes… Not to say we haven’t had our bad days which we learnt from, but we managed such situations well and it’s been an awesome journey thus far.
Great. Where do you see your business in the next 10years?
I see us in our own space, a whole institution where Creativity is learnt as a tool to solving problems in different fields, a place where young minds are being groomed and transformed into responsible individuals fulfilling purpose and pleasing God in every way.
I love your vision. What is your advice for younger ones that would want to take up your line of business?
Be sure you put GOD first in all you do. Be determined to do things with excellence and do not forget that your success is not for you only, pull people up as you rise.
Thank you so much ma. I love you differently. Thank you for coming.
