Chinelo Ikeme, CEO of MYHAIR – Celebrating Life At 40

I am deeply grateful to God for keeping me alive to see this day. Life is full of ups and downs but I am thankful that for most of my 40 years, I have had more upsides than downs. Many reasons to celebrate, rejoice, reflect and give God all the glory.

Not at all. What else can I truly ask for but an amazing husband who truly loves me and 4 beautiful kids and family and friends that truly care.

Honestly, I planned to have a big, grand party but everything is on hold now. With all that’s going on in the world right now with this covid-19 scourge, we can only stay safe and pray for God to give us a lasting cure. Social distancing and keeping safe is priority for now.

The desire to do more than just answer to my bosses everyday. I worked as a banker for 6 years, i met and surpassed my targets, aspired for a promotion and simply worked the 9 to 5 shifts. After a while, my job became quite monotonous so I ventured into several business enterprises before settling into the beauty industry which I enjoy and find quite rewarding too.

For 10years. Since 2010.

I was born with a very precious spoon haahaa!! I am the second child in a family of 6 and I loved every bit of my early years. We were very happy and wholesome. My parents ensured we had the best of everything and were very protective of us. My father was a very successful businessman, he had an automobile product franchise business, he owned massive factories and farms on large hectares of land. We attended the best private primary and secondary schools in the 80’s and 90’s, we had practically everything we ever needed at our beck and call, we lived the good life I must say.

I grew up a content and happy child. My parents imbibed core morals and values in 6 of us that have impacted us as adults today. Self respect,  dignity, contentment, honesty, godliness. Anyone who knows me personally or professionally  knows that these attributes define me and reflects in the way i run my business.

I am a director in 2 other companies: Moore Enterprises Nig. Ltd and Armark Industrial Mills and Farms.

What were the Challenges you faced when you started and what are the challenges confronting you now in the running of the business?

The challenges we face in business are honestly limitless. It’s practically impossible to run a business without challenges. Where do i start from, the volatile exchange rates- the dollar rate keeps climbing every year; staffing- staff are not loyal. You recruit them, train and groom them, then they leave with all the knowledge they’ve been empowered with. You are then left to recruit fresh staff, it’s a vicious circle. Irregular power supply is also a problem- we run primarily on diesel and PHCN is like backup which should not be the case. If you calculate your diesel consumption at the end of the year, it’s enough to buy you a travel ticket. The problems are really innumerable.

We deal primarily in real, pure, donor hair from Asian and South American countries such as Cambodian hair, Vietnamese hair, Argentine hair, Burmese hair. We also do a few Caucasian hair too. Our goal is to meet the needs of all our clients all over the world. Primarily, we order our hair after several stages of testing and re-testing to ensure it meets our quality standards.

Our products are not expensive and we don’t sell cheap hair either. We give our clients the best value for money. Our goal is not to sell cheap quality hair that will give clients problems but the best quality that suits their needs and pockets.

Our clients cut across discerning young and middle aged ladies who want only the best quality hair and seamless services we provide.

Do you consult for your customers as well  on what to do and how to go about it their hair?

Yes, we certainly do. Consultation is a crucial part of our business which I handle by myself as much as I can. At MYHAIR consultation is free. The right consultation ensures our clients get the right product and exactly what suits their needs.

Too many people are into this business of hair extensions, what do you think makes My Hair  products unique from that of your  counterparts?
The durability of our hair speaks for itself. Our wigs are all custom handmade, finished and styled flatly to perfection.

Faith in God and constant prayer.

Did you ever envisage that hair  business be this lucrative in Nigeria when you started ?

No I didn’t.

How do you source for your raw materials?
We buy from trusted and tested original sources only.

Weaves are not designed, they are real, donor hair. Textures can only be changed like from straight to wavy or curly or vice versa. Hair colour can also be changed by dyeing or highlighting it.

Basically you can fix the weave on your hair or make it into a wig.

From God, the beauty around me and online too.

16years.

It’s an ongoing juggle running a home and a business side by side. In my Lekki store, I have about 15 staff working there, so I delegate as much as possible to ease the stress on me so that I can focus on key decision-making. My kids are 16, 14, 14 and 5 so you can imagine how tough it is handling 4 of them.

Do quality over quantity. Ensure you run a proper business, don’t just buy and sell hair.

God definitely. I workout, watch what i eat and i take things easy. If you want to live long, you should take life easy. Over ambition, over competition, anxiety, stress are all bad for you and will make you age.

I’m a fun loving, God-fearing, hardworking woman. A wife to an amazing man, Mr. Ikenna  Ikeme and a mother of 4 lovely kids. I just turned 40 and I’m really thankful to God for life and for his amazing grace over me and my family all through the years.

Swimming and exercising.