Consistency,key to becoming a successful entrepreneur-Adekunle

My name is Dr Yetunde Taiwo Adekunle

I am a graduate of the Federal University of Technology Akure with a bachelor’s degree in Technology and also a graduate of Daystar Leadership Academy.

A graduate of American Internet Business School where I bagged an executive diploma in digital marketing and Internet business. An alumni of Women Leadership Institute with certification in leadership and governance and a partaker of Business Development training with Lagos Business School. An Alumni of Flourish Africa ( a business development academy for selected women in Nigeria) and recently Just graduated from HONORIS UNITED UNIVERSITIES and an alumni of Women in Africa.

I have a successful academic and work track record, I am a charismatic business professional and entrepreneur offering expertise in food processing and packaging business, Export Training and investment, public speaking, media relations, leadership development and business development.

A mentor to many.

A super writer, Author of Step to Step Guide on Exportation and The Art of Entrepreneurship (a book that sold almost 1000 copies in less than one week) an editor who communicates effectively with a target audience through strategic brand management, and is equipped with excellent negotiation skills, Managerial, Leadership skills and market insight.

I am also the founder of YTA Mentorship program and a Mentor at Strong Enough Girls Mentorship program and was recently selected as a mentor with the global platform Tony Elumelu Foundation program (TEF) and recently conferred with an honorary Fellowship Doctorate by the Institute of Leadership Assessment and Development Nigeria.

Selected for several global awards and recently a winner of Agricultural Business Grant from Stephen Akintayo Foundation to the tone of 5000USD.

 Can you tell us your company name and when you start your business?

The mother Company Superbrand Dynasty International Limited birthed others but the most popular of them is YTFOODS. Superbrand Dynasty was registered in the year 2016 This is a company into Exportation and international trade training and investment while YTFOODS was founded in the year 2020, We are into processing, packaging and distribution of premium ingenious foods and we are NAFDAC Approved.

I was an intrapreneur before Translating into a full-blown entrepreneur. I had a few side hustles while I worked for some organizations and you know how if you have a special calling or assignment in a particular sector and something keeps pushing you to that particular aspect..that’s how it was for me and I keep telling people who attend my classes that entrepreneurship is a Calling. A calling to solve an economic problem in your Society.

I have always wanted to go into business of buying and selling, I wanted to be addressed as a Business tycoon like any other thing.

So one day I resigned from the company I was working for as a project manager even though they were using me as a marketer and I stayed at home for 2 months seeking clarity about my purpose and career, I was working for the money so it’s time to start working for purpose, passion and satisfaction. While at home I listened to a radio program that discussed Exportation and my interest in buying and selling internationally was raised more. I saw an advertTwittertter seeking marketers for an Exportation company and I this is it Yetunde,  I applied even though ordinarily I do not fancy marketing jobs but I must say this at this point that there’s no successful Business person without the skills of marketing, you must market what you do and how do you get this skills without practice?

Back to my story i learnt Charcoal export with them while i served them loyally too and when it was time for me to leave God sent a stranger in form of an angel client who gave me export gigs and I was able to raise funds for my business but as time goes on after successfully investing in charcoal export and training close to 100 people on Exportation, due to government policies and unstable economy I diversified into food processing and packaging business which is what people see today unknown YTFOODS is just a arm of SUPERBRAND DYNASTY. YTFOOD started in 2020 when a social media friend reached out to.invest in my export business, unfortunately we didn’t have a supply contract that is active that period and he was on my neck that year,I wrote the idea of indegenous foods somewhere and it’s ytfoods, I shared this vision with him and he bought the idea….today he’s gotten all his profit share and  capital investment back even in same year while ytfoods still runs and we own all share for now . Ytfoods has won many global and local recognitions, can’t mention all but of recently we won business Grant to the tune of 5000USD from Stephen Akintayo Foundation.

Well… partially yes, because I was a production manager for a brand management company at Obanikoro in 2011 and I practically managed a printing press in my care at Obaninkoro then plus few others.

I have been in business for close to 10 years as said earlier though my company was registered in 2016 before then I have been an intrapreneur

Specifically through 3 ways

1. Self funded, you know I once organised an event as a student on campus then while seeking funding and sponsorship I reached out to one popular ondo state politician then who told me if you have a load to carry, you as owner of the load will first of all carry on from some where before you ask for assistance, since then I have had this mentality of self assisting myself first before asking others so before I activate an idea ,I ensure to have reasonable percentage of the capital if not everything

2. Angel investors/partnership: I have had to pitch my ideas to family and friends and some others on social trust, overtime I have Been able to raise over 25million naira worth of investment for both my charcoal export business and food business through this means. If you have a viable business idea with an excellent track record and you can pitch it to right set of people, they will invest in you.

3. Grants: like I said earlier I have only applied for 2 grant opportunities and I won one of them, which was Stephen Akintayo’s Agricultural Business Grant in January 2023, my food company won 5000 USD for this Foundation after a rigorous competition.  Grant money is free and one of the sweetest way to raise funds because it is free money but you need a lot of things to be in place to be able to benefit from them.this source of funding

 Are you the only one managing the business or do you have other staff?

Of course, I am. the CEO but have other staff in other departments, the production manager/ director, the marketing manager, the packing officers and the sales team. We have a volunteer team across the country for our strategic and planning team.

With viable business comes challenges first I faced some challenges with having a trustworthy business partner, I once partnered with an elderly colleague who spent our payments from proceeds from international buyers (this is being resolved)

I also at a time faced a little hitch with resources such as human resources and capital resources but as time went on we got better after attending few business academies, we now know hiring the right persons and firing the wrong person is a special skill on his own in business management. These and more are challenges we face and any other business will or can face too.

How did I become an Entrepreneur, above I said little about it..i became an entrepreneur because I had passion for buying and selling, I wanted to make money for myself and others while solving one of the few economic problems and one that we are addressing passionately in the food industry,  supplying quality clean premium ingenious foods to consumers at a fair price in a good time, foods like Garri Ijebu, Dry crayfish, Food spices etc

It happens that while I growing up with my granny she loved clean quality food stuffs which we normally travel far to search for like a virtuous woman, a stable constant supplier. When I got married some years later, of course, we changed location and I was some how disconnected from those quality supplies, it was affecting my health and this got my husband troubled, we had to go on a search for a supplier of quality foods stuff like vegetable oil, Garri, elaborate, beans etc and we found,  so my health improved and since we were able to solve the problem for ourselves we thought to solve it for others following the SDG goal NO 2&3 that talks about Zero hunger and wellness. I started ytfoods during the lock down in 2020 seeing others in similar condition as mine would also appreciate the solution we are offering, so I extended this kind gesture to help seek, package and distribute clean, quality ingenious foods across.

Well maybe some people were born with some special abilities for the business I do today I learnt them, I learnt Exportation of agricultural commodities and food processing for the training aspect (public speaking) maybe I was born with some traits in connection but I also learnt a lot of things to enhance my special skills.

Ahh! Whoever says it is easy entrepreneurship is not easy at all because the bucks stop on your table as the business owner and Visioneer, before you blame anyone for anything you just first blame yourself, you aren’t the boss for nothing. From having an idea and Translating it into a workable Business idea to putting structure ln place to raising Funds and operational management my sister it’s not easy but one has to be resilient, believe in his or her capability even in this environment you just have to work out your plans strategically, it won’t be easy but eventually it will be worth it…trust me

Hmmm..many names runs through my mind I am looking at Apostle Folorunsho Alakija for her ability to grow this big and retaining a spot amongst the top richest African women through her businesses, a fashion designer turned a busines mogul…I chose her in the female aspect and I am.loking forward to also take a spot in years to come  as top 3 in Africa, it is possible,  i am also looking at TOE- Tony Elumelu , a big brand that is helping alot of youths too. I really want to be succesful like this two

That things can only get better. I don’t get into an idea or project for it to get worse..it has to get better than it was and this has kept me going in this period. It just has to get better

Well, I said earlier Entrepreneurship is a calling just like some are called for ministries. As a young person just know this not everyone is called to be an entrepreneur that you don’t get a job now doesn’t mean after few trial you should just conclude you are navigating into entrepreneurship, you can still get a perfect place that fits your skills with patience however if you must now decide on career change into entrepreneurship navigating your way is not as easy as painted you need knowledge about the business you want to do and how to navigate your way for example,  I have 9 courses for startups and Budding Entrepreneurs this will help them get knowledge and build a worthy foundation and teach them how to start building on it than to just see your friend doing a particular business and because you’ve searched for job in one or two places while you didn’t get you decided to copy your friend’s business,  he might be succesful in it and you may not so you need proper orientation,  and when you eventually start please build with patience, only miracle happens overnight put in  efficient work and you will grow and become big one day. Patience is key!

Many things one of which is Passion,  you have to be driven enough about your idea to transform it into profit, your business is your baby how driven are you about it? We don’t give a baby to a mother who isn’t passionate about the new born, but the real mother will be passionate about her new born,  this is how this babu gets to survive and grow otherwise if not passionate about the baby, the baby might starve and die meanwhile Passion is not enough to transform to Profit but also be a visionary leader, see and think ahead, paint a picture of proffered future of your empire and work towards it and don’t forget to get a great mentor in your field of business, you are unstoppable.

To be an expert in your chosen field, be consistent, you can’t be an expert in what you aren’t consistent in..we all say practice makes perfection, you must have put in a certain number of years and work in a particular business with successful track records before people can see you as an expert,  learn from people who know more than you in your chosen field don’t be too big to learn, relearn and unlearn. Keep learning and updating yourself in your industry also network and collaborate, it helps.

This solely depends on your level of business, I usually advice that you check the stage at which your business is before seeking funds but for start-ups don’t get a loan to start a business it’s unhealthy, start with your funds if you don’t have as a start-up pitch to family and friends, list about 20-50 of them you know believes in you and you can pitch to, the reason is if the business should go wrong this ones won’t do you worst thing than a stranger or financial institutions.

Its safer to. get capital this way than from sharks which we refer to as loans also look for grant opportunities as well you might be lucky to get funding from there. Check online for such opportunities they are there, I know of Flourish Africa by Apostle Folorunsho lakija, I know of Tony Elumelu Foundation, I also know of Stephen Akintayo Foundation (I am a partaker)