Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi has no make up on. Her hair is in basic Ghana weave, her nail polish off.
She’s working with her team Tayo and Tani to make sure customers are comfortable as they see, try, and buy shoes from her new collection.
It’s Saturday May 14.
As I walk into BHM, where the sales event is holding, I smile and shake my head.
‘Someone came at 10:30AM and bought seven pairs’, she exclaims as I wrap a hug around her. I can see she’s nervous and excited.
I’ve known Gbemi since she was 23. We communicated regularly while she was Dan Foster’s side-kick at Cool FM and I, a reporter at Encomium.
By the time she settled into her own show, Midday Oasis, we had already formed a close friendship. She’s of course now an OAP at The Beat 99.9FM and programmes’ director at Naija FM.
I’m proud of all she’s achieved as a broadcaster; proud she’s remained one of the few originals in a market full of fakes.
You see, Gbemi has tried her hands on a lot of projects since I met her. She’s been a wedding MC, a music plugger, TV host, blogger, and event planner. She’s sold rechargeable fans, PG wall clocks, and what have you.
But one year after she started making and selling her own shoe line, I suspect she’s found the love of her life. I spent almost the whole day watching her attend to customers, helping them try different pairs, taking enquiries, moving and unpacking boxes, and just having fun. This was not Gbemi the OAP; not the red carpet regular. This was not Gbemi the celeb. Definitely not Mz411.
The Gbemi I saw on Saturday was a dedicated salesgirl who could well be on her way to becoming a mogul.
The Gbemi I saw was a sojourner who’s now finally found a home; a procrastinator who’s now dreaming and doing, and on her way to building what could light the path for many of her contemporaries and next gen.
It is possible. No Fields Found.
