A Journey of Many Paths

I always wanted to be an artist. I remember a road trip from Ojota to Festac, just my dad and me in the car. I mustered up the courage to tell him about my dreams of becoming an artist. The first thing he asked me was how long I thought it would take before I could buy a car. That was his way of telling me he didn’t think art was a very practical career choice. But that didn’t discourage me. I loved drawing, and in secondary school, I discovered technical drawing. Suddenly, I knew I wanted to do something that combined my love for fine art with the precision of technical drawing. I ended up getting a masters degree architecture.

While I was figuring all of that out, something else was brewing. At 12, I learned to play the trumpet, and that sparked a love for music. My journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly something I planned. It started out of necessity. I was broke and I needed money. I didn’t grow up thinking I wanted to be an entrepreneur; I didn’t even know I was one until I took an Entrepreneurship class at Covenant University . I dabbled in a lot of businesse to make money. Over time, I began to notice a common thread running through most of the businesses I started. Let me walk you through it.

In my second year of secondary school, I made my first greeting card. Onome wanted to apologize to a friend she’d offended, and that card was the start of something bigger, it turned into Flevor where people can express themselves with custom made greeting cards. At university, I saw my coursemates and struggling with our creative assignments because we didn’t have the tools and materials we needed on campus. So, I started a business selling art and architecture materials to students in my department. After learning design, I did branding, communications, and marketing work for various organizations across different industries. These experiences led me to start Banisoro , a design studio that helps businesses tell their stories in the most compelling way. Later, I founded Gird , a fashion brand that promotes the expression of good values. And I never gave up on music; I still play the trumpet. I even wrote a song for my wife and have done a few covers too.

Finding the Thread

Do you see the pattern now? I didn’t realize it back then, but I see it clearly now: I’ve always been passionate about expressing myself creatively and helping others do the same. Whether it was through art, architecture, business, or music, that’s been the thread connecting everything I do. Now while juggling these different aspects of my life, I also spend time sharing inspiration and practical advice to help others take action on their ideas and express themselves. Lately, I’ve even developed an interest in economic policy, and I’m really excited about what the future holds. I’ve also discovered a love for racket sports, I’m a veteran squash player, a pretty good table tennis player, and now I’m learning tennis.

I never imagined my life turning out this way, but I’m so grateful for how it’s unfolded. God knew what He was doing all along. If you find yourself with multiple, seemingly unrelated interests, don’t worry, it’ll all make sense eventually. This reminds me of a Yoruba saying; ??nà kan ò w?jà it means there's not one way to the market.

Explore every passion you have. Your life experiences are unique, and that’s what makes your story different. It’s great to be inspired by others, but don’t compare yourself to them, you’re on your own journey. Embrace it, trust the process, and make the most of every experience.