What are the qualities you believe you possess that convinced your father to trust your judgment when it comes to handling his business?
Off the top of my head, I would say loyalty because at the end of the day, no matter what happens, we are family. I am always on his side and vice versa. I am not saying we are not loyal to each other in the family, but my dad and I have a different dynamic. I think I am close enough to him to understand why he makes certain decisions. That in itself helps me understand the business better and how best to run it. I know who my dad is, I know how he thinks and I can make decisions on his behalf based on what I know he would do. But at the same time, being my own person, I can also be like, ‘This is what he would do but I can also add to it to make it better.’
What did you study in school?
I studied Mass Communication at the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos.
Why did you not continue in that path?
I think have always been interested in Marketing and Branding, which was part of the courses we did in school. There weren’t direct marketing or branding courses, which is why I studied Mass Communication. I write all the briefs for the commercials we put out and the press releases. I am in charge of the company’s website and its aesthetics which helps with the brand image.
So your interest was always to work in the luxury market via marketing and branding and your dad’s luxury business afforded you that opportunity
I didn’t see it like that in the beginning. Being his number one fan, I was always interested in anything he does, offering to help in whatever way that I can. So from the beginning, I began to chip in to help, bit by bit. I wrote the very first set of letters to brands. And gradually, I began to see that his business was my ideal place to be a part of. I believe that it is fate that my dad started a luxury brand.
At what point in your life did you really become interested in the business?
I was still in school. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic and I had more than enough time to get fully involved.
Your dad said you like to cook. Is it your hobby?
It was a hobby initially, but at some point it became a means through which I could make extra money. I would cook meals and sell them to my classmates. I have always been interested in cooking.
Do you plan to take cooking beyond just being a good hostess and turn it into real business?
I am not quite sure. You never know what the future holds. it’s just that now, I no longer enjoy cooking because I no longer have that luxury of time.
What is it like working with your dad?
He is my dad and obviously, I have a lot of respect for him. He is like an authority to me. I called him daddy in the office and then everyone else started to call him that. I had to change that and started calling him boss. I would say it is different because I have worked in other places before I berthed here. But I would say it is emotional working with him.
Are you both formal or the office is just an extension of your daddy/daughter relationship?
I think we are now more formal than when we first started, but sometimes that filial relationship will always creep in.
How do you handle work related conflicts with him?
We talk things over, but it affects me emotionally. If he was just any other boss, it probably wouldn’t affect me that much as opposed to him being my dad.
Do you make compromises in the interest of the business or do you use emotional blackmail on him?
Or no, I am open to making compromises. I mean at the end of the day, he is the boss.
Since joining the business, what have you done differently that has greatly impacted positively on the organisation?
Although my dad set up the social media page, I took it over from him and rebranded it to suit the prevailing times. I manage it currently. I set up the website and designed it and got someone to transform my ideas into reality. I am in charge of organising and planning all of the events we host as an organisation and several other things too numerous to mention.
As the future CEO of Seinde Signature, where do you see it five years from now?
When people think of a luxury brand that stocks strictly niche perfumes, not only in Nigeria but also in Africa as a whole, I want it to be that Seinde Signature is what readily comes to mind. Also, I hope that in five years time, we would have successfully changed the perception of Nigerians and Africans in general towards luxury niche perfumes. And to show the international community that we are capable of having a flourishing market in the market of luxury brands and not just be a dumping ground for condemned goods.
Your dad got into this business because of his obsession for perfumes. Do you operate on the same wavelength?
No, not as much as he does, but when it comes to the knowledge of perfumes, I believe I have acquired even more knowledge than him. It was my curiosity about why he was so obsessed with perfume and the outrageous sums of money that he spends to acquire them that piqued my interest in the business and that is how I gradually got sucked in. And today, I now understand what perfumes are all about and not just what you spray on your body, that there is a story behind each perfume made and the structure behind perfumes. So now I see perfumes as an art.
Are you a collector like him?
I have access to so much perfumes that I do not see the need to collect them.
How old are you?
I am 25 years-old
Besides working with your dad, you obviously have a special relationship with him? How do your siblings feel about the unusual love you have for each other?
I think everyone in the family is already used to our special bond. Being the last born and the only girl, I feel naturally that I will always be my dad’s best friend.
What drives you?
Family and the urge to be where my dad is at is what drives me. He is the kind of person who never takes no for an answer. He is always looking to find a solution to a knotty issue instead of throwing a pity party. Having a father like that drives me to not want to give up easily.
What would you say is responsible for shaping your outlook in life?
My both parents. They are very different people and I feel I am an amalgamation of both of them.
What do you wish for your dad on Father’s Day today?
I know that what he wants above all else is for his business to attain greater heights and break boundaries and so I wish that for him, that before the next five years runs out, his wishes will come to pass.
