We had the good fortune of connecting with Oluwatoyin Talabi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Oluwatoyin, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Definitely, discipline and self-control, to be able to distinguish my different needs and place them in their hierarchy of importance that way I am able to give my full attention to just that which is of top priority before focusing on other little things. Also, I stick to the same schedule daily which helps me with time management, sometimes a little change here and there. By sticking to the same schedule, getting my office supplies, coffee, groceries etc. from the same store I know what items the store offers, what aisle to find my needs thereby saving time that would have otherwise been spent on decision making, that just makes life a lot easier,  I hit the ground running. Writing, I keep a journal, sticky note or just a surface to write in all my spaces, in my car, my bedroom, kitchen, office, even in my handbag. That way whenever I have an idea, I document it and refer to it whenever. Reading is also a daily practice for me, I enjoy reading a lot of business books as building a successful business is my top priority at the moment. Reading helps me learn from the author and gives me ideas on how to be the best version of myself possible. Self-care, this is a very important aspect of one’s being, to be able to know what you need at a particular time and going for it. Mine varies, from eating at my favorite restaurant, visiting a museum or monumental place, looking out of the window on a rainy day to spending quality time with my family and friends. I know which of these activities I need at every point in time and I go for it. Praying and staying in constant communication with God and the holy spirit. I am a strong believer in God and his supreme powers, I begin my day by communicating with him and interacting with him throughout my day. He is my father and my friend.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am the proud owner of the clothing line “ZANAANI” Instagram handle @Zan_aani. It is an African inspired unisex clothing line that started in 2017. Zanaani offers a wide array of ready to wear clothing and we also offer custom designs for special occasions. At Zanaani we pride ourselves in delivering latest fashion trends, made from unique African prints by master tailors at affordable prices. We currently sell on Etsy store “ZANAANI”. Growing the brand has been quite an interesting journey. Recognizing our DNA, how we would like to stand out in a diversified market was quite a process. We had to figure out how to make our clothes unique so that anyone who sees them can easily say “That is a Zanaani shirt” even without looking at the tags. For us creating value for our clients is very important and we are laser focused on doing just that even before thinking about money. How can this item we are selling serve our clients is a question I ask when making a product, because I know a client will only pay for a product he or she finds valuable. Also we do not run a sale or transaction with any client as a one-time sale, for us another big question is how can we keep this client coming back? how can we create a trust or bond with this client that when they want to purchase any product in the category we offer “ZANAANI” comes to mind first before any other brand. Some of the challenges we faced and are growing from is creating brand awareness. It is one step to have a great product and another step to make customers know the brand exists. Product without clients is a fail. At the moment word of mouth through testimonies from clients that tried the brand has really helped, we have served a lot of families, friends and organizations just by creating valuable products and building a tribe of people that love and share information about the brand with their close circle. We also found out that Pinterest, Facebook ads, Instagram and sending email blasts to clients is a great way to get in new clients and keep repeat customers. A major lesson I have learned and would like to pass on to other entrepreneurs is a lot of times young entrepreneurs start a business and expect the support of their family and friends, and most times get disappointed whenever they do not get that support. I would like them to know that the clientele of a business should scale way beyond ones close circle, your business goal should be to create great value so the business can serve a bigger audience that genuinely love your product, become repeat buyer and are happy to share information about it with their family and friends not just a one-time support from your family and friends. Zanaani is a story that is still being written, because the goal for us is to grow as a brand and be better.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Miami is a very fun yet relaxing city, visiting north or south beach definitely a must. For someone that does not live in Miami I would say please visit south beach for sure, there are lots of nice restaurants and fun activities to do by the beach. Wynwood is the Miami art district, anyone who loves art should definitely stop by Wynwood. Perez Art museum is also a great place to visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A great shout out to my darling husband Ajimade Animashaun, for fanning my fire into flames. Another shout out to my family and friends for being the pillars that hold me. I wouldn’t finish this shout out without recognizing my amazing clients from the Zanaani Tribe for recognizing my art and growing with me, you are a best tribe!

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/zanaani?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zan_aani/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zanaaniclothing

Image Credits
Ajimade Animashaun

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