BiznextAfrica Entrepreneur

Interview with Adebola Olomo – MD. Deefrent Ltd.

Adebola Olomo studied law at the University of Ife but happened upon the business management of Information Technology and the World Wide Web while waiting to attend law school. The learning and exposure became the bedrock of her career today, with over a decade’s experience in the industry; cumulative of digital marketing and 360 degrees marketing communications.

Presently the managing director of Deefrent Ltd - a web and digital marketing agency, this is her story.

The transition from being a potential lawyer to a “tech” person happened by accident. She caught the bug during a stint with an employer, while planning to attend law school. Knowing she loved it and couldn’t do both, she decided to attend law school and freelance at the same time.

Logo design jobs here and there, and one major brand project, put the confidence and joy of business ownership in her. However, she knew she was not ready.

There was still so much more to learn about running a business and so she took the next employment opportunity she had. Many years down the line, with her then boss asking if his business was indeed his or hers, she knew she was ready.

The time had come to put her passion into something she owned and raise young folks doing same. She left that afternoon on the 1st of November and never looked back. The first thing was to get a logo unto a letterhead, and the rest is history.

Deefrent limited is a web and digital company with 22 permanent staff members that builds portals and develops web solutions for businesses, via web and mobile applications. They have built over a 100 websites for various businesses across industries and maintain a great number on a daily basis. The business is also the digital agency for a number of A-list companies, providing social media support and creating concepts and content for them. For some other businesses, they provide marketing and PR solutions, both online and offline, developing concepts that allow them use technology and people to achieve top of mind awareness for their businesses.

In order to ensure the right fit as regards recruitment, she insists on meeting everyone being interviewed that will be strategic to the growth of the firm. She judges them not just on skill, but by reading their nonverbal cues to decipher whether they understand the zeal and quest for what is “Deefrent”. She describes her staff as a team of young business owners in training.

The importance of good employees cannot be overemphasized, especially in her industry which is skill based. Therefore, she invests a lot in her people. She once battled the fear of being abandoned after training them, but later rationalized it as just an opportunity for a new staff to be trained.

“I can’t hire everyone, but with space, we can hire more people. I try to keep the very good ones, but when any staff tells me its time to leave, I feel sad but quickly start to imagine the next big thing. Good employees are good, but a realistic and objective employer, sees beyond himself, allows the employee do what makes him happy and knows there will be a chance now for another person to find their fulfillment with the company”. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]“The best thing about being a business owner is seeing those who have worked with me doing well on their own or within the firm. Those who did not have much to believe in or show off as skill, making great leaps in life and career. That makes me so happy”.

Passion is her differentiating factor. She loves what she does. She believes in her ability to mentor, hard work and in always giving her best.

“It’s not so much about differentiation; it’s mostly about, signature. With me, you know you are getting the best of me; we don’t take where we are for granted and we know we are not there yet. We continue to strive and give our very best. I want to be known as that lady who always gave her best!”

She describes a business owner as “Someone who is driven by a full understanding of the goals of the enterprise he owns and is committed to succeeding at it. An entrepreneur is willing to keep going even when everyone stops, someone who can build something to benefit not just him but the community or the audience he hopes to influence”. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]Adebola thinks the greatest challenge to business owners today is faith in themselves.

“Many think they can, others are promised they will, a great number just want to copy, but if only they can believe in themselves and know why they are doing it, many can actually do better. Another challenge for others is funds, but it did not stop me, and I am positive that if you create and offer what is good, there will be a way. Even if at first you are not as influential as many, the fulfillment you get is a start and it can only grow from there”.

She believes the key to her success has been the grace of God and the daily journey of learning everything around her. That drive, the zeal to keep going is the reason she is learning new things, conquering newer territories and having more stories to tell.

“The key is what I wake up daily trying to discover, and subconsciously, while seeking that key, the deed of success is being done”.

Her most difficult moment in business…

”I remember specifically a time I had to be away from the business to consult for government on a World Bank project in Lagos. The team member I left the company with did a fantastic job. I got so relaxed and barely bothered what was going on, the business was doing well and everyone was fine, till the day he sent me an email. It was a nice breezy Wednesday, he said he was leaving on Friday because the job he came back to Nigeria a year ago hoping to get, finally wanted him, now that he had some experience. Yes, two days notice, and I spent the whole two days mourning this news and wondering where do I start? But we survived, we got better for it. That shook me. It really did”.

Mrs. Olomo says her greatest fear is her husband waking up one day and saying it’s not okay for her to work anymore.

“He is the one man whom God has placed in my life that has the influence and power to ask me to stop what I do, so I pray everyday for him more than myself. He is my biggest fan and motivator and I hope God preserves him”.

According to her, the top three skills for success as a business owner in Nigeria today are;

• Skill – You need to know what you are selling.

• Passion – You need to be able to keep going even when it does not seem practical to do so.

• Support – You need at least one jolt from your support circle. Those who by their finance or simple push are able to keep you on the path and believe in you enough to get you to believe in yourself to keep going.

One of her weaknesses has been the inability to utilize her network; “I believe so much that your network is your net-worth. I find myself unable to go the 100 mile with that. So much more can be achieved if I could be more adventurous with the information I have and the network I belong to. I however, train my team to do a lot more with that, and I am daily pushing myself to try better at succeeding at that. So help me God”.

A typical day for Adebola is to… “get up by 7am because I have the responsibility of posting news items that concern a State government which is my client on their website everyday. I have to comb the internet for mentions of this State and report any escalating news to the executive arm. I end up posting the website updates by 8:30 am and the day begins. I get to the office which is a few minutes drive from home by 10am and have meetings if it’s a Monday, else, I go about my work meeting different team members as scheduled and attending any external meetings. I have Skype meetings as well as teleconferences. The day is over about 7pm and I enjoy the short, loud music drive home. I have a charming 5year old, who is waiting for me to press the bell and scream…MUMMYYYY”.

She defines success as being able to influence the community around you. Taking on something you believe in and giving it your best. Empowering as many folks who come your way and leading by example.

“Success is joy and fulfillment. I think the best way to achieve long term success is to be truthful to you. If it’s not working out, don’t keep flogging it, find a new way around it or find something new to do. If it’s doing well and has potential, don’t hold back. I keep inventing and learning, finding new ways to do it in order to stay relevant. Tomorrow is not ours to see, but with the right step today, taking the next one tomorrow becomes so much easier. So give each day your best. I believe in hard work, I really do. I believe in prayers and belief in oneself. If it’s meant to be, the only thing that can stop it is you, so, why not do your own part; give it your best and leave the rest”. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]She never got funding or capital.

“We got our first job and started from there, some funding came from my husband to pay the salaries of my first two staff and from there, we started to pay from monies made, after a year, we were able to sublet an office space and growth continued from there”.

Referral and retainers has been the success of Deefrent’s growth.

“We get a lot of repeat business and referrals, this keeps the business indoors. Rather than scouting and scouting, we simply service and re-invent”.

Choosing a business location was by chance.

“We started off in my sitting room, and once I got a sublet opportunity with a dear friend, I didn’t think twice. The place was central, a great place to point to as our office. However, our business is a service business. Clients rarely come around; it’s mostly for us to feel good about where we work every day.”

She would love to have a dialogue with Chief Obafemi Awolowo. “I want to know what it feels to make an impact that reverberates way after you die. He was and still is a great man and I respect him a lot for the positive impact he made”.

“Women inspire me, women who stand out for skill and mentorship. I love Oprah Winfrey , I respect Mo’ Abudu. I tip my hat to women who have shown resilience in giving not just themselves but the world around them, a reason to believe and aspire”.

Adebola reads books just for laughs, she love soppy stories.

“I read a lot of Danielle Steele even till now, and John Grisham to get the rush I would have gotten if still in the legal field”.

Her most satisfying moments in business is…

“Seeing the balance sheet for the year and the great profits, I did not think it had such power, but it makes me so happy, like it’s the confirmation we need to know we are on the right path. I think the level of responsibility and the fall back plan are the major differences between employees and employers. Employers can be entrepreneurs even while working for someone. However, the fail or pass rewards or repercussions are not so much theirs. As an entrepreneur, the winner or loser takes all”.

The culture at Deefrent Ltd.

“WE have a CAN DO culture. It’s an unspoken standard within the firm. It’s so much that before escalating anything to your boss or to Debola, you must have tried it in several ways and assured yourself, you can’t before asking for help. We know there is always a way, and when we challenge ourselves, we create. I am hoping that even long after I am retired, that spirit of possibilities stays within the team and is passed on from generation to generation”.

Hiring a friend?

“That’s a big mistake. Hire only if they have a specific value they are bringing and will be protecting that interest of theirs while with you. If you hire friends for the sake of helping them, things may get awkward and both parties will be hurt”.

Hiring family ?

I have done that and got hit many times but I will keep doing it as long as there is space and if I believe in the genuineness of the need”.

Adebola loves TV series that have to do with family, friendship, medicine or love. “I love to lounge at home and hold on to the remote control, I also like chatting away on the phone”.

“I love and respect two people for what they have done building what they have, namely; Mo Abudu and Pastor Paul Adefarasin”.

“Over the next decade, I see Deefrent Ltd diversifying into other aspects of Media and Publicity and becoming a mogul agency, managing brands across the continent. If I could start all over again, I would have been more daring”.

About Deefrent Academy?

As an entrepreneur I understand all too well the changing landscape on which we do business. It could be challenging but with the right tools and strategies one can use it to his/her advantage.

Businesses are currently going digital all over the world so it behooves us as entrepreneurs, brands and individuals to position ourselves properly and visibly in this space. It's on this premise that the Deefrent Academy was born. To teach individuals, SME's and brands how best to maximize the opportunities dominating the digital media space using tools of social media, graphics, branding and web applications.

Deefrent Academy is a creatively inspired value pack for anyone who wants to excel in the digital world. Courses like the business of social media, trends, gurus of design, introduction to UX are just a few of what we'll be offering and they're quite exciting. The faculty teachers are top notch. It's a very exciting project for us and we can't wait to start in April. More info can be gotten on the site www.deefrentacademy.com.

No doubt, with these courses, the society will be better empowered to tackle the changing business landscapes and challenges when they do appear.

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