Banker turned Hairstylist

Bruno is a male hair stylist. He is a graduate of Economics with over twelve years of experience in the financial industry, (nine in the banking sector). He ventured into the suit wearing and fashionable world of banking in order to satisfy his parents and ease the pressure from his peer group.

“I started very well with a good salary and by the time I left the bank in 2013, I was earning half a million naira monthly”.

As a banker, Bruno had no peace of mind being faced with target after target, not knowing when the axe would drop, and so he decided to start thinking about plan B.

“I looked for something that I could do that would connect me with people. I found out earlier in life that money does not walk on the streets; people go with money, so if you connect with people and connect with people very well you will connect with money”.

He began trying to discover something that he could do that would earn him at least the standard of living he was used to and started researching what type of business drives the Nigerian economy.

“I knew it was small scale business but I didn’t really know the particular business to get into. I eventually got a clue from my wife. When we started dating I would follow her to the saloon to style her hair and that was where I got the nudge”.

He began speaking to hairstylists and beauticians learning about the business and how much he could earn. He started putting figures together and before long, he saw a future in hair dressing.

“Because of the my social status as someone who owned a BMW and a Mercedes, walking into any saloon, saying you want to learn how to style hair made it difficult for any hairstylist to take you seriously, but after losing my first job, it became my plan A”.

Realizing the need for the basic skills before venturing into the world of hair-styling, Bruno engaged services of someone to teach him privately; from washing to weaving and retouching.

While learning the basics, he was recalled into the banking industry and got a promotion to assistant manager with a tempting compensation package. Even though he accepted the offer, he made up his mind to continue apprenticeship as a hairstylist because of the prior lay off from the bank.

To further his plan, Bruno adopted a smart but simple strategy by leveraging off a relationship with an already established and respected personality within the industry.

“When you want to get married, you are asked the question, where are you from, who are your parents?”

And so he identified with “Bobby Signature”. He met him and started another training process under him; learning about the administrative part of hair dressing.

After his stint with Bobby, he proceeded to “Orange Academy” to learn how to differentiate himself as a brand. After which he knew he was ready to leave banking and start his own business.

“I put everything I had learnt to work; my banking experience, what I learnt while training and what I learnt in the academy and on the streets”.

Bruno defines an Entrepreneur as someone who identifies a need, feeds the need and meets the need. He defines “his kind” of entrepreneur as people who takes ordinary things and makes them extra ordinary.

Bruno Place’s is not just about making hair, he employs people, provides them the right platform to express their skills in a location that would have been otherwise difficult for them to practice.

“Entrepreneurs are also people who inspire and give hope through their stories. My key to success has been God. He opened my eyes to see the opportunity and he guided me to grow my business”.

Bruno believes people limit themselves by saying that money is the major limitation to business ownership in Nigeria today. Using himself as an example, he explained that the “lack of capital” can be boycotted by leveraging off relationships; networking and trade by barter, even offering your services for free during a limited time.

“I wore suits and native attire to style hair and people noticed me for this. When it was time to set out, I captured the interest of people to invest in the business”.

“Bruno’s place” started in 2013 and has two large outlets in Abuja and Lagos with over 55 staff.

“I believe light attracts light. I have a story; I source for people who have a story. I pick them, train them and turn them into hairstylists by giving them the needed tools to be the best”.

“A business owner must have a purpose. I want to transform lives; I want to duplicate myself in people. Secondly you must have a platform; a place where people naturally migrate to, it makes it easy, it makes it faster to achieve your purpose. Lastly, you must have your story, when you have a story people will naturally want to associate with you”.

Bruno shares his “Banker turned hairstylist” story with potential clients through fliers, posters and the media. He believes impacting and transforming lives is what success is all about.

His greatest inspiration comes from the bible and peoples’ testimonies. It is not what happened to you, but what you make out of what happened.

“I have sacrificed a lot. Shown discipline in-order to be a good example to my staff. When we started Bruno’s place, 365days a year I was always working, no off day or holiday for me. I would resume very early and close late from Monday through Sunday; just to put things in order”.

In the next five years, he has a vision of “Bruno’s Place Port-Harcourt, Ghana, London and New York”. His dream is to see Bruno’s place spread everywhere. Employing people because he wants to empower people to become useful to them-selves and impact society positively.