My Interview With Igbego Ogwuche x Founder & CEO at Brand & Art
What inspired you to take the path of entrepreneurship? Everybody has a story, what is your story?
I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 14. My favorite aunt would babysit me and she braided hair she would take me to her shop and I would sit with my doll and copy her until I mastered it. When I became 12 I started braiding my moms hair then she referred me to her friends and they started paying me. I loved the fact that I was making money on my own terms and I didn’t have to clock into any job. I was also able to creatively express myself the way I wanted to without worrying about breaking the rules of any establishment. As I got older I expanded my skills. From braiding hair to makeup artistry. From Artistry to becoming a creative director. From Creative Director to Brand developer and from there I established my own agency in 2020 called Brand & Art.
What advice will you give your younger self?
Don’t be so hard on yourself because a Year called 2020 will take place and it will change the world and how we conduct business. On a serious note I would tell my younger self to invest more into myself than I did into other people. It was a reflection of how much I didn’t believe in myself and what God placed inside of me. I believed more in what I could do for others and not me.
How do you balance entrepreneurship & Motherhood? What advice can you give to mompreneurs who are juggling life and business?
I balance the two by praying for grace everyday honestly. It’s a difficult task to find balance and the truth is sometimes I fall short. I’m an extremely committed and driven person so it can feel exasperating trying to apply the exact same energy into everything at the same time. To not fall short I tell myself my children come first I don’t have a second chance to raise them again like I do with rebuilding a business. No matter how engulfed I am with work I pause to spend time with the children even if it’s for a few minutes at intervals to let them know I am present. Having an amazing and supportive husband makes the balance all achievable.
Relationship building – Let’s talk about this! How important is relationship building for you and how did it help your business?
Relationship building is very very important. The art of networking is the art of growth. When you understand relationships they turn into bridges to your next level of success. People are able to draw from your resources and you are also able to draw from their resources. People are a wealth of knowledge when you have the RIGHT people in your corner and around you as mentors or mentees you are sure to be on a steadfast path to growth and success. I also believe in iron sharpens iron so when I build relationships I’m also thinking of people that we can encourage each other in the realms of the spirit and in the physical. People that I can pray with, correct me, can also be corrected M are an asset to be around and have.
Do you take risks? What risk did you take? Was it a good or bad risk? What would you do differently?
I am a risk taker at fault. Lol. I have actually been praying for Grace to pace myself more. I am the type of person that if it’s a lucrative enough idea I can actually take the risk and risk it all. Some of these daring attributes of mine have paid off and have also cost me a very big lesson so what helps me balance this risk-taking personality of mine is prayer. I am fearless when it comes to opportunities because I believe that the life we live on earth is only once so what’s the point in over calculating things that you will regret later. This is also not to negate the place of wisdom. Wisdom and risk-taking I feel are the best combination because you are not fearful to take the right step but you are thoughtful enough to understand that the step you’re about to take should be fully searched on every side to make sure that this step is going to truly be worth it. I remember when I was learning how to trade stocks and I ended up risking majority of the money in my stock account on Tesla but the very next day it started crashing and I ended up losing thousands of dollars so that was a big lesson for me to do way more research and understand the graphs the traditional and fundamental graphs and be more calculated instead of a complete risk taker. I also remember a time when I quit my job to help a friend of mine grow her business because I believed so much in that business. I ended up working for free for almost 3 years and it was a very rough time for me but I learned something that I am extremely tenacious and when I believe in something I put my full effort into it. I ended up exiting at that three year mark before I could reap my rewards in that company. I was also at peace knowing that I helped that company to grow and I learned so many tools and tips for being a entrepreneur myself and those tips have grown and added much success in my current position.
What do you do for personal growth & development?
For personal growth and development I like to read and take on courses that will sharpen my brain and mentality. Refresher courses in business and marketing are the best. I then take what I have learned and begin to practice them because learning without practical‘s is just memory. I read a lot of things from people who have gone ahead of me. I also love watching documentaries that’s show the stories of those who have attained their success but went through challenges to get there. The visual depiction of a story really helps me to grass the concept and be inspired by it.
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? What inspired you to keep going?
Yes there were many times I felt like giving up but what inspired me was my faith in Jesus and my children. I looked at them and said if I failed that will be the blueprints that they have to follow in life. If I give up I will live with the curiosity of what could’ve been. And having a relationship with Jesus lets me know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me so when I am weak or feel defeated I draw from the strength of God. Philippians 4:13
How do you self care?
I believe in self care my self-care consist of a good skin care routine. Getting my nails and toes done regularly and also taking a day to just relax and be alone with my thoughts and process what I’ve been doing and what I’m going to do next. During that time of self care i pray a lot because God is my creator He can surely take care of me more than I can take care of myself. I l also love to dress up when I step out because looking and feeling good are important to me. How we present ourselves is a reflection of how we feel within the time we take to take care of ourselves shows the value that we hold for ourselves.
What advice would you give to anyone who is about to embark on the entrepreneurship journey?
The advice I would give is, study as much as you can, and observe those who have gone ahead of you. There is no such thing as too much reading but don’t stay in a place of thinking for too long. There will come a time where you have to take action and that action will be inspired by everything you’ve learned thus far but bear in mind that, that moment of action could also be a learning experience. Even if you fail once it doesn’t mean you have failed altogether. That failure that you have experienced is an investment into a lifetime of success because you can take that experience of failure and turn it into a blueprint of what not to do on your path to successful entrepreneurship. Also get you some good mentors near and far, those who you can call on to get advice and those who you can watch and get virtual advice without asking. Don’t be too hard on yourself but be teachable. Study your field like a science and master it. Be bold, be creative. Success takes time be patient with the process. Celebrate all your small and big wins. PRAY and stay with a heart of gratitude.
Was there ever a God moment during your journey? Can you share your testimony?
I feel like every moment is a God moment for me the way I get business ideas or get development ideas for businesses that I work with is by divine revelation. I literally see the picture of it like a flash and I begin to pray and implement it. When a new business comes to me for consultation after our consultation I go in my prayer closet and begin to pray about that company. If it’s just an idea and not a company yet i take the same steps. I ask God to reveal to me what the blueprint is for that company and how I can implement my God-given talents to get that company to where it needs to be. My divine connections with manufacturers, and a creative team has been a God moment he always connects me to the right people and disconnects me from the wrong people because I have made God the CEO of everything that I do. The name BRAND & ART literally dropped in my Spirit when I was praying one day. God has been faithful every step of the way.
Are you open to mentorship? How can you be reached? What are your social handles?
Yes I am. I can be reached via email, website and social media:
social media:
Instagram: @IgbegoOgwuche & @Brandnart