My Interview With Sophia Danner – Okotie

Founder Of Besida (Forbes 30 Under 30)

I am beyond proud of Sophia, not only is she one my Nigerian Sister in business, she was recently honored by Forbes as one of the 30 under 30 honoree 2021. She is resilient, beautiful, hardworking and God fearing . I am honoring her and her amazing work (Creating Jobs in Nigeria) in this women’s history month as she keeps breaking boundaries. I hope you enjoy reading this interview while getting to know more of Sophia and her amazing brand (Besida)

What inspired you to take the path of entrepreneurship? Everybody has a story, what is your story?

I was inspired to start Besida for lots of reasons. One, I wanted a reason to go back home to Nigeria. Two, I wanted to create a brand that connected black women to their African roots. Three, I had a deep desire to impact the local town I grew up in, and creating jobs in Benin was one way to do it.

What advice will you give your younger self?

I’d want younger Sophia to spend more time learning about business fundamentals and to understand her numbers. When I started, I focused so much on creating beautiful garments, but not enough time actually understanding business.

 Have you ever raised funds for your business? If yes? How did you raise funds? Where did you seek funds?  What is the most amount you’ve ever raised?

I’ve been fortunate to win several grants for Besida. The most I won was a recent grant from Stitch Fix’s Elevate Program. It was $25,000
 

 Relationship building – Let’s talk about this! How important is relationship building for you and how did it help your business?

It’s important for me personally and for my business. Generally, I enjoy getting to know people and building powerful bonds. I transfer that same energy into my business. Many of the partnerships Besida has now blossomed from a relationship I built with someone over time.

Do you take risks? What risk did you take? Was it a good or bad risk? What would you do differently?

 
Yes I do take risks, however it does not come natural for me. The biggest risk I’ve taken was opening our manufacturing studio in Nigeria in 2018. This bold move had the biggest impact on our supply chain, quality, and overall brand story. The only thing I would do differently is strategize how to expand our factory to manufacture for other brands. We’re working on that now though.

What do you do for personal growth & development?

I read more now. I’m currently reading “ The Power of Favor ” by Joel Osteen and it’s groundbreaking. I also do a lot of introspective work. I like to think of myself as my own therapist and we have weekly consultations. 🙂

Was there a time you felt like giving up? What inspired you to keep going?

For the first 4 years I felt like giving up every week it seemed. My friends and my Uncle always talked me out of it.

 How do you self care?

I love working out because I know those endorphins will kick-in and give me a remarkable high.

What advice would you give to anyone who is about to embark on the entrepreneurship journey?

Find a mentor and an accelerator program to join. Chances are your mentor has been through a lot, and can keep you from making the same mistakes she did. Also, there are tons of accelerator programs out there for just about any field. Apply for one. It will take your knowledge of the business to another level. Plus it’s great networking.

Was there ever a God moment during your journey? Can you share your testimony?

From the beginning, it was God. He is my business partner. I can write a book on how many God moments I’ve had while running this business. I’ll recount one of the recent ones I had. In September last year, I hired a web designer and developer to re-do my website. He ran off with my money and never completed the work. I was so discouraged, but knew I had to hire someone else because Besida had outgrown the site. I decided to go with someone I had worked with in the past, however her quote was much higher.  Around November, a friend of mine sent me an application for a grant sponsored by AfroPunk and Shopify. I won it in December. The grant money pays for the new site, reimburses the money the former developer stole, AND enrolls me in a 6 month accelerator program that is guaranteed to scale my business. Restoration is real and God never fails.

What is one of your greatest accomplishments in business? How did you get there?

Winning the Stitch Fix Elevate Grant and Mentorship Program is a huge boost for Besida. Not only are they giving me $25,000, they are our first major retailer. This means more women worldwide can own a Besida garment, and most importantly, feel the power that’s imbedded in our products.

 Are you open to mentorship? How can you be reached? What are your social handles?

Yes I am. Email me [email protected]. Find me @sophido on Instagram.

Sophia was  honored by Forbes (30 under 30) last year, connect with her on her social handles, she is open to mentorship. You can learn a thing or two, especially if you are an entrepreneur in the fashion business.
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