Multiple award-winning Nigerian digital media practitioner, strategist and entrepreneur, Bodex Hungbo, is the CEO of Bodex Group International. A fearless entrepreneur and social change ambassador, beautiful Bodex is a ‘one-woman mopol’, a powerhouse with a purpose. Across the media, her voice rings loud. An NBA trained journalist, crisis and reputation expert, event management consultant, printing press operator, blogger, cobbler, food vendor, and influencer, Bodex appears as a lady who was able to think big and set ambitious goals, and achieved them, according to her during a conversation with the Editor, FOLORUNSHO HAMSAT, recently. The founder of Bodex Exceptional Women Initiative Africa (BEWIAFRICA) and convener of Bodex Media Hangout spoke about how she took a bold dive into entrepreneurship, built her businesses through persistence, creativity, and determination, including her personal life. Enjoy…
Tell us about the entrepreneurial spirit that drives you, even now that you’re on the success lane. How did you start?
I love the combination of that question. How did I start? I started by supporting my mummy’s businesses while I was very young. I used to be one of the best hawkers in Badagry, Lagos State. I practically hawked almost everything; from vegetables to fruits to pure water, animal feeds, boiled eggs, I sold cigarettes. I also smoked parts of the cigarettes (laughter) so that I could lie that I sold well. My late father used to have an oil depot in Badagry and my mum also helped with the sale. My mum liked business. She owned one of the biggest lounges at Seme border. Basically, the spirit of entrepreneurship was from my mum and dad. My dad was a big entrepreneur. In fact, he could sell anything.
Is your mum the only wife of your dad?
No, it was a polygamous family. My mum is the third wife.
What drives you to become successful in life?
I think it’s poverty. I don’t want to be poor. I have an idea of what being poor is about. To want something and you don’t have access to it, is essentially what drives me. I don’t want to be poor. If you don’t want to be poor, you have to do all businesses before a particular business becomes the sole business.
You’re in the media and private enterprises. Which one happened first and why did you decide to go into multiple businesses?
The one that happened first was the beauty spa. I used to own a spa and salon, and all the beauty related stuff. It was called Bodex Beauty House. While I was doing the spa business, I also had a nail shop. But I thought that you can’t do only one business in Nigeria and be safe. It’s not every time everybody wants to buy hair and it’s not every time somebody wants to look good. Like I told you, I started with my mother who used to do all kinds of businesses. I told myself that if my mum could do many businesses together, why can’t I? that was how I decided to venture into other businesses.
What was it like starting out as a business person?
It was very tough, challenging and demanding. You know, when you’re not privileged to have all the funds to kick-start the business. It’s extremely challenging, especially for women in Nigeria. You cannot have an idea as a woman and just speak to a man that ‘oh I have this, I have that’, he would just look at you and say what’s this one talking about. So, basically, it’s about funds. If you don’t have the funds, you won’t be able to kick-start any business.
How much personally involved are you in the regular running of your businesses?
It varies. I told you that I run different kinds of businesses. I started with Bodex Beauty House, from there I moved to Bodex Media. Even Bodex Media was shaky when I moved into Bodex Footwear. While I was doing the media, I had an issue with someone and some of my programmes on a particular TV were stopped. I got frustrated, I got depressed. I even considered suicide at some point. It was in the middle of trying the suicide that I was driving and found myself in Ajegunle area where I saw a guy making shoes. I decided that instead of killing myself, let me learn how to make shoes. That was how I learned shoe-making. I did the training for four months. Guess what; the guy that taught me how to make shoes is now my staff. In the shoe line I was able to navigate some difficult times. I started by making customized shoes for myself. It was branded with Bodex and colourful. When I wore them to outings, people would admire them and make orders. Initially, I didn’t take the business aspect seriously. I was just doing it to kill depression and look good. But when people started asking for them, I said okay, I could actually turn this thing into business. I started telling people that I make shoes.
Starting the Bodex brand, how much did it cost you in capital?
I didn’t start the shoe business with a dime. People would pay me first and I would buy the materials and make the shoes. It depends on what you’re going into. Then the shoe business became very big. I started using my media strength to sell the shoes. I can admire several pairs of shoes for VIPs like governors and ministers and send them by courier for free. They would request to see who made the shoes. From there, they started inviting me. I would tell them to buy four and get one for free. What I was doing was to use my model strength because I once worked with Lagos Television; I was part of the content creators and I handled some events for them. The General Manager then was Mr Deji Balogun. So, it depends on what you want to do. Then we can now run around and do the evaluation of what the cost would be. Part of the departments that we now spend money on at Bodex Group are the monetized conference room and training room that people pay to use. For those ones we had a budget and we were able to set them up. But the money we used in setting up those places came from the job done under Bodex Media.
Tell us about your fashion and style routine.
I jump on anything that makes me look good. But I’m not a fan of native iro, buba and gele. I feel those ones are too loud. I love the classy and simple look, that if you’re wearing a stuff of 100,000 Dollars, nobody would know the cost but only you would know what you’re wearing.
Do you have choice brands for shoes, jewelry, glasses and wristwatches?
The number one brand I wear is Bodex Footwear. I actually learned both genders shoemaking but I don’t like making shoes for women. Why? Women have wahala (laughs). And I don’t like stress. So 98 percent of the people I make shoes for are men. For choice brands, I love all brands but I love Bodex brand most. I love Bottega, Louis Vuitton and a few other brands but the Bodex brand comes first.
Do you have a plan for a foundation to empower women and how do you know who to empower?
I have an NGO called Bodex Exceptional Women Initiative. I’m operating in a male-dominated industry, I sponsor women to do only men-dominated works, like cobbling, cutting hairs and driving Keke NAPEP. How to know who to empower? I’ve done a few ones on my own aside from the ones being done with the NGO. I may just be going on the road and see a woman selling petty stuff. I would ask what it cost her to leave this place. I would just empower her. Sometimes, I could decide not to drive and take a Keke and luckily there’s a woman driving Keke; I would start engaging the person and she says the Keke is not her own and I ask how much she delivers. I would take her from there to where new Kekes are sold and buy one for her and everybody goes her way. That’s the way I do my empowerment and I do it a lot.
Tell us about Bodex Media Hangout’s successes and challenges.
I don’t think there is a big challenge. I think I’m actually the problem because I don’t market that event as I ought to. Maybe if I understand brand marketing, we won’t be having sponsorship issues. Although I know how to market other things like garri and small chops. My team is already talking to a marketing firm for partnership on that aspect. The successes have been numerous. We have impacted so many people. We have explored the use of social media for social good.
