CHRISTIANA SEMILORE ADEWARA, CEO, KBS Face modelling Agency at the University of Lagos is a final year law student and has redefined modelling; she spoke to BusinessDay’s STEPHEN ONYEKWELU about how she started, the challenges and joys thus far. Excerpts:
Introduce yourself, please.
My name is Adewara Christiana. I am a final year student of the Faculty of Law at the University of Lagos.
What have you been doing as a student entrepreneur?
As a student entrepreneur, I run KBS Models. It is a face modelling agency in Lagos. We work for vendors such as artists, photographers, fashion designers and all of that.
What inspired KBS?
What inspired KBS was the fact that I used to do modelling myself alone as a means of contributing financially to myself. But people started saying to me, you know what, this stuff you are doing, do you know you could conveniently combine it with school and earn some money out of it.
Then, I asked myself, okay, why not employ people; provide a platform that conveniently combines working and schooling with the added advantage of earning some financial rewards? In addition to the financial rewards, they models will equally have their pictures everywhere, which is cool, because it can attract adverts and more business for them. So, this was what motivated KBS.
How old is KBS?
KBS is surprisingly seven months old. But if you asked people outside, they might guess it is about two or three years old. This is because of the rapid growth that we had. We have worked with big brands such as: BMPro, that is, Banke Meshida Lawal, Oshewa Beauty and many other such brands in the beauty industry. These names stand out. We have worked with Tara, in fact with the top beauty entrepreneurs in Lagos. Everyone in the beauty industry knows KBS.
You are student of law with volumes of cases studies and others to read. How do you balance studies and business demands?
Time management and discipline are very important. I know my timetable; I know which days I have off. So, I know the days I can shoot, work and the days I have to be in class.
For managing KBS, it runs online. I don’t have to be present anywhere in person. Once I have my phone and it is connected, I am working. This means I am taking orders. I am sending out models and they are going to work and I am seeing feedback. Money and commissions are coming into my account.
How many models does KBS have?
Currently, I am working with over 50 models. Most of them are students, they aim is actually to empower students, meaning, you give them something to do. Instead of being jobless and apart of school you are sleeping or probably doing idle things that you should not do.
When they realise they can actually go to work, take decent pictures and get paid, they are naturally interested.
What do you look out for in your models, the selection process?
We usually will have a casting, which means, we call for models, if you are interested you apply. When you apply and fit the criteria, a particular height, skin tone, or whatever it is we are looking for, then, we accept you. You fill some forms.
Are you registered how easy or difficult was the process?
Sure, KBS is registered organisation. We have a website and everything running, basically.
Was it easy or difficult? Well, I am a final year law student, Section 573, of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), provides for the registration of business name first. So, because of the kind of environment and course I am studying, it was very easy for me to register my business. I have many lawyer friends. I had to do it in order to protect my intellectual property. It took two weeks.
How profitable is KBS?
It is very profitable, both as the agency and lead model. There are two parts to it; one hand, I am a model; on the other hand I am running the agency. For every model that goes out to work, the agency gets a commission. This means I don’t have to be everywhere, it is like a part of me is everywhere. As we speak, we have ten models or more working today. Someone is always working somewhere. Imagine they are paid N20, 000 and the agency is getting like N5, 000 in ten places in one day, which is a lot. This is something that occurs every day.
What is your take about the perception that student entrepreneurs are generally not good in class?
That is very surprising and wrong. I am in a class of over 300 and can proudly say I am one of the best in my class. We usually do not have first class students in my faculty. The highest you can get is second class upper (2:1). I am in my final year and in the 2:1 bracket. This means I am doing very well, too good to be true in our class.
I am able to achieve this because of discipline and consistency. For instance, when I know I have a test next week and have to run KBS, I will make sacrifices. When others a playing, you might not have to play, because you are an entrepreneur and have to run your business and read for school. Perhaps you have to read in the midnight and work during the day or the reverse. You need to strike a balance and get really organised. Whatever I do is seen from the point of view of what value it is adding to me or my business. The secret is passion for what you are doing. This is because it can really get so overwhelming you want to sometimes quit.
Where do you see KBS in the next five to ten years?
The bigger picture for KBS is this; I am going to be a lawyer in one year, officially, so my plan is to have a studio, one similar to BMPro, which is my role model in the beauty industry.
She has her studio at Lekki Phase 1 with different departments. So, I want a studio that does everything beauty for a lady, meaning, KBS would have its office in the studio, there will be a makeup artist, photographer and nail artist all in the studio.
And it will be named KBS – Krismix Beauty Studio. KBS right now means, Krismix Beauty Squad. The bigger picture is to have a studio for the models. So, you walk in and have your make up, nails and hair done anything that has to do with the beauty industry.
I would have become a lawyer. I plan to practise for about two years, just to have a taste of it. As I practise law, I will have a manager and come in during the weekends. It is really at the weekends that things really happen anyway – the shoots, weddings and makeup.
Tell us about a big challenge you have had to deal with.
A lot of challenges, but one big one should be managing the models. When you have people working with or for you, you have to be able to balance business and good human relationship with them. Sometimes they might do something that is unethical and retards the growth of the business. At the same time, you do not want to shout at them. Yet you have to be strict and let them know it is a business. This is a big challenge, especially when you are working with ladies. So, you have to be very careful not to hurt theirs, without making your business suffer.
And what will be you biggest joy or achievement so far?
KBS is a dream that became a reality; I never expected it to be as big as it is in a few months. So far, my biggest achievement is being the first face modelling agency in Lagos. Other modelling agencies specialise in other things, meaning, your body, run way and all of that. That way, they have just slim, tall and very dark or fair models. But when you come to face modelling, that is, anything that has to do with your face, you don’t have to be slim, tall or any of those conventional modelling criteria. We are for face modelling strictly and KBS is number one.
We are responding to the need for face models. Makeup artists and vendors go through a lot of stress find models for their shoot because there is no particular agency dedicated to strictly face modelling. We save them the stress of having to search endlessly for one. All they need to do is just gives us a call and be rest assured that whoever is coming is beautiful and knows what to do and they do not have to pay through their nose.
What is the entrepreneurship culture like at UniLag?
I think UniLag students are hustlers. We go out of our way to do things. Some people make hair, they sell things in school, they generally try to establish multiple streams of income apart from what they get from their parents as allowance. I think we are growing, because I have heard of other schools that have a better culture when it comes to entrepreneurship. We doing well, I would say.
But with the entrepreneurship club about to launch, people like me would like to join and other enterprising students. This will make it more organised. This is similar to the modelling convention that will take place next semester at UniLag, which will bring together modelling agencies and their owners who are coming to scout for models and network too.
