In 2013 I came up with the idea to start a company that made Nigerian gift items to the highest quality. I wanted to broadcast around the world the beauty, humor and quality that Nigeria had to offer. I recruited tailors and patiently worked with them on finishing and techniques that captured the high standard of work we wanted to be known for. I am grateful to have had the support of my mother, a career seamstress, who entrenched in my tailors a mentality of “Measure twice, cut once.” and “The inside seam should look as good as the outside seam.” I had no technical expertise but I knew what I would want to buy. I had the eye of the consumer.
It was a hard first few years. Some tailors, unable to meet standards did not last. Many items had to be taken out and redone; some items had to be discarded. There were moments of frustration, but they were worth it, as I was able to hone a work culture and product that I could be proud of. People responded very well to this idea of high quality. I may not always have received the compliments on design, or price, but it was a rare moment when someone could say the quality of my work was seriously lacking.
One such client was my (now) dear friend, Oana. A nuclear physicist, and concert violinist, clearly she could speak about precision, attention to detail and fine work. Having been raised in Communist Romania she also spoke with an unceremonious candor; there was no use for surplus of compliments. She was direct and always earnest. Oana quickly became an EJ girl and through the years I was proud to know she valued and supported my work.
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In late 2021, Oana approached me about a project. She needed a concert outfit and wondered if I could help. I quickly started thinking through the names of some local fashion designers whose work I knew. I thought of some talented women’s tailors who could help her realize her vision. I had no problem being a resource for this. But this is not what Oana wanted. “I want you to do it, Joanna. I know you can.” In my mind this was more than proposterous. I have no fashion design experience, and even though I love fashion, fashion does not always love me. How on earth could I be charged with creating a fashion piece for someone who was going to perform on stage?! I’ve always considered myself mostly mediocre. I do lots of things, but nothing really exceptional. Surely I would fail and embarrass myself. Worse yet, I would embarrass her! Making a dress is so much more than making a pillow. I did as many graceful maneuvers as I could muster to get out of it, but Oana did not give up on me. So of course I could not give up on her. She kept referring to the quality of my work so how could I turn away when this was something I invested so much time in? One of the things I always say to my team is that, “… we never say no…” So here was the opportunity to say yes to something that challenged me and scared me, something that was very high stakes. I agreed to make her outfit.
After a while I did not care about the audience at her concert; I just cared about her. I could not let her down; not when she showed me such trust and such confidence when she singled me out to do this job. I put a lot of work into Oana’s outfit. I hunted for the right print and texture, checking in with her a million times to make sure I was in the right direction. My able and technically strong tailor– one of the first ones from 2013– came alongside me to support me. I had the vision and he had the know-how. She was patient and supportive and in the end we gave her the outfit she wanted.
That feeling of knowing I met a challenge and overcame it victoriously did something strange to me. In that moment I made my first million: a million waves of pride overtook my being, a million neurons in my mind danced around in pure delight, a million positive emotions surged through my jaded heart putting life in my bones; a million songs of affirmation rose up in my voice. I am sorry if you thought this post was about money. I have not had that kind of success in my business as yet. But I can assure you no entrepreneur who has received his or her first million dollar investment felt better than I did at that moment. My hard work all these years paid off in an unexpected way. Not all payoffs have to be monetary to be worthy. Some payoffs have a currency that can never be spent.
I have gone on to make two more outfits for her.
My hope is that everyone reading this at some point has a Oana appear in your life. Someone who validates you and pushes you to do hard things. And if you can’t find that person, or that person can’t find you (Trinidad is a long way from Romania, and both are a long way from Nigeria), take some advice that you can be that person to yourself. Even better, find someone to whom you can be a Oana. I always find it so interesting that Oana and I share the same name. It took the Eastern European, tall, brilliant version of myself to remind me that I am capable, that I can overcome blocks even if they only exist in my mind.
