Mrs Radeke Kupoluyi is a successful Lagos businesswoman who recently turned 51. But you wouldn’t know if she does not tell you. She looks good for her age. She is blessed with a refreshingly young look. She also acts young, and she dresses young. She is young at heart. Deliberately so. A few days back, she told City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE her success story.
Congratulations on your new age. How do you feel turning 51?
I keep thanking God every year of my birthday for the gift of life. It’s only God that gives the gift of life. I lost 3 people last year to COVID-19 and it’s not funny. It’s only by Grace that we sleep and wake up every day. Unto God alone all the Glory. Thank you all.
Looking back at your life and what you have been able to achieve, how do you feel? What are the thoughts that readily come to mind?
I thank God because Grace Found Me. For me, it keeps getting better every year. We thank God. It has been challenging really but because we have consistency, integrity, hope in God & Trust. We can do all things through Christ that strengthens us.
Radek Clothing has become a big brand name. Radek is how old?
Radek is 19 years in business this year. We are going to do our 20 years anniversary by Gods grace next year, 2022. I started business in 2001. I started selling Clothes 19 years ago. So, we are going to be 20 next year.
What has kept you going? Why have you not given up?
Apart from the Grace of God, Passion is key. Like I tell people, if you are going into any business, you must be passionate about what you are going to do You must know that this job you are going to do, whether it gives money or not, you must have passion for it. The passion eventually will bring in money, it will bring in peace of mind and you will be an achiever. Fashion runs in my family. In my family you can’t wake up and dress anyhow. So, it has always been a part of me, though I wasn’t trained as a fashion designer. I was trained as a Caterer. I read Food Science & Technology from Yaba College of Tech. Along the line, because I loved fashion, I delved into it, thinking that I might come back, into Catering job. After sometime, I found out that I got stuck in Fashion business. And because it is what I have passion for. I love to dress people up. And I love to dress well, as well. So, Fashion is my Passion. And I have found fulfilment in it.
Can you tell us a bit about the growth of Radek Clothing Store?
We thank God. This is the point I have to say thank you to all our customers. Every year when I celebrate my birthday, I look back, and all I see is my customers massive support for the brand. I want to say a big thank you to all Radek Customers. They have been awesome. I have some customers tha have been with us for the past 19-years up till now. A lot of them relocated abroad but they still order. And we send goods to them. We thank them. We say a big thank you to our customers.
I am also happy at our ability not to deviate from what quality is. I deal in 1st class quality when it comes to clothings, regardless of the exchange rate, or government policies, regardless of interests on loan, regardless of rent, regardless of anything and challenges, the most important aspect of this business is keeping up the Quality that we started with and that is what has kept us ahead of other competitors.
How have you kept up with the changing trends in fashion?
I always tell people, Fashion is not for dullards. You must be brilliant to be able to run Fashion business, because you will find out that Fashion is dynamic, everyday things change. So, you must be able to move with the changes. If you are not brilliant there is no way you can excel in fashion business. Because everyday, you have to wake up and say today, what are people wearing, and tailor yourself towards that end and you make sure you make it available in your shop. That is what we do. We make sure that we follow the trend. We keep the norm and the Quality. And we make it available. Because atimes, you have the Norm, you have the Trend, and the goods are not available in the ship. When customers come, they get disappointed. What I try to do is that at any given time, we have what is in vogue, what the customers want and that has kept us ahead in the business.
You have 3 shops and outlets on Allen Avenue, Ikeja. What do you stock in those shops?
I have one in Alade Market also. What I do in those shops is to sell clothes. Basically, I sell clothes. Clothing is what I do. Then I make uniforms for companies, like GLO. Today, I am proud to say that I make all GLO uniforms. If you go to any Glo outlet today, check the label, you will see RADEK Clothing. Apart from that, Radek is the only shop in the whole of Nigeria, that does, Just Maternity. I clothe pregnant women, it is my passion. And that is where I got my major break through when I started clothing business. I sell maternity clothes. This shop you are seated in, on Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos is strictly for pregnant women. I cloth pregnant women, from Corporate, to Casual to Dinner, to Comfortable Wears, to Night Wears, to Underwears. I do Maternity wears. In the other 2 shops, I do Corporate and Casual wears-everything that has to do with ladies wear. That is what I sell. The Alade market is where we started from. That is our alma mater. That is where we started from 19 years ago. Initially, I started from Ogudu. I used to have a shop in Ogudu and I moved in to Alade because I needed to be in a place where people will know me. So, the Alade Market was there to cater for both Pregnant and non-Pregnant women. In all, we cater for all ladies, from age 10 to 17 to 100. There is no way you will come into our shop and see all the Already made wears and not find whatever you want to wear.
At the end of the day what sort of a person is Radeke Kupoluyi?
I am a mother, I am a wife, I am a friend and I am a girl first of all. Because you know, women don’t grow old. I was 51 on Sunday. Many can’t believe it. 51 for me it’s just like when I was 31. I think 50 is the new 30 now, depending on the way of you look at it.
I want to give God all the Glory again.
He has given me the opportunity to age gracefully. Even when I am 51, I don’t feel it, really. In the last 10 years, I don’t think I have been to the hospital, apart from going for medical checkups. I don’t have BP, I don’t have sugar issues, I try as much as possible to discipline myself in all ramifications from what I eat to my lifestyle.
I try as much possible not to dress my age, because once you try to dress your age, you will start acting your age and you will start feeling the age. I try as much as possible to remain as fashionable as I can without going against the acceptable limits of decency. This is because you can’t clothe people if you are not well clothed. If a customer comes into the shop now the first thing she wants to see is the owner of the shop. And they will look at me. A lot of people come into the shop and they don’t even know what they want to buy. They will just say: Madam, I have a party on Saturday, what can I wear? It is what you give them they will wear. When they get to the party and they are complimented they will come back. So, you must know your job very well. You can’t jump the ladder.
You have to learn a lot about the business you do. You have to pay your dues. So, you must be passionate about what you do.
That is why a lot of times I smile, when I see a lot of people jumping into the business and jumping out again when they can’t make a headway. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing bad in it. Anybody can go into a business. But you must seek knowledge. You must not jump the ladder, because for any business, for any career, you must have a ladder to climb. You learn everyday. Even after 19 years, we are still learning. It is not all the time you get it right. It is not rosy everyday.
That is why you have to be consistent. You have to be patient. You have to endure. You have to persevere. And above all, your word, must be your bond.
How have you been able to balance all your roles?
It is the grace of God. I always tell my husband and those around me that I am not a super woman. And there is no super woman anywhere. But as a woman, God has given us a gift to be able to multitask. In all of that, I still find time to balance my strength and I rest well. Where I need to delegate duties, I delegate. Where I need to do it myself, I do it myself. I try as much as possible to make sure that none of my roles suffer for the job. I take care of my husband. I spend quality time with my kids, I am there for my younger ones and my friends. So, I try to balance my activities. I thank God for the strength he gives me to be able to do all these.
What are the lessons turning 51 has taught you?
Wow! I have grown matured now, fully matured. One thing I have learnt since I turned 50 is I have learnt to talk less and I listen more.
Now, I know that whatever I say, pulls strength. And it can go to hurt or go to cure. My words can heal now. My words can also wound. So, I try as much as possible to listen more and talk less. Most importantly, I now accept people the way they are and not complain, because you get to see a lot everyday.
You get to see people who are real. You get to see people who are fake. You get to see liars. You get to see people who play upon your intelligence. You get to see people who tend to take advantage of your being friendly for granted.
In all of that, you have to learn to beg God for the gift of discernment everyday, which God has given me. So, I don’t have any issues with anybody.
I just live my life everyday as it comes. So, I learn to listen more and talk less.
