We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ozi Igbokwe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ozi below.
Alright, Ozi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
As my snails hibernate, I’m taking my biggest risk yet. I’ve assembled a dream team to pitch a nature-inspired public art concept, featuring the musical talents of Salif Bamakora and Dianna Lopez – the playlist to my meditation practice – and the visionary Raphael Treza. To be an artist is to have the audacity to claim one’s true calling. Wish me luck!
My vision extends beyond just physical spaces. I’m developing a platform to share our learnings and connect with a global community interested in sustainable living and holistic wellness. Through these initiatives, I hope to inspire others to embark on journeys of self-discovery and community building.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My journey as a risk-taker began with Mama ke ukwu, my paternal grandmother – a tiny but mighty force in our Nigerian village of Amuzi. Her bold decision to send my father to seminary school set in motion a chain of events that led to my existence and, unexpectedly, to my current role as an escargot monger in the lush Texas Hill Country.
But, one does not simply decide to become an escargot farmer. Twenty years ago, my mentor Anitra Blayton planted a creative seed in me, but familial expectations pushed me towards a more conventional path. I tried nursing school, quite depressed as that precious seed lay dormant.
It wasn’t until I became a mother of three that I rediscovered my voice through storytelling. Preaching perseverance to my kids ignited a desire to embody those values myself. I transitioned from working as an oil and gas Landman into software design and have worked for Fidelity Investments, Affinity Bands, and Jeep; all while launching health and wellness side hustles where I got to flex my design skills as a co-founder of ELXR Co and Chill Jane.
My transition is, in large part, thanks to generous benefactors at The Gatehouse Program. It was the perfect incubator for my next risk— buying the property. On the land, nature became my muse, with plein air painting evolving into a meditative practice. Surrounded by puppies, goats, and wild snails, I found inspiration for my next venture: Mama KuKu’s Homestead, where we’re bringing this culturally-relevant delicacy to the thriving DFW metroplex.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My personal goal of practicing holistic self-care through physical, mental, and spiritual wellness is my primary driver.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Anitra Blayton loaned me “Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers” by Leonard Koren. From it, I realized that art needn’t be so precious– secreted away from the world in order to attain an arbitrary measure of perfection. It freed me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mamakukuhomestead.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamakukuhomestead/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oziigbokwe/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mamakukuhomestead
