Today we’d like to introduce you to Titilayo Olurin

Hi Titilayo, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

I started my business, That Awesome Brand, in 2022. It started as this feeling I had of being awesome. At that time, I was feeling really awful about myself and thought of myself as unloved, unattractive, unskilled, even unintelligent, because of some things I had gone through and was going through. But then, one day, I just started to feel awesome and this feeling developed into a great idea that I was going to do something awesome for women. So it was that my loungewear business, That Awesome Brand, was birthed. My pieces are designed to make women look and feel awesome. That Awesome Brand is much more than loungewear, though, as you’ll soon discover.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It hasn’t been a smooth road. There is the issue of manufacturing that I have had to deal with. There is also the lack of support, both emotional and mental, from people you expect to be in your corner. But my biggest challenge so far is financial. I did not realise how hard it would be to start a business. It’s difficult sourcing for funds, especially when you are doing it all by yourself and do not have partners or organizations to look to for financial support. But I have started, and that, I must say, is the first and biggest step.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I own a business known as That Awesome Brand. As my tagline says “Be Awesome!”, the idea is to make women look and feel awesome in their clothes. I want to present women with choices, the choice to wear loungewear on a datenight on a Saturday and to wear it to the office on a Monday, the choice to pair a piece of loungewear with different fashion items or accessories, the choice to wear bright sunny colours to the beach and to wear warm cool colours to sleep, the choice to pick from many different awesome inscriptions that my pieces have to offer. I want to make women look as good as they feel and feel as good as they look. Above all, I want women to be constantly reminded of how awesome they are when they wear my loungewear pieces.

So, I guess, you can call me a businesswoman or an entrepreneur. But I am first a writer. I am currently working on a collection of short stories, which I hope to have published next year. Fingers crossed! I am also pursuing a PhD in English at the University of Ibadan, where I previously obtained a Master’s degree in the same course. Obtaining a Master’s degree in English was no mean feat, and now, a PhD! I am incredibly proud of myself.

Of course, I am proud of my business, too. It stands out from other loungewear businesses because it is not just loungewear. It is loungewear with style. Plus, I am not only focused on loungewear but also on loungewear accessories. I hope to include other fashion accessories and beauty products in my business in future. Watch this space!

I am also the creator of Toastline with TeeTee, an Instagram community that is centred on love, relationships, dating, romance and family. I am obsessed with family. I do a bit of matchmaking on there too.

And I recently discovered my passion for motorcycling. I’m glad I finally pushed past my fears and decided to learn how to ride this year. I do not own a motorcycle, though. I cannot afford it, and I am not sure I will be able to afford it anytime soon. But I am glad that I have been able to learn how to ride and can ride occasionally whenever I get the chance.

How do you think about luck?

I don’t believe in luck. While I’ll admit that some people seem super lucky and seem to be on lucky streaks every now and again, I’d rather believe in God’s grace and favour than mere luck.

I have had my fair share of ups and downs in life and in business. There have been ups, when I have felt so exceptional and unstoppable. At such times, I achieve so much, like a speeding train that keeps going without slowing down. There have been downs too, when I have doubted myself and my capabilities. During these times, no matter how hard I try, I just do not seem to succeed. Experiencing these downs, though, does not mean that I am unlucky or anything of that sort. It just means that there are times and seasons. Times and seasons, is all!

And you know, I have learnt over the years that there is always a light at the end of a tunnel. So, when there’s a down now, I know there’ll come an up.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatawesomebrand/

Image Credits

That Awesome Brand