We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Omobola Imoisili. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Omobola below.
Hi Omobola, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
When I started my business, I was selling t-shirts and other merchandise centered around a character from a children’s book I wrote, Feyi Fay. I sold a few products but not a lot. It became apparent that to propel my business to the next level, I needed to make a significant change.
So, I decided to take a risk. I decided to reinvest the proceeds from book and merchandise sales into the creation of a unique toy inspired by one of the characters from my book. This innovative product was a solar-powered car kit that allowed children to construct their very own working solar-powered cars. I knew nothing about the toy business and even less about solar energy but I dove in heads first to make it happen.
This decision marked a turning point for my business. Before long, a local retail store invited me to conduct workshops where groups of children could assemble these solar-powered cars together. This initial success led to me offering workshops in my first school, which, in turn, evolved into the development of various afterschool enrichment classes where kids could build an array of exciting toys, including walking dinosaurs, hologram projectors, army tanks, voice-activated trucks, and much more.
I now work with multiple schools, small groups such as Girl Scout troops, Los Angeles County Parks, and various other organizations to provide STEM classes for children across the Los Angeles area. These classes have proven to be so enjoyable that we have even hosted a number of them for birthday parties! In addition, I have introduced a subscription box service, delivering children a box filled with STEAM projects similar to those offered in my classes. However, with each box, children also have the opportunity to learn fascinating facts about Africa.
These classes now make up most of our company’s revenue. It’s incredible to reflect on how it all began with a single leap of faith and a little solar-powered car.
Omobola, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Welcome to a world where children’s imaginations run wild, where creativity is sparked, and problem-solving is nurtured. My name is Omobola and I’m on a mission to create toys, books, and classes for kids that go beyond the ordinary. We’ve got cultural books about fairies, kits for kids to build solar-powered cars, classes where kids build walking dinosaurs and hologram projectors, and loads more.
But what sets us apart at Teni & Tayo is our commitment to infusing African influences into many of our products.
When I’m not busy designing exciting STEM and other enrichment classes for kids, I’m dreaming up innovative ways to teach kids cool new things about Africa using hands-on activities. I am from Nigeria, so this is important to me. With so many myths and misunderstandings about Africa out there, our subscription box and toys give kids the opportunity to explore different sides of the continent and hear untold stories. It’s all about preparing young minds to be amazing global citizens, one creative activity at a time.
But we don’t stop there. At our core, we’re all about making a positive impact. So, with every subscription box our customers buy, we give back! We donate to provide education, nourishment, safety, and more to those who need it most on the African continent and in the African diaspora. It’s not about the size of the difference, it’s about the heart behind it – and together, we’re making a world of change, one box at a time.
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
Today, our main revenue stream is our STEM after-school enrichment classes. Interestingly, these classes originally started as an additional income stream but evolved into a significant revenue generator. Our classes are now available in multiple schools, available to small groups like Girl Scout troops, and we are expanding further. I’m proud to say that kids rate our Build a Toy Workshop as their “best enrichment class EVER.” Those are not my words… that feedback was taken straight from the mouths of the kids who attend our classes.
We also offer some of our STEM toys as a one-time purchase, which works well for people who are not able to come to a class or for people who just want to buy the toys as a gift for the children they know. Some of our toys are even in a few mom-and-pop retail stores giving our brand extra exposure and credibility.
Finally, we offer a subscription box service where kids receive a box of STEAM projects that teach them about Africa, plus I visit schools virtually and in person to tell interactive African folktales and to talk about my children’s books.
Having these various sources of revenue has definitely helped my business stay afloat. There have been times when one revenue stream wasn’t doing so well but we are able to keep our doors open because we had other streams of income to rely on. I would advise all business owners to look into having different revenue streams or channels to sell their products or services. You never know when another COVID will come around.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When I first started my social media journey, I wanted to get as many followers as possible. The number of followers I had was what I viewed as my marker of success. I asked people to follow me. I joined follow trains where you follow someone, and they follow you in return. I paid to have my content posted on other people’s pages. All these things brought me some followers, but none of them brought me engaged followers and they certainly didn’t bring me followers that converted into customers.
So, I stopped focusing on the number of followers and started to focus more on the value I could provide to my followers. In addition to posting business content, I started creating 1-minute educational videos to share interesting facts about Africa. This helped me to promote my subscription box that teaches kids about Africa while also providing value to the viewer. People enjoyed learning about Africa through my videos and soon my following and engagement increased.
So now, I do not focus on the number of followers that I have. I focus on providing value so that I can create a community of engaged followers that will eventually turn into customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teniandtayo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teniandtayo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teniandtayo
- Other: https://www.africainacrate.com/