How It All Started
When I was small, my mom would always make our hair and also make bead crafts for us (She wasn't doing it as a business, just for my siblings and I) and I just liked being around her. I wasn't really watching carefully, just enjoying the moment and talking to her. Over time, I picked up what she was doing. By the time I got to secondary school, I started making the same things. At first, I did it for my friends for free. But then neighbors and other people started asking me to make bead jewelries and hair for them. That's when I started charging a little bit of money. But honestly, I wasn't doing it to get rich. I just liked doing it for fun because the money wasn't even needed at the time, my mum would always provide for our needs selflessly. Not that we were so rich but we can always afford everything and anything we needed without stress.
When University Changed Things
My mom told me to stop when I got into university. She didn't want me to get too focused on making money and lose my studies. So I stopped and just focused on school for my first year. But then something bad happened in my family. We lost our financial balance and things got really tough. My family needed help, and I had to find a way to support myself and pay for school.
Back To Hair Styling
That's when I went back to making #hair and also rendering services by helping people with their assignments and also some few tutorials here and their. It wasn't easy at all. I had classes to attend, exams to study for, and customers waiting for me to make their hairs.
Many nights I only got 2 hours of sleep because I will also have to take and revise courses for the people I take tutorials, to prepare them for their papers. I had to work even when I was tired because I needed the money for food, school fees, hostel fees and everything else. Balancing school and work was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But I did it because I had to.
Where I Am Now
This journey taught me so much. It showed me that I want to work for myself and not depend on anyone. I don't want to work under somebody else. Through the money I made and supports from my mother, I was able to help myself with some books and professional courses on business strategy and management, acquired some other skills and did some professional courses on them, I did all of these just so I will be able to stand fit and firm to turn my side hustle into real business.
Am equally glad I was able to assist my family and likewise my siblings too aren't idle so surviving was sort of fair and not totally dependent on our parent or a particular child, we all collectively united to assist our parents. Life wasn't easy, and some days were really hard. But I am grateful for how it shaped me. I am not where I want to be yet, but I am proud of how far I have come. This struggle made me who I am today.
