Tuesday, 19th March 2024
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Maxwell Oluwadarayo Adedeji: 8-year-old jeweller

Can we meet you? My names are Maxwell Oluwadarayo Adedeji. I am 8 years old and a primary IV pupil of Oakwood Montessori School, Ojomo Close, Bode Thomas, Lagos. What business or businesses do you do? I design and customise wrist wears for kids and adults. How did you start this business? I started this…

Maxwell Oluwadarayo Adedeji

Can we meet you?

My names are Maxwell Oluwadarayo Adedeji.

I am 8 years old and a primary IV pupil of Oakwood Montessori School, Ojomo Close, Bode Thomas, Lagos.

What business or businesses do you do?

I design and customise wrist wears for kids and adults.

How did you start this business?

I started this business shortly after a vocational training I had at summer coaching held at Oakwood Montessori School in 2017.

What made you go into this business or what is the motivation behind this business of yours?

I delved into the wrist wear business because I enjoyed coming up with new designs and the adults around me seemed to like them.

I also observed that they were an affordable alternative to buying wrist watches for kids and adults since they already tell the time with their tablets and phones.

What is the aim and vision of your business?

The aim of my business is to continue to provide fashionable and modern accessories for kids and adults and grow it into a clothing line and accessories line that makes kids look cool.

How was your training like; were you trained by professional?

I was trained by professional consultants that came to my school Oakwood Montessori school and then my aunty took me under her wings for further training on variety.

What problem is your business solving?

I observed that people feel better about themselves when they get compliments from other people.

My wrist wear are so unique that they make people compliment you and it then increases the self esteem of my customers and brightens their day.

I also observed that kids my age frequently damage expensive wrist watches their parents buy for them.

My wrist wears are affordable fashion pieces that act as alternatives.

As a young boy, how do you manage schooling and business?

My parents place priority on my schooling, so, I only make my wrist wears on weekends.

I try to make enough to sell for a week at least and then make new designs on the next weekend.

How do you see yourself, a company or an innocent boy with passion for business?

Right now, I see myself as a innocent boy with a passion for business.

Who are the target audience for your business?

Right now my wrist wears are designed for both young and older people, but I have sold more pieces to adults like my parents friends and my uncles and aunty’s who work and can afford them.

I have also sold some pieces to interested customers on my Instagram page .

Have you ever made money from any of your businesses?

Oh… yes! I make money from my wrist wears. They sell for between N1,000 -N2,000.

I haven’t started selling my artwork yet as I have been undergoing professional training for 6months and I don’t think they are ready to be sold yet. My Dad calls it product development.

Where do you get your motivation from and who are your role model?

My motivation comes from my parents who are both entrepreneurs and my role model is Leonardo da Vinci.

He was a scientist, an artist, an architect, an inventor and a very wise man.

Right now I am learning to draw abstract drawings but I want to make great portraits like the Mona lisa someday.

Where and how did you get your customers who patronize you?

My current customers are siblings of my parents, my grand parents, my parents friends and people who saw them wearing my wrist wears.

I have an Instagram page called maxdjeweler that advertises my wrist wears and some people place orders when they see designs that they like.

I make them and they pick up from my mum’s natural hair salon or we have a logistics company that delivers to the customers.

What do you feel makes your own brand stand out from others?

I believe people love my wrist wear stand out because they are not common. They are customized and fit perfectly.

I come up with most of the designs by myself so they get fashion through the eyes of a kid. I believe children are more imaginative than adults.

When you see other kids doing wonders in their different fields, do you feel motivated or lagged behind?

I feel very motivated and challenged. For example, when I read on the young boy Kareem that drew the French President Emmanuel Macron, I am challenged to someday do better when I am that age.

It’s motivated me to specialize in hyper realism art and murals after I finish my current training on still life art.

What are the tools you use for this business of yours?

My mum frequently purchases things from china ,so we look for unique wrist accessories like oriental beads and stoppers, strings, fishing line and pliers.

She is also helping me pick out some unique casing and display cabinets…as my Dad always says branding and perception is everything.

Which ones are you looking forward to purchase for even greater work piece?

I would like to have arabian leather, a special work desk with special lighting, better display cabinets and an e-commerce site.

Were you at any point discouraged, maybe by your parents, siblings, parents or pressure from studies?

I haven’t been discouraged so far. My parents are super supportive of my brother and I and they are my biggest fans and first customers in any business.

My time is very well managed and balanced by my parents, who ensure I have extra private tutoring in my academics 3 times a week and 4 days of extra tutoring shared between chess and arts

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself running 2 registered companies with many different products, specializing in accessories and clothing and the other 3 different types of art work- photographic art, murals and hyper realism.

I aim to have participated in an art exhibition and fashion exhibition by then.

I also would like continue to use my social media presence to encourage kids like myself out there

What other things are you skilled at doing aside businesses?

I love to play chess. I am one of the best chess players in my school even though I am just getting into year 4.

I have participated in two chess competitions and will be competing in another at Eko Hotel this month (August).

Any advice to kids with potentials out there?

Never give up and be ready to take risks and learn new things.

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