The unveiling of Building Beyond You, the latest book by beauty entrepreneur and founder of House of Tara, Tara Fela-Durotoye, drew a gathering of business leaders, friends and associates who converged to celebrate what many described as a milestone in entrepreneurship discourse and legacy building.

The event, which held during the week, centred on reflections around sustainable enterprise, leadership structure and the challenge of building organisations that can outlive their founders.

The book documents Fela-Durotoye’s entrepreneurial journey and presents practical insights on creating structured, scalable and profitable businesses.

Throughout the programme, a series of panel discussions explored themes such as business continuity, institutional leadership and the importance of systems-driven entrepreneurship.

Speakers engaged in conversations that highlighted both the emotional and technical dimensions of building enduring enterprises.

Welcoming guests in a black and brown corporate outfit, Fela-Durotoye described her personal journey and entrepreneurial identity as deeply rooted in community and connection.

She said, “Someone described me as a gatherer and another person described me as a community person, and that is me through and through.

That is one of my superpowers — the ability to gather people. I genuinely love people.“It all started on campus where I was an entrepreneur and a law student, but the conversation around building structure and systems was one I wish I had at the time. Unfortunately, that was not the case, but I am grateful to God that I eventually found my way.”

A major highlight of the event was the participation of business leader and former First Bank of Nigeria chairperson, Ibukun Awosika, who authored the foreword of the book and reflected on her experience observing Fela-Durotoye’s professional evolution.

She said, “It is a joy to see her. Fela and I had front row seats for parts of the journey. The transition comes with fear — giving it all up, handing it over and not being sure what will happen later.“One thing I like about Tara, which I always say, is that it is a pleasure to mentor people, but it is more important to mentor people who listen.”

The programme concluded with a meet-and-greet session, where guests engaged the author, presented gifts, exchanged goodwill messages and participated in photo sessions, marking a celebratory close to the unveiling.