Morenike Ogunnowo is a writer, a business coach, an intentional living advocate, and the founder of Peak Point School of Business and Management as well as Paragon Pearl Initiative. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about her business journey, career, books and humanitarian work.
AS a child, who/what did you want to become? And, is that who/what you are now?
As a child, I wanted to become a high-profile businesswoman with a chain of superstores. I may not have major chain-stores as I had thought as a child, but I’m currently positioned in a role that is strategic in nature and key to success of a business. My interest of becoming a financial auditor came a few years into my ICAN examinations, and I was happy that I could start my career post-NYSC as an auditor before I later proceeded to be a financial/business management person.
How would you describe your current passion for business?
I have always been a quiet but industrious person, even while growing up. I have always loved to turn a naira to another one, an attribute I guess was unconsciously picked from my parents. That made me venture into several small businesses, even when I was progressing on my education at that time.
Fast-forward to when I got married, I had to look for what I could do to augment my income while building my career. My motive later changed, which made me redefine my purpose in business as a means to support other women who don’t have as much opportunities and knowledge as I had to pull myself through business.
What qualifications/certifications do you have as a business woman?
I completed my professional examination with the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) while in the university, and that helped me to be more positioned for the career path after I finished my NYSC.
Before I started ICAN, I had a big picture in mind that I would impact my generation for good and make my parents proud, but the how was not clear because of my humble background. My interactions with my future-minded course-mates and ICAN colleagues as well as my love for reading and personal development, helped me to sharpen my lens for the opportunities that were out for me and helped me to journey in the right direction.
Also, I’m a certified member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), in the UK. I’ve a diploma in Marketing, a B.Sc in Business Administration, and I’m a Fellow of ICAN.
How did these certifications contribute to your career and personal development?
I think it is just grace that I walked in the path that helped the status I attained today. My professional experience as an auditor with KPMG Professional Services for almost six years exposed me to the real business world, as I’ve to work on different businesses and manage different people. My current role in Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Ltd, where I have worked for almost seven years, till date, and currently positioned as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has further sharpened my strategic planning and implementation skill, financial management skill and leadership skill, amongst others.
So, I will say my education, practical experiences, and continuous learning and development trainings I engaged in over the years contributed to my career and personal development.
You pride yourself as a business coach. In what ways do you provide this coaching service?
As a business management expert and coach, I have a simple-to-read book (Break the Hustle Barrier) with practicable ideals for SME business owners. I grant strategic session to those who can create the time on-site or online, conduct lectures online and off-line on business-related tips and topics of concern to clients. The set of people who patronise our coaching classes are new start-ups and existing business owners, working class entrepreneurs, and potential retirees.
You are the founder of Peak Point School of Business and Management. Briefly tell us about it and why it is needed in today Nigeria.
The Peak Point School of Business and Management is a registered organisation dedicated to providing business knowledge that will help business owners and corporate staff attain sustainable growth.
With the increasing number of SMEs that get registered on a daily basis and the graduates now being encouraged to have entrepreneurial mindset to make a living in the current Nigerian tough economic circumstances, there is increasing need for the right business education to be provided at a considerable rate, and to ensure that Nigerian businesses improve the value of our economy.
What major courses does the school offer?
Categories of our courses centre on Building Entrepreneur Mindset, Business Strategy Development and Management, Business Structure Development and Management, Finance, Financial Planning and Management, and other business leadership impacting skills and seminars.
A lot of businesses either failed at inception or are not operating at their full potentials. Our intention is to bridge this gap through adequate knowledge.
As a business coach, how would you rate President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in terms of ease of doing business and youth empowerment?
There are lots of policies and economic directions that are not synchronizing to an efficient environment for businesses to thrive in Nigeria. Beyond fund, I also feel there is the need to sensitise more idea creators with the right business education that will encourage efficient operation. The current state of the economy really needs a synergy between private and public institutions to get out of the situation we are in now, and there is the need to set the right tone from the top. The youth have great ideas, but they need good backing of right policies and environment to implement these ideas in such a way that will help us grow our economy.
You are the founder of Paragon Pearl Initiative. What is the initiative about and what category of people does the initiative reach out to?
The aim of the initiative is to engage women and youths on activities that will help them attain clarity regarding their God-given purpose through periodic workshops, summits and events to help them to stay off crime and social vices. Our SDGs of focus are SDGs 4 and 8.
You are a writer. Briefly tell us about your books and the inspirations behind them.
I published two life-impacting books in the first quarter of 2021. ‘Break the Hustle Barrier – Growing Your Business from Mere Hustle to A Profitable Venture’ is a business book that helps to re-engineer the mindset of business owners. My desire to bridge the knowledge gap between large-scale entrepreneurs and ‘hustlers’, such that stakeholders in businesses can speak same language that will create enabling environment for businesses to thrive, is one of the reasons I chose to write the book.
On the other hand, ‘My Story, My Strength – Breaking the Hold of Limiting Mindset to Reach the Top’ is an inspirational book. In this book, I share some of my stories and certain principles that helped me to live above factors that could have limited me. The book details my continuous desire to impact the lives of many, especially the younger generation.
You pride yourself as an intentional living advocate. What is intentional living, and what are its benefits to the individual?
Intentional living is a conscious attempt to live according to one’s values and beliefs. Intentional living will help the individual to understand the concept of personal discovery by consciously defining, analysing and optimising their strengths and weaknesses. It will help the individual to be true to themselves and appreciate their uniqueness, first for the good of personal development and in extension to support the environment they live in. There are many ways we can adopt intentional living to create peace and development in the society we found ourselves.
Briefly describe your work on women empowerment.
Our NGO, though at a young age, has empowered women to be able to improve knowledge that will help them scale their personal worth and economic stands through programmes and certain financial support to a few of them. Like I said earlier, I also created a platform that encourages women who are looking for sources of income through distribution of fashion items. My motive is to encourage women and youths to be more supportive to the society and to their homes financially. I also use that as an opportunity to practically teach the concept of business.
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Apart from Peak Point School, Paragon Pearl, and writing, what other businesses/engagements occupy your time? What major challenges do you encounter juggling these engagements?
I am into life and business speaking engagement, executive personnel of my current employer, executive officer in some associations, a wife of gospel carrier, and a mother of four children. I can say that I don’t always have it all figured out at all times, but I’ve always optimised my time management skill and seek for support where needed. These two factors, time and people, continue to be major challenges that I manage every day.
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How do you manage the stress from your many engagements? And how does your husband help you in this regard?
I create time to rest and to do something different from these engagements. My husband has always been a blessing and very supportive at all times.
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