Doyinsola Abike Okunola, born in Abuja, Nigeria in 1996, relocated to Ibadan in 2001, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Media Studies from the University of Ibadan. Passionate about business since childhood, she pursued a certificate in digital and consumer marketing from Lagos Business School and an online certification from Wharton University. Doyinsola founded Smileabelle, a haircare brand empowering women to embrace their hair’s beauty and dynamics through quality products and expert tips. Her motto: “Greatness lies within every individual, waiting to bloom.”

Our short interview with Doyinsola

• As a successful e-commerce entrepreneur, can you share your journey and experiences in navigating the dynamic landscape of online retail, particularly as a woman in the industry?

What you feel like selling is not necessarily what everyone feels like buying. (sometimes it’s possible though) Which then brings me to the essence of research & sampling the market with your product or service. You have a great idea, brilliant! Pen it down, work on it, learn from the mistakes, tweak the process, and keep making it better. And it’s safe to say that’s the whole gospel of E-commerce.

• How do you actively contribute to empowering women within the e-commerce sector, either through mentorship, partnerships, or other initiatives?

Smileabelle primarily as a brand is a women-centric brand, focused on inspiring and making women and girls feel confident in and with their hair. Now aside from the overall objective of the brand, we are also working towards, partnering with academic institutions including primary, secondary & Tertiary. To educate & empower younger girls on Body grooming and confidence. As the day unfolds, we’ll share more on this.

• E-commerce is continuously evolving. What innovations or trends do you see shaping the industry, and how can women entrepreneurs capitalize on these opportunities?

Logistics and Distribution E-commerce, especially the product-based niche, rides on the wings of Logistics and Distribution and this is not far-fetched looking at Sterling companies like DHL & Amazon. The industry is fast evolving and speed is your only advantage. How soon can you get your product in the hands of those who need it? That is the challenge and in it lies the opportunity as well.

• Are there particular niches or areas within e-commerce that you believe hold untapped potential for women entrepreneurs?

Drop-shipping and White Labeling amongst others. With the growing population within Nigeria and across the globe, people will always need and want something. Now it’s your responsibility as an entrepreneur to research what these needs and wants are and make them available to the people seamlessly.

• What advice would you offer to aspiring women entrepreneurs looking to start or scale their e-commerce ventures, based on your own experiences?

Customer-centricity, Quality Products, and Excellent Service can never go out of style. Dear entrepreneur, while you work on getting the best product and best service to sell, do ensure you also invest actively and heavily in being customer-centric and making the transaction process easy and seamless for your customer.