Tara Fela-Durotoye @40!

Tara Fela-Durotoye is the founder and CEO of House of Tara International and creator of the Tara Orekelewa Beauty range, Inspired Perfume and the H.I.P Beauty range. Back in 1998, at the age of 20, whilst an undergraduate at university, she started House of Tara from her living room. A lawyer turned leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur; Tara is the pioneer of the bridal makeup profession in Nigeria. She launched the first bridal directory in 1999, set up international standard makeup studios and established the first makeup school in Nigeria. With over 3,000 reps and 21 stores spread across Nigeria and Africa to her name, this entrepreneur is relentlessly dedicated to realizing her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. She remains an inspirational role model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa. As she clocks the big 40 she speaks to Funke Babs-Kufeji about her journey so far and what to come as she begins her life at 40! Happy Birthday TARA! PHOTO BY ty bello

you started house of tara at age 21. What motivated you to go into makeup artistry?

I grew up with my step-mum who was very fashionable and also an artist. She always had her nails polished, her hair neatly done and wore makeup nicely; I would say her fashion sense influenced me more in making that decision

you are one of the pioneers in the nigerian makeup industry, how have you managed to stay relevant in the growing competitive makeup industry?

Strong brands are built in uniqueness, being recognizable and being consistent. As a trailblazer in an industry that didn’t exist, I was unique. The TARA name is the Tara logo and the symbol. It is a brand people find inspiring and has built a following by building people. We have branded the service delivery across the nation and branded a great quality of products and the promise of what it delivers. I was consistent in every expression. Tara stood for makeup either in delivering delightful experience to customers or creating quality products that people are proud to carry or creating makeup artists for the industry- I stay consistent.

With over 22-makeup studio around nigeria and africa, how are you able to keep track of your studios?

By having a good support system, putting structures and processes that work in place. good Internal control processes that checks in on all branches to ensure compliance to all policies and processes. So if a new staff comes in today there are already processes to guide them on a day to day basis. Constant training of staff gives us the synergy and consistency as well, so if you walk into any House of Tara branch nationwide you can see the consistency in attitude and ambience.

in recent times you have had issues with counterfeits of your makeup products, how are you dealing with the situation?

I always knew that the risk of running business in Nigeria is high but sometimes you do not know to what extent and counterfeiting came to me as a surprise. I sat at home one day and someone who knew me well sent me a message from China and cried as she saw that my products had been counterfeited and a Chinese person was asking her if as a Nigerian, she was interested in buying Tara. She knew I was not the one selling it because of the way the guy presented it to her. I saw that happen to many international brands and they

Unfortunately, I was not privy to the long-term goal setting module. I had set my goals based on seasons, phases, projects and years. I am glad I could achieve them as I went along. Fortunately, my life is about to begin, so I am hopeful that I will be able to set long term goals and achieve them.

were destroyed. many of them were not owned by Nigeria and Nigeria was not their major market and the proceeds from Nigeria were so little. But for a local brand like mine that was built in Nigeria that does business primarily in Nigeria it becomes a major problem for us as a business. The impact is that when we do an annual forecast, stock becomes stuck in the warehouse with monies tied down for a long period. As a business that plans to outlive its founder, counterfeiting creates the risk of destroying the longevity of the brand. There is now a major attack on the brand itself and it is almost near impossible to see the brand go faster. Also, because beauty products are on the list from the Central Bank of Nigeria that cannot access foreign exchange for purchase, it means that we would have to start manufacturing in Nigeria. This was a midterm plan for the business. If we currently are unable to move the volumes that we have currently out-source manufactured, how possible would it be to build the factory? There is the volume that needs to be sold, the need for the machines to run consistently. There is also the job opportunity that is lost because of the factory. It becomes a critical problem. I think the government needs to support businesses in terms of creating policies that look closely at businesses like ours, identify the challenges and create a structure that helps such businesses move from importing to manufacturing. I have always taught we had no competition; brands like MAC and maybelline are international brands and part of their brand proposition is that they are not owned by locals and could be purchased anywhere in the world. For us, our brand is one that promotes our culture, ethnicity and heritage. Also, it is ours as the brand had us in mind when it was created. It is also a brand that has empowered young women for financial independence. We were in a unique place as the brand propositions were different and we could stand despite the entrance of the international brands. But when you go into the market and you compete with yourself, there is a big problem. Today, we are competing head to head with Tara that is branded as the original. We are seeking regulators like NAFDAC, Nigerian customs, the office of the minster of Health to look at these issues more aggressively and see the importance that a company like House of Tara is playing. During the US recession, the government decided to ensure none of the big banks went under as they understood the impact it would have on the economy. This is a local brand, a Nigerian brand that created an industry that did not exist before and it becomes important that the government pays closer look to ensure this brand succeeds.

What will you say people should look out for, to know they are purchasing the real house of tara brand?

There is currently a temporary measure to identify the Original products; we currently have authentication barcodes on the powders and we urge our customers to scratch the panel and send the code to the short SMS code found on the panel. A response should come back, verifying that the product is authentic.

What measures do you think can be put in place to stop people counterfeiting your brand and makeup brands in general?

Our government would play a pivotal role in ensuring that there are checks and agencies that limits the inflow of counterfeit goods and protect the rights of the original owners of intellectual properties and products.

There is a chunk of counterfeit that is being fueled by demand; when demand is low, supply dies out naturally. Industry influencers can use their platforms to educate the consumers on the importance of buying original goods and saying NO to counterfeit, thereby reducing the demand for them

you recently berthed a new project called the TFD series what is it about and what do you hope to achieve with it?

The TFD series was a concept that was initiated by my mentor, mrs. Ibukun Awosika who wanted to spend time with ladies younger than me. She had seen the impact with the time she’d spent with me and felt she could give more by helping young women shape their purpose and live a full life; not just being successful at work but making the right choice for a spouse, wealth creation, management and more. When she expressed this desire, I decided to create a platform for her to do so and told 10 of my mentees to invite 10 people each in their network to come with their questions on various issues. We had over 70 people attend the first event which held on a monday and it was such an emotional, inspiring session. This is a busy woman with a tight schedule and the ladies appreciated it. The time spent flew so fast that we decided to create a second event which we made bigger, we had over 250 women. One of the greatest things about the TFD series is the ripple effect because people became more confident in public speaking and their confidence improved. We have had multiple events since then. The next one would be in December where her focus will be on investment and wealth creation as executives on entrepreneurs.

you are turning 40 tomorrow, what will you say has been your greatest achievement thus far?

I thank god for a happy marriage, healthy relationship and strong partnership. And also raising three teenage boys who are kind, thoughtful, intelligent and courteous. Being able to build a pace setting, game changing, industry enabling brand; a brand that created an industry that hitherto didn’t exist. The brand has over the years, garnered such good will and this was evident in the ‘I STAND WITH TARA’ campaign

Being able to build my personal brand, aside from the House of Tara brand and find my voice, find my audience and create tools to keep them engaged. This has given me the platform to invest in projects that are dear to me. For example, the TFD series, the Bride grooming academy mentorship platform and the launch of a website to facilitate these initiatives.

they say life begins a 40, what goals did you set for yourself before attaining this age and have you been able to achieve them?

unfortunately, I was not privy to the long-term goal setting module. I had set my goals based on seasons, phases, projects and years. I am glad I could achieve them as I went along. Fortunately, my life is about to begin, so I am hopeful that I will be able to set long term goals and achieve them.

you look amazing for your age, how have you been able to keep in shape and still look this good?

I wish I could say that I have been running for the past 20 years, been having my greens, yellow and reds. But that is not my claim. I owe it largely to great genes. Also in the past years I picked up some healthy habits like morning walks, cycling and swimming.

looking back, what life lessons have you learnt so far and hope to put into play in your 40’s?

The life lessons are so many to mention but I will highlight a few that come to mind… on marriage, the flame or fire of romance can be always be reawakened. As an entrepreneur, I have learnt to pat myself on the back and not to be too fixated on perfection but value the progress I have made and to take the time to stand and stare. As a homemaker, I have learnt those systems, scheduling, delegation and support network is critical in keeping it together. On mentorship, I have learnt that with the same token you receive the network, guidance and sponsorship; you should receive the rebuke and reprimand. As a person of faith, I have learnt that offence/unforgiveness is toxic. There is a saying that unforgiveness is like taking poison but expecting someone else to die. But beyond the physical effect of unforgiveness, it affects my relationship with god and I always say that my communion is at my center. Lastly, do you have any advice for women who want to build a brand like yours and want to keep a stable home? Find your purpose, stay true to your purpose and express your purpose through your vision.