In 2019, I returned to Ilorin after a failed business venture in Lagos. As a young graduate who studied you accountancy I had this idea and I put everything I have into launching a digital marketing agency with two of my friends but things crashed down when one of them ran off with the money so I came back to home bitter, broke and embarrassed. I was so ashamed that I avoided people and stayed mostly indoors, unsure of what next to do with my life not until I met Tayo.
Tayo is the girl who sells puff puff like shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Her kiosk was right in front of our street junction in Tanke. Every morning, as I dragged myself to get bread or pap, I would see her standing behind a silver tray of golden puff-puffs, fresh and steaming while soft music played from her Bluetooth speaker. However, what caught my attention wasn’t the food but it was the long queue. Students, bike men and even bankers from the nearby microfinance office would line up at 7:30 a.m. sharp not just for the puff puff but for the experience. Tayo served her customers like a barista at a high-end coffee shop. She will greet and communicate to them in jovial ways like “Madam Chioma! Welcome o! You want am hot-hot or you dey rush?” or like “Broda Sodiq, I add extra two for that your big belle 😂”
That was her daily puff puff performance, and she was the star in making people feel good early in the morning, this drew my attention so I started buying from her regularly. One day, I engaged her in a conversation so I asked “Tayo, what’s your secret? Puff puff is everywhere, why is your own different?” She smiled showing her beautiful dimples and said “Simple na, I no just dey sell puff puff, I dey sell joy, I dey give people five minutes of happiness before dem face the wahala of the day"
Those her words of thought hit me like thunder. She told me how she suffered after losing her parents and dropping out of polytechnic due to fees, she had learned baking from a neighbour and decided to start small but unlike others who just fried and sold. Tayo however, studied her customers behavior, she noticed most people bought puff puff early in the morning either on their way to school or work so she started at 6:30 a.m., before most shops even open in the morning. She created different flavors for customers preferable tastes like cinnamon puff puff, peppered puff-puff, and even a strange but surprisingly tasty ginger one, she added a loyalty card system of buy 5 times and get the 6th free. She even opened a Instagram page where she posted funny morning skits with puff puff as the main content. People weren’t just eating, they were following her on her social media platforms.
That night, I sat in my room and thought deeply because here I was sulking over a failed agency while someone was turning fried puff puff into a brand. I remembered how good I was with content and strategy, oh maybe I do not need a big office or flashy website and maybe I just need to start again although small but smart. So, I decided to take a leaf out of Bisi’s book.
I began a freelancing brand on Instagram called “The Lovely Writer.” I offered short content writing for small businesses like captions, product descriptions and I charged ₦2,000 per piece and targeted vendors like Bisi, the people with good products but poor online presence. In order to market myself, I created a daily tip series called “Pepper Writing” breaking down copywriting methods using everyday Nigerian slang and scenarios. My audience loved it, before I could say Jack, referrals started rolling in and by the third month, I already have clients from Lagos, Benin and even one from Canada.
I also helped Tayo redesign her puff-puff page, created funny slogans like “Puff puff with purpose” and “one bite, buy with all your salary”, gradually her orders doubled. She expanded her menu and started delivering in branded paper bags.
I'm so grateful that today "The Lovely Writer" is a brand which pays my bills and gives me creative freedom. It is amazing to say that my financial breakthrough didn’t start from a seminar or YouTube video but it started at a puff-puff stand, watching a young woman named Tayo turn simplicity into strategy. I'm so glad I came back to Ilorin to meet this wonderful person whom I took a leaf from her book to become who I am today.
Thank you for staying with me this far, I hope you had a good read, see you next time 🤗
Noted: All pictures were generated on Meta AI
