“If I have dreamt it or thought about it, then God placed it, and it is not unattainable.”

I know I already did a spotlight on myself but someone recently said something that I kept replaying in my head. We were talking about Nelomania and this other big plan I have in the works, and a friend had asked me how I thought up the concept. I went down the whole history and another friend said, “You’re hungry.” I asked what she meant and she said there’s a drive in me she’s only seen in hungry people, and I thought that was the funniest thing I had heard in a while because it’s true.

There’s a belief I hold dear and that is if I have dreamt it or thought about it, then God placed it, and it is not unattainable. While I think the “hunger” was something instilled in me by God, I also know the women in my family watered it until it bloomed.

I come from a line of women who make things happen. My mom, who somehow juggles a million things with grace and doesn’t crumble under pressure. My aunt who built one of the top hair brands in Nigeria (if not number one) and runs a jewelry brand on the side like it’s nothing. Another auntie who is the global head of ETF capital markets and broker/index relations at Vanguard, casually operating at a level that still blows my mind. There’s one who started her own skincare line in the US, another who owns a huge restaurant, and others who simply excel quietly in their professions, reminding me that success doesn’t always need to announce itself.

Each of them, in their own way, taught me that excellence can look different — but it always starts with courage. I grew up watching them: how they moved, how they spoke, how they handled setbacks. None of them waited for permission. They created their own lanes, and that’s something I carry with me every single day. I think that’s where the “hunger” really comes from — seeing women who refuse to play small and realizing that I don’t have to either.

It’s not just about ambition; it’s about legacy. About wanting to build something that would make them and future mini-mes proud, but also something that feels like me. When I work on Nelomania, I think about how they built what didn’t exist yet, how they turned their ideas into something tangible or improved what was already there. That’s what keeps me going, even when I’m tired or unsure.

And honestly, I’m still learning from them, how to balance drive with patience, confidence with humility, hunger with gratitude. But one thing I know for sure: the women in my life didn’t just show me what’s possible. They made me believe that it’s inevitable.