Monday motivation
Every once in a while we need a little motivation to keep us going. Here’s a little motivation from a young millennial, Thriving in business, impacting her world and inspiring other people around her!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Mercy Emmanuel. I hail from kogi state. Igala by tribe. I’m a 5ft6 (tall girl ish lol). First of three children and only girl. I’m a caterer, singer, a communicator and a human being.
How did you enter into the world of entrepreneurship and What inspired you to opt for a business in the line of catering? 
Making money has always been a thing for me. I mean, who doesn’t? But primarily, making an impact in the world tops the cake. So growing up i realized i had a thing for food(you can call me a foodie). So i decided to add value via catering. Not just your regular put together food, but fingers, chops, specially curated and intricately designed to suit our clients need and occasion. So a little twist here and there along side some series of learning, i decided to come into the business world in the year 2015.
How long have you been building your brand and how has it been so far? 
Mix ‘n’ Fries officially started in 2015 and of course it takes a lot of hard work and tenacity to grow a business in this part of the world. But so far so good, we’ve been getting positive responses and patronage from the public which goes to say we’re definitely doing something right.
What are your greatest joys and challenges so far as the CEO of mix n fries? 
Well I’d say having satisfied clients come back over and over again with huge referrals and reviews of course would be one of my greatest joys. Hmmmmm…i can’t say so much for challenges. I can’t place any at this point.
Your are also a household name in the world of music, an amazing singer and minstrel, how do you manage this along side your business?
Overtime I’ve learned to prioritize work and stuff, plus i have a great team i work with, so my absence has little or minimal impact on the business.
How are you able to stay consistent ?
Focus basically,… I know my goal, why I’m in business and I’m dedicated to seeing it actualized.
What are your greatest professional strengths? 
Uhh..I’d say it’s my ability to work under pressure.
What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
My weakness would be that when i have a task, i see to it that it’s completed regardless, there’s basically no stopping till I’m done
What are your hobbies?
I’m a sucker for good movies, intellectual books, i love soccer and of course I’m a foodie.
How do you manage your time as an entrepreneur?
I’m great at multi tasking.
How long did it take before you started seeing profit? 
You know in business, you don’t make profit immediately. It takes a period of time to break even and make profit. So for my business, we already had customer base from family and friends, so profit started rolling in from the second year.
What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs who look up to you?
My advice would be to do what you love passionately and make sure there are no loop holes. Also, do what you do differently and uniquely such that it would be impossible or seemingly difficult to find someone who can take your place.
