With the mission of making good use of spaces, Ify Ighodalo, CEO of DO.II is creating global standards in the furniture industry using locally made materials. At the recent opening of the flagship furniture store in Victoria Island, Mrs Ighodalo, an Accountant with knack for aesthetics and space talks about her 32-year professional career journey which traversed accountancy to furniture manufacturing.
Agatha Emeadi
How did you get entangled in the furniture business?
I found out early enough that I have interest in my surrounding; then, I would paint my room, put throw-pillows, and add soft simple decoration for it to look better and when my friends visit and see the decoration, they would request that I come and do theirs. Meanwhile, as an undergraduate studying Accountancy, my parents had started an interior and furniture company in Enugu. Studying Accountancy was because I was a very good mathematics student; I was a first class mathematics student because I like numbers. I can crunch numbers like anything, but if you give me volumes to read, I might ignore it for some time, but once it is number, I will gladly solve it. I told my parents that I knew I was going into business, but I do not know the type, and have not decided. I began to appreciate interior as an undergraduate, I also tasted the banking profession as a Youth Corps member with First Bank, Abeokuta when I graduated.
My experience in the bank proved to me that it was a no-go area. My father tried every thing possible to get me into the banking industry, but I refused because I am a restless person and banking will bore me. When I graduated in 1981, and was through with the service year, I went to England for a year and met my darling husband Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer by profession; we came back together to Nigeria in 1984. I worked in my parents company a bit and started mine in 1987. We have grown as an industry and as a professional furniture and interior company. I became the last current vice president of Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN)
About the flagship store
DO.11 is the flagship store where clients see every bit of what we do, from design, ceiling, air conditioner, positioning to floors and toilets etc. This is a one-stop shop where you can get your office, bedroom, kitchen furniture, interior designs, and project management all in one place. The company is currently in a transition stage. We started out as Design Options 32 years ago, but transitioned to DO.11 seven years ago, but for strategic reasons we maintained the same premises which was a storey residential building on Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island. The move to this three-storey and a penthouse meant we moved from a space of 300 square meter, to a current space of over 1,300 square meters. it is a space four times what we had before. So, it is part of our transition because there has always been a vision for the company, we are the pioneers of this level and style of furniture manufacturing in the country. We have always tried to stay at the forefront of the business as leaders. For us, we are very critical. I have built a very strong and amazing team, from marketing to project, sales, production, logistic, they are all trained and we have three foundation members.
As a brand that is proudly African, creating made in Nigeria product, we create global standards but locally made. This is the way furniture is sold all over the world. We have always tried to style locally what happens globally. We focus on the manufacture of office and home accessories, as you can envisage. We work with wood, laminated wood, metal etc. We do not manufacture metal, but we are trying to sign up with a metal manufacturing company for cost effectiveness and time management. We work with fabric for sofas and chairs and gradually moving into leather and including window treatment. We have designed, created and delivered over 2,000 designed projects and sold over 5 million pieces of furniture. We have been transforming lives by creating beauty, style and comfort in the process. Our mission is to make your space come alive.
How did you come about the name DO.11?
I coined it from the company’s name Design Option and my own name Ifeyinwa Ighodalo.‘DO.11’, it is a brand on its own.
How have you been able to compete with foreign Brands?
I was brought up as the first son in my father’s house. If 10 men are standing, I will go and join them as the 11th man, that should not come into play. I must work to get the space ready at all costs. That was how I was brought up. My people know and see me work hard. On the issue of competing with foreign brands, from the day I started manufacturing, I could have just carried my hand bag and go into importation because I have had more than an ample opportunity to drop the manufacturing aspect and go into importation. Now I have enough space to bring three containers and off-load them here. But I am proud of the fact that we are producing mostly made in Nigeria with Nigerian materials except a few touches and fixes. I started manufacturing in 1987 because I found that locally manufactured goods cannot compete with the foreign products. From the day we started manufacturing was the day we started competing with foreign brands. Clients come here to see what we do and are amazed. Our creativity comes from the fact that we pay attention to details. Corporate bodies come to us for hospitality and my customers are discerning, they love quality and aesthetics. I have had clients who will call me to come carry my furniture because it has refused to go bad.
How do you carry out the (3 in 1) role’ wife, mother and an entrepreneur?
Grateful to Almighty God because of the fact that I have a most understanding husband. These are parts of what we tell the younger women folk, they should be trained to choose the right spouse and for our sons to be groomed to know how to treat women left in their care. My husband Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer was raised by a career working mother. His late mother, my late mother-in-law, Chief Mrs. Olayegbe Akintunde-Ighodalo who was the first female permanent secretary of the Western Region was a career woman. From experience, my husband understands what it means to marry a career woman. With that background, he is very understanding. In fact, he is my greatest fan, advocate, and markets me everywhere. Then, I do not take that for granted; I take care of my home front to the best of my knowledge and do not take his niceness for granted as well. It is my duty to look after my husband, find out what he needs, and get it ready. We are blessed with a child who has graduated from University of Manchester, England. Six years before she graduated, I flew back to back every three weeks to go check on her. Now, everything has just rhymed, my husband has an extended family which I helped to raise as well. I juggle a lot. I looked after my parents as the first girl, looked after my in-laws, my mother in-law was the first to pass on about 15 years ago, and I became Daddy’s first wife for years before he passed on. I used to make special soup every two days and send to my in-laws in Ibadan. I like making people happy. My greatest motivation is making people happy. It might be a coat of paint on the wall or throw-pillow, just anything that makes one happy. I am very conscious of my surrounding. I have been able to transform my own space and assisting others to do theirs with little details. If there is anything to say, my mother over- trained me, I am such a restless person. In my growing up years, I do not know a boy or a girl. My parents believed in training their children whether boy or girl.
How affordable are D0.11 global standard furniture?
We are affordable; there was a time people felt we are not affordable, we can do some premium things, but generally we are affordable especially to those who understand and appreciate styles.
How did you achieve a balanced lifestyle?
I achieved a balanced lifestyle long ago. All these healthy eating and balanced food are what I have done over the years. My mum until her death looked like she was in her 60s meanwhile she was 76. She used to do callisthenic then; I grew up with an exercising mother who forced me to eat enough vegetable. In my teens, I was one of the first Jane Fonder fanatics in the late 70s. Then, one of my brothers usually get worried that I was exercising, I told him if I do not do it now, when I need it I will not find it. I exercise to stay healthy and eat right; I eat fruits and vegetables first before I eat my meal. I also try to get enough sleep and create time for myself. Doctors said I have perfect cholesterol level. I might not be spiritual, but strongly believe in God and doing good. My husband and I have a very wonderful relationship with my daughter and extended family.
Are you a philanthropist?
I feel a need. We give out furniture to homes; we will do it towards the end of April.
Behind Ighodalo’s trademark ‘Turban’
My turban has become my trademark over the years. My mother used to wear turban when she was alive and I find it very comfortable.
What about the challenges you face as an entrepreneur?
As wonderful as my team is, there is no organization without its challenge. Human resource is a challenge, but we are making great stride with our training, facilitation and finance. The terrain complaint is power. We also have our raw material vendors who supply us, we do not run around looking for raw material.