How Ruff ‘n’ Tumble CEO, Adenike Ogunlesi started her clothing business from one store to over 15 stores spread across Nigeria

Inspiring stories of success can sometimes be all you need to take that great step towards achieving your goal.

The only true thing that’s stopping you from self-fulfilment is fear, and the mastery of fear, not its evasion, will make your life a true success story for everyone to learn from.A lot of activities happen everyday.

People head to work, take walks, go the market, hit the gym, stop at restaurants to have a meal or two, and do several other things. In the middle of all these, was a woman trying to sell some clothes from the boot of her car.

While extremely few people who may have seen her ply her trade in the mid-90’s might remember her humble beginnings, many who passed her by would never have had a clue that the lady selling the items from that car boot, could someday grow the business into a multi-million dollars venture.

This inspiring success story is about the struggles, rise, and triumph of Adenike Ogunlesi, the founder and CEO of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble.

Adenike Ogunlesi, is the founder, CEO, and manufacturer of the Nigerian babies and kiddies clothing line called Ruff ‘n’ Tumble. The brand currently has a minimum of 15 stores spread across Nigeria.

As Adenike Ogunlesi went head-on into her new small business, she started to observe the market trends that surrounded kiddies items. She soon realised that most of the items in the markets were not trendy, and the combination of clothing in one pack for a purchase was never truly beneficial to the mother purchasing the items. Armed with this knowledge, she set to grow her business, while covering the flaws of the market, through her brand. 

She hired a couple of tailors to start local manufacturing of her clothing, which was initially sold through a supermarket. She later setup her own store with her personal savings and a loan from her elder brother. After a good turnover one Christmas, she expanded her store within the same premises, and this was where real growth began.

She started to read, so she could expand her knowledge. This eventually led her to attend a course on customer experience and supply chain management. Not long after, she opened a second store, then a third store, and eventually a fourth in Abuja. Overtime, she eventually setup stores in Port Harcourt, Ibadan, and Kano.

Conclusively, her long-term brand, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, which manufactures children clothing, today employs over 200 people, and has grown to add two more clothing brands, named, NaijaBoysZ and Trendsetters to their collection.

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