Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Go with your passion!

February 26, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Tara Fela-Durotoye, founder & ceo, House of Tara (Nigeria) — **Tara Fela-Durotoye**, founder & ceo, House of Tara (Nigeria)

Go with your passion when deciding what business to launch....

"Getting into the beauty industry was a decision to take what I had and what I was passionate about as a platform to build an enterprise. I am passionate about building a business that is sustainable and using beauty as its expression .... The focus was on doing what I loved, which is, making women beautiful."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20 from her living room whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today House of Tara has 19 studios in 11 states starting a chain reaction that has produced over 3,500 makeup artists. It has also empowered over 4000 young women in tertiary institutions with the Tara Orekelewa beauty representatives' initiative that makes them financially independent, improves their self esteem while building their marketing and entrepreneurial skills.

Quote of the Day by Tara Fela-Durotoye

December 5, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"If you start to see more successful businesses that are playing on a global level, the story of Africa will begin to change"

- Tara Fela-Durotoye founder of House of Tara (Nigeria)

Quote of the Day by Tara Fela-Durotoye

November 27, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"What drives me is living purpose. I think my business is a vehicle to change lives."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye founder of House of Tara (Nigeria)

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Find people that fit and add value to your business

September 5, 2017 Melanie Hawken

You must find people that fit and add value to your business ....

".... you need to attract people that will add value at a sustained level. In terms of people again, not everyone is going to be with you from start to finish. As the business grows, seasons will come where some people don’t fit for the new season. It is not an easy exercise but it must happen."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 5,000 representatives spread across Nigeria and 14 makeup schools to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Quote of the Day Tara Fela-Durotoye

July 21, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"Mentorship is important and you can’t go wrong if you are counselled rightly from someone who is indeed worthy to be called a mentor."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: How do you handle competition?

June 9, 2017 Melanie Hawken

How do you handle competition? ....

"For House of Tara, our drive has never been to be number one out of a thousand, we never aspired to be better than anyone else, we have always aspired to be us and stay true to who we are. I believe that as long as we are tied to our overall purpose, it will determine how successful we have become and how successful we are."

Is your favorite lipstick fake? Africa's leading beauty entrepreneur Tara Fela-Durotoye launches campaign to tackle counterfeiting

March 5, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Tara Fela-Durotoye, Founder & CEO of House of Tara International — **Tara Fela-Durotoye**, Founder & CEO of House of Tara International

Leading African beauty industry entrepreneur, Tara Fela-Durotoye, together with other leading Nigerian entrepreneurs are raising their voices to stand against counterfeiting, intellectual property theft and piracy in Nigeria. Their powerful new campaign 'United We Stand' aimed at tackling piracy, counterfeiting and intellectual property theft head-on launched on 24th February 2017. The campaign is a call to action against injustice which also implores the Nigerian public to take extra steps to preserve hard work and to ensure consumer safety by buying genuine products and shunning counterfeit products.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Discover your unique purpose driven mission

April 13, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Discover your unique purpose driven mission....

"Find yourself, your purpose in life. Don’t just get a job, do something that is tied to a purpose. Even if you get a job, let it be tied to a purpose .... I am learning every day that this is not just about making money or turning a profit. There are people who need my call and my assignment and I need desperately to answer to their voices."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Quote of the Day

February 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

"There are certain things telling you that you cannot make it; that you will not make it; that Nigeria is not a place where people make it. I beg to differ."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Tara Fela-Durotoye - Africa's beauty industry trailblazer featured on CNN African Voices

January 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Tara Fela-Durotoye, founder and CEO of House of Tara International, Nigeria — **Tara Fela-Durotoye**, founder and CEO of House of Tara International, Nigeria

Source: CNN African Voices | January 26, 2015

Tara Fela-Durotoye is founder and CEO of House of Tara International, a household name in her native Lagos, her company develops makeup, perfume and accessories all created specifically to meet the needs of Africa's beauty market. Learn more about this inspiring woman entrepreneur who is rapidly developing her pan-African cosmetics and beauty training brand in this fascinating interview.

House of Tara: Nigerian beauty brand founded by Tara Fela-Durotoye launches in Kenya

December 4, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Tara Fela-Durotoye (centre) at the Kenyan launch of House of Tara — **Tara Fela-Durotoye** (centre) at the Kenyan launch of House of Tara

Source: Capital FM Kenya | December 2, 2014

House of Tara International, a Nigerian beauty and cosmetics brand founded by Tara Fela-Durotoye launched its products in the Kenyan market as part of its continental expansion strategy. House of Tara has developed makeup products with international standards that are tailor made for the African woman by an African woman.

Tara Fela-Durotoye - The startup story of a home-grown Nigerian make-up brand that sparked a revolution

December 4, 2014 Melanie Hawken

More than ten years ago, House of Tara founder Tara Fela-Durotoye, sparked a revolution that reverberated across Nigeria, creating a powerful corporate brand, a range of interesting makeup and skincare lines aimed at women of colour, and setting up Nigeria’s first make-up school.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: You can build big things from small beginnings

November 11, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You can build a big business from small, humble beginnings....

".... As an undergraduate, while I was still in school I started a business. I started with just fifteen thousand Naira. It is less than the cost of a Blackberry phone. Today, House of Tara has over 3,000 Sales Representatives across Nigeria. House of Tara has offices in 25 States in this country. In Abuja alone, we have two branches. We are in Kaduna, Kano, Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Abuja, etc. My company is big."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Africa's Top 100 Young Business Leaders List Features 7 Women Entrepreneurs

November 5, 2014 Melanie Hawken

This month, the Choiseul Institute of France has just published its inaugural list of Africa’s 100 Most Promising Young Business Leaders Under the Age of 40, and making the rankings are seven women entrepreneurs, our Lionesses of Africa.

Quote of the Day

October 18, 2014 Melanie Hawken

"When you teach a woman how to apply her make-up, you also help repair her self-esteem or re-assure her of her beauty and relevance."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: My top advice to any aspiring entrepreneur - Stay true to yourself

October 7, 2014 Melanie Hawken

This is the most important advice I always give out ....

"Stay true to yourself, stay true to what you are trying to achieve, otherwise you get distracted. Side comments, how people think you should do things, and I think that everyone wants to hear their own voice so you need to stay true to yourself. Before you come out of your house you have to decide, yes this is what I want to do. You still need counsel but you should be able to apply counsel to your own decision to be able to take insightful steps."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Build an enduring business that has spin-off benefits for other entrepreneurs

October 6, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You can build an enduring business that has spin-off benefits for other entrepreneurs....

"For us at House of Tara .... Creating a business that impacts and generates income, developing micro entrepreneurs who will grow their business and employ more people so as to make the Nigerian economy better is what's most important."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Tara Fela-Dorotoye tells the Nigerian story at the New York Forum Africa

June 27, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Source: Modern Ghana | published 27 June 2014

The Chief Executive Officer of House of Tara International, Tara Fela-Durotoye, has begun taking the message of Nigeria's massive business opportunities across the globe - making premium appearances on several global platforms including the New York Forum Africa (NYFA), France24 and Africa 24 by Reuters.

Video: THE INTERVIEW - Tara Fela-Durotoye, Founder & CEO, House of Tara International

June 9, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Source: FRANCE 24 English | Publication date: 06/09/2014

Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian lawyer and beauty entrepreneur. She founded House of Tara International, Nigeria’s leading beauty and cosmetics company, and was named one of Forbe's '20 Young Power African Women'. Here she talks about her company and journey as an entrepreneur.