"There is no guarantee in whatever you are about to embark on."
Christopher Olufeso Tweet
Meet Christopher Olufeso, founder of Upzeez.
He’s always had a knack for creative problem-solving. Chris majored in Information Technology (IT) with a minor in Ergonomics, and then followed a productive and successful 20-year career in IT. He climbed the corporate ladder, which provided an avenue for exposure and learning, but after a life-changing experience, he realized that his path was really at odds with my passion. That’s when he decided to align his work with what matters to him most, helping people/humanity.
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Table of Contents
Thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself to our readers. They want to know you, some of the background story to bring some context to your interview.
Christopher Olufeso: I am Chris, Founder and CEO of Upzeez. 2022 will be a big year for us as we are about to enter the baby nursery furniture market. Upzeez is an award-winning Smart 3 in 1 High-Rize Baby Cot/Crib which has been ergonomically designed to eliminate/reduce back pain and also aid recovery from traumatic childbirth like c-section or induction. Our inclusive baby cot design also enables and empowers people with disabilities too e.g. wheelchair users.
In a nutshell, we have made it easier to put in and take out your baby from their cot/crib.
OUR MISSION: To eliminate the pain and discomfort associated with the use of traditional baby furniture. This starts with reducing back pain and strain associated with lifting babies in and out of cots.
You are a successful entrepreneur, so we’d like your viewpoint, do you believe entrepreneurs are born or made? Explain.
Christopher Olufeso: I do not consider myself to be an entrepreneur but simply a passionate problem solver. I do believe I am successful as I’ve managed to turn my life around given where I was 3+ years ago. I was down, empty and rock down in a corporate job which was literally killing me. Great job, salary, lifestyle and believed I had everything.
From my story, I believe entrepreneurs are made and in any given situation we ultimately have a decision to make. I had my back against the wall and I had no choice as I found myself in a highly toxic environment and also challenged by unethical business practices which went against my ethics, values and principles. I’ve since founded a company from my personal experience with the birth of my two children via c-section. From a personal problem I was trying to solve for myself, I then researched and validated it was a global common problem.
I went into action mode and have not looked back since. This is no longer work but rather a duty to uplift the parental living experience. It is great to now do something with purpose and meaning as I believe we are all here to serve others. To work on something which will outlive me is truly amazing and I am grateful and blessed to be chosen to execute this.
If you were asked to describe yourself as an entrepreneur in a few words, what would you say?
Christopher Olufeso: An empathetic, compassionate visionary with acute emotional intelligence.
Tell us about what your company does and how did it change over the years?
Christopher Olufeso: At Upzeez we endeavour to solve everyday problems through innovation and design. We create better products so you can live a better life.
We are passionate about improving lives by adding value to the products people use every day.
We identify design flaws, find viable solutions and seamlessly integrate them into basic products that our customers can’t live without. We have simply evolved over the years from initial ideas to now being at the precipice to launch an industry game-changing product. We plan to enhance the parental journey and experience following the birth of the new bundle of joy – your baby.
Thank you for all that. Now for the main focus of this interview. With close to 11.000 new businesses registered daily in the US, what must an entrepreneur assume when starting a business?
Christopher Olufeso: There is no guarantee in whatever you are about to embark on. You may know a lot but you still have a lot to learn, figure out and grow. I recommend being open and building your character to be relentless, resilient and persevere through all setbacks, challenges or obstacles.
Did you make any wrong assumptions before starting a business that you ended up paying dearly for?
Christopher Olufeso: Absolutely and I have quite a few in my bag to date but over the years, I’m learning to test and validate instead of assuming.
A great example is me filing my patent early (a common rookie mistake) and this simply cost a lot of money very early on in the business without having secured business traction.
Another was me thinking I could build and launch a product within 12months. Although this is possible no one was prepared or even knew of the global pandemic happening.
If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what advice would you give yourself and why? Explain.
Christopher Olufeso: I’m still in the early stage of my business but the advice I would give myself is to remember ‘my why’. I had to walk away from corporate environments and although I climbed the corporate ladder and achieved a lot, I was not fulfilled like I am now.
Doing and working on a long term ideal mission and vision is better than a short term goal i.e. simply making a living (regular paycheck) instead of making a difference by living a life of substance.
What is the worst advice you received regarding running a business and what lesson would you like others to learn from your experience?
Christopher Olufeso: I have received a lot of business advice with some better than others. The worst advice has been told that it is pointless protecting my idea with a Patent and I don’t need it.
My advice to you – Everyone will have an opinion, advice or perspective and I recommend you take it all in and make a sound decision based on your information and knowledge acquired.
In your opinion, how has COVID-19 changed what entrepreneurs should assume before starting a business? What hasn’t changed?
Christopher Olufeso: Not at all as I feel COVID-19 has simply reinforced and pre-warned you on the level of uncertainty involved in starting a business. There is never a perfect time to start a business. Just simply get started and be prepared to be open and willing to learn.
What traits, qualities, and assumptions do you believe are most important to have before starting a business?
Christopher Olufeso: I believe these traits and qualities will definitely help you greatly if you are relentless, resilient and coupled with both great discipline and commitment.
What is a common myth about entrepreneurship that aspiring entrepreneurs and would-be business owners believe in? What advice would you give them?
Christopher Olufeso: Entrepreneurs are born, not made – you can learn how to start your business or become a leader. It all comes down to how bad do you want it.
Firstly, if you want something, only you can make it happen by taking action. If you are willing to be open, learn and seek assistance where necessary to make things happen. The world is yours.
How can aspiring leaders prepare themselves for the future challenges of entrepreneurship? Are there any books, websites, or even movies to learn from?
Christopher Olufeso: We can listen or read about those who inspire you – role models. Find someone who has or is doing what you are trying to do and learn from them. We are fortunate enough to live in an era where can even follow or connect with them via Social Media channels like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter etc. Successful people leave clues along with mistakes.
Some of my personal favourites include:
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
- The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason
- One Simple Idea – Stephen Key
- Everyday Ubuntu – Mungi Ngomane
- It’s About Damn Time – Arlan Hamilton, Rachel L. Nelson
- Live Your Dreams – Les Brown
- The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday
- Small Giants – Bo Burlingham
You have shared quite a bit of your wisdom and our readers thank you for your generosity but would also love to know: If you could choose any job other than being an entrepreneur, what would it be?
Christopher Olufeso: I think this is it for me as long I am doing something which is helping or improving the people – humanity. There are too many puzzles disguised as problems to be resolved in the world. I am lucky enough to be given this duty to solve everyday problems and committed to doing it till my last breath.
Thank you so much for your time, I believe I speak for all of our readers when I say that this has been incredibly insightful. We do have one more question: If you could add anyone to Mount Rushmore, but not a politician, who would it be; why?
Christopher Olufeso: My first thought would be my parents as they have gone through so much to give me opportunities they never had. They also instilled in me great ethics, values and principles to live by which has enabled me to do all that I am doing now.
But thinking of an iconic and highly inspirational person for me would have to be Maya Angelou.
Maya is like a grandmother figure, I could just sit and listen to her all day. Full of so much wisdom and whenever I read one of her quotes or watch her biography she captures me. Maya Angelou achieved a lot in her time but what I love most about her is that she stood for humanity and her tremendous ability to articulate herself was truly a gift.
Some of Maya very powerful and inspiring quotes:
- “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- “When someone shows you who they are believe them the first time.”
- “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
- “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.
“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” - “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
- “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Christopher Olufeso for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Christopher Olufeso or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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