[DP]
Foluso, thank you so much for coming. Would you mind starting by telling everyone about your journey so far? You’re quite local, aren’t you?

[FF]
Yeah, so I’m from Moss Side from Manchester born and bred, lived in Moss Side, my whole life, literally around the corner from here. I went to Trinity High School and then had to pick a college. It was always Loreto. I started in 2016 and I studied AS Business and A Levels in Theology, IT and Drama. I just picked courses that I thought I would enjoy. I ended up going to UNI and studying construction management because I really like architecture at Leeds. Beckett University. I got my degree came out of uni and I started working in project management.

I enjoyed starting my own production company again, just for fun started producing short films, adverts, that kind of thing and then off the back of that decided, you know what? I wanted to do something with my life. I want to start a business, but I don’t know what in. So, I did my research and stuff and then ended up building my business, ‘brandin it’, which is a platform for 9 to 19-year-olds. They design products and sell them for a profit, but we teach you about business along the way, right? So, it’s like Shopify for young people, including business-like business and entrepreneurial skills as well. So I started applying for the show [The Apprentice]. I applied two years ago and got through to stage three of the audition. So it’s a five-stage audition. It’s long and got through to stage three. Didn’t get any further applications last year, and this year, I ended up on the show, and that’s kind of just my journey up until up until then, and then my life completely changed, which was all for the better.

[DP]

What’s the process of applying for the show, how does it work?

[FF]
There are about 70,000 applicants every year, which is Crazy about a number crazy number and it’s a really, really long gruelling audition process. We filmed April, May June last year, then it takes between that and when the show airs because of all the editing because it’s so much content. So much content you’re talking eight to ten days long, eight to ten hours a day across four teams so you can imagine how much content.

[DP]
And you got to week 10. So I wanted to ask about um, the skills that you’ve developed because from being a high school student in moss side to being a CEO of a company, what skills do you need to succeed in business?

[FF]
So in business, I think resilience is probably the biggest one and perseverance is what I found. My business itself is a Social Enterprise, which means we’re not-for-profit. So everything we make goes back into the business. So we just put it back into the community back into young. People back into just helping people and in and around, right? So I think one of the biggest things I’ve needed is a level of resilience, a level of push, a level of perseverance. Someone once sent him said to me, that, you know, a lot of people are like, “I don’t want to give anyone my idea. I don’t want to say my idea out loud”.  Your idea means nothing until you’re doing it and that’s the reality of it. Unfortunately. It’s just an idea until you put in the work you can. And I had to put the work in and make it happen. You can have the best idea in the world if you’re not doing anything with it, somebody else I can promise you has a similar idea. It’s not the same idea, and they’re putting work in somewhere else. Also, being able to back yourself as well, and a practical side of that is just making notes of your achievements, like actually writing down, okay? I did this today, and I’ve done this, and I’ve done that, and I’ve, and I think from that I was able to walk into any room. I know that I belong there because I’ve worked hard to be in this room and understand that. And I had to tell myself that for me to push through because the reality is, whether you are the CEO of the company, or you’re there to be the cleaner, you belong there, right? Because you have a job to do in that space and that was a mindset. I had to build and give myself the backing needed.

[DP]
So much of what you do or with the company is about giving and giving back and you even said that when you got in touch with us and like giving back to the community, you’re so community-focused and it is like at your core. When you were a student here and all the work you did for toilet twinning. And so, where does that sort of Charity Enterprise Spirit come from then?

[FF]
Yeah, I think, from my family, definitely. So, my mum has a shop. She’s owned a shop, in Moss Side, for about 26 years, now. And I think when you can see someone who’s been grafting in business for that long, but they’re not driving a range [rover], you know, they’re not dropped turning up to their million-pound Mansion, but she just loves what she does. I know that I can work hard for something that isn’t 100 money focused and actually feel proud and also put back into the community and also just be around people like there were so many people, especially young people, which is my audience who are so, you know, passionate about so many things and I’m just like if I can just give you an outlet, just a small outlet that you can put all that energy in and get something back out of it. It’s such a beautiful, like, gift. You can put into the community, and get something out, but then it also pays for other people as well. So yeah, it’s brilliant really.

Foluso answered lots of questions from our student audience too. You can read more below:

[Audience Question 1]
How would you grow that business?

[FF]
Yeah. So my business itself is for so I said nine to 19-year-olds currently. Um, so in terms of the age bracket, there are about nine million kids of young people in that bracket in the UK, which is a huge number. And obviously, we’re first to Market so no one else does what we do right now. We’re the first ever company to do it and to offer this kind of thing. So I’m waiting for the competition to come out, but it’s all good. Um, in terms of growth, a lot of our growth has just been really organic and what you find a lot of the time with young people, especially they, they’re bragging on, on What they’ve got on, especially the younger audience, how well they’ve done on Roblox or, you know, like literally they don’t stop talking and bragging about all their achievements. So, all we’re doing is giving them that same level of satisfaction but actually putting money in their pockets as well. So, they’re going to be bragging period. I’ve got in contact to introduce it into their school. So I’ve actually and obviously, the show has been great for promoting it.

[Audience question 2]
How do you market and promote your business?

[FF]
So I’ve not actually not really done much, paid much for marketing and promotion. It’s just kind of happened organically, which has been really positive and in the age of digital and social media it happens quickly.

[Audience question 3]
what are the risks for your business?

[FF]
I’m an optimist in life. I’m a pessimist in business and that works for me. So I think worst case scenario, so bear in mind, I had this idea in mind for over a year and I talked myself out of it for so long: it’s not gonna work, parents are gonna think this and this person’s gonna think this. And how do I do this? And how do I do that? Um, so I kind of just thought Everything anyone could ever say to me? Oh, things people did say, to me, I sat on it. I worked out what my resolution was, and what my solution was. And I stopped that from being a blocker, and that’s kind of, that was my processing. Just thought about everything terrible, that could happen in the business and some people don’t work like that. But, it helps me because then I can know that. Okay, cool. There’s no question anyone can throw at me that I’m not prepared for if that makes sense. Um, in terms of actually business planning and making my business plan, YouTube videos were really helpful. Honestly, you’ll be surprised how much free comms. Speak into business, people dropping questions in business, entrepreneurs, Q and A’s sending emails, cold calling. I love that kind of stuff because you find I I’ve got a business Mentor now, for example, who is a multi-millionaire like an undercover multi-millionaire? And I only found him because I was sending emails saying, hey, this is my story, this is who I am. It wasn’t even his email, I sent it to this comment box on his website. I was like, please just read this email, and he did. And now we’re working together, you know? So that’s that kind of opportunities are so Niche, and a lot of people don’t do it because they’re so afraid of rejection, you know, honestly, I don’t care whether you reply to my message or not, I’m gonna send it and I’m gonna send a follow-up and if you don’t reply, there’s someone else there’s another door. Knock and that’s kind of how I planned my business up until now brilliant.

[Audience question 4]
If your social enterprise company is a non-profit then how do you make money?

[FF]

Do you know how Shopify works? And so, for example, they have a little profit margin on everything. So let’s say, for example, the product itself is 10 pounds. We’ll put it on our website for 15, then the entrepreneur can design it and sell it for 25. For example, so we make a profit in every sale. That’s a very, very basic example, but in terms of how it works in a Social Enterprise, we don’t call it profit. We do make a profit, but we call it Surplus because it’s not meant to be seen as profit. Just means that anything extra doesn’t go towards your Christmas fancy party, it goes into the community and helping other people.

[Audience question 5]
How do you keep yourself going all the time?

[FF]

Yeah. So I think my main thing is that I’m religious, I’m Christian. So that’s a lot of my anchor in terms of how I kind of keep my faith alive and from that perspective, but also, I feel like you’ve got to, you know, I look at my perfect example, is Canva. The owner of Canva, I think it was a hundred emails she sent. She got 100 rejections. 100 times she was rejected before. She became Canva and you can look at so many other entrepreneurs who just press with the air. They just keep going and keep going and keep going. And I think that’s because I believe in my idea so much. So a lot of this world works on belief and self-belief, and that’s something I definitely like.

[Audience question 6]
if you were to start again from when you left Loreto, would you still have gone to University?

[FF]
is a really good question. It’s pivotal in terms of your adulthood and that transition, it was pivotal for me. But I do think if I’m being honest I could have learned a lot of the skills I learned without going. Does that make sense? Yeah, that’s my truth. Okay,

[Audience question 7]
What has been your biggest challenge in setting up your social Enterprise?

[FF]
Um, the biggest challenge has been people not understanding what I’m doing, especially when it’s something brand new, a lot of people. Like, I don’t get it, it doesn’t make sense. I don’t get it had the same conversation with Lord Sugar they didn’t put that on camera. Yeah, a lot of people say “Why are you not doing it for profit?” Because I don’t want to, I don’t feel like I have to and that’s turned down a lot of investment opportunities, but I’m gonna do it regardless. I’m, I’m adamant every turn down every rejection. Every, I don’t get it is like, oh, you guys wait, you just wait and see. I’m gonna do it.

[Audience question 8]
Did you Outsource whatever you like about the entire website?

[FF]
I outsourced it. I think it’s important to know what you can and can’t do um, capacity-wise as an individual. So a lot of the web developers Outsource, um, but in terms of the day-to-day running, I do all of that stuff on my own.

[Audience question 9]
What is the one piece of advice for young people who are trying to start a business?

[FF]
My gosh, do it. That’s it. Just do it because I think at the end of the day you’re right now you know, I have the privilege of still being in the bracket of ‘you don’t have kids, you don’t have a husband, you’ll be all right’. You know you’ve got all the time in the world, but I still have bills, like I have a car and a house and things like that to pay for in my life, you know. And I’m chasing your 20s. Make sure you feel like you’re not wasting your 20s. Now is the perfect time to do it. I’m telling you. And even if it can achieve wholly as an 18 19 year. Start planning it. Start talking to people about it. I’m telling you now is the perfect time. I know so many people who, especially at University just found a side hustle or just found something they enjoy doing on the side and then they’re the ones, you know, graduating and buying their first car that week after. I’m thinking “We just came off Student Finance like last week!”, but genuinely just honestly do it. Find someone in your industry. Don’t give away your idea but find someone Go to the right events. Go to that kind of environment and network and build connections. So when you’re ready to launch, you have all these people in your back pocket. Ready to draw from, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, 100%.

[Audience question 9]
How do you make you and your business stand out?

[FF]
there’s no one else that’s you. There’s so look, there’s so many clothing companies in this in this world. Loads and loads, but I feel like the ones that do best are the ones or businesses in general. The ones that just represent themselves and choose to stand out by themselves. I think one thing for me, especially being on The Apprentice, I chose to be myself 24/7. Like there was a consistency between me and the house and me on the task and any other candidates would tell you that and I think even just doing that. Now, I’m actually, um, I’m in business with Steve who I got fired with fresh new business partners. So he’s jumped onto my business. And we’re now working together and I think that’s because we were just ourselves. We were just, everyone just was themselves. That was me. You saw the business

[DP]

You saw you need to watch those silly ideas that he’s got though. Yeah. I mean, Cheegan Veese!

[FF]

Um, but yeah, so I had to just be myself and I think that’s the only thing you have on somebody else, guaranteed. So, yeah.

[Audience question 10]
I love the fact you do social Enterprises. It doesn’t surprise me one little bit because when you were here, you were SVR (student voice rep) and did lots for charity and community, but is there a conflict between a social enterprise and making money? You need to earn a living, right?

[FF]
Yeah. So I, I obviously do other stuff on the side as well. I do a lot of keynote speaking for events and those kind of things. Um, and I’m venturing now into accountability partnering and that kind of thing. So that’s like the side hustle of my business, I would say. And yeah, my business does well. I think It is, there is a conflict there, there is a conflict but I think for me branding itself isn’t necessarily going to be my personal million-pound idea. I know there’s going to be more that’s just kind of my launching pad. I think for me. Um, so it does you do get paid? You’re not you can’t be, you don’t see a lot, you see some but you don’t see a lot of social Enterprise owners driving around in Lambo’s, you know, it’s not it’s not common but I think for me as long as I can survive, yeah. For me, I’d rather have a million users touched by this business and understand Mindset. So I’m fine with it.

[Audience question 11]
What lessons have you learned from your fellow candidates?

[FF]
I learned from every single one of them, every single one of them, all the candidates were absolutely. So unique in themselves. Culturally, we learned so many different things from people in the house. I was a Christian. There were, um, people who were Sikh, people who were Muslim, there were um, people who were like, spiritual or spiritualist in that sense. So, we sat down and had a really good conversation. I think this was the biggest lesson business side of things. You’ve got people like Raj, who were just like just incredible businesswomen, honestly, huge, hugely successful businesswomen. So, I learned things there, but mostly just from interacting with people and living with people. Yeah, you learn a lot of stuff.

[Audience question 12]
Besides yourself who was the most shocking firing?

[FF]
I think Raj. Well, I just left the week before me she was incredible. Honestly, that’s she won, eight times and got fired the first time she lost, which blew my mind. But anyway, um, she was just honestly an incredible, incredible businesswoman, like, in my head, she deserves to be sat next to Lord Sugar. She’s done huge things, huge things, in the mortgage, and home buying sector. So, yeah, that was my winner.

[Audience question 13]
Personally, can you talk about learning how to fail makes you better?

[FF]
I don’t see, it’s a failure. And it’s hard to say that it is really hard to say that, but when you’ve been fired on national TV in front of 8 million people, you learn to just not see it as a failure. I see it as that door closing, and giving me the perspective of every other possible door that could open. And I think failure is such a harsh word. It is such a harsh word, and I think we use it way too loosely in, in our day and age.

[DP]
Thank you so much Foluso for coming back to Loreto College and to the audience for their brilliant questions. Please check out ‘brandin it’. It’s a great Enterprise really good and we wish you all the very best of it.