2Inspire Business Profile: Tope Opayinka CEO Topaz Therapy Essentials

In this profile we feature Tope Opayinka, the CEO of Topaz Therapy Essentials, which provides holistic and sports massage therapy.

I am a specialist physiotherapist and a qualified holistic and sports massage therapist. I own and manage Topaz Therapy essentials on a part time basis.

A typical business day at Topaz therapy involves sorting out my diary, calling up my clients to confirm appointments, carry out home visits and finish up with some reflective practice.

My passion and genuine desire to care for others prompted me to start Topaz Therapy essentials. I went on to study physiotherapy as a second degree and my desire to broaden my skills in order to provide a more holistic care led me to train as a holistic and sports massage therapist. In addition, I’ve also completed other courses which include on-site chair based acupressure massage and vestibular rehabilitation. My proposed CPD portfolio is exhaustive with more training lined up to increase my clientele base.

One of my greatest accomplishments in business to date is my client retention. I’ve been very fortunate to have my client’s return for more therapy and also onward referrals.  This I put down to my exceptional therapy and customer service skills.

My biggest challenge I would say is time constraints, juggling a full time job in addition to running my business. I wish there was more than 24 hours in a day with a lot more energy packed into it.

My future plan for my business is expansion. I hope to set up therapy clinics with other therapists working in my team.

If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn’t do anything differently. Everything is happening at the right time.

One of the best compliment I have received is “You have the Midas touch”.

It’s important for young women to follow their dreams as it would give them a sense of self achievement and satisfaction.

My line of business requires the natural ability and genuine desire to care for others. Be prepared for hard work and commitment. However, the big smile and gratitude from my client makes it all worthwhile.

I’ve been very fortunate to have great support from my family and close friends and I’m inspired by the improvement in health status of my clients.

One of my favourite quotes is “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still” Chinese proverb.

Contact
www.topaztherapyessentials.com
Email: tope@topaztherapyessentials.com

2Inspire Network Profile on Shine ALOUD UK, a youth owned and youth led sexual health awareness enterprise

Shine ALOUD UK is a youth owned and youth led sexual health awareness enterprise that aims to educate, entertain and empower young people aged 15 - 24. Through producing a quarterly publication, videos and running workshops and events, Shine ALOUD UK aims to equip youth with the necessary tools to confidently and comfortably negotiate their sexuality. 

Why are we different?

The enterprise is original and unique as it represents the voices of young people and provides them with the opportunity to learn about sex and relationships on a personal level where they can indulge in an online magazine, workshops and videos. But more so original and unique as it is combines the likes of arts and culture thereby appealing to the interests of our target audience as well as providing worthwhile media opportunities to allow young people to expand their creativity.

As a young person I felt there was no literature available that was engaging in regards to sexual health, all the magazine that were available were dominated by beauty, celebrities and fashion. I wanted to create something that was different and allowed young people to be empowered about sexuality as well as represented positively.

What feedback have we received?

All of the feedback we receive from young peoples and our readers we take on board to improve our enterprise. We were told that our magazine would be more appealing in a physical form so we produced the first issue in February which we circulated to 5000 young people in around East London at Youth Hostels, Colleges, Gum Clinics, Community Centres, Youth Centres, Arts Centres and more. Much of the feedback can be found online via www.shinealoud.co.uk , but here are two comments:

 “Shine Aloud has the ability to communicate with young people on a simple but effective way featuring articles that are true for those reading them. Quite often we read articles written about people who have not experienced what they are writing about so they don’t know how to talk to the reader, or relate to the reader. Shine Aloud has been a great service East London community and I hope that more people will read it and get more from it. By Verity Nelson

“What separates Shine ALOUD to other platforms in my opinion is its engagement with the youths and adults of our day; it is often surprising to hear what we have to say about our knowledge or thoughts and opinions within these topics. Controversial questions such as “Can friends date, their ex’s?” are questions that can often bring us together in debating in a productive manner, and in fact it is always interesting to hear what a majority of people have to say with regards to these topics. This is a magazine that will always be needed in our local community, schools, colleges and etc.” By Ruben Ferreira

Our current team

At the moment, Shine ALOUD works with a range of freelance writers, photographers and graphic designers which we are EXTREMELY grateful for, however we are determined to recruit and hire a team of young people to manage all of our activity, everything from editing the online site to promoting our campaigns, to contacting youth provisions and organising interviews. We are determined to allow young people to have an active role in the company by allow them to take and make work for themselves.

Moving forward

In the future we hope to produce a publication regionally across the country, in addition to maintaining a virtual online website. Secondly, we hope to deliver sexual health awareness workshops across youth provisions and in and around the community. And lastly, we hope to embark on cultural exchanges with young people overseas, providing education to those who most need it across the globe.

We hope you can support us on our mission by donating to our current Crowd funding Campaign titled: The Sexual Empowerment of Young People!

You can find out more via https://www.indiegogo.com/command_center/shine-aloud-uk-the-sexual-empowerment-of-young-people

For more information follow and like us via @ShineALOUD

Shine ALOUD: Sex & Relationships with a different tone!

WWW.SHINEALOUD.CO.UK

2Inspire Business Profile: Deborah Marie, The Founding Editor of AFRONOIRE Magazine

In this inspirational interview we meet Deborah Marie, the Founding Editor of AFRONOIRE Magazine, who is inspiring a generation with her hard work and dedication to the media.

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

A typical business day for me sees me starting my day at 10am. Emails are always the first thing on the agenda, when I get into the office, which is in Camden. Most of the liaising with the contributors is conducted over email – with meetings scheduled 2 to 3 three times a week (in the afternoon preferably) to go over any projects. During my day, I edit, write, research and plan editorials. I sometimes design necessary literature and try to keep up with social media!

 What made you start the business and what steps did you take to start operating as a business?

AFRONOIRE first began as a personal project, which then extended into a full magazine when I came to realise that there were many women like myself in the UK who needed a publication of its kind. The idea came to me in the middle of night. I remember clearly, the date time and everything. I jumped out of bed, wrote a 2-page business plan, contacted a web designer the next day and fast forward months later, here we are!

  

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

It’s too early for me to say so but the website has been running for over a year! That’s an accomplishment! It’s so easy to give up when starting something! But the response from the audience has been great. It reinforces in the publication and all the plans I’ve got for it. I’m very much aware of the sentimental effect AFRONOIRE has and has had on individuals and myself even! That’s one of the many things that keep me going. I want to continue to acknowledge people, their accomplishment and be a safe platform via which their thoughts, fears and excellence is expressed, shared and celebrated!

 What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

The biggest challenge thus far has been maintaining my integrity and standards. Being in the publishing/media industry does come with a lot of pressure because it’s a very competitive industry. Many publications focus on the moneymaking blueprint of celebrity culture, hair and entertainment news. My aim is to tell stories and have a positive influence in how black culture – black women specifically are represented. Doing that requires selection, patience, and pep talks then and there!

What are your future plans for the business?

To grow internationally, firstly in Francophone countries.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Patience, I would have waited a while longer, collected a year’s worth of material before launching. 

What’s the best compliment you could receive in business?

AFRONOIRE looks ‘prestige, luxurious and high quality’. It’s ‘needed’ and that it’s going to ‘be big’ – that’s humbling! It warms my heart and cheeks from happiness and from smiling so hard! It’s nice to know that you’re on the right track of accomplishing what you have set out to do.

Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?

Dreaming is sweet but living out your dreams is even sweeter! With setting out to do what you want to do, you take control of your life and destiny as it relates to your career and that to me is bliss and happiness even at the lowest points of our journey because you are doing what most people aren’t brave to do because of fear. But as FDR said, fear is paralysing and that if one should fear anything, it should be fear itself!

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?

Know what you want to do! Set your standards…do not copy! Have your mission, aims and objectives be clear! Compromise is a must-sometimes but you shouldn’t always have to compromise when it comes to fulfilling your integrity. Integrity is everything! Learn the basics of media law and that goes for any photographers, designers, writers, etc.

What or who inspires you in business and why?  

AFRONOIRE is inspired by love, creativity, my desperation to see change as it relates to the perception of black women in this country and globally. Black history inspires AFRONOIRE because we live in a day and age where we have the means to tell our stories so I want to be part of that legacy for generations to come. Though I’m one to often preach that I am a human being before I am a woman then my race, it’s important that I focus of portraying the black female race as honestly as possible. My hope is that this will contribute to the acceptance of each other and our comfort with each other and other races and cultures.

What is your favourite inspirational quote?

‘When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it’

@afronoire

www.afronoire.com