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(Editor’s note: Jason Cohen is an angel investor and the founder of Smart Bear Software. This story originally appeared on his blog.)
Therapists don’t tell you what to do. Rather, they ask probing questions that get you to discover for yourself what is true for you, your situation, and what you want.
You’re smart. You’ll make good decisions. But you also get bogged down in daily minutiae and putting out fires, meanwhile missing the big picture. That’s where this piece comes in: To splash cold water on your face, forcing you to face reality and continue to defend or change the important choices inside your business.
What follows is your startup therapy session. Having to think through and answer these questions forces you to identify what you need to do today to seek profits and growth.
In one sentence, what does your product do and who buys it? And in one sentence, why does someone buy your product?
These are surprisingly difficult questions. The shorter and more precise your answers, the more you understand why you exist. If the answer is: ”I honestly don’t really know why people give us money,” that’s something to remedy immediately.
If you have an answer, is it because you have hard evidence that this is how your customers perceive you and why they give you money, or just because you believe it? “Evidence” means emails and Tweets and testimonials that use those words exactly; otherwise you’re likely interpreting their feedback to match your expectations. (I find myself constantly guilty of this disconnect.) If you don’t have evidence, it is OK to have a hypothesis but you should be concerned about collecting proof and disproof.
If you do know the answer, these two sentences should drive your marketing efforts. If these sentences aren’t on your home page, why the hell aren’t they? Is there anything else more compelling to potential customers? At the least, these represent the themes that drive your marketing campaigns.
What one thing is most responsible for preventing sales?
Do people not know you exist? Is it pricing? Not enough product features? Unorganized sales strategy? The look-and-feel of website? Something else?
Most little companies aren’t honest about this, yet it’s possibly the most important question you could ask. For example, I’m an engineer, so my first answer to “Why don’t you have more customers?” is almost always: ”Because we need this feature.” You hear some potential customer say, “we will buy if you do XYZ” so you conclude that if you implemented XYZ people would start breaking your door down.
But is that really the case? If you added one feature and maybe satisfied that one customer (assuming they wouldn’t ask for a second thing – which, in my experience, they usually do), would that get you 100 more sales? For those hundreds of people who downloaded your software, but never bought — is the reason “not enough features?”
For the hundreds of thousands of people who never came to your website in the first place, or hit the front page and left after three seconds, is the solution “more features?”
When you honestly ask yourself this question, it will naturally lead into things you can do right away to get more people to the site, into a trial and/or into a sale. Don’t just rest on what comes easiest.
What’s one thing you could do to get more feedback from customers, potential customers or sales you’ve lost?
You already know that external feedback is the only way to empirically determine how to build products people want to buy. Maybe you can’t drop everything to solicit feedback (although folks like Eric Ries say you should), but surely it’s worth one day every month to go out of your way to collection information from the field.
To get the ideas flowing, here are eleven ways to get more feedback, most of which take less than a day to implement.
If you had zero revenue from now on, on what date would you run out of money?
The first thing this does is force you to nail down your monthly expenses and accounts payable. Second, you know the length of your fuse even in event of disaster (if you have revenue) or if you never manage to land a customer (if you’re just starting out).
More than that, knowing your “padding” as I used to call it is helpful in making decisions like “Can I afford to try this Risky Expensive Thing,” such as making your first hire or trying a $20,000 media blitz. Whenever you’re contemplating a new expensive idea that could be awesome but could be setting money on fire, your fuse date helps you know how much time you’re risking — time to recover if your bet doesn’t pay off.
Finally, knowing “the day my business could die” helps focus your attention on activities that bring in revenue.
If someone handed you $100,000 today, how would you spend it to maximize future profits?
This gets you to crystallize what cost-centric activities would most help your business. We get caught up in free-but-takes-tons-of-time marketing and development activities — and most of the time that’s a good way to think — but sometimes it’s still true that “you have to spend money to make money.”
Sometimes the “thing you could do” is so compelling, it might mean you should raise a small angel round or consider debt. Typically it’s best to get by with minimal debt and investment, but if the “thing you could do” is transformative, you might reconsider.
Think about these. We’ll do a follow-up session next Friday…
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http://www.drhawass.com/blog/press-release-national-committee-meeting
Press release
The National Committee for the Return of Stolen Artifacts, headed by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), met yesterday to discuss the procedures needed to make a formal request for the return of the Bust of Nefertiti now on display at the
Hawass announced that a committee will be formed to prepare a legal brief supporting
During yesterday’s meeting, Dr. Hawass made a detailed presentation of the latest developments in this case, including the recent discussion with Dr. Friederike Seyfried, Director of the
Earlier this month Dr. Seyfried met with Dr. Hawass and presented him with copies of all of the key documentation held by the
Dr. Hawass also updated the committee on
Zawya.com
The Ministry of Tourism presented this week a new advertising campaign to lure tourists to
The previous campaign, "The Gift of the Sun," launched in 2006 to mixed reviews. Some criticized the fact that the campaign did not emphasize
The new campaign, announced Monday, has the slogan "Egypt: where it all begins," and highlights the Pyramids, Sphinx and other uniquely Egyptian attractions while not failing to mention Egypt’s "aquatic paradise."
Tourism to
Michael Gartenberg is a regular Engadget columnist and vice president of strategy and analysis at Interpret, LLC. He has published his best of 2009 list which included a list of smartphones.
The HTC HD2 appeared on the list, which was in no particular order, with the Palm Pre and the iPhone 3GS.
About the HTC HD2 he said:
HTC HD2. When Microsoft released Windows Mobile 6.5, there was a chorus of groans about more of the same. HTC took up the challenge and proved that there was more to Windows Mobile than slow devices and resistive screens. The HD2 takes Windows Mobile to places never seen before with a capacitive touch screen, a Snapdragon processor and HTC-created extensions that make multi-touch work the HD2’s gorgeous 4.3-inch display. Wrap it all up in HTC’s Sense UI and you’ve got the best Windows Mobile device on the market today.
Prominent by their absence from the list was Android devices such as the HTC Hero or the much hyped Motorola Droid.
See the full list here.
Filed under: Hatchback, Chrysler, Electric
Unfortunately, BitGravity founder Barrett Lyon had only seen some of the more positive stories about the company on TV shows like Modern Marvels before things started to go south. Lyon wanted to get an EV but wanted something a bit more practical than the Tesla Roadsters that some of his friends were buying. The LiV Surge as the renamed EV Innovations was calling its PT Cruiser conversions seemed to be just what Lyon was looking for.
Lyon tells the sad tale of his experience on his blog ranging from the late delivery of a DOA car all the way through his legal action to get his money back. Anyone else thinking of buying from EV Innovations may want to take Lyon’s story into account. Thanks to Ken for the tip!
[Source: Blyon.com]
Green Intentions: Tech entrepreneur finds a lemon in his quest for an EV originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Commenting on his decision, Robbie said: “I’m never jumped a Harley-Davidson before and I’m ten years older than my dad was when he retired.”
He added that he has always dreamed of emulating his father by attempting the jump that ended the legendary daredevil’s career.
Meanwhile, someone who may need to consider upgrading their motorbike insurance is television presenter Richard Hammond.
The Top Gear star has been given a new motorbike for his 40th birthday by wife Mindy, the Sun reports, meaning he now has a collection of six bikes, together with 18 cars.
Robbie has successfully completed more than 350 professional jumps, including 20 world records. He plans to attempt a 16 bus jump compared to the 13 bus jump of his father. Robbie says “Daredevils are a dying breed. I’m proud to have been raised by one and to be one myself.”
The death-defying stunt is scheduled to take place in London at Wembley Stadium on June 12, some 35 years after his father’s attempt.
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Hydro-electric pressure switches are devices, which close or open electrical contacts under pressure. They are used to switch on or off pump motors, valves for unpressurised cycles, for pressure-dependent machine tool interlock or similar applications in power units, machines and installations.
Hydro-electric pressure switches in piston design convert the pressure in hydraulic systems into electrical signals.
The switching point can be continuously adjusted and locked by means of an adjusting knob within different adjusting ranges.
The installed microswitch is a change-over switch which can be connected as break or make contact. The electrical connection can be rotated by 4 x 90° with the housing.
The pressure switches are designed for industrial use with normal environmental conditions for installations with a maximum system pressure of up to 600 bar.
We designed the rectanle inlet rotor lobe pump for very high viscosity semi-liquid, such as lotus seed,vegemite.
Our rotor lobe pump have low shear with strange transfer power,the highest discharge pressure can up to 10 bar.
Our rotor lobe pump have special advantage for transfer the high viscosity semi-liquid to save the cost and time.
We use high quality material of stainless steel 316 for fit the food grade requirement.
Another important supporting role goes to Pyewacket, Miss Novak’s cat. Particularly charming is the bond the two seem to have had. She looks quite comfortable handling him. He sprawls and hangs like a limp towel on her shoulder (mentioned in this previous post on other cat actors), and the way he stretches himself against her body, he certainly seems comfortable with her.
Kim Novak may have taken him for a model for her role, with her slow, feline, graceful, deliberate movements, her penetrating gaze, her casual, low, lazy speech. She does not appear emotionally brittle as she does in her previous films mentioned here, “Picnic” and “Strangers When We Meet”, or “Vertigo”, in which she also started with James Stewart. Here, though her character is complicated and mysterious, she comes off as a much stronger, focused person.But she is not without her troubles. Miss Novak is bored with her life, and wistfully wonders what it would be like not to be a witch. We are told that witches cannot blush, or cry, or fall in love, and that if they ever did fall in love, they would lose their powers. Novak wonders what it would be like to be in love.
On Christmas Eve at the local witch dive, she confesses her Christmas depression (which might make her more human after all), and ruminates, “Don’t you ever wish we weren’t what we are — that you could spend Christmas Eve in a little church listening to carols instead of bongo drums?”
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Chip Lange is the vice president and general manager within the EA Play label at Electronic Arts. He’s in charge of a wide variety of properties including the company’s games based on Hasbro brands from Monopoly to Nerf. Created in 2007, the EA Play label also includes the Sims, Maxis, and casual games produced by EA. We caught up with Lange recently to talk about the trends in video games.
VB: What’s your update on EA Play?
CL: A lot of the things we saw a couple of years ago are starting to manifest themselves. We’re continuing to see a very strong response to our Hasbro branded product. The gaming space is moving to a higher percentage of family-oriented experiences across multiple platforms. This was the reason for doing the Hasbro deal as we did. We have access to all their brands on just about every platform. The thinking two years ago was that gaming was going to change and people would be less tied to a particular platform. They were going to get access to a wider array of options. Our Hasbro brands have performed well on the iPhone. We are seeing success on places like Xbox Live Arcade, where Family Game Night continues to be one of the top five games every week. We are seeing success with Littlest Pet Shop and Nerf at retail. It isn’t a huge revenue driver, but we are seeing success from our older catalog of games based on Monopoly. The story is a wider array of people are playing games than ever before in the history of games. More people are becoming comfortable with games as part of their lifestyle. You can remember when girls just didn’t play games. Today, our data shows this is one of the fastest growing markets. You hear a lot of negative talk this year. But the categories we are participating in are up and continue to grow. We have a positive outlook in the next couple of years.
VB: Can you put into context EA’s larger moves? EA has been cutting back. What is happening in your own division?
CL: EA has been focusing. We want to make sure we have all the right bets going after all the right markets and making sure that we aren’t duplicating ourselves. In a company that is big, that is possible. I would say that as it relates to the Play label, we see strong performance at retail. The Sims 3 broke about every record we tracked. We see continued response to our products at retail. We see stronger response on these newer platforms such as iPhone and social networking. I think what you see happening is that we are focusing, making sure we have the right technology for the right consumer on the right platform. That sounds obvious. It is what has been happening across the industry over the last six to nine months. Retail is not going away. A lot of people keep saying it is. I’ve been walking around here saying, “Christmas isn’t virtual. You have to put something under the tree.” EA is the No. 1 company in the world at doing that. We’re No. 1 on the iPhone. I’m sure you saw our Playfish acquisition. We are learning the expertise to drive to No. 1 spots on platforms such as social networks. We are focusing to make sure we have all the bases covered. We are bullish on our line-up for the next two years.
VB: Help me understand some things. I know the Maxis studio had a cutback. Yet it’s part of a label that seems to be doing well. The Sims 3 sold well. You are extending Maxis brands to new platforms. My guess is many of the studios need to cut back and yet expand to new platforms. How do you do that?
CL: I hear what you are getting to. I don’t think that is the right focus as it relates to the Play label. Others can speak for the larger company. We are focusing and starting to invest in new places. In that landscape, there are more products in development on more platforms than we have had previously. What we are doing is diversifying our opportunity to a number of new platforms. Before 90 percent of our business was done on retail-oriented packaged goods. We are significantly changing that trajectory over the next 12 months. We are making sure we have the right bets on the consoles and we are making the right investments in our direct-to-consumer opportunities That holds true for Maxis, the Sims, and the Hasbro stuff. It’s not as much about contraction. It’s about focus and reinvestment in new platforms.
VB: John Riccitiello (chief executive of EA) said that he was disappointed with EA sales on the Wii. Is the same true for EA Play?
CL: It is a relevant question. We would like to see stronger numbers on our Wii products. We are working with Nintendo on a number of programs. If you look at Hasbro and the Play label, we are doing what we can to keep that platform rocking. We continue to talk to Nintendo about it. When I look at some of those market trends, a bigger concern for me than a decline in month-to-month Wii sales is whether people are still buying those brands and playing with them. Or are they changing their console preference? We did way better than we expected on Xbox Live Arcade with Hasbro. On a broader basis, if you look at the social Facebook world, obviously that industry has seen a tremendous rise in casual gamers. I don’t think people are playing fewer games. I think they have a more diverse set of choices to play them. We are getting ready for that. Wii sales are soft and that is a little troubling, but on a broader landscape, we have more opportunities than we ever have.
VB: What is your prediction on Facebook games? Will you participate through Playfish?
CL: Playfish is going to be our anchor. We didn’t pay all that money to not use them. Having been around EA a long time, this company is open to new expert opinions. We know what we are good at. We are open to new things. I spend a lot of the time talking to the guys at BioWare. The mobile team has done a great job with the iPhone products. They came in through an acquisition. Playfish will take a similar role. We like the way they approach development. Are they the exclusive developer of all things social within EA? They’re probably not big enough to do that. But they will be an advisor on anything in that space. That’s going to be valuable, and that’s why they are the biggest investment we have made as a company in the last 12 months.
VB: When will brands start doing better on Facebook? There are no brands in the top ten games on Facebook now.
CL: You are exactly right. A lot of the hits are like FarmVille games. I have watched the iPhone market. Brands play a big role as businesses mature. With the iPhone, there are a lot of brands. As the merchandising becomes crowded, with so many apps on the AppStore, it’s hard to stand out. You will see that on the Facebook line-up. It becomes overwhelming for consumers to choose. As that matures, brands increase in value over time. That’s why Hasbro has done well on the iPhone. Facebook shows that people go with what their friends like. You can’t underestimate the value of a friend’s recommendation. That’s been the thing that drove the super fast rise of these games. You covet social acceptance. Facebook is digital word of mouth. As that saturates, brands will rise. That is what we are getting ready for.
VB: A RockYou speaker at our DiscoveryBeat conference said the company does 120 code releases a week. Are veteran video game people adapting to this new age?
CL: I have been in this business 25 yaers. You have to adapt. The business is changing. It has to be one of the most fast-changing industries there is. We are having a new transition and it is different from the past. The Wii transition was a big one. This is another. A veteran developer has to pay attention to market trends. The Playfish guys have the development methodology to participate at the right pace in these new worlds. We launched Littlest Pet Shop Online and are doing another content push. Software is a living experience. Live operating teams are just part of the formula. You have to develop the expertise to build and grow the business.
VB: We saw the validation of virtual goods in social games this year. What is the big trend for 2010?
CL: There will be a streamlining in 2010 because this rate of content growth is not sustainable from a consumer standpoint. At some point you saturate the consumer with too many options. You move to a hit-driven market. Instead of 300 games a day, we’ll see fewer things done more deeply. I’m sure my competitors see that the space has been validated and they will participate in a big way.
VB: Do you think the other platforms will catch up with Facebook? Virtual goods did well on Facebook. Will ad-driven games catch up? Casual game web sites fell behind. Will it even out?
CL: We talk a lot about Facebook and social. They are validating their business model, but they are not going to replace other paltforms. We are seeing tremendous success on the Xbox 360. I wouldn’t say Facebook has stolen the show. They are a part of the show. I don’t think they are the show. We aren’t changing the development philosophies. Nintendo is having a strong Christmas. We saw strong pickups with the price breaks. I’m impressed with features being added to Xbox Live. I am encouraged how more people are playing than ever before. That’s why we come to work. We are not riding a mature market to its extinction. We see kids from four years old to 60-year-old grandparents playing. It’s our job to focus on that growth.
VB: Where is the room for original titles in your label?
CL: It’s strong. A lot of the things taking off in new markets are original intellectual property. The Sims and Spore are the bulk of our sales and they are original. We just launched the Charm Girls Club and have seen better than expected results on that. A lot of the Facebook growth has been done with new IP. There is a lower barrier to entry on getting a read on how an original game is working. They get feedback within a couple of weeks after launch, it doesn’t take a lot of resources to develop. If it works, you double down on it. In the past, it took $30 million just to get one out the door. So the amount of experimentation was small. BioWare put up its Yeti app on Facebook because they wanted to experiment.
VB: Do you think 2009 was a miserable year for the video game industry?
CL: I wouldn’t classify this as miserable. The NPD results that a lot of analysts that others use to track us hasn’t been what we wanted it to be. But there are more gamers playing in different spaces. I look for this business to continue to expand. Anytime you can deliver something in a way that consumer likes, then you can prosper.
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2nd Annual Liberian Entertainment Awards
Check the website for event details, voting, nominees and ticket purchase:
http://www.liberianentertainmentawards.com/
The big four clubs in England reclaimed their grasp on FA Cup silverware last season after losing it for the first time in over a decade following Portsmouth’s surprise victory in 2008. Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Everton came after falling a goal behind to the quickest goal in FA Cup final history. Louis Saha’s strike after only 25 seconds rubbed Roberto Di Matteo’s 1997 cup-winning goal for Chelsea from the record books but the Blues were too strong and Didier Drogba’s header brought them level before Frank Lampard’s stunning strike took the cup to Stamford Bridge.
The FA Cup proposal was made by Charles Alcock, then FA Honorary Secretary. He proposed that there should be a competition among the Association’s member clubs. His proposal was approved on October of 1871 and the FA Cup was born.
The FA Cup started small. In its first season, only 15 clubs joined and the final match was attended by a mere 2000. Now, there are more than 600 competitors vying for a place in the tournament proper (so the qualifying rounds had to be instituted) and the number of people who watched the final match at Wembley Stadium in 1923 numbered 200,000!
You can watch live FA Cup games right here on Live Sport Network. Live online streaming of FA Cup games brings the thrills and excitement of the FA Cup right to your pc. Through our dedicated members area, you are able to see live FA Cup football at the click of a button. Whether it is Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool or Bedlington Terriers, Blyth Spartans and Great Yarmouth Town, the lure of the FA Cup grows every season. And you can be part of it right here at Free-Football.TV.
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Feld Motor Sports recently announced that model Mercedes Terrell was named Miss Supercross for the upcoming 2010 Monster Energy AMA supercross season, an FIM World Championship, which is due to kick-off few weeks from now. Terrell will be the ambassador of Monster Energy Supercross at 16 races of the 2010 season, representing the sport through a variety of promotional activities as well as standing on the podium to greet the winners of each race.
I’m glad to announce my new title… (read more)
SOUNDGARDEN broke up in 1997 after five albums, but rumors started swirling early last year about a reunion, with one source telling The Pulse of Radio directly that negotiations were underway.
Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron did stage a partial reunion at a March 2009 Tom Morello show in Seattle, playing a handful of SOUNDGARDEN songs with Tad Doyle singing.
Cornell had been touring in support of his 2008 Timbaland-produced solo album, “Scream”, which has bitterly divided fans over its urban pop sound.
Soundgarden was one of the key archetypes in the creation of grunge, a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle and was based around the band’s record label Sub Pop. Soundgarden was the first grunge band to sign to a major label, though the band did not achieve commercial success until Seattle contemporaries Nirvana and Pearl Jam popularized grunge in the early 1990s.
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Whether as stand-alone solution or as expansion module for existing machine tools the inverter e@syDrive TV offers an optimal basis to drive synchronous / asynchronous motor spindles and motors with speeds up to 480,000 rpm. All components necessary for the self sufficient operation, as for example operating and display elements as well as motor chokes, are already integrated in the device. Furthermore, e@syDrive TV can be connected to an existing machine control via analogue reference signals (+/-10 V), digital I /Os or USB. The low voltage version of e@syDrive TV is equipped with a galvanic separation of the power unit which protects the sensitive isolation of low voltage motors. The feature of saving up to 64 motor parameter sets in the drive enables the variable operation with different motors. The devices in table top design are available as low-voltage version with output voltages up to 60 V and as high-voltage version with output voltages up to 220 V.
Speedy SSDs might still be a pipe dream for most of us, but at least picking a top brand isn’t a challenge. OCZ would no doubt be a popular choice, and SandForce has just made it easier with its debut SSD controller, SF-1500, to be featured on the forthcoming Vertex 2 Pro SSD. Our friends at AnandTech managed to harvest some jaw-dropping results out of their 100GB prototype — most notably, the drive topped the charts with 2MB sequential performances at around 260MB/s (which is “virtually bound by 3Gbps SATA”), as well as a 50.9MB/s 4KB random write rate. SandForce dubs the magic behind these results DuraWrite, which is likened to real-time compression on the drive thus saving a significant number of write cycles. No prices announced yet, but hey, do we even care any more?
OCZ Vertex 2 Pro SSD previewed: awesome, and could do with some 6Gbps SATA love originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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SOUNDGARDEN recorded a large amount of B-sides, including cover songs and original tracks, that were mostly released on European singles and EPs. Many of them are now difficult to find.
Cornell denied to RollingStone.com that the band would reunite for a tour in 2010, but left the door open, saying, “I’ve always said nothing is impossible . . . I want to be open to anything, but nothing has changed in terms of our attitude toward it. It takes somebody to really stand up and say, ‘We should do this, we have to go do this, let’s go do this,’ and so far, no one has raised their hand to do that. Still, it’s not impossible.”
SOUNDGARDEN broke up in 1997 after five albums, but rumors started swirling early last year about a reunion, with one source telling The Pulse of Radio directly that negotiations were underway.
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Thicke’s latest release, Sex Therapy: The Session, dropped on December 15 and debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart. The offering is the singer’s first to sport a parental advisory label.
A wide array of artists are featured on the album, including Jay-Z, Game, Jazmine Sullivan, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj and Estelle.
Other artists hosting New Year’s Eve bashes include 50 Cent, Eva Longoria and the Black Eyed Peas.
‘m so jealous. They’re so gorgeous together.
And how the heck did Alan Thicke’s son get so much soul?
Anyway, he’s beautiful, she’s beautiful, his dad’s beautiful, Robin’s music is beautiful — he and my namesake will make beautiful babies.
In case you’re like me, the small percentage of the populous who’s not already hot for this guy, just check out all the stuff people wanted to know about Robin Thicke months ago.
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Established in 2007,Kekewa (meaning beauty in Hausa), has been a makeover brand that has established a niche with a reputable Nigerian based clientele. Founded by Morenike Bolujoko,a.k.a. Renique, a beautiful and passionate young Nigerian female,she remembers tieing down her sisters and friends for facial experiments. Renique (as she prefers to be addressed) links passion for makeovers to her desire to find the beauty within people and paint their exterior accordingly.
Here, Renique gives us her quick-fix makeover tips, for feeling beautiful with simple yet intricate techniques.
Jamati: Can we meet you: Family and educational background)
Kekewa: Morenike Bolujoko a.k.a Renique was born in Nassara, Kano State but originally hails from Kwara state. I come from a Christian home,a family of six,my parents,a brother and two sisters.
Jamati: How did “Kekewa Makeover” all begin and what does “Kekewa” mean?
Kekewa: I started doing makeup about 4 years ago.I used to tie down my friends and sisters and practice on them.They had no choice but drop their faces.I like to experiment with colours.Basically, passion is my driving force. Kekewa is an Hausa(a Nigerian language) word,it means beauty.Kekewa was launced 2007.
Jamati: Why did you decide to amongst other aspects of fashion and beauty,specilize in makeover/make-ups?
Kekewa: I am passionate about the art of makeup.
Jamati: What inspires your work? Is it your clients,your mood,time or the pay in question,lol?
Kekewa: I am inspired by my clients,what I see in magazines…it definitely not the pay..I practice all the time cos I wanna be up to date and brush up on my skills,you know. New tricks and tips keep coming.
Jamati: What distinguishes you as a makeover artiste from every other makeover artiste around?
Kekewa: My focus with makeup and ultimate goal is to sharpen ones beauty.I like to enhance with makeup that makes sense.I like to bring out someones personality with makeup.I don’t make my clients feel like they have a mask on or look like a clown.I love people to look in the mirror and say “oh my God,I’ve never seen myself look like this before”.That to me is the ultimate height, more than money.I appreciate beauty that’s why I am in the business.I like to give a lot of honest and positive feedback about ones features,make them feel good about themselves.I also love to teach and educate,I drop one or two tips to my clients,teach them the basic things they need to know.
Jamati: How do you describe your work as a makeover artiste and what does makeover entail?
Kekewa: I’m basically into bridal makeup,photography/video makeup and fashion makeup e.t.c and I intend to go into special effect makeup in due time.
Jamati: Can we have a run down of past,present and future works Kekewa has up it’s sleeves?
Kekewa: I have participated in fashion shows,exhibitions,worked with wedding bells magazine.I work with Zai magazine as a beauty editor.I have worked with models and designers like Gravido,Ore Apparels,Feron,Omie Selections,Rev.Dele George of Little Saints Orphanage for an inspirational magazine,Mtn Face(Mrs.Ayoola Olufunmilayo Browne-Shyllon.I’ve worked with makeup artists like Bayo Haastrup,LISE(Eni Balogun) to mention a few.
Jamati: How do you get your jobs?
Kekewa: I get jobs from previous jobs,you know..Previous clients refer people to me.I get jobs on facebook,from adverts that I post in magazines and on the internet.
Jamati: How many digits do you earn on a average from this?
Kekewa: I am not telling,lol.Typically,all rates depend on the type of job and number of hours.
Jamati: What do you think about men and makeovers;Is it also a masculine thing?
Kekewa: It is not about sexuality,it is about looking great.Men also get their makeup done..nah,its not what you are thinking..no lipstick/eyeshadow.Lol.
Jamati: How do we access Kekewa.Any contact details?
Kekewa: You could contact me on facebook; Renique Bolujoko
[email protected]
Business number-08074081525
Jamati: As a Beauty Editor,can you give divas out there a simple quick-fix makeover tip for the Yuletide Season?
Kekewa: Drink lots of water,play up a feature you feel is your best.Take care of your brows,it gives more eyelid space,gives an instant eyelift and defines the frame of your face.Don’t forget to use sunscreen. moisturize and moisturize and moisturize.
Jamati: What should we look forward to seeing Kekewa Makeover in 2010?
Kekewa: You should look forward to lots of surprise.Kekewa would be playing with lots of colours,creativity,ideas,faces e.t…so you should wait and be ready to be blown away.
Jamati: Give us a sign-in statement to begin 2010 and a shout out to your loved ones.
Kekewa: Wishing you a Fab new year! I wanna shout out to the publisher of ZAI magazine and crew members,my friends Amaka Ebinum,Funke Ajomale,My family,Lise,and Jamati.
Jamati: Thank you for hanging out with Jamati Online,we wish Kekewa Makeover the very best in the year 2010 and further.
Kekewa: My pleasure,thank you very much.
