Six months ago, my colleagues thought I had lost my mind. I was pulling N800,000 a month as a senior account manager at a fintech company in Lagos. I had the suit, the corner office, the title on my LinkedIn. And I walked away from all of it to sell suya on Allen Avenue.
People laughed. My mother cried. My dad stopped calling.
But here is the thing nobody talks about — I had not smiled in two years. I woke up every Monday dreading the day. I watched the clock every afternoon. I was making money but spending it trying to feel alive.
The suya idea started as a joke. My uncle had a spot near Ikeja and he was struggling. I offered to help him repackage the brand — new packaging, Instagram account, QR code menus. Within three weeks, his daily sales doubled. And I felt something I had not felt in years: excitement.
So I jumped. I took N400,000 of my savings, rented a better grill spot, hired one assistant, and started Suya and Soul.
Month one: I made N180,000. A loss.
Month two: N290,000. Still a loss but growing.
Month three: N430,000. Break even.
Month four: N620,000.
Month five: N810,000.
Month six: N1.1 million.
I am not telling you to quit your job. I am telling you that comfort is the most dangerous thing in the world. I was comfortable and slowly dying inside. Now I smell like smoke every night and I have never been happier.
People laughed. My mother cried. My dad stopped calling.
But here is the thing nobody talks about — I had not smiled in two years. I woke up every Monday dreading the day. I watched the clock every afternoon. I was making money but spending it trying to feel alive.
The suya idea started as a joke. My uncle had a spot near Ikeja and he was struggling. I offered to help him repackage the brand — new packaging, Instagram account, QR code menus. Within three weeks, his daily sales doubled. And I felt something I had not felt in years: excitement.
So I jumped. I took N400,000 of my savings, rented a better grill spot, hired one assistant, and started Suya and Soul.
Month one: I made N180,000. A loss.
Month two: N290,000. Still a loss but growing.
Month three: N430,000. Break even.
Month four: N620,000.
Month five: N810,000.
Month six: N1.1 million.
I am not telling you to quit your job. I am telling you that comfort is the most dangerous thing in the world. I was comfortable and slowly dying inside. Now I smell like smoke every night and I have never been happier.
Comments
47Join the conversation
Login to Comment