We are the Mbadiwe Twins. We go by the names Ozuomba (Ozee) and Oseloka (Ocee), grandsons of renowned politician Dr. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe. We are both are accredited lawyers, with degrees from the Nigerian Law school and Masters degree from the U.K.’s Middlesex University, as well as Media Personalities, Humanitarian and Lifestyle Influencers. Our journey started many years ago when we decided to follow in the footsteps of our parents - re: pursing our law degrees. We enjoyed the journey of becoming lawyers and forever have a passion for the law especially in this fast paced world we live in today where evolution is rife and changes are being made everyday especially in the legal system. As much as we enjoyed being in the legal field, we are fortunate to have been born into a family full of legacy and achievements and that created our burning desire to want to achieve great things and be an inspiration to people, just like those who came before us. Essentially, inspiration ignited the spark that lead us on our journey. During our legal journey we both realized we were building a platform outside of the “Law sector” and developing a voice that people paid attention to and that’s where the spark to do something new came about, inspiration served as the catalyst and we believe with our platform, hard work and maintaining our core values we can inspire others just as those that came before us. We represent proud Nigerians who are very passionate about their nation and want to contribute it betterment through our humanitarian work or projects, we currently have going on. We want to play a role in shining a positive light globally on Nigeria, empowering and inspiring the youth and contributing to Nigeria’s future, that is what the Mbadiwe Twins represent.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
They say “the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step” sometimes that’s the biggest initial hurdle, taking a leap of faith, having a goal and taking the necessary steps to achieving those goals. We overcame this through several means but most important was self belief. If we don’t believe in ourselves then who will? We had to believe in what we stand for and what our overall goals where and from there came the passion and desire to overcome any obstacle and keep our eyes focused on the prize.
What books are you currently reading? And your recommendation for entrepreneurs to read?
On recommendation we are both currently reading a book titled “ I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse” by Michael Franzese and we highly recommend.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits?
How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
First of all to address what we would do differently; not much. Hindsight is 20/20 and we can all look back and find things we would like to change but we take the approach of losses to lessons. A lot of the mistakes we have made have turned into valuable lessons to prepare us for the journey ahead. When it comes to family fortunately for us we have a very supportive family who also serve as a backbone. Growing up education was very important to my family to give us an adequate foundation for whatever we choose to pursue, having accomplished what we set out to do academically, the family have been supportive of our decisions and push us daily to fulfil our potential.
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
As mentioned earlier. Inspiration! Or ultimate goal is to change the narrative, to distort the status quo and inspire people and let them no with self belief and desire we can all achieve whatever goal we set out to accomplish.
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
Nothing worth doing comes easy, it’s important to be passionate about what you do because in the most difficult times when faced with mountains that seem difficult or impossible to climb, the passion and desire is what will help to break through those obstacles.
What advice would you give to an upcoming entrepreneur locally and internationally?
Self awareness, self belief, emotional awareness and intelligence is key, in order to be successful one must be honest with the man/woman in the mirror. Be as aware of who you are as possible and be open to advice, constructive criticism where necessary and be willing to make adjustments where necessary. “It takes courage to stand up and speak up. It also takes courage to sit down and listen” - Winston Churchill.
