Iman Sulaiman-Ibrahim is a multi talented trailblazing entrepreneur with a background in Sociology. By the age of 21, she had acquired two Master Degrees. An MA Management and MBA from The Webster University Missouri (London campus). She is also a certified SAP Consultant.
She is a multi awarding winning Mary Kay independent senior sales director. She is a real estate business expert, a marketing executive, a management executive, a mentor, motivational speaker, trainer, a live coach and a dream facilitator. Yes! She gracefully wears those caps effectively with her unwavering believe in people and their abilities even as she is able to bring out the very best in them.
I am indeed amazed at the feat Iman has achieved. She was my class mate in secondary school (F.G.G.C Bwari, Abuja) and back then, Iman was quite shy. To see the enigma she has turned out to be, not only in Nigeria but even beyond the shores of this country is indeed worthy of all accolades. Yes she is truly a Leading Woman and I celebrate her!
Iman spent her early years in Abuja FCT while her Dad was part of the team tasked with the project of developing the New Capital City of Nigeria.
Later in life, Iman married her first and only love Mohammed Sirajo Ibrahim a Lawyer, whom she met at the University of Abuja during her undergraduate studies. They have 3 amazing children.
“I grew up in a very positive, assured, safe, loving and faith oriented environment, I had a secured childhood, my parents made sure they gave us roots and wings. My Parents had 8 of us, but they were parents to many other children. The values and expectations where very clear and these same values I am passing on to my children.” Says Iman.
Mary Kay is a global brand loved by so many women. It is exciting to know that Iman was the first Northern Nigerian director in the 46 years history of Mary Kay Cosmetics and not too long after, she rose to become the No 1 Director in sales in the entire UK and Ireland…what an amazing feat…go girl!
Presently, Iman is a senior sales director, this means she is not only responsible for her unit but also that of her existing offspring sales director and other future off springing units.
The journey into the world of Mary Kay started for Iman in June of 2008, she had tried the products 3 months before she joined, she fell in love with the Time Wise 3in1 cleanser, her love affair with skincare started early, so she knew what a great cleanser would feel like. “I signed up as Mary Kay consultant simply because I didn’t want to pay anyone extra for a cleanser I would use every day so when the option for me to get it cheaper was available, I embraced it. I had no intention of selling anything to anybody. In fact I was 100% sure I was not going to sell Mary Kay products to anybody. I was going to be a personal-use-consultant so I and my sisters could enjoy the amazing products.”
“Little did I know that it was an answered prayer. The Mary Kay experience was what I was in search of to help me work on my weakness and further strengthen me, polish and perfect my skills and then set me apart for greatness. When I decided to run a Mary Kay business properly, it was not about the products, it was about the woman I will become and the lives I was going to impact and inspire. My Mary Kay journey has been so powerful and life changing, no day is the same; I learnt lessons that I would never have learnt within the 4 walls of any business school. It has been a training ground for me, my list of empowering skill sets and tools sets just keep growing, there’s no direct sales company that educates and trains their force like Mary Kay Cosmetics. I will never be the same woman again.” Iman gleefully articulates.
Iman’s rise in Mary Kay is indeed commendable. She started at the end of June 2008, went into mid management in October, by the end of February 2009, 8 months later, she assumed the role of being a sales director. Considering that fact that being in the sales department was her key weak area, achieving this feat was huge for Iman and I concur!
Presently as senior sales director, Iman provides 360 degrees business support and mentoring from a new business start up stage till they assume the role of leadership. Support is tailored according to individual goals, career levels and other company projections. “This role is challenging, tasking, empowering and highly rewarding. You must take God as your journey partner for wisdom and grace. My Keyword here is Prayers!” She says.
If there is an area I appreciate in Iman, it is her fervour for women to become entrepreneurs and also to inspire their children. In her words, “the importance of women being productive can never be over emphasised. My children have been with me to many skincare classes, they have sometimes pulled the trolley or carried my showcase, my eldest daughter sometimes assists me with delivery and posting out products.”
“Entrepreneurship starts from the home and every opportunity I get to speak to women, I never fail to share with them the importance of being an entrepreneur. The advantages are numerous.” Iman advises.
Today is Children’s Day and Iman has this to say “every child deserves a practical role model, what we have today is a lot of people telling you what to do as suppose to showing you what to do. Besides, what you do speaks more volume than what you say so why not inspire the young ones by practicing what you speak? Every day, we hear about children being molested, children being abused verbally and physically by nannies or carers. We hear about missing children or children being kidnapped.”
“There is no parent or mother that should put her career before her children, being an entrepreneur and working for yourself will allow you to set your priorities right, this is a philosophy that attracted me to Mary Kay Cosmetics ‘God first, family second, career third’. When a mother doesn’t raise her kids and delegate her responsibilities to someone or pays other people to raise her kids the way she wants, she is doing herself and her family for many generations to come a disservice. By the time some faults become highlighted, it might be too late to correct and those values could be passed down to the next generation.” Iman warns and further adds “An entrepreneurial woman builds many more empowered entrepreneurs from within and outside the home and that’s what the new Nigeria is hungry for. My Keyword here is values!”
Despite the challenges she sometimes faces, Iman remains optimistic and focused. “Yes the challenges of multitasking are there but you must keep keeping on. As I run my business, I eliminate the spirit of compromise totally. I strive for excellence, for perfection and discipline knowing that the more I shine, the more I would be able to give others the permission to shine too. My keyword here is Lighthouse!”
Concluding the interview, Iman reminisces and advises saying “I remember when I started I didn’t have the kind of capital I needed to build the system I wanted and also I was so shy that I couldn’t close a sale and ask for my money after a presentation. I also had stage fright and could hardly speak in public but guess what? All these challenges have come to pass. If you persist and persevere, things will fall into place. All you have to do is your best, when you do your maths, GOD does the miracle. I end with this quote from Mary Kay Ash ‘Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass’. My keyword here is Gratitude!”
Kemi Ajumobi
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