I Launched My Business From Someone’s Living room – Jamima Angulu, 32, Dance Instructor

JamimaJamima Talatu Angulu (Mima) was born in Niger State in 1983 but raised in Lagos where her parents relocated to in her early years. She attended Command Children’s School Bonny Camp Lagos, FGGC Abuloma and finished her secondary education at FGGC Bida, Niger State.

For her, studying Land Surveying at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria wasn’t enough. She followed her passion to become a dancer; an ambition which saw her going to the Entrepreneurial Development Center of the Pan Atlantic University to study Entrepreneurial Management and also studying contemporary Jazz and theater at The Broadway Dance Center in New York.
She currently owns one of the few contemporary dance studios in Nigeria ‘The Krump Dance Studios’, a service-oriented business for providing dance fitness, dance training and dance entertainment as well as theater services which started in February 2011. Jamima is single.

I was born to… 

the family of Mr and Mrs J.N Angulu; a former director at the FRCN and the first female photo journalist in Nigeria.

I grew up in a household…

where I was the last child out of seven children, so I had a lot of older siblings to take care of me. I used to stay with my elder sisters and they inspired me to be hard working.

My favorite childhood memories…  

I remember having a dance clique of friends while I was in Bonny Camp in Lagos and we used to meet and teach each other dance moves to MC Hammer’s songs. I will never forget my friend Alero Awani (she was a really good dancer and I learnt from her).

I also remember I was taken from room to room at FGGC Abuloma to dance; it was a form of training for me in the area of entertaining people.

Craziest thing I’ve ever done….

I really can’t think of any.

One thing I regret most…            

I wouldn’t say I regret anything per se, because experiences have made me who I am now, but if I had to mention one, it would be that I wish I started professional dancing earlier. I wish I went to a dance school right after secondary school.

When I was a child I wanted to be…

a performer; I always dreamt of myself on stage as a star. At some point, I also wanted to be an architect, but most of the time I always knew I wanted to dance. Right now, I want to keep dancing and inspiring people to dance by providing dance education and awareness programmes.

How I found myself doing this…             

I was determined to provide the opportunities I didn’t get while I was growing up by opening a dance facility to aid dancers get training and find jobs and that’s why I decided to start the studio.

I started my business with…

nothing. I made an arrangement with the owner to pay for a space (a living room) in installments and I started classes there. From then on, I started planning and writing my business plan to grow the studio. While I was doing that, I also used money I saved from being a surveying assistant for initial capital.

My major support comes from…

my family who have been very supportive in allowing and encouraging me to do what I do and keep going; a few of my friends and class mates from business school, teachings from my pastors in church (Family Worship Center), but most especially from God.

People that motivate me…

I am inspired and motivated by many people.

When I look in the mirror I see…              

a dreamer; I see a girl that wants to live out the many dreams she has. I also see a shy girl sometimes.

Five words to describe me…      

dreamer, hardworking, determined, focused, creative.

One thing I could change about myself…             

is to be more sociable.

You might not know it but…

I am an introvert.

It might not be trendy or fashionable but…

I don’t like wearing earrings.

The last time I cried…

was last month (February).

I’m afraid of… frogs and rats!

You may call it my weakness but…         

I’m very anti social.

Life has taught me that…

I have to believe in myself and that as you grow bigger, the challenges get bigger too.

I used to be…  

a tom-boy.

Books that made an impact on me…      

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership; The Bible.

My favorite movie of all time is….

In Pursuit of Happiness and Drum Line.

Where I see myself/business in five years’ time…             

I see myself running a full dance school with quite a number of students and I also see myself having more training, more international dance collaborations and dance performances around the world.

LEADERSHIP

 

END

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