The Founders Journey: Theresa Olloh on Taking a Leap of Faith to Start Her Business Hamalie
The Founders Journey is our spotlight series featuring Black women & Non-Binary people who are building businesses and brands.
Meet Theresa Olloh founder of Hamalie an e-commerce destination for African artisan goods.
We’re happy to share our conversation with Theresa as she talks with us about taking the plunge into entrepreneurship and how she keeps a focused mindset.
Theresa Olloh Founder of Hamalie
Can you tell us a little bit about Hamalie and some of your inspirations behind the brand?
Hamalie is a curated e-commerce destination I founded to spotlight and connect artisanal, independent makers and contemporary brands across Africa to an international audience.
It was also born out of a nostalgic longing from ‘home’ Lagos, Nigeria since moving to the UK in 2012. I wanted to create a unifying platform where people from all corners of Africa could come together and shop. Africans are some of the most resilient people I know and I believe it is important to champion the great work we produce.
“I will always be inspired by our resilience to not just survive but also thrive, time and time again. This resilience inspires everything I do with Hamalie.”
Body Art Print stocked on Hamalie
Why did you feel it was important to position your business on African artisanship only?
As an African, I believe it is important to champion my own people, our culture and our craft. It is important to me because there are so many artisans back home who pour their hearts into creating beautiful pieces using heritage materials locally available in Africa. Due to economic instability and various reasons, for most of them, it is a means to an end, unfortunately. They do not have the luxury of pursuing their craft for fun. Most of the brands you can shop on Hamalie work with local artisans to create the beautiful products you enjoy and I believe it is important to support them.
By supporting more African brands, there is some assurance that more jobs will be created, more people will be employed, more parents will provide for their children, more children will have access to education and so much more. This is why Hamalie focuses on African artisanship only.
When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into entrepreneurship?
I’ve always chased freedom from as far back as I can remember. Freedom to create, build or work on whatever I wanted when I wanted and I knew only entrepreneurship could give me that avenue. I’ve always wanted to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, I just couldn’t until 2017 when I got the idea to start Hamalie and when I graduated from university. With no obstacles in the way, nothing could stop me this time.
Was there a time you doubted yourself in the process of building Hamalie and if so how did you navigate through it?
At the start, as I mapped out my dream and vision for Hamalie, it felt intimidating. The vision was huge. I can’t exactly say I doubted myself but I knew it was a role I had to step up for and mentally prepare myself to embark on. I guess the easiest way to answer this is that I committed myself to the “why” to eliminate any room for doubt. Because there are needs to be met, I enjoy it and there is a good cause behind it, my passion and commitment always override any self-doubt I may have or have had.
I will say that things can get very overwhelming and when they do I always remember a to-do list and something my friend always says. “How do you eat an elephant?”. The answer? “One bite at a time”. It always makes me laugh (because why would you even think to?!). But that’s usually my cue to take a step back and breathe. Re-strategize and take things one step at a time. For me, Hamalie is a marathon not a sprint, I’m in it for the long haul.
“Hamalie is a marathon not a sprint, I’m in it for the long haul.”
Mini Handwoven Wahad Lampshade stocked on Hamalie
As a member of our Founders Club, what have you found most useful from our community?
The entrepreneurial journey can be very lonely especially as an immigrant at least that’s how mine has been. For me, it felt like starting from ground zero with no contacts, no network and no family or friends close by to assist with certain things. So when I saw Black Girl Fest had a Founders Club, I had to join. I craved community and I love that it’s giving me a safe space to meet people on a similar journey to mine. I attended the last Founders Club meet-up and it was amazing meeting other founders, discussing similar issues and joys as well as helping those just about to start their journey. It’s been incredibly helpful and I’ve gotten so many opportunities from it too! Can’t thank BGF enough for this platform!
“I craved community and I love that it’s giving me a safe space to meet people on a similar journey to mine.”
What are some of your self-care rituals you’ve put in place?
Twenty-twenty introduced some next-level chaos I never thought I would experience in my life. I had to find ways to stop my thoughts from racing and just slow down. My go-to is a hot long shower when I’m stressed or uneasy. I picked up running and also started painting. I find them therapeutic. I wouldn’t say I journal every day but when I have a lot on my mind, I’d turn to a page to pour it all out. I find that this helps me put a name to how I feel and connect any dots to understand why I feel a certain way. I’ve found that self-discipline can also be a form of self-care. So I’m trying to be more disciplined around adding more structure to my day and reducing my screen time. This is very much still a work in progress, I’m not a pro yet.
Suki Suki Mango Butter stocked on Hamalie
What aspirations do you have for the future of Hamalie?
Wow. Right now Hamalie is my baby but I want her to grow beyond me. The vision is so huge. I want Hamalie to contribute towards a more sustainable Africa — one that can ethically rely on its resources. I want African-made to be a norm and be globally embraced. I want a world where products made in Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Algeria are valued and utilised within Africa and abroad. I want Hamalie to be at the forefront of that, the go-to lifestyle brand to experience African-made.
Lorne earrings stocked on Hamalie
“There is so much beauty in the process of building something unique to you.”
We’re excited to hear you’re part of the Design Museum’s Entrepreneur Hub programme! What are you most excited about with this new programme?
It’s such an honour to have been offered a place on the programme out of 250+ applications. I am really excited about everything to be honest. Excited to learn more about how to run Hamalie better so I can deliver and serve my customers better. Excited to connect with the incredible founders I’ll be working alongside. To know I’ll be taught and mentored by successful designers and entrepreneurs is really mind-blowing. It’s exciting to be associated with such a reputable institution. It is really a blessing and I’m grateful for everything. Shout out to Black Girl Fest for notifying me about the opportunity!
One piece of advice for other Black women founders?
Find joy in the process. Things may not always go as you planned and that’s fine. During the journey, you will learn so much, you will push yourself to limits, you will pick up skills, you will connect with people and so much more . There is so much beauty in the process of building something unique to you. I believe it’s important to embrace all of that too just as much as we all celebrate closing deals or making sales and….I’m rooting for you!
IG: @hamalieofficial
Web: www.hamalie.com
Thank you Theresa!
