Stylist in the house!!

Public Service Announcement

Due to the frequency of fashion faux pas, and gross errors in gathers and garments, VIVIretail, has now included to the list of services offered, a stylist.
Yes, we now have a stylist in the house who will attend to your fashion dilemma, offer tips on clothes and closet and most importantly, style your outfits.

Have any style/fashion question? Feeling indecisive about an outfit, want some advice and tips?
Don't hesitate to hit us up on viviretail@gmail.com and like our page on facebook- https://www.facebook.com/VIVIretail
Follow us on twitter - @viviretail

www.viviretail.com

Retail Opportunity!!

Looking to run our own business, be your own boss, and make your own profit? Or want to help set someone up?

Then become a retailer of a soap and detergent brand. Choose from Rhino multi-purpose soap, Rhino powder detergent, Delcare medicated soap, and Delcare COOL.

Rhino detergent – N2900/carton (9pieces)

Rhino multi-purpose soap – N2200/carton (48pieces)

Delcare medicated soap – N3200/carton (72pieces)

Delcare Cool –N3000/carton (72pieces)

If you are interested, contact porcelainboutique@yahoo.com OR 08077696669,07066380000

Drowning in s.... #RisingNigeria

With so much work to do, you may sometimes feel like you are drowning, but remember...

 Nobody ever drowned in sweat ~ Lou Holtz

Rest, Relax, Refresh, and keep going.

~ 

TGIF!

Since we are on the topic of expectations, optimisim/pessimism, and  half empty/full glasses

I’ve realized it doesn’t matter if the glass is half empty or half full. 

The thing is: there is clearly room for more vodka either way ;-)

Have a fun weekend people!

Drink responsibly ;-)

Voice your expectations #RisingNigeria

You get what you expect.

 It’s the classic half full/half empty glass. 

A story of the Optimist and the Pessimist, I heard sometime ago- 

Two twin girls got a birthday gift from their parents. The first one opened it and saw a box of sand. She sadly concluded that her parents did not love them as all they got was a box of sand. The other one, opened hers and saw a box of sand. She jumped up and ran out of the house. “There’s got to be a pony for this!”

We’ve been given the same event, the same day, the same week, what you get from it depends on what you are expecting from it.

So what are you expecting from today? Voice your expectation and make it happen.

My expectation: Today is going to be a blessed day!

Whatever you expect, you always find a way to make it happen

Stop the Monday Hating #RisingNigeria

You think Monday hating is a myth? Think again.

From Pyschologies Magazine, most of us dread Mondays due to the negatve things we associate Monday with- perceived loss of freedom and choosing how we spend our time. In fact, a study conducted by Maryland University shows that the heart rate of people spike on Monday, whether they have to work or not.

Want to cure the Monday blues?

-          Realize you are free to do as you wish!

Realize you haven’t lost your freedom, because you indeed choose to work where you do. If not, you always have the chance to walk away, advices life coach, Stephen Russell.

-          Monday Ritual

Start a small Monday tradition that makes you look forward to Mondays. Like reading Viviretail.blogspot.com, every Monday J

-          Have a mid-week treat!

A lot of us live for the weekends where we get to meet friends and family, and spend time together. But why limit these activities to the weekend? Give yourself a mid-week treat -  go see a movie, have dinner with a friend, says career coach, Denise Taylor.

-          Mini Meditation

Find a quiet spot, (the bathroom if conducive), and find a fixed but relaxed position. Set your phone timer for a minute. Close your eyes and allow your mind to settle into your breathing. Boroson talks about how clearing your mind can help you feel calmer especially on Mondays where we may not have time to relax.

Try these out and let us know how that worked for you. Wish you a happier Monday!

PorcelainBoutique#RisingNigeria - Retailers on the Rise

I recently hung out with the owners of the website  - porcelain.com.ng- sisters- Zara and Didi. And from my short chat with them, these girls seem driven, working hard to get there and intent on making a name for themselves. With a physical store already under their name, the duo set out to launch a website in order to accommodate more customers, and are already looking to open up a depot store in Lagos soon.

Story behind. Why retail?

Didi: Females are addicted to shopping and so retailing targeted to women seemed like good idea. We deal with mainly clothes coz they are easier to sell off than shoes or intimates (if people don’t find their size).

Zara: Also financial independence was a major drive to starting it!

Challenges

Didi: Cause we get our supplies from outside the country, shipping at the beginning was a challenge, especially as when you are new to the shipping game. Right now, publicity and advertisement

Five years from now…

Zara: Ruling the West African market in various sectors that are our interest lies – online retail; FlirtyFitnessNigeria which is the nutrition and fitness which right now focuses on diet aids, but we hope to expand to workout classes and more; Speed dating and date auction events which we call Socials, Viviretail which focuses on African designed brands, and Porcelain kitchen which focuses on catering for barbeques.

Best and Worst moments so far…

Didi: It feels good knowing and seeing that when you work hard, you reap the benefits.

Zara: The worst is bargaining! People want to send you back to living in the village!*laughs*

Just for fun- Guys in boxers or briefs?

Both: Boxers! Well, except you are in the navy, then you are permitted to wear briefs.

Favorite lipstick

Zara: Purple

Didi: Nude

Word of advice to anyone rising out there…

Zara: If the door is shut on your face, keep going. Force your way in somehow! It’s a forceful world.

Take advantage of your youth. You are a shark! Money doesn’t sleep.

Didi: You can afford to beg people now for opportunities and favour and be less shameful about it, than when you are older:-)

Porcelain is currently giving out N1000 discount on clothes sold on their site till July5th. Visit their website- porcelain.com.ng to order clothes, accessories and ‘N500 Items’. You can check out their blog – porcelainboutique.blogspot.com.

@PorcelainNig

Monday Mantra

Make today ridiculously amazing! Why?

Start your week off with an amazing day...it sets the tone for the week.

Monday Mantra

"There’s no reason this cannot be the best day of my life. "      

         

-Serena VanderWoodsen Blake Lively

Recognized: Michael Adenuga Jr. GCON

A lot of entrepreneurs in Nigeria have looked up to Michael Adenuga at some point in their lives.

He is a successful entrepreneur, and is infact, the 2^nd richest man in Nigeria and the 5^th richest in Africa according to Forbes, with a net worth of $4.7billion. (Feel free to convert to naira if your calculator allows that much zeroes!)

 Incase you don’t know who Mike Adenuga is, in which case you have been living under a rock for way too

long, here’s a little about him:

He is the chairman of Mike Adenuga Group which comprises of oil and gas companies and telecommunications among others. His oil and gas company- Conoil Plc is one of the largest in the

country, with its downstream arm- Conoil Producing being the first indigenous company to strike crude oil and produce it in commercial quantity in 1991.

He founded Globalcomm(Glo) in 2006, which has now grown to be one of Nigeria’s largest telecom company, with over 24 million customers. Glo operates not just in Nigeria, but also in Ghana, Republic of Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Gambia.

In the banking sector, Equatorial Trust Bank, owned  by Mike Adenuga effortlessly met the 25billion naira capital requirement by merging with his other bank, Devcom bank. 

ETB later merged with Sterling bank.

And its no surprise that he was conferred with the national honour of GCON- General Commander of Niger.

However, all these achievements, titles, awards and wealth did not come for free. Courage, hard work and persistence are some of the price he paid.

In starting a business there is always a risk, and  Mike Adenuga has managed to risk a lot in starting up various businesses.Courage counts. They say, when you risk nothing, you risk even more.

Hardwork. Mike Adenuga did his undergraduate and masters degrees in USA. And although from a comfortable background, he took jobs as a cab driver and security guard.

Persistence. Mike Adenuga was issued a conditional license in 1999 to operate the GSM. This was later revoked. In 2002, through The NCC (Nigerian Communication Commission), his company was one of the 4 participants that won the bid. The mandatory deposit of $20 million was paid. 

But the license was revoked due to the company’s inability to pay the $265million balance within the stipulated time. Guess what? The $20million deposit was gone too!

While many may have given up after this, he later went on to bid for Second National Operator (SNO) license, and paid the $20million deposit again. He won the bid through Globalcom Ltd.

The SNO has the right to operate digital mobile lines, and serve as international gateway for telecom in Nigeria among other rights.

Modesty. Despite his many achievements, many still describe Mike Adenuga Jr as an epitome of modesty.

Sources: Forbes; News of the people; Naija gists

These are just a few reasons Mike Adenuga is #Recognized.

Know anyone worth recognizing? rising?

Let us know!

-Queen.

Rise, Raise and Give!!

This is an excellent opportunity to get your products out there!

Are you a young entrepreneur looking for how to showcase your products or increase your clientele base? 

Become a vendor at the Rise,Raise and Give(RRG) event on the 26^th of May, 2013

At Bics Garden, Lekki Phase1.

For more info please add us on: 223F2045,

or call: 08088159259, 08111132752 and ff @rrgevents.

Don’t miss out on this fun opportunity!!

Airtime Giveaway!!

Happy Workers' Day, VIVIens!! To celebrate the holiday, VIVI Retail has decided to do a lil something for one lucky VIVIen; we're giving away N500 worth of airtime(for any GSM network operating in Naija) to him/her. Wanna be the one? All you have to do is:

- Like our facebook page AND follow us on twitter,
- Know the answer to this very simple question: When was the VIVI Retail facebook page created? (Date: day,month, and year), and
- Message or DM us the answer.

May the fastest fingers win, *wink*.

Britain's First Black Marchioness

Just came across this month's edition of TATLER. On the cover is Britain's first Black Marchioness. She's Nigerian!(Well, her father is Nigerian)
She's Emma McQuiston, a 26 year old former model and food blogger.(emmamcquiston.com is her blog).
In June, she is set to wed Ceawlin Thynn, Viscount Weymouth and the son of the Marquess of Bath.
I'm not so familiar with British royalty and titles, but she's the first Black person to be given such a 'weighty title'!
Check out the cover of the mag, and read more about Emma McQuiston!

Photos: Tatler magazine and Emmamcquiston.com

Happy Birthday Mum...

Hmmm,our ViviWonder. It’s your birthday month!! You were so fashionable in your own simple way. The foundations of everything I know pertaining to class, fashion, and beauty, I learned from you. I’m sure you know I sort of named VIVI Retail after you (thank Q for letting me); and every stake I have in this business I dedicate wholly and unreservedly to you. So it seems only fitting that in honour of your birthday this year, I re-write you a letter I wrote you nearly five years ago, on this blog.

Well, here it goes:

Mummy,

It’s not easy to believe you are really gone. For days now, I have tried desperately to remember the way you called my name, the way you hugged me, the way you smelt, the way you smiled at me, the way you laughed at and with me, and most of all, the way you said to me, “I love you”, almost every chance you got. Though I can never forget any of these things, nothing beats the real thing.

I know you are in a better place, but I’m selfish; I miss you, and I wish you never had to go. My consolation lies in the fact that you lived an extraordinary, complete, and wonderful life. I mean how many people can boast of seeing Michael Jackson in the flesh before they clocked 20? Definitely not me (laughs). And that’s just one drop of water in the sea of fun things you got to do. Everyone knows life has ups and downs; but with you, the ups far outweighed the downs.

Mummy, I know you will always be up there watching over us. We will do our best to make sure you remain proud of us. You’re in luck, mum. When you were with us, I only got to make you laugh when I came home for holidays. Now, you get to laugh at all the silly things I do or say anytime, anywhere. I know you’ll love that.

You were my mummy, my friend, and my teacher. And what a great job you did!Thank you for being an amazing and unbelievable mum- one in a million.

I love you forever…

Ona.

 …nearly five years down the line, I still miss you just as much; maybe even more. Looking at this picture of you now, it really is no wonder where I learned this smile I have that confuses a lot of people, lolz. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

                                                         
- Nam

Labels we Love!!: Alali Boutique

First of all, meet the Alali woman- The Alali woman is effortless, she never tries. She does not steal attention but acquires recognition. She is the definition of the casual, chic elegance...

The brand which had its debut in 2011 has since then participated in various fashion shows such as Lagos Fashion and Design Week, 2012 Ghana Fashion Week and others. Its debut collection, 'The Insouciant' has been followed by others-the Blouse Closet, A/W 2012, Colour Me Pretty, Lipstick + Free Speech, Alali Boutique offers ready-to-wear pieces.

Enjoy pictures from various collections of the label.
And don't forget to contact them for any piece that catches your eye!
Check out items from all collections and prices on their website. The link can be found on the right under our 'Labels we Love!!'

                                                              The Insouciant

The Insouciant

                                                                   Blouse Closet

Blouse Closet

A/W 2012

                                                                       A/W 2012

                                                        Lipstick + Free Speech

Lipstick + Free Speech

I Choose to Be Happy

“Find light in the beautiful sea, I choose to be happy…”

The ultra-famous Rihanna sang that in what might very well be one of her favourite hits of all time, Diamonds. Let’s not forget sha that it was actually Sia who wrote the song. (I’m sure many of us even thought it was her when we first heard the song; I mean it was just so… HER! You know?). Lolz.

Anyways, let’s not go too much off track now, lolz. What I really want to talk about now is how being happy is basically a conscious decision. Happiness doesn’t always just come upon you; a lot of the time, you have to actually CHOOSE to be happy. And the best way to achieve this is by always looking on the bright side of things- developing a largely positive mind-set. Admittedly, in the world we live in today, what with all the many examples of misfortune and man’s inhumanity to man that we witness on a near daily basis, it is often very difficult to adopt this sort of attitude to life. But if we stop for a minute to really think about it, we’ll realise that being optimistic is the only rational step. I mean, being sad and gloomy isn’t going to fix things. I know being happy and bubbly might not fix things either, but at the very least, it’ll keep you SANE; it’ll keep you HEALTHY. As an optimistic and happy person, you’ll find it a lot easier to wade through this mess we call life; and you’ll find that you’re better able to show your appreciation to those you love and who love you in return.

So, my friends; make a decision to be happy today. Put a smile on that face. 

Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, did rise strong and victorious many years ago today, after dying for our sins and waging a tumultuous war against the devil for our sakes. So you see; we have every reason in the world to be happy today. Happy Easter everyone!!!

Cheers!

-Nam

P.S. Speaking of appreciating the ones you love, holler at us today at viviretail.com to get some bits of treasures, for those you treasure.**wink** Mwah!

Our Two Kobos on Love…

The much anticipated Valentine love season for this year has come and gone. I’m sure many of us, especially those of us with significant others in our lives found ourselves perplexed as to how best to show those who make our lives worth living just exactly how much we truly love them. It would hardly be presumptuous for me to say that gifting has by and by, become the standard way of showing appreciation to those we love. This however, often brings us to the common debate as to which are the best kinds of gifts to give; immaterial ones such as a kind romantic gesture, or materials ones such as a delicious box of chocolates? Some believe material gifts are shallow and ring hollow, while others believe that immaterial gifts are only given by the most stingy and tight-fisted of individuals.

Well you know what I think? You thought right; perfection can be found only in the balance. There’s nothing wrong with gifting your loved ones with both material and immaterial gifts. All you have to do is make sure your motives are good and sincere, and you’ll find it nearly impossible to go wrong. So don’t opt to buy your fiancée a diamond necklace simply because you’d rather just give her a thoughtless gift than spend quality time with her. And don’t buy your bloke a ‘hack-and-tack’ pack of boxers or nothing at all, just because you’d rather save some extra change. 

According to Casanova’s character in the movie, Casanova (do let us overlook the fact that the thieving scoundrel actually swiped the words from Francesca Bruni’s astute character, lol): 

“Out of all the ways love can be true, there IS one way; and that way is the sum of all the others.” 

It goes to say therefore that both immaterial and material gifts are instrumental to fully demonstrating our love for one another. And when it comes to material gifting, we at VIVIretail are readily available to lend you a helping hand. So guys, buzz us and get a gift for the girl that rocks your world. Jewelry? We got it. Clothes? We got it. Accessories? We got it! And girls, there’s nothing wrong with gifting yourselves, as long as you don’t twitpic what you bought and claim some imaginary guy bought for you, lol (now, that is just low). Raise your head high and show yourself some love. We’re only a buzz, a click, or a call away…..and remember; we deliver...**wink** - Nam