Today we’d like to introduce you to Ata Ashiru.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ata. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a young child raised in Lagos, Nigeria, I always marveled at my father’s entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic, so it’s no wonder that I followed in his footsteps.
After graduating from high school in 1995 in Nigeria, I left for the United States (Atlanta, GA) in 1996 to pursue a Bachelors in International Business from Clark Atlanta University. I had arrived in Atlanta right after the 1996 Olympics with my father who was so concerned about leaving his daughter behind in another country thousands of miles from home. As luck would have it, I turned out just fine. Lol! I am the first of 5 children of my parents.
My professional career path spanned from working at Randstad, Hewitt Associates, Accenture and then Deloitte Consulting, all based in Atlanta.
As cliché as it may sound, Inkhearts really started as a hobby. I enjoyed creating beautiful stationery for family and friends who wanted more than cookie cutter designs. Then, my husband and I got married in June 2007 at the Four Seasons Atlanta and I created our wedding invitations. But the defining moment occurred when I designed and created invitations for my milestone birthday soiree which I hosted at Le Bam Studio in Midtown, Atlanta in 2008.
I received such amazing and encouraging feedback from people who caught a glimpse of the invitations that I soon realized I could be on to something and shifted focus from hobby to business. I was slowly able to build my clientele base organically via a network of family and friends. Through hard work and consistency, my client base quickly expanded to the United Kingdom and Nigeria. I worked hard from my living room assembling each invite carefully by hand all on my own. The tasks at some point seemed daunting but I persevered further because I was passionate about my work and the joy it brought me.
Then another major shift occurred when we relocated back to Lagos, Nigeria after having lived in the states for close to 19 years. We moved back to Nigeria due to a business opportunity that was presented to my husband, a FinTech Executive. In April 2012, I opened my studio located in the city of Lagos, to serve as a showroom where clients could visit by appointment and experience personalized service.
In a world where the right partnerships are now the new competition, I have been fortunate enough to network and partner with notable event industry giants. In March 2016, I partnered with Sade Awe of The Bridal Circle by provided branding and stationery for The Jeff Leatham Masterclass Experience in Lagos Nigeria. In 2017, I launched my very first Ready-To-Order Wedding Invitation Collection, which has been warmly received. Over the years, my client base has steadily grown to include very distinguished High Net Worth clientele and corporate organizations.
I am happily married to my husband and blessed with 8-year-old twin boys, Tobi & Fore and 3-year-old daughter, Leila.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Running a stationery business has certainly not been a walk in the park. I am a self-taught graphic designer so starting out was quite shaky. In the beginning, I reached out to a few graphic designers who were kind enough to show me a trick or two but google and youtube quickly became my friends. I spent countless hours behind the computer learning how to work with Adobe Illustrator & Indesign. Even today, I still get all giddy when I learn a new trick.
Another hurdle I faced had to do with logistics and production in Atlanta vs. Lagos once I set up shop in Nigeria.
Coming from the United States, I was used to working with establishing print press houses where the structure was set in stone and I didn’t have to be physically available for operations to run smoothly. However, this wasn’t the case when I moved. Established print press houses are pretty much non-existent in Nigeria so I quickly found that the onus was on me to build a solid and dependable team to partner with in order to carry out the kind of creative projects I envisioned.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Inkhearts Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Inkhearts Studio is a full-service design company now based in Lagos, Nigeria which, caters to the discerning client. We offer one of a kind creations ranging from wedding, corporate and social invitations and accessories (menus, programs, place cards) to kit packaging for corporate bodies and individuals.
We have a clear understanding of our products and the value add it brings. Our job is to seamlessly execute each client’s vision from inception and make it uniquely and personally theirs. At the core, quality, customer service, & integrity are interwoven into the fabric of our company, which sets us apart from others in the industry.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have been utterly blessed with an amazing family who has supported me from day one. Friends still remind me how proud they are of me to see how far I’ve come with the company. Inkhearts Studio has been a work in progress for the past 9 years and is still very much a work in progress.
You see from the onset, I knew corporate life was not for me and it was just a means to an end. I yearned for a way out, so in the background, I worked full time on the job but part-time I honed in on my craft and got better at it. I believe that sometimes, certain events occur out of our control but I also believe that we control a very large portion of our lives.
I say all this to share that this journey has been a combination of hard work, persistence and dedication. Nothing is ever handed to anyone easily or is always sheer luck. The more you prepare, the more rewards fall at your doorstep.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inkhearts.com
- Phone: +234.807.478.3309
- Email: info@inkhearts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkheartsstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InkheartsStudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/InkheartsStudio
Image Credit:
Emmanuella Photos
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