May 3, 2017

WCW - Daboju aka Naija Hair Can Grow

Hey there!


  1. Hi there! What is your name and what do you do?
    My name is Dabs Ogboru and I am a 'Hairpreneur' (smiles), I'd like to say that I promote nifty, innovative hair care solutions via my blog called Naija Hair can grow and my retail/salon company called Savvy Chic Hair Beauty Hub. Recently, my passion for healthy hair care led me to seeking Trichology training, which I acquired and recently got awarded the certification as a Trichlogist bestowed by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

  2. When did you start blogging and what was the reason behind it? 
    I started blogging in June 2011, I had just come back from my masters and had long healthy hair and used to get approached all the time by ladies who asked me how I grew my hair so long and if I was Nigerian, I decided to start blogging about all the steps I was taking, it became like a hair education dairy of sorts and before I knew it, I had ladies reaching out asking me for advice on hair care, styling and growth.

  3. I've seen you turn your blog into multiple streams of income over the years, from reselling products to opening a salon to creating your own products, and now a book on child hair care. How did you do it?!?!?!?
    That was never the intention, I just stumbled on opportunities and I have always been one to seize an opportunity and make the most of it, as my readership grew, I had people asking me to help them purchase products, review products...I even had requests from some ladies to come to their houses to get their hair done...I started out by bringing in products on demand on a monthly basis, a process I coined - The Monthly Import window, then eventually I opened Savvy Chic Hair Beauty Hub, a brick and mortar retail store and salon in Lagos and also built a multi-seller e-commerce website Over the years as you rightly mentioned,  I have evolved my brand to not just retailing other brands but we now manufacturer our own branded satin sleep caps, pillow cases and satin pillows, our own Savvy Chic whipped Shea butter cups and our set of combs and scalp massager. After I had my daughter and found that caring for her hair was not as difficult as I feared it would be as it was responding excellently, the blogger in me kept a journal which I took to publishers, it will be ready in May.

    I give God the glory for these ideas, they simply pop in my head, it takes me about 5 minutes to decide if its a great idea at the time, weigh the odds, shelf it if it's not or plan an execution if I think it is. I have not always had the most successful ideas, when I launched the hub in 2013, I published a hair and beauty magazine that I thought would be a huge hit here and a nice Nigerian version of Black Hair magazine from the UK, I was warned that the magazine industry is cut throat but I was stubborn and determined...after six editions with no major support, I made the hard the decision to take a break, I call it a break because I never close a chapter on an idea, God can reshape it and it will work out at the right time. I look back and see that the magazine served it's own purpose by opening doors for the brand that would have been otherwise shut had we not had a magazine in publication.

  4. What are your biggest challenges and how do you overcome them?
    Selling my vision! When I blogged and started the imports, my only 'staff' included my computer and on the odd occasion my son and his nanny. As operations expanded and I opened the store and salon I had to rely on other staff like hair stylists and managers to implement my ideas and till date the struggle is getting the right team that buys into your vision and executes it the way you would whether you are around them or not. How I overcome it is by keeping my team motivated, rewarding them when earned and just being very involved in the business to ensure it runs smoothly, there's no way around that.

  5. You're a wife, mother of 3, own your businesses and even have a 9-5. How do you balance it all?
    All by God's grace, and I am not just saying that to be cliche, I go through seasons where when I survive and I am out of them, I take a look at myself and ask the same question. I try to be as organized as possible, always come up with a to do list at the start of the week, I am up late at night when the entire house has gone to bed and the house is quiet, doing research, working on new projects, plotting agendas. My 9-5 job is not as demanding, so I use the down time to finish up on what I started the night before...growing up, my mother used to say '' Idleness is the devil's workshop'' a lot and when I recall, my parents both had amazing work ethics, they were always up to something productive either in the private sector or for the government and I must have imbibed their work ethic subconsciously and I'm grateful for that kind of upbringing.

  6. And finally, what keeps you going everyday? What or who inspires you to live a full life?
    When I look at the innocent sweet faces of my kids and the life I hope to give them by God's divine grace, that keeps me going. It's not even about the 'things' that we as parents can get them, it's much deeper than that, it's the sense of pride I hope they will have in us when they see the impact we have had on people's lives through our businesses, the realization that their parents contributed positively and honestly to society, that's what keeps me going. I am inspired by my parents, who are very involved in our lives reassuring and supporting us even in adulthood, they are perfect examples of living to full capacity. I am also inspired by successful female entrepreneurs who broke the mold against all odds like Oprah Winfrey.   
Isn't she a powerhouse?! I hope you enjoyed reading and getting to know Dabs, and most importantly, I hope you took away a nugget or two of wisdom. I know I certainly did. 


  1. At 30 she has achieved so much! Kudos to her - she is an inspiration to me too now!

    1. She really has! Makes me feel like an underachiever.

  2. It's so inspiring to read about women who can pull off being entrepreneurs, wives, mommies and workers at the same time. Like she said, being organised is everything!
    I'll def check out Naija Hair Can Grow.
    Thanks for sharing, Berry!

    1. You're welcome! I've enjoyed watching and seeing other women work on and accomplish their dreams.

  3. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this interview. Such an inspiration. Thanks Berry.

  4. I really enjoyed this interview. Dabs is truly remarkable.

  5. Dabs is such an inspiration. I remember the Monthly import window. Making the most of an opportunity when it presents itself is a major key for success.

    I enjoyed reading this Berry.

    1. Exactly! Seeing and seizing on opportunities!

  6. Man. Dabs is such an inspiration. Her blog was my first stop on my search for healthy hair.

  7. Loved reading this. It's important to live life to the fullest. Highly inspirational.

  8. I love this. Very inspiring

