Paulette Hamilton 
Suzzie Odeniyi, recognized with the logo name Suzzie D, is the CEO of Luxury Model Management. This interview with Omolara Akintoye, the well-known Irish/Nigerian model supervisor, shows how she overcame racism in Ireland and her adjustments within the industry. She also talks approximately her ardor, competing for Miss Nigeria Ireland, operating for Elite Model Look, where she emerged as a semi-finalist, in addition to grooming young models.
AS a style entrepreneur, what organizations do you currently control?
My history is in style, beauty, and enterprise. Initially, I commenced in Ireland, where I grew up. I turned into born in Ibadan, but I moved to Dublin, Ireland, once I changed into five years vintage. I have been there all my life. My modeling organization is Suzzie D Model Management. I was handling models and splendor queens for about eight years now. I am additionally the owner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Ireland Beauty Pageant Competition and the Most Beautiful Girl in the World Beauty Competition.
Every 12 months, we take global winners from all around the globe, and we organize competitions in international locations like Dubai and Korea. I got here to Nigeria because my mum lives right here, and they kept on telling me I should come domestic and do something for my people. If you stated to me final yr that I can be in Nigeria this yr setting up this competition, I wouldn’t have believed it because I am always in Europe, Korea, and Dubai. However, I needed to come to Nigeria to offer ladies the opportunity because I need to encourage them and realize that they could make it here in Nigeria; it isn’t always most effective approximately visiting overseas. If you have a selected plan and the method behind it, it may be viable with the help of God. One of the strategies for this competition, Luxury Model Search, Nigeria, is to find a woman entrepreneur, someone with an entrepreneurship spirit. Looking at all of the first-rate fashions we have these days, aside from being models, the majority also are business-orientated. This is to provide the women with a platform to boost themselves. We are not, in particular, saying to you which you have to emerge as a model. Although modeling is part of it, after a year of doing modeling, you may determine to go into acting, and our job can be to guide you into that; that will help you, guide you, push you and give you the guidance you require. So, it’s miles open to loads of human beings. I am doing this to create opportunities for women and open the doorways for them to develop lifestyles.
During my modeling years, I always knew I could have my enterprise inside the industry. This is my calling in existence, and I also have an eye fixed for spotting lovely and particular faces. I changed into also advised I turned into good at motivating humans.
But I am extra than just an agent; I am also a catwalk teacher, teaching all fashions how to deliver their pleasant in the front of the digital camera and on the runway. This is carried out via building their confidence and empowering them with my enterprise know-how and revel in.
How are you capable of manipulating the numerous portfolios you currently manage?
When we get jobs, we get them booked earlier, and I have those who paintings for me there. I always screen what goes on. To manage all these things, you shouldn’t be in particular in one place. I can be in Canada and, nevertheless, be running my business right here in Nigeria. We have the net. So, for me, it’s now not tricky. If I need to be in an assembly I can’t attend physically; my consultant will move there and supply me with the comments. We additionally Skype; this way, they could see me, and we can communicate. I can best be in one vicinity at one unique time, but it doesn’t, in reality, affect my work. If a customer desires to meet a woman, I can e-mail her and inform her which she must be at a particular time and the job is performed. So, the power of the net could be very crucial within the field.
What is it like being your very own boss?
Your boss’s satisfactory issue needs to be the electricity to create a trade inside the fashion and modeling enterprise. It’s something I surely cost in my work. I refuse to take no for an answer in whatever I do or what I agree with.
What’s been your most beautiful moment on account that is putting in your organization?
Providing fashions for the most important exhibition in Ireland, which turned into held inside the RDS Simmonscourt, Woman’s World 2015, it boasted an audience of more than 37000 people over the three-day event. I have also been featured on Xpose as a fashion choice and changed into requested to contribute to an Online mag as a fashion and style columnist.
What changed into your background before putting in the enterprise?
I became a freelance version with over ten years of experience in each model and fashion enterprise. When I started modeling, it changed into not being possible to get signed with an enterprise. I notion there has been something incorrect with me then. I questioned why no agency would take me on, but this empowered me, and I took the initiative to paintings for myself and marketed myself as a contract professional.
Many human beings suppose modeling is secure and that everyone we do is stand in front of the camera, and our picture gets taken. There is so much challenging work and willpower that cross into what we do.
I wanted a brand new professional path, and I was also running element-time, saving each cent that I earned to start my business. I desired to start my enterprise with my tough-earned money in preference to going to the financial institution.
Were there instances you competed in any beauty competition?
I competed inside Miss Nigeria Ireland. I got here because of the pinnacle 5 and competed in Elite Model Look Ireland, of which I turned into a semi-finalist. I become not the real winner, but this platform gave me the self-belief and the enjoyment in the back that I needed.
Tell us a piece about your educational history and development up.
I moved out of Nigeria after I changed into five years vintage. I hail from Oluyole, Oyo State. My mum is a renowned flesh-presser for the time being. She went from a commercial enterprise to politics. My dad, Olu Odeniyi, is retired now, but he still manages his own oil corporation. My mother’s name is Aderonke Hassan. The maximum I learned changed from my mom because my dad steadily becomes inside and outside of Ireland, but I nonetheless learned a few business abilities from my dad. I went to the number one college, secondary college, and university in Ireland, nevertheless analyzing. I started studying style and enterprise. I am always traveling, coping with girls. I am a Nigerian through the root, even though I have lived there for 19 years. I am Irish, but I am more of a Nigerian than Irish. Nigeria is my root, and its miles are always essential no longer to forget about your own home and still provide returned to society.
How long have you been within the enterprise, and what changed into your revel in like?
I was inside the enterprise for over 12 years now. In Ireland, it’s far tricky, in particular being a black female in the enterprise. Most groups are white-dominated, so after seeing a black lady enter the marketplace, it’s far a threat to them. They will instead supply activity to one among their very own. Even though I am Irish, they may instead provide a process to one of their own than offer me because they sense greater relation to the different characters due to the pores and skin color. So racism nonetheless exists, and it’s miles a part of life. However, I do like demanding situations, and I say to God make a manner for me wherein there appears to be no manner. I do no longer give up effortlessly as I push myself. My mother becomes pronouncing to me that if I had commenced a modeling enterprise right here in Nigeria, it would be adequately advanced than it is now. But because it is in Ireland, it’s a bit tough because of the politics of skin coloration. I did not permit the politics over there to stop me, and right here I am today.
What is the Luxury Model Search Nigeria all about?
The competition is in search of not just searching out beautiful women. However, ladies can go companion with because modeling, fashion, and splendor is a business, other than the glamour that incorporates it at the give up of the day. If I talk to an ability version, in one minute, I can without problems realize if the man or woman can be a hit or no longer. I usually can tell via the manner they communicate and what is going up in their heads. If I ask a version, where do you see yourself in years? If she says she does no longer realizes, I realize that she does no longer recognize. But if I ask every other model the identical question, they outline what she wants to attain and how she can move approximately it. I merely recognize that she has an entrepreneurship thoughts-set. So I am more interested in people with entrepreneurship spirit than just splendor.
What will the winners of the competition get?
The winner will get to signal a comprehensive modeling settlement with the winner, and I also receive a 1,000,000 naira cash prize. The first runner up gets N500,000 and gets signed to a worldwide modeling contract, at the same time as the second runner up gets N250,000 and gets signed to modeling settlement as nicely.
What makes the Luxury Model Search Nigeria a concept distinct from the different competition?
A splendor festival handiest concentrates on splendor and modeling. There are probably other things like help here and there but what differentiates us is that we are saying that you may use this platform to build or pursue whatever you need to grow to be. Do you need to improve to be a human rights endorse, to use the platform to defend women’s rights or ladies empowerment; otherwise, you want to open up your own company, or in case you need to do something that is modeling-associated, we are right here to guide you? This gives humans a platform; it is particular. It isn’t always something you spot every day because not each person is blessed with an entrepreneurship mindset. It is something this is given to you via God, which is why it’s far unique. The pageant may be a yearly affair. But the procedure is on for seven months, and the final will hold in August. The age bracket for the contestants can be between 18 years and 25years.