Deborah Sarki: My Drive To Improve and Learn Everyday Shaped My Becoming Process

Entrepreneurship has become the order of the day in Africa, and it’s just so remarkable seeing women thrive in the system. These women are not just called CEO’s for title sake, they wear it as a crown and work tirelessly to attain success at what they do. Our 21st Century Woman feature is a part of them, she is one passionate African woman building a thriving and sustainable business in a blooming economy.

Meet Deborah Sarki, the CEO of Deem Style Accessories, a unique bespoke fashion accessories brand for Men’s styling. She makes customized bow ties, brooch pins, lapel pins, and wedding boutonnieres. She also offers image styling and consultations for clients. She is doing her best to contribute positively to lives around her and the world at large. We were so glad to have her share some dose of inspiration on the blog. Enjoy!

Great to have you here! Tell us more about yourself and what you do?

Thank you. My name is Deborah Sarki. I am a Men’s stylist. I design and make bespoke fashion accessories like neckties, bow ties, brooch pins, lapel pins, and wedding boutonnieres. I’m driven by my love for crafts and physical materials, fabrics most especially. As a result of this, my accessories are handmade. The process of using my hands to create something to suit a customer’s desire is always amazing for me. I love to read books and read about colors too (? I can do this one 24/7). I’m also a firm believer of God, family, service, and relationships.

You are very passionate and vision-oriented about your business. Have you always envisioned doing this? What led to your entrepreneurial journey?

Well, I always knew I was going towards the business line. In fact, I have been involved in a few businesses before now. My mother is a typical business woman, I have watched her venture into certain businesses while growing up, I admire the fact that she can combine two to three business altogether, including her regular job. It was something I wanted to do too.

During my 500 level at school, the first semester to be specific, I noticed a new trend in men’s fashion – the lapel flower, it caught my fancy and I noticed not so many people knew about it in Zaria, Kaduna State. And I thought, why not make this with locally sourced materials and sell to guys who are just getting to know about it, but can’t seem to get it around. That’s how it all started. It was all in an attempt to make money at first, but the passion and drive to add value to people with what I do came after wards.

Deem Style is a unique bespoke fashion accessory, well tailored to suit different purposes. How old is the business and what brought about the name?

Deem Style Accessories is both about bespoke fashion accessories and men’s styling, so aside making unique and beautiful custom accessories for you, we also help you look fabulous by providing style advice and image consulting service. The business is almost two years old and the name ‘DEEM’ was a name I received from the Holy Spirit before starting the business. You can see it in these two ways;

Firstly, DEEM is gotten from the word re-DEEM (to reclaim, repossess or get back something of great importance). It kind of reminds me of the price Christ paid on the cross to redeem us.

Secondly, the literal meaning of the word DEEM means imagine to be, or conceive to be. It captures how you are or the determining factor in how things should go. If you can imagine or conceive it, then it will come to pass. What ever you DEEM fit.

What do you enjoy most about what you do? What has helped shaped your becoming process?

Deem_Style is a bespoke accessories brand, meaning the customers get to tell me what they want or allow me choose something I deem fit. The time I take to think about how a particular product will come is what I enjoy most, there is really no limit to how creative I get with any project. I love the fact that I don’t make the same accessory over and over again, every new project is an adventure.

My drive to improve and learn everyday has helped in my becoming process. Learning and improving for me never ends.

What impact has this business had on others? How far has it gone? And what plans do you have for expansion?

Deem_Style has impacted people directly and indirectly. The joy, satisfaction, and acceptance people get, just by wearing our accessories and receiving proper style guide from us is tremendous. People reach me from time to time, telling me of how they have been able to get the inspiration to start out their businesses just by seeing how passionate I am about mine. Quite a number of people have been trained and doing well in their various businesses.

Well about how far Deem Style has gone, so far we have delivered to almost every state in Nigeria and we are working towards improving our online presence so that we can get more reach.

What were the challenges and setbacks you faced while starting out as a young woman especially in a competitive market? Were there difficult moments for Deem Style Accessories? How did you overcome?

Had a few challenges like coming out of my shell to really do it but I did anyway. Most times what we are afraid of will look insignificant when we step out, just take the step. I follow people who have gone ahead of me and it has been very helpful, I also discovered that becoming better and valuable everyday keeps you ahead of competition.

We believe women are an integral part of the society. What’s your take on the Proverbs 31 woman living in the 21st century? Do you think it’s attainable? What can help more women become her?

Being a Proverbs 31 woman may seem big especially now that the society and social media detects what women should be. But as women of the God-kind, the Proverbs 31 women is attainable because we depend on God for life, strength, and supply to be all that he has called us to be. Following and depending on God makes everything easy. We have mothers and mentors to help guide us through this journey as we also guide others.

Older women are to teach the young women to love their husbands and children. They are to teach them to think before they act, to be pure, to be workers at home, to be kind, and to obey their own husbands. In this way, the Word of God is honored. Also teach young men to be wise. Titus 2:4-6 (NLV)

We have several young people out there who got the entrepreneurial spirit. And like they always say, entrepreneurship is not easy. Many are afraid to start just like you shared? Many are a little bit confused on what to do and how to go about it? What’s your best advice for them?