The Shawn Exchange, to be built on solid business foundation, says Ajayi Michael, CEO

A few weeks after disclosing his plan to float The Shawn Exchange, a new digital business, serial entrepreneur, Ajayi Oluwadamilare Michael, has offered further insight into how his business mind works.

Speaking recently, the young man who described himself as “curious and ever-willing to learn,” avowed that in all his undertakings he always strived to be the best and he constantly develops himself.

He said: “Even without work experience, I believed I could, with adequate research, run a business, hence, I’d tried out several businesses. I didn’t mind failing and having to start over because I knew that even in failing I’d have learnt a lot. Those lessons are the backbone for my brand now.”

Speaking further, he said: “Before the coming of The Shawn Exchange, I’d sold garri at some point, which was my first-ever business; later, I sold bread before starting Shawn Footies, an online shoe store. I moved on to Shawn Autos shortly after, then Shawn Gadgets and Shawn Real Estates. It’s a lot, but all these experiences are the reasons for the edges I have over others right now.”

He further admitted that he looks up to some successful CEOs as role models. “Once I see how good their businesses are I become obsessed with the how’s and why’s of the business,” he said.

He mentioned a couple of such CEOs. “I look up to Mrs Folurunsho Alakija. I mean, she rose from being an average Nigerian to becoming the richest woman in Nigeria. Also, there is Hanu Agbodje, the CEO of Patricia Exchange who is my mentor and favourite CEO. I look up to him, wanting to be like him and if possible bigger than him since The Shawn Exchange will put me in the same business sector with him.”