Funmbi Faneye is a poultry farmer with an interest in crop farming. He started Joshella Farms Services Ltd in 2012 and started operations in January 2013 after he left banking. He has had over 13 years of combined experience in FMCG and banking before venturing into farming having had stints with Procter & Gamble Nig Ltd, Citizens Int’l bank ltd and Zenith Bank Ltd. His banking experience ranges from Retail Banking, Oil & Gas group, internal control & Audit, Public Sector, and Card Services.

Below is a transcript from the show The Fear of Starting with Funmbi Faneye

HOST: How was growing up like for you? Tell us about your childhood

FUNMBI: I grew up in Lagos precisely palm groove shomolu. I grew up without a father yeah my father left in 1975 so we were stuck with my mum iya funmbi shes been a wonderful mom. I attended Wesley memorial primary school, secondary school Sylvia in Bariga, St Louis grammar school It used to be centeral grammar school form 5. After that I went to ife. Computer science like she said first degree first class yeah started my career proto and gamble then went to citizens bank then Zenith. While in zenith I went for a masters degree in unilag and going there I qualified as a chartered accountant, fellow of NCCA uk. Growing up was yeah I learnt to be responsible as early as I can remember because yeah i was the first child from 5 kids from my mom two from my dad yeah

HOST: so what were those things you wanted to be growing up as a child you know some us would say I want to be this I want to be this I want to be that so what was it that you wanted to become 

FUNMBI:  I think initially when I was growing up with the fact that GOD gifted me with a little brain then, I initially wanted to study medicine. I had medicine ingrained in my medulla for GOD knows all I care so after attempting jamb for like 2 or 3 times, I gave up. I think my reason for giving up was that as the first child I think I needed to finish school on time, medicine is going to be like  6 years and all of that I just felt let me so I changed 

HOST: so is that still relevant now? Do you want to spy into medicine or do something relating to it?

FUNMBI: I remember because I lost my father very young and when we go to the village, the villagers look at me with this kind of pity and when they greet me they say this is Yoruba listeners sorry they say aye iye esin o je aje o je. It means the life the horse did not chop, the offspring will chop it but since I cant find myself doing medicine I think I transferred that to my daughter tamilore because I think obviously my daughter tamilore will study medicine

HOST: ok lets talk about your transition from your banking industry from the places you worked to farming. So what led to that transition? 

FUNMBI: from banking to ok it wasn’t planned I cant remember the exact date but I think in April 2012 I woke up and saw my phone blinking and I just checked and I saw the message on the phone and the message was an alert severals package and end of service payment and all and I was shocked I said is this the end of my life I didn’t even know what to do either go to work or stay at home but of course I called someone I think the head of HR who encouraged me to go to work but on getting to work, I found one of my direct report Tunyi Adenubi I’m sure in her minds of mind she didn’t know my name would be among those that they would let go so she called me oga funmbi come and collect your

HOST: so it was like a layoff at the bank at the time   

FUNMBI: whether you call it right sizing layoff or whatever it is called yeah I just know that my name was there she was shocked to her bone marrows then of course it was a day to tidy up and all that of course I was given the opportunity to resign so I resigned. We were layed off because it was the banks decision not that we did anything to the bank and all of that so I resigned and you know left. I remember after forming big boy like the thing had not affected me after forming I think after rounding up i got into my car then I don’t know if I’ve laid off my driver or something and I knew I was going to drive home and as my guys were biding me farewell then the realisation dawned on me that oh I’m leaving this 9-5 job what is next then I started crying when they saw me crying they were like funmbi can you drive and I told them let me just calm down and I think that takes us back to the topic of today which is fear of starting and I think that cry actually is the cry of oh you’re going out to start a new life completely as at that time I think I have done 14years of working I’ve not done anything business outside my work place I’ve not done any side. I’ve even had times where I wanted to do things but of course the fear of starting and I think I was just comfortable with the job I think that’s the challenge. You get comfortable and you don’t do what they call plan B. there’s nothing wrong in having a good career and all that but most times I think its pertinent because if I had a plan b I would have had something to hold on to or fall back on. I needed to now sit down and think so that’s the transition yeah

HOST: ok so having been in a senior position before in the bank before being laid off did you ever think that farming is too belittling. Did you ever think that before going into farming and when did the idea of farming drop inside you. Have you always loved farming or have you always had a passion for it or it was due to the layoff and all of that and then you decided to just go into this

FUNMBI: let me just capture it this way I think when we were grow2ing up we used to have a very good friend his name is pascal we used to do through his influence I keyed into it we used to rear maybe like four five chickens locally like that we will rear it sometimes some will die sometimes some guy will come steal it my chicken and sometimes we have to go carry it in the market place. The guy had sold it to one woman and luckily when we got there the guy was coming back for his change and of course I got my chicken back so I think that is the little thing I had but outside that i still remember when I left I tried to think of then I think I initially made up my mind that I wasn’t going to work for anybody. It was a tough decision people wanted me to go back to work considering my credentials and cv but it was at that I initial moment I just took time off to see what I can so luckily for me one of my aburo in zenith was opening a salon it was in my area so I went to give all my support and all that you know so I think she mentioned someone who had a poultry was coming do you mind talking so the person so I just chilled and we spoke and I said oh can I come see your poultry then probably we just fixed the next week and I’ve been praying about what to do and I think when i got there I got hooked and the hook is like an answer to a prayer that is just it so your question is do I see it belittling I think I’ve never seen anything belittling maybe some people may not know this about me when we were growing up because of the fact that it’s a single mum that raised us, we had to do some petty things I remember in the morning I’ll have to supply foofoo somewhere in oshodi before I go to work I remember my sister selling ice water because there was no pure water the packed and all that so I’ve never seen anything belittling. I think there is this cliché that was viral on social media that says that you should’nt be ashamed of what you do because nobodys going to pay your bills so I’ve never seen this as humbling you know to even put things in the proper perspective. What I did then was that as soon as I got hooked I knew I had to learn I just bought work clothes and I go to the farm twice or thrice every week. I work with and I work as to see everything as its being done. If you’re supposed to look at it I think she’s my subordinate even  when I was in the bank I didn’t know her but then I had to work with her staff and learn and ask questions. I did that for the period I was learning the ground work. The ground work is like purchase a land, prepare the land and all that so i was learning

HOST: ok so during your trying times how supportive were your family members and how did they take the news  

FUNMBI: you mean when I first left corporate it was surprising for everybody even when my co staff saw it the support was just better things are ahead, new doors will open you know and I think that for many of them know that I had a good career and if I wanted to go back to work I would get something I didn’t completely rule out getting a job I wanted to be careful that if I got  a job it should be something worth the while maybe an international job a consulting role maybe that kind of thing and since it wasn’t going to come off and I can’t just sit down so I had to move forward

HOST: looking back now do you ever regret being laid off

FUNMBI: if I say yes hmmm yeah there were times well growing up in the banking career yeah definitely aspiring to become a bank md one day do you understand what I’m saying so I think I remember one of our senior colleagues when he heard that I was laid off in his surprise state he said who are they going to hand over the banks to so it gives you an idea of the experience and confidence I had put in compared to my mates I think I was one of the ,most moved about staff I’ve done audit oil and gas public sector card services and all that. I think within my mates I’m the most moved about staff and that will not count as nothing

HOST: ok what lessons did you learn during the period you where laid off and the transition into farming

FUNMBI: you know when you’re in the bank you collect net pay we call it net pay you don’t have to worry about so many things but now you have to worry and pay salary, generate your car there are so many run costs you have to worry about market and how you’ll take them to fit your business so you can tailor what you’re offering so its been quite challenging with the experiences I’ve had I’ve had one or two things from my career experience and some you have to develop on your own. There are some things you will never know until you start when you start it goes straight at you then you need to develop the competencies and if you don’t have the competence you have to find someone to breech that gap 

HOST : what were those fears you had initially when you wanted to start your business 

FUNMBI: I think its franklin roosevol that said the thing you have to fear is fear. fear has fears. Fear of the unknown from somewhere you’ve been used to to another path maybe the fear of just being in the outside and not the open so that’s a fear too. There’s the fear of wanting everything to be perfect you don’t need everything to be perfect you have to start in bits I used to say this an inch  by inch by the yard it is hard so I think another fear is the fear of succeeding I’m sure there’s this cliché more money more problem. The fact that you think you’re going to succeed big is a fear so those fears were genuine 

HOST: what were your own fears in your business and how did you overcome them

FUNMBI: am I going to get a good land in a community that is going to be friendly am I going to get a good staff 

HOST: were you not scared if you were going to make sales or not 

FUNMBI: well yes the fear is there but is not real but the truth is I’ve sold before. In SLCG I was a sales manager at proto and gambo even though I’ve sold before the truth is even if you’re going into a new territory the flair will still be there even if it is a different parts. Fear holds a total attitudinal change and so we prepare as in reading books, hook up with other people do you understand after doing that you would know where to stand and how to go about the business, the fear of finance is there and I think that is even the most important am I going to get people to support me, will the bank support me the truth is you should run to those that are close to you that can help before running to the other options available. There are so many opportunities out there even though some of them take a while there is even one I’m still battling with currently that I hope it comes up yes those are the fears they are real and they won’t run away so I went for training in poultry appreciation I sent my manager to the training too these are some of the things you do to overcome some of these fears and you learn on the job too

HOST: so based on your experience do you think there is some sort of pattern to being a successful entrepreneur 

FUNMBI: yeah yeah yeah yeah I think I will say this first that being an entrepreneur is not an easy thing you’ve got to be made of thick skin serious thick skin. I think it starts from passion you have to have passion for what you’re doing serious passion like you just fall in love with that thing and when you fall in love that passion is key you have to have that passion for that thing you’re doing you have to be focused you have to be determined because if yes bad times will come of course bad times will come but because you’re determined the focus is there and you’re able to win through then you have to be consistent because who’s going to win. You have to be consistent. If you fall you stand up again and do it because most times people think we probably have a formula for succeeding I think I read a book and this company had been doing great and an 

Caller: its so good to hear your voice and to listen to your experience so my question is what will you advice in modern times and there are no circumstances you’re just faced out of job how do you survive

FUNMBI: if I get you right Emmanuel how would I advice people who do not have plans and are working currently. So I think I said that in my intro. The need for a plan B is something non negotiable. The truth is if you look at the economy it is fast moving away from a collar job now so the truth is just that there are fewer jobs and those competing for it are enormous so there will be a surplus of people not getting the job and not doing anything and the truth is you’re coming from the fact that even in a job you’re coming from anything can happen businesses are failing workers are been laid off everyday and the truth is from our own experience I will advice that you have something doing by the side something that you can you know fall into or move into when issues like that happen but outside that I think my advise generally I think they should inculcate in our curriculum something that relates to how someone can be an entrepreneur so that the truth is until the economy gets better 

HOST: is it inculcating it now because I know that whole I was in the university we had a course ENT or there about and we were taught how to become entrepreneurs and the likes so I don’t think its inculcating I think it should be practical instead of lecturers giving notes. If we get someone like you who is already in the field to give practical classes and come up with projects and work around it

FUNMBI: the inculcating I’m talking about is actually not taken by lecturers because it is academic. It means looking for people that have vast experiences and letting them come in it means it might not be a course carrying a unit but letting them come in and offer practical experiences on how it is outside what you’re going to face and how to handle it that is what I’m talking about

HOST: lets talk about how you publicize your products how do you go about it

FUNMBI: well we use social media groups facebook instagram watssap when it is season you know I just did um finished selling my cockrels and turkeys for the season then of course you tag your people and they tag others so it puts you in the air of course we are not as large as we expect to be but it’s a gradual level and awareness more on social media will be key

HOST: do you think that anyone has the potential to become an entrepreneur 

FUNMBI: I’m sure if you probably ask people that worked with me they’ll tell you they probably didn’t think id be an entrepreneur so I don’t think its something in born. Its something that can be learnt so you just need to be sure of what you want first that is key that is why I said passion is key so if you’re passion about something sorry if you’re passionate about something you will really excel in that thing that’s why I said you should be passionate focused and consistent I was saying about a company that they said must have a super blue print and the guy just told them if I tell ypou that ill be lying to you but of course we had something in the beginning as market realities we tend to adjust then surface and we move on so as often as possible those things will have to be adjusted to fit in. even if you fail the failure should be learnt so as not to repeat such again

HOST: if you had a chance to start your career all over, what will you do differently

FUNMBI: what will I do um lets assume that I will first start by having a job first and I will not go without a plan b

HOST: final words to people out there who want to start but are afraid of 

FUNMBI: fear keeps you at your comfort zone so stay out of it. Its easier to stay in your routine so you know what to expect day in and out experience the unknown. Failure is only final if you don’t try. You will never be perfect enjoy the process of trial and error and the truth is that fear is all in your head then think and put yourself in existence.

HOST: what does self-actualisation mean to you in your own terms

FUNMBI: self actualisation will mean to be when I have come in to accomplish those goals that are insurmountable and the truth is not just getting there yourself but bringing people to that point.