Show Notes
She spent $225,000 of her own money on a brand that hadn't sold a single bottle yet. Before that, she priced her first fragrance at $250 and the internet came for her. "Who do you think you are? You're not Gucci. You're not Creed." Her team told her the price is the price. She sold out, did over a million dollars in six months, and people started reselling the bottles on eBay for $600. Funmi Monet is the founder and CEO of Influxious, the fragrance brand that launched exclusively at Sephora. She was a licensed therapist first. Then she trained at ISIPCA in Versailles, joined the Sephora Squad, and built an audience of more than 500,000 people who trust her nose. In this episode we get into where the $225,000 went and why she doesn't regret a cent, the standard founder advice she ignored on purpose, the VC who told her a million dollars was too small a check to write, how she studied the Ami Colé shutdown so she wouldn't repeat it, why niche fragrance brands don't pay creators, and the de-auntie era that started with one rude comment about her wig. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND FUNMI MONET Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funmimonet/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@funmimonet Threads: https://www.threads.com/@funmimonet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/funmi-monet-68613363/ INFLUXIOUS Website: https://influxious.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/influxious.co/ Shop at Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/brand/influxious AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "You're not Gucci. You're not Creed." 1:15 Quick favor before we start 1:31 The biggest misconception about the fragrance industry 3:12 You don't need a wall of perfume, you need an audience 4:23 The question she wishes people would ask her 5:57 Why that perfume smells different on you 7:40 Charging $250 and the backlash that followed 9:05 Sold out, then resold on eBay for $600 10:15 From Clubhouse to a Sephora shelf 11:54 The founder advice she deliberately ignored 13:34 Raising a $1M pre-seed with $7 in her account 15:15 What she needs from angel investors right now 17:45 The Room: inside the Afropolitan private membership 18:28 Sponsor: Zobo Money 19:13 How her ambition actually changed 20:27 Why scaling too fast kills good brands 22:00 Where the $225,000 of her own money went 23:29 What fragrance houses do to new brands with no money 26:41 Perfume school in Versailles 27:43 Cutting out the middleman on packaging 28:32 How she's avoiding the Ami Colé situation 31:11 Saying no to money she badly needed 32:50 The therapist chapter 33:10 The Dr. Cheyenne Bryant licensing debate 36:35 High functioning vs high value men 37:38 The therapy session that started all of this 39:39 Why she'll probably never hit a million followers 41:19 Nigeria to Oklahoma 42:53 Losing Yoruba and her biggest regret 45:24 The Nigerian parents who let her take art class 46:34 Influxious was a high school art project 47:35 Her mother's perfume and special occasions 49:38 Choosing yourself on the days you don't want to 50:05 The de-auntie era 51:43 Turning 30 with none of the plan intact 54:30 When your parents redirect the prayer 58:36 Dating while launching a business 59:52 Why niche fragrance brands don't pay c
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At 16, Mannywellz went to get his learner's permit. His mom sat him down and told him he couldn't. He didn't have papers. A few years later the college bills came in at $20,000 to $50,000 and there was no way to pay them. So he told his family to put his younger sister through school instead. He would sing. Mannywellz (Emmanuel Ajomale) moved from Nigeria to Maryland at 9, taught himself to produce on Fruity Loops, and built a sound that sits between Afrobeats, R&B, soul and gospel. He made "Peace" with Tems before most of the world knew her name, has records with Wale, toured with Jidenna, and is one of the DACA artists on the Grammy-winning album American Dreamers. He's fully independent, and his catalog pays his bills. In this episode we get into what one independent song really costs (from $2,500 to $30,000), paying producers in ownership when you can't pay in cash, why "nothing is usually as organic as it seems," quitting a bank job over a record deal that didn't exist, how "Peace" with Tems came together, getting dropped by his distributor right before his biggest run, and what therapy told him about carrying too much. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND MANNYWELLZ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannywellz X/Twitter: https://x.com/Mannywellz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MannywellzTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mannywellzz Website: https://mannywellz.com All links: https://www.fvr.fan/mannywellz AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "I found out I didn't have papers when I was 16" 1:51 The biggest misconception about going independent 3:40 "I don't hate deals. I just hate unfair deals" 4:43 Born in Nigeria, raised in Maryland by a gospel songwriter 5:57 Asa, Ryan Leslie and teaching himself to make beats 7:18 Fusing Lagos and America before it was a lane 9:16 What independence actually costs 10:10 The DC couple who taught him publishing and masters 11:47 Why viral moments fizzle without infrastructure 13:45 The real budget to get one song off the ground 15:41 When producers charged $100,000 a beat 16:05 Mixing, from $50 to $5,000 a track 17:13 Pay in ownership when you can't pay in cash 18:21 The No I.D. and Brent Faiyaz story 19:29 A friend's first $600 publishing check 20:19 Videos, stylists and a $5,000 creative director quote 23:56 Photo shoots and usage rights 25:10 What can $5,000 of marketing really buy? 25:43 Dating the algorithm 26:33 "Nothing is usually as organic as it seems" 26:56 Follow Eche and Chika on Snapchat 27:36 The Room on Patreon 28:28 Sponsor: Zobo Money 29:13 Sponsor: Hisa 30:20 Pink Sweat$ and the team behind "Honesty" 34:54 Losing his voice in the middle of a tour 36:17 Finding out at 16, and choosing not to hide 38:47 Giving his college shot to his sister 39:22 Fans in London and Lagos he couldn't fly to see 40:23 Four days at Ledo Pizza, four hours at DKNY 42:45 Why he couldn't keep a job past six months 43:45 Quitting the bank over a record deal that didn't exist 44:3
Mayorkun was two months from being homeless when Mama dropped. The first check from that song went straight to rent. A year earlier he was in a bank's marketing department, opening accounts. He posted a short piano cover only because his phone was out of storage and he planned to delete it. Davido saw it and sent a DM: send me your number. Then two weeks of silence. The message that changed his life landed on WhatsApp as he walked back to his seat after leading praise and worship in church: pack your load and come. Ten years later, Mayorkun is the Mayor of Lagos. Albums including The Mayor of Lagos and Back in Office, hits from Eleko and Mama to Of Lagos and Betty Butter, and B4 B4 with Davido and FOLA on Davido's 2026 album Oriadé. In this episode we get into the lawyer Davido paid for so Mayorkun wouldn't sign his deal blind, why blowing up is "light work" compared to staying, the 2 years he stopped writing clever lyrics because it felt like no one was listening, why he says most streaming numbers are doctored, the bank that later paid him more for one show than he'd have earned there in 5 years, and the 18 hours he lasted in London before wanting to come home. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND MAYORKUN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammayorkun X/Twitter: https://x.com/Mayorkun Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/mayorkunn Website: https://www.mayorkun.com AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "I was two months to be homeless" 1:41 The biggest myth about staying relevant 3:08 "I'm not cosplaying any madness for clicks" 3:49 Why he never plans a song before the studio 5:48 The girl who heard his song 30 times before release 6:36 Eleko did 1 million views in 7 days. The party didn't know it 8:04 Staying is harder than blowing up 8:56 Is Afrobeats going through a weird time? 11:57 Giving away songs that didn't sound like him anymore 13:33 The hits he wrote for others and won't name 14:19 The most expensive part of his career 16:56 Davido made him get a lawyer and paid for it 17:46 Long-term business with long-term people 20:59 Join The Room on Patreon 21:50 Sponsor: Zobo Money 22:35 Sponsor: Hisa 23:42 Learning about riders the hard way 25:58 What it costs a new artist to get a chance now 27:17 A million eyes and the low phase he climbed out of 28:45 The 2 years he stopped writing clever lyrics 30:52 PR budgets that could shoot 5 videos 32:22 Standing on his own after Davido 34:22 Two months from homeless when Mama dropped 36:01 Why he hid his mum's identity at university 37:28 Leaving the bank: "Can't you do it part-time?" 39:32 The video he almost deleted to free up storage 40:20 Davido's DM at his boss's desk 41:57 The WhatsApp message after praise and worship 43:59 The day the bank paid him to perform 45:48 Of Lagos: insulted overnight, number one by morning 46:37 Would Mayorkun ever japa? 49:29 2020: five hits in five different lanes 53:14 "You can't be mysterious" anymore 54:31 Why he prefers the pre-strea
He had 4 hours to empty a beach club with 5 swimming pools. The bulldozers were already working down the shore. He puts the loss at over ₦2 billion, and says compensation didn't cover 2% of it. Ten years earlier, Uber's launch lead walked into his club and asked for 3,000 cars. There were no cars. Just an app on a Lenovo laptop. "I can make you t-shirts. I can make you face caps. I didn't think about equity." Adewunmi Adebesin, better known as Bankhead, has spent 21 years in hospitality and entertainment. He was running Rehab at 20, turned Sunday into a party day with Grill at the Pent, and built Truth Beach Club. Now he's building FanVault, a subscription platform that pays African creators in their own currencies. In this episode we get into the hostesses who made ₦10 million in 2 months reselling his wristbands, the ₦60,000 weekly yam bill for 9 tubers, why he runs nightlife like a cartel, the day he passed on signing Davido, and why he thinks a ₦200 subscription beats a million views. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND BANKHEAD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatbankheadboy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adebesin-adewunmi-92299875/ FANVAULT Website: https://fanvault.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Four hours to move out 2:25 The biggest myth about opening a club 3:20 Who nightlife is really built for 4:13 The creator economy: $3B now, $17B by 2030 5:26 "Creativity is unlimited in Africa. Monetization is a problem." 5:58 Why he calls it modern day slavery 6:57 The ₦200 subscription math 8:02 Do Nigerians really not pay for content? 12:38 Why Twitch and OnlyFans can't take naira 14:16 Why are we watching Tesla ads? 14:59 Pay in shillings, get paid in naira 16:37 The Room on Patreon 17:28 Sponsor: Zobo Money 18:16 Sponsor: Hisa 19:43 Running Nigeria's biggest club at 20 21:34 The only job he ever had (4 weeks) 22:55 Booking Dotstar with no money to pay him 25:22 Passing on Davido 26:58 Before Lagos partied on Sundays 27:47 Fill an empty rooftop, take 20% 29:12 What Gen Z changed about nightlife 31:44 Why strict rules built the best clubs 32:31 Run the club like a cartel 33:50 Name 40 ways to steal from this business 34:36 The hostesses who made ₦10M in 2 months 39:03 Where the stolen money was hiding 41:44 Threatened at knifepoint for catching thieves 44:09 ₦60,000 of yam for 9 tubers 45:47 How kitchens recycle oil with baking powder 47:04 The coastal road comes for Landmark 47:56 The building that wasn't marked 49:06 The phone call that changed everything 50:10 "We lost over 2B" 50:50 The weeks he didn't pick up his phone 53:46 When connections stop working 55:25 Why he still smiles on the coastal road 57:09 Can you build generational wealth here? 58:26 The concession playbook 59:21 Why Ilashe beach houses won't last 1:03:23 "I started Uber in this country" 1:04:15 "I need 3,000 cars" 1:06:00 The 10% of Uber Nigeria he never asked for 1:08:52 Dashboard money 1:11:27 Why club money hits a ceiling
40 million people have a government ID and no bank account. Olu Akanmu's fix: lock the regulators, the banks and the fintechs in one room and give them 3 months to go and find them.
For six months he lay in a hospital bed while the internet decided he had fallen off. "He doesn't shoot no more." "Nobody rocks with him anymore." "He has outpriced himself out of the market." He was fighting for his life. The first kidney came from his brother. After a seven-hour surgery, the doctors came back with the news: no flow, his body wouldn't take it, and it had to come out. Before they wheeled him back into theatre he posted online and said what he believed was his last prayer. "God, let your will be done." TG Omori is the Headies-winning director behind some of the defining videos of modern Afrobeats, from the Marlian era with Naira Marley to Asake's run of Terminator, Bandana and Organise. He started out making whole videos on ₦2 million budgets. Today a single video can run past $100,000. In this episode we get into why a director can take a big budget and still go home with nothing, the year he and Asake worked like "two people in one body" with no treatments and no revisions, why he dropped his public fight for 10% of music video streams, what dialysis really costs in Nigeria (about ₦31 million a year), the "pull me on" texts from friends still in the hood, and why every day is a good day for greatness. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND TG OMORI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boy_director X/Twitter: https://x.com/boy_director Website: https://tgomori.com AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "I said my last prayer" 1:52 The biggest myth about music video directors 2:52 Why directors go home with nothing 4:22 Why a $100,000 video pays more in Lagos than LA 5:59 The hidden cost of shooting in Lagos 6:52 Area boys at 3 a.m. on a private set 10:44 The video that made him feel he'd arrived 12:58 "It was a cult": first taste of real fame 14:25 Organise and the poetry of Parajanov 15:04 The backlash he got for shooting to the emotion 16:57 "I want to create madness" 19:00 Let directors have a system 21:34 When fans started following the director 22:25 He was supposed to be an actor 24:19 No new videos in 3 years, and the love stayed 26:17 The Room on Patreon 27:06 Sponsor: Zobo Money 27:51 Sponsor: Hisa 29:47 Why artists leave the director who made them 33:46 Why stars stop jumping for the camera 35:35 "I had the best of Asake's years" 37:43 The Asake run, video after video 38:36 "Two people in one body" 42:52 The first cut that went straight to YouTube 44:54 The video where he couldn't read Asake anymore 46:28 When artists outgrow the people who got them out 48:20 Nothing is permanent. Build your own ecosystem 51:40 The chapter of his life he couldn't direct 54:47 The diagnosis 56:33 "You don't have insurance. Go back to Nigeria" 57:43 In hospital while people said he fell off 59:09 His brother's kidney 59:47 "My body is not accepting it" 1:01:47 Why he couldn't call his mum 1:02:47 A second transplant 1:03:36 200,000 messages and a deactivated Instagram 1:08:57 Shoot every video like it's your last 1:10: