Get to know Mama Kilishi
“I am very intentional about my branding & I always strive for excellence in everything I do” – Sharon Dikedi, Founder of Norahs Bites & Mix.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to start this business.
Hi, I’m Sharon Dikedi, but a lot of people know me as Norahs or Mama Kilishi. I’m a breed of the Yoruba & Igbo culture, Delta & Ogun state, to be precise. I’m a graduate of Bowen University(BSc) & Pan Atlantic University (MSc). I’m a Brand & Communications Expert that has helped over 30 small businesses scale. I enjoy idea generation & I derive joy in making people happy.
Basically, I’m fun to be with & I love valuable relationships. When I’m not racking my brain, I imagine swimming, salsa dance & workout sessions. Emphasis on IMAGINE because I wish to, but I don’t 😂🤣. I can see one movie in a month. Please don’t tell anyone 😂🙏🏾.
How do you manage your time and stay productive?
I love to pen things down & I always work with my to-do. It might sound cliche, but it works for me. I have a big & small to-do book that can fit into my bags for outings. If I am carrying a very small bag, I take sticky notes 😂. Never be caught unprepared, please.
I believe if my thoughts are written out, my actions would be clear. This has been my secret to productivity over the years.
What do you think sets Norahs Bites & Mix from other products in the market, and how do you communicate that to your customers?
Except for the fact that my products are created & curated specially, what makes my brand stand out is ME. The person behind the brand is unique, loving, trustworthy, kind, jovial & real. Everything I represent rubs off on my brand & this cannot be overemphasized. I know the nitty gritty of my industry & that has attracted thousands of people to the brand.
Most people get to know me before my products. I communicate this with my Billionaire clients (I call my clients billionaires) by posting content that reflects my personality and the products I sell. I am very intentional about my branding & I always strive for excellence in everything I do.
Can you share any unique or creative ways you have seen people use the Norah’s Bites products in cooking or recipes?
My Billionaire customers are enjoyment ministers. So the combinations I have received as reviews so far are;
1- Kilishi in noodles
2- Kilishi in native rice, Jollof rice & concoction rice
3- Kilishi in puff puff
4- Kilishi in sandwich
5- Zobo with vodka
6- Kilishi in soups
7- Kilishi in pepper sauce
8- Dambu nama (shredded beef) for meatballs.
One astonishing event was when a dear friend used my product to make spaghetti Bolognese. Luckily I was around to see it. He mixed our yummy Dambu Nama with eggs and spices, then fried it & created the perfect meatballs. My God, you need to try it to experience the divine taste. I’m having goosebumps just thinking about it again. I think I should go make it after this session 🤣. I have also used Kilishi, Dambu & Yaji in making sandwiches, akara & sauce, etc.
We see the work with Project MACS- How did it start, and what was the inspiration behind it?
I LOVE CHILDREN. I’ve always wanted to build a foundation so I can reach thousands of children through it, but I haven’t been able to merge it with business, and this has made me procrastinate reaching out for years. So this year, I decided to not make excuses and use what I have achieved in this business. I understand the importance of receiving love at a tender age, as this is when it matters the most. So I sat with my notepad, and jotted down ideas and possible names for the project & viola! Project MACS came alive. I plan to do this for Children’s Day annually & I believe we’ll get to the ends of the earth with it.
We love your content creation style, and we are sure our audience would love tips from you. Could you tell small brand owners how you effectively create engaging content for your brand?
Just put out that idea. Don’t wait for it to be perfect before you put it out. Always have a notepad to put down ideas that come up. They come anywhere & anytime, so please don’t ignore or brush them off. That content might be the key to your first one million naira contract. Be consistent in your own way. It doesn’t mean posting 3 videos a day; it means if it’s 4 times a week, you can post, come online, and let us know that you’re around. Just Do It as Nike says…
Look good.
Be shameless.
Be vulnerable.
Be creative.
Build a community of genuine followers that can engage with your content.
Check out what other people in your industry are doing & learn. You might get some inspiration from them but don’t try to be a photocopy of their brand. The moment you start that, you begin to lose your authenticity.
How do you stay connected with your customers and community, and what strategies have you found most effective for building relationships with your audience?
First, I make each customer feel special. I let my customers into other activities in my life. I am in their faces & I try to stay in communication with them. I also gift my customers often & send them special notes of appreciation. I also patronize my customers who are vendors, and I push their brands often. Also, I’m vulnerable when I need to be. This Project MACS is also something I used to bring my customers together.
My followers have been making donations towards it, and it’s amazing that they love and trust all we do. I also pamper my customers, they have the best name in the world which is Billionaires. I hype them with it, but I do not do eye service. I focus on my customers most times more than them buying the product. Most times, I think like my customers to know how they feel and what they might need. In summary, as a small business owner, be out there, be vulnerable, give your community a name, give them reasons to trust you, allow them to grow with you, and celebrate them when you can.
Tell us more about your Zobo tea bags and the inspiration behind it.
I grew up drinking zobo made by my mum, so I love zobo so much. It has amazing health benefits, and I felt the need for everyone to have access to it. I wanted people to be able to make zobo in a minute and have the choice of taking it raw or adding sweetener. So my already bottled zobo tilts towards the younger generation while the zobo tea bag tilts more to the elderly ones & health-conscious people. The zobo tea bag allows you to create it in any way that you wish to have it.
What’s one Nigerian Dish you can’t do without?
Bombastic side eye😅 PASTA!
Finally, what do you enjoy most about working in the food industry, and what motivates you to continue growing and expanding your business?
The food industry is so unique that you can have the same dish created by 100 people & get 100 different tastes. I’m inspired by my mum who’s a chef because while growing up, people always anticipated having her meals & drinks at events, and they could always tell if she was the one who made it.
This same thing runs in me, and I just want to bring the extension of this gift into all my products. I want to be a voice in this industry, so giving up is not an option. I also want to inspire millions of people to follow this path, although I already have people who have been inspired by me and started their brands. I want to do more, and I want to be more.
