https://www.instagram.com/aewura_art/
I am Mrs Ewuadjoa Torto Allotey, a wife, a mother, a pencil portrait artist and a proud Ghanaian.
I have always loved drawing and knew I would be an artist when I first took a pencil to draw. It hasn’t always been easy since art isn’t one of the well sort after or lucrative jobs here in Ghana. After studying Graphic design at Accra school of Advertising and Design I became a graphic designer for sometime but I realized that wasn’t the field of art I wanted to keep pursuing so I put a stop to it and joined the Accra teachers training college and became a professional teacher. I taught for a year whiles doing the art I’ve always wanted to do (pencil portraits) on the side but the entrepreneur in me just wanted to burst out, so I stopped my teaching job in the year 2015 to start my art business full time.
What ignited the spark in you to start a new business venture or to make significant changes in an existing business?
How did the idea for your business come about?
Being my own boss is what ignited the spark to start my art business, I just didn’t like the idea of working for someone or a company and my passion for art just pushed me to start my art business here in Ghana. But besides that honouring people and making them happy with my talent also motivated me into starting my art business.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
Leaving a well paid job with consistent income for art which isn’t well known here in Ghana was my initial hurdle but I took to social media to publicize and advertise my art business which gave me and impressive audience and boosted the business to its current state and also acquiring good art tools her in Ghana is that easy so I sorted to importing my art tools from overseas in order to aid in my production of high quality art pieces.
What books are you currently reading? And your recommendation for entrepreneurs to read?
The only books I read are my bible and devotional “I declare”by Joel Osteen. I am yet to read certain entrepreneurial guides which I would share soon.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits?
How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
I have always had the support from family and friends but growing up the support was geared to having art secondary to another more lucrative job, which was a little dimming to my light but being a strong willed person I pushed the vision I had and I would say I am on the right path
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
Integrity is and always would be my single most Influential path to my successful business..being a woman of my words, I make sure I deliver exactly what I promised clients and that has sustained the business till date.
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
What I wish I had known was my success solely was dependent on God and myself. Because coming up I met quite a number of people who made it seem my success was only possible using their shoulders as ladders to the top,which only ended up in disappointments and heartbreaks.
What advice would you give to an upcoming entrepreneur locally and internationally?
My advice to every upcoming entrepreneur is believe in God and your dreams. And stay focused at all times no matter where the winds of entrepreneurial ups and downs blow you to never take your eyes off your goal
