Anyi Asonganyi, 29, clocks a decade in business and to celebrate her milestone, the famous and talented beauty enthusiast and fashion designer looks back at when it all began, her regrets and greatest achievements yet.

Anyi Asonganyi, currently president of the Cameroon Makeup Association, grants us an exclusive interview where she explains her journey, her challenges and how 10, 000 frs CFA laid the foundation of her present business empire.

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1. When did you start and what business did you start off with?

My journey as an entrepreneur started from fashion retail in 2007. At the time, I lived and went to school in Yaounde. My classmates appreciated my fashion sense. Everything I wore was fascinating to them so my inborn business instincts kicked in, with less than 10,000frs, I made my way to the neighborhood market, bought some jewelry and a few tasteful second-hand clothing pieces et voilà!         Prior to this, I was already in the business of offering free beauty services for about seven years. In order to expand my retail business, I needed bigger capital, that’s is why I started charging money in exchange for my beauty services in 2007.

2. In these 10 years, what do you consider as your greatest achievements, deepest regrets and most memorable moment?

My biggest achievement has always been customer satisfaction. We are able to satisfy a growing number of clients by the day and there is no better feeling in the world. I’ve had a few flops, mainly from bad debts. The type of things you face when you mix business with friendship/family. I wouldn’t exactly tag them regrets, I just learn my lessons and move on stronger and wiser.                                         My most memorable moment so far would be the day I paid the rental deposit to open my shop. I couldn’t even get myself to eat all day, I was excited and proud of myself. I could never forget that moment.

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3. What’s next after 10?

After 10, we have 10 more to take on, one project at a time. I can only focus on making my brand even stronger, strong enough to be globally relevant. That’s the game plan.

4. Your latest photos flaunts your unreleased collection, please could you give us a hint?

I decided to celebrated 10 years of creativity with pictures of me wearing a piece from our new collection. It is my own way of appreciating my roots. A lot of what you will have from this collection is couture; hand made stitches and embellishments. I refer to this as my roots because fashion wise, that is how I started expressing my creativity. Together with my sisters Edna and Nzea, we will cut, glue, stitch, bleach and embellish all our outfits just to look different at the party. Our new collection is different. If it’s different, it’s OZI International.

Although we are not so sure about what the makeup artist is now worth,  we wish her the best of luck as she heads for another ten years! Please, take a look at Anyi Asonganyi’s new photos below. (Photo credit, Njinkeng Asonganyi)