Some businesses begin with a plan, others by chance. Success Joshua Ekemini’s business is neither of them. Hers began with a need, and became something far greater than she expected.

Success is a 300-level Biology Education student at the University of Lagos and the founder of Sushie Stores, a clothing brand that caters to both men and women. However, before there was a brand name, a logo, or a vision, there was just a young woman selling clothes at Yaba Market to survive and raise enough money to return to school after leaving YABATECH.

She enjoyed fashion, and the hustle was working well enough, but at that point, it was nothing more than a means to an end.

The Moment Everything Changed

The turning point did not come from a business book or a mentor’s advice. It came from a personal moment. Success felt prompted to reach out to someone and share what she was doing. She followed that prompting, and the conversation that followed gave her a clarity she had not had before.

That experience shifted everything. She stopped seeing what she was doing as selling clothes to survive and started seeing it as a vision worth building intentionally. Hence, Sushie Stores was born out of that shift.

Building With What She Has

The journey since then has not been without difficulty. Balancing academics, business, and finances as a student means constantly making tough decisions about what gets attention first. Capital has not always been easy to come by, and growing a clothing brand takes consistency and resources that are often stretched thin.

Her response has been to work with what she has, take things one step at a time, and lean on her faith throughout the process. Patience and resilience, she says, have been her most important lessons.

The Advice Success Gives Students

Success’s advice is rooted in her own story. Start with what you have. Do not wait for the perfect name, the perfect capital, or the perfect plan. Take the first step, stay intentional, and be open to learning as you go.