Meet our LagosMums Mum of the Month Tosin Rufai. She’s a mother, wife, CEO of @teefalstudios and we enjoyed talking with her! LagosMums loves to meet with different mothers to talk about motherhood, how they balance their various roles and more. We always learn when we read someone else’s story and they share their experiences with us. Read and be inspired!
Who is Tosin Rufai?
I am the second of 3 children. I’m from Eti-Osa in Lagos State. I attended
Early Life Nur/Pry School, Festac Town, The College Of Staten Island, New
York for my undergrad. Also, I studied Business Management and Mandarin
Language at Shanghai University in China then, I did my Masters at Texas
tech University. I love travelling a lot although I am an introvert and I love
spending time by myself.
Tell us about your beautiful family?
I am married with a son. My husband is very supportive and is my greatest
critic and cheerleader. My son is also what I call the reason it all started. I
became stronger and fearless after his arrival.
Tell us about your journey to motherhood? How has motherhood changed
you?
I have always wanted to be a mother. In fact, I wanted to get married at 21 immediately after my master’s degree but God had other better plans. I had my
fair share of infertility for a while after marriage so it was very fulfilling
when I finally became a mother. Motherhood has changed everything for
good for me. It is the most satisfying job I have ever had.
Can you tell us some of the funniest things your child has said/asked
you?
That is probably the way he calls my name. He says “Chochi” instead of
“Tosin” as he cannot talk properly yet. I always find it amusing
Tell us about your career journey and your entrepreneurship journey to
being a female children’s photographer and owning @teefalstudios?
I came to Nigeria from the US for my NYSC then moved to South Africa for a
year then my parents wanted me to move back to Nigeria so I applied for a job at NLNG as they were recruiting at the time but I was not shortlisted at the last stage unfortunately. My mum’s friend then advised me to go to makeup school and I reluctantly enrolled but I was more interested in the sales aspect so I went ahead to open a full service beauty lounge where I also sold makeup products. I went to Bio Sculpture in Dubai to learn gel nails and it was included in our services.
Then I decided to get a website done so people could order makeup products and perfumes so I got a camera to take pictures of my products for our website. The photographer I employed to teach me the basics then advised me to look into photography because of the quality of pictures I was creating as a beginner. I did not think much of it but I realized I could not put my camera down after the class and the more I researched about it, the stronger the passion for it grew. Then I decided to go for further training home and abroad.
I started with fashion and beauty photography but I decided to specialize in
children and family when I had my son. I also love working with children because they are innocent and beautiful souls. It also amazes me how rapidly they change and it is a privilege to help document that.
You are definitely a Yummy Mummy – can you tell us how you stay stylish and your beauty routine
I usually dress down because of the nature of my job. A pair of jean/pant
and oversized shirt is my go to outfit most days. I however make the effort
to set out about 2 days to myself in a month to visit the salon and take care
of myself. I still struggle with that myself.
What support system do you have and how do you manage your career as with raising a family? Is your husband a hands on dad?
I had a nanny for about a month after I had my son but it was not a good
experience so I decided to stay off them since then. My husband is extremely hands on and he also owns his business so it makes it easier for him to make time for us.
[How to hire a Nanny – From the perspective of an educator]
Can you advise mums who are struggling to balance raising their families and winning in their businesses? Does Work Life Balance exist?
I just want them to know that no one has it all together. We are all struggling and
managing. It is very important to take some time out when you get overwhelmed to
take care of yourself. It is okay to be selfish sometimes.
[How To Achieve Mum-Life Balance]
What has surprised you the most about motherhood – any myths debunked?
How life changing it was. No one can prepare you enough for it. Also learned very fast that there is no one-way to parenting. What works for me might not work for the next mum.
How do you relax? What do you do for “me-time”?
I love watching movies. I take time out to watch my favorite shows on
Netflix. I also find a quick and nice get away out of state/the country
refreshing.
What is one thing that shouldn’t be missing from every home?
A bed! LOL I cherish the few hours I get to close my eyes daily.
What makes #LagosMums special?
LagosMums to me is a common ground where a lot of mums meet. I had a lot of
questions while I was pregnant and after I became a mum. It was very exciting
when I came across LagosMums. The website is very detailed with information
that is relevant to our daily lives.
