Shopify Masters How D'IYANU Built a Multimillion-Dollar Brand While Staying True to West African Roots
Aug 28, 2025
Adi Ajayi, the passionate founder and CEO of D'IYANU, has built a multimillion-dollar fashion brand that celebrates West African culture. She shares her journey of combining vibrant prints with contemporary fashion while bootstrapping her business. Adi dives into how mastering Facebook ads skyrocketed her sales and transformed her marketing strategy. The conversation also touches on the transition from online to retail, family dynamics in business, and the challenge of maintaining authenticity while scaling. Adi’s insights inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace their roots.
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Origin: From Epiphany To Brand Launch
- Adi Ajayi founded D'IYANU to combine bold West African prints with trendy ready-to-wear styles for a broad audience.
- She launched the brand from her passion and Nigerian heritage after noticing a lack of ready-to-wear African-inspired options online.
Solo Founder Juggling A Full-Time Job
- Adi juggled a full-time corporate job while building D'IYANU, handling every role from marketing to customer service herself.
- She transitioned to Shopify in late 2014 which made operations and presentation much easier.
Master Facebook Ads Early
- Learn and implement Facebook ads quickly if you need scalable customer reach and fast revenue growth.
- Treat early investment in marketing skills as a lever to move from side hustle to full-time business.