Having diverse relationships is important. But all relationships require investment

Lessons on Business, Value, Integrity, Structure, and Success from Fashion Entrepreneur Dare Aliu of  (TDA Couture) founded in 2018. His brand is known for Luxury menswear particularly agbada and kaftan designs.Aliu commitment to quality cratfmanship and his innovative approach to traditional nigeria attire has earned him recognition as a fashion entrepreneur.In 2025 he was awarded the prestigious African Fashion Designer's Award as Fashion Entrepreneur of the year highlighting his influence and growing international impact of his brand. Aliu's work continues to redefine the narrative of African Fashion, merging craftmanship, cultural richness and contemporary elegance.

One of the many skills and talents I have been privileged to possess, though not many people know it, is fashion. I admite Nigeria's fashion industry and how they blend tradition and modern flair with excellent produced pieces. I also enjoy reading and writing, often preferring to turn people's stories into written reflections rather than simply listening to them.

While listening to a podcast featuring fashion entrepreneur and business mogul Dare Aliu (TDA) on Morayo Afolabi Brown's show, I found myself taking notes not just on fashion, but on business, leadership, integrity, structure, success, and purpose.Dare Alade is an engineer by profession who became a tailor and today runs one of Nigeria's most respected fashion businesses.

One statement immediately stood out:

*"The only reason I was qualified to sit on that bench is because I was able to do something differently."*

That led me to ask myself:

**What sets you apart?**

Because ultimately, the only way to make money in life is by adding value.

Ask yourself:

**What value are you adding through what you are doing?**

Every successful business solves a problem. The question is:

**What problem are you solving?**

Dare identified a universal problem in tailoring. Almost everyone has experienced it.

Tailors don't deliver on time.

Rather than complain about it, he built a business around solving it.

There are many tailors. There are many businesses. There are many professionals.

But there are always things others are not doing.

According to him, what separates businesses is often structure.

**Structure brings creativity. Structure brings profits.**

His solution was simple but bold:

Deliver tailored clothing within 24 hours.

At the time, it sounded almost impossible.

But that became his positioning.

That became his USP.

That became his difference.

Again, I ask:

**What makes you different?**

Borrowing Money and Borrowing Belief

One lesson that stood out was his decision to borrow money from friends to start.

Not because he had absolutely no options.

But because he wanted to put himself under pressure.

Pressure can create focus.

However, borrowing money also revealed something important:

You need relationships.

You need networks.

You need integrity.

Many people say they would start if they had capital.

But another question is:

**Do you have relationships strong enough for people to trust you with their money?**

Your associations matter.

Your network matters.

Your reputation matters.

It reminded me that friendships serve different purposes.

Some friends are your ride-or-die companions.

Others provide wisdom.

Others provide opportunities.

Others provide access.

Having diverse relationships is important.

But all relationships require investment.

*****Integrity Creates Access

One of the most powerful lessons from the interview was that people supported him because they believed in him.

Not because they were simply his friends.

He had shown up for people.

He attended weddings.

He supported friends.

He was present in people's lives.

He poured into others.

So when his moment came, people poured back into him.

That's not friendship.

That's equity.

The question becomes:

**Who do you owe?**

**Who owes you?**

**What have you done for others that would make them show up when you need them?**

Integrity is built over time.

And integrity opens doors money alone cannot.

Word of Mouth is Still King

His promise was simple:

Good clothes.

Delivered within 24 hours.

Affordable.

People are so accustomed to poor service that when they experience excellent service, they talk about it.

The best form of advertising remains:

**Word of mouth.**

Bad news spreads.

But good news spreads faster.

Especially when people feel pleasantly surprised.

Within four months, he had hired two additional tailors. By month five, he had moved to a larger space with eleven tailors. The growth was explosive. Because he solved a problem and offered value.

They Dive to Success

What Does Success Mean?

One of my favourite moments came when he was asked:

*"How long did it take before you felt successful?"*

Instead of answering directly, he asked another question:

**What does success mean to you?**

Some people define success as a billion dollars.

Others define success as multiple businesses.

For him and for me success is FREEDOM .

Freedom to wake up when you choose.

Freedom to spend time with people you care about.

Freedom to go where you want when you want.

Freedom to decide how your day looks.

As I write this, a friend is burying their father.

I cannot attend because I am working.

Leave approvals and responsibilities stand in the way.

Moments like that remind us that success is often about freedom more than money.

The moment Dare felt truly successful was not when revenue increased.

It was when he could leave his business for thirty days and nothing broke.

That is freedom.

That is structure.

That is success.

*******

As the business grew, he had to leave his 9 to 5.

One lesson he repeated consistently:

**The first job of a CEO is hiring right.**

You do not need to be the best tailor.

You need to identify the best talent.

You do not need to do everything.

You need to build systems.

Today, a single outfit passes through multiple people before reaching a customer.

Different people handle:

* Measurement

* Cutting

* Stitching

* Ironing

* Quality control

* Packaging

* Delivery

Each person specializes.

Each person contributes.

That is structure.

And structure creates scale.

His role as founder evolved.

As he explained:

**Your job as a founder is not to work in the business.**

**Your job is to work on the business.**

School Matters

Another recurring theme was education.

Not because school teaches ABCD.

But because school teaches:

* Accountability

* Discipline

* Time management

* Communication

* Relationship building

* Responsibility

* Obedience

* People management

These are life skills.

And these are business skills.

Education builds habits that become valuable in business and leadership.

*****His Why

Perhaps the most touching part of the interview was his story about widows.

He lost his father at two years old.

His mother was left to raise five children alone.

He remembers a man from their church who helped his mother by giving her kerosene to sell so she could feed the family.

That act stayed with him.

Years later, he asked God for the ability to help widows the same way.

Today, his foundation consistently supports more than one hundred widows.

It reminds us that purpose often comes from pain.

Sometimes the things that shaped us become the things we are called to solve.

****You Cannot Feature in a Future You Cannot Picture

You must see it first.

Picture the destination.

Then walk backwards.

Build the systems.

Build the people.

Build the structure.

Build the habits.

Then move toward the vision.

*****Final Thoughts

At the heart of this story is not tailoring.

It is value.

It is structure.

It is integrity.

It is relationships.

It is showing up for people.

It is solving problems.

It is doing something differently.

The market is crowded.

The world is noisy.

Competition exists everywhere.

The question remains:

**What is your unique proposition?**

**Why should someone choose you?**

**What problem are you solving?**

**What are you doing differently?**

Success is rarely about being the only one.

More often, it is about being the one who solves a problem better, faster, more consistently, and with greater integrity.

Video Credit:

Interview featuring Dare Alade (TDA) on Morayo Afolabi Brown.

Audio/Video Version:

https://youtu.be/jIYyyN7V6ZM?si=dDk6MYs5gITUjgry

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Quote by MN Collective

*"In a crowded marketplace, success rarely belongs to the most talented. It belongs to the person who identifies a problem, creates value, builds trust, and consistently does something differently."*

 MN Collective Insights Unfiltered 

**Believe. Brand. Build.**