Since she was a young girl, way back, Oloori Aderonke Erinle had always loved to plan parties & events. Call her an Iya Eto of sorts and you won’t be wrong. She is good with events and all her private parties she had planned years back have always been lovely. This is because she likes to put in the wow effects, that will make all her guests marvel at the unusual nature of her parties.
No wonder, Oloori Aderonke Erinle who many simply call Queen Ronny, decided to launch her events business on her last birthday, May 25. She is a remarkable woman, who is full of life.
There is never a dull moment with Queen Ronny who always bubbles. That is why she is well loved by many of her friends. She is simple, yet classy. She is also stylish in her ways.
She is a nice woman who has touched many lives, especially that of many elderly (senior citizens).
It was her birthday, a few days back and she had a 2-in-1 party to mark it. There was a pre-birthday party with Bobo Sax on the 22nd of May and a few days after on her real birthday, which she celebrated with a Zoom Party, that has remained the talk of the town.
Her gorgeous birthday dress was designed by Toyin Lawani of Tiannahstyling to mark her birthday she officially launched her latest business called Queen Ronny Luxury Event. Since she launched, many of her friends have besieged her with requests for her to help them put together their landmark birthdays, because they know she is good with luxury event planning & management. Apart from that, she is into Fragrance business with Oohfragrance. She is the brand Ambassador & Creative Director.
Last Thursday, City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE had breakfast with her, during which she gave us a peep into her exciting exciting and lifestyle. And we saw that truly Queen Ronny is in a world of her own and that truly she runs a dynasty. Read on.
Please introduce who Queen Ronny is and why did you decide to go into events business, full time, a few weeks ago?
Queen Ronny is my nickname. That is what people call me. But my real names are Aderonke Omolola Erinle (nee Bangbade). Queen Ronny is my stage name, because I want something easy for people to relate to and remember. So, when you call me Queen Ronny it tunes me into my play mode, and of course my husband is a Prince, so he has got the royal blood and hopefully, he will be a king one day and I am still going to be the Queen. Right now, I am just the Queen of the heart of people. And of course, my Ronny is from my name Aderonke.
During your last birthday, you had the formal launch of your events business. Why did you go into events?
25th of May is my birthday. Events is in me actually. That is what I have realised. I have been doing events for over 2 decades and a lot of my friends have always told me to do it as a business. Some of them say I am even burying my talents.
The day I told some of them I want to do it they said, hey, thank God ooo. Finally, she has agreed. They have been begging me to do events, because they know the kind of events that I do. I don’t do regular events. I take events beyond the regular. It just came to my mind that I should just do it becausse a lot of people are having challenges doing parties these days with all the restrictions, like no party in the hall, and they want to do birthdays, funerals, and a lot of ceremonies to do.
The marquee is full. So, I just thought this is the time to reach out to people and do events for them. People should be able to get creative and do events creatively. I can do this. I am creative by nature. That is what brought me into this.
Usually, I gather my friends every year, we party when its my birthday. This time around of course with Covid-19, we had to be compliant with all the rules laid down by Lagos State Government. I told myself, I can actually do a party, and people will be in their houses and still enjoy themselves and because my last year birthday.
I had a virtual party. So, I am actually ahead of Covid-19. I was in Las Vegas and my friends had a party for me in Nigeria and I was able to talk to everybody right here in Nigeria from Las Vegas. I even got one of my kids to sernade me, virtually. It was awesome. The party went on and one. A lot of people were there like Queen Ayo Balogun, official Lolo 1 of Wazobia FM. A lot of people attended the party and they were like: wow, Queen Ronny, its only you that can do this.
I have done virtual party before the beginning of Corona. So Covid-19 can’t even hold me down in terms of the ideas I have for planning successful parties. Of course, I also believe in keeping to the rules. I am not a deviant. That brought the idea of my own birthday. And I said let me launch this. I know a lot of people who will want to do their round figure birthdays, like 40, 50, 60, 70, 90 because of social distancing they can’t bring people to their houses. I can help them plan it. That is what QR Luxury Events is all about. We can help you plan your luxury events.
So, I planned my own for people to see and they were like wow! wow! From the day I planned my own people have been booking me. Even before I planned my own birthday someone had already booked me. I did my birthday on the 25th of May, I had already gotten a booking for the 30th.
My friends believe in me. They have not even seen what I am capable of doing. On that 30th, I actually had 2 parties, on that same day and I was able to deliver. And they were so so happy. And I had so many bookings from there. And they all kept saying I am going to recommend you, oh I can’t wait for my birthday to come. Why didn’t I get to know you before now. I am ready to help plan all the luxury parties that came my way. I see virtual parties as something that has come to stay, because people have their loved ones all over the world, but they can’t come together to do their party.
So, with the virtual party that I do, so well, we can actually get things done and they would be involved, like people that have their children abroad in schools. They don’t need to buy tickets to say they want to come home, they can actually do the party and enjoy themselves. Queen Ronny can help you put your virtual party.
I know you are into perfume and fragrance business. What made you go into it.
OohFragrance. That is the name of my business. Something that smells good. OohFragrance is a company I set up about 2 years ago that does everything. Fragrance. Initially, we started with some products but we have expanded.
So now we do French perfumes. We do Arabian perfumes. I love good smell. And I have a daughter who is very, very sensitive to smell. My husband also is very sensitive to smell. That is what prompted me to doing it.
I know you have a foundation that takes care of the elderly…Tell us about it?
Yes I do. I have a foundation that I have been running for over a decade. But officially I launched it on 4th of May last year. So, I am always like a Butterfly in the month of May because of the various ideas I come up with in the month of May.
The foundation is called Oloori Aderonke Omolola Erinle Foundation (OAOE Foundation). For you to be a member of the foundation, you have to be 70 years and above. I insisted on 70 because I know that at 70 you should be retired, really. At 70 your body will tell you to slow down. Those are the ones I need to reach out to.
Why do you like to do your things differently?
Because I am different. I am wired differently. So, I do my things differently. Look at what I do with the elderly. Our 1st outing was A Spa Day With The Old Ladies. They had so much fun. You can imagine taking old ladies in their 70s, 80s, I had a 99 year old woman follow us to a Spa and we get them to do pedicure, manicure, and wash their hair for them, make their faces and we give them different clothe to go home. And they all danced and enjoyed themselves.
I was able to put smile on their faces. From when we picked them up, I was the conductor in the bus and I cracked them up with jokes. I behaved like a real conductors, e san owo lati eyin ooo. They all had fun. I was so happy, that I was able to make them happy because that is what I really want.
What is your growing up prepared you for the role you are playing now?
Hmmm! That is deep. I grew up with my grandarents. I lost my dad 33 years ago. I am in my 40s, so you can do the Maths. I was actually a little girl when my dad died and unfortunately I lost my mum about 13 years ago, when my kids were still very young.
So, I am like, no father, no mother, I felt so bad and pain. I looked around and I said how can I say I have no father, no mother when I can have a father and mother in them. I can actually relate with them. That was what prompted me.And of course, my husband and i have always given out to the old people in my church for over a decade (about 12 years now). Every Xmas we give them something, a package from us.
That has been continuous. I have always given out to the old people. I love old people because they value your time. That is what they crave for most of the time. They are always very bored. So, I made sure I always reach out to all of them, instead of reaching out to one person at a time. I bring them together, I create fun for them. They now even make friends among themselves.
How do you balance out all your roles?
How I do it, I don’t know but I can tell you the Holy Spirit gives me the strength to do it. I am Christian & I believe in God. I am not a fanatic. I have a lot of Muslims as my friend. I respect what everybody believes in. My foundation reaches out to both Christians and Muslims. It also does not restrict its membership to Yorubas. It cuts across. It is one Nigeria. I will say it is the Holy Spirit that gives me the strength. Who am I without the Spirit of God backing me?
What other things do you do?
I am a network marketer. My husband has a property line of business. So, I take the Lead in that. Personally, I have my foundation. I have my Fragrance business. 50% percent of what comes from my Fragrance business goes to the pocket of the foundation. So, the idea of the Fragrance business is to be able to raise money on my own to help run the foundation. Of course, I am going to need people to help me also, but I should be able to do some of it on my own. So, after all the expenses, the salary and staff paid, 50% percent of what is left goes into the pocket of the foundation. So, its more or less like a Charity shop. I mean my ooh Fragrance Palace. When you buy from us, you are helping the old people.
Let’s talk about your Fashion style. You are such a very stylish person. How did that also develop?
My lifestyle is stylish. Everything I do must be stylish. You must come into my house and see something different in my house, from the structure, to my spoons, plates, pots, shoes and dresses. When it comes to style, I am styly by myself. So, I must come out stylish in everything I do. Not just wearing of clothes, but even in the organisation of the house, my interior, so, I am a person of style.
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