Name: Kareen Odekunle
Job title: Co-founder
Company: Étän Rum
What was your first job? A sales assistant at Build-a-Bear Workshop in Westfield White City when the shopping centre first opened.
What’s been your worst job interview? I was interviewing for a finance position once, and the director made me feel so comfortable I called him by a short version of his name that I made up myself. I didn’t get that job, but funnily enough, years down the line I ended up in that same company, under a different director and different team. So if it’s meant to be, it will be!
What was the first music single you bought? Irreplaceable by Beyoncé.
How do you describe your job to your friends? As a co-founder, I’d say it’s challenging, exciting and definitely soul-satisfying, knowing I have created something that will hopefully become legacy. Étän Rum is the culmination of months of dedicated tasting, testing, debating, and collaboration by five strong-minded professional sisters. Étän, meaning ‘five’ in Mungaka, our parents’ dialect, pays homage to our origins in Bali, a town in Cameroon known for its regal traditions and vibrant festivals.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Meeting people from all walks of life and creating new long-lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial.
What is the least rewarding part? Doing manual things that aren’t hard but are just very laborious in the absence of adequate systems.
What is your motto in life? Happiness is free.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? Working three days a week but still getting full-time remuneration and being able to travel the world whilst doing so.
Do you have any phobias? Nobody ever believes that I have none. I went to boarding school in Cameroon so you get very comfortable with weird and wonderful creatures around you, and this definitely solidifies your resilience. To me, a phobia is a state of mind, and I consistently train mine to recognise what’s real and what’s not.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? Lamb ribs – I’ll make them meatier.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? A king-size bed and a set of clean silk pyjamas. Nothing like a divine night’s sleep, you always wake up ready for the world!
What animal most reflects your personality? A lion. I’m strong, lively, caring and friendly, but can be fierce when necessary.
What’s your favourite film and why? Taken. It was one of the first films I actually got into without zoning out or falling asleep (everyone knows I’m not a TV or film person), and Liam Neeson is just a top actor.
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? I was on holiday and put on two different sandals with the aim of getting my husband to help me pick which one to wear. Four hours later, after having brunch with my cousin and on my way to dinner, I looked down and realised I was still wearing two different sandals. To this day I can’t understand how that happened, but I’ve gotta say I still looked great.
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? The social media influencer Patricia Bright. She’s a go-getter and I love what she does. She’s very relatable and real so I could definitely learn some entrepreneurial tips from her.
What would your death row meal be? Starter: suya and onions with lots of pepper. Main: peppered grilled fish with fried yam and plantain. Dessert: my sister Briget’s pecan pie and ice cream. If you know me, I love good tasting food, and yes they call me a foodie. So all those flavours put together, I’ll be a satisfied human in my last moments on earth.
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