The Woman Who Styles Minds
By Daniel Agusi
Dr. Tewa Onasanya is a woman whose life’s work sits at the intersection of purpose, passion, and reinvention. As the Founder of Exquisite Magazine, the visionary behind the ELOY Awards & ELOY Foundation, and a pioneering Mindset Stylist, she has spent over two decades empowering women to step into their brilliance with confidence, clarity, and intention. Her journey, from pharmacology to publishing, entrepreneurship, wellness advocacy, and mindset transformation is a testament to what becomes possible when a woman chooses to evolve instead of standing still.
Through her platforms, she has spotlighted and celebrated thousands of women across Nigeria and beyond, championed cervical cancer prevention, and built sustainable empowerment pathways that help women not just survive, but thrive. Guided by calm power, thorough faith, and a deep commitment to women’s advancement, Dr. Tewa continues to shape conversations and create opportunities that honour the worth, wealth, and well-being of women everywhere.
In this exclusive interview with Raising Women Magazine, she opens up about her journey, her passion, her mindset, and the legacy she is building, one empowered woman at a time.
Q: You often describe yourself as a “Mindset Stylist.” What does that truly mean to you, and how has mastering your mindset shaped the woman, entrepreneur, and leader you’ve become today?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: Yes, I am a Mindset Stylist. I actually call myself that because, essentially, a mindset stylist is a mindset coach, but I don’t like the word coach. That’s why I coined the word stylist. I wanted people to understand that, just like you pick your clothes in the morning, match your shoes, and accessorize, a tie or wristwatch for men, jewelry, shoes, or bags for women, we’re meant to pick and choose our thoughts and words so that we feel good on the inside and live the life we desire; that wholesome life. So, when I say I style people’s minds, I’m helping them do an edit of themselves, choosing which habits serve their purpose and letting go of those that don’t, so they can rebuild. It’s like wearing a certain type of outfit for years and then realizing you’re now a billionaire or an executive, you want to upgrade how you dress and present yourself. That’s what mindset styling is about.
As for how it has helped me, I’ve been in business for over 22 years now. I actually started mindset styling in 2012, after I’d already been running my business for years. I was blessed to have started with a strong belief in myself. Then I discovered this new thought movement, known as New Thought Leadership.
When I learned that so much of who we become in life comes from our mindset, it became part of me, a way of life. I’ve learned to understand when my body is talking to me. For example, if I have a headache or backache, I know it’s not random. If I’m procrastinating, I recognize it might be because I’m dreading a task. If I’m fearful or anxious, it’s often because I’m facing something new.
So I’ve learned to listen, to reset my mind intentionally, and that’s what’s allowed me to be the success I am today, and to keep growing. We win and learn in the mind first. I don’t like to say lose, we win and learn.
Q: From Exquisite Magazine to the ELOY Awards Foundation, your platforms have consistently amplified the voices of women. What personal experiences first inspired this passion for women’s empowerment, and how has that passion evolved over the years?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: First of all, I’m the first of seven girls. So, you can say that my passion for supporting women and helping them become the best they can be is something I was born into. I lead a pack of six queens, as I always say! In 2009, we realized that many award ceremonies in Nigeria were mostly celebrating men. It occurred to us that there were so many women doing exceptionally well in different fields and sectors. We needed to celebrate them, so they could become examples for younger women or others seeking representation in male-dominated industries. And since Exquisite Magazine is a female-oriented publication anyway, who better to celebrate women than us? That’s how the ELOY Awards started, simply celebrating women A few years later, we added seminars, and now it’s a full-fledged conference where we don’t just celebrate women, we sustain women’s empowerment. We wanted to move beyond talk into action, ensuring that women are building thriving businesses, not just surviving.
We’ve been doing this since 2009. This year marks our 17th year of consistently celebrating women of excellence, sustaining women’s empowerment, providing access to affordable finance, mentoring, and entrepreneurial training. We want every woman who comes through the ELOY Awards Foundation to be building something sustainable and to be thriving, not just surviving.
Because I’m also a Mindset Stylist, I emphasize that well-being is a crucial part of entrepreneurship. That’s part of the reason we do what we do. The impact has been unbelievable. We’ve trained thousands of women across Nigeria and not just in Lagos. We’ve been to Kano, Port Harcourt, Delta, Anambra, Abuja, and many other states, raising a new generation of confident business owners who are thriving and building sustainable ventures. We’ve also awarded grants to women who have come through our programs. And the great thing is, while we mentor and provide resources, I also learn along the way. I always tell my mentees that while I may be their mentor, I’m also learning from them, about their brands, their journeys, and their resilience.
Q: The ELOY Awards have celebrated hundreds of women who are making impact in their communities. What have been some of the most memorable stories or moments that affirmed why you started this movement?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: So many memorable moments have happened over the course of the 16 years. Although this is our 17th year, there was one particular year we thought, “After this one, we’re done. We can’t sustain it anymore.” Sponsors weren’t coming on board, and we were fighting tooth and nail to keep it going.
But we realized that people looked forward to the ELOY Awards every year, because it’s the most consistent women’s event in Nigeria. I can proudly say that since 2009, every single year, even during COVID we held the ELOY Awards. We’ve been consistent, relevant, and prestigious.
That year, when we were ready to give up, something amazing happened. So many women came on stage to share emotional stories. It was like God was speaking through them. Many said they’d been about to quit their jobs or businesses until they got a call saying they’d been nominated for an ELOY Award. That call gave them hope.
They said they finally felt seen and supported. Sometimes, we all need that external validation, that reminder that what we’re doing matters. There was one lady who had been a radio presenter for years. She said she was ready to give up, she had even contemplated suicide. Then a friend called to tell her she’d been nominated for an ELOY Award. That moment became a turning point in her life.
Another lady, a blogger back in 2017 said she’d been blogging for years and felt invisible. She was planning to quit and “get a proper job.” Then she saw her name among the nominees for an ELOY Award, and that gave her the push to keep going. She’s still going strong today.
When I heard those stories on stage, I burst into tears. People didn’t know why I was crying, but I knew, because that was the year we’d decided it would be our last ELOY Awards. And there I was, watching God send people to tell me why we couldn’t stop. That day, I realized this platform was ordained by God. It was bigger than me, bigger than the team.
Over the years, we’ve seen women grow tremendously after being recognized. Some were relatively unknown before their ELOY nominations, and today, they’ve become household names.
The ELOY Awards is the most prestigious award ceremony for women in Nigeria. It’s a platform where every woman, not just celebrities or socialites can be celebrated. Our criteria focus on character, integrity, leadership (whether direct or indirect), and consistency. That’s what makes someone an “ELOY Lady” an Exquisite Lady of the Year.
Q: You’ve spent years advocating for cervical cancer prevention through your EMAC initiatives. How do you balance leading creative and business ventures while also championing health awareness and social causes?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: It’s actually a perfect blend, a natural integration. I’m a pharmacology graduate. Now, I’m a publisher, a women’s empowerment advocate, and a cervical cancer prevention advocate.
So really, the only part of me that’s still science-related is the cervical cancer prevention work. I’ve been blessed to integrate everything I do. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I’ve learned what’s important at what time, how to juggle everything so that if any ball drops, it’s not one that will hurt my personal or business life.
Mindset styling also plays a big role. For example, when I set my goals and schedule for the year, I know January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. So, from December, we start building momentum.
By February, we’re talking Valentine’s and love, and by March, it’s International Women’s Month. We align our magazine’s content around that.
From April to July, it’s ELOY Awards Foundation season, time for our business showers in different states. By August and September, we shift back to Exquisite Magazine events, like our Wellness and Style Life Experience, where we encourage people to take their health seriously. Then, towards the end of the year, we host our biggest event, the Global ELOY Conference and Awards.
I’m intentional about rest and my personal life too. I have two children, they’re older now, 21 and 18 so they’re more independent. But I make sure to plan my family and rest time with the same intention as work.
It’s not easy, but it’s possible because I’ve decided it’s important. And cervical cancer prevention is deeply important to me. Every hour, one woman dies from cervical cancer in Nigeria and it’s 100% preventable.
As a women’s magazine, it was only right that Exquisite take up this cause, to save our sisters, mothers, and friends. If women get screened early, it can be detected and treated. That’s why I’m passionate about this mission.
Q: As someone who’s worked across multiple industries, from pharmacology to fashion, publishing, and coaching, what lessons have you learned about reinvention, and what advice would you give women who are afraid to start over?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: Reinvention is the mother of everything, so to speak. If we’re not reinventing ourselves, we become stagnant and when you stay stagnant, you eventually die inside.
We might not realize it, but we’re constantly reinventing ourselves, in how we show up for work or business, or in how we present our products. Reinvention is critical for growth because you can’t keep doing the same thing year after year.
Take Exquisite Magazine, for instance. We’re 22 years old now, we can’t be doing what we did in 2003. Back then, there was no social media, no Google. We used Ask Jeeves! People only read hard copies of magazines, and the internet hadn’t really caught on. To check emails, you had to go to a cyber café. There were no laptops, just desktops.
If we had stayed in that time, refusing to evolve, we’d be obsolete today. So, reinvention is essential, and not just for business or career, but also personally. The Tewa who started the magazine in 2003 isn’t the same Tewa today. My tastes, habits, and outlook have all evolved.
Even our brand has evolved. Exquisite started as a fashion and beauty magazine. Then it became fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Later, we added wellness and now we’re focused on wellness, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle. Fashion and beauty now fall under lifestyle, while wellness leads.
When we launched in 2003, we printed hard copies, even started with A5-sized magazines before rebranding into bigger editions. By 2016, we went digital because the dollar exchange rate shot up. We used to print in China for better quality, but when the dollar rose to ₦300, we stopped printing and invested in our website and mobile app instead.
We were ahead of the digital curve, and now we’re proud to still be standing, one of the few magazines from 20+ years ago that’s still thriving. That’s because we’re open to reinvention.
Q: Many people struggle with self-doubt and fear of failure. What practices or mindset shifts have helped you remain grounded, confident, and consistent in your purpose?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: One thing that keeps me grounded is doing a self-audit, knowing who I am, who I’m becoming, and what I truly want. Not what others expect of me, or what people say I should be, but who I say I am.
I strongly believe in myself, and I work on that belief every single day.
You build confidence by doing things you’re afraid of, by facing your fears. The only reason we have fear or self-doubt is because we haven’t done something before. But once you do it, you grow confident.
Self-doubt will always come up, but you must intentionally silence it and you silence it through action. Don’t wait for the perfect moment; take action.
Self-doubt will always exist. Nobody is free from it. Even billionaires experience it. Sometimes it’s about their work, their body, or their choices.
Even Jesus, at one-point, experienced self-doubt. Remember when He said, “If you can take this cup away from me”? That was a moment of doubt.
The key is to remind yourself who you are, through self-audit and reflection. I also remind myself of past successes, things I once thought would break me, but didn’t. That gives me strength.
So, I celebrate myself constantly on my journey of becoming more.
You can’t let your mind take you out of the game of life. You must rule your mind. That’s actually the title of one of my books, Convince Yourself First.
Q: The ELOY Foundation focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses. In your experience, what are the most common barriers women face when trying to grow, and how can we collectively break them?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: The biggest barrier is the mindset barrier. Many people think the problem is money, but it’s not always money.
If your mindset is right and your structure is solid, you’ll realize the real work begins with you. Yes, funding is important, but people often fixate on it. They say, “If only I had one million naira…” But if you don’t have the right structure or mindset, you’ll waste that money if it comes.
The way you handle one naira is how you’ll handle ten million.
That’s why, at the ELOY Sustainable Empowerment Program, we emphasize structure and mindset first. You must be clear on your goals, direction, and systems, your production costs, cash flow, and staffing.
Money without structure will disappear just as easily as it came. Structure is key.
Q: As you reflect on your journey and look to the future, what kind of legacy do you hope to leave, both as a woman who empowers others and as someone who constantly evolves?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: The legacy I want to leave is for people to understand that you can lead with calm power.
You don’t have to be forceful to be a leader. You can be soft and still be strong, calm and still firm. You can know exactly what you want and communicate it with grace.
Also, collaboration is key. There’s no competition, when we come together, we can do even more. I want my work to outlive me.
Q: People often say “women support women.” What’s your take on that?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: Not 100%. I’ve been blessed with women who support me, but I’ve also seen others who only support women in their own circles, or when it’s trendy to do so.
I don’t play lip service to “women supporting women.” My track record shows I truly support all women, not just those I know. I believe in collaboration, not competition.
Q: This year, our theme is The Woman: Her Worth, Her Wealth, and Her Well-being. As a closing reflection, what message would you offer to women everywhere on how to honor their worth, build meaningful wealth, and safeguard their overall well-being?
Dr. Tewa Onasanya: Choose yourself. And what I mean is: make yourself your number one priority. Take care of yourself, because you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Ensure your well-being is intact: eat well, sleep well. At work, give your best and delegate where necessary. With your finances, learn financial literacy, build relationships, and grow your wealth intentionally.
Know that you are worthy of love and care. Your well-being is critical because if you drop dead today, the world moves on. Only a well person can build a business or career.
So yes, choose yourself.
When you choose yourself, you realize how important all these things are and you start making intentional decisions to nurture every area of your life.