I went bald to make myself ugly.

Peace is a fitness enthusiast and denim vendor who thrives on staying active and healthy. She enjoys experimenting with unusual food combinations. In this interview, we talk about her love for fitness, and her experience navigating life and social media as a woman, fitness enthusiast, and entrepreneur.

Hi, Peace. It's a pleasure to have you here! Please introduce yourself.

My name is Nkanta Emem Udoumoh, but people call me Peace or Keke. I’m a fitness enthusiast. I also sell vintage denim and vintage clothes.

What's the story behind your fitness journey? 

I looked into my future and thought of the kind of woman I wanted to be—a woman who looks well put together, has a great figure, and is healthy. I'd always liked the idea of being in shape and taking care of my health and appearance, anyway, so I started as soon as I could afford it.

Of course, I didn't immediately know what to do or where I was headed, but when I got into it, I realized that I liked being strong, so I started lifting—and lifting heavy.

Many people admire your physique. What key principles or routines do you follow in your regular exercise regimen?

I lift a lot. I also do compound and accessory movements. Most of my physique comes from my diet, so I drink a lot of water—as much as is healthy—and eat well.

Was there ever a time you used to indulge in sugary food or drinks?

I ate all the sugar I had to eat in secondary school, but when I was 19/20, I decided I was done with that life.

Beyond fitness, you also sell denim wears. How did your interest in denim come about, and how do you reconcile your love for fitness with fashion?

I like the classic, vintage, old-school look and feel denim outfits give people, so I decided to start selling it to people. Also, I'd been looking for quality jeans to buy, but I couldn't really find anyone that fit me. Eventually, I stumbled on someone who sold what I liked, and the idea struck me to buy from her and resell. I made all the necessary plans, and that was how my business started.

Now, how do I reconcile my love for denim with fitness? They don't really intersect. Except that the people I socialize with patronize me, there's no connection between my fitness and my business. Bars.

Can we talk about your look? You've embraced a bald look that challenges conventional beauty standards. Is there a story behind that choice? And what impact has it had on your self-confidence?

This is an interesting question, and the story is funny because I've experimented with my hair a lot. If you look at my Facebook posts from 2014 to 2017, you'll see that I've had many looks.

Well, at some point, I got tired of the white hair I had, and I wanted to scrape my hair off entirely. One day, I decided: let's go to the salon; whatever happens happens. And here's the interesting part: I thought going bald would make me ugly, but I looked good.

I went bald to make myself ugly and withdraw from everyone. Maybe if people stopped talking to me, I would have some sort of introspection, an eureka moment about whatever I was supposed to do with my life. 

Now, how has it affected my confidence? I don't know about increasing my confidence, but going bald sure hasn't done much to reduce it. I don't think about my head a lot, and I also don't wear makeup. I just take care of my skin, and I like the fact that I can just wake up and go anywhere. 

What’s the weirdest food combination you've ever tried?

I can't say; I eat a lot of "weird food". But I've had mango and afang. I've also tried white soup and beans. 

How did your food combinations come about? 

When you start fitness, you have to eat unless you're trying to lose weight—and even then, you still have to eat. But I'm not much of a foodie. So I had to find ways to make eating fun for me.

As someone with a significant online presence, how do you handle negative comments—especially about your body?

When I take off my glasses, I'm good. I rarely respond to such comments, unless I have time to kill. Sometimes, I check the person's profile and remind myself they're not worth wasting energy on.

What are some misconceptions people have about fitness?

People think fitness shouldn't take much time, and I don't blame them; I thought so as well before I started. Some women also believe that lifting weights will make them muscular and look like men.

Well, it's a yes or no question. What they mean by "looking like a man" is building muscle, and a lot of people don't like the idea of muscular women—which is weird because women also have muscles, but not as much as men because we don't have much testosterone.

In the end, several factors contribute to being muscular. It could be from your genetics; it can also be from what you eat.

How do you unwind and have fun?

I have fun by having conversations with people. I like talking to people. I may not get as much time with people as I would like, but my conversations with customers can be very insightful. Also, I'm currently learning German and I really enjoy the process. I also pick up random things, learn them, and enjoy the process of suffering through them—the same way I picked up fitness and the same way I sometimes experiment with cooking and dishes. 

How would you describe your style?

My style is laid back and dynamic. 

What advice would you give to women struggling with self-esteem and body image?

Take a lot of nude pictures. It can be painful to look at yourself when you think you look like shit, but sit with the discomfort of looking at yourself.

Look at yourself like a different person, and talk to that person like you would to a stunning, gorgeous friend who doesn't like how she looks. Hype her up. Speak to her like someone you love. Say kind, positive things to her.

Also, protect yourself. If someone makes a negative comment about you or your body, cut them off. Block. Delete.

Sprinkle fitness into it as well. Fitness has a way of upping your confidence that cannot be overstated. Fitness doesn't necessarily mean going to the gym or lifting weights. Do what works for you—run, walk, skip, box—anything.

In a world that is always cruel to people, especially women, be kind to yourself. Every other person will fall into place. 

As an entrepreneur, what challenges have you faced in building your brand, and how have these experiences contributed to your personal and professional growth?

When I started, I struggled a lot with selling because I didn't like talking to people. I also sold with emotions—that's something I still struggle with. Sometimes, I sell out of pity, thinking about the customer's pocket. 

Another challenge I had to overcome was learning how to grow the business. I tried to branch out into many things that could bring money in faster because denim is a capital-intensive business; it's expensive and sometimes people don't buy jeans every day. They're most likely to buy tees and stuff like that.

I had to try and diversify. I sold numerous things and even wrote on blogs where I was paid only data. Eventually, I had to build my online presence. I showed up as much as I could every day and talked about what I was doing, and that helped a lot because, at some point, I started to get cash gifts. 

What's a memorable moment or achievement in your career that you're particularly proud of?

When I made my first 1 million naira in a month.

Are there specific values or principles that guide your decision-making process, personally and professionally?

I try to be as straightforward as possible. I also keep my promises to myself and other people; I don't say things I don't mean or won't do.

Peace's self-love and confidence are testaments to her resilience and authenticity. She inspires Bluxies’ women to love their bodies and prioritize their well-being.

You can connect with her on Facebook here: Peace Nkanta.

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