“A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.” This was so aptly said by American author, Helen Keller. What always appear to be the end of the road to a purposeful and impactful life is actually not the end, it is just an obstacle
There is nothing more worthy, more precise to prove this than the inspiring story of the CEO of 360Kuts, also known as Khalilimages, Jimmy Ofuoyan.
Perseverance, determination, focus and the inner will to succeed are not enough to explain the journey into stardom of one of the most resilient and extraordinary human beings the world may have ever seen.
The youngest brother of seven siblings, Jimmy Ofuoyan, like millions of Nigerian children, endured very difficult formative years, and survival was a struggle. The challenges he faced early in life had toughened and prepared him ahead for the greater battles that lie on his path to fulfilling destiny.
As a teenager, Jimmy Ofuoyan
understood he had to make a choice of how his story was going to be written someday. He chose the path that would inspire generations here and those yet unborn. Born on August 15, 1998, he already knew his purpose in life, took responsibility and practical steps towards achieving them.
At 12, Jimmy Ofuoyan began learning at his older brother’s salon on how to braid and fix hair for women. Despite his enormous skill in that vocation at a young age, he decided on his own to also get knowledge on becoming a professional in men’s haircut. Due to lack of finance to register and learn the trade under someone, he started watching haircut tutorials on YouTube.
By 2014, it was clear to him that he had found passion in something huge, which he was going to pursue all his life. He was awarded a certificate of completion by his brother, but he continued under him for more hands-on experience and gathered money for the next phase of his pursuit.
He later decided to practice on his own outside the country. This landed him, his nephew, Tony, and two other friends; Harris and Frank, in Libya, where they were caught by human traffickers who kept them in one of their camps. Like the biblical Joseph, the 360Kuts boss found favour with other captives and their captors, as he gave them haircuts with blade and comb.
Jimmy Ofuoyan escaped from prison alongside those he had left Nigeria with, and made another dangerous journey to Italy, where he encountered destiny. He began to offer his services in a camp where he was later relocated to from Sicily’s Laboratorio per le Aree Protette Italiane e lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (LAPISS), in a small city called Penne in Abruzzo. His amiable nature and survival instinct came into play, as he became a disc jockey in events and occasions.
Due to his inability to get a job, Jimmy Ofuoyan began to offer home services in which his creativity and sheer talent captured his clients. Their approval of his expertise caught the attention of influencers on Instagram, leading to collaborations with prominent football players in Italy, substantial following and popularity on social media.
Subsequently, the Khalilimages boss gained more than 10,000 followers after he was patronised by popular footballers. This further exposed him to the big players in the country’s social circle, such as producers , influencers, celebrities and upcoming artistes. His profile soared after he won the ‘Blurriest Fastest Fade Technique Barber Battle’ against other good hairstylists and barbers in his community where he worked for several years in Italy.
He became the most revered hairstylist in the region where he lives in the European nation. Khalilimages is a digital content platform, through which he leverages on the power of social media to push content such as unique haircut videos, Vlogs and videos on lifestyle.
