QRTLY VOICES
The Table That Led to Victory
A Journey Through Entrepreneurship, Style, and Unconventional Paths
Unconventional Beginnings
It started with a table. A charcoal concrete Crate & Barrel piece, sleek yet grounded, posted online as part of a Bay Area goodbye. I didn’t know then that the table was already spoken for, or that the woman behind the listing — Victory — was building something far more enduring than furniture sales.
Victory’s story is one of multiplicity. She has spent over a decade building and exiting businesses while holding an influential career in partnerships. “Honestly, my mum,” she says when asked what first drew her to entrepreneurship. “Growing up, my mum had multiple businesses and I had always been inspired by her. I saw her do it, with 4 kids, and I saw first hand how empowering it was. So when I graduated from University, I decided I too wanted to be an entrepreneur and so began the decade of businesses/side hustles.”
That decade has been anything but predictable. She scaled a coaching business into the multi-six figures, exited a beauty brand, and now channels her creative expression into interiors with House of Omotayo. “I think my creative expression has actually been the one constant,” she reflects. “It’s taken me a while but I’ve come to realize my passion really is in helping people become the best version of themselves, whether that’s via coaching to start a business or interior design to make their house feel like home.”
Her path through partnerships and tech has shaped her entrepreneurial philosophy. “Build fast and figure out the rest later,” she insists. “One of the reasons my first business did not do as well was because I was so focused on building the website, designing the logo, etc. and not actually selling the product. My successful exit was for a hair extensions brand and I was able to hit my first 5 figures in sales without a fully functioning website, nor did I have the products on hand. This was when I started leaning into the power of pre-sales and not being afraid to do it messy.”The Soft Power of Founder Fashion
Victory’s presence is inseparable from her style — a reflection of how she navigates life and business with elegance and authority. “I love a nice tailored blazer! You’ll catch me wearing a blazer, most likely a white tee and some jeans. If I really want to show out, I’ll be in a full suit,” she shares. Her wardrobe is both a tool and a statement: “I’ve gone from wearing sweats at home to dressing up. Whether I throw on a nice cardigan, tweed jacket or a blazer, I truly feel like I can take on the world when I put in the effort.”
Even small touches hold power: “A little blush! It really makes a difference in how your face looks, especially in a work from home environment.” Her founder fashion is polished yet approachable, professional yet infused with a softness that mirrors how she balances tech, entrepreneurship, and motherhood.
Corporate, Creative, and Everything In Between
Partnerships are more than a career for Victory — they’re home. “I think partnerships feels like home because it was the first career that truly ‘clicked.’ …Partnerships was a happy coincidence in that I ‘fell into it’…and for the first time, I realized it was the role I was searching for all along.”
Her approach to collaboration is intentional and strategic. “Understanding their ‘why’ — what they care about the most and how you can help them get there faster. One thing I stand by is partnerships are only successful when you focus on the outcomes and not the tactics.”
And she’s quick to clarify a common misconception: “That it’s just about relationships. But we’re actually ecosystem architects. We align internal teams around an external outcome, we enable reps to execute, we push and influence product roadmaps and best of all, we anticipate and forecast future growth opportunities that others may not have thought about.”
Impact, Balance, and What’s Next
Her corporate career in partnerships gave her the tools to build ecosystems and scale strategy. Her entrepreneurial journey gave her freedom to experiment, to fail fast, and to reinvent. And her investment work — with Cornell’s W.E. Cornell board and as a Forbes Global Fellow — keeps her anchored in impact, always championing the underdogs and women finding their place in innovation. “Do it scared,” she advises the young founders she mentors. “Even if you’re not sure the idea is a great one, still do it. Failure is resigned only for people who try.”
Burnout taught her lessons in rhythm and stillness. “I realized I didn’t have to do it all and it’s okay if things are boring for a while. I feel I lost control when I thought I had to chase the next thing and always had to keep ‘growth’ in mind. Burnout really taught me that it’s okay if life and work is monotonous. In fact, that’s when you find true balance. Satisfaction is something we don’t talk enough about and it’s something I relish now, especially as a mum when every single second counts.”
Her approach to self-care is intentionally fluid: “Sometimes I open my design app and design my dream home, or sometimes I sit in front of the TV and watch my fav shows over and over again. When I practice self care, I’m truly focused on whatever brings me the most joy.” And when all her roles collide — as mother, founder, and corporate leader — “I take a nap! Honestly, I’ve had to learn that not everything on my to-do list will get done and that’s okay. I’ve also shifted how I see my daily tasks…instead of to-dos, I have ‘intentions,’ which has helped me remove any guilt when a task isn’t checked off. I will also be remiss if I don’t shout out my husband for the role he plays in helping me navigate all three. It’s truly a blessing when you have a solid partnership with someone…”
What Remains
That charcoal concrete Crate & Barrel table? Already sold. But the encounter led to other pieces from House of Omotayo — carefully curated, intentionally designed, and filled with the same care Victory brings to every role she occupies. Pieces that, much like her, carry weight, grace, and quiet brilliance.
Victory’s life is a masterclass in multiplicity: wife, mother, corporate leader, founder, and designer. She doesn’t just close out her quarters; as she says, “I don’t just close out the quarter, I shut it down!” And in her style, her work, and her presence, you can see exactly how she does it — with intention, elegance, and that subtle, unshakable founder power.