Olutola Omoniyi: How I Made Their Problem My Problem... (YoungVoices,Day 12)

“I’m so sorry for him, but I’m sure he’ll be fine”, “It’s not my business”, “I’ll just take care of myself”… You probably recall that moment after discussing or identifying a problem or challenge, when you expressed these statements either verbally or in your mind, right? Yes, I also have and honestly, I sometimes still do.

The truth is, we are naturally wired to take care of ourselves only. More like an “every-man-for-himself” kind of scenario, or simply put – we are naturally selfish.

So most times, when we identify problems people go through, we look into our systems and circles to build defensive mechanisms to avoid it coming our way, caring less about those currently affected. Oops! That’s ironic, as this can be best described as a case of ignoring our greatest opportunities to success. Make their problem your problem; make the solution your success.

Few years ago, precisely in 2012, I was fresh off NYSC service. I had gotten a job with an internet firm in 2011 as their social media executive/product ambassador. At that time I was earning N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) which was not bad at all for a first job after service year.

I compered for events, and had quite a number of wedding MC jobs coming through, adding to my monthly income. I was also living in my parent’s place, so I didn’t pay rents. I had a Nissan Primera that was very friendly in terms of fuel consumption and my office was a 20-minute drive away from home. So basically, I was doing just fine.

However, I quit the job in July 2012 for another that didn’t only pay me N0, but demanded a lot of funds from me instead. Insane, right? Yeah, I remember two of my mentors advising me against the move then too. Today, I’m glad I made that decision. But really, why did I do this? I found a problem, and I was so passionate about solvingit.

I had been working as an OAP on radio for about 4 years on several radio stations. I had been studying the word of God. I had discovered a principle that was set to change my life forever – “Whatever goes into your ears and eyes consistently, finds its way into your mind, and then your heart. Whatever finds its way into your heart will ultimately manifest in your life” That was it!!! Gosh! That means, from the movies we see to the music/news we hear and every other image we see cumulates to the product of our lives. Garbage in, garbage out!

Problem 1: Man has need for recreation and entertainment. Sadly, most of the available options out there were junk, and considering this principle, it’s dangerous to the lives of the consumers. People needed quality and edifying resources. But oops! These content were not readily accessible at that time. You would probably need to do some research.

Problem 2: Gospel music artistes were churning out some good stuff, but didn’t have platforms for promoting their stuff, as most other mainstream media relegated their content to the background. They needed to reach out to more people, but just couldn’t seem to break out.

I’m not a music artiste, so Problem 2 wasn’t mine, but I had a bit of Problem 1 as well. So I did some research, and after a couple of weeks, I had figured out how to get as much of the latest gospel music, news, sermons, movies, etc. so I always stayed updated. My “Problem 1” solved.

I found a solution for myself, but that just wasn’t enough.

The burning passion for solving other’s problem is a secret to success. That was what triggered the decision to leave my then comfort zone to launch Praiseworld Radio, which today is one of Africa’s leading online gospel radio stations, providing solution to the two problems listed above.

We have made these problems our problems, and we derive joy in seeing the solutions.

Continuously providing solutions to problems means you constantly give value, and this comes back to you in even greater value.

When you identify someone/people’s problems, which makes your heart burn with passion, that’s it! There goes your opportunity to succeed, if only you can find a solution to it.

In my experience in the last couple of years, I have realized how important it is to consider the following in pursuit of success.

1. Patience: We’re in the “fast-food” age. Lots of folks are out there with the belief “If it’s not bringing result NOW, it’s not worth it”. How untrue. When I was preparing to launch the Praiseworld Radio in 2012, I told myself “Bro, you’re gonna have to be VERY patient on this one.” This helps reduce the pressure and helps you stay focused.


2. Don’t Make Money Your Driving Force: Yes, when you solve problems, you’ll get rewarded with money. However, be more concerned about the solution than the money. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Like I mentioned earlier, we derive joy in solving problems at Praiseworld Radio

Please, don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean you should not have a business plan or a revenue generating structure in place. It only means you should be more passionate about the value you’re bringing to the table.

3. FOCUS: Has this ever happened to you? You’re working on a PC, open multiple windows, trying to do a lot of things at the same time. Have you noticed you end up spending more time on tasks that were not originally on your to-do list, thereby making you less effective?

“I’m multi-talented. I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’m a multi-tasker”, yeah, great to know. But over the years, I have discovered that the more focus on one particular assignment, the more effective you get. Stay on it! Build it! Be a master at it! FOCUS!

4. Get GOD involved: The spiritual governs the physical. Having a relationship with The Supreme Being (GOD) puts you on an entirely different level from your peers who don’t. Most of my decisions as regards the operations and management of Praiseworld Radio has been influenced by the Holy Spirit. You can’t go wrong when God is involved.

Thank you for taking time out to read this. Identify that problem you are passionate about solving today. Develop capacity and seek God’s help to proffer a solution to it. Enjoy the success you derive from the process. See you at the top!



Olutola Omoniyi is the Founder and CEO of PraiseWorld Radio. He tweets from @spiceonthemic



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(Young Voices is a quarterly 15 days campaign on this blog where 15 notable young role models will share their story – today is the day twelve in the first season of #YoungVoices. It continues tomorrow with another inspiring young role model)

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