Tomi Sule': I Lost Everything I Had Worked For In My Life … So What?(YoungVoices, Day 15)

P.S: "I Lost Everything I Had Worked For In My Life … So What?" IS A LONG READ BUT WORTH IT!



Most people were brought up to dream, but to also follow the rules of society in order to achieve a certain standard of success of which the Monday- Friday, “09 am- 05 pm” job is often required. We ‘dream’ of what we want to become, or at least which career path would be the most versatile for employability or ‘quick wealth’. We study for it, we toil and labour all in the name of striving for success, reaching our goals, and living the life of our dreams.

I believe truly successful people are happy ‘workers’; they don’t see themselves as people who work hard to earn a living. But as people who are fulfilling destiny and no matter the amount of labour involved, are willing to do it with pleasure even when they are at the point of exhaustion. This is because, when you are passionate about something you don’t labour for it.

John Obidi: I Make Over $2,000 Online Monthly and This is How(YoungVoices, Day 14)

My name is John Obidi and I make businesses famous on Social Media. This article however, is not about the craft that I'm publicly known for.



It's about an opportunity that I discovered through curiosity and determination - Making Money Online. Don't roll your eyes just yet. Trust me, you want to read this.

Julius Osimen: How I kissed DATING good-bye and embraced my DREAMS(YoungVoices, Day 13)

Yea, take a look at the theme again and that's it. My purpose of the choice of theme was really to catch your attention. Now that I have it, let's continue but I will sure tell you how I kissed DATING good-bye to Embracing my DREAMS.



I am yet to see a man that does not want to be successful in life. As a matter of fact, everyone wakes up everyday believing that somehow they will make it really big at whatever they venture into. I have also come to discover that success is relative. What is success for me might not be for another individual. The measure of success differs from person to person and from place to place.



To be very successful at a very young age has always been my goal, although life had a way of telling me that it was impossible to achieve success right from my family to the society where I grew and the nation at large.Doing a quick view at the global reality, I realise that I must start judging my success not by what I've done but by what I'm capable of doing.

In the search of the true measure of success, I discovered that Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have. Today, I can call myself a successful man because I'm doing the thing I really want to do; using my thinking, speaking and writing gifts maximally to transform lives and put food on my table. O yea...



Few years ago, I decided to start dating someone I could refer to as "First love after a Long love", it started so cool and promising. I was quick to download my dreams to the damsel. How I was going to do this and do that, travel here and there, publish my books and become very rich and famous.

Mind you, I had suffered so much rejection even from my family simply because I dream too much and scarcely live a normal life like my peers do. Felt like dating this great girl would at least give me a chance to have someone believe in me and want to support me. She soon began to count years for me and asking questions like "When shall these things be?, seeth that you have no Degree yet". Fast forward...she left me and I went back to my first love which has always been my dreams and today the story is a lot different.

Almost everything I told her then are now reality. My books are published and circulated across the borders.



Listen, please Let go of whatever will not let you grow else you will groan.



Go Excel!



Julius OSIMEN is a speaker, trainer and author of two books. Follow him on Twitter: @IamJuliusOsimen

 ** The first 5 people to comment on this post wins Julius Osimen's latest released book titled, 'Activate Your Dreams' **

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

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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



**The first two to comment wins two books each**



(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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Helen Ozor: How I Built My Brand Blogging About Events (Young Voices,Day 11)

I go by the name Helen Ozor. A native of Delta State and a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University. I think of myself as not just a blogger but a unique blogger who has carved a niche for herself in the blogging sphere. I own and run Nigeria's no1 events blog. A blog that focuses on event coverage (wedding, birthday, bridal shower, concert, conference, seminar, party), event articles, event publicity etc. I've carved a niche for myself in the event industry and God has been faithful. I started out as a model, I love ushering jobs and I dreamt of having my own event management company. While in university, at a point towards my final year, I decided to focus more on school activities. During that period, a friend called to say hi and to also find out what I had been up to. One way or the other he was able to convince me to start a blog. After monitoring several blogs for months I decided to have a blog that focuses on event. Then I spoke to a veteran journalist who said I wouldn't be able to achieve the aim of the blog and so, I diverted to doing gossip but was never fulfilled. Soon, I realized I had to retract my steps and give all it takes to achieve the aim of my blog. So, I went into event blogging full time.



Just like every other business, there are good times and there are bad times. Sometimes the road is smooth and some other time, it could be very rough. Blogging about events is a niche that hasn't been saturated like the gossip niche. At the initial stage, it was strange to a lot of people and it took time and dedication to win followers. What has made me a successful event blogger is the fact that I love what I do. I love events, I'm dedicated to my job, I'm consistent, persistent and hardworking and above all God has being there for me. Giving up on blogging and getting a job was one decision I almost took at the initial stage but I knew I wouldn't find fulfillment as I wanted to be my own boss. Striving to be the best I can be, be the best event blogger anyone can find around; leaving a legacy worth emulating has always been my focus. Therefore, giving up never became an option.



Covering events is not one of the kind of job anybody would venture into. A lot of financial input and risk is involved. But then I don't mind because it is a job I love doing. Often time I say to people who approach me for blogging advice: It is not an easy job, it requires hard work, consistency, a lot of patience and persistence.



I have been opportune to cover several events like Airtel events, Nokia events, Skyy Vodka event, Pearl Awards, Dapo Lam Adesina, Peter and Lola Okoye's wedding (P'Square), Cocktail In and Out Customer appreciation party, OC Ukeje's wedding, Future Awards, Nigeria Music Video Awards, K1 Live Unusual Concert, 30 days in Atlanta movie premiere, Lagos Fashion and Design week, 2014 Genevieve Pink Ball, The Beat of Lagos, Bovi Man On Fire, 2014 Elite Model Look, The Network conference, Women in Marketing Conference and Awards... just to mention a few.



Helen Ozor is a foremost event blogger in Nigeria. She blogs from www.helenozor.com and tweets from @HelenEventBlog



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

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Why She Acts The Way She Does by Fisayo Odebode

I love her because she is passionate, beautiful, gentle, curvy, detailed and care-giving. Although she gets agitated, misplaces her identity,hates herself or anyone.Please before you judge or condemn her, you’ll need to go through what she’s been through. She has been hurt by the most important people in her life. She has been raped by her own family, she has been enslaved by her supposed-to-be care givers, and she has been consistently abused physically over many years. She has since viewed herself poorly. Her image has been tarnished before her very own eyes. You blame her for running away with a silly guy who managed to tell her that she’s beautiful or intelligent? She probably hasn’t believed how smart she is yet. How in the world do you blame her for dropping out of school or making wrong choices? Are you impractical? She is living her life in reaction to all the hurt, ‘lowlessness’, pain, and lack; and she doesn’t even understand the power effect of choices.

The truth is,she already lacks confidence in herself so she will not treat herself well or believe she deserves good. She will run away with whoever calls her intelligent even if the man brings mistresses home and share her matrimonial bed, she will stay. He says she is intelligent and smart and he has says a smart woman will keep her home and ‘love’ the mistresses. She will become a slave to him.





Do you realise that she is like a wave? She is more emotional than logical. Her self-esteem increases when she feels loved. She becomes stronger, bolder, innovative, attractive, and focused. You have no right to blame or condemn her since you have not been through what she’s been through and if you have, you should know people are graced at different levels to handle situations. However, I’m not making room for anyone’s irresponsibility; I am stating that she needs help. She just has not realised it yet.



She acts the way she does because she has been in and out of trauma, she has been helpless, she has been hopeless, she found a temporary way out by living the whatever life she is living. She will run into bigger trouble than she already has. She will hurt many people, she will murder people who love her, she will end up in jail, she will have children that she cannot love, she will live on the streets when people offer her home, she’ll later realise that she has caused more pain for innocent people and destroyed her opportunity to live a legacy and transform many lives because she is angry, bitter,hopeless. She needs your help. We can change things in bits by loving her irrespective of how she treats you, she needs to know and find love. She most likely doesn’t understand the language of love yet.

I’d love that she realises that life is full of positive, negative, up, down, good and bad.

Hey! You need to believe in yourself woman! You need to love yourself like no one ever did you. Youhave to take care of yourself and develop new and positive dreams. Love does not hurt, only those who don’t know how to love put people in pain. You are a product of whatever choices you make and you are responsible for them. Embrace love and change, it will heal and transform you!



Fisayo ‘Check’ Odebode is a writer, editor, public speaker, music lover and counsellor. She is passionate about young women, leadership and growth. She is the initiator of Check Counsel Nigeria (a people oriented organization that cares for/helps stabilize children and teenagers in relation to their stage in human development through counselling). You can email her at checkcounsel@gmail.com or follow her on IG/Twitter @FisayoCheck

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Isaac Oladipupo: The Anatomy of Success (YoungVoices, Day 10)

Unless I’m reading some good book, I’m not a lover of long articles so I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible. My goal here is to reiterate my life’s brief adventure in line with key discoveries that have helped me reach thus far by Grace.



To start with, here’s a foundational truth many people have refused to accept - Irrespective of your background or circumstances, you’ve got MORE than it takes to achieve good success in life. Here’s why: Success is cheap and replicable. To succeed in any field you only need to find out what other successful people in that field are doing, and do the same things, until you get same results. As a young chap starting out with big dreams, my discovery, belief and resolve to live by this simple truth made all the difference.



Commit to early discovery and pursuit of destiny.

Who am I, why am I here, what will I do...? Growing up, I was of the belief that if I don’t achieve certain things at a certain age, it becomes much harder later or literally impossible. The grace to define myself and my dreams on time has been an advantage. To achieve success, we must discover our path and commit to it as early as we can. Having discovered your true path, you must stay focused until successful. This is very critical because we are in the age of endless distractions and focus remains an important virtue as we can achieve nothing significant without it. Only the few who are able to remain focused amidst distractions will thrive.



Become addicted to knowledge.

I wrote my first book at 19, and this helped secure my first job with a leading magazine company, as an undergraduate. This early exposure didn’t only change my life forever; it also taught me that BEING is far superior to having. Just as we always attract who we are when it comes to relationships, so also what we get out of life is solely dependent upon our level of capacity per time. To attract more, we must become more. Commit to building your mind, capacity and skills. It’s been said that a library is a hospital for the mind. When last did you visit one?



Carefully select your network of friends and mentors.

To ignore the influence of association is to disregard your destiny. Never underestimate the power of association. All my life, I’ve enjoyed the privilege of moving with forward thinking friends and the result has been phenomenal. However, at a point, I slipped into some wrong association in a bid to ‘help them change.’ The result? Aside holding me back, I made a huge mistake that cost me a relationship most valuable to me. Thankfully I came out stronger, but I paid dearly for it. I learnt, the hard way, that mediocrity is infectious. Don’t discriminate but be very selective. It is very possible to outgrow your associations, so know when to leave and choose a new circle of friends because association always determines destination. Love yourself enough to surround yourself with the smartest and brightest brains. Also invest in your networking skills and seek valuable mentors. Successful people connect with people, make the most of meetings and build relationships. Learn to actively network with people who can be of great value to your life.



Take full charge of your heart and mind.

Regardless of the volume of books you read, a negative mind will never give you a successful life. Just as you don't put your car in reverse and expect it to go forward, in same light you don't think negative thoughts and expect success. Invest your time in deep meditation and dream big dreams. Most of the things that changed my life came to me when I was alone and quiet; this explains why I adore just being alone with my thoughts at times. Once in a while, take out time to yourself, for yourself, and with yourself in a positive light. It’s life-changing!



Commit to a lifetime partnership with God.

What the outside of your house looks like doesn’t count as much as what you’re building on the inside. In my opinion, instant success without God isn’t a guaranteed success. What’s the foundation of your success built upon? Will it stand the test of time? God does nothing significant with man without a deliberate covenant. Build upon the Solid Rock by striking a covenant partnership with God and watch your blossom effortlessly.



Lastly, note that while dreams are free, achievement comes with a price. All you’ve read here won’t work for you unless you put them to action immediately. I’d love to meet you at the world’s achievers roundtable. Peace!





Isaac Oladipupo is a media entrepreneur passionate about leveraging the media towards a transformed Africa. He tweets via @iamisaacola



**Two books to be won each by the first two to comment - you'll get your gift at the end of the 15 days #YoungVoices**



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

OLATUNJISPEAKS.com is Africa’s Number One Blog on Inspiration!

Would you love to get our FREE eBook in your mail? GET it HERE – http://bit.ly/1nYEET8

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Ihotu Amuta: I DID IT! Excelling in a male dominated environment (YoungVoices, Day 9)

From the Blog: All #YoungVoices gift and book winners will get their gifts and books at the end of the 15th day.



I DID IT! Excelling in a male dominated environment



Ten years ago I decided that I wanted to be famous. I didn’t know how I will become that person I saw in the mirror every morning but I was determined. Seven years later, I just wanted to be the best at what I did and I worked very hard and tried to always go the extra mile. Three years afterwards and all I think about is the impact my work is making on individuals, organizations and the nation.

I started with curiosity!

I wanted to know more about everything and I was competitive. I desperately needed to be the best but I found out as I grew older that it was impossible to always top every interest I had and so I decided to choose a few things I knew how to do very well and excel in them. I didn’t want to try what I wasn’t good at so I don’t flunk it or come out at average and this made my options limited. I was good with English, Literature and History and I focused on this subjects in secondary school more than I did for other subjects and I topped the class all the time.

Don’t be a jack of all trades,

Your name will get lost in the long list of experts.

You will be seen as a side dish and not the main meal

Be the only option for that one thing that is needed.

During my teens, I discovered I could dance and act but singing wasn’t my forte so I danced and acted and only sang in groups. I also noticed I had a flare for writing and I poured myself into that.

Overtime, I noticed my curiosity had pushed me into learning business principles and development and I read every book and article I could find on the subject. I attended meetings and tried to get opportunities to share my ideas and with time I became known to have opinions.

Let your voice be heard for what you know about

and you will become the go-to person on that issue.

Don’t just think it, say it;

you won’t be paid for your private thoughts.

Fast forward 10 years and I have worked my mind into a constant state of curiosity which is needed for strategy, creative thinking and business development which are the 3 main areas of my current expertise.

A few weeks ago I heard Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa say, “It’s not a man’s world, it’s our world” and I agree with her.

It is how you choose to play the game of chess that determines how you win

Do you want to win? Learn the tricks of your business

Men naturally tend to be go-getters and hustlers. Women are more of nurturers and receivers. But with our natural disposition as nurturers and with inert intuition, it is easy to build keen expertise in an area of interest. That’s all I did! I pushed my energies into my natural abilities, turned them into skills and was not afraid to be assertive.

It is important that what you say should count for something and your presence should be added value to everyone around you. This implies diligence and consistency in acquiring and retaining knowledge for whatever industry you find yourself and life in general.

Yes I failed a few times but I learnt my lessons and tried again. You may fail but know there is always a way to success, and the fastest route there is, is adding value and being a solution provider to a recognizable need.

Go the extra mile.

Do more than you think you can.

Push yourself to be the best in your own unique way.

It is quite common now to find intimidation a constant in business but those who try to intimidate are those who are threatened by your knowledge.

If you can learn right and act right then you can do right and you will be alright

Ihotu Joy Amuta is one of the leading lights at Gemstone Group. She tweets from @aihot

**The first two people to comment wins 2 books each for themselves; the book titles are ‘The Record Breaker’ and ‘Woman, This is How to Choose Your Own King’**

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

OLATUNJISPEAKS.com is Africa’s Number One Blog on Inspiration!

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Edward Esene: How I got my capital and continue to raise funds forbusinesses today (Young Voices, Day 8)

Capital they say is the bloodline of any business; lack of funding remains one of the major problems facing many aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners alike, truncating their entrepreneurial and business dreams.

Knowing how and where to access various sources of funds is a critical skill set every entrepreneur or business owner must have, and the starting point is knowing where to turn to – information & guidance through the rigorous process.

During one of our recently held Access2Funds Workshop for TBWF, Lagos; a participant asked me:

So how do I get funding for my idea, seeing that I do not have collateral?

The answer I gave to her during the training plus how I got/raised my own startup capital is what we I will be sharing in this write-up. I hope you find it an interesting read. Enjoy:



GEOLOGY but no Oil:

I left the higher institution some few years haven studied geology but made the kind of grade makes my employment in the oil and gas industry very distant.

Immediately after my service year in east, I hurriedly moved back to the economy powerhouse of Nigeria (eko city – if you know what I mean) and took my destiny in my hands.

My first official post graduate employment was a teaching job in Maryland, Lagos; the pay was just sufficient to keep body and soul together, at least for a fresh-graduate like me; been able to move out of the unemployment statistics was exciting plus the fact that I can now work and earn felt cool. But like any young fresh graduate at 24year, I wanted more. I had dreams. I needed something big! Real BIG.

Nothing was forthcoming for months, so I got tired and left the school because it was not allowing me do proper job prospecting and attend interviews.

Jonne Walker in Consulting:

It was one of those CV my hands –job hunting days, that I stumbled into a large crowd on a Saturday morning. I was quick to sense what was happening or about to happen, shortlisted applicants awaiting interview. Even though the company was no longer accepting applications, I waited just for the fun of it, hoping to be attended to or sent away.

I was quick to ask the previous guys about what kind of questions they asked, what the name of the company is and what they are into. The only thing I remember I heard was “Venture Capitalist”

Like many applicant who were waiting to be interviewed we wonder: Who were, or What is Venture Capitalist? I was confused but as a sharp Ikeja brought-up, given the large crowd, I quickly dashed to the nearest cyber café (no BB or mobile internet then) and studied anything on Venture Capital in Nigeria and abroad.

Fortunately it got to my turn, surprised that I didn’t apply for the job, nor was I invited for the interview, the panelist was pleased in my little knowledge of the company industry and curiously took on risks and landed me the Job! Alongside 3 other applicants.

It was a Business Development job role (primarily marketing) in a Venture Capital Firm. I seriously detect marketing then but managed to hold on to the job and spent two years with the firm, rose to the position of Manager, before resigning to try-out my own stuff. I registered KINETIC ASSOCIATES, a year later as a business incubation company.

HOW I GOT RAISED CAPITAL TO START MY BUSINESS

So how did I get/raised capital to start my own business? Just two simple approach:

• I saved my entire last 6month salary! Yes. Infact I didn’t collect it from the company Admin/Accountant. I learnt about this savings principle during NYSC. I and my friends in the village left all our FG allowee in our accounts and pushed for pay from PP runs during my service year as corpers.


• Relationship: During my working days in the VC, as a BDM, I interacted with lots of High Network Individuals (HNI’s) and managed the company’s Angels Investors Network. This availed me the opportunity to build relationship with some prominent people in Lagos.

When I notified some of them that I have moved and now trying out my own business they were excited and encouraged me. So, I made some of them my mentors and often report the challenges and progress of the business to them. So after some few month of almost exhausting my savings, I approached two of them for investment loan of N2million, at N1million each, with proper document and trust they granted my request. Integrity is Cash!

So that’s the story of how I stumbled into consulting & venture capitalism, learnt, saved, built quality relationships and got money to start by business and still date I still help lots of startup entrepreneurs and business owners raised funds using some of the approach listed below:

• Owners Savings: I tell most people that need money, as long as they care to listen, it remains the best, quickest and no hassle source of funds. You have something saved up, congratulations.


• Family & Friends: Big Uncle, Mother, Brother (in my case, it was my elder brother – who was also one of angel investor in the VC firm I worked that gave me N1million Naira.. (part of the N2million)


• Partnership: Just last month (Nov 2014) I started a crayfish business, with emphasis on processing and packaging for now under a partnership arrangement. The person that have only the idea collaborates/teams-up with the person that have the funds.


• Trade Credit – collect the stock/produce, sell first and remit capital later.


• LPO Financing: create the demand first, get the order/contract, and then go seek financing to consummate it. See contact details of some financiers below.
  
  
  
  • *Maple Credit: 01-2911401.
  
  
  • *Ren Credit: 01-2772400.
  
  
  • *Go Lend: 08067223366.
  
  
  • *FinancialVen: 08026265381.
  
  
  • *Credit Direct: 01-7641181.
  
  
  • *Co-Link Finance: 01- 8948102.
  
  
  • *Rosabon Finance: 01 898 0336
  
  
  • *TFS Finance Ltd: 01-8163002/08023031736.
  
  
  • *RegCharles Finance Ltd: +234 (0) 1-766-0001,
  
  
  • *Ventures & Trusts LTd: 01 262 0300
  
  
  • * UT Financial Services Nigeria Limited: 234 2954989; 2909565;
  
  
  • *Boulevard Finance: 234 (01) 461 BFSL
  
  
  • *Profund Finance: 07028645077.
  
  
  • *Red Oak Loans: 01-8104434, 08057345657.
  
  
  • *Salary Advance Nigeria : www.salaryadvanceng.com 01-844-7210. 0806-279-8100 (Jade)

• Angel Investors: Today, I manage some few millions for our KINETIC ANGEL NETWORK (KAN), and I invest in low risk short-term opportunities/projects on behalf of my investors and pay them good returns quarterly. (to join send your enquiries to : investors@kineticng.com)


• Crowding Funding: pitching your business idea online, to allow interested investors from different parts of the country/world have a stake in the business. See foreign sites like fundables.com, www.kickstarters.com etc and their Nigerian counterpart such as www.pitchoffice.com, www.234give.com

We are also currently working on our own unique crowdfunding site: to suit The Nigerian/African audience: www.access2funds.com

• Specialized SME Lenders eg Bank of Industy (BoI), NeXim, NEFRUND, BoA, Grofin, etc.


• Aids/Grants: eg MTN Business Titan, DiamondBank BET, The Tony Elumelu Entrepreprenuership Programme (TEEP), Ignite Ideas Contest, British Council Enterprise Challenge, YALI (yaliapp.irex.org) and The FGN YouWin Programme (www.youwin.org.ng) already in its 4^th year/edition. I participated in the maiden edition a consultant/monitor, and supervised businesses in the eastern part of Nigeria.

WHERE WE ARE NOW…

As a business incubation company, we receive lots of interesting ideas, almost on a daily basis from within and outside Nigeria and our goal is to nurture, build and grow them into viable enterprises.

We offer complete business incubation package from start to finish: idea clarification, market research, business plan development, company formation, regulatory registration, brand development, project management, Financial Intermediation, outsourcing, systems and process development, Go-to Market Plan, amongst others.

Through our propriety “Access2Funds Workshop,” we have assisted several entrepreneurs and business owners access various kinds of capital from institutional lenders and business angels alike. At KINETIC, we pride ourselves in our passion and expertise in BUILDING and GROWING businesses across Africa.

WHERE WE ARE HEADING…

My ultimate dream is to be a Africa’s foremost development finance specialist with a passion to use entrepreneurship and finance to solve problems and create wealth in Africa for Africans.

To evolve into KINETIC CAPITAL LTD

CONCLUSION…

I hope it has been an interesting read for you. I love providing people with actionable information.

Finally, like total downstream slogan says: You know where to turn!

So whether it’s an idea you have that requires capital to jumpstart it or an existing business that seeks to expand, we here to serve you!

I will be expecting to hear from you!



Edward Esene tweets from @headiekinetic. Edward Esene is a much sought after Business Start Coach and serial entrepreneur. He works as one of the Snr. Consultant with KINETIC ASSOCIATES , Lagos. (www.kineticng.com). Send him a mail: access2funds@kineticng.com



**The first two people to comment wins 2 books each for themselves; the book titles are ‘The Record Breaker’ and ‘Woman, This is How to Choose Your Own King’**



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

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Kehinde Ajose: How I was Donjazzyfied - Untold strategies for becominga don in your field (Young Voices, Day 7)

Life is a teacher only fools depend on the traditional educational system to succeed.

Yes I said it.

But…

How does one make a mark and become a difference maker in a world that romances sameness and conventional living? You are gifted, loaded with ideas  and have what it takes  to make a difference in the world…



But you are scared.



Scared that others are already doing what you do;

Scared that nobody will read your book since we already have too many authors;

Scared that your voice won’t be heard because it doesn’t fit into the expected;

Scared about being unwanted and being rejected.

Scary isn’t it?



The game can change for you and your product, service, giftings, talents and ideas .You can become irresistible if only you know what it takes to be Donjazzyfied.



My Donjazzyfied moments...

As a writer and talent development  strategist, one of the ways I set out to be different in my chosen craft is to tie the principles I teach to stories of individuals whom people can identify and relate with. I did it successfully as a columnist for national dailies and that has been my selling point as a writer. My Donjazzyfied moment embraced me when I wrote an article on the social media tactics Don jazzy employs to build an appealing brand for himself, as an influential showbiz personality in Africa. He retweeted… and that changed the whole story.



Don jazzy isn’t just a noun; he is  a verb. Its a name that creates the picture of  individuals who have carved a niche for themselves in their fields and are making a positive difference. Don jazzy’s (.) was retweeted by one of his fans .This singular act speaks volumes of his influence.

So what does it take to become a Don in your field? Let’s cut to the chase.



D-Deliver Value

Look at any electrifying performance, you will find out that it delivers some kind of value to the listener. From his music productions to his performances, Don jazzy offers value to his fans .The critics felt Dbanj’s absence would affect his mainstream acceptance, but with the success of  Wande Coal’s The Kick, D’Prince’s Take Banana, Dr Sid’s Surulere, and Tiwa Savage’s Eminado, the dude has proved that he can make diamonds out of stones. Here is the deal, until you offer something that wows and excites, you cannot be remarkable. Don jazzy offers value.Your value is tied to the vacuum your absence creates.



O-Offer a unique perspective

When I wrote my first E- book on the revered  indigenous rapper, Olamide titled-The Badoo School of Street credibility, it generated a lot of buzz on Instagram all  because I dared to create a unique angle. People are tired of reading the same boring tales. What dramatic angle can you create in order to stand out? The key here is not just to tell a story, but to tell a story people want to hear. It’s not just  about writing another song, but a song that can resonate with the audience. It’s not enough to release another product, but  releasing a product  that  connects with the needs of your customers. That is the key to success in business. Passion ain’t just enough. You can be passionate about your new cute product, but it might not resonate with what the market needs. Don jazzy is a master when it comes to using his street credibility to connect with his fans.  From the days of Tongolo and Koko, Don jazzy hasn’t stopped creating unique catch phrases that has made him a desirable music phenomenon.





N-Nurture relationships.

Don jazzy is a boss when it comes to nurturing relationships on the digital media. He has a knack for engaging with his fans through his major social mediums - Twitter and Instagram. Like the guy next door, he interacts with them, like he knows them by name. He invests in their emotional bank account and they in turn support him by being loyal to him. An example that comes to mind was when Don jazzy asked on Twitter: "What is the logic behind ladies faking orgasm?” This generated massive response on Twitter. He sure knows how to engage his fans.

While starting out in the media, one of the tools I used in conducting interviews and networking with celebs was Twitter. It made me become a force to reckon with.You should try it out too.



Embrace the greatness within you. You too can replicate this success story in your life and business. You are a star. Admit it. "Celebritize" you. Go out there and strut your stuff.



Kehinde Ajose is a Publicist, Journalist, and Talent development strategist. He runs Kennisplace.com and tweets from @Splendidkenny. This year he was part of the media personalities chosen to be part of The Gulder Ultimate Search.He is the author of Donjazzyfied..a book focused on the lessons that can be drawn from Don jazzy. Kenni has been featured on Channels Tv, Businessday The Nation, The Guardian Life, Vanguard newspaper, garnering attention for his petite  but charming personality.





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

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Adeyemi Asaba: I Was Once Asked to Withdraw From School, But I'm StillMaking My Dreams Happen (Young Voices, Day 6)

My fantasy…



Let me take you back to my fantasy moments while growing up. I really wanted to be the best (am sure you did as well) just like every other child. I don’t just want to be the best because I come from the family of four where I am the only male child, always very inquisitive to know how a VHS tape could have some content in it thereby showing in the television – for me that was uncanny. How can a box called the T.V contain human being not just static but talking, fighting and shooting guns at each other. Finally, in all of these inquisitiveness, I wanted to know if pushing down the T.V box from the table and breaking it could help me meet the people in real life, relate with them and eventually touch them like the woman with the issue of blood touched the garment of Jesus. In a nutshell, hell was let loose on me that day, shapes were drawn on my body with my father’s special ‘koboko’.



The question is this ‘did I learn any lessons from this bitter judgment?’ the truth is I never did. I destroyed virtually all the home appliances. My father thought I was taking after him as an electrical engineer, he only saw men as trees. My mom thought this is an evolution of an engineer with my destructive skills. I found myself as a science student in my senior secondary school days. I never missed physics, chemistry and biology classes not because it was fun but because I wanted to mark the register for each subject. So I struggled as a science student for three years, wrote my O’level examination, cleared my results at one sitting – interested in how I passed? It was over night memorizing of definitions and formulas.



My story…



In 2005, I gained admission into the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to study computer engineering, I don’t know how the admission was given to me. The first time I stepped into the lecture hall I felt like a hen in the midst of eaglet. Days later, I told Kunle Vincent- a friend who I just met that ‘I am here because my preferable is not available; but the available becomes my preferable’. I was so eager to adjust to my new environment even when I was aware that the polytechnic was an amusement park for me. Unfortunately, I was always looking forward to practical sessions relating to my course since I was a certified destructive engineer. The authority of the institution made matters worse by not providing the compiler to run Fortran programming language, so the experience begun with assumptions. Gosh! I hate assumptions. I wanted to loose and couple systems, to troubleshoot systems, to get the skills as the name of the course implies. I was subjected to putting on a lab coat for Mechanical engineering science & Electrical engeering sceince courses. OMG! I became an iron fabricator. Mr. Alausa will not stop telling me obsolete stories about the invention of computer which I have heard countlessly in my primary school days. I consistently looked forward to classes coming to an end. The truth is that I was never excited going for lectures, but I found it very interesting when I met other students sharing topical issues on purpose, discovery, passion, enterprise, skills development and more importantly I felt great when I counseled them. I learnt one great lesson that helping people around me to be happy is like the Chinese bamboo tree that may look like nothing will spring forth from it.



In 2006, It was time for the second semester examinations, I knew going back home was the only option left. The outcome of the first semester results were grey flag for me, so this helped me to manage my expectations ahead. Trust me, I prayed and fasted like never before but that could not solve the problem at hand. Please don’t get me wrong, the outcome of our prayers is equal to the input of work, discovery and planning committed into it. Result to our prayers aren’t rocket science.



Few months later, second semester results were released, you can guess what I saw, I was asked to go back home. I felt so glad that I would be free from what I called mental detention. At the point when I checked my results, I walked up to some friends saying if I had graduated with you as a computer engineer, I would get most of the contract. That sent a signal to them that I had checked my result.



On getting home with my luggage, it was a family high court which my father preceded as the chief judge. So what do you want people to say when you are seen around? you can imagine how sad he was. His dream of seeing me become an engineer was rumpled and truncated. In her words, my mom could not hold back ‘this does not define you as a FAILURE‘. I felt like a champion, I really wanted to go back to tell the authority of the polytechnic that I am not a failure.

Indeed I went back on May 19, 2007 to host the first ever Take Charge Students‘ Summit. It was a great time for students present to help see beyond the campus walls. Life isn’t all about credentials, it is all about potential.

My dream…



Finally, I settled to studied Mass Communication at the Lagos State Polytechnic after writing SSCE three times again. One interesting thing is that I was never timid writing those examinations. I knew that it was a transitory period for me. In 2010, I attended LEAP Africa‘s employability programme where the quintessence of volunteering was emphasized. So I wrote on paper my dreams and aspiration, if I will achieve all I wrote I needed necessary skills to be acquired. As a student I looked out for organizations to work for free. I Volunteered at Eko FM for over two years as a pidgin presenter and got an offer at MITV on a platter of gold to present a weekly campus show. At that time, my course mate told me that I was wasting my time. Today , I am making my dreams happen, you can also make yours happen as well.



Key takeaway:

• Deliberately make your life a World Trade Centre NOT an Amusement Park. Life is not just a place for fun alone, it’s an avenue to trade with your gift.


• Call those things that are not like they were. I am who I am today because of the understanding I have about myself. I have never settled for less. People might say you are proud, it’s just an opinion.


• Never give up when you are standing alone.


• Don’t let your present condition define your destination.


• Make your life count. Live a life of legacy not a life of vacancy.

Adeyemi Asaba is one of the leading lights at LEAP Africa. You can follow him on Twitter: @Adeyemiasaba1



**The first three people to comment wins 2 books each for themselves; the book titles are 'The Record Breaker' and 'Woman, This is How to Choose Your Own King'**

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

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Grace Festus: I have been Jilted Again! (Young Voices, Day 5)

Let me begin with this:”When something bad happens to you; you either let it define you, destroy you or let it strengthen you “~ anonymous

Initially in life after passing through a terrible heartbreak, I began to wonder why 'a church girl' like me would have attracted such a 'heartbreaker'. But then as I 'grow' up I got to understand that at times we do not have the power to choose the mess we go through in life because they are indications on the message our life has been designed to heal the world with.

Today as I sit to counsel singles and married on relationship, I feel so fulfilled to see great relationships restored, broken hearts healed and chains getting broken. I usually tap into my experiences and God's insights to reach out to hurting souls and because I have been emotionally abused before, I know how the pain hurts and how important healing is to a hurting heart.

I went through emotional trauma and have survived falling into depression many times. One of the best things that can happen to you in life is to learn to love yourself. Love yourself enough to be the best YOU. Love YOU wholly, fully and unconditionally; only then are you empowered to love someone else the way they deserve to be loved. I love the scriptures that says “Love your neighbour as yourself" but a lot of people love their neighbours but forget to love themselves.

Love your shape, colour, height and body. This is so critical to avoid having inferiority complex. How you see yourself matters. If you have a problem with how you see yourself, you will always wait for people's approval of you to feel good. You are phenomenal the way you are. I strongly advocate for character development but oppose people feeling bad about the creature they are.

If you are dating someone who wants you to be like Mr. A or Miss B, you better watch it; you may be compelled to live a fake life trying to be him/her while losing the original YOU. You are original, a designer's make, don't settle for limitation by imitating someone else. Live your life so great that others will want to emulate and be like YOU.

If your date is immature, he/she will treat you with immaturity. Age isn't maturity; he/she may be above 30 and may not be ready to handle emotional or relationship issue. That was the case of the young man I dated in my early 20's. He would wake up one day singing my praises and be grateful to God for giving him such treasure like me as his babe. Few weeks later, he would start saying he doesn't think he is good enough for me and thus, he ends the relationship. He has a way of coming back to his senses days or weeks later to come and beg me to forgive him and accept him back. Going by my love for him, I will forgive and allow our relationship to continue. This attitude repeated itself over and over again as he would find reason to doubt our compatibility and ask we end the relationship only for him to regret his action later and come back as usual to beg.

Not only did he do this, he was so possessive of me that he couldn't stand other guys being my friends. He doubted every closeness of any guy to me including his own friends. The more he did this, the more my heart broke. A lot of time we stay in a relationship that does not add to us but subtracts from us all because we are scared of what people will say if we dare to end of our relationship. We do not remember that whether something good or bad happens to us people will always talk. We must learn to live our lives irrespective of people's opinions. Learn to live your life to make God and YOU happy. Your happiness matters a lot because you need it to survive and fulfil purpose.

It got to a time in the relationship that I said enough is enough. I determined there and then that I wouldn't allow that guy make a mess of my emotions anymore. I decided to take charge of my life. I had an encounter with Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life and that changed my story. Rick shared on Forgiveness and Letting Go on a particular page in the book. He made me understand that we need to forgive anyone that offends us or that keeps breaking our heart. He however pointed out that we must be matured enough to let them go if all they know how to do best is to keep breaking our precious heart. I got to know that there is a big difference between forgiveness and letting go. That I let go of him finally does not mean I do not forgive him but that I have grown up to know that he is not mature enough to handle my heart and emotions.

That nailed it. The guy came as usual to beg his way into my life but he didn't know that I have changed. He pleaded and called in my relatives who seem to like him to come plead on his behalf but I was determined not to go back to a life of emotional abuse.

I took my time and explained what I knew about letting go without resentment. He saw a new me, I had moved on. A lot of us have refused to move on from the shackles of abuse that hold us captive. Here's a clarion call dear, enough of limiting yourself in the captive of unhappiness, oppression and depression; break that chain now. Determine to be strong despite your scars, you are a star, refuse to be trampled under feet. Someone's healing is attached to your victory story, match to victory and refuse to allow your current situation make a mess of you. You are next in line to be celebrated.





Grace Festus is a Chartered Accountant turned Relationship Coach. She  blogs regularly on Relationship Virtues via www.embodimentofgrace.com .Her blog won the Best Relationship Blog for Nigerian Blog Awards 2013 (Judges Choice). She hosts #WhenSinglesGather on Twitter and Healthy Relationships on PraiseWorld radio. Follow her on Twitter: @Grace_Festus



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

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Seun Tanimomo: Follow Your Dream Even If It’s Not Sexy! (Young Voices,Day 4)

It was the week; after I decided I would concentrate on French and would no longer study Law. There was I at the departmental notice board, my bad grades staring at me assuming the bad eyes of an overbearing bouncer preventing you from entering a club. I didnot fail any course though but my GP was taking a downside turn, 2nd semester part 1,my GP was conveniently taking fresh air in a beautiful 2.2 mansion. I thought of my siblings all studying or intending to study 'good' courses (Engineering courses and Architecture), my parents would pardon them to an extent if they had bad grades like that. But not me. With French! You know that idea of the work-over courses? Most courses in the Arts are presumed to be. I called my friend Kike, she was the only person I wanted to talk to, and she calmed me down. But a question kept nagging me, ‘what will I do with my life, who will employ me with such a degrading grade that might still plummet into a 3^rd class?’

But that is not the beginning of my story. The ‘fear of the future’ had been with me since I was in secondary school.Deep within me, I wanted to study one of Literature, Philosophy and Yoruba. I had my reservations for literature though, I didn’t like poetry so it was last on the list but I loved the Yoruba language (I hated French by the way), and as a teenager I had tried to compare the structures of Yoruba and English, why does the adjective sometimes come before the noun and other times after the noun unlike in English that seemed to be more fixed I had thought. But it was unheard of, do intelligent students fill JAMB form and willingly fill in Yoruba, Igbo, French, Philosophy or Literature? What would I do with such courses, who would employ me? Law was a better course, people had told me I liked arguing and by my second year in Senior Secondary school, my grades had greatly improved! So Law was the course, I dreamt of the pride of being called a Barrister, the social implication, the good job it would fetch and other good benefits that would suite the appellation. Law was game! Long stories bore me, I assume they bore you too, so, I am cutting out details of my JAMB result (I passed o). I was offered French at my Alma Mata, I had planned that at the end of my first year,I would switch to Law in another university. I banished the thought and thought Law after French would be a great deal though I had an option of switching in my second year. By my third year in the university, I realized I only wanted to study law because of its socio-economic advantages. To waste another five years of my life on what I may not use is utterly stupid! To this end, I preferred to strictly follow my dream of being in the Arts - Languages and I am not regretting it!

It seems to be a societal problem that no one wants to study courses outside of Engineering, Medicine, Law, Accounting and the likes but how would I have fed my obsession with how languages work if I had studied Law, by now, I would probably be living a frustrated life trying to put to mind all those things that Lawyers cram.

We follow the big dreams that others set for us that the society offers us but our best is harnessed when we allow the innate dreams we were born with to flourish. So what if one of my children wants to study History, Music, Drama, French Education or any other of those courses that you only need a 200 in JAMB to be offered? Great dream child! Follow it!
It may not be a bed of roses following your dreams, sometimes you need to effect the change and find out how you can harness your course and dream. As an example, when I was offered to study French, a lot of friends and some family members encouraged me and said I would work in an Embassy or become an Ambassador, the first was likely, but I knew within me I did not want an administrative job the second option was not so likely, Ambassadorial appointments are mostly political appointment. I had my big dream, I was going to build one of the biggest translation firms in the country. I kept at it and after graduation, I worked in a Public Relations firm in Lagos where I put my knowledge of language to use. It helped that the head of the Public Relations company was a mentor so when I was leaving he assisted me in making contacts with a number of movie producers and I also went out of my way to write proposals to companies and established writers, it seemed promising but my master’s program came calling, I needed my master’s program which will better prepare me for a career in the Academics and Translation business, I opted for my Masters. I am still living my dream. Up till now it still amazes me how quite a number of people have bought into the dream. Last week, I called a journalist I knew while working in Lagos, her first question was ‘how that your French business’ I liked the feeling! What if I have another opportunity to start again? I might not choose French, but I sure would study a language, Yoruba, maybe. Philosophy too would not be a bad choice.

By the way, that caution ‘there are no jobs for people who read your kind of job’ does not seem to apply to me. Siddon there, wait for me. I am more flexible within my dream; my choice of language will only morph into something bigger if one door closes.





Tanimomo Oluseun is a Masters student at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. He studies Intercultural Anglophone Studies. You can follow him on Twitter: @Teemomo





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

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Daniel Otabor: Why am I Not Leading Effectively? (Young Voices, Day 3)

When we discover we aren't doing too well as we would like to and things aren't going as we would like them to and we eventually have the time to reflect on our leadership effectiveness on ourselves and others, we then ask the question, why am I not leading effectively?



But first, it is necessary you understand what leading effectively means, and in a short note, leading effectively is associated with growing effectively, either as an individual, a team or as an organisation at large.



John C Maxwell said and I paraphrase, "if an organisation is not doing well, check the leader and if possible, change the leader."



What really could be the cause of my ineffectiveness? Truly there are surely quite a number of reasons why you might not be effective as a leader and I'll be explaining some.



On a very sunny day, a student called my attention and said he needed to talk to me, so I told him, “Okay bro, walk with me”. So he did and he asked me, “Mr President (because I was the Vice President of my Faculty, highly regarded as the President), how do you lead so effectively?” I smiled because that wasn't the question I was expecting, not that I would have known what he wanted to ask. I replied him and said, well, you just serve effectively.



You see, you lead well when you understand that you are to serve and not make servants. With that said, you need to check your procrastination margin; you need to get things done at the right time not at the time you want to.



Effectiveness can be your habit, all it takes is consistency in practise. You need to always do the right thing at the right time, regardless of who is doing the wrong thing.



To lead effectively, values must guide you, you must be a man or woman of purpose, your vision must be able to carry you and others; you must be a go getter.



Just so you know you might as well not be leading effectively because your priorities haphazard and you don't even follow them.



I'll leave you with these words: Effective leaders are leaders that live forever; they are leaders that are followed even after they are dead. Some notable examples are Margaret Thatcher, Martin Luther King Jr. and Theodore Roosevelt.



Effective leaders are made daily, not in a day. So keep on growing and never give up on being the best of you.



Daniel Otabor is the coordinator of Gemstone Leaders Connect. He tweets from @DanielOTABOR



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

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Tobi Akangbe: Spending 6 Years in the University is Not Beans; SalientExcerpts From My Story! (Young Voices, Day 2)

It is an honour for me to engage you on this platform and even though I have gotten to do this a couple of times, I really do consider this a privilege and do not take it for granted.

I have not lived as long as Methuselah but from the few days I have spent on earth, I could share some things with you that just might be the ignition you require to move as fast as a Ferrari in the race of life.

After secondary school, I couldn’t get into school that year because I wasn’t offered admission. It was a time many people who were in a similar category considered as opportunity to loiter around and exert the new so called freedom they thought they acquired but far back as then, I understood the need for speed and was not measuring myself by the strength of my locality because that would have actually made me feel I had time on my side. I decided I was not going to waste the time and so I enrolled to acquire a skill in tailoring. By the next year I also didn’t get into the university and went somewhere else to improve the skill I had gotten. I took the exams the next year and got admitted for dental surgery and I was filled with Joy even though I thought I had lost some time. While I awaited admission, I worked/served in a religious organization faithfully (it was a deliberate act). There I was known for prompt response and delivery on tasks assigned (it was a training process). The then leader once said to me that for a meeting at 6pm he wasn’t and would never be worried if I wasn’t around by 5:59 because he knew I would definitely be there before 6pm (it takes consistency to earn that). From my first year of study at the University of Lagos, the skill I acquired while I thought I was losing time became a major source of income for me and it was something I did without stress because I enjoyed it. When I got to the second year I was required to move over to the College of Medicine and I joined the largest religious organization there so that I could stay unnoticed especially since there were many senior classes ahead (there is seniority in medical school) but to my great disappointment I was discovered and by my third year made the head of worker’s directorate which was in charge of organizational strategy and team management of the entire workforce (I had to lead people who were even 3years ahead). I found it easy also because of the background I had while working during the years I thought I lost. The six years have gone by and I am grateful but here are some key points I want you to hold on to;

• You must understand the need for speed (think of what your mates are doing globally)


• Have a plan but be flexible about it (your plan is a blind guess, you don’t know tomorrow)


• Every time that looks free is an opportunity to acquire a skill


• Respect time and it will earn you respect.


• The feeling of freedom increases the potential energy of your nuisance capacity (on activation, you will surprise yourself so stay occupied)


• Always seek to develop yourself else with time, you will lose relevance.


• The ability to stay faithful to a course is a deliberate act, it does not occur naturally (even in marriage no matter how religious you are).


• A source of light cannot be hidden in a vacuum. (Light is synonymous to knowledge, develop yourself and you cannot be hidden.

Thank you!

Merry Christmas in advance



Oluwatobi Akangbe is a dentist with skills ranging from Team Management, Leadership, Counselling, and Strategy Development. You can follow him on Twitter: @TheOluwatobi



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

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Funto Ibuoye: Much Ado about virginity; Is it really worth it? (YoungVoices, Day 1)

by Funto Ibuoye

[caption id="attachment_1227" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Funto Ibuoye[/caption]



I had to ask my self the question- "was saving my virginity until marriage really worth it?" after a few days into marriage and we were still trying to break my hymen. The pain. The emotions.



So was it worth it? It certainly was; with all the pain and drama and emotions of getting dis-virgined, it was totally worth it. Because it was absolutely right. Everything about it was just right. The right person (my loving husband). The right time (after our vows before God and man) and the right place (our undefiled marriage bed!).



That whole phase taught me a huge lesson- that marriage is more than just sex even though sex is an important part of marriage.



Sex is not a sin. Fornication is. Adultery is. God created sex and it is good; however, it is to be enjoyed ONLY in marriage.



Growing up, I always had this idea in my head that my destiny was tied to my virginity so if I ever had sex before marriage, I would lose my destiny. I honestly can't say where I got that idea from but it stayed in my heart. I knew that I had a great destiny ahead of me that could be lost if I got involved in premarital sex.



Virginity is beyond having an unbroken hymen; it is more about PURITY of the heart and body.  God is more interested in our purity than in our virginity; He's more interested in a pure heart than in a well kept hymen.



Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying go out and throw away your hymen. What I'm saying is, beyond keeping your virginity intact and saving it as a gift for your husband, keep your heart pure. The bible says guard your heart with all diligence not guard your virginity...



While I was still single, there were times I had to ask myself why I was keeping my virginity. Was I keeping it-

As a gift to my husband? Would being a virgin make me a great wife and awesome mother?  Was I keeping it because I did not want to disappoint my mother by getting pregnant out of wedlock?

For a long while, I remained a virgin because I did not fully understand why and because of fear of losing my destiny and fear of getting pregnant out of wedlock. But my heart wasn't pure. It was filled with Mills and Boons, Silhouette and the likes converting porn into a story and presenting it as a romance novel. My heart was far from pure.



I got into a Covenant Of Purity and prayed for God to cleanse my heart. It was then that I came to fully understand that I wasn't just to keep my virginity because of the reasons mentioned earlier which of course are not bad, but because I now understood that God places a high value on my body and a higher value on my heart, and He requires that I keep my heart pure above all else. Our bodies are the temple of God and it's our duty to keep His temple pure and holy and it all starts from the heart.



Whether you have an unbroken or a broken hymen, what really matters at the end of the day is a pure heart. A heart fully yielded in obedience to God and His word. So by all means keep your virginity if you still have it, but above all keep your heart pure.



It's not virginity that keeps a marriage together; we've heard stories of people who got married as virgins and later got divorced. But having a pure heart is capable of keeping your marriage together, because a pure heart is completely yielded to God and yielding to God is the beginning of wisdom. The Bible doesn't say a virgin bride builds her home, it says WISE woman.



Come to think of it, one of the parables of Jesus was about 10 virgins- 5 were wise and the remaining 5 were foolish.  A wise virgin is one with pure heart, fully yielded to the will of God, understands the times and makes adequate provisions. So she is well capable of building her home. While a foolish virgin is one who has no clue about anything, no extra oil for tough times and is definitely not capable of building a home. So which virgin would you rather be? (unless of course you're married and no longer one. Lol.)



Virginity is totally worth it, but don't preserve your body just for preserving sake. Let your reasons for keeping it be right, and let those reasons come from a pure heart.



**I am giving away 5 Books on Virginity; the first five people to comment on this article will be contacted by the blog as winners of the book giveaway.** You can make your comment below.



Funto Ibuoye is the author of Beautified and also hosts the Beautified show on PraiseWorld radio. Follow her on Twitter: @Funto_I and on Instagram: ifunto



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

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What I Learnt From the School of the Blind

I was privileged to visit the home of the blind and visually impaired children on Saturday, 13th December, 2014 and after sharing with them I observed something that struck me...



They are children, they are blind, they have visible disabilities, they are not 'tush', fine and packaged like you and I BUT they have something most of us lack... Happiness! They are happy even in their disabilities...



And there you are, sad that you don't have enough shoes, enough clothes, an ipad, and all the material acquisitions of this world - I wish you and I could see how dumb we've been. You cannot decide to be happy based on what you have or don't have.



Live an amazing life! Be happy not because of what you own. You have hands, legs, eyes, you are handsome or beautiful and yet you make God feel like He has not done enough for you. My friend, sit back and think about it and I won't need to preach to you before you repent!

>>> This is what I learnt from the school of the blind.



I am Gabriel Olatunji-Legend

I write to Transform!

I tweet from @OlatunjiLEGEND

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ATTENTION: OLATUNJISPEAKS.com Introduces #YoungVoices! All You Need toKnow About it

 

#YoungVoices is an initiative of OLATUNJISPEAKS.com aimed at giving selected young Africans in their thirties or below who have lived a life of personal excellence the opportunity to inspire thousands of other young Africans who are still putting together the puzzles of their lives. Our dream is to see young Africans thrive again; to see men in their twenties become competent enough to lead the nation; to see women in their twenties become independent; to see young Africans thrive and excel based on global standards even while still in their twenties. These, and many more are the reasons why #YoungVoices campaign has been launched. These young voices will write to challenge the minds of young Africans to see possibilities instead of problems by using their own personal experiences.



#YoungVoices intends to educate, inspire and prepare young people in their quest for personal excellence, greatness and national influence. OLATUNJISPEAKS.com is Africa's number one blog on inspiration – this has been our objective from day one and #YoungVoices is in furtherance of this objective. OLATUNJISPEAKS.com will be globally known for Inspiration, Motivation and Transformation.



This is the first time #YoungVoices will be launched on the blog and it is a 15 days initiative which starts from the 15th of December 2014 till the 30th of December 2014 and notable among those who will feature in this first edition of #YoungVoices are Tola Omoniyi, CEO (PraiseWorld Radio); Funto Ibuoye, Author (Beautified); Esene Edwards, CEO (Kinetics Associate); Ihotu Amuta, Delivery Manager (Gemstone Group); Grace Festus, Convener (#WhenSinglesGather); Daniel Otabor, Co-ordinator (Gemstone Leaders Connect); Isaac Oladipupo, CEO (Mediawise Networks); Titilayo Ama, Founder (SpreadMedia Blog); Adeyemi Asaba, Admin (Leap Africa); Kehinde Ajose; Seun Tanimomo and a host of others.



#YoungVoices is a three month interval campaign that will constantly feature on the blog starting from now till the end of 2015.



Signed:



Gabriel Olatunji-Legend

Lead Inspirational Blogger,

www.OLATUNJISPEAKS.com

@OLATUNJISPEAKS

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