On The Radar

Just a quick note to share some interesting upcoming events and opportunities for business owners/entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

The 360 Leader. Leadership conference in Abuja Nigeria, July 12 and 13. Speaking: Matthew Ashimolowo, Mensa Otabil, Tola Odutola. Registration is free.

Image source Bellanaija

One Day Bootcamp "Living The Simple Magic" for teens and students in Lagos Nigeria. August 18. Emedith Consulting. Registration for a fee.

Image source: Bellanaija

Business Education Webinar. "Learn How Your Mobile Phone Could Turn You Into The Next Big Entrepreneur". Speaker: Kola Osinowo. Online. July 21, 2012. Free but registration online is required. Powered by The AWP Network. For more details click here

Leadership. Where Art Thou?

Dana plane crash, the violence in the north, non existent megawatts of power,.....the list goes on and on and on.

I sat down and thought about this for a very very long time. It's not like we don't know that when there is something wrong with a system, the leadership that results or that are produced from that system will most likely be flawed. Except of course there are a few who have never been afraid to take a second look at the system and ask, Why?

Something is wrong. More people need to ask why? The more questions are asked, the more likely we would begin to get answers. No one is compelled to give an answer when no questions have been asked.

It's a paradigm shift. It's an attitude. It's about more than just surviving.

5 Ways to Keep The Dream Alive And LIVE It!

Ok so this is a mini rant. I've had it up to my eyebrows with excuses and reasons why people aren’t interested in breaking new ground or at least be ambitious enough to make their lives count. First things first; don't give up on your dream! Don't do it! The only reason you should give up on it is if you are certain that it’s not your dream or it’s a dream you formulated in your mind because you just wanted to prove a point or show people you could do it. That's not what I am taking about. I am referring to the vision in your mind’s eye that won’t leave you alone and when you think back to it, you come alive and you just know this is what you were created to do. Believe it or not a dream has been planted in the heart of each and every one of us and it is our responsibility to protect it and keep it alive. From all I have seen, heard and experienced, these are a 5 ways to be double sure that your dreams don’t die in a hurry:

The 4 Money Don’ts and How to Save Yourself by Saving.

I have been a victim of this so many times its almost ridiculous. Ok so I figured out early that being cash rich doesn't mean always having cash to spend whenever you wanted to. I always thought being able to buy what you want when you wanted it was the way to go. The only thing was I didn't quite understand how to keep the habit going. I’m not talking about being ostentatious but I believe in being able to buy what you need and even want whenever you need and want it. If you can’t do that, you’re broke and it doesn't matter how much you make.

Let me explain. 

5 Assumptions That Hold You Back

Hello people!! I missed writing and I am glad to be back but all in all it was a good time away because as they say 'iron sharpeneth iron'.

Ok so this is what I gathered from all the 'sharpening'. Most of the ideas we form in our lives aren't exactly true but they are assumptions that we grow to believe as a result of our experiences in life. I found out a few things of note and from experience, I can tell you that every excuse under the sun has branched out from at least one of these assumptions.

7 Essential Attributes of Great MLMs

Ok so this is the next installment of our Multi-Level Marketing Review. Take a few minutes to come up to speed by reading the first part, Much Ado About MLM.

Before you get all excited and want to rush head on into the first MLM opportunity that knocks at your door, there are some major pointers you should look out for in a really good one. If your objective is to make a cool load of cash then you need to know if what you are getting into will get you there and how. Otherwise, you might as well be throwing your hard earned cash to the dogs. To ensure you succeed in network marketing, these are some questions you need to ask:

Much Ado About MLM

Ok. So finally my readers have got round to getting me to say something on this seemingly new phenomenon sweeping the world like a wildfire.

Network marketing companies promise a better life, wonderful incentives, unbelievable bonuses and really make it seem like some or even most of our childhood dreams can actually come true in our lifetime. Then you say to yourself, if its too good to be true, it really isnt! That may be true but is it enough to discount this marketing method that so many business 'gurus' can swear by? 

From research, interviews and close observation, this is what a network marketing business is about in plain language. No fluff, just facts.

5 Reasons Why Women Are Worth More Than They Think

....and why life would be so much easier for all of us if they understood it! 

So you could call this is a follow up article to 5 Reasons Why Women Will Never Be Taken Seriously. I think women relax into the role of pretty and docile because we really don’t realise how monumental our responsibilities really are and how important we are in the scheme of things. I am not talking about ticking all the boxes; school, husbands, children, pretty family photos and the likes. Those are great but we know there’s much more to it than that.

Keys To Business Success

I cannot say it better, be clearer or even attempt to be more thorough than one of the greatest business and productivity coaches in the world today. This is a very, very insightful video.

Remember that it's not just about starting a business, it's about keeping it open and most importantly keeping it profitable. This was so helpful and the questions really make you stop and think, something we business owners sometimes never get round to doing because our heads are stuck deep in the business, frantically trying to keep it above board. Stop, listen, adapt.

6 Reasons Why Businesses Will Not Succeed

It was a bad day of business for me and I was struggling to keep it together. Much as I would like to take all the credit, my husband's wisdom has brought me out of the deep many times and this was one of those days. He said, 'Don't think people will buy into your idea just because, you need to be providing a value that is irresistible, too irresistible to pass up.' Then he sent me resources showing how and why many businesses fail. I read and did some more research and identified some ways we self sabotage ourselves as business owners.

We've all seen the worrisome statistics about the life cycle of small businesses. 95 percent of new businesses will shut down in the first 2 years and even more will not survive the 5th year. We are bombarded everyday with tips, tricks, start up information from every corner. In fact we have much more information at our disposal than we have ever had at any time in history. So why are we still struggling as businesses to keep things going? I outlined a few reasons:

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 7

Our next home business review is really a bit different than all the 'usual suspects'. This one takes quite a bit of collaboration, negotiation and creative thinking. It is seasonal but with great potential to become a regular fixture. Plus...parents will loooooove you!

Our next home business is................

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 6

Ok so we will go on to another option for prospective home business owners looking to start a profitable business on a shoestring budget. I'm really excited by this one because it might even be one of the few you can start with an almost nothing and expect to get a handsome reward in a relatively short time span. Really! Our next home business option is.......

The List

Ok, so this is a piece I wrote a while ago in remembrance of my Aunt. She was my guardian throughout secondary school and was fondly called Aunty Bundle! I credit my love of books, research, and curiosity to learn and improve to her. I still can't help laughing at how boarding school in Nigeria was back then. It's still such a poignant piece and I keep learning from it each time I read it. I hope you will too! 

It was the end of mid-term break and I was ready to take back lots of wonderful goodies to boarding school as was the norm, at least before now.

I stood slightly behind the chair in which she sat, her huge and imposing structure well contained in her favourite chair. It was the one just by the front door with a view of the balcony full of beautiful greens and the road just beyond that. I stood to her left wondering what I was doing there and why my box of provisions wasn’t already packed and ready for me to leave in a few days. She held in her hand what appeared to be my provisions list and I was still perplexed as to the reason for my presence. Then it began:

5 Reasons Why Women Will Never Be Taken Seriously

A lot of women don't like me very much. That's just a fact. It's because I speak it as I see it and women don't really like to hear the truth. I mean we say we want to hear it but we really don't. We just want you to agree with us. 

If we don't find ways around these self-sabotaging behaviours, no one will take us seriously: 

Failure is Necessary

I remember when I was interviewing for an Analyst position in a Consulting firm many moons ago. One question I remember being asked was what I thought about failure.

At first I thought okay, is this a trick question? I am supposed to say failure is bad right? I couldn't decide what answer wouldn't sound phony so I just gave an honest one. 'Failure is necessary', I said.

He stopped taking notes and looked at me for a few seconds, then with more conviction and looking him straight in the eye, I said again, 'Failure is necessary because it's what makes you who you are. You can't say you have grown if you have never failed at anything'.

5 Business Lessons from 'His Way'.

I saw the documentary, 'His Way', highlighting the life of one of Hollywood’s top producers Jerry Weintraub. I honestly just stumbled on the program and was about to flip to something else when I saw an excerpt of Frank Sinatra singing 'My Way'. to a packed house and receiving a standing ovation. Then I heard about how Mr Weintraub had gone on to manage the music careers and booking management of top stars of the time like Elvis, The Carpenters, John Denver, Led Zeppelin and a host of others. 

I went. ‘Ok, that’s great. The guy is good at promoting artists, he did a good job’.

4 Success Tips to Learn from Children

I once read somewhere that when an adult asks a child ‘So what do you want to be when you grow up?’ He isn’t asking just to strike up a conversation, he is shopping for ideas!

The statement rings so true especially as I cast my mind to how precocious I was as a child. I never took no for an answer. Then I was introduced to the world of Television. I was on a popular children's show and we walked the halls of the influential and famous, from the Judiciary to the Football Federation. We interviewed military leaders in their offices and sat in the same room with CEO’s of large companies. 

5 Reasons Why The Employed Should Be (Very, Very) Worried.

“Dear All, Following d current restructuring in (identity withheld) Bank, we regret 2 inform u dt ur service is no longer required. Pls note dt ur letter will be sent 2u soon.”

This is an excerpt of a post I came across on one of the blogs I follow. It was a text message sent to now ex-bank workers who had until the time of receiving it, been full time employees of one of the commercial banks in Nigeria. Unless you have been living under a rock you would have heard of the current financial 'restructuring' that has been going on in Nigeria. A few mergers and acquisitions have also taken center stage and as usual, the 'grass' is suffering.

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 5

Part 5 of our series highlights a sector that has been one of the most talked about home business in the past few years. It has always existed but it became a little more popular in the last decade or so. It's one of the easiest sectors to start off in because its a very well known service area. So you really don't have to explain what you do! Here's what I am talking about........

Tell me you didn't smile at the end of this!

Ok so I found this incredible video on YouTube that I have watched over and over and over again. There's just something so pure, unpretentious and rich about this flash mob performance which has become hugely popular recently. It's no wonder it has recorded over 37 million hits since it was first recorded in November of 2010. It's a classic! Just goes to show that in all the hustle and bustle of life, we all still know deep down what is important, even if we refuse to acknowledge it.

'It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow'. (1Cor 3:7 MSG) Enjoy!

5 Reasons Why You Will Never Be Wealthy

I have been sharing ideas and resources so far and I suddenly stopped to think. Some people will read this and it still won’t register. All the options for businesses on a budget, tips for building businesses and the well thought out material designed to build and grow wealth will just go down the drain. Nothing you do will amount to anything if your mind is in a wrong place. So I put together what most wealthy people, business coaches and experts in the business of creating and building wealth agree are the roadblocks to becoming wealthy. Please do not read if you are easily offended and not very good at telling yourself the truth. If you are okay up to this point, keep going:

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 4

The next home based business option I would like to share is for the creative techies out there. You might not be great with mixing raisins and flour in a bowl or stringing beads but you might just be really good with putting images and letters together to create a great finished product! Yep, you guessed it....the next option for home businesses to start on a budget is.....

Woman! Stop trying to be a Man! You're terrible at it!!!

Ok so I am sick and tired of seeing these fierce looking, masculine pretending women trying to play the part of stern, officious, worker. There is a reason why your anatomy and your mind is designed and wired the way it is. Stop trying to mess with the Designer's plan. You will never win, because the Designer does not answer to you. You are a woman. Deal with it!

Like I said in a previous post, my newest goldmine is ForbesWoman on Forbes.com. This is what a contributor sent in and it really rings true even with us thousands of miles away.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/worldviews/2012/01/27/the-next-generation-of-female-leaders-will-emerge-at-a-faster-pace-when-women-stop-trying-to-act-like-men/

Do you think otherwise? Let's share!

Be an Expert!

Many people feel that lightening needs to strike and a few rays of light settle on your head to finally say you are knowledgeable or an expert in something. I used to think this way and now that I look back I am convinced that our pattern of thought is way out of context. That is why we have mediocres running things and those with the knowledge waiting to be called up and given a 21 gun salute! 

Erm, people! Mark my words, it will never happen. You will sit there waiting with all your fancy English and nicely framed certificates for a very, very long time. Chances are your wait will not only be long but will also be excruciatingly painful because you will wake up every morning knowing you could have done a much better job. Its not enough to know it, you've got to be visible so people will know you know it and give you a chance to apply it! There is no other way!

Who is an expert? Lets not get too technical, in simple terms, he/she just knows a little or a lot more about a subject matter/skill than the average person. What therefore differentiates an expert from a generalist is knowledge and time. If you invest quality time into gaining quality insight into whatever field you are looking to specialise in, then this article is a must read.

People argue that leaders are born, not made. Its either you have it or you don't. I have my reservations about that but then again we all have a right to our opinions. This will be a great resource even as I continue the 'Home Businesses on a Tight Budget' Series. I hope it helps!

Yea, its still from my rave of the moment Forbes.com....

http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/01/27/experts-rule-15-ways-to-establish-authority-in-your-field/

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 3

So I am going to be sharing another homebiz idea, the 3rd in our series on  Home Businesses on a Tight Budget. You can catch up on previous posts to see Part 1 and Part 2 just so we are all on the same page. 

If you have a creative flair and  are really good with your hands, being a Jewelry Designer may be right up your alley. People are always looking for ways to stand out and many they lean towards doing that through their accessories. Its the easiest and sometimes the most budget friendly way to show one's individuality. This is a very good choice for a home business because you really don't need that much space or staff to start off. The easiest way to start out is to make a few samples, then decide on your signature style or your own niche. Then you need to brand your business and get the word out because no matter how intricate your work is, no one will come to you if they don't know you exist. Check up the Tech Solutions for Home Businesses post for more details on how to do that.

Want to make your mark as a woman, read this! If not, keep moving....

Every woman who is a leader or wants to be in a leadership position in the near future needs to watch this. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to pick the brains of females in control. I am not talking small fry, I am talking the top 'dogs' of multimillion dollar, blue chip companies. I felt like hugging these women and giving them a huge bouquet of the most beautiful roses I could find. I know I am from a different part of the world and some of you might shut this down before you even look at it and say ’how does this one concern me?’. Humour me!

9 Life Lessons from the Australian Open

Ok. So I've been away for a little bit. This is coming a little late but I hope it was worth the wait. These were 9 things that stood out to me during the just concluded Australian Open 2012. They are all points to consider in life or business or both! 

Ok, ok, it’s coming late because I just recovered from jumping and doing cartwheels while screaming Nole! Nole! Nole! during and after the men's finals! (wink) 

Enjoy! 

1. That you are losing doesn't mean you should look like a loser. Sabine Lisicki always looked like she was in a comfortable lead even when she wasn't; tough but doable. Keep a good attitude even when you are behind, even if you lose you will come out stronger. Sabine lost but she gained the admiration of all and was the star of the match for me. 

2. That you are number one doesn't mean you've won the game. Sam Stosur left in the first round even when the chips were in her favour against her relatively unknown opponent. 

3. That if you don't play by the rules, your points don't count. So don't worry if you see people making progress through dubious means. Anyone can score a point but the only ones that decide if you win or lose are those that count. 

4. That every player makes unforced errors no matter how long you practice or how good a hitter you are. The important thing is not to whine about the errors and make sure you focus on putting in more winners. You win when you get more winners in than errors and not by not making any errors at all. 

5. Never ever, ever give up. The game isn't over until it ends. That you lose the first set doesn't mean you will lose the match; as long as you don't go around looking like all is lost. Get over it and keep going! 

6. Don't kill your instruments a la Marcos Baghdatis. It’s not the racket's fault you didn't get the points in. Everyone has a bad spell on the court; don't let your emotional breakdown be more memorable than the match. Even if you want to put it behind you, be sure there are people who won't let you forget. 

7. Go into the court ready to give it everything you've got, even if your opponent is a huge, muscular, fierce looking female like Serena Williams. Size isn't the point, the strength of your spirit is. Trust that your skill and preparation will get you through, even if the situation doesn't seem to show that. 

8. That consistency is key. That you produce 4 straight aces to win a service game is fantastic. Just be sure you can produce the aces under pressure when you are 2 sets down. If not, it’s just a flash in the pan. It makes you a good ace producer, not a good player. 

9. That the birth of a child is not the end of your career. It could actually mark the most exciting time of your life. Ask Kim Clijsters. Yea, there goes your ace excuse (excuse the pun). 

No be curse o, na true!

Ok so this is a mini rant. To who it may concern (including me!)

If you failed in the pure water business, you see your neighbour selling Coke and proceed to empty your storehouse and fill it up with Coke. You haven’t asked the most important question. Why did the pure water business fail into the first place? One would argue that everyone drinks Coke, Coke sells, Coke is a strong brand. Well what about water? We all need to drink it don’t we? In that case you cannot tell me that the product was the problem. So what went wrong? You most definitely will not succeed in this business either, except by some divine intervention you decide to look at your process one step at a time and objectively pick out what your weaknesses were. If not, prepare to close shop! No be curse o, na true!

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=721  

You can call your frozen fish company Alleluia! Fisheries, or your garri mill, Success Is Mine Mills. If your fish are below par, rotten or of questionable quality in any way and your garri is half dried and full of stones, you are going down! The only people that will buy stuff from you are those who feel one thing –pity! Please I beg of you, don’t hinge the success of your product on your name alone. Look at the names that currently rock the world, Apple, Virgin, Trump! Does that give you a clue? The brand makes the name what it is, not the other way round. No be curse o, na true! (Let me state that I have nothing against these names and they are entirely fictional and were not intended to vilify any company or business in any way. These were purely for illustration purposes)

If you complain that your thighs are fat, your tummy is round, your feet smell, your arms are flabby and you haven’t done anything consistently over time to change it. Please save us the drama. You don’t really want slimmer thighs, a flat tummy, sweet smelling feet or toned arms. If you did, you would have got it by now. Forget the evil genes we all blame before we've done 10 reps of sit ups. You don't have it because you don't want it. If you don’t believe me picture how you methodically planned to buy those red stilettos even though you knew there was no kobo in your pocket. You didn’t have all it took to get it but that didn’t stop you did it? But because you didn’t have Nike trainers, joggers that matched and a pretty headband, you can’t be caught dead in scraggy gym wear and you therefore couldn’t go to the gym. Exactly! No be curse o, na true!

Get Up!!!

Just a l'il something to get you revved up and stay fighting. It's hard but it's worth it!!

About to give up.....Sigh...

I'm tired....
Nothing seems to be working....
It's like trying to squeeze water out of a rock....
I can't, I just cant.....
There's no point.....
I'll never get it done....
I just don't have what it takes....
Who would hire me anyway?...
Why won't anyone help me?....
Am I cursed?....
It's no good....
I'll probably be horrible at it....

Please feel free to add as many downers as you can to grow the chain of pity party favourites. The worst thing you can do to yourself is to walk around thinking the world owes you something at every turn. 

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 2

I tried hard to encompass as many sectors as possible in my research. Many people only envision vocational services when they think of working from home or earning additional income. There is also the 'knowledge-based' market which is growing in popularity everyday. Developed countries got a hang of it many moons ago but in some part of the world, it's just catching on.

So option number two for aspiring home biz owners....................

Africans Are Lazy!!! ......No?.....Prove it!

Taking a little break from our Home Businesses Series to share this eye-opening article. I know many of us have thought about this once or twice but were never able to fully articulate an answer to the question........What is wrong with Africans? With all the resources, natural and human, all the options, the good of the land in many respects and nothing to show for it.

No one has articulated this as well as this writer who boldly called all of us, yes, ALL of us, lazy! Just read it and you'll see why we need to start thinking differently to get different results!!

http://mindofmalaka.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/you-lazy-intellectual-african-scum/

It can be easy trying unthink decades of thoughts, stories and perceptions that have been passed down to us either knowingly or unknowingly by those who went before us. But think about it, if we were so smart and all knowing, why do we always feel like we always end up with the short end of the stick. We rely way too much on what was said, or done and we don't want to find out things for ourselves. I can't explain anymore than Will Smith's character in the 'Pursuit of Happyness'.



So don't just sit there sulking.....If you want it, go ahead and get it!!!

Home Businesses on a Tight Budget - Part 1

So now comes the fun part! Most of my readers, friends and business partners in complain about the same things. Generally - Money! High start-up costs, high costs of labour, expensive rentals, insolvency, high cost of power, debtors, creditors, keeping track of recurrent expenditure.....and the list goes on.

I've got quite a few requests from people shopping for profitable home business ideas. Especially those that can run on a shoe-string budget alongside a full time job without leading to high blood pressure. So I set about thinking a little deeper and doing some more research to come up with a few options which also double as very 'mompreneur' friendly too!

The first on our list........ drum roll please.................................

Stop!!! Listen....

This is a really, really insightful clip of the legendary Steve Job's sharing some secrets of success. I know it sounds corny and everyone seems to want to be doling out secrets to making big bucks. The only reason I will share this is because it's Steve Jobs. He was obviously saying exactly what he did that got him where he was at the time. The only difference between gist and useful information is that one is given without much thought, the other is backed with valuable experience.

You've probably heard the same words before......but they weren't from Steve Jobs. Listen and learn. I did.

Make Money, Not Excuses.

Hi people!!!

Just a little extra for budding business owners everywhere. It's great to know there are many people going through a lot more stuff than we can imagine and still find a way to make it work.

This is a story of a woman who moved from being on welfare to a jewelry designer and business mogul in her own right. I think what attracted me most to this story was the fact that she made a fortune off a creative venture and she worked from the bottom up. We also get 6 tips for entrepreneurs from lessons she learnt. Good stuff!

This post is from http://theoneofakindpreneur.com/2011/11/17/6-lessons-in-entrepreneurship-from-a-welfare-mom-turned-business-czarina.html

What do you REALLY want?

Decide what you want early and save yourself the heartache.

Do you want a quick hit, truckloads of money right now!? Or do you want to make enough to keep you in the game long enough to know how to make, maintain and grow the big bucks? What you decide will govern how you do everything in your business, I mean every single thing.

Image courtesy:http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2026

I have seen it happen time and time again, business owners, who go in search of the Golden Fleece, hit it big and became overnight superstars. That’s great but is that really what you want? Do you want to come into so much money all at once and drive yourself crazy with all the things you can buy, ride the wave while it lasts and run into a hole when the gig is up? Seriously, is that really what you want? You increase the lifestyle tastes of your family and then when the money wave dies down you are running from pillar to post, getting into deals you ordinarily wouldn’t dream of in your right mind.

Tech Solutions for Home Businesses

Why bother? Well, every smart person knows that to make any money, you have to go where the people are. You aren’t going to sell any product or market your service mooning over your table in your home office. And unless you have been living under a rock for the past twenty years, you would know that two hands on the keyboard could open more doors than your two feet pounding the streets ever could. A few options that are simple to implement (and more importantly free!) are:

What does business success mean to you?

Was just doing some reading and wondered aloud....What does business success mean to you? What would you have in place and what would you be able to do to consider yourself successful in business? 


I'll start with two of mine. 

1. I would want to have systems that work on their own and progressively generate income with or without my presence. 
2. I would consider a business successful if it is able to not only stand as a product in itself but that mentoring is an integral part of the business.

In short, no stress, plenty money, and happy people...lol!


Lots of business owners are looking for ways to stay motivated and one suggestion is a vision board. Its basically where you put together your dreams and aspirations for the business using words, pictures, and whatever else has a clear ability to translate your vision visibly. Really considering making one. I have always been a proponent of writing your goals down but have never really thought of doing a vision board. Will let you know how it goes. 


So what do you consider a successful business enterprise? Be as open and large minded as possible. The bigger the picture the better!

What?

So some of you are asking, why are you so interested in helping me and sharing all this time and information? Well, to be honest, it’s just the way I am wired. Life has brought me to a point where I decided not to do anything just for the sake of business and looking proactive. It has to mean something. Building people is what I live for and to be able to reach you right here, right now, is fantastic!

You might not be sure what this is about. You might not even be interested in this, but I assure you that the only way the wealthy and productive portion of the world’s population have stayed that way is because they grabbed opportunities at first glance. You know how it is when you don’t have a car, and then you finally buy a Toyota, and suddenly you notice there are many more Toyota’s plying your route. It’s the same thing with opportunities; you only get to really see them when you hold them in your hand.

If it’s one thing I have learnt from years of stumbling, starting and stopping and almost pulling my hair out in business is that there is no such thing as a sure thing.

Women and Money

Ok. So the aim is to add value this year especially to women who I think take their strengths and gifts way too lightly.

I must point out that I am not a feminist or and activist in that regard. I do think it’s time to take responsibility for our lives; of our thoughts, our words and deeds. As much as grace and favour are available in abundance, it’s up to you to make the best of it. The world will not give you what you deserve; only what you negotiate. Too many of us are sitting around staring into space and someone somewhere is counting on your success to move to their next level.

The first principle I am trying and testing this year is to actively study how the wealthy live and operate I am not talking about those who SEEM to be wealthy and successful. I am talking about people who have purposefully thought out ways of sowing seeds for the future; generational thinkers. Any fool can make money. It takes more than a little wisdom to keep and grow it.

I came across a table that outlined the way men and women deal with money from the book, ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich’. It was a revelation. A few points I picked out:

Somebody Lied....

It's a new year! Welcome to 2012!!! 

Ok so I spent the best part of last year on research, fact finding and searching out solutions. This year is going to be great! Trust me....Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!!!!

I was listening to Ice Prince's track 'Somebody Lied' and I was struck with the bug to put this down. Enjoy!

Somebody lied.

They said all we needed to do was study hard, get a good job, get married, have a family, make tons of money, retire and die.

Somebody lied. They said all you needed to succeed was hard work and a tenacious spirit. No one said anything about sitting down to think of what you are good at and doing it, even if it didn’t fall under Engineering, Medicine or Law.

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Somebody lied. They said that making a 1^st class would open all doors and solve all problems. No one said anything about actually having to be good at the job and remaining relevant, 1^st class or not.

Somebody lied. They said you were more likely to have a successful marriage if you loved to cook, clean and wear an apron all day. No one said anything about making the most of your own gifts; even if they weren’t all and about onions and egusi.

Somebody lied. They said all you needed to become a millionaire was to start up a small business. No one said anything about the Mallam at the gate who has been a CEO for 30 years and still lives in the wooden hut.

Somebody lied. They said graduates from Nigeria were among the best in the world. No one said anything about the fact that what we pat our backs for at 25, our counterparts elsewhere already knew at 16.

Somebody lied. They said advertising was the key to making a killing in business. No one said anything about thinking up an exceptional product that people would want in the first place.

Somebody lied. They said if you pretended to be rich long enough, you eventually would. No one said anything about making sure you were actually doing something to make the money in between. Wearing Brazilian hair and Jimmy Choo heels doesn’t make you rich. It makes you a broke chic in Brazilian hair and designer shoes. That’s even worse.

Somebody lied. They said the only way to show you had made it was to build a humongous mansion and drive the biggest cars. No one said anything about keeping up appearances. That costs twice as much and many never survive it.

Somebody lied. They said the hardest working, most intelligent people made the most out of life. No one said anything about actually having a plan.

Somebody lied. They said all you needed to do was be nice and pretty and scout around for Mr Right. No one said anything about getting about the reason you were put on earth in the first place

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Somebody lied. They said all you needed to do was find a rich husband, cross your legs and enjoy the ride. No one said anything about no one wanting a liability, not even the oil rich sheikhs.

Somebody lied. They said a bird in hand was worth two in the bush. No one said anything about making sure the bird was free of the flu and was worth holding in the first place. If it wasn’t, then you would have lost both the bird in hand and the ones in the bush.

Somebody lied. They said if you fail, try, try, and try again. No one said anything about that being a sign that you are trying hard in the wrong thing. If results aren’t coming by working one way, try another.

Somebody lied. They said half a loaf of bread is better than none. No one said anything about actually working hard to get the other half of the loaf rather than settling for the half you managed to get and be bitter the rest of your life. Its either you get the full loaf, or go hungry; some handouts are better left alone.

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Somebody lied.

They said all you had to do was do what your predecessors did, like what they liked and believe what they believed. No one said anything about finding out the truth for yourself. What do YOU value? What do YOU consider important? That’s a clue to what you are really about. Don’t wake up 20 years from now shaking your head saying....somebody lied.