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).