Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Recommended Websites & Articles, Self-Development

How You Can Create Income Generating Assets Without Having a Job or ANY Money! (True Story)

March 31, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The gentleman posted as follows:

“…so how can young people in South Africa create Assets with out having jobs?…”

This article is based on a comment I recently posted in response to the above question posed by a South African follower of Robert Kiyosaki(RK)’s Facebook business page, in response to a post announcing a new series of Rich Dad Financial Education Seminars.

Details indicated the events were planned for certain locations in South Africa – but it was clearly stated that they would be conducted by RK’s team, and that he would NOT be attending.

Something about the comment posted by that South African, and the way he ended it, alerted me to the fact that the insights I’d gained over the past decade, about how to use RK’s ideas to make money using non-physical zero cost “Assets”

So, I decided to post a response to his comment.

By the time I was done, I realized others with similar need for insights would find it useful if I published it on this blog.

What follows below is the verbatim reproduction of my original comment…

If you mean physical assets like rental properties that RK often describes, persons without jobs would certainly struggle as your question implies..,

Such persons – indeed anyone – can however get started and grow his/her wealth using an alternative strategy of creating what I’ve named Digital Cash Flow Generating Assets (DCFGAs)

I’ve been reading RK’s books since 2000, and quit paid employment in Dec. 2001 to start my own business.

It took me years to find a way to successfully adapt his ideas to work for me, in my harsh socioeconomic environment of Nigeria. But my passion forced me think creatively in using his definition of assets as “anything that puts money in my pockets”.

I looked more closely at what he did and realized his real estate formula would not work so well in my society, for someone lacking ready access to tangible funds/risk capital, and reliable connection/networks etc

But I noticed he had quite a lot of passive income coming to him from his prolific authorship of information products. Apart from royalties from book sales, he also earned lots of money via licensing of publishing rights for his books and creation/sales of ebook, video, audio etc versions.

I realized I could focus on doing the same thing too I.e Monetizing my Expertise. The best part was that I built Excel VB software products for niche markets, but had previously focused on marketing them via pavement pounding/door to door selling and cold calling.

I realized I could get better results by building a digital marketing system and delivering my products online to buyers in complete packages.

It’s taken me time to perfect it, and I still continue to tweak, refine and reinvent it. But I can tell you that today I live my dream earning over 80% of my income passively.

If I could have done it, others can do it as well.

Below are links to 2 pages on which I share details of what I do and how I do it, with regard to using the above strategy.

1. The Best Way to Make Money (True Story)

2. Spontaneous Coaching™ Program: Monetize Your Expertise to Make EXTRA Money With LESS Effort by Creating Cash Flow Generating Assets (CFGA)™

I refer you to them simply to offer a real world example of what I’ve described here, and NOT in an attempt to recruit you or any other reader(s). I have no need to use such “tricks” because my marketing system drives pre qualified motivated prospects to me even while I sleep.

Hope this helps

Tayo

PS: Hmm…I think I’ll publish this later today as a blog on my website, so others with similar concerns can read it.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Self-Development

Signup for Tayo Solagbade’s One-on-One MS Excel Heaven™ Visual Basic Coaching Program & Finish With Your Own Custom Excel-VB App You Can Use at Work and/or Sell to Clients!

March 29, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

a. If you’re in paid employment, take it from me: developing spreadsheet automation competence can transform your career literally overnight – IF you know how to use your new skill to make the needed impact.

b. And if you’re self-employed, spreadsheet automation competence will give you a seriously unfair advantage over your competitors, and help you deliver MORE value to clients in a way that makes them gladly pay you MORE.

My achievements over the past 2 decade, getting well paid in paid, and later self-employment, to create custom Excel-VB solutions for buyers within and outside Africa prove the above are accurate assertions!

Today, I enjoy increasing international attention/patronage as a trusted provider of custom Excel-VB software Products and Experiential Coaching/Learning Solutions.

But that did not happen over night.

Click here to continue reading – and learn how you can GET A LIFETIME (i.e. UNLIMITED) EXCEL-VB COACHING SUPPORT FROM ME, FOR THE VALUE OF 3 MONTHS COACHING.

Excel-VB Solutions, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Self-Development

Re: “Agatu Killings and Buhari’s moral weakness” [Alternative Perspectives and a Possible Way Forward]

March 28, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I finally managed to read the Punch opinion piece from last week titled “Agatu killings and Buhari’s moral weakness” this evening.

It was sent to me by a “friend”…who preferred not to share it directly online…ahem…

As is my usual habit, I kept my mind OPEN like an umbrella in reading it from start till end.

To be honest, I only read it once – that was enough. I needed no second round.

The author’s points were clearly made and only a fool would argue that they were not valid ones – worth bringing up.

Long story short:

PMB was/is…

a. Refusing, for some strange reason, in the opinion of the writer, to address the issue of Fulani herdsmen killing people in Agatu

b. Doing what Nigerians call “eye-service” by sending condolence messages to other countries for terrorist related loss of lives while “massacres” continued in his own domain

c.”Reading from (GEJ’s) playbook” by being too lethargic in taking decisive action against the fulani herdsmen. She noted especially Buhari’s statement that the government would search for “root causes” and “act immediately to address the root of the problem”

She also took a swipe at Oga patapata of police – IGP Solomon Arase – in passing, with regard to his pronouncements on the reported activities of the Fulani herdsmen & that Buhari’s evasiveness encouraged the IGP’s attitude…

Here’s my take:

1. It is impossible for MOST Nigerians to accurately argue for or against any of the points raised – except for a tiny few who may REALLY be in the know.

Reason: Just like it is in PMB’s government, so it was in GEJs and those before them.

There is information that the rest of us will probably NEVER get to read or hear, about some topical issues of this kind, which will often influence what we see our leaders do and what we hear them say.

This is why I personally refuse to expend too much intellectual glucose on these kinds of issues.

Think about it:

In other climes, the kind of worldwide movement that the #BringBackOurGirls campaign initiated would have resulted in most if not all of the Chibok girls being found before GEJ left office.

Instead, what we heard/read is that at some point the USA pulled out from helping our people search for the girls because something was not right on OUR side of the equation and THEY did not like it.

How does one explain THAT??!

2. It is my considered opinion that too many well educated Nigerians fail to realize that the fact that we all dress well and speak good english to one another does NOT mean we are all equally sane.

Yes, I mean SANE as in sanity – opposite of insanity aka madness.

Many Nigerians in Nigeria, rich, not-so-rich and poor, are in different stages of insanity, influenced by the socioeconomic environment we operate in.

[NB: Let him who the cap fits wear it. For me, I categorize people based on their actions – what they do, and not what they say about themselves!]

As a result of the state of mind of majority among us, NORMAL thinking habits that people in progressive societies employ rarely appeal to us.

This is why it is said that even Jesus Christ or Islam’s Muhammad would get corrupted if they had to spend time in Nigeria, working with Nigerians.

3. I bring the above points up because I believe we need to ask ourselves why we always demand straightforward solutions from leaders, when we KNOW we are not straightforward people, and our society is far from being a straightforward one???

When I still used to pound the pavement as an entrepreneur in Nigeria, in my early startup years, I kept doing what the books said one should do to market products and services e.g. I placed ads, designed and printed flyers and made sales calls. I attended networking events and conferences. I subscribed to magazines and so on.

Yet, I got little or nothing in terms of client projects from all those efforts. And the few I got made a mockery of my skills, experience and educational qualifications!

The problem was I could not figure out why I struggled even as I saw many crooked and less competent others getting client jobs I wanted.

One day I visited a higher institution based on an advert I’d seen in a daily, to speak with the owner of an engineering training firm about an idea I had for a Joint Venture. It turned out the gentleman was also a lecturer in the engineering department.

After I introduced myself, we got talking about what he did and at a point I mentioned that I’d once been a guest speaker at the Centre for Management Development(CMD) – Shangisha in Lagos, and that the feedback in the forms filled by the centre’s directors had encouraged me to develop a one-day seminar based on the theme of the talk I’d given there.

I however noted that despite hand delivering over 50 copies to organizations in Lagos (many of which were multinationals or large indigenous ones), I’d gotten nowhere with it.

He looked at me in amusement as I spoke, then smiled as he pulled out a one page document with names, and signatures as well as a stamp on it.

Pointing to the fee per head column, he told me that the training manager in the company he did that training for had bluntly told him to give up N4k out of the N15k for EVERY one of the 15 attendees who got nominated to attend.

He then told me these words:

“My friend, you will not hear from them. They expect you to know what to do. If you know what to do, and make them an offer, they will then tell you what they want. From what I see on this booklet, this program of yours is loaded, but if you refuse to do what I’m telling you, I really doubt if you’ll make headway with it.”

That conversation happened in 2004 – 2 years after I became self-employed. 2 years after I’d spoken at CMD and the training manager had told me “If you say you’ve spoken here, they’ll invite you to speak”.

I went on to hear many variants of those words uttered by that engineering lecturer, from others I had cause to speak with (including close relatives!) as the years progressed.

But no one had ever told me I needed to “know what to do” along these fraudulent lines when I started out as an entrepreneur. What I later found out was that almost everyone around me already knew and/or also did it (relatives included!)

They just assumed and expected I would find out and eventually fall in line, having LEARNED that it was impossible to fight the system.

Well, here I am today. I succeed on an international level as a multipreneur, earning income without needing to leave my home – and while traveling between countries.

But I did not need to continue wasting my time fighting the system to get here. Instead, after YEARS of suffering doing that, I conceived a strategy that enabled me completely EVADE the system.

In other words, I found a way to do what I LOVED doing for a living, without needing to relate with people who believed in the system in a way that gave them power over me!

4. How does ALL this relate to the issue of Buhari and the points made by the author of the Punch opinion piece?

Well, it’s simple really.

Nigerians, from what I’ve seen over the past 14 years as an entrepreneur, are over 80% a duplicitous lot.

Forget schooling, status, class, income level etc. Duplicity has become a way of life for most!

So, anyone who wants to achieve meaningful progress working with Nigerians will probably have to be psychic to SEE through their double-facedness.

As a president, Local Government Chairman, head of a small parastatal, or a mere chairman of the building community awarding contracts in your small church(!) you will find yourself surrounded by conniving characters who show one face to you today, and another tomorrow. Scheming to get what they are not qualified to have!

Based on the above situation, no matter how good your intentions are, you may find that pleasing Nigerians will be hard – because even those crying that they are being victimized today (as well as the ones working with/for you) will often gladly let themselves be used against you – if it benefits THEM!

Example: What does it take to get 80% of Nigerians to go out and bear false witness about something that did not happen?

We’ve seen it happen again and again – accusations and counter accusations with those in charge of deciding who is telling the truth even eventually getting fingered for also joining in!!!!

5. It is possible that the above is why Buhari said he wanted to search for the “root cause”….maybe the man is seeing a lot of the duplicity on all sides as I have seen in my own small corner of Nigeria(?)

Maybe that’s what makes him so reluctant to act I.e he’s struggling to make sense of the mixed signals he’s getting(?)

Or maybe the man is just confused….or biased – as some would have us believe (NB: I do NOT agree with this school of thought).

Possible Way Forward

Hopefully it will be obvious I’m making no case in support of Buhari or his IGP here.

In fact, I’m making no case in support of, or against anyone here.

Instead, I’m simply saying the major problem of Nigeria is that it is a society of over 80% dishonest SOULS who never want to let truth prevail and always put self-interest first!

In such an environment, even an angel will struggle to get anything right as a leader.

This was why GEJ struggled to lead Nigeria, as did others before him.

My argument against GEJ was however that he was too weak, and showed no strength of character.

In Buhari’s case I have yet to see enough to justify drawing any far reaching conclusions about him.

After he’s spent 24 months in office I’m convinced I will have enough material to use as a basis for doing an accurate, fair and impartial evaluation of his leadership of Nigeria.

For now, I will continue to work and pray in every way I can for his success, because PMB’s success will benefit all Nigerians, regardless of tribal or party affiliations, including me, you and all our loved ones.

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

PII 007: Parenting Is NOT A Democracy [Hint: The Need to Assert Yourself to Get Results That Matter – Lesson from True Story of a Girl Who Made Pizza Without An Oven]

March 28, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“My very dear grandchildren, Thank (you) very much for (the) tasty (and) filling home made PIZZA you sent me yesterday. I really enjoyed it. God will fill (you) with His goodness, mercy (and) joy. (You are) blessed. Have a wonderful Easter Celebration (and) Remain Blessed in (the) Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I am proud of (you).”

ABOVE: Verbatim text of the phone SMS sent by my mother to my kids, one day after they sent her their home made no-oven charcoal stove baked “African Easter Pizza” as a gift on Saturday 26th March 2016. I share aspects of the story behind the making of that Pizza…and real world relevant experiences to be had from an incident that occurred.

If you’ve been following this blog awhile, you most likely know I write regularly on the subject of Best Practice Parenting. This article is based on that theme.

Having said that, even though I use a group of children as an example in this piece, this message applies to adults, just as much as it does to my 10 year old daughter who played a key role in the story narrated here, which is…

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter

NB: This PI Squared newsletter will be published weekly, on Mondays, in place of the Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, starting from today – 15th February 2016. I’m reinventing my Monday newsletter content and theme, to accommodate my vision of serving the growing audience of serious minded individuals and organizations reaching out to me, with information, education. news and research findings designed to help them do what they do better.

**********

PII 007: Parenting Is NOT A Democracy [Hint: The Need to Assert Yourself to Get Results That Matter – Lesson from True Story of a Girl Who Made Pizza Without An Oven]

“My very dear grandchildren, Thank (you) very much for (the) tasty (and) filling home made PIZZA you sent me yesterday. I really enjoyed it. God will fill (you) with His goodness, mercy (and) joy. (You are) blessed. Have a wonderful Easter Celebration (and) Remain Blessed in (the) Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I am proud of (you).”

I share aspects of the story behind the making of that Pizza…and real world relevant experiences to be had from an incident that occurred.

If you’ve been following this blog awhile, you most likely know I write regularly on the subject of Best Practice Parenting. This article is based on that theme.

Having said that, even though I use a group of children as an example in this piece, the message applies to adults, just as much as it does to my 10 year old daughter who played a key role in the story narrated here, which is…

The Need to Assert Yourself in Relating With Others, so as to Get Results That Matter

Following one week of reminders and preparations, this past Saturday, my girls, supported by their brothers went to the market after the month end sanitation exercise, to buy ALL ingredients needed to bake home made:

(a) Cookies (b) Pizza and (c) Bread [See more photos further down]

This was NOT the first time they would be making ANY of those items, neither was it the first time they were using our no-oven charcoal stove to do it.

However, it was the first time the girls were taking a leading role in making the Pizza in particular, which was a new addition first attempted by their brothers. We had agreed that the girls would modify their micro-business model to include the Cookies they began with and other confectioneries – like Chin-Chin, Bread and Pizza.

Well, if you’re a parent, especially to teenage kids and those approaching that phase, it’s likely you’ll know that parenting can get VEEERRRYYYY messy at times.

This is particularly with reference to getting the kids to ACCEPT your guidance in certain aspects of life. I continue to remain thankful for ALL the trouble I got into as a pre-teen and eventually as a teenager.

The memories of how I caused myself and my parents/family seemingly unending pain and embarrassment have come in quite useful for me as an adult and parent (details described in Kukuru Danger, my best practice parenting book based on my childhood).

During Saturday’s exercise, we were all in our elements as usual – lots of LOUD teasing, singing, bickering etc (I have a handball team of 8 i.e. 6 kids along with myself and their mom).

At a point however, my 10 year old girl, who I’d asked to take ownership of the Pizza project, began doing some things wrong during kneading of the dough.

The 12 year old brother who had done it 2 weeks earlier, by following instructions in a Youtube video he’d watched on their blackberry, tried to correct her, so we would not have to start over if she made a mistake.

But she bluntly refused to listen. I tried gently appealing to her, pointing out the fact that we still had to make the bread and cookies. But she simply would not budge. On other days I would have let it go, but I knew we had to get it right because we’d promised their grandmother we would be sending her one of our Pizzas as a gift for Easter.

I could see she was resisting his offer to help more out of a desire to prove she could do it by herself.

In other words it was more of an ego or rivalry thing between them (he has a similar tendency).

At that point I simply raised my voice and told her:

“Look, this is NOT some democracy here! You need to accept guidance from a team member who knows more about how to do it right. Even if you’ve been asked to lead, that does not mean those you lead cannot give you good ideas to lead better with. Now, I need you to swallow whatever pride you’re feeling and do what your brother is asking you to do NOW, so we can get this thing baked!”

Before I finished talking, she’d teared up completely and began murmuring about how her brother was the one who kept distracting her etc.

I felt moved but refused to show it, because I knew she needed to LOSE that wrong mental attitude – for her own good.

So I stood my ground and insisted she wipe her tears and focus on doing it as she’d been told, nothing that life was not always fair and few people go through life doing things their way all the time.

A few minutes later she had quieted down, and was soon mixing another batch of dough, while the first pizza was baking in the charcoal stove pot.

When the third Pizza came out, she was giggling happily with excitement at the sight of them – and ultimately gleefullly championed the tasting process.

By 5.30p.m she had helped her 16 year old brother pack the 3rd (and best looking) of the Pizzas into a prepared bag, and he left to deliver it to their grandparents’ home.

The lesson I took away from my troubled childhood years, in terms of deciding when and how to assert myself in relation to others, towards achieving an outcome I desire, has helped me to stay on the right track through my adult life…

Too many of us grow up being overly concerned about pleasing others, so they can like us, and/or have good things to say about us.

I used to be that way, and like I explained in the true stories narrated in my book – Kukuru Danger – it got me into LOADS of trouble!

Life has taught me that no matter how hard you try, people will still decide not to like you if they do NOT want to like you. Same applies to what they say about you.
In addition, I learnt – the hard way – that failing to say what needs to be said to others, would often lead me (and sometimes them!) to avoidable suffering and pain…

By “others” I also refer to kids – for those of us who are parents or have to function in that role to young people.

As a parent, I’ve used thes insight to decide when to put my foot down with my kids, and when to look the other way or let things pass.

What I’ve learnt to remember is that for young people who have yet to experience life, there will often be a need to be FIRM, and not let have their way at times!

This is because YOU the adult will often KNOW more about the benefits to be had, or consequences that will result from such situation(s) or circumstance(s).

In other words, with few exceptions, young people will usually not have the benefit of YOUR experience based insights as a COMPETENT adult, that comes from having done stuff they are contemplating BEFORE them.

In such situations therefore, you’ll simply have to act based on your superior knowledge and insights, and let them learn from the benefit of hindsight LATER.

WARNING: If you’re reading this as a parent outside Africa, keep in mind that I am a full blooded African IN AFRICA, and may not necessarily hold a similar view of about parenting, to what obtains in your part of the world: Especially with regard to correcting a child!

For instance, my experiences in life convince me that best practice parents will NEVER compromise on their parenting obligation.

If a child insists on acting in a manner that requires s/he be called to order via scolding (or something more severe) a smart best practice parent WILL do the needful, without undue excess, to get the erring child back in line, for his/her own good.

My parents did that for me – and I remain ever so grateful to them for it!

If they had given me too much freedom to make up my mind whether or not to accept what they told me at those critical stages of my life, I doubt I would have turned out well at all!

Photo below shows my 10 year old girl smiling while holding one of our 3 “African Easter Pizzas” made today. You would NOT believe she was the same person who had burst into tears while kneading the dough for the Pizza – after I scolded her for refusing her 12 year old brother’s help in doing it right

She will be sharing photos and details of all they did (including recipes) on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TemiandOluomasCookies

Above: After baking

Above: Cutting out pieces to eat – it really tasted great. She’ll be sharing the recipe on the Facebook page later on

Below: Before baking

Final Words: The ability to assert yourself in dealing with difficult kids (and adults) can help you enjoy productive and profitable interpersonal relationships in the real world.

Be it with kids, or in interactions with co-workers or clients, the ability to assert yourself, is crucially important for ensuring interpersonal success.

Mastering it will enable you feel good about yourself no matter where you go or who you have to relate with.

An ability to assert yourself will be evident in your ability, for instance, to:

a. say NO to an inconvenient request (e.g resisting scope creep attempts by a potentially manipulative client etc).

b. speak your mind to insensitive others so they stop speaking/acting inconsiderate

An IN-ABILITY to assert yourself can make you a very unhappy and de motivated person!

You owe yourself something better – as a parent, as well as an adult in society.

No parent or guardian likes to have kids who refuse to take him/her seriously or show due respect and consideration. Same applies to our relationships with adult others.

But making that happen will require effort on OUR part, to get others to respond appropriately!

That’s why I recommend you start practicing the art of asserting yourself in relating everyone around you. Stop thinking it’s wrong to insist that others do what is right by you – and which you know in the long run will also benefit them.

If you master it, others will appreciate you more – and you will feel more fulfilled!

Photos: Truly super tasting “Soft and airy” home made bread baked (using our no-over charcoal stove) by my 12 and 14 year old sons, after their sister was done making Pizza.

Below: The Cookies baked by the boys…

The 2 boys closed out at past 9p.m with baking cookies (which the girls began making over a month ago) – BUT most of the cookies emerged partly burnt…as they left them too long on the charcoal stove…possibly because fatigue was setting it…!

See photos of better efforts by the girls on their Facebook page – which they sold last month…

PS: Some adults – who are also parents – remain blind to the fact that acquiring money making skills EARLY in life is critical for success achievement in today’s world.

This is due to the upbringing they had, especially as it relates to formal education they received.

I continue to offer insights into steps I’m taking to prepare my kids to acquire crucial income earning competence – and money making awareness – ahead of adulthood. Wise parents will do the same!

SDN Blog™

New posts from last week*

Monday:

PII 006: Succeed by Becoming an Expert at Solving Real World Problems [Hint: Highlights from Maiden Edition of Tayo Solagbade’s FREE Monthly Workshop for his MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club Members Held on Sat 19th March 2016 in Lagos-Nigeria]

[Tuesday]:

Download MS Excel-VB Screen shot Demonstration Video Tutorials for Tayo Solagbade’s Introduction to Excel-VB Automation Workshop Held on Sat 19th March 2016 in Lagos-Nigeria [Includes video recorded in response to last week’s request for Excel-VB coding help from a business user in India]

[Wednesday]:

A People’s Ability to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable is Crucial for Societal Advancement [Hint: Why Too Many of Today’s Nigerians Are Often Too Angry to be Reasoned With!]

Why I Voted for Buhari (Despite Voting Against Him in 3 Previous Elections), and Why I Believe He Has What it Takes to Reform Nigeria Now That He’s President

[Thursday]:

N/A

[Friday]:

Download 37 Archived Editions of The Farm CEO Newspaper (8thJune2015 -15thFeb2016)

[Saturday]:

N/A

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Creator of the Mastering Adversity for Perpetual Success Achievement Coaching Program

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement

Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to

Farm Businesses and others.

Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting,

freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the

popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm

Manager™ software.

He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in

various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods

and others.

In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly

traveling across the West African region.

His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars

and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).

In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years (October 1994 to December 2001) as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer to Training & Technical Development Manager, and later acted in senior roles as Production Manager and Technical
Manager.

In addition to constantly challenging the status quo and influencing positive work changes, he built a reputation for using self-taught spreadsheet programming skills (starting with Lotus 1-2-3, and later moving to Excel Visual Basic) – in his spare time – to develop Automated Spreadsheet Applications to computerize manual report generation processes in the departments he worked. Over four(4) of his applications were adopted for brewery level reporting.

Tayo holds a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, having graduated top of his class – with Second Class Upper Division honors – in 1992. He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’

competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc).

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes The Farm CEO Weekly Newspaper (sent via email to paid subscribers) and his Weekly Performance Improvement IDEAS

newsletter.

You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your

personal and work related productivity.

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.

Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.

But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts

he’s published.

If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.

Click “Tayo, What Happened to

SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?” to read a detailed narrative about how the above event occurred :-))

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix

(TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old, NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name
==================

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, General, The Farm CEO, Writing/Blogging

Download 37 Archived Editions of The Farm CEO Newspaper (8thJune2015 -15thFeb2016)

March 25, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Like I said earlier this year, all my Farm CEO clients (i.e farm business owners who make purchases from me – from a certain lower limit upwards) will get instant lifetime subscription to The Farm CEO Newspaper.

The screenshot below shows ALL 37 issues published in PDF format since I launched it mid 2015, about 8 months ago.

As I continued publishing it, I discovered that new clients who joined my network often added new perspective to ideas I had about editorial content to publish next.

Indeed, at a point, some clients made requests for certain kinds of information, that I had to search for on their behalf, which convinced me to adopt this strategy of giving non-expiring subscriptions to all clients.

Since it came into effect, I’ve gotten more responses to the content published – for obvious reasons.

Since my goal is to use this newspaper to HELP Farm CEOs grow their businesses, it only makes sense to continue with a strategy that’s eliciting useful feed back from them.

Now, if you’re a client and are NOT aware of it, let me inform you that as a member of my Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas Club, you are entitled to contact me to help you research a subject or topic related to your business.

Just call me to let me know what you have in mind. It’s even possible I’ve already compiled such material for a previous client and will simply need to send them across to you.

For those interested in getting access to the archived PDF versions of The Farm CEO, click here to send me a request.

Excel-VB Solutions, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

Why I Voted for Buhari (Despite Voting Against Him in 3 Previous Elections), and Why I Believe He Has What it Takes to Reform Nigeria Now That He’s President

March 23, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

My attitude towards any personality – be s/he celebrity or public office holder – is that s/he could be my brother/sister/father or mother or even a good friend.

So, regarding the many unsavoury campaigns launched against Buhari during the countdown to the elections, I always asked myself:

How would I have felt – as Buhari’s son – when all those false claims were being made about his lack of results or original certificates to back up his claims of schooling?

And after he got into office, would I not want my “father” to be given a fair and impartial opportunity to SHOW what he can do…especially when his success would BENEFIT even his critics???

For each of us, it never feels as bad as when it’s happening to a loved one!

Those same considerations guided ALL I did and said even while GEJ was in office.

I carefully studied him over time. Especially what he said with his own mouth and what he DID – or said he did.

Most times I came away not very happy.

But it was his scandalous exchange with the CNN lady (Amanpour) in that January interview that finally did it for me. I arrived at my own assessment of him – and boldly stated it. For me, he simply could not meet the mark. He lacked the depth to do so – and, I believe it was not his fault. He simply got promoted beyond his level of competence without knowing it. Period.

As a result of the above observations, the last thing I expected GEJ to do was run for office again. But he apparently saw himself differently.

Still I did not “hate on him” for that. He had every right to contest again!

However I decided I would do my bit to ensure someone I considered better got in ahead of him.

So I chose Buhari…

What most people do NOT know is that I did NOT vote for Buhari on ALL his previous outings…!

If I recall correctly, I voted twice for Okotie (despite being a non-church-goer O!). Then I voted for Ribadu.

But after I saw how they ended up, and noticed how Buhari remained as constant as ever in his resolve, I realized he had a rare strength of character that had obviously made him immune to what I considered the chronically corrupting influences of Nigerian society.

It is my considered opinion that MANY who do not appreciate Buhari have NOT really experienced Nigeria the way I have as adults with family responsibilities outside paid employment.

Have you EVER had to function as an ADULT with dependants in THIS Nigerian society, outside of salaried employment for up to 5 years at stretch?

If YES, then – unless you had connections with crooked people making things happen for you – it is VERY likely you will have SEEN the naked evil that people do to others in such circumstances in Nigeria. They do it with impunity – even to relatives.

In my case, I’ve been functioning as an adult with wife and kids outside paid employment and NO CONNECTIONS now for 14 years

During that time, I have been to Nigeria’s hell on earth and back, more times than I care to count!

When you lack money in Nigeria as a self-employed person and are not lucky to hold salaried employment of any kind to guarantee some income to SUPPORT those that you are responsible for as spouse and parent, you will KNOW that there are multiple levels of suffering, humiliation and downright evil doing in Nigeria.

For Buhari to have been kicked out of public office when he was, and still remain without blemish till today, such that nothing could be found to use against him during the elections spoke VOLUMES to me.

I have been on the streets in Nigeria. I have SEEN/FELT suffering caused by corruption in this society as an entrepreneur trying to earn income the honest way.

And I can tell you that ANYONE who has tasted power in this society (like Buhari did), and can still RESIST corruption like Buhari has done – and is DOING – has what it takes to CHANGE this nation for the better.

Character and integrity are qualities that make it possible for any person to achieve ANY goals s/he sets his/her mind on – Buhari WEARS them like a cloth!

And that is why I am convinced Buhari is our best bet for reforming Nigeria.

We must not forget that we have MBA and PhD holders engaged in all sorts of fraudulent dealings in and out of the public as well as private sectors daily.

These are brilliant minds that have soiled their hands and compromised themselves, so that it’s now impossible for them to demand for others to do what is needed to change Nigeria.

Does it occur to us that Buhari has no PhD and yet no one has been able to pin any corrupt dealings on him?

Whether Buhari has intelligence or IQ or a wall covered with degrees and awards for leadership excellence, or not, is immaterial – because we have too many examples of people who boasted all those and still failed to deliver, and even stole out money!

I argue that even Obama, with all his distinguished accomplishments after running 2 terms in the USA would be made to look like the biggest FOOL on the planet, if by some strange miracle, he was allowed to contest for office in Nigeria and won the elections to lead us for 4 short years.

We all know what would have happened to Obama if when the republicans were trying so hard to discredit him in office, the country had been NIGERIA, with full blooded Nigerians in it, and NOT the HIGHLY discerning Americans that son of a Kenyan immigrant has had to preside over!

It would have been a mess and Obama would have been buried under it!

This is why I believe a man like Buhari who has successfully defied Nigeria’s corruption machine is the best bet we have.

But we don’t ALL have to agree on this. Each person has a right to his/her own opinions.

I AM a citizen of Nigeria and because I wanted Nigeria to succeed, I acknowledged the Good I saw done by GEJ while he was in office (my posts are still there on his Facebook page, and on my own wall). Same thing I did when OBJ was in power.

It is the same thing I do now. I refuse to sit back with a wait and see attitude. Instead I will hope and pray, and do what I can in my own little way (like I did all the time the other presidents were in office) to make Nigeria succeed with Buhari’s leadership.

By so doing, I believe I would be setting a good example for my kids to follow.

I hope others will do the same.

A People’s Ability to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable is Crucial for Societal Advancement [Hint: Why Too Many of Today’s Nigerians Are Often Too Angry to be Reasoned With!]

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Self-Development

A People’s Ability to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable is Crucial for Societal Advancement [Hint: Why Too Many of Today’s Nigerians Are Often Too Angry to be Reasoned With!]

March 23, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

It’s something that first began to really strike me when I visited Nigeria for the first time about 6 months after relocating to Cotonou.

I mean the fact that there are a LOT of (indeed too many!) VERY angry people within the geographical entity called Nigeria.

One time I was in the chauffeured 4 wheel drive of a Cotonou based Nigerian diplomat as we drove through the border town of Badagry, on our way to his farm house in Ekiti.

I could not help pointing out to the driver how readily one could see people shouting insults and curses at one another on either side of the road. Some were even fighting – right next to the highway, with most others simply walking past.

Motorists themselves acted no different as we continued. The tiniest misdeed on your part as you drove readily earned you a torrent of insults – or if you were lucky an impatient look of contempt!

This was in stark contrast to what I’d seen and experienced during the tough first 6 months I’d stayed in Benin Republic. Indeed, the only time I ever saw ANY form of aggression displayed by locals in Cotonou was when 2 robbers were given the beating of their lives, and left bleeding for the police to pickup, after they tried to rob a woman emerging from a bank around Etoile Rouge.

Look, as I’ve said in past articles, I once spent 3 months – in 2013 – living among undergraduates half my age, in a room on the National University campus Calavi, when I failed to find accommodation in Cotonou.

It was a last resort arranged by a friend I made which saved me from getting further duped of 2,000 FCFA multiples, by the greedy estate agents I naively trusted to take me around to see flats I could rent.

But my housing problem apart, I NEVER once saw a single fight occur on that campus all through my 90 day stay there. Not once – and believe me, I moved around a lot.

If anything, I discovered from being among those young Beninese male and female students, that theirs was an environment in which PEACE MAKING valued in the larger society, was not only actively promoted, but also strictly enforced.

Indeed, if you were heard or seen shouting at one another, without so much as physically touching one another, chances were good that those involved would get summoned and possibly disciplined.

I saw that happen at least once, before I left that campus.

One day in Cotonou, after I’d left Calavi and found my own apartment, I recall seeing a commercial bike rider accidentally splash water in a pothole on a man standing along the road.

The latter angrily called out to him, and the bike man stopped and retorted in like manner. Before they could do anything more, a 3rd person who was just passing by, stepped between both of them and said, in French “Ici au Benin, c’est toujours la paix!” (Translation: “Here in Benin, it is always peace!”).

Magically, that simple statement instantly deflated the anger in both men, and I marveled as all 3 men smiled, shook hands and parted ways!

That was the day I realized that citizens of a nation have the power to determine whether or not they get along – regardless of the antics their leaders may try to use to cause conflict among them.

Sadly, this is one more truth I see too many people in my country, Nigeria, simply do not understand: As a result, they routinely let their emotions get out of control in relating with one another, especially when holding opposing views, to the extent that understanding and peace become strangers in their societies.

I argue that we must “learn to disagree without being disagreeable“.

It’s hard to remember where I first read or heard the above phrase used, but it has stuck in my mind since.

Life would be a joke, or an exercise in deception if human beings did not periodically disagree with one another.

There is a quote I once read that:

“Where everyone thinks alike, no one is doing any thinking!”

For some strange reason, people raised in the Nigerian society arrive adulthood with a notion (and a VERY faulty notion it is!) that one must accept the reasoning or thinking adopted by the majority.

Some will even parrot the popular saying (used most times out of context) that “majority carries the vote” – to justify going along with what others say, and demanding that you do the same.

Anatole France, the shipping magnate however wisely noted as follows:

“If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”

Sadly, Nigerian society is a place where those willing to express divergent views on an issue often find themselves in the minority…

This is because most others would rather quietly align with the majority to avoid criticism, or worse, from others who have been taught o be viciously intolerant of opposing views.

It does not matter what the subject is – be it religious or intellectual. It does not matter how logical the arguments made need to be: If it so happens that some people are more “friendly” with one another, chances are good that they will simply gang up against those with opposing views – even if their own argument makes no sense!

After observing this happen for some time, and having it done to me several times, I conceived the following quote in an article published back in 2006, to describe those who allow themselves to be brow beaten and stifled by irrationally argumentative others who predominate in society.

“Some people join the crowd in order to become “hidden” or “protected” from criticism or scrutiny. Since they also take care never to voice contrary (and at times ANY) opinion, they are rewarded with the anonymity they seek – and the insignificance that results from it.” – Tayo Solagbade

I’ve done additional research on this subject and found that such irrationally argumentative people also exist in other societies around the word – including the wonderful US of America!

The difference I’ve noticed however, especially in the developed societies, is that those who hold divergent views from the irrationally argumentative group, generally REFUSE to give up their rights to FREELY EXPRESS their difference of opinion in public or private.

Not just that, the various sociopolitical structures extant in those countries make it literally impossible for ANYONE to stifle or intimidate others, even if they are a minority, from VOICING their opinions as and when they please, where and when they want.

It’s every human being’s fundamental right to speak FREELY what s/he believes about an issue. You do NOT have to accept it, but you must RESPECT his/her right to do so.

That is how a civilized society functions. We must never let our emotions blind us to the proper ways of doing things – or stop us from acting with consideration for the feelings of others around us!

It is my considered opinion that given what I see in today’s Nigeria, if Socrates had been born in our time, in our country, Nigerians would probably have lynched him to death before he could make a name for himself!

Yep. He would have probably been shouted down – or worse killed – for his adopted questioning technique, which forced those he debated with to furnish credible logic based arguments to defend their adopted positions on issues.

People intolerant of others unwilling to agree with them would find a person like Socrates simply intolerable!

Yet, if Nigeria is to evolve and mature into a progressive society, the QUALITY of debates we are able to have among ourselves, without rancour, really needs to improve.

I’ve witnessed lively debates on various issues under the sun by Beninese adults holding opposing views over the last 3 years, and NOT once have I ever seen it end in broken friendships, or harsh language. It seems to be something they’ve learnt to do from their youth – as my stay on their campus indicated!

Now here’s one quote I especially LOVE, because I think many people fail to realize how doable it is:

“I don’t have to agree with you to like you or respect you.” – Anthony Bourdain

You see, it is my considered opinion that unless a person you like, love or respect has done something UNWORTHY or UNBECOMING or simply BAD, you really have NO NEED whatsoever to CHANGE how you feel about him or her.

So, if s/he chooses to support a different candidate during the elections for instance, you will understand that s/he holds a different view of what that person is capable of achieving in office, compared to the candidate you prefer.

That should not stop both of you from remaining friendly with one another during or indeed after the elections are over.

I recall we used to say back in my undergraduate days that:

“We can agree to disagree”

Only people who take things too personally, fail to understand the need for this matured way of living. They believe they must either win you over to their line of thinking or stop liking you or speaking with you. Haba!

The quotes below provide a fitting end to this piece, and also throw a challenge to ALL of us, regarding our adopted attitudes towards debatable issues.

“I will never compromise Truth for the sake of getting along with people who can only get along when we agree.” – D.R. Silva

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” – S.G. Tallentyre, The Friends of Voltaire

“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are incapable of forming such opinions.” – (Essay to Leo Baeck, 1953) Albert Einstein

“It’s okay to disagree with the thoughts or opinions expressed by other people. That doesn’t give you the right to deny any sense they might make. Nor does it give you a right to accuse someone of poorly expressing their beliefs just because you don’t like what they are saying. Learn to recognize good writing when you read it, even if it means overcoming your pride and opening your mind beyond what is comfortable.” – Ashly Lorenzana

Final Words: The ability to act in line with the above admonition will often be a function of the DEGREE of Emotional Intelligence(EI) an individual possesses.

It’s a shame that in this part of the world many still do not realize that EI is more important than IQ for achieving success in life.

Actually most do not even know what EI is or means!

And the few who do fail to understand that unlike IQ, it can be improved by any person willing to make the effort. Indeed, many progressive societies are modifying their schooling systems to incorporate activities that help learners (especially kids) develop their EI.

Click here to read my widely syndicated article on EI – based on what I learned by reading Daniel Goleman’s similarly titled book back in in 2006.

Here’s one final quote to drive home my point…

Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it. – Maimonides, The Guide for the Perplexed

So, dear reader, I say this to you:

Engage in intellectually stimulating debates with others, without letting your emotions get out of control. And while doing so, be sure to remain objective in looking at the issues from all perspectives, while keeping an open mind to acknowledge possibilities you may not have considered previously.

Most importantly however, AIM to always end your debates on a positive note with him/her or them.

Make it your resolve to never take anything that is said personally. The world NEEDS diversity to evolve – but the truth, about all issues, even if initially hidden will eventually be revealed to all!!!

Why I Voted for Buhari (Despite Voting Against Him in 3 Previous Elections), and Why I Believe He Has What it Takes to Reform Nigeria Now That He’s President

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

Download MS Excel-VB Screen shot Demonstration Video Tutorials for Tayo Solagbade’s Introduction to Excel-VB Automation Workshop Held on Sat 19th March 2016 in Lagos-Nigeria [Includes video recorded in response to last week’s request for Excel-VB coding help from a business user in India]

March 22, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This post contains download details about the range of step-by-step home study video tutorials I’ve created (see screenshot below) for use by members of my Excel-VB Club, based on the practical exercises done during the maiden edition of my FREE Monthly Workshop for members.

As I said in the highlights I shared yesterday (Monday 19th March 2016), in my newsletter for this week, I promised them I would create videos for them to study at home to reinforce what they’ve learnt, and also build on it to improve to higher levels.

The case study was about preparing a month end 3 column report table, populated with Naira sales amounts serially numbered, then using code to replicate it, in different worksheets from January till December, assigning the relevant month’s name to EACH worksheet’s tab.

This case study is one that a lot of business users can relate to, so it was no surprise that the attendees showed lots of interest, and made excellent suggestions about applying the same approach to work they do e.g. preparing monthly payrolls etc.

The following videos cover the stages we covered in developing the solution:

Video 1: Introduction to the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) in MS Excel – Ready

Video 2: Understanding the use of conditional expressions in automatically numbering entries made into the data table – Ready

Video 3: Building the Monthly Report Table (with macro recorder ON) – Part 1 – Ready

Video 4: Building the Monthly Report Table (with macro recorder ON) – Part 2 ] – Ready

Video 5: Adding form controls, and Modifying macro recorded code, to replicate the Monthly Report Table – Part 1 – Ready

Video 6: Adding form controls, and Modifying macro recorded code, to replicate the Monthly Report Table – Part 2 – Ready

Video 7: Adding form controls, and Modifying macro recorded code, to replicate the Monthly Report Table – Part 3 – Ready

Video 8: Adding form controls, and Modifying macro recorded code, to replicate the Monthly Report Table – Part 4 – Work In Progress

[Update] Video 5 to 8 descriptions above, added today Monday 28th March 2016 @11:04]

If you’re a club member, relevant download links would have been emailed to you. If you have not seen them email or call me.

If you’re a non-member, and would like to gain access to the above mentioned learning resources, click here to contact me.

Now, in addition to the above mentioned video, I’ve included on this page, download links with explanatory notes, to the video I recorded in response to last week’s request for Excel-VB coding help from a business user in India.

The above screen shot of the email he sent me (after seeing my revised version of the code he sent me days earlier) indicates he was pleased with the result he’d gotten from me.

For members of my Excel-VB club, like I told the Indian gentleman from the start, THIS short problem solving project provides a REAL WORLD relevant problem solving opportunity to learn from.

That’s why I’ve included download links to the 2 zipped folders I sent to the man who requested the solution, for members to download:

1. A zipped folder containing the video recording in which I explained what I’d done, and demonstrated how to run the resulting code. [click here to request from me]

2. A zipped folder containing the workbook he sent me, with the modified code in it – no password protection.[click here to request from me]

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR WATCHING THE VIDEOS

To watch ANY of the tutorial videos, YOU MUST (and this is important!) REMOVE or EXTRACT the 2 files in the zipped folder, and place them in the same location on your PC.

Next, double click on the web page file (with the browser icon) among the two, to watch the video in your browser. If you get a prompt to activate “Adobe Flash Player” click on the prompt to activate it by following the instructions that appear.

WARNING: If you click on the SWF file, it WILL NOT play the video.

AND if you click on the files without REMOVING them from inside the zipped folder, you will get an error message. The video will not play.

For the video to play, YOU MUST copy out or EXTRACT both files from inside the zipped folder and place on your PC in the same location, TOGETHER. Then click the one with the browser icon.

PS: If you’re a club member, relevant download links would have been emailed to you. If you have not seen them email or call me.

If you’re a non-member, and would like to gain access to the above mentioned learning resources, click here to request from me.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Self-Development

PII 006: Succeed by Becoming an Expert at Solving Real World Problems [Hint: Highlights from Maiden Edition of Tayo Solagbade’s FREE Monthly Workshop for his MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club Members Held on Sat 19th March 2016 in Lagos-Nigeria]

March 21, 2016 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

Photo[Apologies for slightly poor image]: Attendees at the maiden edition of my FREE Monthly Workshop for Members of my Excel-VB Club held in Lagos at Sherryville Arcade, Opposite First Bank Plc, Ojodu-Berger, Lagos.

The topic was Introduction to Excel-VB Automation.

It was VERY practical and I told lots of true stories to add useful perspective for the learners in the small group of 5. But we had NO power supply and NO petrol for generator. Thankfully, the laptops allowed us make useful progress, for about 2 hours before their batteries ran out of juice!

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
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PII 006: Succeed by Becoming an Expert at Solving Real World Problems [Hint: Highlights from Maiden Edition of Tayo Solagbade’s FREE Monthly Workshop for his MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club Members Held on Sat 19th March 2016 in Lagos-Nigeria]

The topic was Introduction to Excel-VB Automation.

In the coming weeks, I’ll build on this foundation given them with MORE online tutorials and tips, until next month’s edition.

By way of interest, before the workshop went into full swing, I received 2 phone calls from potential buyers in the presence of my attendees….

One was from a Startup Farm CEO in Enugu who had contacted hours before, in the morning, via my website auto response message about my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager.

The other was an individual who called – for this first time – using a UK mobile phone number.

24 hours later (i.e. on Sunday p.m.), the former had made a deposit into my account to take up an offer I’d made to him. I delivered his personalized version of the products to him this morning before leaving to resolve some issues with my bank.

I mention the above incident, because that development served to further convince my learners that acquiring Excel-VB development skills like I had, would translate to significant income earning benefits for them!

This journey of building a club based follower ship began in May 2015. But to get this far, I’ve had to work hard on myself for YEARS!

I’m a self-taught developer of Custom Excel-VB driven Spreadsheet Software – and I’ve been developing custom spreadsheet solutions for business users in a very wide range of industries using my self-taught skills for 2 decades (starting with Lotus 1-2-3 before switching to Excel-VB in paid employment).

Initially, I did it while in paid employment, in my spare time – but it transformed my career and opened many doors of rapid career advancement opportunities that would NEVER have materialized otherwise.

Since I quit paid employment to do it for a living, in 2001, my work has evolved to a whole new level – with my products getting purchased by clients within and outside Africa.

All this has happened with only my self-taught skills. However, my self-development efforts in this regard have NOT been haphazard.

In order to improve myself, I studied – and continue to study – the works of experts recognized as established thought leaders and practitioners in Excel-VB Solutions development in the real world.

Examples of those whose works have influenced me are Pierre LeClerc, the fatherly gentleman based in Canada, whose approach to Excel-VB programming makes it so easy to rapidly improves one’s self via self-study, using resources he provides.

My encounter with his work, in 2005 changed the way I worked with Excel. He it was who really made me understand how to OPTIMIZE the Excel calculation engine, using it’s powerful spreadsheet functions and features, while enhancing my productivity by incorporating Excel-VB automation – where relevant.

You see, Pierre explains that a competent Excel-VB Solutions Developer will have a real world relevant problem solving mind set – as different from the world view adopted quite often by people called “Programmers”.

Indeed, most times an Excel-VB developer will have a background in management, which will guide his/her intelligent use of MS Excel and its VBA back end for real world relevant problem solving.

This philosophy has helped me escape the trap that many others fall into, of wanting to CODE the life out of every problem in an unconscious effort to show how skilled one is in programming.

The authors of Professional Excel Programming – which I call the Excel Bible – agree with this line of thinking. Indeed, in the first part of their book, the actually described 5 categories of Excel Developers – and they named those with the above tendency: “VBA Developer”

At the bottom of this piece is a diagrammatic representation, with notes, of those 5 categories – which reflects LEVELS of Excel-VB proficiency of a user.

I have chosen to base the coaching support I offer my target market on use of this model.

For the market I serve, I’ve found out that most users will most likely fall into Levels 1 and 2. My vision is to help those interested to move up to Level 4 – through the one-on-one experiential coaching I offer as well as the generic coaching I provide via my Excel-VB club.

But one problem I anticipate is that of the VBA developer types of business users and/or those with such a mind set

Excel-VB Solutions Development is NOT about ego tripping. We are not people obsessed with displaying our programming or coding prowess. Instead, we make intelligent use of our coding skills to ENHANCE our work productivity as it relates to our data recording, analysis and report generation for timely decision making.

That’s why I have examples of automated workbook reports (like this one build for the National Distribution Manager of a Large Multinational Telecom Company) that do NOT use a single line of VBA code, and yet cuts down report generation time by over 80% – compared to status quo!

Those who want to learn from me or engage my services must be willing to adopt this perspective, otherwise it would be impractical for us to work together.

A recent enquirer sent me some code he was having problems getting to run normally and asked that I help out. I was due to run my first workshop for my Excel-VB club members at the time, so I told him I’d create a video tutorial based on it later.

As I type this, it’s 3.24 a.m. Monday 22nd March 2016 and I just took my first real look at the code after pasting it into the code window of a new workbook.

What I saw INSTANTLY screamed “VBA Developer” to me.

Why?

Because some of the code sentences showed he was using code in VBA to do things that would have been better handled using Excel’s spreadsheet functions.

Whoever wrote that macro procedure/subroutine did a lot of coding overkill.

It pays to LET EXCEL BE EXCEL, if you want to get a solution that gives the user best results.

With what I’ve seen, I’ve decided I’m going to ask the gentleman to show me the data he wishes to handle, so I can gain better insights into what he wants to do with the code.

Then based on that perspective, I’ll point out the inadequacy of the coding approach adopted and propose an alternative more consistent with best practice.

In order to sell custom Excel-VB software as a profitable business in a socioeconomic environment where it did NOT previously exist (Nigeria), I’ve had to adapt ideas from developers in Europe and America to suit my needs.

The priority I’ve had to pay attention to has been the mental attitude of business users out here who balked repeatedly at any efforts to deliver solutions with a DIY provision.

In other words, they did not want to learn how to do what I’d done for them or how to maintain or improve on it.

Instead, what they wanted was for me to deliver what amounted to a “dummy-proof” range of solutions – that did not even require them to know ANYTHING about using MS Excel!

This is why today, in my promotional messages, for my Excel Heaven brand, I say “If you can use a mobile phone, you can use my custom Excel-VB apps”.

The above experiences have made me realize that users in these parts especially, or those with similar backgrounds to them will best be helped to develop interest in learning Excel-VB automation by using what is called a Case-Study based Experiential Coaching Approach.

Basically, this means that I offer to teach them Excel-VB programming by focusing on using the work they consider important as a basis on which to provide my tutorials, in such a way that at the end of each session they will leave with something they can immediately begin to apply to improve their work related productivity.

This strategy of Experiential Coaching necessarily makes it difficult, if not impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all range of tutorials for learners.

Instead, I have step-by-step video and PDF tutorials meant to introduce every learner to foundational concepts of Excel-VB programming.

These will give him/her the needed sound footing to build up his/her skills in BEST PRACTICE Excel-VB coding.

But to ensure s/he is able to make good progress without losing enthusiasm, I will use information I obtain using my Needs Analysis Questionnaire to identify – in liaison with him/her – key work based tasks that we can use as Case Studies for his/her learning.

Based on what I learn from his/her questionnaire responses, and our interactions as the coaching progresses, I can go on to create a special range of tutorials for him/her to use for home study.

This is my approach, based on the needs of my target market/audience, identified over the past decade.

Click here to learn more about my Home/Self-Study Tutorials used in my One-on-One Experiential Coaching

It is basically a custom solution in which I create learning “content” for YOU based on needs I identify you have. Access to this option requires joining my Inner Circle.

This is different from the arrangement in which I offer general coaching via short weekly tips and tutorials to members of my Excel-VB club (click here to see my members-only private/closed Facebook page for club members).

The required investment for the former (which is $500 USD via my Inner Circle) is different from that for the latter (which is $65 USD per annum – for membership of my Excel-VB club – click here for details).

It goes without saying that the one-on-one coaching option is more intensive than the Excel-VB club alternative. You will need to decide which one you will be best able to cope with – because I WILL CHALLENGE you to stick with agreed milestone targets/dates!

Click here to see the course content for my 4 day Excel-VB Programming Coaching LIVE Workshop

By way of interest, I offer to produce a home study video tutorial version of what I would normally teach during the above mentioned LIVE event – for interested persons – be you a one-on-one learner or member of my Excel-VB club.

But again, since not everyone will have similar needs, the specific examples I will use will vary depending on the individual’s identified needs.

Below: A mind-map showing 5 levels of Excel-VB Solutions Development Competence I offer support to achieve

I came up with this diagram based on categorizations made in Professional Excel Development – the massive Excel-VB programming bible written by 3 of the world’s foremost developers i.e. Stephen Bullen, Rob Bovey and John Green.

Each has delivered high profile commercial Excel-VB software solutions to the world’s largest corporations.

Note that my experiences over the years indicate that majority of business users want something around the Power User level – especially career persons in paid employment in this part of the world – as against what obtains in developed societies.

Having said that, my goal is to use my Excel-VB club platform to gradually encourage more users in and out of paid employment, to over time build their competence to the level of Excel Developer – and possibly beyond i.e. to Professional Excel Developer.

True Story: Responding to last week’s request for Excel-VB coding help from a business user in India

Last week, I published a blog in which I shared details of the above mentioned request I got from an Indian gentleman at about 12:53 p.m. on Tuesday 15th March 2016 (Read it here).

Early this morning, at about 4.30a.m or so, I got up and checked out his code, then wrote in modifications my first instincts led me to use – and they worked.

Then, just as I’d promised the gentleman, I proceeded to record a screen shot demonstration tutorial in which I explained what I’d done, and why. In the video, I gave him my opinion about the intended purpose of the code snippet he’d sent to me, noting the fact that better use of the Excel object model could minimize the need for VBA use for the task in question.

Below are screen shots of the original code he sent, and the modified one I sent back, PLUS email/facebook exchanges we’ve since this morning…

Above: Email in which he replied (after seeing my code) expressing satisfaction with what I’d sent him.

Notice in his last email response, above, that he said he looked forward to requesting more of my “help” in the same manner…

And interestingly, he stated that he was sure I would give it…being the “nice sir” that I am of course…hee hee!

Unfortunately, I do NOT do flattery. I do NOT need it.

I also do NOT feel ANY need to prove myself in terms of my Excel-VB coding (or any other) competence.

So, one thing I KNOW will NOT be happening again is ME doing any such thing for him again.

Either he joins one of the countless free forums, or he enrolls for a course online. Or he could join my Excel-VB club.

But even when if he joins my club, I will NOT be doing coding for him. I do NOT code for any of my members. Instead I teach them concepts, tips, techniques they need to know and then guide them to THINK up ways to use what they learn to solve ANY problem they raise for use as a case study.

That’s why I call my approach Experiential Coaching.

Some people believe that if you really know something, the best way to prove it is to TELL the learner. They argue that “using questions” and prompts, like I do suggests I’m not confident or competent or both – and that THAT is why I hide behind that approach.

My response is that I have a library of commercial Excel-VB apps that I’ve been selling to an increasingly global paying audience for over 10 years now. Not only did I build them – and find buyers – ALL by myself, I also provide LIFETIME after sales support 24/7 to ALL my buyers.

And that is ALL the proof I need!

If you’re a business user of Excel in Nigeria/Africa and you represent a group, organization or association of business users, and would like to gain access to the learning solutions I offer with regard to the above, click here to contact me.

SDN Blog™

New posts from last week*

Monday:

PII 005: You Need Excel-VB Coding Skills to MAKE and SAVE Money [Attend Tayo Solagbade’s FREE 4 Hour “Practical Introduction to MS Excel-VB Automation” Workshop]

[Tuesday]:

[Advice for Smart Parents] You Need to Give Your Kids Real World Relevant Coaching NOW, If They Are to Succeed…In Their Adult Lives!

[Wednesday]:

How can a “Switchboard” Make Your Life Easier in an MS Excel-VB driven Corporate Data Management/Report Generation System ? [Download A Useful Infographic]

[Thursday]:

Conversations About Productivity Boosting Excel Visual Basic Automation [True Stories: Enquiries from a business user in India and Nigeria]

[Friday]:

You Have to Believe In Yourself First, Before Others Can Really Believe in YOU [Maiden Edition of FREE Monthly Workshop for Tayo Solagbade’s MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club Members Holds Today – Sat 19th March 2016]

[Sunday]:

Protected: THE FARM CEO (Issue 41): 3 Ways to Profits in Cassava Business, SECRETS TO MAKING MILLIONS IN PLANTAIN FARMING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA, GET LISTED FOR CASSAVA AND YOUR OTHER PRODUCTS TO SELL TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Creator of the Mastering Adversity for Perpetual Success Achievement Coaching Program

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement

Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to

Farm Businesses and others.

freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the

popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm

Manager™ software.

He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in

various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods

and others.

In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly

traveling across the West African region.

His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars

and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).

competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc).

newsletter.

You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your

personal and work related productivity.

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.

Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.

But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts

he’s published.

If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.

Click “Tayo, What Happened to

SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?” to read a detailed narrative about how the above event occurred :-))

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix

(TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old, NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name
==================

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions

Protected: THE FARM CEO (Issue 41): 3 Ways to Profits in Cassava Business, SECRETS TO MAKING MILLIONS IN PLANTAIN FARMING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA, GET LISTED FOR CASSAVA AND YOUR OTHER PRODUCTS TO SELL TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE

March 21, 2016 Tayo Solagbade

Something about the comment posted by that South African, and the way he ended it, alerted me to the fact that the insights I’d gained over the past decade, about how to use RK’s ideas to make money using non-physical zero cost “Assets”

What follows below is the verbatim reproduction of my original comment…

Below are links to 2 pages on which I share details of what I do and how I do it, with regard to using the above strategy.

The author’s points were clearly made and only a fool would argue that they were not valid ones – worth bringing up.

1. It is impossible for MOST Nigerians to accurately argue for or against any of the points raised – except for a tiny few who may REALLY be in the know.

2. It is my considered opinion that too many well educated Nigerians fail to realize that the fact that we all dress well and speak good english to one another does NOT mean we are all equally sane.

3. I bring the above points up because I believe we need to ask ourselves why we always demand straightforward solutions from leaders, when we KNOW we are not straightforward people, and our society is far from being a straightforward one???

The problem was I could not figure out why I struggled even as I saw many crooked and less competent others getting client jobs I wanted.

Pointing to the fee per head column, he told me that the training manager in the company he did that training for had bluntly told him to give up N4k out of the N15k for EVERY one of the 15 attendees who got nominated to attend.

But no one had ever told me I needed to “know what to do” along these fraudulent lines when I started out as an entrepreneur. What I later found out was that almost everyone around me already knew and/or also did it (relatives included!)

4. How does ALL this relate to the issue of Buhari and the points made by the author of the Punch opinion piece?

5. It is possible that the above is why Buhari said he wanted to search for the “root cause”….maybe the man is seeing a lot of the duplicity on all sides as I have seen in my own small corner of Nigeria(?)

Possible Way Forward

Tayo Solagbade’s Performance Improvement IDEAS (PI Squared) Newsletter

PII 007: Parenting Is NOT A Democracy [Hint: The Need to Assert Yourself to Get Results That Matter – Lesson from True Story of a Girl Who Made Pizza Without An Oven]

The Need to Assert Yourself in Relating With Others, so as to Get Results That Matter

This was NOT the first time they would be making ANY of those items, neither was it the first time they were using our no-oven charcoal stove to do it.

During Saturday’s exercise, we were all in our elements as usual – lots of LOUD teasing, singing, bickering etc (I have a handball team of 8 i.e. 6 kids along with myself and their mom).

I could see she was resisting his offer to help more out of a desire to prove she could do it by herself.

Before I finished talking, she’d teared up completely and began murmuring about how her brother was the one who kept distracting her etc.

The lesson I took away from my troubled childhood years, in terms of deciding when and how to assert myself in relation to others, towards achieving an outcome I desire, has helped me to stay on the right track through my adult life…

In other words, with few exceptions, young people will usually not have the benefit of YOUR experience based insights as a COMPETENT adult, that comes from having done stuff they are contemplating BEFORE them.

Below: Before baking

Final Words: The ability to assert yourself in dealing with difficult kids (and adults) can help you enjoy productive and profitable interpersonal relationships in the real world.

An IN-ABILITY to assert yourself can make you a very unhappy and de motivated person!

Photos: Truly super tasting “Soft and airy” home made bread baked (using our no-over charcoal stove) by my 12 and 14 year old sons, after their sister was done making Pizza.

Below: The Cookies baked by the boys…

PS: Some adults – who are also parents – remain blind to the fact that acquiring money making skills EARLY in life is critical for success achievement in today’s world.

==== [IMPORTANT NOTE:====

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old, NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

How would I have felt – as Buhari’s son – when all those false claims were being made about his lack of results or original certificates to back up his claims of schooling?

Those same considerations guided ALL I did and said even while GEJ was in office.

As a result of the above observations, the last thing I expected GEJ to do was run for office again. But he apparently saw himself differently.

What most people do NOT know is that I did NOT vote for Buhari on ALL his previous outings…!

Have you EVER had to function as an ADULT with dependants in THIS Nigerian society, outside of salaried employment for up to 5 years at stretch?

For Buhari to have been kicked out of public office when he was, and still remain without blemish till today, such that nothing could be found to use against him during the elections spoke VOLUMES to me.

Character and integrity are qualities that make it possible for any person to achieve ANY goals s/he sets his/her mind on – Buhari WEARS them like a cloth!

Whether Buhari has intelligence or IQ or a wall covered with degrees and awards for leadership excellence, or not, is immaterial – because we have too many examples of people who boasted all those and still failed to deliver, and even stole out money!

This is why I believe a man like Buhari who has successfully defied Nigeria’s corruption machine is the best bet we have.

Related Article:

I could not help pointing out to the driver how readily one could see people shouting insults and curses at one another on either side of the road. Some were even fighting – right next to the highway, with most others simply walking past.

Look, as I’ve said in past articles, I once spent 3 months – in 2013 – living among undergraduates half my age, in a room on the National University campus Calavi, when I failed to find accommodation in Cotonou.

One day in Cotonou, after I’d left Calavi and found my own apartment, I recall seeing a commercial bike rider accidentally splash water in a pothole on a man standing along the road.

For some strange reason, people raised in the Nigerian society arrive adulthood with a notion (and a VERY faulty notion it is!) that one must accept the reasoning or thinking adopted by the majority.

Sadly, Nigerian society is a place where those willing to express divergent views on an issue often find themselves in the minority…

I’ve done additional research on this subject and found that such irrationally argumentative people also exist in other societies around the word – including the wonderful US of America!

It is my considered opinion that given what I see in today’s Nigeria, if Socrates had been born in our time, in our country, Nigerians would probably have lynched him to death before he could make a name for himself!

Now here’s one quote I especially LOVE, because I think many people fail to realize how doable it is:

Only people who take things too personally, fail to understand the need for this matured way of living. They believe they must either win you over to their line of thinking or stop liking you or speaking with you. Haba!

Final Words: The ability to act in line with the above admonition will often be a function of the DEGREE of Emotional Intelligence(EI) an individual possesses.

Here’s one final quote to drive home my point…

Related Article:

This case study is one that a lot of business users can relate to, so it was no surprise that the attendees showed lots of interest, and made excellent suggestions about applying the same approach to work they do e.g. preparing monthly payrolls etc.

If you’re a non-member, and would like to gain access to the above mentioned learning resources, click here to contact me.

Now, in addition to the above mentioned video, I’ve included on this page, download links with explanatory notes, to the video I recorded in response to last week’s request for Excel-VB coding help from a business user in India.

That’s why I’ve included download links to the 2 zipped folders I sent to the man who requested the solution, for members to download:

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR WATCHING THE VIDEOS

PS: If you’re a club member, relevant download links would have been emailed to you. If you have not seen them email or call me.

Tayo Solagbade’s Performance Improvement IDEAS (PI Squared) Newsletter

PII 006: Succeed by Becoming an Expert at Solving Real World Problems [Hint: Highlights from Maiden Edition of Tayo Solagbade’s FREE Monthly Workshop for his MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club Members Held on Sat 19th March 2016 in Lagos-Nigeria]

By way of interest, before the workshop went into full swing, I received 2 phone calls from potential buyers in the presence of my attendees….

This journey of building a club based follower ship began in May 2015. But to get this far, I’ve had to work hard on myself for YEARS!

In order to improve myself, I studied – and continue to study – the works of experts recognized as established thought leaders and practitioners in Excel-VB Solutions development in the real world.

You see, Pierre explains that a competent Excel-VB Solutions Developer will have a real world relevant problem solving mind set – as different from the world view adopted quite often by people called “Programmers”.

At the bottom of this piece is a diagrammatic representation, with notes, of those 5 categories – which reflects LEVELS of Excel-VB proficiency of a user.

That’s why I have examples of automated workbook reports (like this one build for the National Distribution Manager of a Large Multinational Telecom Company) that do NOT use a single line of VBA code, and yet cuts down report generation time by over 80% – compared to status quo!

Because some of the code sentences showed he was using code in VBA to do things that would have been better handled using Excel’s spreadsheet functions.

In order to sell custom Excel-VB software as a profitable business in a socioeconomic environment where it did NOT previously exist (Nigeria), I’ve had to adapt ideas from developers in Europe and America to suit my needs.

The above experiences have made me realize that users in these parts especially, or those with similar backgrounds to them will best be helped to develop interest in learning Excel-VB automation by using what is called a Case-Study based Experiential Coaching Approach.

Instead, I have step-by-step video and PDF tutorials meant to introduce every learner to foundational concepts of Excel-VB programming.

Click here to learn more about my Home/Self-Study Tutorials used in my One-on-One Experiential Coaching

Below: A mind-map showing 5 levels of Excel-VB Solutions Development Competence I offer support to achieve

True Story: Responding to last week’s request for Excel-VB coding help from a business user in India

Below are screen shots of the original code he sent, and the modified one I sent back, PLUS email/facebook exchanges we’ve since this morning…

Notice in his last email response, above, that he said he looked forward to requesting more of my “help” in the same manner…

That’s why I call my approach Experiential Coaching.

If you’re a business user of Excel in Nigeria/Africa and you represent a group, organization or association of business users, and would like to gain access to the learning solutions I offer with regard to the above, click here to contact me.

==== [IMPORTANT NOTE:====

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====