I just registered to visit Agra Innovate Nigeria (Agricultural Exhibitions & Conference), on 24 – 26 Nov 2015, at Landmark Centre, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria.
If you’re a Farm CEO, aspiring Farm CEO/enthusiast or stakeholder, I recommend you sign-up as well.
“Agra Innovate is a landmark international event which many of you have come from far and wide to attend. That Informa – the global giant in business exhibitions – has decided to focus on Nigerian testament to the fact that Nigerian agriculture is now on the world stage.” – Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank; Past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria & Keynote speaker at Agra Innovate Nigeria 2014
1. Get your manuscript written in your area of expertise.
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The following 2 quotes set the tone for this piece…
1.
“Specialization is for Insects A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” – Robert A. Heinlein
2. “Everyone always tells you to focus and choose a niche, but some of the most successful people “refuse to choose.” Steve Martin has always been a great example of someone pursuing more than one career focus. Among other roles, he’s been an actor, a comedian, a novelist, and a professional banjo player, often at the same time.” – “Chris Guillebeau, in his September 28, 2015 Facebook post featuring a link to a September 2015 New York Times article titled “Steve Martin Adds ‘Curator’ to His Wild and Crazy Résumé”
Chris Guillebeau is one of my role models in Location Independent Entrepreneuring. I’ve found he also has a bias for doing more than one thing at a time – which has been a way of life for me for over 2.5 decades(in both paid as well as self-employment, as I’ve explained in past articles linked below)
And through him, I learnt the great Steve Martin achieved globally recognized successes by doing the opposite of what majority believe and advocate to us right from our you: by being a “Jack of Many (not ALL) Trades”…or Multipreneur!
I’ve been criticized for my multipreneuring habit, yet my life’s achievements are proof that it works, for those who know how!
Indeed, I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt that had it not been for my ability as a multipreneur, I would NOT be succeeding as well as I am doing today.
That’s why I’m sharing the links offered in this post with you all. For those willing to look beyond the bias, and learn a new way, there is wisdom to be had from adopting this unusual lifestyle.
Below are links to 2 articles I’ve written to help those willing to listen understand why being a “Jack of Many (not ALL) Trades”…or Multipreneur… can be a viable way of life for those gifted with the aptitude for it.
“I always feel like all these things are linked…You might say it’s extreme to curate an art show and then do an hour banjo show, but it’s not that far off-center to me. And you apply the same principles to both — the first being, you do the best you can.” – Steve Martin in New York Times article titled “Steve Martin Adds ‘Curator’ to His Wild and Crazy Résumé”
Below are screenshots of the Rabbits Fact Sheets. The others have similar sections viz:
Here’s a brief preview….
PART 1 OF 4 – DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
When rabbits eat feed, it quickly reaches the acidic medium of the stomach and stays there for 3 to 6 hours, with little chemical change. Over time, the stomach’s contents are pushed down into the small intestine via stomach contractions, where they are diluted by bile, and pancreas juice.
By this time, food components more easily digested so they pass through the intestinal wall by the blood into cells. Undigested remains stay 1 to 1.5 hours in small intestine then enter the caecum, where they remain for 2 to 12 hours exposed to bacterial enzymes.
Up till this point, the rabbit’s digestive tract works more or less like that for monogastric animals (e.g man). But the difference is that the Rabbit’s proximal colon has dual function – depending on the time of day the contents of the caecum enter the colon:
PART 2 OF 4 – NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
PART 3 OF 4 – FEED INGREDIENTS (Trad/Non-Traditional)
“After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity and form. The greatest scientists are always artists as well.” – Albert Einstein
Despite agreeing with virtually everything else he said in his THIS DAY newspaper article on the recent NBL sponsored Maltina Teacher of the year competition, I TOTALLY disagree with the sentiment expressed in that piece (see quote below) by Olusegun Adeniyi, that suggests he considers science subjects more important than those in the arts, humanities etc.
Nothing could be further from the truth, as I explain in this PDF white paper…AND as the above quote credited to Albert Einstein himself indicates.
This report is meant for parents looking for guidance to help their kids get the kind of education that will equip them to arrive adulthood with the ability to function as happy, competent income earners, doing what they love doing in life.
Quick Take-Away: This week, I use the true story [see video below] of a “graduate Teacher Who Could Not Read Her Own Certificate”, to illustrate why – apart from your speaking skills – you also need proficiency in reading/writing to demonstrate competence as an expert-who-speaks.
Hint: Teachers are also ” experts-who-speak” (though most people don’t think of them that way). and that’s what makes THIS teacher’s story relevant to this issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays)
WHEN YOU BUY BURT DUBIN’S SPEAKER MENTORING PRODUCTS/SERVICES – LEARN MORE HERE!
1 of 2: PUBLIC SPEAKING –To Excel, Be As Proficient In Reading & Writing, As You Are In Speaking [True Story]
Quick Take-Away: This week, I use the true story [see video below] of a “graduate Teacher Who Could Not Read Her Own Certificate”, to illustrate why – apart from your speaking skills – you also need proficiency in reading/writing to demonstrate competence as an expert-who-speaks.
Hint: Teachers are also ” experts-who-speak” (though most people don’t think of them that way). and that’s what makes THIS teacher’s story relevant to this issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
[Video] Graduate Teacher Who Could Not Read Her Own Certificate, Nabbed by Gov. Adams Oshiomole At a Screening Session to Unmask Teachers With Forged Credentials.
The 1st time I watched this video of Gov. Oshiomole and the teacher who could not read her own certificate at a screening event monitored by the former, I truly was NOT surprised.
Why?
Because for years in the course of coaching staff of some client companies to use software and websites I built, I’d noticed a shocking deficiency in reading, comprehension and writing skills in many of the individuals assigned to understudy me.
And this despite the fact that they readily brandished “certificates” as proof that they’d successfully completed programs in various disciplines.
I believe the reason we don’t often “see” these quacks till they get exposed as happened in Edo state is that we, Nigerians, often refuse to employ critical thinking.
Take that teacher’s case for instance. Everyone seems so focused on her. We seem to have all missed the fact that she could not have perpetrated this fraud alone!
For instance, some person must have interviewed and recruited her, before giving her a PAID teaching position. Who was that person, and what criteria did s/he use?
I argue that the recruiter(s) most likely was(were) an insider(s) who helped her get in.
There’s more…
According to reports, she’d been teaching for 20 WHOLE years!
That means she must have had colleagues, and bosses, to whom she reported to during that LONG period of time (??)
Are we to believe none of them noticed this serious deficiency she had in all that time?
Here’s what I think:
They knew…
But it’s likely many were no different from her. Each one had something(s) to hide.
Either that or she found a way to “bribe” them in cash or kind to keep quiet about it.
But what about the parents of the kids she must have taught?
One would imagine that one or two parents would have noticed inadequacies e.g. from checking through assignments given to the kids/talking to the kids, and even interacting with the teacher.
Yet, if we’re to believe what the reports say, in all of 20 years no parent ever complained!
Is that even possible?
I don’t know about you, but I’m tempted to believe it is…and here’s why…
Olusegun Adeniyi’s THIS DAY newspaper piece offers useful but shocking insights gained from his participation in the Nigerian Breweries Limited sponsored Competition to Choose the Best Teacher in Nigeria.
He mentioned how he, along with Prof. Pat Utomi, and other judges had to read through forms filled by contestants, which contents reflected poor reading, comprehension and writing skills on the part of many of the teachers.
Not just that, he said they learnt from interviewing the teachers that some schools were “miracle centres” where students routinely passed WAEC exams even when they knew nothing.
Using the above teacher’s story, you should be able to deduce how that is possible.
Simply put, teachers like the one Oshiomole found incapable of reading, would be the ones teaming up, often with similarly-minded parents (who probably also bought their own certificates), to cheat in the exams!
Yesterday, my 16 year old son and I visited a gentleman whose 6 month manual typewriting course he (my son) had attended at weekends back in 2011.
It turned out he’d suffered a broken ankle 3 months ago, courtesy of a hit-and-run Okada who ran into him from behind as he was walking along the street. As a result, he had been hobbling around on crutches.
We talked about that accident, and the decayed values that made the culprit fail to stop, after causing such injury to another.
Then our friend began to regale us with shocking anecdotes to illustrate just how bad things are – based on what he sees in attending to people who come to enroll for his training or to pay for typing services.
2 examples he gave held my interest:
a. A young lady who brought a computer forged copy of a well known university’s degree certificate and asked him to help her type in her name, so she could make copies to submit to a recruiting company.
He declined and tried to dissuade her. She told him off and went elsewhere to get it done. A mutual friend later told him that she got the job, as she had insiders who helped her beat the screening despite her forged papers.
b. In another incident, something similar to the above happened, but this time it was a forged NYSC certificate the individual wanted to have a name typed on!
According to our friend, his is just one of many examples that occur regularly.
No wonder we keep seeing school leavers and graduates who can’t defend their qualifications.
But here’s why/how this situation affects most of us NOT involved in these acts…without our knowing it…!
You see when such people with forged papers get into decision making positions, they will naturally feel threatened by competent others (e.g. YOU, or your kids), and block their entry into the organization.
Instead they will seek to recruit those who are like them, who will NOT come in and then turn around and call them out for being “incompetent”.
We see this already in public (and some private) sector organizations where appointment of misfits into positions, and mediocrity in work processes seems to be the order of the day.
Today, these kinds of people are often in the majority, while those not like them are the minority, and therefore an endangered species!
That’s why I argue that for every one of these crooked people that gets caught, there will often be several others hoping not to get noticed.
The following Yoruba proverb illustrates the point I’m making here.
“Eni ti won ba mu ni Ole” – Yoruba proverb
Translation: It is only the person who gets caught that is called a thief.
And I mean even right NOW, today, as I type these words!
Olusegun Adeniyi’s article based on observations from an event completed less than a month ago, confirms it. The video of the teacher who could not read went out last year – so, in all that time, not much has changed…!
If we let this continue, there may come a day when they’ll outnumber us nationally, and vote one of them as PRESIDENT. Then we’ll have to watch him/her struggle to read his/her speeches at public functions (locally and overseas) – just like that Edo state teacher did!
As an expert-who-speaks, YOU CAN use the Edo state teacher’s story to challenge yourself to improve
Apart from your speaking skills as an expert, your reading comprehension/writing skills also play a crucial role in your ability to demonstrate competence.
It’s possible the Edo state teacher was/is well spoken. If so, THAT could explain why outsiders (e.g. parents) who met her did not find her out.
They could have assumed that since she spoke well, she could also read as well.This is the same thinking those YOU relate with as an expert-who-speaks may adopt!
Question: Do you know YOUR reading speed?
If YES, what is it?
Tony Buzan in his book on Speed Reading estimates that most adults who pass through formal schooling read at about 200 to 300 words per minute on the average.
He however points out that THAT is not enough: For productive reading, at least twice that speed is needed.
Thankfully, you can google “Learn Speed Reading” to learn techniques you need (like I did to become able to read over 400wpm).
Here’s why your reading speed matters…
As an expert who is also a knowledge provider, your rate of learning affects your output.
If you’re a slow reader, that means it will take you longer to get through written material you need to read, in doing your research or reviewing client materials.
You may have to plough through large volumes of written material, in paper form, or on your PC screen.
Slow reading speed could cause you to delay others who need your feedback to progress their own jobs.
In relating with a client representative, that could put you in an embarrassing situation where the affected individual is forced to complain to his/her boss that you’re holding him/her back!
Apart from reading, your “writing”/”TYPING” skill/speed also comes into play.
What is your typing speed? Do you know?
Estimates have it that the average adult types about 40 words per minute.
I’d say aim to do at least 50 wpm and every now and then, push yourself to increase by 10 wpm till you can do up to 80 wpm or more, which I exceed when in flow (Typing Tutor software can help you with this).
If you’re slow in writing/typing it can limit your ability to function at a higher level of productivity e.g. when a client requests for a written “proposal” or some other document that you have to put together.
Unless you have no deadline to deliver to, or your workload is so low there’s enough time to take it slow, being slow in writing/tying can do you in!
Final Words: To attract, win and serve more – and higher profile – clients, demonstrating proficiency in your reading/writing skills (in addition to your speaking skills), will be key…
Depending on the market you serve, and the emphasis placed on competent use of the language, higher profile clients (e.g. decision makers in corporate organizations) will expect you to possess a decent mastery (spoken and written) of the language of communication.
Apart from speed, writing proficiently (using correct grammer, spelling and tenses) also matters.
So, anything you send to a client will be read with that expectation in mind. Meeting it can dramatically boost his/her rating of you, leading to repeat business, referrals etc.
It goes without saying that no one is infallible or perfect, so one may miss the mark once in a while.
However, those should be few and far between in occurrence – if at all.
experts-who-speak. Starting – Monday 13th April 2015 – it MORPHED in name and content served, to a 2 part Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, to better serve them.
You just read the “Public Speaking IDEAS” part above. What follows below is the “Web Marketing IDEAS” part.
*******
Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his website NOW and submit a contact form message telling him what challenges you’re facing, and how
you’d like him to help you. Tell him I sent you, and you’ll get a pleasant surprise offer from him.
“If you want to achieve sustainable success in business (especially in a volatile market place like Nigeria), it’s in your best interest to develop interest in
current affairs and politics, because those are the two key ingredients that really keep this country from having a stable sociopolitical climate.
And for as long as that stable sociopolitical climate does not exist, every person running a business will probably have to sleep with one eye open.” – Tayo K.
Solagbade
It’s FREE for all my Web Marketing/farm business clients, and ALL members of my Inner Circle as well as for ALL subscribers to THIS newsletter.
SPECIAL OFFER TO READERS OF THIS SPEAKING/WEB MARKETING IDEAS NEWSLETTER
Did you know that as an expert in your field you can make more money by speaking professionally? Or do you already speak-for-money, but want to know
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Burt helps those he mentors (experts-who-speak) to Position, Package, Promote, and Present* themselves successfully to clients (*He calls
them the 4Ps). That’s why it’s no surprise that on Burt’s website, considerable space capital is devoted to useful business marketing articles as well as products.
It might also interest you to know that MANY years back, Burt established himself as one of the best marketing minds in the world. To really put this FACT in
proper perspective, I’ll provide more specific details in form of an example.
A few years ago, Burt contributed an article to a powerful publication titled “The Most Effective Articles Ever – By The World’s Top Marketers“. That 574 page ebook features timeless marketing advice from 71 of the world’s top marketers – including Jack
Trout, Joe Vitale, Yanik Silver…and Burt Dubin.
That’s ample proof that (in addition to Public Speaking), Burt would be a great resource to learn business marketing from!
Full Disclosure: I represent Burt as Sole Agent for his products/services, which means if YOU buy from him, I get paid.
But that’s NOT the main reason I represent and recommend him. I have benefited in many ways by learning from Burt. Through his writing, his audio recordings,
and from directly relating with him.
Before we teamed up in 2011, I’d been studying his work and adapting it to succeed in my work from way back in 2002. It does not matter what part of the world
you’re in. If you know how to adapt them to suit your peculiar local needs, Burt’s ideas and strategies WILL work for you. I am living proof of it!
That’s why I never tire of CONFIDENTLY recommending him to others.
If you need help putting the ideas shared above to use, let me know HERE.
A live example, including a complete audio recording of a program Burt created from scratch–on a topic he knew nothing about and never, ever presented before!
See how you, guided by your personal Learning Guide, (Presentation Magic), can do this too and thrill audiences as often as you want.
Presentation Magic Manual with new pages added plus 3 audio CDs.
“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000).
—————————–
“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard
work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)*
*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to
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.
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 as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training
& Technical Development Manager, and then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.
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 Limited.
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.
“In certain ways, I see myself as a non-singing ideological equivalent of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Through his lyrics, I discovered myself, and became passionately proud of being Black
, Nigerian and African. (I named my first son after Fela, for this/his other good sides). My objective is to help others achieve similar Self-Discovery.” – Tayo Solagbade
The photos below show my (now 16 year old) son who got named after Baba 70
The photos were taken when I took him through some areas of Ikeja I used to “pavement-pound”, doing my door-to-door marketing. That was how I worked back then (pre-2012), to find clients for my custom Excel-VB software development service and products (like the Payslip Generator, Hotel Records Management System etc).
I told him how I would park close to Fela’s house, before leaving to “hunt for clients”. AND I also told him MANY stories about how I had to go on marketing all day, most times with NO money to eat/drink.
But back then Fela’s house was a shadow of itself, badly neglected.
I recall I would sometimes see “Seun” – one of Fela’s sons (younger brother to Femi Kuti), come outside from one of the rooms at the top of the building – often shirtless – having returned from a music tour abroad.
Each time I parked there however, I could not help wondering how the house of a legend like Fela could have been allowed to degenerate the way it had. It saddened me greatly.
It goes without saying that I was not alone in thinking this way. Anyone who’d heard Fela’s legend would naturally think the same thing on seeing the house!
One time I overheard a white man with an American accent who’d come to see the house with a Nigerian friend, asking why it looked so neglected.
The response he got missed me, but I’m sure it would have been along the lines of “Search me!”
…And I BELIVE the massive followership triggered worldwide by THAT wonderful broadway show, was the reason things changed for Fela’s house!
That show boosted Fela’s global popularity, leading to overwhelming international demand for news and information about him. Among other things, all-white Afro beat bands springing up in Europe became commonplace. Events of all kinds, art shows etc got organized to share his story.
Nigerians in diaspora who’d previously neglected to mention they knew a Fela Anikulapo Kuti back home, suddenly got infected with the fever.
They became proud to answer questions about Afro beat when asked “Hey, you’re Nigerian…do you know Fela?”
It became “cool” to be associated with the name of Fela…who some had previously called “hemp smoker” and “trouble maker”…!
YES. It is my considered opinion that ALL of the above made it “politically acceptable” for the Lagos State government and other stakeholders to finally ACT.
They provided the funding and support to transform Fela’s historic building’s appearance into something befitting of a true tourist attraction.
But it SHOULD have been done earlier, and not just that, we should have been the ones to tell the world about Fela, from the time he died!!!
I know some will tell me I’m wrong, but I would ask them:
How come NIGERIA’s government waited sooooo LOOOOONG to do this simple deed of turning Fela’s house into a museum????
The truth is NO answer they give can ever justify the delay.
Only in Nigeria can that kind of atrocity ever be committed against a legendary figure of Fela’s stature!
FACT: Before now, MANY educated and enlightened Nigerians would NEVER allow their kids go near Fela’s shrine or even play his music.
When I was young, I recall reading stories in print media about how some Nigerian elites accused Fela of being a bad influence on youths.
They never saw anything good about him, his music or his activism.
All they did was focus on the fact that he smoked weed, and had multiple wives.
Yet today, NONE of those arm chair theorists/phony critics commands the recognition that Fela, and his kids (who are carrying on the Afro beat tradition admirably), enjoy from fans all over the world.
I don’t smoke weed. Never have. Never will.
I don’t need it to function in any way. My creativity is 100% nature driven, and requires no artificial stimulation.
But the fact that Fela smoked weed NEVER made him any less worthy of my admiration.
What he stood for went beyond his foibles.
Indeed, no genius exists without faults – and that should NOT stop us from appreciating his/her ingenuity!!!
Sadly, many of our people – we Nigerians – missed it. As a result, instead of being the ones to SELL Fela to the world, the irony is that the WORLD, led by America, is SELLING our own Fela to us!
Think about it and you’ll see my point.
Which American great did outsiders ever have to help Americans recognize or celebrate?
None that I can think of. And that’s because America always celebrates its own.
That’s why even though Martin Luther King Jr. has African roots and fought slavery, AMERICA was the one that SOLD him to the rest of us.
They went further and set aside a day to remember him, which even here in Nigeria we recognize and join them to observe.
Several years ago, I saw audience members at Benin City’s Igbinedion Education Centre, applauding wildly to the rendition of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech by a student, at an end of year event broadcast on TV.”
Would ANY Nigerian school, before now, have ever let students recite lyrics from a Fela album at ANY event???
Indeed, can we easily find schools today that would even readily permit that to happen?
The answer is debatable…BUT the fact that it is ONLY serves to further underscore the point I’m making in this article, that we do NOT value our own.
Instead we devote needless time, energy and money joining others to celebrate their own geniuses.
In other words, they taught me to have self-esteem: which is what schooling should do. And that makes Fela’s lyrics relevant, for instance, in Civics classes, and his life story relevant for History classes.
Instead, our kids/youths get taught about Mungo Park, Malcolm X, Mahathma Ghandi, Karl Marx etc.
As a result, YEARS after Fela died, we (Nigeria as a nation, and Nigerians as a people) have no formal message about his life and works to share with the world.
Many Nigerian youths today cannot really tell you what he was about. But they can tell you the life history of Michael Jackson!
No “official” Nigeria branded interviews or documentaries were done to capture the history of his amazing life.
And to make matters worse, his house was left neglected for about a decade and a half after he passed on in 1997.
Things only changed when the Americans – JayZ, Will Smith etc – got a glimpse of the life and times of Fela: they instantly knew it was a story worth telling.
So the broadway show was born, about 3 years ago
Eventually, after the show had generated rave reviews all over, they brought it down to Nigeria’s Lagos to show it to Nigerians – last year I think.
They came to show their dramatization of a legend made in Nigeria. They came to show it to NIGERIANS, in NIGERIA.
They came to show it to Nigerians who should have been telling the whole world the story themselves, in their own voice, by their own people.
It thinks it’s sad that it happened that way.
BUT I also believe it probably would never have happened at all, if it’d been left to Nigerians to do it!
And that says a lot about the people – us Nigerians – who Fela fought and died for.
We have SUCH a long way to go where it concerns celebrating our own!
I find it ironic that many well schooled Nigerians (who in the past snubbed Fela and those who followed him) now readily take their white-skinned tourist friends from Europe and America to see Fela’s house/shrine.
We now see/hear them narrating anecdotes about Fela, and getting kids in their posh schools to recite his life story during history classes or celebrations.
Few, if at all any of them would however admit that they NEVER identified with Fela when he was alive!
On one occasion, an elderly relative pointedly told me Fela was a criminal
He claimed to have known Fela from his childhood days, arguing that he’d been “spoiled” by his mother – Mrs. Ransome Kuti.
This elderly relative would later query me for saying Fela was my role model, adding that as far as he was concerned, “the man was a criminal!”
I could not believe my ears, because I recalled once hearing Fela’s music blaring from a music player in this relative’s car, 3 decades earlier.
When I asked why he now called Fela a criminal, he said it was because Fela got sent to jail, and served a sentence for a criminal offence (actually trumped up charges), adding that even his activism was often unlawfully done.
I countered that the logic he employed qualified to make Nelson Mandela eligible for labeling as a criminal too, but he disagreed!
It goes without saying that I tossed his expressed opinion out of the window, and gave it no more thought.
Today, I’m sure the massive worldwide celebration of Fela must be hitting him hard where it hurts most…his ego!
Anyway, I’m glad I finally got to take my son to see Fela’s tomb, and house-turned-museum.
I’ve told him MANY stories about his name-sake, and shown him photos, plus videos of his live shows and interviews for him to watch.
As far as living one’s life in service of others, Fela – for me – is the ultimate role model. He took it to a whole NEW level!
Like I tell all who care to listen, Fela Anikulapo Kuti was the closest I ever came to having a human being I worshipped.
And I live my life today striving DAILY to emulate him in every way possible.
Not just by myself – but also through my kids…who I ALWAYS challenge to be like him in the way they FEARLESSLY stand up for truth, and justice.
PS: To Better Prepare them for Life, Spend Quality Time Sharing YOUR Life Experiences With YOUR Kids
I must not end without saying this….
Regular readers of this blog know I’m currently home-schooling my kids to give them Personal Achievement Education (PAE) – with a special focus on building street-smartness and income-earning-skills to complement their academic education.
Like I continue to point out to parents who will listen, PAE is crucial to giving your child the BALANCED education s/he will need to function competently as an independent adult in society AFTER s/he leaves your home.
My actions derive from the RUDE awakening I got after leaving school – especially when I chose to leave the security of paid employment, about surviving in the real-world’s shark infested waters of our society.
Look around you, and observe the warped values prevalent in society today, and you’ll appreciate the need to adopt a similar strategy, for your kids’ sake!
However, in light of the VERY different date preferences being expressed by intending attendees to the 6 tentative dates I sent out, it’s become obvious that getting up to the minimum of 5 persons needed to hold even one session will be difficult.
I’ve already discussed this challenge on phone, with some of you (past buyers of my products) who expressed interest in attending.
It’s not the first time this is happening.
Farm CEOs amongst you – like Collins Uwagholo in Warri, Azi Bulus Disu in Jos, Bello Hassan in Abuja, Abdul-Azeez Abba and Alhaji Usman Sanni in Kano (who had to travel out of the country the day after I called him last week) – will recall that my past efforts to put together a similar learning event so I could meet you all as a group had similar outcomes!
Only 2 people chose 14th Nov. 2015.
But I need at least 5 persons to make it worthwhile booking the hall for the FREE workshop.
Once again, due to busy schedules, most of you are choosing different dates. And some are just NOT free, making them request for an alternative
Since I’m not sure if/when the CEO of the Vocational/Entrepreneurship Skills Development Centre I mentioned will get back to me (or if her date will work for YOU), I’ve done some thinking and come up with two (2) alternative options you can adopt:
Option 1. Attend a one-on-one hands-on Feed Formulation Training session with me (for 4 to 6 hours)
As far as I’m concerned, due to the TRULY international dimension of the success he enjoys as a freelance writer/blogger, earning steady income in thousands of dollars by CREATING 100% original value adding content for high profile and discerning international clients, coupled with his successful investment of his earnings to start-up an offline cash-flow generating catfish farming business) 21 year old Ibadan based Bamidele Onibalusi is Nigeria’s NUMBER 1 blogger
That’s why he is the blogging role model I will continue to recommend to my kids, ahead of ANY others. Period.
In case you don’t know him, here are some of the grass to grace achievements already earned between the ages of 16 to 21, by this (fatherless-former-teen-startup) blogger who gained Internet fame for his prolific Guest Blogging:
2. Contributed to top websites like: Business Insider, ReadWrite, Under30CEO, Naij.com.
3. Featured in and/or contributed to internationally published books like: The Writers Market 2014, Engagement from Scratch (2011), 2 Billion Under 20.
4. Took a one year break from writing to invest some of the money from his freelance writing into owning an offline (Catfish Farming) business – and now publishes educational articles (and videos) on Catfish Farming for others in the business and those aspiring.
5. Runs a blog to help writers, that is visited dailyby thousands of SERIOUS minded writers/bloggers from across the world (and also publishes a newsletter received by over 10,000 subscribers (including yours truly) – in addition to providing PAID writing coaching for aspiring writers/blogging).
In this regard, I’m looking for role models – beyond myself – for my kids.
By this I mean AUTHENTIC achievers whose successes are not only EXPLAINABLE and VERIFIABLE, but also REPEATABLE and REPRODUCIBLE by anyone who follows guidance they (such achievers) offer.
These are successful people who readily offer information, education, ideas, tips and even coaching/training on HOW to do what they have done – and possibly do better.
The challenge in identifying role models like the above, is that so much “noise” is out here about “blogging”, “bloggers” and those “making it” amongst them – especially in the Nigerian space!!!
For the uninitiated, the “noise” can make it difficult to choose right.
Thankfully, for me, no such problem exists: I know exactly what to look for, to choose right!
In the rest of this article, I offer ideas to help interested persons accurately identify the right role models.
My (never ending) search for such role models to complement my efforts towards coaching my kids, has led me to VARIOUS places locally…and internationally, offline as well as on the web.
Regarding the international aspect, where I have since recorded the greatest successes in my searches, it’s all thanks to the Internet:
I struggled to find AUTHENTIC role models that could be reliably emulated locally. So I turned my attention to the web and voila: I found more than I’d dreamed possible!
The best part was that virtually all of those I found online had useful resources (often in form of write-ups and books) that I could have at no cost. That wonderful opportunity was one that I embraced and it helped me grow my business in various ways.
It is instructive to note however, that since most of my adopted role models were in foreign countries (mostly the USA, Canada etc), I was not able to directly transplant what I learned from them for use locally…
I tried to do that several times, but failed woefully each time.
Eventually, the hardships I faced as a result of my failures FORCED me to do more creative thinking in the use of what I’d learned, till I successfully developed adaptations based on a BLEND of all I’d learned, to meet my unique needs.
The above process enabled me begin to build my success to what I now enjoy today. And that experience is what’s guiding me now in the choice of role models to point my kids to!
Today, I’m giving my kids Personal Achievement Coaching to identify and choose role models whose success stories they can VERIFY. In other words, they are being taught how to identify achievers with traceable roots…and NOT overnight successes whose only testimony is what THEY say…!
I seek for my kids authentic successes through whom they can learn how to succeed with honesty and integrity. These would be potential mentors who also LIVE their lives – publicly and more importantly privately – in a manner that reflects the values they publicly claim to uphold.
In addition, I want my kids to look for role models that enjoy the HEALTHY respect and recognition of their peers or counterparts INTERNATIONALLY – evidence of which would be seen by way of MENTIONS they get in relevant high profile circles!
That is what I seek for my kids, and I’ve told them NEVER to settle for anything less.
Every day, I strive to make myself FIT the above description of role models they are to seek…
At the risk of sounding immodest, I’d say I’m not doing badly on that front, for a guy who’d had to climb back up from repeated setbacks and failure in business for YEARS while carrying the load of a wife and kids.
Having lived with me all their lives, during the times when I struggled to provide for them (to the point that relatives had to bail me out repeatedly), they KNOW I’ve overcome countless odds to establish my brand.
[Hint: Most people fail to realize it’s easier – MUCH easier(!) – to deal with failure, and grow your success, when you’re single/unmarried and especially if you have few or no dependents to feed or spend the income you earn on. I intend to write a book on that!]
Today, my children are aware that I enjoy growing high profile international recognition within and outside Africa for what I do. We often talk about how I am increasingly getting opportunities to rub shoulders with some of the best known minds in my fields of professional occupation and interest.
I’m now preparing my kids to learn how to do – but with special focus on discovering THEIR own natural God-given talents, passions and abilities.
The objective is for them to leverage those strengths to become competent to function independently in society while still in school-age.
Why make them start earning income that early?
Because today’s world requires kids to be better prepared to meet the challenges it presents.
Fewer job opportunities are a reality more and more school leavers will face. Kids who get the kind of preparation I refer to – especially one based on identifying and emulating the right role models – will stand a much better chance of succeeding – and excelling.
For my kids, the ethos in their “coaching” program is therefore self-employment…
Seeking long term or career paid employment will simply NOT be a priority for them, and will only be considered as a temporary stepping stone to owning their own businesses.
Today, countless opportunities exist for young people to own their own businesses without giving up formal schooling. Especially when PC and Internet technology is involved.
I actually discovered him while on a blog owned by an American Writing Coach familiar with his work. My attention was piqued when his credentials were being raved about this group of high profile freelance writing experts.
Especially because they said he was a Nigerian living in Nigeria and just 17years old but already earning over $5,000 USD monthly, serving international clients in Asia, America etc!
Robert Kiyosaki advises making your money work for you – and he stresses that Cash Flow Generating Assets (e.g. businesses) are a proven means to achieving that.
This chap learned enough to know that it was better to sink the money from his online writing business, into a lucrative offline venture like catfish farming, to boost his cash flow generation – rather than spending directly from his writing business’ earnings.
But that’s not all he’s done. Remember I said that authentic achievers always display a readiness to share what they know with others?
See what I mean when I say he’s an authentic role model?
In case you wonder how he began, get this: He is not the only one who knows or tells his story.
I have read articles about him written by others within and outside Nigeria/Africa (some are top names in international blogging!) which provide details about how he began in his early teens – after losing his Dad, and having to drop out of school.
This young man is an excellent example of the kinds of people we should encourage our kids to adopt as role models – especially towards achieving financial success using just PC and Internet Technology.
Today he’s pursuing university education without stress – but ONLY because he used the web to find financial success to return to school. At his age (21), I was in my 4th years, and got money for my undergraduate studies from my parents, since I had NEVER worked for a single day’s pay in my life!
The Yoruba’s have a saying: Ki a ro idi mo aso, tabi ki a ro aso mo idi. Ki idi sa ma pa ofo”
Literal Translation: It does not matter if you tie your bottom around your wrapper or tie your wrapper around your bottom – as long as your bottom is not exposed”
Contextual Translation: Whether you complete your formal education early on in life, or you do so a little later, what matters is that you find a way (income-wise) to get it done.
The moral: Since one needs money on a regular basis to pursue formal education in most societies, you’ll get kicked out of school anyway if you want to continue schooling but cannot pay your fees.
The above is why I advocate that Personal Achievement Education is a better way to go compared to conventional/formal education.
Wonder what the difference is? Watch out for my new book on due to be published soon.
But briefly, Personal Achievement Education (PAE) is what Oni literally empowered himself with. And countless others who rose from grass to grace did the same thing in different parts of the world, to achieve their successes.
PAE is superior because it incorporates Academic Education while exposing learners to information, ideas, opportunities, and experiences designed to enable them identify and develop their real world relevant income-earning talents/abilities/passions to support themselves through life.
PAE is what I’m giving my kids now, and like I’ve told those who’ve raised issues with my approach, especially relatives, the results they get will demonstrate to MANY parents that it’s the BEST way to go, in this 21st century and beyond.
A WORD OF ADVICE: No matter how old you think you are, or how much you think you know about Freelance Writing or Blogging, stay open to LEARNING from others…even if they are DECADES younger than you are!!
In my case, within days of discovering Oni’s YoungPrePro.com (now www.writersincharge.com) a few years back, I wasted no time in subscribing to his newsletter (using an email forwarder I setup via my tksola dot com domain to my GMAIL box for my first son), so as to see possible learnings I could pick up, to boost my efforts to win freelance writing clients, and also to coach my kids.
By way of interest, I knew I was 20 years older than him, but my attitude to life has always been to learn from even a 1 year old…if it helps me. Many Africans struggle to scale this mental hurdle and it hurts them!
Accepting to learn from a younger person does not mean you’re inferior to him/her. It simply means you have enough self-esteem to NOT feel inadequate acknowledging that others may know things in certain areas, that you need to learn!
I soon began sharing Oni’s emails with my first son (who had not long before that time just completed a 6 month weekend practical manual typewriting course).
Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I was unsuccessful in using most of the ideas I got from reading Oni’s blog to get hired to write.
Try as I could, I was unable to get even one Guest Posting opportunity (maybe I did not try hard/long enough)…
But I knew that was not Oni’s fault. I knew it was not that Oni’s tips were not useful.
Instead, my analytical thinking helped me discern what the likely problem was…
My primary target market (farm business) and audience (farm CEOs), coupled with my multidisciplinary profile makes me a fairly unusual case…and that’s why a more flexible approach to blogging (like the one I learnt by studying Patrick Meninga’s model) was eventually what helped me achieve my goals in blogging.
In line with Patrick’s advice, I focused on writing on this blog DAILY, and to use multiple content syndication tools to propagate it to as many channels as possible, to boost my marketing reach and impact.
That strategy has since worked perfectly for me – leading to more sales leads (for my custom f software, information products and ghost-writing services) being generated via Google’s results pages and other channels.
For instance, I currently have 2 Ghost-writing projects in hand (one for a UK based client, and the other for an Abuja based Farm CEO client) – both came from clients I have NEVER met in the flesh.
And that’s apart from passive income I regularly earn from sales of my products – to online buyers..
No matter how you look at it, even if it did not get me hired in the conventional way, my exposure to Oni’s work at least indirectly benefited me…and I know a lot more about blogging as a result…!
As you can imagine, I’m determined to make sure my kids learn from him as well.
Sadly, so many older persons in this part of the world let their egos and concerns about being “older” than another person (e.g they’ll think and even say “s/he is a small boy or girl”) stop them from learning from – or at least being positively influenced by – those who can help them…
My advice: If you want to get ahead in life, DROP that retrogressive mind set, or you’ll have yourself to blame!
[Tagline: If it can help your farm business, you’ll find it in THE FARM CEO™ Newspaper ]
Preview:
This week, I am pleased to announce that ALL who sign-up for my Feed Formulation Workshop will get a 50% discount to order my new Home Study DVD on How to Formulate Rations for Poultry, Pigs, Fish, Dairy Cattle & Rabbits.
Any persons who are interested will also get a 50% discount to buy a new version of my Excel-VB Ration Formulator which features an interface for formulating rations for Pigs, by balancing for essential Amino Acids in ingredients used.
Just like in past issues, the resources featured this week, are based on farm related activities done in different parts of Africa.
The reason I do this is that a key objective of The Farm CEO newspaper is to encourage Farm CEOs to develop interest in staying up to date with developments in other markets outside theirs.
Potential benefits to be had from doing that is the opportunity to get useful ideas and inspiration they can apply to their own farm businesses to achieve improved performance at low to zero cost.
******
Here are the headlines, reviews – and links – for this week’s featured news items:
[PDF] Formulating Swine Rations…PLUS Get MY Upgraded Excel-VB Ration Formulator Which Generates Amino Acid Balanced Rations for Pigs! P.1
[VIDEO] POOR WATER QUALITY IN FISH PONDS – What went wrong P.2
[PDF] Review of Livestock Feed Formulation Techniques P.2
[PDF] A diet fit for a pig: seven basic rules P.3
[PDF] A New Guide to Fish Farming in Kenya P.3
Below: Screenshot of the cover for Issue No. 20 of THE FARM CEO (Monday 19th October 2015)
Subscribe to THE FARM CEO, and get this new issue, as well as ALL back issues, in addition to your full subscription of 48 weekly issues.
1) Useful feed formulation/other findings from trusted sources
2) Cost-saving ideas from farm visits as I travel across West Africa.
3) Ads by farm providers/suppliers of all genres.
4). Special promo price offers of my Software and Book products
…a multi-disciplinary blog for people passionate about reaching their goals!
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