Category Archives: My DN Travel News

Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

Use Joint Venture Marketing Partnerships to Achieve Greater Marketing Success

August 9, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The use of Joint Venture Marketing Partnerships to boost sales is a time tested strategy. Sadly, not many people understand how it works, and/or how to use it successfully. This article offers explanations and insights interested persons can use.

How It Works: The example of a well known publisher of a business magazine

This gentleman is well known for what he does, and I’ve studied his model quite closely.

Let’s call him Mr. S.

He periodically brings a variety of experts under one roof, to share their know-how with paying attendees (mostly readers of his magazine) in a week long series of workshops and seminars.

Basically, what happens is that individuals or groups who have specific areas of business expertise approach Mr. S to explain what they offer, and how it can help the magazine readers.

He evaluates their “knowledge products” (training or otherwise) for its potential usefulness to his readers.

Note the italicized reference to “his” readers in the preceding sentence.

Majority of those who will attend many of the seminars during the week will often be readers of his magazine.

This is because all the seminar offerings will be advertised in Mr. S’ business magazine some weeks before the event is due to hold.

So, for prospective resource persons/trainers he accepts to partner with, the difficult business of advertising to reach their target audience is made quite easy.

The business magazine’s readers are most likely to be people who own their own businesses or plan to start theirs.

As a result prospective seminar facilitators are sure that the right people will be reading the adverts they’ve placed. And they are likely to be interested in attending the events.

Mr. S in effect “endorses” the resource persons to his list of trusting readers who “believe” that anything they read in the magazine must be useful to them.

In exchange for his willingness to share advertising access to his readers, (and also organizing the week long event, taking administrative stress off their necks, the prospective facilitators/resource persons give a percentage of their earnings from the seminars to Mr. S.

According to Marc Goldman, who calls this technique “The Most Powerful Marketing Method Ever Invented”, the norm in terms of percentage of the profits one could expect for doing something similar to what Sunny does is 50%.

But he adds that the person giving others access to his network of buyers has the right to demand whatever percentage of the sale s/he wants.

The reason for that is that the “seller” being endorsed by you, to your buyer list or network is going to gain new customers. And s/he will go on to make MORE money from them in future that you will NOT get a piece of!

That is why if YOU are the one providing the referral opportunity in a Joint Venture Marketing Partnership arrangement, you should aim to capitalize on the profits made at the very first run.

Just in case you’re already challenging the above, let me quickly help make the point even clearer.

Let’s imagine you are one of those experts intending to offer a seminar to Mr. S’ readers.

The truth is that without Mr. S allowing you to advertise to his readers through his magazine, it would be quite difficult for you to find so many people potentially interested in buying your products/services (or attending your training) all in one place!

And even if you did find a medium like Mr. S’ magazine, would the readers readily attend your seminar/hand over their hard earned money to someone they do not know (i.e. YOU) – and have no reason to trust?

Do you see why Mr. S’ endorsement is worth a hefty sum of money now?

You see, Mr. S offers you the “unfair advantage” of instant credibility before the readers of your advertisement in his magazine.

That’s one of the benefits you’ll pay for, by giving up as much as 50% of what you make through him.

Final Words: If you can find someone to work with in a Joint-Venture arrangement, you are likely to boost your marketing efforts tremendously.

It would make you quickly gain good ground and acceptability in the market place with your product and/or service.

Also, and depending on the kind of business you go into, you will find that at a point, you will be able to offer another person access to your own customer list, and in the process make good extra income for yourself, almost without lifting a finger – like Mr. S does!

You can learn even more about this technique by doing a search on the Internet!

General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

Teach Your Child to Learn By Discovery

August 8, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Yesterday, I arrived my home in Lagos, from Cotonou at 11.30 p.m. There was no power, and I learnt the "small" generator “ (I pass my neighbour) stopped working days ago". Asking “Has the plug been cleaned?” would however lead my 13 year old son to SHOCK ME by servicing and starting the generator successfully within 45 minutes!

This proves what I keep saying that coaching kids works – if you know how to do it!

I had never felt more proud as a father, than I was yesterday, to watch this young man do what he did.

NB: His 11 year old brother has displayed similar initiative, countless times in solving real "electrical" problems, and even building contraptions that work e.g. a rechargeable lamp made from scraps and carton).

When I asked that question about the plug, he simply got up and went into the house, to get the tool kit, and also bring out the generator.

Within minutes, he’d unscrewed the plug and (not finding the wire brush) scraped off the deposits on it using a screwdriver. Then he fitted it back in place.

That did not surprise me. I’d taught them to do that many months back, when I came home, and it would not start.

That was all I expected him to do really, because it was all I knew how to do, all I’d taught him to do.

But next thing I knew, he’d uncoupled the combustion chamber (where you have the piston etc)…

Then, sitting on the floor, he proceeded to painstakingly scrape off the hard dark deposits on the inside, using a flat screwdriver mouth.

When I saw this, I asked “Why did you uncouple the combustion chamber, and why are you scraping the inside of the separated pieces like that?”

He said “Yes. That’s what I see the mechanic who comes to service it doing each time.”

I asked: "But have you done it before?"

He replied: "No"

Now concerned, I quickly asked: “Are you sure you will be able to couple it back properly when you are done?”

To my last question he answered in the affirmative without hesitating!

That was when I knew we were about to witness an exciting display of God-given talent, based on learning acquired by discovery!

After scraping off all the visible deposits, he proceeded to use small quantities of petrol to wash the scraped surface clean. Once that was done, he re-coupled the combustion chamber.

By this time it was about 15 minutes past midnight.

Normally, I would have asked him to go to bed because it was late. But I really needed power to be on because I wanted to finish off some work. (And he was going about it so confidently, in a way that strongly suggested he knew exactly what he was doing.)

I had 2 Farm CEOs in Port Harcourt who had paid courier fees to have my Feed Formulation Handbook and Software, delivered in print and on DVD (with video tutorials) respectively, via FedEx.

So I needed to prepare the CD labels, and cover letters for each person’s package.

My laptop battery power was already used up as I’d done some work without connecting to a walled socket after leaving the hotel in Cotonou.

That meant my only hope of getting those tasks done was either that PHCN would restore power for long enough, or he would fix the generator. I chose to hope on the latter. So I selfishly let him continue.

You can therefore imagine how excited (and proud) I was to actually witness him (with help from his older brother) start the generator (which had not worked for days), successfully, minutes later!

I always knew the deliberate “suggestive” coaching I had been doing would work. But I never really anticipated this powerful impact would happen in such a short period of time.

My sons are REALLY responding so well by becoming spontaneous learners, who intelligently seize ANY opportunity they get, to learn anything they identify to be useful.

When the generator failed to work, they’d simply put it aside days ago – waiting for the mechanic to come and service it. That showed they had not yet fully imbibed the mental attitude I advocated.

It’s the way we human beings are wired.

We get so used to having others solve real life problems for us, that we forget we may also have the ability to do it ourselves, if given the time and proper training.

My asking if the plug had been cleaned, was what made my son recall that he knew a few things he could try on his own to get the generator working.

As it turned out, he actually knew more than I knew, because he had repeatedly watched an expert do it.

But it never occurred to him that he could put what he had learned by watching to use!

Thankfully, my simple question, triggered his critical thinking – thereby changing his mind set.

It all began many months ago, when I instructed him and his siblings to always stick around to watch the mechanic servicing the generator…

Most parents would simply let their kids stay in the house and wait for the "hired" person to finish work and leave.

But I’ve always challenged my kids to pay attention to their environment.

My decision about what to ask them to focus on is often dictated by realities faced by the family.

In other words, I have always deliberately tasked them to think of ways to solve problems affecting us financially and otherwise.

For instance, due to the constant lack of steady power supply, they know we spend often about N300-500 daily, to buy petrol to power the generator.

However, the heavy usage, and related wear and tear, also makes us periodically pay N500 to service the generator as well.

Now, whenever I’ve been home, I’ve always noted to them that the extra N500 being spent every 3 weeks, on servicing, could buy an extra round of fuel – IF we could service the generator ourselves.

I told them I did not have the time or patience to do stuff like that. And that they would be better off learning to do it themselves.

The truth was however that I could have made out time to do it.

But I knew it would be better to “stir” up their interest in taking personal action, to explore ways to solve their own real life problems, by themselves, as often as possible.

And I knew that one good way to achieve that end, was to use problems that really touched and made them uncomfortable e.g. lack of electricity.

The desire to have electricity for longer periods naturally made them keen to learn how to get – and keep – the generator in proper working condition.

And that was why they paid so much attention to the man who came to service it.

I’d planted the idea in their minds, that if they could learn from him (without telling him), how to service the generator by themselves, the N500 we paid the man could be used to buy more fuel, so they would get to enjoy longer hours of electricity!

That was what drove my son to watch so well, and learn enough to service the generator successfully, without ever having done it before!

This is a powerful confirmation of what I’ve said for years about coaching people – especially kids.

Find what interests them, and expose them to it, you will find you do not need to push them to learn. They will, on their own, pay diligent attention, and learn what is essential and useful from it.

Final Words

I hope you can put the above ideas to use in helping your child become an independent minded thinker, and self-directed learner.

If you do it right, s/he will become a powerful force to be reckoned with in your family (and even the larger society), when it comes to finding solutions to real life problems.

PS: I have used this story to illustrate what is possible in ANY area of life…

Not just power supply or electricity generation. It also goes without saying that only small generators like the one referred to here, may be handled by a teenager in the manner described.

But having said that, even when a heavy duty generator is concerned, a teenage child can still pay enough attention to useful controls on the machine, while "hired hands" operate it. You just need to get them to be curious about things. To go around and asking questions. That way, they’ll get familiar with things you may miss because you’re too busy.

Then, in the event that the hired hands are unexpectedly "indisposed", s/he may prove useful in helping you, the parent, find a solution to a simple problem e.g. starting and stopping, opening the fuel tank, changing over etc.

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News

Why You May Not Need To Rent An Office To Start YOUR Business!

August 7, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Believing you need to have your own office/staff from the start could be a BIG mistake.

With only a few exceptions, most businesses can be prudently started up on a small budget, in a way that would increase their changes of achieving long term success.

The problem seems however to be that certain individuals come into self-employment with faulty preconceived ideas about how they should start.

Many times, they will ignore readily available wisdom on offer from a myriad of sources to devote scarce financial resources to creating a lavish image for their new business.

By the time they realise that the business is struggling to earn needed income at a rate that will allow quick enough recovery of expended capital to cover cash flow requirements, it would be too late.

This article provides common sense justifications for starting small and offers examples drawn from real-life occurrences and personal experiences of entrepreneurs who have achieved success by following a similar route.

A Home Office Will Usually Do(At Least For A Start)

In many cases, nothing could be further from the truth than the assertion many people make, that one needs an office to operate from when starting-up. In my early startup days, many times after people had excitedly engaged me in discussion about my work, they would ask me – “Where is your office?”. My prepared answer was always I work from home. A lot of individuals as soon as they heard this, simply got turned off and never got back to me. As far as they were concerned, if I did not have an office, I could not be a serious business person!

From the time I started my business, I had promised myself – based on a detailed analysis of the nature of products and services I aimed to deliver – that I wasn’t going to spend ANY money on an office space – talk less of staff. I believe that my conviction has now proved to be well based. I say this after extensive reflection, over more than four years. It is obvious that it was not my lack of an office that prevented me from doing more business than I have done! People who wanted me called me up, sent me e-mails, came looking for me at my SOHO (Small Office Home Office) – including the Center for Management Development!

What Really Matters Is That You Have A Product/Service That People Want

The fact is that if you have a product or a service that people really want and need, they will find a way to get to you and pay good money to get it! Find the right price for your product or service that you offer, and then make yourself accessible – either by going to the customers or strategically locating yourself where they can get to you.

So this issue of having an office for your business to start-up, as far as Im concerned, is just a joke. For most types of businesses, having an office will not guarantee that you will get taken any more seriously than if you do not have one. If anything, it would add to your overheads in so many ways, as one additional, related expense or the other would creep in over time.

As a matter of fact, a seasoned entrepreneur and highly successful Independent Consultant Herman Holtz once wrote – in his book “The Concise Guide To Becoming An Independent Consultant”(John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 1999 – that even his big corporate clients expressed approval of his efforts to keep his overheads low when they visited his home based office!

Having said the foregoing, I must not fail to add that the corporate clients referred to in Holtz’s case belong to a culture in which clients predominantly look for professionals who can deliver results and not those who devote needless time and money to creating an excessively impressive appearance. In the environment where I have had to operate as an entrepreneur, the “thinking” of clients or prospects very often is radically different and you will find yourself getting penalised by way of rejection simply because your office does not look “flashy” enough – or worse, you use a home office!

Achievement Of Long Term Success Will Often Depend On A Startup Entrepreneurs Financial Intelligence And Frugality

Despite the foregoing, I still believe people who keep looking for start-up entrepreneurs with flashy cars, tastefully furnished office spaces etc before they patronize them will probably end up engaging incompetent persons who cover their lack of proficiency with lavish expense on office space. Very few REAL and financially intelligent entrepreneurs will go investing that heavily in overheads-generating items before theyve been able to make good money to show decent profitability. Many of those who tried to do so in the past, do not have good tales to tell today.

Ill give a quick example. I know someone who started her business by getting an office space, furnishing it tastefully, putting in phones, air-conditioning etc. Then she recruited an assistant, a secretary and an office boy. After everything was set, they began looking for business. Letters were sent out, meetings held, follow-up calls made etc. Unfortunately, not a single account was secured. Six months passed and this lady had been paying her staff salaries even though no business had been coming in. Power outages repeatedly ate into her rapidly depleting funds as fuel had to be bought for the generator.

Then there was the issue of the personal expenses she was incurring on her side – domestically. She had a housekeeper and a cook who also needed to be paid! To cut the long story short, she got to a point when she could no longer pay her staff on time – both in the office and on the home front. This led to repeat instances of friction between her and them. Some sudden resignations happened, but she (stubbornly) replaced the deserters with others (who would accept less pay than those before them). Eventually, she had to give it up.

Theres NOTHING Wrong With Starting Humbly – In A Home Office OR On A Kitchen Table!

The lesson here is quite obvious. You need to hold on to as much of your money as you can in those start-up days/months. Most entrepreneurs will find that they can combine many of the jobs for which others choose to recruit staff quite effectively. We have heard the stories of how many successful people started their businesses on their kitchen tables. It only makes good common sense to do this. When youre more able, you can gradually add to your numbers – but at the early stages, start small and conserve your resources as much as possible. You have been warned!

Read my article titled Practical Guiding Philosophies For Entrepreneurial Success, in which I explain (under the subheading “Procrastinate When It Comes To Spending”), why when you want to do any heavy businessrelated spending, you may need to stay off doing it for at least another 24 48 hours, or for as long as reasonably possible – till you’re convinced it is inevitable.

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

Societies That Progress Make Their Best Talents Feel Wanted

August 6, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Nigeria has wonderful talents that can add great value to the world. But they need a favourable environment to flourish. Today, I paid for a nice apartment (photos below) that -post refurbishing – my family will soon join me to live in here in Cotonou.

If I had a choice, I would have stayed in Nigeria…

That’s the truth.

Today, I paid for a nice apartment (photos below) that -post refurbishing - my family will soon join me to live in here in Cotonou. — Today, I paid for a nice apartment (photos below) that -post refurbishing – my family will soon join me to live in here in Cotonou. A good friend inspects the inside and outside, after we made payment and took possession of the keys.

If I’d not felt stifled while based in Nigeria, I would not have moved here in April 2013.

Unfortunately despite trying hard to patriotically build my brand from within my own country, I eventually had to admit to myself, that nothing was going to change anytime soon.

I had to put my wife and kids into consideration – as well as my dreams and ambitions.

Staying in Nigeria had been killing me “softly and slowly” – in terms of my ability to excel at what I chose to do for a living.

It was that bad.

Click here to read the article in which I outlined the combination of unfavourable factors that forced me to relocate.

When I muted the idea of moving next door to Benin Republic, in 2013, someone told me the problem was not Nigeria, but my attitude.

He was about twice my age, and he had run his own business for decades.

Normally, I should have taken his age, and years of experience into consideration. However, I had enough depth of insight to know his view was one-sided.

My insight came from years of carefully analysing my experiences, and comparing with what others reported in their societies.

Also, I had access to powerful books that articulated timeless success philosophies that had been proven to work regardless of geographical location.

All of the above pointed, very clearly, to the what I chose to do for a living, and my attitude of rejecting how “business” was done in Nigeria was not the “problem”.

Instead, the socio-economic environment I chose to work in was actually a major limitation to my ability to progress.

Thankfully, those books I read also proffered a solution.

And it was that sometimes one would need to change the environment from which one was trying to achieve success.

You could ask: But what about those who remained in Nigeria and succeeded?

My answer would be that what I do is different from what they do. And how I choose to achieve my goals may not be how they opt to pursue theirs.

I once read a wise quote which went thus:

“To be well adjusted to a sick society is no sign of good health.” – Anonymous

My experiences confirm the above to be a very accurate statement.

Some people – actually many people – in Nigeria, who run businesses, are good people. However, most of them do not engage in what can be called “ethical” or above board business dealings.

It is possible that not all of them want to do business that way. My interactions with them certainly suggest that they are willing to admit that giving “bribes” or other inducements to win contracts is not right.

However, most have convinced themselves there is no alternative.

In my case, I could not accept to do business that way. But that did not make me judge them.

Instead, I simply avoided going to places where I would encounter “requests” to do such things to get my products and services purchased.

Since the majority of people did not believe in my approach, that meant I got less patronage than I needed.

I was consequently often just limping along financially.

This local challenge made me begin to explore the use of the web to find more people willing to relate with me on my own terms.

But “they” again told me I was wasting my time.

That Africans were not ready to do business that way.

And all that.

When I was still in Nigeria, it appeared they were right.

I found I was not getting as much attention as I needed, despite stepping up my web marketing efforts.

However, I also noticed that I was limited in how much I could do by the fact that I had to use the generator 90% of the time.

In other words, if I got a client project, finishing it to the agreed deadline meant I had to run almost exclusively on generator power, as PHCN, Nigeria’s wonderful power company remained as unreliable as ever.

As you can imagine, fuelling and servicing the generator was no small expense. Apart from the hefty spending I had to do in that regard, there was the wear and tear, as well as the air and noise pollution to consider.

What was worse was that Internet connectivity was also both expensive and periodically expensive.

So, while in Nigeria, I had to incur expenses in multiple directions to finish ONE job. This made taking on multiple projects a potential nightmare.

It was hard to take on multiple projects, out of a fear that one would be unable to deliver as promised.

But that had nothing to do with my abilities. Instead, it had everything to do with the resources available in the environment I chose to work from.

Since relocating to Benin, I have demonstrated just that with my achievements!

For instance, I have repeatedly handled multiple Web Marketing Systems development and Excel-VB Software development projects.

And in between, I’ve travelled to give talks, and write research papers that I got paid for.

Not once did I miss any of the agreed deadlines. Indeed, I have consistently exceeded my clients’ expectations.

This explains why ONE client here in Cotonou has now given me 3 different high profile projects to handle in less than 14 months of meeting me!

Most interesting however is the fact that nearly 90% of sales I make for my products and services today, are to buyers based in Nigeria.

That is the SAME country I had to relocate from, in order to reach my full potential!

All of the above makes it clear that my environment was really a major limiting factor on my ability to excel while I was in Nigeria.

Just yesterday, I published my latest print/physical book.

It is over 80 pages thick but I only began writing it just 6 weeks ago.

If I had been in Nigeria, I really doubt I could have finished and put it online in 6 months, with confidence in the content QUALITY!

The above are key reasons why I had to take this painful decision to move my family to Cotonou.

Another reason is the massive difference in cost of living.

Cost of food here continues to amaze me here. I spend over 4 times LESS for a plate of food, compared to Nigeria.

Now, you can imagine what that means for my family’s upkeep.

I still earn income the same way, but I’ll be making HUGE savings when they get here.

But the savings here, when my family comes down, will not just be on feeding…!

Even getting a hair cut, transportation, photocopy, electricity, water etc costs so MUCH less in Benin. I offered some price comparisons in this article that explains why I relocated.

Even housing is much LESS expensive!

For my nice new apartment, which only needs painting and slight refurbishing, I paid 6 month’s rent, plus a one month “refundable security deposit”, and the agent’s commission (one month’s rent).

Now, at the expiration of the 6 month period, I only have to pay monthly.

Yet the money I paid for this nice place I rented is about half the rental of the place my family lives in currently in Nigeria!

Despite that fact, the space, and finishing of the property here in Cotonou is way better!

Also, in Nigeria, you pay for 2 years and afterwards you pay annually. People have to run around to raise funds to pay rent. Some subsequently struggle to feed their families for weeks, before they recover. Life is made needlessly harsh in Nigeria!

So far, the only major exception – in terms of costs – is my Blackberry subscription.

Here in Benin, I pay the equivalent of 1 month’s fee in Nigeria, for a week’s access.

But that is well covered many times over, by the multiple savings I make in virtually all other areas.

The reason we have this disparity in cost of living between both countries is the Nigerian Factor ™

The Nigerian Factor stifles Nigeria’s ability to make it’s gifted citizens willingly come – or stay – home. Here’s how I define it:

“The Nigerian factor is what makes things that work elsewhere fail to work in Nigeria. It is also what makes doing the wrong thing acceptable and doing the right thing condemnable” – Tayo Solagbade

I believes that anyone who truly loves Nigeria will want her to develop to the point where many individual Nigerians will no longer feel a need to flee for Europe and America (and in the case of people like me – Benin, Ghana or even Togo!) in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

Perpetuation of the Nigerian Factor currently makes this development process difficult, if not impossible.

I have a vision to provide information and education for re-orientation towards eliminating the Nigerian Factor.

Why?

Because I believe every business organisation will find her chances of survival and profitable existence threatened, if negative influences that prevent stabilisation of political and economic conditions persist.

Individuals are also guiltly of making the problem worse in Nigeria!

The irony is that those responsible for cutting corners in Nigeria for personal monetary gain are NOT all in government.

Some are individuals in society who think it is smart to exploit the existing loopholes.

Maybe that is why many Nigerians seem incapable of insisting that things be done as expected. They can ask for a while, but they soon give up and accept anything they are told hoping that the problem will resolve itself.

I believe that this LACK OF POLITICAL WILL (note that political will need not be demonstrated through violence) is what makes Nigerians continue to suffer the hardships they complain so much about.

The following quote reinforces this:

“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to, and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them” – Frederick Douglas

Even though I have chosen to work from outside Nigeria, I continue to make myself available to add value to Nigeria and Nigerians using my products and services.

I do this because I LOVE my country and want to help her develop.

However I am not naive enough to blindly put myself – and my family – in harm’s way, be it financially or otherwise, to “help” Nigeria!

My experiences have taught me that people willing to let Nigeria develop are in the minority, both in and out of government.

The majority have found a way to exploit the chaos in the country for personal gain. And so they don’t want things to “change for the better”, for obvious reasons!

So, I know this is not a battle that will be won quickly.

Howeve, with help from the creator, I know we who are of like mind, will join forces, over time, until we win!

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Short Stories, Writing/Blogging

[Now Available!] KUKURU DANGER™: 5 True Stories About the Adventures – & Misadventures! – of a School Age Child Trying to Find Purpose in Life.

August 5, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

In this unusual book, Tayo Solagbade narrates 5 true stories about a dizzying variety of (sometimes shocking) escapades he engaged in – while schooling – that repeatedly landed him in trouble, causing his parents avoidable heart breaks.

In the first story, Tayo suffers the embarrassment of having a female classmate falsely accuse him – to their class teacher – of peeping at her in the girls’ room!

He would however shake off the potentially traumatizing experience, to earn a double promotion into enter secondary school one year ahead of his class, in 1980.

At the age of 10, in his first year in secondary school, Kukuru Danger™ (Tayo’s alter ego) joins a notorious group of students, in a bid to escape frequent bullying from bigger and older classmates.

Over the course of the year, they routinely sneak out of school to eat meals at Mai Shai shops without paying, steal coins from trader’s slot machines, and catch crabs at the Lagoon front!

At a point, Kukuru™ begins stealing money from home, to play the slots. But he soon gets caught.

By the school year’s end his mother is shocked to read the principal’s comments at the bottom of his report card, saying “To repeat for cheating”.

Click here to continue reading in the online store…(or click the front and back cover images below.

Click here to continue reading in the online store…(or click the front and back cover images aboove.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Short Stories, Writing/Blogging

No. 153: A “Formula” Schools Need to Teach, But Don’t! (FREE PDF Report)

August 4, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“Any school that teaches this “formula” will discover her products – who apply it diligently – will never beg for jobs, or experience “unemployment”, talk less of poverty.

If you think that’s a reckless claim, I challenge you to read this report with an open mind. Unless you detest authentic success, when you’re done, you’ll be EAGER to learn and use the “formula” – and to also teach it to your child – or students!”

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Click now to view the latest issue of Tayo Solagbade's Public Speaking IDEAS page

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 3rd August 2014

No:153

Title: A “Formula” Schools Need to Teach, But Don’t! (FREE PDF Report)

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets

Archive (E-mail version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

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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) in line with this publishing schedule

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IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS newsletter is published online on the “reincarnated” version of my Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog. I continue to put finishing touches to the content. If you encounter ANY bad/dead links, and you can spare the time, email it to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance

No. 153: A “Formula” Schools Need to Teach, But Don’t! (FREE PDF Report)

“Any school that teaches this “formula” will discover her products – who apply it diligently – will never beg for jobs, or experience “unemployment”, talk less of poverty. If you think that’s a reckless claim, I challenge you to read this report with an open mind. Unless you detest authentic success, when you’re done, you’ll be EAGER to learn and use the “formula” – and to also teach it to your child – or students!”

The idea I reveal in this new PDF report is the solution to poverty and unemployment anywhere.

Note however that is NOT my brain child. In fact, it came into use many years before I was born.

But, for some strange reason, even some of the best schooled people do not know it, or how to use it.

As a result, they go through life – in spite of all their education, and impressive qualifications – achieving BELOW their God-given potentials!

That’s why I consider discussing this amazing, but little known/understood formula, important enough, to make it the “subject” of this week’s issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

But just in case you wonder how this relates to public speaking, my argument is that expert-speakers who serve the EDUCATION industry at all levels (up to tertiary), need to develop “programs” to help schools adapt their curriculum to include this “formula” my report reveals.

I offer my report’s contents to help them get started.

And I’ve also resolved to begin offering my own “programs” towards helping interested institutions make the long overdue modifications to their teaching content.

As experts-who-speak, our key role is to be agents of positive change in society.

And one important area where our insights can make very useful impact on society is EDUCATION.

I hope you will join me in this worthy cause.

Come to think of it, your children – and mine – stand to benefit as well!

Click here – or the image below, to download the report now.

No subscription. No form filling.

Just click and start reading.

And PLEASE I urge you to share it as far and wide as you possibly can!

EVERYBODY needs to know this Magic Formula – tested and proven to work for VERY many decades, with ample verifiable evidence.

If you are a parent, teacher or school owner interested in getting my help with regard to the above, click here to contact me!

*************

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Have a great week :-))

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

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 organisations 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 organisations, 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 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.

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 his Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS

newsletter(which he uses to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

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

==================

Useful Resources for Speakers

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.

Burt Dubin’s monthly Speaking Biz Strategies Letter [Signup & get a 7-Part Email Course on “How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker“]

Get Burt’s mentoring at any of the 3 levels below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here]

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Publications

Burt Dubin’s latest book: “On Being a Master”

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

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With its Money back if not delighted Guarantee hardly any are returned.

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Presentation Magic

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.

more information

How To Create a Great Program Manual

Discover how you can produce a precious memento of you and your program. Capture over 44 model pages you can easily adapt for your use. Engage proven principles that add value to the experience of sitting at your feet and learning from you.

This is a reprise of the historic presentation that launched the Speaking Success System.

No copy of this 2 CD program and 50 page Learning Guide has ever been returned.

more information

Download above PDF

Download above PDF

—

NEW: Your Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series Is Now Available

Click here to learn more

FREE TALK: How a Best Operating Process Management Sysem (BOPMS)™Will Earn Your Farm MORE Profits!

Download above PDF

FREE TALK: 3 Zero Cost Strategies to Attract Profitable Buyers for Your Farm Products!

Download above PDF

NEW: Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success

THEY WROTE…

“(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 start his own business).

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo…




SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 152: Do You Need Blogging To Achieve More Speaking Success?
Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:	16 User Guide Videos for Tayo’s Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Achieve Success IN SPITE OF Adversity – 2 True Stories
Entrepreneurship[Thursday]:	Your Company Needs Non-Partisan In-House Experts to Succeed (Features a True Story
General [Friday]:	“Bleaching” Your Skin Insults Your Creator, and Makes You Lose Dignity (Message from Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Lupita Nyong’o to Black/African Parents & their Children)
Writing/Blogging/Entrepreneurship [Saturday]:	Entrepreneurs Need Opportunities To Serve For A Profitable Fee – NOT Handouts Or Pity!
Want me to write for you? Click here to send me a message

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Entrepreneurship, My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

Entrepreneurs Need Opportunities To Serve For A Profitable Fee – NOT Handouts Or Pity!

August 2, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

What would be your reaction if an individual just starting up, or in the difficult early stages of running, his/her business (e.g a book writing and publishing support service) approached you, asking you to consider purchasing part-ownership in it? Would you look objectively at his/her ability, the market potential of his (hopefully) unique offering and other relevant details, in taking a decision?

In other words – if it was there – would you be willing to see an opportunity for a potentially rewarding/mutually beneficial relationship?

Or are you likely to conclude s/he is just someone you can feel sorry for, and help out with say, some money? This article can help prospective investors or clients/customers – especially those in developing societies.

How?

By making them understand why a TRUE entrepreneur will PREFER to request a fair and impartial opportunity to deliver a solution to you, for a fee, you’re WILLING to pay.

It also offers experience based ideas for entrepreneurs who may be plagued with self-doubt arising from poor responses from prospective clients/customers and investors.

True entrepreneurs prefer to EARN what they make through honest and intelligent effort, and typically abhor offers of “handouts” or favours.

Many people in developed societies have enough around them to help them understand that entrepreneuring can be prestigious, and investing in, or patronising an entrepreneur can be quite rewarding.

The fact is that the clients/customers or investors who have to consider what a first-time startup entrepreneur has to offer them, may NOT have the benefit of access to his/her business track record.

That’s because it would be his/her FIRST time. And so there may be no family pedigree or “sensible” ideas to help them make up their minds about the potential benefits of buying from him.

They will therefore have to take something of a “leap of faith” in starting a relationship with him/her.

They would have to carefully evaluate all that s/he is offering them as investors or prospective clients/customers. Then they would use that to decide whether or not the total picture they can see, and the potential rewards promised can justify the monetary or other commitment s/he asks for.

They would, in essence, have to demonstrate a belief in his/her ability to deliver what s/he promises.

The above is actually why this article was NOT written primarily for persons who live/work in DEVELOPED societies.

In advanced societies people have been doing it for decades. Many successful enterprises exist out there today, because investors and customers put their faith – and hard earned money – in an individual who had little or nothing more than an idea, when starting up.

This article has instead been written mainly for the benefit of persons in DEVELOPING societies.

Startup entrepreneurs who also have little or nothing more than an “idea” may approach them to consider investing in or purchasing a product or service.

Specifically, I draw from over four years of experience as an entrepreneur in a developing country – Nigeria. There, in my opinion, there is a generally poor understanding of what the relationship between entrepreneurs and their prospective clients/customers or investors ought to be. Many African nations also share similar traits, incidentally.

The Situation/Problem

1. Quite often the entrepreneur is NOT seen as a provider of valuable – possibly badly – needed solutions to the clients’ NEEDS.

Instead s/he tends to be seen as the unfortunate individual who made the mistake of thinking s/he could earn a decent living outside the security of paid employment…or without access to the right connections.

Those s/he approaches via marketing consequently adopt a position of superiority over him/her – feeling s/he needs them more than they need him/her!

2. As a result of 1. above, many supposed entrepreneurs – out of desperation – agree to sometimes outrageous proposals

This often happens when they deal with greedy, and corrupt individuals in prospective client companies. In some cases, they get the job that way, but earn little in terms of profit, since they share what is paid them with those who influence/approve it.

In no time at all they are back begging for another opportunity.

That certainly conflicts with the Be Your Own Boss concept that starting one’s own business is about doesn’t it?

Who Loses Out/Suffers In The Long Run?

The entrepreneur of course – IF s/he gives in. S/he will lose her dignity and status before clients.

If s/he gets used to it(as has happened to many) s/he’ll probably decide to secure more “easy” jobs and become lazy from getting mostly un-earned income.

Some people have accused me of exaggerating the problem. Others say I want too much change in too short a time.

The truth however is that I see very little effort being made by very few people to do anything about it. Yet, evidence of its presence and ill-effects daily torment hardworking, competent and honest people.

I CANNOT keep quiet in the face of all that. If it is all I can do, I will create awareness about it, and propose workable solutions for the sake of others – including my own children.

Note: This problem occurs in some developed societies. But that – going by the obvious prestige associated with entrepreneuring in many of them – if often the exception, NOT the norm, as tends to be the case out here.

Of course, not everyone here is guilty of doing the naughty things mentioned above either. But majority are…and a large number of those who are not, are often afraid to say or do anything about it.

Don’t Compromise Your Values Or Be Subservient To ANYONE!

“You don’t need anyone’s permission to succeed” – Dan Kennedy

To the entrepreneur, I will make this challenge.

Accepting shabby treatment from clients will not make you gain stature before them.

If anything, you will lower your credibility and worth in their eyes, and those of others who observe your subservience. If you find any client trying to treat you shabbily, you may want to seriously consider walking away from that relationship, as it could end up doing you more harm than good.

Think about it this way: What are the chances of a guy who keeps putting you down, delaying your payments and trying to get you to do more for less – or nothing! – giving you any word-of-mouth referrals/testimonials that result in PROFITABLE jobs?

Read Donna Gunter’s article titled “7 Signs That It’s Time to Fire a Client” () to learn more about why you may need to “fire” a naughty client(s).

Also, I strongly believe it is better to spend your time doing things that IMPROVE your ability to win profitable clients, than to allow abusive clients repeatedly underpay and exploit you!

But then, not everyone has the courage to risk prolonged humiliation that may(initially) come with taking this kind of stance – and the following quote predicts their fate:

“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.” – Frederick Douglass

There is a solution – BUT only for those who are willing to pay the price. .

The solution I propose, is for an entrepeneur confronted with the problem(s) described in this article to:

(a). develop additional income earning competencies

(b). explore opportunities for earning income through channels that do NOT allow third parties influence the decision making process. At least not without s/he being given a fair and impartial opportunity to bid.

S/he can do this while continuing to explore the available openings for a fair and impartial opportunity to bid for business.

Countries like India have shown that it can be done e.g. self-employed persons providing digital services(freelance writing, software development, help desks etc) via the Internet.

My achievements as an online provider of high profile products and services, for years now, also confirm persons in Africa, CAN do it as well!

Of course, not everyone will find this a suitable alternative. Though I dare say that now, and in the future, virtually anyone who is serious about earning income with less effort will need to give this alternative MORE serious consideration!

For now, I guess the question will have to be whether those who need this alternative, will be prepared to make the requird long term commitment, to bring their dreams to reality.

Incidentally, success in doing a. or b. above – apart from making him/her more versatile – would further boost the entrepreneur’s sales leads generation!

Read my articles listed below, which discuss the many possibilities, based on my experiences doing it in the real world for over a decade now:

a. “How To Be A Jack Of Many Trades, And Why It Can Make You Succeed More Often”

b. “More Real-Life Proof That Being A Jack Of Many Trades Can Make You Succeed More Often”

c. “If You Lack Capital, Intelligent Multipreneuring Can Help You Get It!“.

Hopefully, from reading this article, if you ever need to buy from – or invest in – and an entrepreneur, you won’t make the mistakes highlighted above.

Except s/he is NOT an authentic, vision-driven entrepreneur, it is highly unlikely s/he will want you to feel pity – or give him/her some handouts.

Especially when you are willing to buy (invest in) the product/service(or returns) s/he claims to be capable of delivering!

If you have read this as an entrepreneur(or one aspiring), I will ask you this question:

How will you deal with the possible lack of interest or patronage from your target audience?

Will you compromise and settle for a one-sided relationship in which people feel they are just doing you a favour by doing business with you?

Or will you work hard to adopt the alternative solution along the lines of that provided above so as to command profitable earnings, credibility and recognition in your line of business?

In my case, when I wrote this article over 8 years ago, I had already made my decision. And you’re reading this artcile, on this blog, today, because it worked for me. Today, I enjoy the consideration and respect of clienrts from diffeent countries, who find me on their own and request my products/services.

As a rule I DO NOT chase clients. Instead I take diligent daily actions – mostly online (and some offline) – that make them come to me.

And they keep coming to me. By phone, email, Skype, Facebook, Youtube, Google+ and even Twitter!

99% of the time they are total strangers. They do not know me, and I do not know them. And yet by the time we’re done conversing, 60%of the time, they go on to send me funds via various agreed channels.

This past week, it has happened three times. In fact I have to travel to Nigeria to meet one of such CEOs soon.

If you want to achieve similar results to mine, you’ll need to learn to do what I do. But first you MUST decide that you are ready to adopt a new approach that will help you command the respect of prospects and clients.

And that you will stick with it, no matter how bleak things look.

If you’re ready to do that, then I can help you. Click here to get in touch with me.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Short Stories, Writing/Blogging

“Bleaching” Your Skin Insults Your Creator, and Makes You Lose Dignity (Message from Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Lupita Nyong’o to Black/African Parents & their Children)

August 1, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

One of Fela’s most popular songs when I was a child was :”Yellow Fever” – released when I was 6 years old, in 1976. I LOVED that song. Still do too(see Youtube video below)! He was basically challenging skin-bleaching black men and women, who wanted to become “white” by force, out of an inferiority complex, to change their ways.

Click to watch on Youtube here.

Apart from his fierce defence of human rights, as being each person’s “personal property’ and therefore NOT to be “given” to us by others, Fela also launched “lyrical” attacks on corrupt governments/individuals.

And of course he constantly challenged the individual African to treat him/herself with respect.

I named my first child “OLUFELA” in 1999, in honour of Fela! Just like his daughter said in this pictured poster, he was – and remains – a major influence on my thinking about how to be a PROUD AFRICAN.

Sadly, many hypocritical parents/adults focused on his weed smoking as a convenient excuse to ignore his wise – and prophetic – counsel.

Most of Fela’s songs, always carried clear and powerful messages to either the common people, or the government of the day, or “colonial” powers.

As an adult African, and parent, today, one of the things that bothers me the most is the apparent self-hate that Africans/black skinned people seem to have for their skin colour…and hair.

Today, I travel around quite a bit, and I see that the problem is worse. Women especially, African WOMEN in particular, continue with this sickening habit.

I look around me and it appears every time I see 5 normal skinned black persons, at least ONE rainbow coloured skinned woman passes by as well!

In Lagos-Nigeria and Cotonou-Benin Republic, where I currently do most of my traveling, this skin “bleaching” trend is like some kind of competition!

And all sorts of crazy skin creams are arriving the markets, to feed this madness!

The sad thing is that they NEVER end up better off…as Fela points out in his lyrics.

He starts by explaining that there are 2 kinds of Yellow “Fever” – the Original one (i.e. the actual sickness) and the artificial (skin bleaching from black to lighter tone in an effort to look white)

===

Original and artificial he dey!

Bom bom bom, tell me now…

Original catch you

Your eye go yellow

Your yansh go yellow

Your face go yellow

Your body go weak

I say but later if you no die inside

The yellow go fade away

Artificial catch you

You be man or woman

Na you go catch am yourself

Na your money go do am for you

You go yellow pass yellow

You go catch moustache for face

You go get your double colour

Your yansh go black like coal

You self go think say you dey fine

Who say you fine?

[Chorus]

Na lie, you no fine at all!

At all, na lie!

My sister, who say you fine?

[Chorus]

Na lie, you no fine at all!

At all, na lie!

Yellow fever

[Chorus]

You dey bleach, o you dey bleach!

You dey bleach, o you dey bleach

African mother

You dey bleach, o you dey bleach

====

Read the lyrics to the song here (http://www.lyricsbay.com/yellow_fever_lyrics-fela_kuti.html)

Add to that the thirst by the same women to wear imported long straight hair, that the God they claim to BELIEVE in, never thought it wise to give them at birth, and you discover a pandemic of unimaginable proportions!

This need to avoid a loss of identity, as an African, is one of the reasons I have vowed to coach my own kids to be comfortable with who they are, and what they look like.

That is, to have what sane human beings know as SELF-ESTEEM.

It is why I’m publishing my new book titled “Kukuru Danger™ about my own childhood search for self-discovery and purpose.

I too suffered a need to belong, and to be accepted, right from my early years and even in my later adult years. But by listening to Fela’s lyrics, and also reading books about self-development, I learnt to believe in myself, and never feel inferior to any other human being.

Today, that mental attitude serves me well in my dealings with people – regardless of who they are, how important they are (or think they are) or where they come from – even if from MARS!

More Africans need to realize that the world appreciates them for being the way they are, MORE than it will ever appreciate them for trying to be what they are inherently NOT.

And if we ever needed proof of the above stated fact, well Lupita Nyong’o’s example perfectly fits the bill. And luckily for us, she herself shared a familiar story that proves she knows what others with her skin complexion pass through.

But she arrived on the world stage and discovered it was willing to accept her, if she accepted herself.

Today, she is celebrated by virtually everyone who is anyone in her industry…yet her complexion remains the same, and so does the hair on her head!

How I wish African women and their men (some tell me their women look “more beautiful” after bleaching!) will wake and rediscover the pride and essence of being who they are.

Some try to make it sound less nasty by calling it skin toning, and they refer to those with money (e.g female black celebrities) who “successfully changed” skin colours as justification for doing it too.

How lame! Goes right back to the lack of identity and self-esteem I started this article with.

“Look, white skinned people get sun tanned skins by spending time in the sun, or using sun tan lotions. But the effects are never permanent. If they stop, their skin changes back to it’s natural white. But a black skinned person cannot get a white “tan”, you see. That’s why when a black skinned person goes “yellow” or “white”, s/he never changes back. Now, you can say it’s “toning”, if you like, but THAT, is what I call SKIN BLEACHING (to borrow Fela’s very apt terminology).” – Tayo K. Solagbade

By the way, last time I checked Oprah Winfrey remains globally acknowldged and respected, and I have NOT see her undergo any noticeable skin colour changes.

Should Oprah not be the role model we should all try to emulate in that (and other) respects???

The truth is that the world will be a much better place for us to live in, when we start respecting ourselves.

Only then will others really take us seriously and respect us as well. But if we keep acting as if we’re inferior (and we have NEVER been), then those who relate with us and who see that, will naturally treat us that way.

The choice is yours. What will you do? And what will you TEACH your child to do???

I know what I already do, and I have begun teaching my kids to do it as well. In my family/clan will always be black and proud sons and daughters of Africa!

Lupita ended her wonderful acceptance speech on black beauty with the following words…

“And so I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside.”

I now offer those same words, as a parting message, to my fellow black skinned African women and men who may be tempted to “bleach” their God-given complexions lighter, to feel better about themselves.

Don’t do it. You insult yourself, and your creator if you do. And it will never be worth it!

Career Development, My DN Travel News

Your Company Needs Non-Partisan In-House Experts to Succeed (Features a True Story)

July 31, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The following memo excerpt was written by a company’s in-house experts, to top management, about THE telephone:

“(It) has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us”. – Western Union Internal Memo, 1876.

The gross inaccuracy of that “expert” assessment is today obvious to anyone, based on hindsight. Back then it probably wasn’t – and those chaps may even have been commended for saving the company from wasting it’s funds!

Which is why I argue, that decision makers need to set up systems to help in-house experts better serve the interest of the organisation at all times.

Who Is An “In-House Expert”? (My Definition )

Here’s my “definition”: ANYONE – whether temporary, contract or permanent employee – whose opinion – based on his/her area of recognised expertise will be sought and used to decide what the company should do in a given situation with respect to a particular line of action being considered.

THEY(in-house experts) are often persons employed/authorised with the responsibility of providing related support to other employees using THEIR knowledge expertise to evaluate possible strategies, technologies or solutions that the company could adopt to IMPROVE her ability to achieve valued corporate goals.

Common examples include IT managers and their lieutenants.

Sometimes companies outsource their needs in technical fields such as IT, keeping a skeletal structure in-house.

Other times they engage consultants on a contract basis. And of course some companies feel more comfortable having a full fledged IT department in some cases with emphasis on development of in-house software solutions.

Other types of in-house experts are the Project Managers, HR managers, PR managers, Marketing Managers, Business Development Managers, People /Organisational Development Managers, Engineering Managers etc.

These individuals would usually be depended upon by various categories of decision makers(including their fellow in-house experts) in the company to EVALUATE – for instance – any new idea or initiative/concept being considered for adoption.

And more often than not, it is whatever they say that get’s taken as the “final word”, so to say. But that’s not bad in itself – so long as the in-house expert maintains a dispassionate and professional(UN-BIASED) disposition in giving his/her advice or recommendations.

The Problem: In-House Experts’ Can Sometimes Be Afflicted With “Experts’ Blindness”!

Do you have in-house experts whose word you take as gospel truth?

If you know them well, that would be safe to do.

But in life, nothing stays exactly the same. Much as you may trust and like your “expert”, s/he may not always be able to deliver to the same high standards.

Why? Because s/he – like the rest of us – is only human!

But again as a human being, when you get used to being “the expert”, in a situation where people often readily accept what you say/think, it can get quite intoxicating. Which CAN make you get just a little “too carried away” sometimes.

Only few people can resist feeling this way every now and then.

So, in my opinion, when someone functions as an “expert” to others around him/her, s/he becomes a little more prone to his/her human nature/weaknesses – making him/her more likely to make mistakes.

Chances are if/when s/he does slip up, it will be inadvertent rather than deliberate. Whatever may be the cause, the potential damage to you/your organisation in the event that this does happen (and it CAN!) is the most crucial thing to consider,.

What if the advice/tip given you by your “in-house expert” turns out to be based on statistics s/he checked two weeks earlier?

What if those statistics had changed since then without him/her knowing e.g because s/he assumed they wouldstay the same for at least 30 days, as had been his/her experience over that past five years?

The implication of the above is that your plans based on the advice of that “expert” may end up failing!

Just think for a moment what it could mean, if this were to happen to you.

The point I’m making is ANYONE of us can use past experience to take intelligent decisions.

But the key to our continuous successs will be diligent monitoring of changes that MAY occur, with implications for decisions we take.

Without staying alert to unexpected changes or new developments (some previously unknown to even the most experienced among us) that could occur, we stand little chance of achieving success with any degree of consistency.

And that’s why we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to our environment.

Anybody/anything can help us in this process.

The problem with some in-house experts is that they let their egos get in the way – AND block their view.

Whenever this happens, the organisations that depend on them often lose out as a result.

Help Your In-House Experts Remember To Act In Line With The Organisation’s Best Interests

When organisational decision makers engage an in-house expert, they are hoping s/he will justify the faith they place in him/her – by making decisions and taking actions with the BEST interests of the company in his/her mind.

They would NOT expect that s/he would allow personal egotistical selfish interests, concerns or biases to “sway” him/her.

Especially not when taking decisions that affect the company’s future well being in terms of competitiveness, growth, profitability etc.

The reality however, from repeatedly disappointing news of corporate scandals across the globe, is that NOT ALL corporate “leaders” are able to meet expectations in this regard.

In some cases, that has led to the collapse of the organisation concerned. Or the loss of valuable market leadership to “underdog” competition.

This would have been due to misplaced priorities, and lack of foresight arising from poor THINKING, on the part of some “blind” in-house experts.

Why do in-house experts behave this way at times?

As I said earlier, the truth is they are only human. It is possible – for instance – that some may inadvertently hold give recommendations based LESS on objectivity, and more on how they “perceive” an idea/concept/initiative “THREATENS” their status as “experts”.

The person “selling” the new idea/concept/initiative, if s/he is to make headway, must therefore find a way make the in-house expert sees how s/he can end up looking GOOD by endorsing it.

However the above can be difficult to pull off, if the “seller” is an outsider, like a consultant offering his/her services in a unique area.

Which is why I suggest that companies and their decision makers setup internal checks and balances, to help their in-house experts do what is best for the company at all times.

I offer some ideas for consideration in the rest of this article…starting with a true story.

The In-House Expert’s Ideal Role: To Add Tangible Value With His/Her Unique Expertise (True Story)

A manufacturing multinational company once had a challenge finding a commercial off-the-shelf software application. It needed one that could comprehensively handle routine data handling and report generation needs of its factory production processes.

Despite repeated efforts to use some of the more popular commercial software, peculiarities in their production process could not be efficiently catered for via customisation of the purchased software.

There was – among other things- a requirement for whatever software they used, to be able to generate reports conforming to an already existing “house format”.

Following some discussions, it was agreed that an in-house solution be developed.

The alternative adopted was a custom automated Lotus 1-2-3 based application, built from scratch by a young expatriate middle level manager over a period of some months.

Basically, he went around with a laptop speaking with those involved in data generation, analysis and reporting. From the Corporate Headquarters to the factories, Purchasing departments, Production Planning, Engineering Utilities etc.

Using the information he gathered, in conjunction with various recording/reporting formats he saw being used in the different units, he built an application, that did what the decision makers wanted.

To succeed, he applied his knowledge as an insider with experience in most of the key operations. The resulting application allowed entry of raw factory performance data, which were then used to automatically compute the company’s Standard Key Performance Indicators(KPIs).

The application also automatically produced a one-page report that identified TEN(10) specific areas in which the company had OVER spent and UNDER spent respectively, on materials usage.

This was displayed in an automatically generated comparison table, expressing the amounts SAVED or LOST in usage units (e.g. Kgs per litre of product) and monetary unit (e.g. Dollars per litre of product).

On the same page was also an auto-generated Variable Cost Analysis chart, as well as four process charts showing the progressive trend in key waste control parameters over a 12 month period.

The best part was that this nifty program was built using an already familiar spreadsheet application, in a way that a reasonably skilled user could easily make needed changes as the need arose over time.

Following reviews, the application was immediately put to use in preparing reports sent monthly from the factories to Headquarters, and also for the Monthly Review meetings held with Directors.

The In-House Expert’s Ideal Mental Attitude: Objective & Results-Focussed

I have narrated the above true story, with names etc removed “to protect the innocent”

It illustrates the fact that decision makers in the technical function of the company (who were a group of in-house experts) adopted an objective outlook being to SOLVE the data handling and reporting problem being experienced.

They liased with the IT department (ANOTHER group of in-house experts) to consider and test possible solutions. Over time, they settled for a customised, simple, yet highly effective/flexible solution ,which they then found someone to develop and implement on the inside.

Those senior technical managers – as well as the IT managers – functioned PROPERLY and successfully as the In-House Experts they were EXPECTED to be.

They knew they had the final say in terms of recommending what COULD be done to the company.

They could have INSISTED that the company improvise with the less flexible commercial off-the-shelf applications. Top management would probably have gone along with their “expert opinion”.

But a lot of things would have suffered, and the main problem of poor data handling/standardisation and reporting would have persisted.

Instead, they wisely remained objective and open minded enough to see that the unique problem in the technical function required a unique solution.

They must have left their minds “open” long enough, for someone (possibly the young expatriate Training Coordinator himself) to “sell” them the idea of using an automated spreadsheet application to solve the problem.

And that’s how in-house experts can justify their presence in, and earnings from the company: By adding REAL value to the company in such a way that it becomes better equipped to achieve its business goals more successfully.

If they act this way often, the company they represent is unlikely to miss valuable OPPORTUNITIES to get – and STAY – ahead of the competition.

This is because it would be fully equipped to seize those opportunities as/when they appear using the INSIGHT of its results-oriented in-house experts.

Note: The young expatriate developer of the above mentioned program, was not an IT person. He was a manager in the technical function, who happened to have a flair for numbers and had also developed his spreadsheet programming skills quite extensively.

Your Company Needs “Non-Partisan” In-House Experts

To help you realise how NOT addressing the issues I have raised here can make your company MISS great opportunities to advance in quantum leaps, that I shared the Wester Union Internal Memo excerpt above.

These experts confidently gave that misguided assessment of a new invention that would go on to CHANGE the world!

Can you imagine just how STUPID anyone who took the advice of the guys who wrote the above mentioned memo MUST have felt AFTER seeing demand for the telephone in business and society skyrocket?!

That’s the price one can end up paying for FAILING to remember that EXPERTS will always be human.

Which makes it necessary to constantly check and ensure their human weaknesses do not prevent them from delivering EXPERT quality results as often as possible – in the BEST interests of the organisation!

Summary – Set Up Systems To Help Your In-House Experts KEEP Doing Their Jobs Properly

So what’s going to happen when next some UNKNOWN, inconsequential looking individual walks into your company lobby, and says s/he has a product or service or IDEA s/he believes your company will find useful?

What will you want your gatekeepers from reception, to your personal assistant(s) and of course the “in-house” experts to DO before they send him/her on his/her way?

In my opinion, it would not hurt to arrange for certain members of your team to give formal appointments to – and meet for a limited time – with individuals who come in sounding coherent, purposeful and convincing enough to the gatekeepers.

The fact that your company is BIG does not mean a seemingly “small” person cannot have a BIG idea that can make your company bigger!

And THAT is the classic mistake many people make – especially when they feel they are “successful” or more successful than the person who approaches them!

I would advise setting up a system for documentation, collation and careful REVIEW of EVERY idea, suggestion or proposal you get. Be they on paper or verbal. From employees or outsiders. Formal or informal.

Your aim should be to thoroughly review every new ideas, for its potential uses and applications!

Sometimes the solution you seek to a challenge being faced by your company can reveal itself to you, when you keep an open mind. And that may require paying conscious attention to IDEA(S) or SUGGESTION(S) from a junior employee – or unknown outsider service provider.

It will only be a matter of time before doing so begins to yield positive benefits. Some of which CAN lead to significant improvements in your company’s productivity, market leadership, profitability etc.

PS: This article is based on exceprts from the original write up first published online on 7th September 2007 via www.spontaneousdevelopment.com – my former 9 year old primary domain.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

Achieve Success IN SPITE OF Adversity – 2 True Stories

July 30, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD for short. That was the name of a terrible disorder that afflicted the child of an American woman in a film(based on a true story) I watched some years ago.

It was an ailment the child’s doctors believed could not be treated.

The mother of the ALD afflicted child was however not like most others and refused to sit back and watch her child waste away while she hoped for a miracle.

In this article, two true stories are narrated to illustrate how self-belief, and desire, backed by dogged persistence can help any person achieve a valued goal(s) despite the perpetual presence of adverse conditions.

A Mother Who Knew How

Through relentless personal efforts, she practically created the “miracle” that saved her son(the disease affects only boys – usually between ages 6 and 10). She went from doctor to doctor, specialist-to-specialist and visited libraries, reading all manner of books, articles, research reports etc that had even the slightest relevance to the subject of ALD.

She remained undaunted in the face of repeated discouragement from those she approached for help.

Instead, she chose to empower herself by becoming as knowledgeable as the medical practitioners themselves, on the subject of ALD and its treatment etc. It was this focus, determination and perseverance that eventually paid off, resulting in her helping to discover a viable treatment for her child – and by implication, those of others.

(The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) maintains an information page on ALD).

The foregoing narrative illustrates how an individual, through self-help/belief, can achieve what – before then – would have been considered “impossible”.

Michael Angier – in one of his SuccessNet.org articles(titled “Leaders are readers”) – once wrote that Abraham Lincoln used to walk miles (from/to his house) to borrow and return library books, which he read, by candlelight.

That the knowledge he acquired from reading all those books made a significant impact on his ability to succeed is certainly not in doubt today. I once read somewhere that “books strengthen the mind”. In Lincoln’s case, his healthy reading habit apparently gave him the mental stamina to carry on, (DESPITE failing repeatedly in pursuing many important goals he set out to achieve in life) UNTIL he achieved noteworthy success.

As pointed out by Angier: in Abe’s case, the phrase “Leaders are readers” could not be more appropriate.

An Employee Who Knew How

Consider another true story of a 29 year old brewer in one of the Nigerian plants of a multinational blue chip manufacturing company.

He decided to attend a 3-month practically intensive French Language course in his spare time (which wasn’t much). During this period he would close night shift at 7.00am on Monday for instance, get home by 7.30am, sleep till 10.30am then rush out to resume French lessons by 11.00am for 4 consecutive hours.

Many times after classes, he would insist on staying on with his Cameroonian teacher to practice speaking/writing fluent and grammatically correct French.

He kept this up till the 3 months expired – and continued afterwards to visit the teacher to consolidate his learning.

The latter, being very impressed, arranged later that year for the “student” to spend 3 weeks in Cameroon living with his (the teacher’s) family.

During this period, the young man went out daily to interact with people in different places and practice carrying on everyday conversations in French with a view to achieving fluency.

As the end of his three week stay approached he was pleased to note – based on comments from his hosts and friends he had made, that his fluency had improved noticeably. The trip had served useful purpose after all.

A Run Of Bad Luck?

When it was time to return to Nigeria, things did not however go exactly as he had planned. As a matter of fact, his trip back home turned out to be most traumatizing, due to an unexpected failure of a friend he had made on arrival in Cameroon, to return an amount of money he(the friend) had borrowed.

In order to get back to Nigeria and resume shift duty on schedule in the brewery, he was forced to travel 12 hours overnight, by sea, under heavy rainfall, in a leaky boat from Douala Cameroon to Oron in Nigeria. Read the full story of that journey across the Ocean here.

Reaping The Rewards

That was in July 1999. In April 2001(almost 2 years later), this young man was nominated by his company along with 3 others to attend a 1 week International Course in Douala, Cameroon (note that the company/most of its managers had no idea at this time that he could speak/read or write French).

It was just a day after the course began, that the expatriate MD of their Cameroonian sister company visited, and joined the Nigerian delegates in their hotel bar.

For some strange reason, the MD singled him out and asked him “Tu parle Français?”(“Do you speak French?”).

The young man naturally responded “Oui, je parle un peu”(“Yes, a little”) a bit surprised at being taken up so directly. Both men went on to converse fluently for about 15 minutes in the same language while the other Nigerians looked on in amazement.

One of them was to later say to this young man “Ol boy, so you can speak French!? I knew you took some classes, but I didn’t know you could speak it so well. Man, I’m impressed”. Another said ”You’ve really demystified this language for me now – I must learn to speak French too”.

While they were still at the bar, the MD called another Cameroonian, a senior manager, and said (pointing to the young Nigerian) “Il parle Français comme un Camerounais!”(He speaks French like a Cameroonian!).

Needless to say, he subsequently became very useful as an interpreter for his Nigerian colleagues, whenever they visited their choice restaurant to eat – since the steward there could barely manage a few words of greeting in English. The same thing happened whenever they had to ask for directions when they went out on their own.

But most importantly, you can imagine the high regard in which his colleagues began to hold him for his ability to speak a foreign language they wished they could speak, and so fluently too.

Of course he got noticed for that many times afterwards, and made friends much more easily as a result.

In fact, after the course, one of the Cameroonian delegates invited him to spend a number of nights with his family at Yaounde – and even went out of his way to help locate the family of the young man’s teacher in the Francophone capital.

The significant recognition and high profile that his French-speaking ability brought him served to make the pains of learning to speak the language well worth it.

Now, Let Me Ask You A Question

What if his company’s management had later decided to send someone on secondment to work in the sister company in Cameroon? And what if they had to choose from amongst a large number of qualified managers – which included our young friend?

Do you think he would have been one of those to be given very serious consideration/possibly chosen?

I do.

And by the way, that young man was this writer.

And it did happen that during the course in Douala, the idea of having an international mix of facilitators to implement the roll out of the course within each country was muted.

A suggestion made by one of the expatriate course facilitators was that our young Nigerian, being already French speaking, would be well placed to help the Cameroonians with the implementation in their country.

NB: It should also interest you to know that my ability to read, write and speak French is what has since 1st April 2013, enabled me relocate and live in/work from French Speaking Benin Republic as a Location Independent Multipreneur. See how this works in your favor?

Were They Just Lucky?

It could be argued, that the individuals I have described above, were just lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

My response would be that anyone who thinks so, has probably not heard the very apt saying that goes something like this: “Luck is often what happens when preparation meets opportunity”.

In other words, a person can ensure that he becomes perpetually lucky (successful) by simply preparing himself ahead of time for possible experiences (or opportunities) s/he might be exposed to in the future.

This can be done first by reflecting on previous experiences – and current happenings – as well as carefully evaluating signs or signals of likely future occurrences.

Having done this, the individual can then proceed to prepare –against the backdrop of the reflections – by acquiring the relevant skills and/or knowledge needed to effectively tackle the challenges that the future brings.

By the time s/he actually encounters the challenges or undergoes the experiences, it would likely be with a feeling of having done it before – what is sometimes called “Déjà vu”.

“Luck is the residue of diligence”

People in different areas of human endeavor sometimes complain that they can’t succeed or achieve advancements in their personal/work lives.

Their reason is often that they lack the needed resources or enabling environment for them to do so. (An example is the case of employees working in an organization).

The truth however is often that within that same environment, working alongside those same complainants, are some individuals who – despite the lack of resources/favorable environment – are continually achieving the desired successes.

By this I do not mean individuals who have godfathers making things happen for them from behind the scenes, regardless of their actual abilities or workplace performances. I also do not refer to persons who employ crooked means to achieve their “success(es)”. No.

Those I am concerned with here are persons who by dint of sheer hard work, diligent preparation, perpetual self-education, and rugged perseverance, continually overcome (perceived) limitations in their environment, to achieve practically ANY objectives they set for themselves.

FINAL WORDS : In saying the foregoing, I must emphasize that sometimes, one may have to (as Jim Rohn said) change the environment(s) in which one seeks to succeed.

This can be especially relevant to persons engaged in activities outside paid employment. In following Jim’s advice however, some people may need to improvise(like I have), as not everyone will be able to “re-locate” physically to another environment.

Thankfully, technology and the Internet have today made it easier to increase your chances of achieving success. They do this by affording you convenient access to more favorable environments that are physically beyond your reach, while you remain where you are.

One example: A freelance writer based in India can get better paid – than s/he would at home – to do work online for clients in the US, Canada etc.

Another example: If you’ve been following my work online for some time, you of course know that I earn income as a Location Independent Multipreneur, from providing a wide variety of products and services to clients in different industries.

I do this over 80% of the time via the web (a growing number of Farm CEOs from within and outside Africa buy my custom Excel-VB driven Farm Support software).

I also do it while traveling back and forth between countries e.g. Benin Republic and Nigeria. For instance, I’ve just finished web development projects for a startup consultancy and a private university here. And just two days ago, a Farm CEO in Nigeria sent payment for my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager (Click here to see 15 user guide videos for the Poultry Farm Manager).

To get to this point where demand for my products and services comes this often, I’ve applied the ideas shared in this article.

One More Thing : This article was one of the very first articles I ever wrote as an entrepreneur.

It was written in 2002 – my first startup year (click here to view the version I published on Ezinearticles.com in 2006). The fact that I’m come this far, 12 years later, proves I’ve been practicing what I preached back then.

If you seek success in your personal or business life, you will need to do the same thing. Need help? Click here to contact me.

How It Works: The example of a well known publisher of a business magazine

He evaluates their “knowledge products” (training or otherwise) for its potential usefulness to his readers.

So, for prospective resource persons/trainers he accepts to partner with, the difficult business of advertising to reach their target audience is made quite easy.

In exchange for his willingness to share advertising access to his readers, (and also organizing the week long event, taking administrative stress off their necks, the prospective facilitators/resource persons give a percentage of their earnings from the seminars to Mr. S.

That is why if YOU are the one providing the referral opportunity in a Joint Venture Marketing Partnership arrangement, you should aim to capitalize on the profits made at the very first run.

The truth is that without Mr. S allowing you to advertise to his readers through his magazine, it would be quite difficult for you to find so many people potentially interested in buying your products/services (or attending your training) all in one place!

Final Words: If you can find someone to work with in a Joint-Venture arrangement, you are likely to boost your marketing efforts tremendously.

This proves what I keep saying that coaching kids works – if you know how to do it!

But next thing I knew, he’d uncoupled the combustion chamber (where you have the piston etc)…

That was when I knew we were about to witness an exciting display of God-given talent, based on learning acquired by discovery!

My laptop battery power was already used up as I’d done some work without connecting to a walled socket after leaving the hotel in Cotonou.

My sons are REALLY responding so well by becoming spontaneous learners, who intelligently seize ANY opportunity they get, to learn anything they identify to be useful.

My asking if the plug had been cleaned, was what made my son recall that he knew a few things he could try on his own to get the generator working.

It all began many months ago, when I instructed him and his siblings to always stick around to watch the mechanic servicing the generator…

Now, whenever I’ve been home, I’ve always noted to them that the extra N500 being spent every 3 weeks, on servicing, could buy an extra round of fuel – IF we could service the generator ourselves.

The desire to have electricity for longer periods naturally made them keen to learn how to get – and keep – the generator in proper working condition.

That was what drove my son to watch so well, and learn enough to service the generator successfully, without ever having done it before!

Final Words

PS: I have used this story to illustrate what is possible in ANY area of life…

A Home Office Will Usually Do(At Least For A Start)

What Really Matters Is That You Have A Product/Service That People Want

Achievement Of Long Term Success Will Often Depend On A Startup Entrepreneurs Financial Intelligence And Frugality

Theres NOTHING Wrong With Starting Humbly – In A Home Office OR On A Kitchen Table!

If I had a choice, I would have stayed in Nigeria…

Staying in Nigeria had been killing me “softly and slowly” – in terms of my ability to excel at what I chose to do for a living.

Normally, I should have taken his age, and years of experience into consideration. However, I had enough depth of insight to know his view was one-sided.

You could ask: But what about those who remained in Nigeria and succeeded?

Some people – actually many people – in Nigeria, who run businesses, are good people. However, most of them do not engage in what can be called “ethical” or above board business dealings.

In my case, I could not accept to do business that way. But that did not make me judge them.

This local challenge made me begin to explore the use of the web to find more people willing to relate with me on my own terms.

However, I also noticed that I was limited in how much I could do by the fact that I had to use the generator 90% of the time.

So, while in Nigeria, I had to incur expenses in multiple directions to finish ONE job. This made taking on multiple projects a potential nightmare.

This explains why ONE client here in Cotonou has now given me 3 different high profile projects to handle in less than 14 months of meeting me!

The above are key reasons why I had to take this painful decision to move my family to Cotonou.

But the savings here, when my family comes down, will not just be on feeding…!

Yet the money I paid for this nice place I rented is about half the rental of the place my family lives in currently in Nigeria!

The reason we have this disparity in cost of living between both countries is the Nigerian Factor ™

I have a vision to provide information and education for re-orientation towards eliminating the Nigerian Factor.

I believe that this LACK OF POLITICAL WILL (note that political will need not be demonstrated through violence) is what makes Nigerians continue to suffer the hardships they complain so much about.

However I am not naive enough to blindly put myself – and my family – in harm’s way, be it financially or otherwise, to “help” Nigeria!

Over the course of the year, they routinely sneak out of school to eat meals at Mai Shai shops without paying, steal coins from trader’s slot machines, and catch crabs at the Lagoon front!

Click here to continue reading in the online store…(or click the front and back cover images below.

Click here to continue reading in the online store…(or click the front and back cover images aboove.

No. 153: A “Formula” Schools Need to Teach, But Don’t! (FREE PDF Report)

The idea I reveal in this new PDF report is the solution to poverty and unemployment anywhere.

That’s why I consider discussing this amazing, but little known/understood formula, important enough, to make it the “subject” of this week’s issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

As experts-who-speak, our key role is to be agents of positive change in society.

Click here – or the image below, to download the report now.

Just click and start reading.

And PLEASE I urge you to share it as far and wide as you possibly can!

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“Inside Speaking Business Success Secrets”

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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:

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THEY WROTE…

In other words – if it was there – would you be willing to see an opportunity for a potentially rewarding/mutually beneficial relationship?

True entrepreneurs prefer to EARN what they make through honest and intelligent effort, and typically abhor offers of “handouts” or favours.

They will therefore have to take something of a “leap of faith” in starting a relationship with him/her.

This article has instead been written mainly for the benefit of persons in DEVELOPING societies.

The Situation/Problem

Who Loses Out/Suffers In The Long Run?

The truth however is that I see very little effort being made by very few people to do anything about it. Yet, evidence of its presence and ill-effects daily torment hardworking, competent and honest people.

Don’t Compromise Your Values Or Be Subservient To ANYONE!

Think about it this way: What are the chances of a guy who keeps putting you down, delaying your payments and trying to get you to do more for less – or nothing! – giving you any word-of-mouth referrals/testimonials that result in PROFITABLE jobs?

There is a solution – BUT only for those who are willing to pay the price. .

My achievements as an online provider of high profile products and services, for years now, also confirm persons in Africa, CAN do it as well!

Read my articles listed below, which discuss the many possibilities, based on my experiences doing it in the real world for over a decade now:

Hopefully, from reading this article, if you ever need to buy from – or invest in – and an entrepreneur, you won’t make the mistakes highlighted above.

If you have read this as an entrepreneur(or one aspiring), I will ask you this question:

As a rule I DO NOT chase clients. Instead I take diligent daily actions – mostly online (and some offline) – that make them come to me.

This past week, it has happened three times. In fact I have to travel to Nigeria to meet one of such CEOs soon.

Apart from his fierce defence of human rights, as being each person’s “personal property’ and therefore NOT to be “given” to us by others, Fela also launched “lyrical” attacks on corrupt governments/individuals.

As an adult African, and parent, today, one of the things that bothers me the most is the apparent self-hate that Africans/black skinned people seem to have for their skin colour…and hair.

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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[IMPORTANT NOTE:====