[Tip: The quote below, credited to the Dalai Lama inspired me to write this article] No matter the individual wealth we accumulate or personal achievements we record, as long as we fail to help others struggling/suffering around us find their own places in life (NOT necessarily by giving them money), we WILL ALL be failures – ultimately.
“Each one of us is responsible for the whole of human kind. We need to think of each other really as brothers and sisters and to be concerned for each other’s welfare. Rather than working solely to acquire wealth, we need to do something meaningful, something directed seriously towards the welfare of humanity as a whole.” – Dalai Lama
Why so many people fail to understand this truth beats me…especially when many claim to be SPIRITUAL?
How can you be spiritual, when you lack the ability to feel EMPATHY.
When you lack EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?
Too many people love to feel big and accomplished when they see others looking up to them in envy and begging for help. What they fail to realise is that what they have which they allow their egos to get bloated over, has been given to then in TRUST.
The right thing to do, is to SHARE it with others, so as to complete the circle.
We must understand that we are not here to compete, but to create, and improve the lives of one another.
Do you know that if we – in Africa especially – were to start living our lives guided by the words of the Dalai Lama, we would TOTALLY eradicate backwardness, poverty, suffering and wars from our continent?
Check yourself – look around your neighbourhood, and social groups.
What do you see? Is there something you can TEACH someone, to equip him/her to become self-dependent and more fulfilled TODAY?
As always, I walk my talk. I do not ask people to do what I cannot or will not do.
I’m already doing my bit. And you know what I’ve discovered?
You really won’t need a grant from the Ford Foundation or World Bank, to make a lasting poitive impact in the lives of people who need your help!
Just share what you know – teach others how to succeed the way you have.
Give of yourself – unconditionally.
Open doors of opportunities.
Create a level playing field for aspirants to a position.
If you are in a position of influence or authority, give everyone a fair and impartial opportunity to get what they want, based on merit and competence.
And one more thing: Don’t tell people you wish to help that they must first give up their religious beliefs
For instance, asking a Muslim to become born again, as a pre-condition for helping him/her.
Doing this would defeat your purpose.
Let your deeds speak volumes for your religious convictions.
Those who are touched will on their own get converted.
Otherwise, you’ll end up with “phony” converts who only join you because they want what you are offering – and NOT because they truly believe.
Sooner than later, they will cause you major embarrassment!
Once again, let me ask you to read the wise words of the Dalai Lama:
=Starts=
“Each one of us is responsible for the whole of humankind. We need to think of each other really as brothers and sisters and to be concerned for each other’s welfare. Rather than working solely to acquire wealth, we need to do something meaningful, something directed seriously towards the welfare of humanity as a whole.” – Dalai Lama
If a client company’s decision maker demands gratification, as a condition for awarding YOU business, what would YOU do? In this article, I destroy the myth some – misguided – “experts” perpetuate, that, to succeed, one must give in improper demands from crooked client company representatives!
SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE
Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter
Date: Monday 9th March 2015
No:184
Title: To Succeed Profitably, Know What You’re Worth…& Protect Your Integrity!
Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]
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 them to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance
No. 184: To Succeed Profitably, Know What You’re Worth…& Protect Your Integrity!
If a client company’s decision maker demands gratification, as a condition for awarding YOU business, what would YOU do? In this article, I destroy the myth some – misguided – “experts” perpetuate, that, to succeed, one must give in improper demands from crooked client company representatives!
Giving in to such demands, no matter how well off you end up, WILL spell doom for you, in terms of your ability to actualize your God given potential!
I’m from a society where “wise” business owners believe you have no choice but to agree to do anything asked of you by even crooked decision makers…or fail.
I disagree, and have done so for over a decade…YET I succeed today in spite of my position!
This is a pet peeve of mine, but I’ve avoided writing about it for a while. However, I recently had a conversation with an old acquaintance, and was shocked, to hear him say I needed to accept this practice, so I could grow the speaking arm of my business.
So, I decided it was time to do yet another piece, for the benefit of others unsure of what to do.
Here are some excerpts (NB: He had indicated interest in having me develop a Web Marketing System for his business)
===Starts===
Me: You see a Web Marketing System will help you sell MORE than the products you have in your business. It can also be setup to help you generate extra passive via sales of your “knowledge”. Remember I told you I returned from Cotonou last Thursday (5th March 2015), to deliver a talk to a group of CEOs and Network Marketing Professional?
Old Acquaintance: Yes? So, what about it?
Me: Well, I’ve since used the 2 hour MP3 audio recording of my talk from that day, to create a new DVD Information Product that I offer for sale. Just like other Excel-VB software products, it’s basically digital, and was produced via monetization of my expert knowledge on a specific subject. I use my WMS to promote this growing range of products to my target audience, even as I continue earning income delivering my core solutions to my clients. The best part is that now, I focus on selling access to my Inner Circle membership, where members get my products at hefty discounts, to make more sales faster. So you see…
Old Acquaintance (cuts in): You know, I think you’re missing something. From what you tell me, the response you’re getting is so good. Why don’t you consider doing more talks/training events on a regular basis – especially in organizations?
Me: No, don’t let’s go there. Years ago, I decided I would no longer try to win speaking/training gigs with companies and organizations in Nigeria. With few exceptions, they often have crooked persons in charge of decision making where hiring of external consultants/trainers is concerned. And those crooked people habitually make all sort of silly demands for gratification that I refuse to give in to.
Old Acquaintance: Look Tayo, you always have the wrong attitude towards people out here. Nigerians are very easy to handle once you know how to deal with them!
Me: Really? Am I missing something here? Are you telling me the impressions I formed from a decade of mostly wasted time trying to sell my learning events to various organizations are not accurate? Or you want me to believe things have changed, and that the rot has been eliminated?
Old Acquaintance: Hold on, let me tell you how it works. First of all, when you go to these people you must not think of yourself alone. You have to understand that you need to offer the guy something of value in return for what you want to get – which is payment.
Me: What do you mean, something value? Of course they will get something of value. Is that not what I offer my speaking/training service for: to impact value on the attendees (i.e. the members of that organization), that will leave them better off than before I came in???
Old Acquaintance: No, no no! It goes beyond that. In fact, that’s not what matters. The decision maker is the one I’m talking about here. He is going to want something tangible for himself. For instance, if you say your fee for each prospective attendee is N15, 000.00 (Fifteen Thousand Naira), and there will be 20 attendees, you can tell him you want your total payment of N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) untouched. However, to appease him, and get him to cooperate and allow you to win the project, you can tell him he’s free to “add on top” of your total fee, any amount he chooses (e.g. 50,000.00), to arrive at a Grand Total (N350, 000.00), which you will then put on the invoice you submit to the company. On receiving payment you will then simply pay him the portion belonging to him!
[As he finished saying the above, he looked at me like he’d just given me some kind of unprecedented secret formula for success. It was all I could do to keep from screaming. I was irritated to my bones!!]
Me (Shaking my head in disbelief): Do you realize that you have not told me anything I did not know? Look, I discovered all that you told me years ago. I always knew it was the norm in some circles. Remember I also worked back in Guinness as Technical Training and Development Manager, and had to relate with LOTS of external trainers and facilitators. I will NEVER accept to do business that way. And the reason is simple: What I offer as a speaker/trainer/coach is VALUABLE enough command the kind of payment I require for my services. Any decision makers who seek personal benefits to choose me to add value to his/her organization’s members does NOT know what his/her proper role should be.
===Ends===
Back when I was in paid employment, NEVER ONCE did I demand gratification of ANY sort from those I paid on behalf of the company, to train our personel
No single consultant can claim to have had such an encounter with me.
Since becoming an entrepreneur, and finding that most people in such positions do it, I resolved I would do business in a way that would NOT require going to speak/train at such companies or organizations.
That is why today, I use Public Speaking mainly as a business marketing strategy. So, you see, getting paid to speak only comes to me as a bonus!
In any company with smart management, it won’t be long before they SEE that such a crooked decision maker is NOT hiring the best experts to develop their valuable human resources.
When that happens, s/he will NOT last long in that position.
NB: Any company where people who engage in this bad practice REMAIN for long is unlikely to be a place where the best management talents flourish.
If you are an expert-who-speaks it’s best to avoid getting hired by such crooked decision makers.
This is because they will rarely be interested in what you can do to help the company.
Instead, they will only focus on what they can get you to do for them.
The problem is that what they will want you to do for them will rarely be a smart priority for YOU as an expert. It will most likely make you look bad in the long run.
Even more importantly, you will no longer need to put in your best effort to get chosen.
That may feel nice in the short run, but it’s like a boxer who wins matches by paying off judges etc. S/he will over time feel little need to put in the needed hard work at training and in competition.
Then one day, an opponent with immensely superior skills will appear, and even the biased judging will fail to help.
Aside from the above, giving in to demands for gratification in exchange for award of client projects will also leave you compromised, in a way that could even open you up to blackmail or worse.
None of these is worth the trouble.
What’s more, in most parts of the world, these practices rarely pay off in the long run.
Indeed, if you aim to excel by succeeding at an international/world class level at what you do (like I do)…to fearlessly rub shoulders with the best of the best, ANYWHERE and at ANYTIME, then you really do NOT want to engage in this crooked way of getting hired.
Here’s what I recommend: Call the bluff of ANY decision maker who makes such a demand of you!
Don’t cause a fight or make a scene.
Simply tell him/her that you cannot work on such terms. Then walk away.
But don’t go and sit down feeling sorry for yourself.
Resolve (like I did, a long time ago as a start-up) to use the magic power of Web Marketing, mixed with creative, persistence in offline marketing, to create a compelling brand presence for yourself.
That will over time make serious minded decision makers drop their biases and accept YOU on YOUR terms, to deliver the solutions you offer.
That’s what I did. It is what I continue to do. The results I get confirm that this strategy works.
If you adopt the approach I recommend, YOU WILL get chosen, without needing to compromise
…and even if you don’t, my approach ensures your marketing works so that you get more sales leads and even earn passive income via monetization of your knowledge and know-how.
You simply cannot lose!
If you need help putting the ideas shared above to use, let me know HERE.
In this offer, Burt Dubin promises to show you how to generate PASSIVE incomes streams WHETHER YOU SPEAK OR NOT.
Plus, you learn a proven shortcut to top level speaking business success across corporate markets.
So, with diligent persistent application of what you learn you’ll start (as Burt says)…”bringing home high speaking fees”…whether you speak or not…in a matter of weeks….
Sooner than later you’ll find you’re ready to go for Burt’s mentoring at Diamond or higher Inner Circle membership level.
The best part is: every cent of your fee to purchase this product counts toward your membership in Burt’s Inner Circle.
In other words, you effectively get to eat your cake and still have it!
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
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.
Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your personal and work related productivity.
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[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.
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.
This is the product to own if you can own only one. Why? Because in it you discover principles of platform mastership available to you nowhere else at any price.
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With its Money back if not delighted Guarantee hardly any are returned.
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.
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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.
“(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).
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“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).
Yesterday (Tuesday 3rd March 2015) p.m, I arrived Cotonou-Benin Republic for a meeting with the CEO (Barr. Arnold NANA) of Global Konsult Group, a multidisciplinary client company. That meeting held today (Wednesday) for approx. 5 hours, on how to use potential promotional materials from their ground breaking events, (which already have corporate sponsors eagerly teaming up with them – see www.globalkonsultgroup.com/fbk) to take their Web Marketing to the next level, so they can better create client attracting awareness.
Tomorrow, Thursday 5th March 2015 by 4p.m, I will be back in Nigeria (at Sherryvile Arcade, Berger bus stop- Lagos (opposit First Bank Plc, speaking to Small Business CEOs and Network Marketing professionals on THIS same theme.
2 Questions for YOU…
1. How much money do you spend using the web monthly?
2. How much money do you MAKE from using the web monthly?
NB: If – for you – 2 is LESS than 1, you REALLY NEED to attend my talk, or get the DVD recording.
Key talking points I will explain using true stories about myself/my clients:
a. What to do to MAKE more money than you spend using the web for your business
b. What you should be selling that you are not (NO MATTER what business you do).
c. How to continue selling even during holidays, when offices and banks are closed.
d. How to make smart use of technology to cut your marketing costs by 25 to 50%.
e. How to find the right kinds of buyers for your products/services.
f. Why you need to educate your prospects and clients if you want to sell MORE profitably.
g. Why website traffic is NOT what you need to monitor, if you want web marketing success.
h. How a Web Marketing System can make ALL the above happen even while you sleep.
Question: Why LEARN FROM ME?
Answer: Attracting profitable buyers at zero cost even while one sleeps, is what I do, as a Location Independent Multipreneur.
Over 95% of my clients have NEVER met me in the flesh, and yet some have been buyers of my products/services for over 7 years from locations across the length and breadth of Nigeria (Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Niger, Oyo, Ekiti, Plateau, Delta, Enugu, Rivers etc)… as well as within and outside Africa (Canada, Abu Dhabi [UAE), Tanzania, Benin Republic, USA, Holland etc).
On 25th November 2014, Nelson Senatin (@fishbonedotcom) tweeted to me saying:
“@tksola may I know how you describe yourself? An agriculturist or businessman?”
This article gives a long response …but here’s a short/quick answer I would have given him if I’d seen his tweet earlier:
“I am a MARKETER first, and an agriculturist second” (where “marketer” = “businessman”)
[NB: By way of interest, my above stated response paraphrases Burt Dubin’s wise quote reproduced which reads thus:
“You are a marketer first, and an expert second.” – Burt Dubin]
My version of Burt’s quote means I AM not just engaged in agriculture because I enjoy it (and I do!). Instead I also intend to get amply rewarded for the value I add…AND as long as I ADD value others consider worthwhile, I will ensure I get AMPLY remunerated for it.
Senatin’s tweeted question is one that I have long “felt” many others wanted to ask, but never did…
Like I have continually said in my articles, I get lots of enquiries via multiple web marketing channels that I use, from across the world. It’s simply amazing the seemingly unlimited power that the web puts at one’s disposal, if one knows how.
Indeed, this is why I keep harping on the need for small business owners and solo entrepreneurs especially, to adopt my approach to finding buyers for their products/services.
I use what I call a custom Web Marketing System, and it helps me attract high paying buyers for the solutions I offer, at zero cost.
Yet, compared to those who use more conventional marketing methods, I spend MUCH MUCH MUCH (!) less time, effort and money promoting my offers, to get profitable results I record.
But back to the subject of the enquiries I get: So many people contact me, and NOT all of them come saying they want to “pay” for my products – especially my Excel-VB driven software.
Every now and then, I get people who come asking that I give my software or book to them for FREE.
Quite often, they would claim to be students, and that they needed it for their studies. Or that they were researchers aiming to use it for their work.
In a few cases, I have had business owners (or persons claiming they were about to start their own businesses) writing in saying they simply had no money.
Most times, I would respond that such persons let me know what date/time to call and speak with them, AT MY OWN expense. Did you get that? At MY OWN EXPENSE!
Believe it or not, till this very day, NOT ONE of them has ever responded.
My motive for writing that article was based on a trend I noticed with so many farm business owners I met in the course of my work as a Farm Business Support Specialist.
Majority of them simply did NOT understand that they had to be BUSINESS PERSONS, if they wished to be profitable.
They focussed excessive attention on production technicalities e.g. hatching, brooding, rearing, feeding, harvesting, slaughtering etc.
They would spend hundreds of hours planning production details, sparing little or no thought for creating PROFITABLE/SUSTAINABLE DEMAND for products they were planning to churn out.
As a result, time and time again, when I have reached out to such farm business owners months and years later on, I have NOT been surprised to learn they were struggling or had quit.
For instance, just last month, I had phone conversations with 5 Farm CEOs who had previously contacted me about solutions I offered (especially my Feed Formulation Handbook and Software), and 3 of them let on that they had “suspended” operations or close down entirely.
When I asked why these farm CEOs had shut down their businesses, they explained that “selling profitably” to keep the business afloat had become difficult.
Specifically, they complained that their regular buyers (the “market women”) had proved to be very exploitative, demanding unfair price reductions to make bulk purchases of products.
The women made those demands knowing the farm CEOs did not have alternative means of selling off their produce profitably.
One told me he’d stopped production and taken day job to think up a better way to sell.
HERE’s an IMPORTANT LESSON to note based on the above: The farm businesses failed NOT because the farmers could NOT produce good laying birds, or broilers or catfish…
Instead they failed because they did NOT know how to find the RIGHT kinds of buyers to take their products off them!
Which brings me back to Senatin’s Tweet, and my response…
You see, what I do actually falls under “Extension Services” delivery. However, my approach is VERY unconventional, and VERY unlike what universities or research bodies readily refer to.
But it is instructive to note that I am a graduate of Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan – so I do have formal training to function in this role.
Indeed, my passion for this work has made me resolve to establish what I call a Farm Research and Extension Advisory Services centre to better serve farm businesses.
In that paper, I basically challenged other Extension Service providers across the world, to adopt my approach of going beyond conventional practice to help farmer entrench BEST PRACTICE systems.
This includes development of low cost customizable automated spreadsheet apps to facilitate prompt farm data recording, trending/analysis for timely and more accurate decision making.
I adopted this approach, after observing, for YEARS, that traditional extension systems were too limited in their reach and impact, to do the badly needed good.
You see, if we want agriculture to become more attractive to people, especially the youth, it is crucial that we take the practice of agriculture BEYOND the level of drudgery it is currently associated with.
Interestingly, this does NOT mean spending lots of money.
Indeed, as my method has shown, the exact opposite with regard to spending, is what happens using my adopted approach.
Yet at the same time, the practice of agriculture in the way I advocate will enable farm business owners operate at a much efficient level, using cost-effective technology and indigenous creativity to boost profits.
This is why I keep challenging farm CEOs in my write-ups, and talks, to adopt what I call “Best Operating Process Management Systems (BOPMS) for profitable running of their farms.
Most importantly, I strongly recommend that they adopt the use of a custom Web Marketing System, to ensure they establish lasting relationships with BULK buyers for their products.
In addition to that, I have continually pointed out that a successful farm CEO is competent to offer farm business start-up advice and solutions to those aspiring.
Indeed, this is badly needed today, in a place like Nigeria for instance, where quacks are taking advantage of newly retired persons who indicate interest in venturing into agriculture!
A person who is already running the kind of business YOU intend to start, will (often though NOT always) be better equipped to SHOW YOU how to get started successfully.
That’s my argument, and it is the perspective from which I offer my support to farm CEOs. But many do not immediately see THAT big picture, and I understand why.
So I am ALWAYS patient, and to achieve my purpose, I forge long term relations with them, and during our interactions, I gently remind them of the need to make those needed advancements.
Over time, this strategy has worked. For instance I have farm CEOs who have been my clients for years, who recently paid to have me develop Web Marketing Systems for them.
Some have joined my Inner Circle to gain FREE access to my Poultry Farm Manager.
Long lasting benefits will accrue to these farm businesses, if the CEOs take diligent action along the lines I recommend, adding their own creativity along the way.
Ultimately, they will become agro-entrepreneurs or “business minded” agriculturists (to paraphrase Senatin – who has since purchased my Feed Formulation Handbook)!
If that happens, they will record more reproducible financial success, with less effort/at less cost.
You will agree with me that if farm businesses can succeed with more consistency and predictability, they will become more appealing to others – especially young people.
Since the future of our economies depends on more of our people, especially youths, embracing agriculture, it becomes obvious that this approach CAN boost our ability to attract this target group INTO agribusiness!
RELATED ARTICLES
Click the links below, to read articles I wrote in which I mentioned commencing (and progressing) work on the international research paper I referred to in the above article. I also noted how farm CEOs can function, to generate passive income streams outside sales of their farm produce.
It’s a compilation of 10 of my top performing Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas articles on the Farm Business Marketing. See Table of Contents here.
Reprint Permission for EVERY buyer:
As a paid owner of this eBook, in line with the offer made of the sales page in my online store, you can freely reproduce – without making alterations – ANY of the articles contained in this e-book for use on your website, or in any other medium or publication, as long as my byline and copyright information are printed along with every article.
Venue: Sherryville Arcade, Ojodu Berger Bus stop (opposite First Bank Plc), Lagos, Nigeria
Key Target Audience: Business owners, Sales/Marketing Professionals, Independent Self-Marketing Professionals
Important Notes:
1. This event is FREE for 2 reasons…
a. It’s being held as a FREE educational service for self-marketing professionals and business owner members of my Inner Circle (e.g farm CEOs, Network Marketing Professionals and others)
b. The second reason is that I use Public Speaking for Business Marketing (PSBM) to boost my name recognition and credibility – hence this “public offer” to non-members of my Inner Circle.
2. Intended attendees have ALREADY been pre-notified and confirmed their interest. Some are members of my Inner Circle.
3. This online broadcast is for ANY other interested persons who can find their way to the venue on the stated date/time.
4. ALL attendees will be eligible to obtain duplicated copies of a FREE autorun DVD that will contain an MP3 recording of the talk, a 3 part audio presentation on the same theme, a zero cost marketing ebook and other useful information products.
For details or inquiries, email tayo at tksola dot com…or use the contact details below.
What follows are a few ideas I have advocated over the past decade (based on personal successes I have achieved as a parent and mentor), regarding use of specific extracurricular activities to empower young people – especially those still undergoing schooling.
1. Team Working/Building Activities:
To help students learn how to work with others towards mutually agreed goals.
They learn the essence of cooperating to get things done effectively as a group. Major competence to acquire: Interpersonal Effectiveness. Students would be required to read the book “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie, and apply it in their daily activities.
Business and other partnerships are notoriously impossible to sustain in an environment where there is a lack of trust.
Someone defined TEAM as Together Everyone Achieves More. If we can teach students to adopt this philosophy in their lives, they will grow up more willing to work together for success over time.
2. Creative Thinking and Problem-Solving Activities:
To help student learn how to go about investigating the root cause of problems, be they process or people-related. They will be taught to understand why it is important to champion progressive change and how.
They will learn how to constructively challenge existing ways of doing things. They will be made to realise that it is important to have questioning minds – always constantly wanting to know why things are the way they are, and what can be done to improve.
3. Self-Development Activities (SD):
I have noticed that many people readily claim that they practice SD. That may be true. But the way I have conceived of SD and its practice, I refer to something that could be called a “culture”. Something that is not only systemic, but has actually become a way of life for a person or a group of people. There are many sides to practicing SD some of which are:
a. Vocational Skills Acquisition:
A person can decide to attend a seminar to learn how to make money from soap production. That would be Self-Development. The problem is that many times, there is no continuity in such efforts. What happens is the person then launches into the business having no idea of other areas of knowledge and skill necessary to run a business successfully.
Getting the technical skills or know how is one thing. Knowing how to effectively market and manage yourself to use your skills to make PROFITABLE INCOME is another thing entirely. That’s why some people hire a manager to help them.
b. Mental Stamina:
This is the most neglected aspect of SD. Some people do not even know it exists. Yet, many times, it makes the difference between the man who wins and the one who comes second in a 1,500m race photo finish.
When a long race is coming to an end, the muscles are aching, the legs are tiring, the lungs are screaming for air and each runner desperately wants to stop so he/she can take a little rest. The runner who has enough mental stamina to ENDURE and MANAGE all the pain/discomfort well enough to keep going, instead of slowing down, often wins.
Michael Jordan – before he retired – was renowned for what his NBA colleagues called his “tough mental game” – that made him repeatedly score game-winning points, hundredths of a second to the end of a game!
It is well known that a person’s state of mind is as crucial to his/her success as is his/her physical condition.
This rule applies across all spheres of endeavour. (Try going to the market to do elaborate shopping while worrying about the whereabouts of your 8-month old child who went missing over 2 days ago, and see how well you fare!).
People’s mental attitudes often determine, many times, how successful they become.
If you do not understand how to deal with difficulty, disappointments and adversity in your life, and how these unpleasant experiences actually offer you unparalleled opportunities to develop into a stronger person emotionally, you might be unable to achieve noteworthy success.
I say this based on my personal achievements in paid employment, and since…
Summary: Our youth need to be made to understand the need to develop themselves in the manner described above.
This will equip them to have good self-perception/healthy self-esteem, and an ability to carry on in the face of discouragement.
If we want to turn out youths who will make a difference in society, we must help them develop to become self-confident and emotionally stable. That is not read in books or taught in schools and universities. But it can be deliberately passed on through coaching and/or mentoring by competent persons. If we neglect this aspect of their development, many of our young people are likely to fare badly when they leave school and enter the real world (of hard knocks).
Let’s all begin to think of ways we can use extracurricular activities to better prepare our young people to become competent and productive adults in the future.
Entrepreneurs – and I mean authentic, honest, integrity driven ones – remain an endangered species in Nigeria. Most of them never really do well enough to truly flourish like their counterparts in more friendly climes.
That reality is in contrast to what happens in societies that Strive Masiyawa says “attract foreign investment and advance/develop” (as in the quote below).
SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE
Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter
Date: Monday 23rd February 2015
No:182
Title: You Need to Persevere and Innovate In spite of Adversity
Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]
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
**********
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 them to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance
No. 182: You Need to Persevere and Innovate In spite of Adversity
Entrepreneurs – and I mean authentic, honest, integrity driven ones – remain an endangered species in Nigeria. Most of them never really do well enough to truly flourish like their counterparts in more friendly climes.
That reality is in contrast to what happens in societies that Strive Masiyawa says “attract foreign investment and advance/develop” (as in the quote below).
“A country that does not have a healthy relationship with its own entrepreneurs (big and small), will always have difficulty mobilizing foreign direct investment, into its economy. One of the things, I always consider before investing in a country, is how it treats its own entrepreneurs, particularly the “little guys”. I have invested in more than 20 countries, in my business career. I know a thing or two, about why investors come to any country.” – Strive Masiyawa
In it I explained how the VERY unfriendly – indeed harsh – socioeconomic environment of my country, Nigeria influenced my decision to relocate to Benin Republic in 2013.
It’s now 2015 – February 23rd to be specific – and virtually nothing has changed from what obtained in 2013.
And that’s why I’m going ahead with my plan to MOVE my family to join me in Cotonou
For those not aware, in a few weeks from now, all things being equal, and with the continued guidance and support from the Creator, my family will be moving to join me in Cotonou.
I’m in Lagos with them, making the preparations. Unless some miraculous change occurs in the current Nigerian situation, we will soon be settled as a family in Cotonou.
The fact that I am actually able to IMPLEMENT this plan proves that I succeeded in finding a strategy that equips me to DEFY the limitations of Nigeria’s “climate”.
However, I realize the key to my long term success will be to avoid prolonged stays in Nigeria.
Everytime I do so, I spend 3 times MORE than I would in Benin…and the VERY harsh conditions under which I have to work/live here often have a telling negative effect!
This is why it is crucial that my family join me in Benin. That way, we can simply visit Nigeria, at intervals, rather than having to stay in it continuously, and getting sucked into its “black hole”.
It takes a superior brand of persistence and creativity to survive, talk less flourish – especially outside paid employment – in a society like Nigeria.
That’s what I had to be like while I was still based in Nigeria. But I soon realized that if I really wanted to BUILD on the successes I was achieving, it was crucial that I operated from an environment that afforded me the means to consolidate my progress.
The key requirements were access to uninterrupted power supply, and lower expenses of money, time and effort – which were almost impossible to achieve in my country.
In contrast, since moving to Benin Republic, I have effortlessly accessed them and a lot of other performance enhancing situations, which boosted my productivity.
So much so that TODAY, I’ve built a critical mass of “solutions” that enable me attract prospects and convert clients, with minimal effort, even while I sleep.
The friendly socioeconomic environment in Benin made it easy for me to FOCUS on refining my adopted strategies and ideas, until they worked exactly as I wanted them.
As a result, I now earn an increasing proportion of my income via passive income streams generated from solutions I deploy using the system I setup mainly while in Benin.
Anytime I visit Nigeria (80% of my clients are Nigerians in Nigeria), I focus mainly on “promoting” those solutions to generate more passive income…and I NOW also share my expertise with willing others…
Unlike when I spent all my time “chasing” clients for projects while still based in Nigeria, today, when I’m in Nigeria, I do very little of face to face work with clients or buyers.
I have no need to.
Instead I simply “work” my client attracting web marketing system to make them come to me.
The way I work gets me noticed so well…and not surprisingly MORE Nigerians are reaching out to me, for help, so they can get more results with less effort and less cost, like I do.
For instance, I recently began mentoring a serious minded young man on use of my Web Marketing System – here in Lagos. This began just after he paid to join my Inner Circle.
He has a degree in chemical engineering, but after failing to get a good job, he decided to venture intop network marketing of health and wellness products.
Did you get that? It never ceases to amaze me: He studied engineering in the university, but today is a network marketer of health supplements!
Just how much of all the stuff he learned about engineering, during 4 years of study now comes in handy in his chosen vocation?
So, this young man in now learning from me, about how to use a Web Marketing System, to sell his health products faster, with less effort, and at less cost.
He has seen several real life examples of how my system makes buyers come to me on their own, even while we are seated together.
On several occasions I have received phone calls, text messages and emails (while with him) in which a client announced that s/he had paid money into my account, for one of my information products or software.
After witnessing it several times, he’s told me he knows the way I sell would be the best way for him to sell his own products.
To his credit, he has shown great diligence in devouring the learning resources I have provided for him, since we began. I therefore have no doubt in my mind that he will soon be a role model for colleagues in his line of business.
The ability to persevere and innovate enabled me develop this powerful system for attracting profitable buyers, which I now setup for (and teach) others…
I want you to know that ability can help YOU overcome your bouts of adversity in ANY field too.
You have the power in you to do it.
I learnt to persevere and innovate in the face of adversity, way back in my early 20s (I’ll be 45 in July 2015 – few months from now).
Specifically, my first extreme “adversity” test occurred during my National Youth Service year.
I appear in the photo below with NYSC colleagues in Gulu Vatsa village, Lapai LGA, Niger state, 1992/93 batch
[L to R: Can’t remember, Haruna Sambo (Bauchi), Idowu Ojoye (Lagos), Sunday Ogbulio (Enugu, I think), Can’t remember, and me (Ogun)]
I was 23 years old at the time that photo was taken.
We stayed in that village all through the post-June 12 presidential elections results annulment crisis, unable to return home. My parents kept calling a close family living in neighbouring Gwagwalada in the FCT to find out if I was well.
This village was unconnected to the national grid, so we NEVER saw NEPA light, and only General Vatsa’s son (Mohammed) and a teacher (Idris) had generators that I knew of.
Newspapers arrived 3 or more days late, and the last bush taxi out to the city departed at 5p.m. If you were not on it, you’d have to sleep in the village.
My experiences in that village really prepared me to deal with adversity later in life.
For instance we suffered for several months when our allowances inexplicably stopped dropping into our bank accounts at month end.
No one had any answers for us. We had no relatives to go to. And were running out of money!
It got so bad I started helping a local teacher work on his farm for N100 per day, so I could buy lafu (yam flour) to cook and eat, with palm oil, melon, onion, and salt. That was ALL I ate, daily!
All that adversity woke me up to be the self driven agent of change that I am today.
My survival instincts became finely honed during that period, giving me an edge that has kept me going through tough time till this very day!
So, if you wonder what drives me, this is one of several mental stimuli that I use to keep challenging myself, and those I coach/serve, to excel perpetually.
When things got bad for me as an entrepreneur, over a decade and a half later, the memory of that experience helped me look beyond my suffering to THINK up practical solutions to real life problems.
Today, I now help others with the solutions I develop…
My success, despite the prolonged heartbreaking struggles I had to confront, proves that we are truly “powerful beyond measure”, as Marianne Williamson so wisely observed in her writing.
That’s why I end this piece by urging you to memorize her powerful word reproduced below.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
…We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ” -Marianne Williamson
Another person whose words really kept me going during the darkest hours of my entrepreneurial struggles was Burt Dubin. Here’s my favourite, which I memorized:
“Never give up. Have bulldog blood. Have bulldog blood. Have bulldog
blood! One morning you awaken to find your vision of the future, rooted in
the wisdom of the past, is your present reality.” – Burt Dubin
Read Burt’s full article here. It’s titled “Your Future: Vision or Daydream“. A powerfully inspirational piece. Read it, digest it & act ON IT!
Final Words…
When tough times strike, your ability to recall the above words WILL boost your morale and help you find the courage to persevere and innovate UNTIL you breakthrough!
If you need help putting the ideas shared above to use, let me know HERE.
In this offer, Burt Dubin promises to show you how to generate PASSIVE incomes streams WHETHER YOU SPEAK OR NOT.
Plus, you learn a proven shortcut to top level speaking business success across corporate markets.
So, with diligent persistent application of what you learn you’ll start (as Burt says)…”bringing home high speaking fees”…whether you speak or not…in a matter of weeks….
Sooner than later you’ll find you’re ready to go for Burt’s mentoring at Diamond or higher Inner Circle membership level.
The best part is: every cent of your fee to purchase this product counts toward your membership in Burt’s Inner Circle.
In other words, you effectively get to eat your cake and still have it!
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
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.
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.
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.
This is the product to own if you can own only one. Why? Because in it you discover principles of platform mastership available to you nowhere else at any price.
You hear performance strategies you can emulate. You shorten your learning curve. You see ways to engage and delight audiences with both content and stories . . . plus you experience a bit of fun.
With its Money back if not delighted Guarantee hardly any are returned.
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.
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.
“(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).
2 years ago, when I first relocated to Cotonou, from Lagos, the first few months exposed me to raw cynicism from most Beninese citizens I met…and it always happened once they learned I was Nigerian.
I’ve shared several true stories about specific encounters I had, including one with a widely traveled PhD holder who was kind enough to paint the reputation Nigerians had, with his people, in vivid terms for me, using a shocking personal true story, and examples from his trips.
Only my dogged determination and persistence enabled me break down those biases that has today earned me ready friendships, and later business relations with people in that society. Many of them today tell me I’m "a very unusual kind of Nigerian".
I know they mean it as a compliment to me, but I don’t like it, because it reflects badly on my country and my people.
What’s more, I know that many Nigerians like me, abound, only they may not venture far enough for such foreign cynics to encounter them.
When I visited Ghana in 2005 for 2 weeks on business, almost nothing went right for this same reason.
My host’s brother, Paul Awuku, told me: "Tayo, it’s going to take Ghanains time to trust you. So many things have happened. Just be patient."
Back then my interest was to explore opportunities. I could not stay longer as the prospects were gloomy and I had run out of resources.
Today, I work as a Location Independent Multipreneur, choosing where to go (country wise), and how long to stay based on my preferences.
Regardless of where I am, at any point in time (I’m currently in Lagos), I can, and do sell my products and services.
Over 80% of the above happens via the web.
But what I do, the major solutions I provide, are quite uncommon/unconventional.
Examples of what I do/sell to my growing base of trusting buyers…
1. 100% customizable Excel VB software for farm businesses and others
2. Web Marketing Systems development in which I get paid to write creative content for clients that I build FREE Joomla websites (and provide webhosting) for.
4. Paid membership website access to the above existing range of solutions, and those I plan to create in future.
But some people just won’t let go of their biases!
It’s funny yet true.
They see all I’ve built out of nothing, including rebuilding my online brand from the ashes of my snatched 9 year old domain to establish what is my highly Effective Online Presence at www.tayosolagbade.com, and they still look for excuses to cast aspersion on me.
Ever so often this happened, and I’ve accepted the need to accommodate such people with their baggage of negativity. My thinking was that they would over time discover that I’m different and acknowledge it.
Sadly, what I found is that they seem keen to find that which does not exist: a crooked Tayo Solagbade.
They betray these hidden motives often in the things they do, and especially what they say.
Well, I believe in keeping carriers of negativity at arms length, indeed much farther away if possible. So starting today, 19th February 2015, I will respond with LOUD silence to any persons who fail to accord me the same consideration and courtesy I extend to them.
For me, such displays of interpersonal ineptitude must be discouraged. I refuse to apologize for being a Nigerian. Not to other Africans or persons from outside the continent.
If you can’t deal with the fact that I proudly flaunt my Nigerian status, from my African base, while providing solutions to a global audience, without seeking approval or recognition or any external validation, then PLEASE do not contact me, because I seriously doubt we would get along!
Last week, I had an interesting telephone/email based exchange with a lady banker who called about purchasing my “Ten Storyfied Yoruba Proverbs for Children” audio book DVD. It turned out she knew me from way back in 2002, my startup year, when we both served with an NGO as volunteer tutors. In addition to buying my DVD, she had some VERY nice things to say to me, about me, with regard to how I’d influenced her without knowing it.
1. After our phone conversation, in response to my request, she sent in the formal email below, requesting my account details…
Thank you for the detailed update on Yoruba Proverbs. Kindly send your account details to enable me make payment for the book: Ten Storified Yoruba Proverbs for Children.
I plan to attend some personal development courses this year (Excel Sheet, Personal Efficiency et al), kindly forward your Lagos Training Calendar for the year.
Please find below my details for Book Delivery:
Taiye <surname removed>
<company name removed> Bank
<removed>Operational Risk Manager <removed>
<removed> Victoria Island
Landmark: My office is opposite <removed> Victoria Island.
I look forward to your response.
Thank you.
Regards,
Taiye
===Ends===
2. Then I replied as follows:
===Starts====
From: Tayo K. Solagbade [tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 14:48
To: <removed>, Taiye
Cc: M; Tayo Solagbade
Subject: Re: Account Details & Training Calendar
Hi Taiye,
Thanks for your phonecall. It was great speaking with you.
Find payment details below:
<removed>
It appears I mis-heard you, when we spoke earlier, as I’d assumed you wanted to pick up the DVD from the <removed> address I mentioned.
But from your Victoria Island delivery address, and your descriptive notes, it’s obvious you want it dropped off for you on the Island.
2 options:
A. Let me know if it’s possible to have it dropped off for you at your Ikeja office – I imagine you have an internal mail system that can get it to you.
B. Include extra payment to cover hand delivery to you in VI by a young man I can send over…or for dispatch via Fedex from here in Ikeja to you.
Note that I’m not sure how much either will be. For Fedex, I’ve only done inter state dispatches to buyers of my ExcelVB apps across the country.
Lastly, I’ll get back to you regarding my On-Demand learning events tomorrow.
Thanks for your interest in my work. It is gratifying to know that you find what I’m doing of useful relevance.
For ease, I will prefer delivery at the Victoria Island Head Office. I plan to include NGN2,000 (if this covers his cost) for the delivery by the gentleman you would send.
§ Please should I credit your account with NGN7,000 being NGN5,000 for the pack and NGN2,000 for delivery? Or credit your account with NGN5,000 and pay the gentleman cash (NGN2,000) on delivery?
§ Kindly confirm, does the package include a book & DVD? Or I need to make payment for the book separately?
I look forward to reading your content, I wish I could get it today. I must confess that you inspired me while volunteering at years back at . I was also a volunteer but your sense of responsibility, discipline and passion for what you did made a lasting impression on me, Thank you so much for ‘silently’ teaching me some of those values which has helped me to be a better me.
Regards,
Taiye
===Ends===
4. I replied her queries, and offered additional details about multiple FREE bonuses available to every buyer of the DVD…
===Starts===
From: Tayo K. Solagbade [tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 15:50
To: <removed>, Taiye
Subject: Re: Thank you
Make the entire payment into the account.
The book comes on the DVD as a PowerPoint Slideshow with clickable links to the audio files.
You will be able to copy the audio MP3 files from the DVD to your phone or MP3 player. That’s how my kids use them(I bought each child an MP3 headset with rechargeable battery. Then they also have a box like player which uses a card reader with rechargeable battery).
Now, if you want the book in printed and spiral bound form, you will have to include an extra N3k, so I can prepare that and send it in a larger envelope along with the DVD containing the Slideshow and audio versions.
Regarding getting it today, if it was not for the erratic Lagos traffic, one could be sure of getting the hand delivery done today. Indeed, back in Cotonou, I readily commit to tight meeting and delivery deadlines. My Lagos experiences have however taught me to temper my enthusiasm with realism.
It’s 3.30p.m now.
Let’s see what can be done. If it does not reach you today, you’ll definitely have it tomorrow a.m.
Tayo
PS:
A. I send every buyer of this Proverbs book a FREE PDF copy of my new Best Practice Parenting paperback book titled “Kukuru Danger”. See it on sale in my online store at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts
Buyer name is printed on the PDF book cover, with a message from me, thanking him/her for buying my Storyfied Proverbs book.
B. I must thank you for your kind compliments. I never realized I was being so closely observed! Glad to know you found my conduct worthy of emulation. May we continue to add useful value to one another.
Cheers,
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
===Ends===
5. And that proved adequate to convince her to respond with confirmation that she would go ahead and do the e-transfer to my account…!
The DVD format would suffice as I can copy it on my device to listen and read at ease.
I will credit your account with NGN7,000 shortly and anxiously wait for delivery tomorrow. In the mean time, I look forward to reading the personalized PDF copy of your new book Best Practice Parenting titled “Kukuru Danger”.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn from your wealth of knowledge.
===Ends===
6. As I always do with every buyer, once payment came through, I sent her direct download copies upfront, prior to delivery of the DVD…
===Starts===
From: Tayo Solagbade [mailto:tayo at tksola dot.com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 19:02
To: <removed>, Taiye Subject: Re: Your Storyfied Proverbs book etc…
Hi Taiye,
Find below, download links to the following:
1. A password protected PDF version of the 10 Storyfied Proverbs book
http://tayosolagbade.com/<path removed>.pdf
Note that it is locked for viewing. Password to open is: tks2019 (type exactly as it appears) 2. A complimentary copy of my new Best Practice Parenting book titled “Kukuru Danger” – personalised for you, with a thank you message…
http://tayosolagbade.com/<path removed>.pdf
3. You may also enjoy reading the sneak preview of a new book I’m writing with my sons as co-authors, on how we bake cup cakes for sale using charcoal stoves and NO oven.
It’s available for download from an article I published on my blog last year:
Tomorrow morning, I will dispatch the autorun DVD to your VI address and let you know.
In your service.
Tayo
===Ends===
7. Due to unexpected developments, I ended up belatedly, having to decide to hand-deliver the DVD by myself…and luckily, I made it on time…below is the email I sent after returning to the mainland.
As I noted in the message, it was actually the first time I was visitng the Island since 1st April 2013, when I left Lagos for Cotonou.
===Starts===
—–Original Message—–
From: Tayo K. Solagbade [mailto:tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 05 February 2015 15:33
To: Taiye
Cc: email removed; M; Tayo Solagbade
Subject: Delivered: Your 10 Storyfied Proverbs DVD – Guiding Notes
Handed over to Aina at reception, as you requested.
A few notes…
The DVD is setup to autorun. Just insert and let it load the custom navigation menu.
The menu buttons open the documents or links indicate.
When the PowerPoint book show opens, each slide will autoplay the relevant audio narrative.
Speaker icons provided are clickable and enable you replay each audio narrative, as well as the clips of my kids reading out the proverbs.
A menu button provided opens the folder on the DVD, in which all the audio files are stored. From there you can copy them to your memory card, PC/laptop, phone or other device.
If you need any help, let me know, and it would be my pleasure to provide it.
In your service,
Tayo
PS: It was Interesting that you called me just as I arrived the “mail room”, where Aina had directed me from the reception…
When eventually I got back to him, I asked him to let you know the branded label for the proverbs package DVD could not be printed to the finish quality, in colour, that I wanted. The late opening of business centres today made trying to find a better service elsewhere impractical.
I’m a stickler for adhering to challenging standards, and also for keeping promises I make.
So, I chose to NOT use a shabby label, plus when a 2nd chap (who I’m coaching on Web Marketing) that I’d hoped to have drop off you pack told me he would not be available till 3p.m, I knew I had to drop it off myself and return without getting stuck in the famous Island traffic…
It may interest you to know that this is the first time I’ve visited the Island, since relocating to Benin Republic on 1st April 201(3).
===Ends===
8. And this was her final response, upon receicing the DVD pack I dropped off for here…
===Starts===
—–Original Message—–
From: “, Taiye” <Taiye removed>;
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2015 17:27:30
To: <tayo at tksola dot com>
Subject: Thank you so much.
Good Afternoon sir.
I have been in a meeting. I must confess that I truly appreciate your kind gesture in going an extra mile to keep to your word.
To be honest, after speaking with you (before rushing into the meeting) and you said you were downstairs, I told myself that you are still the same Mr. Solagbade that keeps to his word. I said that because of a few encounter I have had with you in the past. Interestingly, you ‘indirectly’ taught me one core value I have upheld… Discipline.
I still teach at . Over the years, I have taught my young friends/students the importance of that Life Lesson your taught me (it is easy for me live by this because you taught me by your ACTION unknowingly) and this forms one of my 3 Core Values. Thank you.
Once again, thank you so much for your kind gesture.
Regards,
Taiwo
===Ends===
By the way, here’s what she got…in case you’re wondering…
The auto run DVD she got contains a slide show version of the proverbs book, with auto playing audio narratives in my voice, and click able audio clips icons that playback the voices of some of my kids reciting the proverbs.
My kids enjoy listening to it.
The MP3 files can be copied from the DVD to phones and other media.
In fact my mother (grandma to the kids) made me copy them to her phone so she could listen, especially to the kids reciting the proverbs.
I’m having connectivity issues uploading, so the following 2 items will come LIVE in this article tomorrow morning…
1. A screen shot of the DVD’s branded navigation menu, which is always personalized for the owner will be embedded below tomorrow…
I had to take a last minute decision to deliver it myself, to avoid disappointing her, when the young chaps I’d planned to send down could not make it.
I visited Fedex, at 11a.m in their Allen office, but they told me next day delivery in Lagos costs N500, but same day delivery would cost N8k. I’d not known that in 2 years of using their service, since I’d never had a same day delivery client order!
At this point, only ONE other option was left.
So, after sorting out work I had to finish, I took a BRT bus at close to 3p.m down to CMS. Soon as I alighted, by some wonderful “coincidence” a commercial power bike rider called out to me (there were 2 of them, so I got to choose). I promptly agreed to his N300 fee when he said he could get me through bad traffic to the lady’s her VI office on time for me to RETURN to mainland without getting stuck in the crazy traffic jams for which that area of Lagos are famous. True to his word, he did – see email below!
LESSON to Take Away: The above highlight emphasis (circled in red in the screen shots) is deliberate.
There are 2 key lessons I believe one can draw from this story….
First, it’s the fact that the web marketing strategies I advocate can enable anyone with diligent perseverance, successfully monetize any useful information or knowledge s/he has.
I know many who thumbed their noses at the idea when I first muted it…they are not laughing now I tell you…lol!
But here’s the more important lesson to be had from this exciting experience that happened in a window of 24 hours…
Taiye, the buyer, had told me during her first phone call that she knew me from back when I (like her) was a volunteer maths tutor for a project sponsored by a very well organized Nigerian NGO. The NGO’s project mainly helped secondary school students with FREE maths and english tutorials in their final year.
The problem was that I struggled to recall her face, even though the name rang a faint bell…but I did not tell her that
When she went on to say the above (and more in her final thank you email post-receipt of the package), I realized how important her feedback was, and why it was important for me to WRITE about it, for others to read.
You see, I believe her words – which basically amount to an “unsolicited testimonial” confirm that it pays to be true to yourself at all times.
Seek to add value with honesty and integrity at all times.
You never know who will be watching and drawing inspiration from your selfless efforts.
Like the popular saying goes: “Be The Change You Want to See In The World!“
That was what I did back then, that she saw and chose to emulate. That’s why I continue to do today, that has NOW made her buy my latest information product…and that NOW makes her even more inspired than ever, to go and do MORE of what she learned.
If more of us did this, our societies would become much better places than they are today. It only takes EACH person making up his/her mind to begin…
This photo shows a new set of “experimental” or “practice” Easter Eggs made by my kids, in our Lagos home, based on a movie we watched, and other learning resources I compiled for them. Our plan is to produce special Easter Eggs to give out during Easter to buyers of cakes, doughnuts and chin chin the kids will make and offer for sale.
We’ve added more products to the range of pineapple peel based cakes baked without an oven, and the drinks also made using the peels, that I began making in Cotonou
I’ve been screaming in my best practice parenting articles and the book (Kukuru Danger – see www.lulu.com/sdaproducts) that parents are BEST positioned to give their kids the balanced EDUCATION they need to succeed in the real world.
It so happens that I diligently and passionately practice what I preach with my own children, and that includes teaching them life skills and more recently academic subjects (maths, english etc) in a formal home schooling arrangement.
Why am I going so out of the way to do all this?
First, it’s because I’ve found that the quality of teaching provided in most conventional schools today, which greatly depends on the quality of available teachers, has dropped waaay beyond the point that I can afford to do otherwise.
And this trend, in most cases, remains the same regardless of the fees paid in each institution. The decay began decades ago, and now the school system is suffering the effects. On top of that the curriculum taught by most conventional schools is increasingly obsolete, and out of sync with the needs of today’s society.
In my audio series titled “A Formula Schools Should Teach But Don’t: Why Brilliant Students Struggle to Succeed In the Real World”…I stated that the “schooling” I got failed me, WHEN I went beyond the controlled environment of paid employment, to become self employed.
That experience, which is not unique to me, confirms what has been said that formal schooling as originally conceived is geared towards preparing its products to enter salaried employment.
To find the success I increasingly enjoy today, I’ve had to DUMP a lot of what I learnt via formal schooling and learn via self tutoring what I discovered to be crucial for achieving reliable long term success in life.
My painful journey to find success made me VOW TO GIVE MY KIDS THE KIND OF BALANCED EDUCATION THAT WOULD PROTECT THEM FROM SUFFERING AFTER SCHOOLING like I did!
That’s why I’m coaching them to learn and operate a complementary set of micro businesses under the umbrella of a FAMILY BUSINESS we will all be a part of.
Look at the teeming numbers of young people who – post formal academic schooling – are walking the streets in search fast vanishing jobs, with certificates in hand today…
Consider the fact that graduates and NYSC members are now being asked to take entrepreneurship classes…
Add to the above, the fact that even employees are now being challenged to think and act entrepreneurial, if they want to retain their jobs…
They all provide definite signs that empowering your kids the way I propose is the best way to really show that you love them.
Sending them to some expensive fancy school alone may not be enough to prepare for reliable lifetime success within or outside paid employment!
Valentine’s day, celebrated TODAY, is about LOVE. If you really LOVE your kids, I urge you to give serious consideration to what I’ve said above, and ACT to give your kids a better chance at success.
A Warning: What I propose is NOT popular, and doing it is likely to make those who know you criticize you at some point. Trying to do things differently from the majority, often causes that to happen.
Here’s something to encourage you:
In the long run, when the POSITIVE benefits begin to accrue from your actions taken with a long term real world relevant vision in mind, the same critics WILL turn round and applaud you.
Trust me…I’ve been there countless times, and I KNOW from personal experience, that this is true.
Happy Valentines Day!
…a multi-disciplinary blog for people passionate about reaching their goals!
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