Category Archives: My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Do You Want a Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic?

February 12, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

A recent email from one of my newsletter subscribers read (in part) as follows: “Tayo, pls can u guide me on university education in Benin Republic? Ranging from the standard ones to qualifications and range of tuition fee as well as accommodation.”

Sadly, I was only able to send her links to a list of approved universities published on the Nigerian Embassy website, and to the website of a client who is a top decision maker in one of the leading universities here.

In truth, what she wanted was a WHOLE lot of information that cannot be found in one place!

Here’s the detailed response I sent to her…

“I’m not sure what your understanding of my work is, and especially how I operate here in Benin Republic.

The truth is I do not have access to that kind – and volume(!) – of information on private universities here.

Even people who OWN or work in them would struggle to give you all you’ve asked for!

My Suggestions:

1. I have a client: www.nanaarnold.com who is a top decision maker in one of such private universities.

You may contact him via his site to see if he can help you.

Note that you take full responsibility for your subsequent actions in this regard.

2. Check with the Nigerian embassy.

The ambassador once published a list of accredited institutions and their approved courses at http://nigerianembassybenin.org/?page_id=633

You may wish to contact them for additional guidance.

3. I’m an entrepreneur based here.

My work in the area of web marketing/freelance writing brings me in periodic contact with stakeholders in the industry.

I can do a detailed survey of the accredited schools along the lines of your enquiry, and prepare a comprehensive table on which the different institutions can be compared, to aid your decision making.

But that would be a lot of work, and it would be for a professional fee.

Hope this helps

===End of email reply===

After sending the above email, I realized I could have added a 4th suggestion:

4. Consider taking a trip down to Benin Republic for a few days to see things for yourself.

Plan to come in early in the week – say from Tuesday.

You would have possibly printed out the list of approved institutions and courses from the Embassy website. If possible you could visit the Ministry of Education in Nigeria to get the list.

Indeed it is likely they would also be able to give you a more comprehensive list that includes all approved courses offered by EACH institution.

Armed with that, you would then visit Benin Republic, and go to the equivalent ministry of education office here, to obtain get the full contact details of the institutions on your list.

Once you get that, the next step will be to call and/or visit each one to find out the details you want.

If any have website addresses, you could start by checking them out online.

But only START by doing that…do NOT stop there!

My experience however strongly indicates you would be VERY wise to STILL plan a physical visit to each school to establish what they really have to offer.

Or what would be the point of traveling ALL the way down to Benin in the first place, if you then did NOT visit their premises in what is such a small country?

What’s more moving around in Benin is generally not a problem. So you will rarely have to worry about traffic or any other annoyances.

Final Words: “My Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” – Coming Soon

I did not like the fact that I was unable to help that email enquirer on such an important matter. Considering that I’m based here, and engaged primarily in freelance writing online and off the web (of articles, reports and guides on different subjects), I believe I should help out in this area.

So, that email has now made me resolve to do the necessary detailed research and investigation to come up with a comprehensive guide to “Private Universities in Benin Republic”.

I’ll offer it as a new information product from my website.

This is because it’s obvious – from what I’ve seen over the past 10 months – that many people (parents and students) looking for reliable and unbiased resources to help them make their choices.

Hopefully, what I come up with will fill that need, to some extent.

If you’d like to be notified when the “Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” becomes available, fill and submit this form, to join my mailing list.

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

You Can Agree to Disagree and Still LOVE (Tribute to my father at 80!)

February 8, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Photo: My father – Ezekiel Oluwajimi (E.O) Solagbade – cuts his 80th birthday anniversary cake on Tuesday 4th Feb. 2014, with my mom (his wife for 43 years now). Dad is a Civil and Structural Engineer by profession. I absolutely LOVED the cake, because it was beautifully decorated to depict technical drawing tools he uses!

A little history: Before starting his consulting outfit, Dad supervised the construction of some major roads across the country, while with the Ministry of Works – in the 60’s. This meant he had to travel a lot – with my mother.

It was during one of those periods “on the road” that I was born, on 6th July 1970 in a place called New Bussa.

New Bussa used to be in Kwara State, but following the redefinition of state boundaries some years ago, it now falls into Niger State.

(NB: I still have my ORIGINAL birth certificate issued back then. The paper is all brown now, but still very legible.)

Deciding to Visit my “Place of Birth” During my NYSC Service Year (1992/93)

As a student, I’d always filled “New Bussa” in forms while trying to imagine what the place looked like. So, when the time came to go for my one year of mandatory service as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I wrote a letter requesting the NYSC directorate to send me to Niger state.

This was in 1992/93 (I’d completed my degree course at the University of Ibadan, in Oyo state, in 1992)

They were glad to approve my request since the scheme had always been intended to promote regional integration. Here was this Tayo Solagbade, Yoruba guy, asking to be posted to Niger state in the middle belt area of the country.

It was perfect…for them…and for me (or so I thought…LOL).

So I Got Deployed to Spend My Service Year in Niger State…In a REAL VILLAGE!

But my place of primary assignment, much as I’d hoped it would be, was NOT New Bussa.

Instead it was a remote Vatsa village (Yes, “THE late”General Vatsa’s village), on the outskirts of the state.

At the time, they were NOT connected to the National Grid!

For a guy raised in the city, this would turn out to be a perfect introduction to REAL village life…and I fell in LOVE with it!

Newspapers typically arrived 3 days late. Yep. And they didn’t always come…LOL!.

Plus, if you were still there by 5 to 6p.m, you would most likely NOT find any commercial transportation to leave…till the next day!

Sitting Out The June 12 Presidential Election Riots

You may recall the June 12 crisis happened during that service year(?)

Well, 4 fellow NYSC members and I were stuck in that village all through that crisis period!

We only heard the little news that filtered in about the elections and the riots that followed.

Then, we began to see lorries carrying the belongings of Igbos who were fleeing from their Northern bases back to their homes in the East.

The Niger State NYSC director would later come around to visit us.

I recall him telling us we were safer where we were(in the village), than we would be if we tried making it back to our various homes in the south.

Well, back then, it turned out he was right.

None of us got harrassed or disturbed by anyone.

We lived amongst the people – who were mostly farm-loving Gwaris.

I made many great friends amongs them – teachers, and students alike. We made friends with Mohammed Vatsa…the late general’s son.

He was the ONLY person (if I recall correctly) who owned a generator (albeit small – the “I pass my neighbour” type) in the entire village at the time. So we used to spend time with him watching films…poor Corpers we were…LOL!

Demonstration of REAL LOVE from a father!

However, I tell this story to paint a picture of what life was like back then, for youth corpers.

Danger was certainly not something that bothered us.

Unlike today when serving outside your region can pose real dangers – for you…sadly.

During that June 12 crisis, my father kept sending messages through a cousin of ours who owned/ran his business in Abuja (Gwagwalada was just about one hour’s drive from the village).

His Experience of the Kano riots in his younger days, made him believe I was in danger. So he kept sending messages, refusing to accept my replies that I was safe and well, until I agreed to move into my cousin’s house in Abuja.

I stayed there for about 2 weeks.

My Dad scolded me when he finally got to speak with me on the phone.

He said “Look anything can happen. You need to take precautions and protect yourself from danger.”

We all (i.e. my siblings and I) enjoyed such protective gestures from him (and my mother).

Nothing compares to it!

Final Words: We (i.e. Dad and I) Do NOT, of Course, Get Along All The Time…

That’s a fact of life.

No two people ever do.

We’ll always have our differences!

Indeed there was a time when Dad and I argued – sometimes quarrelled(!)- quite a bit 😉

But even those interactions have made me better as a person.

I’ve learnt to appreciate that people will periodically hold divergent, uncompromising views from mine…and to be OKAY with it.

The truth is we CAN always agree to disagree!

Here’s wishing my SUPER DAD, many more prosperous years filled with joy, good health, happiness, and MORE grandchildren!!!!

PS: In next Friday’s post on parenting, I’ll share a story about how he found out I was secretly keeping a baby turtle in our home – and gave me a thorough thrashing…LOL!

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

Proof That Poverty Cannot Make People Steal…If They Don’t Want To (A True Story)

February 5, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

One minute the phone was next to my elbow in the space behind the hand brake, the next minute I was looking all over the taxi to find it. The driver asked “When did you last see it?” “I called my mother just before we left the border” I replied in a puzzled voice. (The events described here occurred between 7 and 9p.m yesterday, Monday 3rd February 2014).

(I’d told her I was taking a taxi, and would need some Nigerian naira, since banks had closed, and I could not change the Euros I had with me.)

As I said this and continued searching for my phone, the two young Nigerian girls in the back, whose conversations had revealed they were returning from a university they attended in Benin Republic, giggled repeatedly.

Their male colleague remained silent. I did not look back, but wondered how anyone could find what I’d said funny.

I had my Blackberry in my hand, but the SIM card in it was for my MOOV/Etisalat line in Benin Republic.

Once we’d left the border, the Internet Service on it had stopped, as usual. Normally at this point I would have switched the SIM card for my MTN Nigeria line on which I also subscribe to the Blackberry Internet Service.

But that SIM card was in the missing Nokia double SIM handset – as was the SIM card for my MTN line in Benin Republic. Both lines were the ones listed on my website i.e. my business lines (+229-66-122-136 and +234-803-302-1263).

So, I could not make calls on my Blackberry, as it was not possible to purchase airtime or load it from the Nigerian end (I still struggle to wonder why. Maybe I need some coaching…???). The driver offered me his handset, so I could call the MTN Nigeria line. I tried and was told “The number you’re calling is switched off. Please try again later.” I handed the phone back to him saying “It’s been switched off. I never left the car, and yet it’s gone. This is rather strange.”

The young ladies in the back, whose nauseatingly shallow line of conversations had continued, once again began giggling, just as I made that pronouncement.

I’d been tempted to think they had something to do with the phone’s disappearance. But I’d pushed the thought out of my mind.

However, their continued giggling, as if on queue, made me think back to when I last saw the device. It was about 10 minutes before the girls and their male student friend came in.

I tried remembering how they got into the car. I concentrated and played the scene back in my head.

That was when I recalled that the girl in the middle had found it necessary to pile three sachets of pure water, on the compartment behind the hand brake – just between my seat and the driver’s seat.

That was where I’d placed the phone in order to shut the door, when the driver quickly jumped in to move the car forward in the motor park. It was after that, that the trio got in.

It occurred to me that the water sachets were probably used to cover the phone, so they could withdraw it from beneath, without being noticed.

One thing was certain. I’d never stepped out of the car since getting in. So if the phone was not in the car, there was a very good chance it had been taken by these young people. .

But I kept this thought to myself.

Why?

Because past experience (from observation) has taught me, that people who choose to stoop that low to do things like that, can be quite good at hiding (or disposing of) what they take.

Demanding to search them would create a scene. And if one was unsuccessful in finding it on them (e.g. since it was night, it could be thrown out the window in a flash!) they would turn around to claim they’d been falsely accused.

I’ve been around enough, especially growing up in Nigeria, to have seen this happen. Suddenly, the thief is telling the accuser, who is actually in the right, to apologise to him for the false accusation!

So instead of starting a war, I chose to deliberately engage the driver in a conversation meant to pass a message across to the young people.

Whether or not they chose to take it did not matter to me.

I told him how, on two separate days – just last week – in Cotonou, I’d left my Blackberry smart phone in two difference public places in Benin Republic, and nothing had happened to it. (Don’t get me wrong. Stealing happens there, but much, much, MUCH less readily!)

The first time I forgot the Blackberry, it was in a hotel I stayed in – specifically on the counter at the reception.

This was a very small hotel in Cotonou. I’d checked in for a 24 hour blitz, to churn out some writing that was overdue, and also put finishing touches to the new mini version of my Poultry Farm Manager.

I’d paid the reception, picked up my receipt and gone upstairs to my room.

Matthias, the receptionist, a very warm and friendly chap had wished me a great stay.

I never knew how much he meant that, until one hour later when I searched my trousers, then bag, and was unable to find the phone. That was when I recalled I’d placed it next to me on the counter just as I was filling in the form.

Apparently, I’d left it there!

All sorts of thoughts began running through my mind. I was almost sure it would be gone by the time I got there. When I arrived reception, I asked Mathias if he’d seen my smart phone. He looked me right in the eyes, smiled, and reached down under the counter and gently placed my phone before me!

Barely concealing my surprise, I thanked him and left. The next morning I gave him a tip. He responded by saying “C’est rien!”(i.e. it’s nothing), in reference to what he’d done.

This man was NOT even close to being well paid. Yet he carried himself with an unmistakable sense of dignity and pride. I felt honoured to know him!

The second time, it was in a Cyber Café I frequent a lot:

I’d met there with a client who came to pick up a draft Functional Requirements Specification I’d prepared for a Web Marketing System to be developed for his university. In a bid to print the document, I’d removed the memory card from my Blackberry, and placed it in a USB modem, to access it via the printing terminal.

After handing the printout to the client, and seeing him off, I simply rushed back to the inner room where I was working on my laptop…leaving behind the Blackberry smart phone on the window sill!

About 15 minutes later, the young Beninese girl who worked as café operator, (and had helped print out the document) came into the room and simply handed the device to me, without saying a word!

I was shocked beyond words.

For one thing, I was so drawn into my work that I probably would not have remembered to check for the phone till hours later. So, to have her return it to me that way truly touched me. I thanked her, feeling embarrassed for being guilty of such absent mindedness again.

That happened last Saturday.

Yesterday afternoon, just before I left for the border, I visited the café to send out my newsletter for the week.

On my way out, I handed the young girl a bottle of Coke I’d bought from a nearby store on my way in as a gift for her. I said “Merçi pour Samedi”. She took it and nodded in appreciation.

Again, there was no attitude of subservience or patronage. For her, what s/he’d done seemed to be no big deal. Wow!

The students went completely quiet as I narrated these stories…

Not long after, they got off at their stop.

As we continued to my parents’ place, the driver told me he strongly believed the students were the ones who took the phone.

I told him I also considered it a possibility right from the start. “Why did you not tell me, so we could search them?” he exclaimed.

I told him my reasoning that they could have tossed it out and claimed we’d falsely accused them.

He thought about it and said “Okay, maybe you have a point there.”

Reflecting on that experience as we drove on in silence, I wondered why things had to be so different in Nigeria, and with Nigerians!

These young girls who’d taken my phone schooled in the same country – Benin Republic – that I’d had the above positive experiences. But they’d obviously not imbibed those good attributes from being there!

Indeed, from my travels to other African countries (e.g. Ghana, Cameroon, Benin Republic), and interaction with their citizens, I’ve discovered that many of our fellow Africans are much more Emotionally Intelligent than we are.

For instance, they are much more averse to gleeefully doing wrong to (or hurting) one another – be if physically, emotionally or otherwise.

And that’s sad. Very sad.

I know you may be thinking “Why did I keep forgetting my phones?”.

The truth is this has not happened to me in a very long time.

For over 2 years now. I’m always extremely careful when it comes to handling my phones, which I consider very important for my work.

But in the days approaching my father’s 80th birthday celebration, I had a mountain of outstanding work to finish, in order to free myself up to visit Nigeria. This added psychological pressure, is what made me so prone to making this mistake.

The thing is in other societies, people seem willing to “forgive” you for making it. But in Nigeria no such consideration is given you, most times. Slip up, and they’ll “hit you”…HARD!

This is common knowledge. That’s why everyone in Nigeria I’ve told about this experience said they were not surprised.

And that’s without a single exception – including my sister who came in from London.

Amazing isn’t it? That we know ourselves to be so capable of doing wrong/evil so readily!

Yet, just next to us, in a much poorer, but better organised black African society, people still consider fidelity to high moral standards a worthwhile endeavour.

And most of these people lack material wealth, when compared to the average Nigerian!

I honestly believe we have so much work to do on ourselves in Nigeria.

My phone did not get “stolen” by “bad government”.

It was taken by a very emotionally unintelligent group of young Nigerian undergraduates visiting Nigeria from their Beninese University. One day, they’ll complete their studies and return home…in Nigeria.

What does that tell you about this country’s future? Not something good, that’s for sure…:-((

I’m determined to make sure my kids never descend to that level of insanity.

I hope you resolve to do the same thing too…for the sake of OUR country!

PS: I’ wrote this piece at 7.33a.m Tuesday 4th February 2014 (the morning of my father’s birthday). If any persons on my phone contacts lists have received – or receive – strange calls before I’m able to get MTN to disable and recover both lines on that missing phone (i.e. +229-66-122-136 and +234-803-302-1263), you can be sure they did NOT come from me.

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

Happy 80th Birthday to our SUPER DAD!

February 4, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 1 Comment

By the time you read this, I’ll be in Lagos with my siblings and the rest of the “Luwaji Solagbade family” to join in celebrating with my father, on his 80th birthday anniversary, at the University of Lagos. [Update (12th Feb 2014): Dad’s 80th anniversary celebration went perfectly! Click here to read about/view photos :-))]

Wow….80 years. We’ve come a long way as a family.

I’m going to share a story in my next post about how he found out I was secretly keeping a tortoise in our home – and gave me a thorough thrashing…LOL!

PS: By the way…I’m typing this post at 3.32p.m from here in Cotonou, to auto-schedule it to appear 12 noon tomorrow(that’s TODAY…for YOU, reading it now). You can therefore imagine just how much work I’ll have to do to make up to my siblings/family for arriving soooo late. Pictures will follow….

Happy 80th Birthday to our Super Dad!

One more thing: Big thanks go to www.mydelightfuldesigns.com for the Super Hero designs I customized above for use with Baba’s photo…LOL!

Entrepreneurship, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

Achieve Entrepreneurial Success – ANYWHERE – Without Becoming Crooked

January 28, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I once told barefaced lies, for months, to loved ones in order to prevent them stopping me from using money I’d set aside for an agreed purpose, for a new idea I had for my business. Yep. I did it.

Irresponsible? Probably.

I’m certainly not proud of it!

Today, I have no need to do such a “naughty” thing. But back then I did it to keep my entrepreneurial dream alive!

All I could see were the potential rewards benefiting everyone (like they do now), and I used that to justify my actions (silently to myself…!).

For over 6 months, I invented excuses and made up stories (i.e. lies!) of all kinds to explain why I’d yet to make the payment as discussed. Each time they asked, I found a way to wriggle out.

My wife (God she’s soooo perceptive!) was never convinced. She knew something was not right, but could not be sure what it was. And she told me that much. I told her to avoid letting her imagination run wild… :-)))

All that time I was waiting for the returns to arrive. They eventually came…but not at once. I just barely managed to put it all back! Then I promised myself I’d never do anything of the kind again.

Looking back today, if I’m going to be honest with myself, I KNOW I’ll do it again if I feel it’s necessary.

Maybe this risk taking attitude comes with being an entrepreneur, or maybe it’s just me, I do not know.

One thing I’m however certain about from my past experiences is that when you choose this path, if your ultimate intention is sincere, and you diligently persist, certain forces eventually come to your aid.

Don’t ask me how I know. I just do….based on what has happened to me.

I once read a quote on Robert Kiyosaki’s Facebook page that referred to 4 different kinds of people a good leader needs to be able to identify, if s/he is to succeed.

In this article, I focus on "No. 2: A good person temporarily doing bad things. "

An entrepreneur, at different stages of his/her career may sometimes find him/herself fitting the above description (i.e. a good guy being doing bad things temporarily, possible due to pressing circumstances. And s/he may hate being in that situation, yet have no choice…till things improve.)

Not a pretty picture.

But I can tell you it happens. I’ve been there! (See my “Personal Example” above)

Napoleon Hill Discovered Some Successful People Employed "Temporary Dishonesty"…!

In Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” he noted the fact that some of the successful people he studied admitted initially employing temporary dishonesty to reach their goals.

But it was temporary. Lasting only long enough to get them to a point at which they could carry on with honesty integrity.

I guess it’s part of being human. Sometimes life throws challenges at us that necessitate resorting to temporary use of undignified outlets, just to keep going.

In one account of his life story, I read that Walt Disney admitted taking pictures of phoney bullet damaged helmets, during the war and selling them, earlier in life.

The Problem Arises When Doing Bad Things Is Allowed to Become a Habit…or Way of Life

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

Many Nigerians start-ups either abandon their ideas halfway through, or go wayward in their business practice. They mostly do this out of frustration, desperation, and in order to survive.

So many bad practices in society make it hard for honest persons to grow their businesses easily and with integrity in Nigeria.

This appears to lend credence to the belief in our society, that it is not possible to achieve business success in Nigeria without being “crooked”.

My knowledge, acquired through hands-on practical experience gained by doing it on the streets, convinces me that it is very possible to run a profitable, honest and upright business anywhere – even in a society where bad practices occur in excess.

They key is to find ways to do what you do that remove the need for you to join in doing those bad things.

Each time I said this to other business owners in Nigeria, many basically told me it was impossible.

Developing Multiple Income Streams Will Save YOU!

I told them a person with multiple income streams will not view every potential client project as a do or die opportunity!

If you have passive income periodically entering your bank account for information products you sell as a financial consultant, you can say NO to any company employee who insists you give him/her a bribe before a project is awarded to you.

You will have the power to walk away – being confident that your dependants will not suffer because you choose to be upright!

But It’s Not That You Will Be Doing Multiple Different Things at Once

No. There will be no need for that: You’ll only develop multiple viable ways of making money from doing what you do.

This is what many business owners do not know is possible. And those who know it seldom know HOW to do it!

I refer here to Farm business owners, lawyers, accountants/financial consultants and many other professionals and experts.

Most of them tend to focus on the conventional ways of making money in their fields.

What a very wasteful – and WRONG – way of using their highly valuable knowledge and skills!

The truth is with a little creativity, you can take the same thing you do/know and make much more money using totally new/different strategies.

A careful study of my website www.spontaneousdevelopment.com will reveal to the objective mind that THAT is what I’m doing…with great results to show for it!

You can also develop multiple ways of monetizing your expertise to ensure income reaches you, even when you do little or no new work.

If you still wonder how this is possible, get in touch with me, and I’ll tell you more

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking

No. 124: What Today’s Teachers Miss (and How It Can Hurt Your Child!)

January 13, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This is not an attack on teachers. It’s instead an informed view of what a growing number of this group of “public speakers” are failing to do, inadvertently denying learners (our kids!) the most important “knowledge and skills” they need to excel in life.

If you’re one, or have relations with one, my advice is that you read this piece with an open mind.

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Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 13th January 2014

No:124

Title: What Today’s Teachers Miss (and How It Can Hurt Your Child!)

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

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

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

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

Have You Downloaded Your Gifts?

As a subscriber to my mailing list, you get to access over 10 potentially useful books and reports.

Click here to view the download page:

Can’t find it? No problem. E-mail me via tayo at tksola dot com and I’ll send you another. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to signup.

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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.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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No. 124: What Today’s Teachers Miss (and How It Can Hurt Your Child!)

If you’re one, or have relations with one, my advice is that you read this piece with an open mind.

I’m not the enemy here. Our collective ignorance is.

We must join hands to improve the quality of real world relevant “education” being dished out to our loved ones, by this most trusted group of “speakers” in our societies.

What Teachers Often Miss Today

My kids will tell you I am the harshest critic of their school teachers. But not to the faces of the latter. That would amount to setting the classroom on fire for the former

Instead, each time I interact with my kids, I often discover they have certain yawning gaps in knowledge (and often skills) which should not be there, given the child’s (supposed) attained level.

A closer examination of the “teachers” has revealed, to me, that many settled for teaching only after failing to find jobs based on what they studied in the higher institution.

Most have no formal teacher training or experience.

My mother worked for over 3 decades as a school teacher. She went through all sorts of training. And I recall that before retirement. she got an advanced certification is a Montessorri program in Lagos.

I and my siblings passed through my mothers’ “teaching” in the school we attended at nursery and primary level. It never ended in school. She kept at us even at home. Be assured that I am a good representation of how we all turned out.

The above convinced me I needed to play an influential role in “teaching” my kids.

But here’s what my mother did, which most teachers today do not. She taught us the basics…the fundamentals of every subject. She spent quality time drilling those rudiments of the key subjects into our heads.

Then she relentlessy gave us exercises designed to force us to self-study. Today, we all have the unique ability to tutor ourselves on any subject and excel at it. I exaggerate not!

There was one more thing she did:

She talked to us about the importance of believing in ourselves. Of never feeling inadequate before others, no matter how “superior” they appeared to be. And she walked her talk for us to see, everywhere she went.

That’s why today, each of us enjoys the reputation of being “independent thinkers”. We do not care to join the crowd. We decide what we want, and go for it, even if NO ONE ELSE is interested, or indeed if others speak against.

As long as it’s legal, does not hurt anyone, and we feel it’s OK for us, nothing else matters. We know how to define our own success!

Many teachers today do not do most of the above.

Instead, they let the influence of society – often the wayward aspects of it! – dictate what they teach kids under their care.

This is why most of today’s youths have a warped sense of values and orientation.

To illustrate, below is a screenshot of an excellent observation made by Olufemi Oyinloye, a Facebook friend today, which I posted a response to.

His grouse?

Corporate organisations out here, and in many places across the world are focussing most of their youths “development” efforts on sports and entertainment related projects.

Little or nothing is being done along the lines of educational or intellectual development. Could this be a mainly self-serving kind of Corporate Social Responsibility by these companies…?

Like my friend rightly asked, are they trying to say our kids don’t have anything “upstairs” that can be developed just as physical skills can?

You and I know the answer.

The Noisy Brand of Success Is NOT The Only One…and Definitely NOT The Best!

People get paid daily for their creative skills in writing, software development etc.

Thousands, and tens of thousands in dollars, pounds, Euros etc arrive via bank transfers and other legitimate payment channels into the hands of uniquely skilled persons, even right here in Africa.

It all happens quietly.

Unlike the noisy success of the entertainment industry, no newspaper reports announce any of it. That’s why many of the unitiated walk past others earning high level income that way, without knowing it.

Afterall, neither how much I earn, nor the unusual but legit way I earn it will ever be discernable by looking at my forehead!

Sometimes an internationally funded entity pays for work done e.g research surveys, concept papers, lectures, training, consulting etc. At other times, individual clients pay.

Delayed payments rarely occur. Parties involved always get win-win benefits. That’s why most such relationships established often last for decades!

As I said in a recent article, most African/Nigerian kids know nothing about the highly rewarding vocations and markets mentioned above, because our society is often devoid of such examples.

It’s the loud cases of celebrity entertainers like Tuface, P-Square and D-Banj (and famous sports persons like Mikel Obi) they are drawn to by the mass media.

And that makes it hard for kids or young people to imagine it is possible, talk less of believing they can succeed in the silent and unconventional manner described here.

Yet they can, if they are properly guided. We, their parents, are in the best position to do that.

As one who succeeds in this unconventional manner, with honesty and integrity, I am coaching my kids to discover their own talent for doing same. The best part is that anyone can still do it all, while holding down a well paying 9 to 5 salary job!

That means you can effectively double your income without needing to quit your day job*. There is no better gift one can give a child than this.

If you help your child develop this additional level of skill and competence, s/he will forever be grateful to you!

[NB: Renowned US based veteran public speaking mentor, Burt Dubin, always counsels his mentees to NOT quit their day jobs, till they establish reliable income to replace their salary. Learn more about Burt’s mentoring here.]

Final Words: Take Personal Action to Help Your Kids!

Yesterday, on Facebook, I shared a link to my FULL blog post on the subject. It’s titled “Don’t Just ‘Tell’ Your Kids to Do…Be an Exemplary Role Model.“

In it I explained how and why I made each of my kids handle a fifty Euro note from a bundle I received as payment for the agribusiness paper I wrote for an International organisation.

You see, I’m committed to showing my kids how to use their intellectual creativity to achieve highly productive and rewarding financial ends.

I urge you to do the same, quickly too, or the avalanche of “reality shows” will kill that instinct in them!

Read through my above mentioned blog post to get started. It offers practical ideas you can use.

Good luck!

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.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Multipreneur.

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

He earns multiple streams of income providing clients with performance improvement training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

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, then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

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

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]

2. Mid Range [Click here]

3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Publications

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

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

177 Wow! Wow!

Showmanship Stratagems

Discover these secrets of making your programs more interesting and valuable to your clients and audiences now.

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Burt’s Flagship Album

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.

Find out why

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

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).

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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).

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo…

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking [Monday]:	No. 123: Boost Your Marketing Success by Using the Web Differently
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	How Much Should Your Start-up Farm’s Business Plan Cost? (Real Life Email Conversation)
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Will Your Claims of Achievement Withstand Scrutiny?
Career Development [Thursday]:	Quit Your Job? (Some Web Marketing Ideas for Your New Business)
Parenting [Friday]:	A Lesson on Money Spending from John D. Rockefeller
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Don’t Just “Tell” Kids to Do…Be an Exemplary Role Model
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

Meet the Best Agricultural Radio Program for 2013: Alhaji Luqman Ibidunni’s Global A.I.M.S

January 1, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Happy New Year to you!

And here’s one bit of news that will help you start up the new year perfectly – on radio. Especially if you’re a lover of agriculture.

Global A.I.M.S is a company specialized in providing agro-industrial information marketing services. And they are making BIG strides in agribusiness communication nationally.

Infact, their radio show recently won the “Best Agricultural Radio Program for 2013” awarded at the second Farmers National Conference.

Alhaji Luqman Ibidunni leads the team at Global A.I.M.S. And he is the show’s anchor on radio. He also happens to be my uncle…

You may recall I featured a PDF Sheabutter Guide published by my brother Femi Solagbade, yesterday.

Nigeria needs more of its university educated members to put what they learnt to practical and productive use, in ways that can improve the lives of others.

I’m not starting some family or nepotistic campaign here. It just so happens that at this point I feel these two people need to be brought to the attention of my own audience. That’s all.

Those familiar with my Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas know I objectively discuss and feature anyone and anything relevant to the needs and interest of the farm industry stakeholders I serve.

Do you have news of an authentic achiever making things happen in agriculture?

Contact me via this blog or email tayo at tksola dot com.

I’d like to connect with him/her and see how we can tell more people about the great work s/he is doing. Please note that I said “authentic achiever”. I do my due diligence, and I will dig deep to find out if there’s any fluff, or falsehood, in there. Sorry. But we see too much of that in these parts :-))

In the meantime I suggest you visit the Global A.I.M.S at www.greenstudiong.com. You can also email them via info at greenstudiong.com or globalaims at yahoo dot com.

Catch the show on air Fridays at: 89.75 EKO FM from 8.30 – 9.00 p.m (in Lagos, Nigeria).

Below: A picture of the award plaque presented to them at the Second Farmers National Conference in 2013.

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting

Must You Quit Paid Employment to Influence Change in Nigeria? (If YES, will you get a FAIR & IMPARTIAL chance to do it?)

December 28, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I tried posting a contribution to a friend’s recent post, in which one person asked him to quit his job to do something about the problems he was complaining about regarding Nigeria. It’s however morphed from a comment into this 5th issue of “My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better” PDF series :-)) Click here to download and read the PDF

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

SMART Acronym for People Who Succeed (Incl. Infographic)

December 17, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

[NB: Post updated – see bottom – on Wed 18th Dec 2013 @2:04pm – causing reset of views counter.] You probably know the popular SMART acronym – a mnemonic – for setting goals and objectives (“S” for Specific, “M” for Measurable etc). I’m not referring to that. Over the past 10 years, I’ve conceived a different SMART acronym, this time in relation to people. Here is my SMART Acronym for People Who Succeed (complete with an infographic)

[Hint: Remember now, we’re NOT talking about SMART project “objectives” here. Its people I’m referring to!]

1. “S” is for “Serious Minded”

How can you tell if a person is serious minded? A simple way is to observe what s/he has interest in doing, as opposed to what s/he is committed to doing.

Consider a business owner who tells you s/he wants more sales in his/her business. Her attitude towards learning what will be needed to make that happen will indicate how serious s/he is.

Many times people express interest in something, but are not prepared to commit the required time, effort and sometimes money, to doing it. That’s why people attend the same business marketing workshop and 6 months later, some have succeeded in growing more business, and others have not!

People who are committed to achieving their set goals never let anything interfere with doing what is necessary to make that happen. Not friends, relatives, habits, hobbies or pleasures of any sort!

People I consider SMART are serious minded about pursuing their valued personal goals.

2. “M” is for “Motivated”

Serious minded people will usually find it easy to be motivated. This is because their commitment to achieving their goal drives them.

A motivated person is one who has found a reason to go out and do something. I often talk about having a Magnificent Obsession – an expression I got from a book I read – about having a major life purpose.

People I consider to be SMART in terms of my definition are men and women who have found their purpose. They wake up KNOWING exactly what they want to do, and where they need to go.

Usually, they would have worked the day before to a point, then upon stopping thought ahead (and even dreamt about) steps they would take from the next day!

Such people “hit the ground running” each morning. SMART people are motivated in that way!

3. “A” is for “Action Oriented”

Jim Rohn wisely noted that “Motivation alone is not enough. Motivate an idiot then you have a motivated idiot”.

Understand the context in which Mr. Rohn made that statement by checking the dictionary meaning of an “idiot”. What I’d call a contemporary definition of an “idiot” is provided at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot

So, Mr. Rohn was right. An idiot can indeed be motivated and still be unproductive.

But such persons generally occur in the minority in larger society.

So, here we’re looking at normal people who fail to take action despite being motivated. Why? I say it’s because they let their motivation wear off. And how do they do that? It’s by failing to find an anchor for it in their daily lives.

For instance, lots of successful people reveal that they build a vision of their dream on paper and hang where they’ll see it everyday. Then they create a tasks list which they check off at the end of each day, to help them get the feeling of moving closer to achieving their dream.

Anyone who claims to be motivated, and can still find a reason not to follow the above example is definitely NOT action oriented!

4. “R” is for “Results Focused”

Now, someone can be serious minded, and not be motivated to get results that matter.

Don’t believe me? I’ll give you a good example.

I see them everyday. People who are always busy (doing little or nothing worthwhile that is!). You will struggle to get them to give you a few minutes of their time. Always in a hurry they are. Rushing off to meetings, to keep appointments etc. But at the end of each day, or the week, few of the truly important things ever get done!

I used to work with such people. You could agree at this week’s brewery meeting to have Work Instruction drafts written for use in training a new set of operatives coming in. They’d always assure you it’d be done. All week you would chase them via phone, and even visit their offices.

Yet, at the end of the day, nothing…or very little happens. And you may have to do it all yourself, to meet the deadline!

People I call SMART are not like that. They produce results. When they tell you I’ll send you the finished paper in 24 hours, better be ready, because that finished paper WILL arrive by then, if not before!

5. “T” is for “Tenacious”

I use tenacity interchangeably with persistence. And I love the following quote, which, to me, perfectly captures the full meaning:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence; Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful individuals with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent” – Ray Kroc (Founder of McDonalds)

Believe me, dear reader. Even with all the moral and financial support in the world, people still fail due to lack of tenacity.

A guy who has money bags backing him, and family root for him to run swim a world record breaking distance can choose to quit before getting to the finish line. And it will often not be that s/he could not finish. Instead, in his/her head the desire to keep going, to refuse to fail, would have died.

When I quit paid employment with Guinness Nigeria, Andy R. Jones, the expatriate brewery head of Guinness Benin in Edo state (apart from what he wrote in Xmas cards sent to me) said – repeatedly – during a departmental send-forth part organised in my honour: “Tayo simply refuses to fail”. And he told stories from the times I worked in the brewery reporting to him.

Basically, I never sat back and let things go wrong. Until the very last second I would come up with new ideas and action steps that could be used co-opt others and try to save things or get more done. Many times I succeeded.

I did not know Andy Jones was taking note of my actions!

So you see, people I call SMART, never give up.

They are tenacious with a vengeance.

They don’t know when they are beaten.

Nor do they accept to back down.

In fact, I would say they have what Burt Dubin calls bulldog blood.

And guess what? You get the transfusion(of bulldog blood that is) simply by reading the words and believing, then taking ACTION, until you get what you want!

Final Words

These above described 5 key qualities must be consistently demonstrated by an individual, if s/he is to qualify to be called SMART by me.

Err…but who exactly am I, to go around changing definitions up on people, and dictating whether or not they can be called SMART?

Indeed, why should anyone take this my new application of a well known acronym seriously?

My answer: I have no idea!

Except of course you consider the fact that I happen to consistently achieve exceptional performance levels in virtually every area of endeavour I venture. And I have done so, consistently, for more than the last 2 decades of my life!

I achieved that level of reckoning by being SMART in paid employment – as described above. That was about 12 years ago.

Today, I’ve already recorded similar superlative levels of performance, as an entrepreneur. And it’s attracting the same kinds of feedback and commentary that I got while earning a salary.

Once again, the common element that runs through it all is my diligent commitment to being SMART in line with my definition.

To top it off, those who have been coached by me get infected with this virus of mine too

As a result, they subsequently go on to record success levels that surprise those who know them and even themselves. I have many testimonials, hand written to me, from teenagers, to young people in their early twenties, who just had to let me know!

They became SMART, as per my above definition, and their lives were changed for the better.

You can achieve similar results for yourself, if you feel you need such. Simply read and re-read the 5 different description of the SMART acronym’s components.

And then put what you learn to use.

It’s simple to understand, but may not be easy to do.

Yet if you see it through, you’ll never look back again. And those who know you will regard you with amazement!

UPDATE (Wednesday 18th December 2013 @2:04pm Cotonou): My SMART Acronym Does Not Aim to (& Cannot) Replace or Contradict The Original SMART Acronym!

I touched on the above fact at the start of THIS article, when I first published it yesterday p.m. But experience has taught me it pays to CLARIFY properly. Some people are experts at jumping to VERY wrong conclusions!

My “SMART” acronym is not meant to invalidate the standard, original acronym we all know and use in setting goals and objectives. That original SMART acronym is powerfully useful, and I LOVE using it.

What I have done is to conceive of one to be applied to PEOPLE. That’s all. Just a little change in perspective, based on something people already use.

So, just like you would check for each of the 5 components (S, M, A, R, and T) in a goal or objective, I would check for each of the 5 qualities I’ve described for my SMART acronym in people.

Guess what?

9.9 times out of 10 I have found that people who have those qualities tend to succeed more often. And that is what this is all about. A “gauge” of sorts that anyone can apply to check him/herself for “success readiness”!

But I’ve presented my idea DELIBERATELY in this manner, seemingly contradicting what people know, just to raise eyebrows – and in the process get their attention…hee hee hee :-))

Hopefully, I’ve gotten some people thinking and talking.

If any person(s) have been “upset” by this article (which would be surprising, since the “SMART” acronym is not anyone’s relative or private property!), I’d suggest taking a chilled bottle of Coke, and letting off steam please. It’s Xmas season! Thank YOU :-))

=======WHAT PEOPLE WROTE=========

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*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).

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“From:”Obadiaru, Osawemwenze” <email address deleted >

To:”Tayo Solagbade” <email address deleted >

Subject: Greetings from Benin!!!!

Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 14:27:30 +0100

Uncle (Tayo),

Greetings to you from your boy. How are you doing?…All
is well here in Benin and everybody is really been bugged again by this ISO audit thing.

All the same you have set a standard, that nobody will dare to go below. I really miss
you sir, your words of encouragement, your pressures, your drive, your humor and
every thing about you. But in consolation, I try so hard to follow your footsteps, which
I have been doing little by little, and I am sometimes amazed at the things I do.

…I look
up to you, and really desire to someday dedicate a major success in my life to you, for
the little while I spent with you has been a turning point in my life. I will always be

grateful to you.

Keep the flag flying sir. Regards

Osas

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“To Mr. Tayo Solagbade.

I appreciate all your effort. It is through you I knew the difference between Schooling and Education and its also through you that I knew that mathematics as a subject can be answered in many ways. I am very grateful.” – Ifeanyi Okeke, SS3 Student, Volunteer Corps (VC) Tutoring Project: Handwritten Comment in memoirs section of VC Year Book published in 2003.

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“To Mr Tayo Solagbade…you made me understand what the world speaks.” – Adepoju Samson, SS3 Student, Volunteer Corps (VC) Tutoring Project: Handwritten Comment in memoirs section of VC Year Book published in 2003.

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“Mr Tayo Solagbade…he has educated me so that he had touched that thing in me that motivates me.” – , SS3 Student, Volunteer Corps (VC) Tutoring Project: Handwritten Comment in memoirs section of VC Year Book published in 2003.

“The speaker, Mr Solagbade, is an authority in his field. (He is) an achiever who is able to carry his audience along with him in his message/speech” – Baker A.T, Confidential Secretary, Centre for Management Development(CMD), Management Village,Shangisha, Lagos.

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“There’s a lot more to learn (experience wise) from the speaker(Tayo Solagbade)…Honestly, he gave so much within a short time. I learnt a lot without writing much. It’s amazing!” – Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“Your (talk) encourages people not to depend on sycophancy to achieve their aims. People are also encouraged to leave the level of mediocrity. One needs to look inwards and make use of one’s potentials to reach the greatest heights. I hope this
is not the last session we will be having with you” – Ezemba C.I (Miss), Teacher, Corona Schools

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“The (talk) is very (useful for) those who want to up-grade themselves. The older generation who think they have come to the end of their career would find it very very useful to rejuvenate their attitude, interest and empower themselves to greater goals.” – E.C. Sarsal, Corona Schools

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“The Ten Ways for Self-Development would go a long way (in) improving teaching/learning situation(s).” – Cynthia Nwosu (Mrs.), Corona Schools

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“It was an interesting (talk), and the speaker spoke well, with a lot of experiences that (were) so educative.” – Emmanuel (Mrs.), Corona Primary School Victoria Island

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“Mr Tayo Solagbade is a very good motivator. I really appreciated him but the time was short.” – S.E. Atkins, Corona Schools

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“(The talk was) ‘very useful’ (and the speaker was) ‘excellent’…Good insight for the much needed Human Revolution to drive creativity in this nation.” – Oma Williams, Director, Centre for Management Development(CMD), Management Village,Shangisha, Lagos.

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“A very worthwhile exercise. The package can however be improved by making it organisation specific.” – C. I. Okeke, AD/Research Consulting, Centre for Management Development(CMD), Management Village,Shangisha, Lagos.

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“The speaker, to me, is quite an inspiration to the young generation” – Nwaokokoh Eddy Azuka, Confidential Secretary, Centre for Management Development(CMD), Management Village,Shangisha, Lagos.

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“This is a celebration of Change Management, quite an appropriate and timely presentation at CMD to Stimulate Change.” – Binuyo, Francis A. (Mr.), MDO I, Centre for Management Development(CMD), Management Village, Shangisha, Lagos.

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“Well this is my first seminar and I think I have gained a lot…I am on NAPEP attachment to the centre for a while, but generally speaking I think you are good and can go even above the sky. I wish I could get in touch with you for more lectures (on) Self-Development, as regards Career Development or probably Personal Development.” – Sanwo Pamela A., Unemployed Graduate, Centre for Management Development(CMD), Management Village,Shangisha, Lagos.

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“The presentation content and style was nice.” – Adjekophori Peter, Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“The training course and approach used was a good and kind of unique one, – talking about the mind map.” – Odunlami Olaitan. O. Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“The practical real life experiences (made) the seminar more realistic…The seminar fuels my heart to develop myself the more.” – Kemi, Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“The training was a new dimension to the act of personal effectiveness, was less of theory but of tested and proven principles. Keep it up!“- Oluwakemi, Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“This is an academy that will go a long way in helping to develop the youths of this country. Keep up the good work.” – Alake Oluwayemisi, Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“(Tayo Solagbade) is a very good speaker who was able to communicate his (ideas) effectively without boring me and wasting no time. Within the short time he spent, he gave loaded and relevant information/(ideas) which were superb.” – Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“The presenter was superb. He dealt with the topic extensively, citing real life experiences that (were) personal to him.” – Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“The facilitator (Tayo Solagbade) has done so well, and he has made me to feel that the sky is not my limit but the start, if I can apply all the personal effectiveness principles appropriately.” – Onifade Olajide, – Management Trainee, Tantalisers (Fast Foods Restaurant), Festac Headquarters, Lagos.

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“I was very impressed with the speaker (Tayo Solagbade), his integrity, method of delivery and what he had to say. This should not stop here. I personally need access to those books and if pointed in that direction will be happy. Also, I will be happy if (I can be shown) ways to apply oneself to the concept of Self Development as regards my job as a teacher, that will help me to be a better time manager.” – Teacher, Corona Primary School, Ikoyi, Lagos.

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“I am really impressed and I think I have to wake up.” – Teacher, Corona School Branch

————–

“It has been a very useful session which can make people or employees wake up from lethargy. It is a wake-up call for continual hope and rejuvenation for speed to higher ground to life aspiration.” – Teacher, Corona School Branch

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“I observed that you are a real model of a saying that when a child washes his/her hands well he/she will eat on the same table with a king.” – School Nurse, Corona School Branch

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“I have observed that you are sacrificing your time to help mankind explore new grounds and live a happier life. More grease to your elbows.” – Eke N. (Mrs), Corona School Branch

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“This talk/seminar is very good and realistic. Someone who wants to be an achiever should adopt and practice these ten ways.” – M. O. Ihonor – Head Teacher, Corona School Branch

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“…The Ten Ways on Self-Development inspire me to the marrow, and henceforth are going to be (the) guiding ideologies, principles and work concepts in my life.” – Oduye Olumuyiwa, Corona School

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“(The talk) is an eye opener and very important tool that can be used to become great. I think I buy your ideas too. Thanks a lot.” – Mrs. Atere F.O. – Secretary, Corona School

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“The general comment I will like to make is that I can call this seminar a vision seminar. So my comment is that you can make this vision a wider vision by having a complete textbook on it.” – Assistant Teacher, Corona School

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

When You’re Not Working, Create a Bigger Dream (Hint: New Product – My Pineapple Peels Based Cakes…Made Without an Oven!)

December 7, 2013 Tayo Solagbade 3 Comments

When I’m not hammering away at my laptop keyboard, writing articles, reports and books…or building custom Excel-VB software, I’m likely to be found sleeping, or working to progress further towards my ultimate dream.

That dream is to own what I call a Home-Based Farm-Products-Brew-Pub.

And I’ve nursed it since 1999, when I still worked in Guinness Nigeria.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know about my Pineapple peel based drink(see photos, and a free talk offer) . Read more about it here(i.e. a presentation).

The drinks you see in the photo below, have been pasteurized using a home-based method I learnt online.

[NB: These are 2 different views of the fermented version of my drink – based on a new recipe.]

You see, I believe PATIENCE is key, in developing food based products.

It’s taken me about 3 months of searching. But I’ve found what I consider the perfect bottle for my Pineapple based drink (see above photo).

Apart from enabling me deliver the kind of product volume I want, it also has a cap that allows me pasteurize the drink inside.

It was important for me to ensure I could do that, so bottles don’t go exploding in people’s faces.

That was why I patiently kept searching for a cost-effective way, that would enable me keep the product affordable for most people.

My New Product: Pineapple Peels Based Cakes…These Ones Baked Without an Oven!

I’ve never baked anything in my life. Not cake or bread. Nothing.

But the idea of my brew-pub having its own unique food product, to go with the drink had tickled my fancy for months.

A few days ago, I decided to play around with cake and bread baking. I went online and did lots of reading, and watched many videos.

Then yesterday, I purchased baking materials from Tokpa market, and stayed indoors ALL day, using my beloved Pineapple peels, to bake home-made cakes (I’ll get around to bread baking later).

BUT, I did it all, without using an oven!

Yes. No oven. Don’t believe me? Just wait. I’ll be writing a special PDF report on that before the year runs out.

I know the cakes don’t look so aestetically pleasing, but you must understand that this was my very first try. And believe me when I say I improvised A LOT!

The most important point to note is that what I’ve done, shows I can operate this business even from a village, using locally available materials!

In the meantime, now that my trials with different processes have succeeded (the cakes taste delicious, and are almost 50% cheaper to make!), I intend to use proper equipment to offer the drinks and cakes for sale from my brew-pub.

Virtually 100% of the pineapple peels I use do NOT go to waste!

That’s true. They end up in the drinks and cake – implying massive cost-saving production potential!

But I don’t just put the peels into the products.

To get the right flavour and appearance, I have found certain processing steps need to be taken. And all are cost-effective.

I was in Calavi this afternoon, to drop off a drink bottle, with 2 cup cakes, for my friend Moumouni Toure.

He was not in, so I left them with his brother. And I also gave out some to my neighbours where I live.

But I made it clear that I will not be selling them for now.

Nope. Responding to individual orders at this stage would not be worth my time/effort and I would be unable to cope. Even worse, it would definitely affect my ability to do my other work.

When the pub opens, anyone who wants them can come over. For now, that’s what’s likely to work best for me.

With time, I’ll decide what flavours, packaging and operating procedure will be most profitable to adopt.

NB: One probable exception would be people willing to place bulk orders. I could possibly make out time to fulfill such.

For now, the next step is to get the laboratory analysis of the drinks – and cakes – done

This is so I can tell people – with confidence – what exactly they’re eating or drinking.

I’m an internationally certified brewer, with 7 years of experience working in a globally recognised brewing multinational.

Everything I do, no matter how small my plan for this project is, must reflect that.

Suffice to say, for now, that pineapple peels being the base ingredient, contains considerable amounts of useful nutrients.

Some are described in my report titled “10 Fruits You Eat That Leave Useful Peels/Skins Behind” (Click to download it).

In the next few weeks, I intend to secure bigger living quarters, with the front end functioning as the brew-pub, here in Benin Republic.

I should add that this will be a FULL family business.

Like I noted in yesterday’s article on my blog my kids already make a version of this drink, that they sell in their school in Lagos.

So when they join me here, they’ll fit in instantly.

That’s why I told my friend Moumouni, in an SMS today, that with improvements I’ve now made, this business is DESTINED TO MAKE MY KIDS RICH!

And when (NOT IF) that happens, I – along with my wonderful wife Nkechi – will be the PROUDEST parents in the world!!

In truth, what she wanted was a WHOLE lot of information that cannot be found in one place!

1. I have a client: www.nanaarnold.com who is a top decision maker in one of such private universities.

2. Check with the Nigerian embassy.

3. I’m an entrepreneur based here.

4. Consider taking a trip down to Benin Republic for a few days to see things for yourself.

If any have website addresses, you could start by checking them out online.

Final Words: “My Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” – Coming Soon

I’ll offer it as a new information product from my website.

If you’d like to be notified when the “Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” becomes available, fill and submit this form, to join my mailing list.

It was during one of those periods “on the road” that I was born, on 6th July 1970 in a place called New Bussa.

Deciding to Visit my “Place of Birth” During my NYSC Service Year (1992/93)

So I Got Deployed to Spend My Service Year in Niger State…In a REAL VILLAGE!

At the time, they were NOT connected to the National Grid!

Sitting Out The June 12 Presidential Election Riots

Then, we began to see lorries carrying the belongings of Igbos who were fleeing from their Northern bases back to their homes in the East.

Demonstration of REAL LOVE from a father!

Final Words: We (i.e. Dad and I) Do NOT, of Course, Get Along All The Time…

Here’s wishing my SUPER DAD, many more prosperous years filled with joy, good health, happiness, and MORE grandchildren!!!!

As I said this and continued searching for my phone, the two young Nigerian girls in the back, whose conversations had revealed they were returning from a university they attended in Benin Republic, giggled repeatedly.

The young ladies in the back, whose nauseatingly shallow line of conversations had continued, once again began giggling, just as I made that pronouncement.

I tried remembering how they got into the car. I concentrated and played the scene back in my head.

Why?

Because past experience (from observation) has taught me, that people who choose to stoop that low to do things like that, can be quite good at hiding (or disposing of) what they take.

So instead of starting a war, I chose to deliberately engage the driver in a conversation meant to pass a message across to the young people.

The first time I forgot the Blackberry, it was in a hotel I stayed in – specifically on the counter at the reception.

The second time, it was in a Cyber Café I frequent a lot:

The students went completely quiet as I narrated these stories…

Reflecting on that experience as we drove on in silence, I wondered why things had to be so different in Nigeria, and with Nigerians!

I know you may be thinking “Why did I keep forgetting my phones?”.

This is common knowledge. That’s why everyone in Nigeria I’ve told about this experience said they were not surprised.

What does that tell you about this country’s future? Not something good, that’s for sure…:-((

Irresponsible? Probably.

Looking back today, if I’m going to be honest with myself, I KNOW I’ll do it again if I feel it’s necessary.

In this article, I focus on "No. 2: A good person temporarily doing bad things. "

Napoleon Hill Discovered Some Successful People Employed "Temporary Dishonesty"…!

The Problem Arises When Doing Bad Things Is Allowed to Become a Habit…or Way of Life

Developing Multiple Income Streams Will Save YOU!

But It’s Not That You Will Be Doing Multiple Different Things at Once

The truth is with a little creativity, you can take the same thing you do/know and make much more money using totally new/different strategies.

Have You Downloaded Your Gifts?

No. 124: What Today’s Teachers Miss (and How It Can Hurt Your Child!)

What Teachers Often Miss Today

Most have no formal teacher training or experience.

There was one more thing she did:

Many teachers today do not do most of the above.

The Noisy Brand of Success Is NOT The Only One…and Definitely NOT The Best!

As I said in a recent article, most African/Nigerian kids know nothing about the highly rewarding vocations and markets mentioned above, because our society is often devoid of such examples.

Final Words: Take Personal Action to Help Your Kids!

Useful Resources for Speakers

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

Publications

THEY WROTE…

1. “S” is for “Serious Minded”

2. “M” is for “Motivated”

3. “A” is for “Action Oriented”

4. “R” is for “Results Focused”

5. “T” is for “Tenacious”

Final Words

UPDATE (Wednesday 18th December 2013 @2:04pm Cotonou): My SMART Acronym Does Not Aim to (& Cannot) Replace or Contradict The Original SMART Acronym!

=======WHAT PEOPLE WROTE=========

That dream is to own what I call a Home-Based Farm-Products-Brew-Pub.

My New Product: Pineapple Peels Based Cakes…These Ones Baked Without an Oven!

Virtually 100% of the pineapple peels I use do NOT go to waste!

But I made it clear that I will not be selling them for now.

For now, the next step is to get the laboratory analysis of the drinks – and cakes – done

In the next few weeks, I intend to secure bigger living quarters, with the front end functioning as the brew-pub, here in Benin Republic.

…a multi-disciplinary blog for people passionate about reaching their goals!