Tag Archives: True Story

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Parenting

Critical Thinking Can Save You Money (True Story)

September 19, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“Even when you can afford it, you can get MORE done with LESS money, if you learn to apply Critical Thinking. Do NOT fall into the habit of throwing money at your problems or goals…” – (me to my kids)

Here’s how 2 of my sons used critical thinking to solve – at ZERO cost – a recent power “cut” problem, which the neighbourhood electrician had earlier demanded N2,500 for…!

That Saturday Morning (in September 2014), the Lights Had Flickered Suddenly & Gone Off

We initially thought it was the usual power cut from the public power company. However, one of the kids coming in from running an errand soon alerted us to the fact that our neighbours lights were still on.

My wife and I went out to see, and soon confirmed it was true. To be sure, I told the kids to start the generator. They did so and when we changed over, nothing happened. It was obvious the current was not getting into the house’s supply line.

Now, none of us had any training (formal or informal) in electrics or electronics.

However, as I have written severally in past articles, my 11 year old son has shown an amazing flair for fixing things especially electricity related. And he’s gotten so good that in our home everyone (including his mother) readily calls on him to fix damaged plugs, replace fuses etc.

That, in addition to the many instances he had used damaged parts from laptops, mobile phones, phone chargers, and old batteries to build useful contraptions (e.g. a crude but functional rechargeable lamp) made me buy him an electrician’s kit for his last birthday present, when I visited Nigeria.

It was this 11 year old of ours who led his 13 year old brother to begin brainstorming on what the possible causes of the current not getting into the house could be.

On my part, I was too angry, indeed frustrated, to get involved. I thought of calling the neighbourhood electrician, but recalled that the last time I’d visited, I had to contend with his excessive and arbitrary pricing of his services.

That day, I’d had to take him down to the ATM to get more cash to get him off my back for fixing a single ceiling fan and a rewriting job. I knew he’d over charged me, but since I did not know how to do it, and I did not want to leave for Cotonou without fixing the problem, I gave in.

So, when this incident happened, I told myself I would rather wait and find someone else to do it.

What I did not expect was that my kids – who I had always challenged to be curious and to think of ways to solve problems without spending money – would choose to apply what I’d told them that day.

My Wife Decided to Call In the Neighbourhood Electrician

I heard her grumble about how I’d not said anything more about the problem. Then soon after, I heard her call the electrician on the phone. He soon arrived, and promptly asked what the problem was.

She replied that she did not know, and explained that current was not getting into the house from either the public power supply or the generator.

I was in the bedroom and listening without saying a word.

Without even going round to do any checks, this chap quickly announced:

“Aha! Your kids must have put one something that’s caused extensive damage. Ask them to tell you what they put on. I’m sure they’ve cause major damage that needs to be traced and fixed”

His voice had assumed a note of superiority. He sounded sure that no one could challenge him. My wife asked him how much it would cost to find and correct the problem.

He wasted no time in saying “N2, 500” (Two Thousand Five Hundred Naira).

When I heard that, I screamed to myself silently wondering how he could arrive at such an outrageous sum without even doing any checks to ascertain that his suspicions were right.

Indeed, I wondered how he could be so sure it was not even something worse, that would cost more than what he was quoting.

But I kept my protests to myself. I let my wife respond instead. She soon told him that she could not pay that much, and asked for a reduction.

He bluntly refused and then to apply pressure on her, he said “Look, are you ready to pay or not? I have other things to do. If you’re not ready, let me leave.”

My wife told him she could not pay that much. Without saying anything more, he picked up his backpack and left.

Once I heard the gate shut after him, I came out and told my wife and kids that I was convinced it was a good thing to have let him go.

Then I announced that I intended to go out and get someone else to look at the problem and give his opinion. I pointed out how he’d used indirect threats to try forcing her hand, to make her pay up. They nodded in understanding

I returned inside and began dressing up to go out.

Suddenly I heard my 2 sons who had been brainstorming all the while, now screaming excitedly saying “Look, there’s light here!”

In response to a suggestion their mother had made, they had disconnected the plug linked to the panel, and put the wires directly back into the socket.

That had caused the little lamp on the side of the socket to come on – confirming there was current up to that point.

This meant the only reason we did not have current in the house was that the fuse in the 15Amp plug was burnt.

When I joined them, I saw what they were referring to, and told them we needed a new fuse.

Not surprisingly, our 11 year old “electrician” – who has a box in which he collects all sorts of electrical parts – said there would be no need to buy a new 15Amp fuse, as he had one stored away.

He quickly dashed into his room and returned with an old plug he’d salvaged from one of his many “scavenging” walks, and he replaced the bad fuse.

A few seconds later, the lights came back on! This happened less than 15 minutes after the neighbourhood electrician left.

Ecstatic, I called the kids together and said:

“See what I mean about not hurrying to spend money to solve a problem, or achieve any goal? Even when you can afford it, you can get MORE done with LESS money, if you learn to apply Critical Thinking. Do NOT fall into the habit of throwing money at your problems. If we had paid that man N2, 500, he would most likely have made a show of doing a lot of work, to justify taking that much. But he would ultimately, only have replaced this same fuse we have just replaced. And we would never have been the wiser!”

As they eagerly nodded their heads and high-fived themselves, I could see they understood – finally!

I knew it was a lesson they would not forget in a hurry.

Now they knew the electrician (an “expert” of sorts) could be wrong, and that THEY could solve a problem themselves if he walked away!

Nothing Is More Empowering for Children than That

Sadly, too many adults easily get stumped when confronted with the unexpected or unusual.

This makes them easily accept defeat when things turn out differently from what they expect. Children who get an opportunity to solve problems that others walk away from – by applying critical thinking – often come away with greater levels of self-esteem and confidence.

That will often prove invaluable to them in their adult lives. Those they relate with will consequently marvel at their seeming ability to defeat failure or setbacks!

The truth is however that people who achieve long term authentic successes often do so because they never stop thinking up new ways to attack a problem they have.

That eventually leads them to what we call breakthroughs – like the one my kids had. I’m so excited for them, because it means they are well on their way to success in adult life.

Challenge your kids to develop a similar passion for Critical Thinking, and they WILL do even better!

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Why You CAN Succeed In Your Livestock Farm Business [Feed Formulation Video Series]

April 8, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Quick Take-Away : This is a verbatim transcript of Video No. 2 (out of 33) in my New Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series. I explain background details about my popular feed formulation handbook, which the video series is based on. Watch the full video below. Email tayo at tksola dot com, for a download link to the MP3 audio version.

===Starts===

So I’ll start by talking a little bit about how I got to learn about Feed Formulation.

And I think it’s important that I do that because today I use that knowledge and my expertise in that area to help farmers…

Some have facilities that run into millions of naira.

I (once) had a farm (client) that had over 12,000 layers in production.

And so these are adults.

Most of them are graduates. Some of them have been in business for years. But the knowledge I use to help them in ration formulation is actually something I gained when I was an undergraduate in the university.

And that’s why I feel it is important to mention the time I spent with the Students’ Farm Research Foundation (SFRF) in the University of Ibadan.

I was (a member) from my 3rd year in 1989 till my final year (1992). And that was for 3 years.

I was able to learn by participating in the daily activities of the foundation, which involved the rearing of animals like rabbits, poultry…when I say poultry I mean cockerels, layers, broilers…

We raised all sort of animals. We had eggs we were selling virtually every day.

We would sell of our layers and broilers in the right season.

And we were self funding.

In other words the money we made was what we ploughed back into the business, to keep the farm going.

We never had to borrow. We didn’t need patrons to donate money to us.

Like people would do today. They say they’re students and they want money.

We actually raised our own money.

We used to have an end of year party every year.

And we actually used to give ourselves lots of farm products e.g. eggs, chickens, and we would even give to our patrons, who didn’t have to give out their own money to us.

Instead… many of them were lecturers in Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture.

They were much older than we were, and more experienced.

So whenever we had issues we could go them for help.

But most of the time we ran the organisation ourselves.

We kept out own purse. I was the supplies coordinator in my final year, and we never ran out of money, because we always channelled the money and used it for what we meant.

I did some basic book keeping which I learnt from my uncle.

And so we kept track of what was coming in and was being spent. I would take the ration formulated by the Project Coordinator, who was like the President to the club.

And I would take that and go to the feed mill, and get the ration compounded along the lines of the formula he had prepared.

And every time we had a problem with the supply of a particular ingredient, we could quickly make changes because of our knowledge of feed formulation.

He was extremely good at it, and he later taught the rest of us.

And we could equally come up with a different ration using some other ingredients.

Sometimes we would run out of Palm Kernel Cake, or Groundnut Cake or Maize. And we could use something else like Sorghum to replace maize.

And we always had very good performances.

Sometimes we would have disease outbreaks like Gumboro, and we would have to manage it to still make the most of our production season.

The point I’m trying to make here is we didn’t sit in our classrooms expecting miracles to happen.

We got out and got our hands dirty.

So anybody who runs a farm business will have to have the same attitude, and understand that if we as students could have done it, and had a profitable enterprise that we handed over from group to group.

I mean some people would graduate and the next set would take off…

I don’t know if the club is still there today, but as of then it would run year in year out like that.

And the business was profitable!

If students could have done it in a university, I believe that any adult who is running a real life business can succeed at it as well.

The core focus you should have is on lowering your cost of production, and the area where you have the greatest expenses is in the area of feeding.

That’s why you need to understand the science of ration formulation.

And you should understand how to do the computation. Understand the principles behind it.

Understand the issues relating to anti-nutritional factors. Understand how you need to explore the use of alternative feed ingredients that are lower cost.

And also understand how to use my Ration Formulator, the software which you have bought.

Because there’s no way you’re going to get this video series/package without that.

It all comes as one package. That’s the plan I have.

So if you can do that, then you can succeed in farm business.

And like I said…again, I’m repeating it, if students could have done it, as undergraduates in the university, there’s no reason you as an adult, already a graduate running a real life business, cannot succeed.

So in the next clip, I start talking about the ration formulation process, and what it entails.

===Ends===

Get your copy of my new Feed Formulation Home Study Package. You can see photos of the Home Study Pack ready for dispatch to a buyer via courier in this article – click HERE.

It comes with 33 videos (totalling 4 hours of instruction) on DVD.

Also included are a FREE print (i.e. physical spiral bound) and digital copies of my popular Feed Formulation Handbook, its accompanying Ration Formulator software, video demonstrations for use of the software etc.

NEW: Practical Livestock Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Pack

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, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

All You Really Need Is Ingenuity…aka Creative Thinking (True Story: Man Born Without Arms Designs Championship Winning Race Cars)

October 17, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

How much effort do you put into doing your JOB each day? And how many times have you told your employer (or boss) you could do MUCH more…IF ONLY s/he would send you on some training, or buy some latest gadget for you to use?

Well, I’m here to tell you (using the amazing achievements of a man born without arms!) that 9.5 times out of 10, you probably already have all you need, to deliver superlative workplace performances.

The Problem Is, You May Not Know You Already Have ALL You Need…

…Until You Meet Someone Who LACKS What You Have, But Is Doing MORE Than You’re Doing!

Indeed, many of us do not know we already have so much going for us, that we need not look for more.

At least, not until we’ve made the best possible use of what we already have!

Yes. And that includes YOU: Mr “I’ve not been promoted since I joined the company”.

And YOU: Ms. “You send me on that new sales negotiation training course, and see if I don’t top the charts this year”.

Who says, madam, that you need anything more than what your creator already gave you?

At the most, you probably need to read a good book on proven sales techniques by Jeffery Gitomer or Brian Tracy. And that’s not likely to set you back more than a few dollars.

In reality, most of the change needs to happen INSIDE you – in terms of how you THINK, basically.

You see, some people started this journey of life with very little compared to us.

And every single day of their lives, things that we do without thought (e.g. opening a door, typing on a PC); require much more effort from them.

Yet they go on doing them, and actually excel in the process, often beyond those of us with MORE!

Many times, they achieve such feats simply through a mental attitude that refuses to recognise ANY limitations. They simply refuse to believe there is anything they cannot do.

And they never listen to anyone who tells them something they wish to do is impossible.

One Such Person is Richie Parker, the Young Man Featured In a Video I Watched Today (Wednesday 16th October 2013)

NB: You’re reading this article on Thursday 17th October 2013, or later. I wrote, and scheduled it to auto-publish on Wednesday 16th October 2013.

Richie was born in 1983, without ARMS.

But today, he works as a vehicle design engineer at Hendrick Engineering/Motor Sports: a company that has won more NASCAR championships than any other.

He designs chassis and body components for ALL their 4 racing teams – USING HIS FEET, to handle the mouse, and type on the keyboard of his PC!

And he’s been doing that job for 8 years – during which time they’ve won 5 championships.

It would also interest you to know, that he drives his own car. It has wonderful modifications, made to the pedals, that let him use his feet to manoeuvre the vehicle, the way we who have arms do ours!

Thanks to Segun Ogunlana – My Amazing Brother-in-Law – for Sharing This Video on Facebook

Since when he sent the link on September 8th, 2013, poor connectivity had prevented me from watching it (it never even loaded), each time I tried.

Until today.

I kept trying to watch it whenever I remembered the link (I’d bookmarked it).

The photo of the armless young man sitting on a car bumper stirred my curiosity. Another reason I kept trying were the comments those who’d watched it made on facebook.

And when I finally watched it, I KNEW others deserved to see it too.

This young man’s creative achievements COMPLETELY invalidate any excuses the rest of us can possibly come up with, for not actualizing our full potentials in life.

Few, if at all any, challenges we face in life can measure up to most of those this guy has found ways to overcome in his short time on earth!

PLEASE watch the video, and START LIVING WITHOUT MAKING EXCUSES from today.

I’ve recorded the video using software I have, for offline viewing, and I intend to play it for my kids to watch, OVER and OVER again.

In addition to that, I have plans to MASSIVELY publicize it, by presenting it in different formats. Those who’ve seen what I’ve done with other videos/audios online, may have an idea of what’s coming…soon!

I may even arrange to visit schools, churches, mosques, and other social organisations.

I BEG YOU – Watch This Video, And Share It!

I never thought I’d ever get to a point in my life when I’d actually BEG anyone to do anything.

But I’m making an exception with Richie Parker’s amazing video.

Believe me, this is probably the closest we’ll ever get to an ENDLESS source of inspiration, AFTER God!

That’s why I’m begging you to – right NOW (don’t wait till you have time…do it NOW) – PLEASE watch the video, then share it with as many people as possible.

…and START LIVING WITHOUT MAKING EXCUSES from today, on your job, and in your personal lives.