Over the years many of us aspiring entrepreneur and leaders driven by our vision and goals have been inspired to read books. Books on business, how to get rich, books teaching us how to "be your own boss"; I have read a lot of them - Richest man in Babylon, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The science of getting rich and so on. I think I was about 16 years old when I started reading those books.
While those books are great! I mean I learnt some business principles like " Do the job you love" or "Save your money and make your money work for you". Growing up however, I discovered that those were like generic principles.
They can advise you to invest in mutual fund, sell on eBay, save from your salary, get mentors, and take a loan from the bank.
Let's come to Africa-Nigeria, we do have mutual funds but how many persons know, you can barely buy from eBay as a Nigerian talk more of selling. Save from your salary – in a country where 99% of graduates are not guaranteed a job. Get a mentor - can you really walk up to a self-made millionaire in Nigeria for mentorship? People looking for how to collect or beg from him are too many; you will have to go the extra mile to prove you are genuine.
Lets be real until you have almost fully established your business that's when people take you seriously.
Many of the International authors will commend their parents for supporting their dream at an early stage. You see practical examples of support when you watch auditions for music shows like American Idol, X-factor, a person with a horrible voice comes for the audition and his or her parents are backstage cheering on. When they are not selected, their parents are offended or believe the judges made a mistake - they really believe their kids have the greatest voice.
We don't have that in many Nigerian Talent shows ( Parents ??!! How?? They can't even hear you ventured into music after paying your school fees )
In Nigeria, I am sure many of those young people who come to audition for music shows probably sneaked out of the house, forced their way out, or lied to get out. Only in a minutely few cases are their parents aware that they are auditioning.
In a country without support for your dream how exactly do you rise out? A dream that is not understood faces too great hostility in Nigeria even from your own family.
I had the opportunity to work with a wealthy entrepreneur who was very unselfish with his knowledge (which is very rare in Nigeria - a rich man to show you how he got rich) . He went from hawking bean cake (moi-moi) on the street to owning a multi-million construction company.
Some of what he told me, I will be sharing in this series.
Watch out!
