If we had a one-on-one conversation with a soldier, they would tell us that no amount of preparation can prepare you for combat.
They will attest that being in battle molds one’s personality in ways that are truly transformative. To put it another way, once you’ve finished, your life will never be the same. similarly, being an entrepreneur serves the same antidote, it shapes your mindset. It builds your resilience. Constantly nudges your creativity and strengthens your optimism.
In summary; it flips, cooks and builds you proper proper. 🙃
Allow me to accompany you to my very first event as the Program Coordinator for a young entrepreneur’s challenge. The month? December, when? Glad you asked! EIGHT years ago.
What is the purpose of our visit? I’m even more delighted, you ask because I’ve met, spoken with, and rubbed shoulders with visionaries, inventors, problem solvers, hustlers, and the best this country has to offer, THE DOERS, since that fateful day years ago. In some respects, it has shaped and transformed me, and my life has never been the same since.
For one thing, it created the initial ripple, which was sufficient to inspire me to pursue a vision to reach out to more young entrepreneurs and small enterprises.
I have trained hundreds in various programs both physical and virtual.
Designed and implemented numerous entrepreneurship programs and campaigns. Volunteered to coach and mentor Enterprisers. Created content, Produced podcasts (s), and spoke (and continue to speak*) on various platforms for and about Entrepreneurship and SMEs’ development. I pledged to reach 100k youth directly (see here: click ) and 1M youth (see here: click).
Now, my reader comes the moment I (and perhaps you) have been waiting for. But first, let me take you back to the present, when? One month ago today. . .
*drumroll*
I am elated to inform you that I’ve been hit by a new wave. I am not alone in this tidal tsunami. I’m joining a fantastic team that will empower, inspire, and grow SMEs from all angles.
How?
By Strengthening their abilities, providing access to markets, and facilitating funding, they may transform their businesses and lives. This fresh tidal wave spreads much further, affecting many sections of the continent. It has a large footprint, with a variety of programs partnering with hundreds of African entrepreneurs on the rise. An organization committed to growth and enthusiasm, a platform that benefits all of its stakeholders. An organisation with growth and passion at heart, a platform that offers value to all its people. Name?
I abode this expedition because I knew this offers a chance to do better and reach further. Even more so, I know this phase represents something bigger than my own experience. It represents a multinational company that grows and serves a much larger vision, that stands on intersections of many fields far greater than my own experience and serves millions of lives than my exposure can fathom.
*Breaths!*
I am now closing in a month since I began trekking through this new path, it’s quiet, and for the first time, I am alone with my thoughts. Taking it all in, contemplating and aligning this next phase.
The vision remains, to change lives.
STANBIC, as a SME bank, is committed to accelerating SMEs’ growth and serving as a resource for entrepreneurs. It’s a new task, and I’m extending my hand to ask you to join me in taking it on..
Let’s transform lives, Now it begins.
IT CAN BE.
