𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

When I moved into a new apartment, I noticed things started breaking down after a year. They no longer looked shiny or new. There was the orphan line where a cleaner scratched the wall with her cleaning cart. Scuffed baseboards. The weathered look of the patio after exposure to the elements.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀

There are gatekeepers in every society. Self-appointed overlords who having reached the zenith of their industry, decide who gets in behind them.

#Career #Work #Life #DearCEO I once heard an African-American actor speak about his experience in Hollywood. My heart broke a little when he said it didn't matter that he was talented or good looking. He needed someone to let him in.

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲

I used to be religious and then one day I stopped. I was exhausted by the incessant requirements and accompanying condemnation - one always seemed to fall short. And so, I embraced a relationship with God instead. My mum introduced me to church quite early, like most African mothers do. But I disliked the traditions and soon grew tired of doing the same things over and again.

This week on my Middle-Class Wealth series, I’m sharing insights from @VolitionCap's and @Opportunik’s white paper - Accelerating Wealth Creation for Middle-Class Africans & Diasporans.

#MiddleClassWealth #MiddleClass #VolitionCap #Africa #Diaspora https://t.co/Y5QLhgKjSOtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
The White Paper by Volition Cap and Opportunik Global Fund discusses the wealth gaps between middle-class Africans & Diasporans and other ethnicities.

It emphasizes the need for the target group to create wealth 7-10x faster than their counterparts to close generational gaps.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆

Dear CEO, You are young and will be resented for your wealth. When you fly first class, some may wonder how you got there and biases will emerge.

[This is a thread🧵] A few will peg you as the scion of a rich family. Others will wonder about cybercrime. Develop a thick skin and understand that envy is par for the course.

𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆

I am an introvert without a great social filter. I do not like what I hate. But years of doing business means I've learnt to hide what I really think out of respect and political correctness.

#Work #Life #Authenticity #WakingThoughts However, my personal values define the work that I do and the people I love. I spent almost 20 years in the corporate world before starting my company, and as you can imagine, I got into trouble for being authentic.

This week on my Middle-Class Wealth series, I’m sharing insights from @McKinsey_MGI's report.

I highlight the opportunities for the African & diasporan middle class.

#MiddleClassWealth #AfricanMiddleClass #AfricanWealthReport #Africa #Diaspora twitter.com/i/web/status/1… McKinsey Global Institute is an authoritative source of economic forecasts. Their report projects a vibrant economic future for Africa in a number of sectors.

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢,

I am not married, and I do not have children. I provide this caveat because by the time you finish reading this, you may think, "She doesn't understand."

#DearCEO However, wisdom is not circumstantial. You must take what makes sense to you and then, leave the rest. So here's my story.

I am the child of a high achieving woman. In her lifetime, my mother ran four businesses at different points while raising six children.

It was an honour to speak at the @SAAMA_NPC Conference on Wednesday, 7th June 2023.

I presented @volitioncap's unique fund management model using traditional African cooperatives.

#AfricanWealth #Diaspora #VolitionCap #MiddleClassWealth I also emphasized the need for asset managers to assist the middle class to reach their financial goals.

WHO DO YOU ANSWER TO? A CASE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

[Before you read this article, please take a quick poll to provide feedback about my newsletters, so I know whether to continue writing them: forms.gle/xUb26A6MYGLtTP…]

#Life #Leadership #WakingThoughts From 2015 to 2020, a series of seemingly unrelated events culminated in a personal crisis. Here's the timeline of what happened.

In the summer of 2015 my mom died, and then 6 months later, in 2016, my dad followed. By 2017, I started a company and considered leaving my day job.

I need to buy a physical Bible, so I can reduce my screen time. Even though I regulate my social media use, I spend too much time on my laptop for work and on my phone for note taking & reading. I can't even remember the last time I read a physical book.

Be ready for help.

I've never believed in reinventing the wheel. If someone is already doing what I want to do, I'll gladly join. But I've noticed two things that visionary builders do wrong. 1. You fail to publicize what you do because you're too busy building. This is a mistake. You would gain many synergies if people were aware of your work.

I FAILED AND IT SUCKS

Last week, I failed at something so monumental that it knocked me off my life axis. All my future plans and dreams went out of the window temporarily.

#Failure #Thread I failed at something I prepared for, for several months. I haven't done that volume of work in a while. Incredible goodwill and equity were deployed. And I prayed for so long and believed I had clarity of direction.

It always pains me when a creative person finds God or Christianity and then becomes more conservative and starts limiting their gifts to church alone. It's like their brain cells slowly die after feeling the corrosive effects of organized religion. It's always astonishing because I believe the Holy Spirit to be an extremely creative person. If he lives in you, you should become more creative.

LISTEN TO THE SIGNS

There's something creative about setting up a new home. It's even more emotional when you're in a new city without family & close friends. You're forced to deploy admin skills you haven't used in a while. And, it brings back the basics of quiet simple work. Every week, you create a list of chores and accomplish them. You research how to do things and then get them done.

THIS IS A SEASON OF KINDNESS

The antidote to fear isn't faith, it's love. That's because faith doesn't exist in a vacuum. Rather, you believe someone you know and trust. You are certain they have your best interests at heart, and that they have the power to do what they say. 🧵 However, it's difficult to accept love when you have little reference for it. I am lucky in this regard. I had a good dad. And so, when I think of God, I've got a benchmark. In my mind, if God loves me more than my dad did, then that's a fantastic thing.

I attended a church with a pantry. You can pick up anything you need or want. You just go in and pack stuff. And the pantry is never empty. This is a shout out to churches that make kindness normal. Those who have no jobless people, because there's a job board that's constantly filled with opportunities. Assemblies where no one is alone during the holidays because homes are always open.

As Executives become busier, they have less time to review things. So if you're a Manager, here are a few ways to make yourself invaluable. Present information in a way that's useful for decision making. Get to the crux of things quickly. Develop 1-page reports and presentations that are no more than 10 pages. Use graphs and charts, not text.

Remember I mentioned the currency of Nigeria is power? Think of rally numbers in the same way. It's a show of people power. That's why you need to show that your candidate has physical supporters on the ground. What successful rallies signal to the powers that be is:
1. You have potential voters & supporters
2. You know how to do grassroots mobilization
3. You have money to mobilize. This is because rallies and mobilization cost money - buses, placards, t-shirts, stomach infrastructure

There's a level of innovation that comes from making life easier for people. But the industries that make the most money also give people cultural permission to enjoy easier lives. This is because a lot of societies deify work, hustle and hardness. In doing so, they inadvertently minimize different approaches to productivity or even other kinds of work - intellectual, for instance.

The central premise of Christianity/belief in a supreme God appears to be that man is created in the image of that supreme God. This confers fundamental human dignity on mankind. Without that, we would be bound by situational culture and morality e.g belief in slavery in some cultures. Morality would always shift from place to place and from culture to culture.