Hey guys, long time no talk. Welcome back from the looong weekend of last week for those in Nigeria. Hope September has been treating you well; we have 3 days before the end of the month. In this post, I talked about September being a month I’d remember for the rest of my life and truly it has been a remarkable month for me. Filled with ups and doooowns but God was super faithful all the way.

I was at home throughout Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I was supposed to attend the Naturals in the city event I talked about here organized by Natural Nigerian on Saturday but I was too lazy to go.

Happy birthday Pastor Lola Tewe

On Sunday was Pastor Lola Tewe birthday so she organized an event themed 'Beautiful beginnings' for ladies with wounded and hurting past. Pastor Sunmbo Ajaba Adeoye was the guest speaker; she shared her story of love, dashed hopes and restoration.

Pastor Sunmbo ministering

Her story left me in tears because she made me realize again that God can use anyone regardless of your past if you are willing. She said something that struck me hard, the church is not for saints, it’s for sinners who are looking for a way to the cross. When sinners or backslidden Christians come to church we should not chastise or despise them instead we should love them to the cross cause that was what Jesus did.

Beautiful portrait of Pastor Lola

The Tewes and Pastor Sunmbo

After the event, I went for the grand finale of the Lagos City Wide Crusade at the National stadium; I hope you attended at least one of the crusades for those residing in Lagos. I was able to attend 4 locations of the crusade, Ajegunle, Yaba, Shomolu and Surulere. Yesterday's crusade was explosive, the miracles, deliverance, salvation were real. It was a great way to end my weekend.
In less than 4 days we would be saying happy new month again, hope September was a month to remember for you. Hope you were able to do all you planned to do this month, if not you have 3 days to go.
Till next time, stay blessed.

And finally, after conquering the devil's temptation of endless laziness, I drag myself to turn this mental piece into a published note. Please do read and enjoy.
Who flies my kite?
I watched with keen interest as the kite's sail flew so adorably high. It kept flying in organized admirable patterns moving up and down like a diamond in the sky. For a moment I stood aback to absorb the scene going on before me. I tell you, it was like straight out of a Hollywood ecstasy movie. The park beamed with nature as the happy faces spread all over. One of those places one wish to stay in forever. The scene of fathers cherishing every second with their joyous families, couples walking arm in arm, letting the love envelope the atmosphere in a warm embrace and toddlers crawling after whole and half broken toys was a natural. Even the insects seemed to be in perfect harmony with nature's happiness. Nothing seemed to be ostentatious. Again, my gaze lifted to the kites' sail as various colours of homemade kites flew at diverse heights to give the sky a colourful blend. Some kites were flown for less than an a minute before they came crashing down because the flyer encountered one distraction or the other. Without much efforts, I located the kite that earlier caught my attention. There it was, still up in the sky like a golden star. It kept flying in admirable patterns. The attractive flight of this kite distinct it from the hundreds of kites that stood as competitors making it easily noticeable. Of a truth, I couldn't help but wonder at the expertise of the kite flyer. I then decided to trace the kite to its flyer. Without much surprise, I watched as a young man held the tail of the kite as he pulled in deliberate patterns with determination to make his kite outstanding. The tens and hundreds of kites around were being flown by little kids. I sighed as the understanding permeated through my skull. Of course, it would have been a wonder had such a young man flown his kite in a manner that denotes incompetence. While he flew his kite with expertise, the others merely did otherwise.

Sometimes I like to see myself as the kite and in such moment wonder who flies me. As a kite, if my kite's sail must fly high above in adorable patterns to the admiration of others, then my tail must be firmly rooted in the palms of an expert. Still exploring down the excogitating lane, I wonder who is a greater expert than the maker of the kite. There are many factors which even struggle to hold one's tail.
However, for a safe and admirable flight high in the sky, I recommend God. He made the kite, he knows how best to fly it. The relevant life begins with a foundation firmly rooted in GOD. ‪#‎theRelevantLife‬


ADEBAYO, MARY TOLUWANI.

Hi guys. Happy Fri-yay. Hope your week has been great and productive. As said in this post, today I'd be featuring a dear friend and teacher, I met her few months back and she has inspired and encouraged me to do some things I'm doing today. She's quite young but loaded so take out your pen and note pad. Enjoy.
Let’s meet you dear 
Hi, My name is Adetuke Morgan, I am 23 years old and I live in Lagos, Nigeria.
I am a Saxophonist, Lifestyle Blogger, Content Creator, all round Creative Being with a Bsc in Economics from the University of Nottingham, UK.

If you are asked to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be? Talented, Adventurous, Inquisitive, Vivacious and Creative

What are you passionate about, what do you love doing?
I love playing the saxophone.  I love writing. I love taking pictures.  I love reading. I love getting to know people
I love Travelling
I love inspiring other people
I love hearing people’s stories, their journey through life, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them

Wow, that's a lot. In your own words, who is an entrepreneur?
I was taught in Secondary School that an entrepreneur controls the other factors of production namely land, labour and capital. From my experience, I will say an entrepreneur is someone who runs their own business, providing a product or service for a fee. An entrepreneur is able to control his/her own time and ultimately makes the final decision concerning his business.

Hmmn, deep definition. Can you please tell us 3 key characteristics or traits that should be found in a good entrepreneur 
A good entrepreneur should be persistent, hard working, unrelenting and diligent.

Is there an age bracket to become an entrepreneur? i.e. is anyone to young or too old to be an entrepreneur? 
No there isn't. When growing up, I saw that many children in cartoons sold lemonade during the holidays. Many of them also delivered newspapers for a fee. In my school bus there were entrepreneurs who bought American lollipops for N30 at a shop in my estate then sold it in school for N50, that is entrepreneurship. Young boys rent their games to friends for a small fee, that is entrepreneurship.

So true. Have you had a 9-5 job before? 
Yes, I’ve had many

What prompted you to leave your job, was it the pay, the environment or the urge to start up something?
I wasn't satisfied with the terms of the contract and I was supposed to start another job  a couple of weeks later in a similar firm with a better environment, better culture and better pay. However, man proposes and God disposes and the Graduate scheme that should have started in March still hasn’t started 6 months later.

How long have you been an entrepreneur?
I’ve been playing the saxophone for 6 years but I didn’t consider it a business until I left my last 9 to 5 job in February so less than a year. I released a Single in March and that was my way of coming out as a Professional Saxophonist. In terms of blogging, I saw the business potential after running it for a year, building its brand, networking and spending time with other bloggers, etc. I became a content creator in March and that was when I started getting paid for my articles and my photography. So, I’ve been an entrepreneur for about 6-7 months.

Please share with us some lessons you have learnt as an entrepreneur. 
Ahhh, there are many o. Check out my YouTube channel here. I started a vlog series sharing lessons I've learnt as a creative entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is a very risky step, has the journey so far been smooth?
Not at all

What challenges have you faced?
There have been many o. I knew I wanted to do saxophone professionally but I wasn’t sure when. The fact that life happened the way it did caused me to think creatively and treat my interests as a business as I needed sources of income. I’ve spent time with many Creative Entrepreneurs who saw the potential goldmine in my talents. They encouraged me to pursue entrepreneurship actively. Some of the challenges I’ve faced are that at first, I treated my business as a hobby so I didn’t send people invoices, I didn’t collect deposits from people I thought were my friends. This meant that some people paid less than the fee specified or they didn’t even pay at all. My parents still want me to work a 9-5 so we are trying to reach a compromise.

How did you tackle them?
I am still tackling some of the challenges but, creating a proper structure has helped, getting a manager, putting my rates in an Excel Document, speaking to older more established entrepreneurs in my field and learning from them by spending time with them. Learning to prioritise work in order of importance and urgency has helped me manage my time better and meet deadlines.

What is your advice to young people hoping to join the world of entrepreneurs?
Do your research.
Pray before you make decisions. 
Get a Mentor/talk to experienced people in your industry.
Be Frugal in Spending.
Account for your money.
Read books.
Become the best at your Craft.
 Hone your skills.
Start your day early.
Understand yourself & your working habits so you know when you are most productive.
Don’t stop learning because you think you know everything.
Have people that you are accountable to.
You wouldn’t be paid for every job but pray for discernment to know which ones you will do pro bono/to build the relationship.
Discouragement will definitely come but don’t let it lead to depression, talk to people who can encourage you, pray, listen to uplifting music, look on the bright side of life, there is always a silver lining.
Reward yourself for the small wins and keep on pushing, don’t get complacent.

OMG!! Thanks so much dear for sharing these words of wisdom and knowledge with us. How can we connect with you? 
Instagram and Twitter: @tukemorgan
Blog: www.tukesquest.com
Email: tuke_morgan@hotmail.com
Youtube Channel: Tuke Morgan
Facebook: Tuke's Quest


For features and enquiries please send a mail to shanyigee@gmail.com or okoli.chinomso@yahoo.com.

An entrepreneur is someone who organises and operates a business venture and assumes much of the associated risk. OR a person who organises a risky activity of any kind and acts substantially in the manner of a business entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is the art or science of innovation and risk taking for profit in business. All the definitions above has a word in common which is RISK. This means that entrepreneurship is all about risk taking. To be an entrepreneur, you must be ready to make some decisions that would shake you. In our society today, the trend is 'go to school /college, graduate with a good grade, get a well-paid job, work from 30-40 years, retire and die'. Only few people are willing to think outta the box, get creative ideas and start up something new. 'Having a 9-5 job with a good pay check every month is cool so why bother my head' they say to themselves. They forget that those jobs where put in place by some entrepreneurs. I'm not saying being an employee is bad, don't get me wrong. My point here is that the unemployed  population in our country and the world at large is on the increase daily. The companies, factories, banks, etc cannot employ everybody, the criteria for getting jobs today is getting tougher. IT'S high time young people start thinking and acting because if we keep waiting for the white collar jobs we might remain jobless. Instead of applying for jobs let's start supplying jobs. Instead of being an employee you can be an employer. Age is no barrier, if you can think it, you can act it. Take those tiny steps towards your dream, stop waiting for a perfect time, it might not come. In this post, I featured a young fashion entrepreneur, you should read it. In my next post I'd be featuring a young creative entrepreneur. You don't want to miss it. Till then, take care and enjoy the rest of your week.

Hey guys. Happy Sunday and welcome to a new week. Yesterday was the date for the event I talked about here. I was at the venue of the event on Friday because we had some planning to do. When I got there I was so exhausted and almost frustrated because the place was so far, like the journey did not want to end. I asked one of the team members why they choose that venue, I was like ‘what happened to Ikeja, Yaba, Victoria Island and the likes, why did they have to bring it as far as Agbado’, then she told me something that made my frustration and tiredness fly away. She said ‘youths in Ikeja and those places have heard all these several times, they have access to all these information but what are they doing with it? Nothing, but the youths in this remote areas don’t have access, they don’t have knowledge, they don’t have the right information they need to succeed, that’s why we brought the event here’. What she said got me thinking because its so true. Almost every weekend in Lagos, one motivational event is holding either in V.I., Lekki, Yaba, etc and the remote places are left out. Thumbs up to the Success Stories Africa team, God would bless you guys real good.
Back to the event, I worked with the media team and I did something I have never done before, #livetweeting. I totally enjoyed every bit of yesterday, it was worth my time and effort. For those of you that couldn’t make it for one reason or the other, this is a brief summary of the event.

The hosts: Funto Ibuoye and John Obidi

Anticipating audience

The event started with a welcome speech by the Convener, Isaac Oladipupo. He said, inspiration and motivation is not enough, if you must succeed you need skills.

Detoun Ogwo

The first speaker was Detoun Ogwo, she spoke on ‘TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGH’.
Key points from her speech
*Everyone has a talent but your talent is never enough
*There is a demand for every level in life. To get to the next level, you must meet the demand.
*Whatever it is you want to do, don’t let anyone talk you out of it
*Practice sharpens your talent, preparation positions your talent, perseverance sustains your talent and passion energizes your talent.
*Reflection and meditation helps you find who exactly you are.

Ayeni Adekunle

The next speaker was Ayeni Adekunle, a failed author, failed microbiologist and a 3rd class graduate but now leads the BHM Group. He was once a terrible stammerer but now he’s a fluent speaker.

Key points
*Your life will be better if you focus on making other people’s life better, be a problem solver.
*The number one principle of living your dreams is to discover your gift, learn to develop it and use it to solve other people problems.
*Have a spouse or partner that trust and believes in you.

Next was a dance presentation by DheWord group, then a panel session with Yemi Akamo, Gaise Baba, Sisi Yemmie, Sam Olatunji and Leke Adetomiwa.

Meet the panelists

Key points
*It doesn’t matter the number of people doing what you want to do, pick your niche and brand YOU – Sisi Yemmie ( Lifestyle Blogger/ Vlogger)
*Consistency is key in grooming your passion – Gaise Baba
*You might not get to your destination without a mentor. The role of a mentor cannot be overemphasized, get a mentor. – Sam Olatunji

The 3rd speaker was Monalisa Chinda on ‘The Making of a Star’

Monalisa Chinda

Key points
*In the making of a rising star, times and seasons are very important.
*Timely discovery is the secret of success.Early to rise, early to shine.
*Break free, be creative, try something different, don’t be stereotyped
*God is the ultimate pathfinder; there is no true success without God.
*Never stop what you love to do despite the challenges.

The 4th speaker was Omojuwa Japheth, a leading Nigerian blogger, social media expert and political commentator.

Omojuwa Japheth

Key points
*To succeed, you need a tool
*The Nigeria economy has a lot of questions that an average Nigerian graduate cannot answer. Life is beyond a first class degree.
*If nothing is chasing after you, chase something
*To succeed there must be a drive, a push, a passion.
*Money respect value.

Next was a musical performance by Gaise Baba, #littledrops, one of my best moments in the event. I love his song, the lyrics and his dance moves. I can’t seem to get enough of him and his songs.

Gaise Baba

The 5th and last speaker was Chude Jideonwo. He grew up thinking everyone was better than him, his father could not afford icecream for him when he was young so he cried everyday on his way back from school.

Chude Jideonwu

Key points
*Demand what you desire from life with courage.
*Nobody is better than you because they have what you don’t have
*There is nothing you cannot do irrespective of where you are coming from
*Always remember that people will splash water on you but never waiver.
*Inferiority complex is in the mind, you need to overcome it from your mind.

Skill facilitators

Last was an interactive session with the skill facilitators, Fola Folayan, Vanessa Odofin, James Abinibi, Rhoda Agbeyo and African farmer Mogaji.
And it’s a wrap. I hope you had a feel of the event. Have a great week ahead yall.

CITY	DATE	VENUE	TIME
IKEJA	08 SEPT, 2015	NIGERIA POLICE COLLEGE, IKEJA.	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
KETU	09 SEPT, 2015	CALEB INT’L COLLEGE, SPORT ARENA, CMD RD, IKOSI.	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
GBAGADA	10 SEPT, 2015	GBAGADA ROUND ABOUT, GBAGADA	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
IKORODU	11 SEPT, 2015	LAGOS STATE POLYTECHNIC, ODONGUYAN	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
FESTAC	12 SEPT, 2015	TRADE FAIR COMPLEX	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
ISOLO	13 SEPT, 2015	OKE AFA COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
AJEGUNLE	15 SEPT, 2015	UNITY/ CARDOSO PRY SCH, 2 KORIPAMO STR, AJEGUNLE	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
ALIMOSHO	16 SEPT,2015	ABESAN HIGH SCHOOL, JAKANDE ESTATE	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
EPE	17 SEPT, 2015	RECREATION CENTRE	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
MUSHIN	18 SEPT, 2015	ARCHBISHOP AGGER	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
LAGOS ISLAND	19 SEPT, 2015	FIELD BESIDE WORLD OIL	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
YABA	20 SEPT, 2015	YABA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, SPORT CENTRE	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
AGEGE	22 SEPT, 2015	AGEGE STADIUM	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
SOMOLU	23 SEPT, 2015	UNILAG SPORT CENTRE AKOKA, YABA	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
OSHODI	24 SEPT, 2015	NITEL STADIUM CAPPA (DIGITAL BRIDGE INST.)	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
BADAGRY	25 SEPT, 2015	NIG. FRENCH LANG VILLAGE, AJARA BADAGRY	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
ORILE	26 SEPT, 2015	SPORT CENTRE PLAYING GROUND ALONG, ORILE- ML 2	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT
SURULERE	27 SEPT, 2015	TESLIM BALOGUN STADIUM, SURULERE	5:00 PM/ 16:00 GMT