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.