The Inspiredpreneur

Growing up, I enjoyed drawing and sketching sceneries. Somewhere along the line the passion went into extinction and later metamorphosed into writing. Anyway, I thought I should let you know my new address, so you can stop by and comment. The excitement of the new house made me sketch my childhood picture of a farm house for you. Please feel free to open the door www.theinspiredpreneur.com ,  walk right in and stay inspired all through 2018. Yippee!

People treasure different moments in life. The birth of a baby. Birthday anniversaries. Fond memories of a loved one. Landmark achievements. Exciting opportunities that heralded a turning point. Promotions. Winning moments when watching a favourite sport. Moment when a child, a spouse or a dear friend made you proud. When a lover’s proposal is accepted by his beloved. Exchange of vows. When an award or recognition was given. That moment when a much-desired miracle came through. When you scanned the horizon and unexpectedly figured out the way forward against all odds. When victory became certain because you embraced the finishing tape ahead of others.   Why are such moments treasured? It makes one’s heart stand still, long after the ovation and applause has faded. It brings joy. Joy that fills one’s essence in an unfathomable way. I haven’t seen a grim-faced fellow talk about treasured moments.   It somehow goes better when the facial muscles are relaxed with a beautiful s

With Mrs Ibukun Awosika. Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria Limited . I have always admired her. Her Faith. Her strength of character. Her achievements. She is a made entrepreneur. A passionate Nigerian whose story has remained consistent through the years. I have spent time in the past reading about her real-life strategies. My first meeting with her earlier this year helped me take some steps that I am so grateful for.    It was a most wonderful privilege again for me to attend two meetings last weekend where she gave a keynote address  ‘Entrepreneurship: How to start and prosper in business’ as well as a sermon ‘Making Impact’ . I practically sat at the edge of the pew and followed her down the aisle with my eyes as she reeled out profound wisdom and lifesaving skills not just relevant for business.   I imagined how blessed her spouse, children and immediate associates are. I also thought how fortunate to meet such a woman. She shared true life su

In Temperate regions, November precedes snow white winter. In Tropical regions, it precedes dry dusty harmattan. Most of all, it precedes December, the last month of the year in countries where the Gregorian calendar is used. November, the month of pleasant and unpleasant surprises. Usually a time of reflections for re-adjustment to enable one finish well. For some, it’s a time to recount triumphs and success stories. Near misses and regrets. Play your last card. Expect the worst. Expect the best. Give it a last try against all odds. Evaluate what has worked and what has not, strategize for the coming year. Scan the horizon. Organizations have their annual year period likewise some individuals. Mine is November – October annually because it was in November some years ago that my sojourn commenced. I still remember my black and white christening kodak photo with my god-mother carrying me in her arms. She stood beside my mother in her high ‘apolar skol’. They both lo

  As October 2017 begins to roll into history, I lend my voice to celebrate every girl child on the surface of the globe. She comes like a gift wrapped in beauty and grace with her potentials carefully enclosed in her buds. Her birth may not have been announced. Yet, like the bud of a rose flower, she blossoms and lets out innocent fragrance to a waiting world. Roses come in lovely shades of White, Pink, Red, Orange, Lavendar, Purple, Yellow, Blue, Yellow and Green. Likewise, the adolescent girl. She comes in various shades and colours. Packed with potentials and possibilities. Her relevance lies in her virtue and inner strength. Not in wanton desires. Her uniqueness lies in her innermost beauty, not in vanity. Her future is filled with hope, not just glitz. The power of the adolescent girl is unimaginable! She is the treasure of the unborn generation. The gold mine that must be tapped for a better world.

I earlier posted a write-up titled  'Talent and Time.'   For some reason, it has been coming to my mind to expand some more on the write up and let you see the wires within you that need to connect.   The first alphabet in Talent is ‘ T’ T reasure your Talent once you identify it. A treasure is an article of high worth. Universally, certain items are regarded as treasures – gold, diamond, gems. It is insightful that these items on their own whether buried in the ground or hidden in underground chests cannot amount to anything except when identified and put into good use by someone. Items of worth have been found by people who could not identify them and so didn’t know the value. Remember Aladdin and the old lamp? He traded the old lamp for a new one not knowing the potentials. Pretty much like Esau who forfeited his birth right for lentil stew. Identification is key. It is like placing a finger on a flash point. Once an item is identified, it can be named. This brin

  The easiest way to be remembered by posterity is to make History The easiest way to make History is to find Purpose The easiest way to find Purpose is to look Inwards. When you are done looking inwards, take ACTION!!!   Some years back I joined Women Connected by Purpose (WCBP), little did I know I had hitched a ride with destiny. Great things indeed come from the little steps we take in life. When you stand alone to watch life happen, then Life happens without you.   When you take seemingly little steps, you make life happen! Zinnie

                                You have limited time to use your talent. So what do you do with it?                         T reasure it once you identify it.                         A cknowledge that your talent is unique to you.                         L ook for opportunities to develop and deploy it.                         E mpower yourself to promote and brand it.                         N urture it and package it.                         T hrive and trade with it.                

This is one moment I greatly worry that my pen might be unable to express the depth of excitement and gratitude I feel in my heart towards Friesland Campina, makers of Three Crowns Milk. Great things indeed come in little packages. From buying a promo pack of Three Crowns Milk, I ended up as one of the 6 finalists of the 2017 mom of the year award.   This has put me on the path of ‘mindful fitness’ and with all my family members now tagging along to Saturday dance aerobics class, the excitement is endless.   Yesterday, my daughters and I went to check out Best Western plus along Iyanganku, Ibadan, venue of the Three Crowns Milk sponsored buffet. My girls got home to announce that the restaurant is splendid and superb! This sure stirred the atmosphere in the house – My Mazi, Myself, 2 kids, 2 Ladies and 3 uncles. A small family you say. lol My little girl woke up this morning and asked, is it today that Three Crowns Milk is buying us lunch? Just like kids! She wanted t

Memoirs Recently I was in a training session where participants were asked their hobbies. Hobbies like Cooking, Photography, Football, Travelling, and Learning were mentioned. This got me thinking about hobbies now and hobbies years ago. Growing up some thirty something years ago in South East Nigeria, I was an adventurous child who tried all sorts from tree climbing to baking, snail hunting, learning the piano, philately, photography, knitting, sewing, drawing, painting, and flower gardening. I had collections - coins and paper money no longer in use, sea shells, Pacesetter novel series, stamps. Today, I have over a thousand stamps in my stamp album (see some few clips below)  and oh my, I lobbied for stamps in secondary school like my very life depended on it. I could exchange a meal for a postage stamp back then. Themes on stamps taught me a lot about – African nations, Animals, Anniversaries of queen of England, Birds, Cultural dance, Festivals, Flowers, Inventors and Inv

Are you a woman living in South West Nigeria? Now this is one gathering designed with you in mind and I know you would not like to miss it! To register, visit : http://wcbpurpose.org.ng The other day it was #beboldforchange Now, the stakes have been raised by 'Change', #TheYouyoudesire

You gat to be Fit to try this! Some are born queens, some inherit the throne to become queens and some others work hard to be crowned queens. I do not play chess like my husband and daughter but they told me the queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess. In beehives, the queen bee is the most important bee because she births all other bees that live in the hive. She is nurtured with a special diet - royal jelly. Most importantly, the queen bee has to wage battle against any potential queen bee before she becomes the only reproducing female left in the hive. A queen is an ambassador. A brand. A leader. A role model. An epitome of royalty. Last two weeks, I was privileged to participate as one of the six finalists for the 2017 Three Crowns Milk mom of the year award.   Here is a summary of my personal experience and take home lessons in my attempt to be crowned a queen. ·        Nothing beats a fit, healthy and smart mom. ·        Family and friends are a

The hunter’s gun and his skill lies between him and his kill.         For the writer, Pen and Prowess    For the Preacher, The word and The Spirit    For the Teacher, Knowledge and Passion    For the Fisherman, Fishing net and Bait    For the Seamstress, Needle and Thread    For The Mason, Trowel and Level. My father and a friend of his both in their late seventies had licensed double barrel shot guns while I was growing up. My father had a passion for hunting preying birds, grass cutters and wild pigs. He had an L-shaped bird nest that looked like one leg of a socking and his gun when not in use could be dismantled - butt, barrel and the gun sight. I imagine a real hunter getting ready for ‘work’. He dresses up. Checks the chamber  and safety lever of his dane gun and carefully selects his bullet. As he straps his sandals, he probably thinks of the wiles of the cunny, wild animals and how he will outwit them. He remembers past kills and near misses. He finally sets out

My office is situated on a 1000ha of land in South West Nigeria. There are rows of Bell Apple trees along a stretch of road called North Drive. All the Bell apple trees are indeed shaped like bells and are almost of same height. This is what I call ‘God’s indelible signature in nature.’ The trees flower and fruit about thrice in a year if I am not mistaken. It is usually a beauty to behold the luscious pinkish-red bell apples amidst fresh green leaves and brown twigs. I have never seen my colleagues stop to stone the fruits and it has never crossed my mind to do same even though severally I had wondered what would happen if I stopped to do so. Call it civility. Once on the ground, the apples have been half eaten and not good for anything.   Squirrels! Squirrels!! Squirrels!!! (By the way, I work in an Agricultural Research Institute just in case you were wondering J if it’s a zoo). The squirrels have access to the apples unchallenged high up on the trees. The good-for

     Nnamaka My father clocked 79 years last month. If I could describe him in few words – Dependable, Disciplined, Time-Conscious, Hardworking and Intelligent will readily come to mind. Growing up, he was my Atlas, Dictionary and Encyclopedia, all in one. I always beamed with pride unlocking Post Office box 4379 opposite the National Museum of Colonial History Aba, to pick up dad’s regular subscription of Time, National Geographic and Newsweek magazines. Those were my very first introduction to the world of ‘ oyibo* news’ and global science. I got accustomed to hearing Voice of America (VOA) news on the radio as early as 0430hrs in the morning. He told me endless stories of what happened during the civil war from 1967 – 1969 and he kept a nice drawing of our family tree to trace our family lineage. He bought my younger brother and I ‘water colour’ to draw and paint pictures which we displayed with pride even though looking back those paintings were without form and

“The way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.” Proverbs 30:19 During a football match, the forty-five minutes half time is usually a critical time for both teams and their coaches. The footballers who are the main actors need to hear what the coach who ‘acts’ from behind the scene has to say be it encouragement, instructions, admonishments. The writer of Proverbs said 4 things are too amazing to him. The way of the eagle and the way of the snake in their natural habitats speak of amazing skillfulness. Firstly, from their genes and secondly, from use. Both glide, but in different terrains. The former cannot glide on rocks and the latter certainly cannot glide in high altitudes. But one thing is obvious, they are good in their terrains. Talk about the way of a ship on the high seas. This is possible because there is a compass and a helm mounted by a helmsman. The compass ensures