By aNy mEaNs nEceSsaRy

In 2007 when I took a dive into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, I was certain within in a few years I would become extremely successful within. 

I thought I had the temperament and 'ballz' on lock. As time went on I began to evolve into social circles beyond my tax bracket without the necessary account balance to match such relationships or 'Lagos Friendships' as we call it. 

It soon began to dawn on me that while I aspired to building a successful business, I had unconsciously began to compare and hold myself to the standards of my fellow young millionaire friends who by all accounts were living the life. 

I soon realized I was doing myself a huge de-service as it became more apparent that with some of these guys things were never what they seemed. I may not be where I ought to be yet, but I am definitely not where I used to be and I thank God for that.

Thing is, before you begin to envy your peers and wish you were them, stop and consider for a minute if you can take the kind of risks they take. The Nigerian society is too perception driven and we all tend to draw inspiration from any semblance of success we can see. 

The next time you read about a young successful person like a Linda Ikeji, or a Daniel Kanu, don't just consider the naira or dollar signs or the flamboyant life styles they have come into, but also the risks they take on a daily basis and what they stand to lose if eventually their true leverage (which most successful people are never quick to reveal) become public knowledge. Things are never what they seem. I realize that some of us have suffered too much to see anything wrong in the 'by any means neccesary' approach to wealth creation, but please understand that I'll gotten wealth never lasts.

mArcH oN... ChAnGing yOuR LiFe isNt iMpossiBLe!

If you are reading this, you, like myself have put 2months in 2014 right behind you. But 2months into 2014 has your life changed? All those annual prophetic declarations, resolutions and goals...still haven't began to come alive yet??

Only a fool does the same things and expects better results. The challenge with some of us is: like the world we desire change, or at least an improvement in our situation but are a largely unwilling to make the necessary changes in our lives.

I am of the school of believe that 'Time' is the greatest asset any man has and with it you can create every other need. Rather than wait another 10months for magic, we could make conscious efforts to rewrite our stories. I would like to share a few pointers to help us evaluate changes we need to make to come into those resolutions:

1. Revisit/Review your goals for the year

2. Refocus and put pressure on the most viable of these goals.

3. Reevaluate your circle & network of people around you. Some people in your circle could just be anchors holding you down to your current position.

4. Sometimes shut doors need to be knocked on again or even kicked down for access. Nothing good comes easy.

5. Believe! not just in you but in your Maker. God will never be pro mediocrity.

6. Understand that if God gave you those ideas you can achieve them. Allow him help you figure out a way.

Have a beautiful March!!

~ @gozzim

Lessons from my Russian Billionaire Friend - I

Last night i met a Russian billionaire, and don't even ask me how...lol apparently after spending about 25mins with him i also became a billionaire.- don't believe me? then read on.. As i have learned true wealth is measured in time and not in currency as riches. that said when you picture the so called 'billionaires' in our beautiful country and take to heart that earlier definition we then come to the conclusion that there is a huge scarcity of wealthy men within our shores.

'In reality the amount of time a man can can consistently maintain his current standard of living if he stops earning, is a clear indication of how wealthy he is. The term wealth is therefore relative.'

According to my Russian billionaire friend, "being wealthy is indeed a state of the mind, it all starts in the mind. it is the very reason a wealthy man can afford to get into his Jaguar XJ or gulf stream jet in the morning without actual cash in his pocket, cause within him there is a subtle confidence that he can never get stranded. After taking years of calculated risks you soon get into the realization that the fastest way to make financial progress is to be untethered to material things. luxuries are mostly a means to an end, they provide comfort and were made for man's use and not the other way round."

these were words from my new friend shortly after we met, after he was introduced to me by a young Nigerian CEO, we kind of got into a discussion about Kasparov- on time world chess grand master, and then to Russian politics and finally I asked him why it is that Russia has too many young billionaires, this is what brought about the lesson i will be sharing in these series. For the next two days of his stay in Lagos, we had interactions that blew my mind. I will go into more details in my next post but be prepared to live dangerously.