I started my first business with #200 (Two Hundred Naira) because
these market women supported me. If you are conversant with Obafemi
Awolowo University, Central Market, you will probably know the two women
in this picture Iya Yemisi and Iya Quadri, the other man is the husband
of the old woman that I used to buy groundnut in bulk from, she could
not make my convocation but she asked her husband to represent her. They
are part of my success story as far as my graduation from OAU is
concerned.
I always share the story of how I started my first
business with #200 (a dozen of groundnut and a bag of purewater) in my
room in ETF Hostel in my year two because things was so difficult that
semester. I have no other alternative than to start something to sustain
myself because I was tired of borrowing money from friends to feed and I
don't want to keep pressuring them at home.
With determination
and hard work, staying awake in the night sometimes even though I have
7am class the following day I grew the business from #200 to #500,000
sales per month and #2,000,000 sales (#2million)
per semester. I employed at least six people as managers that I paid
their salaries and fed. I moved from being a beggar to someone feeding
others. I discovered during that period that we may never discover who God want us to be until we go through tough time.
But the whole story cannot be complete without appreciating these women
and many others who on many occasions sold crates of egg, tomatoes
paste, salt, groundnut, pepper and many other things for me on credit to
support me. Also my wonderful room mates especially Seun Adesida,
Adewunmi Tolulope, Monday Jacob, Isaac Chima and many others who
assisted me whenever I wasn't around.
I learnt a lot as the CEO
of that business, in fact I became most popular in ETF and Central
Market. It also helped me to emerge as Accounting Students President for
a whole session. My room was the most frequent room in the hall, we
have to run 18 hours per day. I was the seller of last resort especially
for those who have gone to read overnight.
My best moment in
OAU was with these old women in the market. Their distance smiles
anytime they see me coming is forever sticked to my memory. The
surprising thing is that they are muslims while I am christian. But
religion never brought any disagreement between us but instead we
cherished each other and shared a lot of things together even personal
issues. They took me like their son. We even ate together on many
occasions in the market.
Sometimes I always wish we can live
together in this country without turning our religion differences into a
basis for hatred. I believe our differences should bring us closer
because it is a strength rather than the weakness we see it as. Our
differences should harmonize us rather than tearing us apart. Progress
is easily achieved in an atmosphere of love and harmony.
My
friend, life may be tough for you now, but you can be tougher, you can
turn your difficulties to opportunities and make something worthwhile
out of your life.
As at today I am a CEO of my company today
"Seravision Brooks Business Solutions". Although we are still small, my
vision is to become like microsoft and provide employment for millions
of people all the world.
Even if you are from a rich home that
doesn't mean you shouldn't develop yourself, you can start a business or
learn something not because of money as your case may be but because it
will serve as a way of developing yourself. You will be able to learn a
lot of things that will be useful for you in future.
You don't
have excuse for not succeeding. I know your story may be so pathetic and
you see it as a reason good to accept failure. Let me tell you
something, greatness is in you already, but you have to work hard to
bring it out and I know you can. I wish you success in all your
endeavors and whatever may happen along the way, never, never, never,
never give up and don't forget to always appreciate people God used to
make you who you are. #support Sera Sandals Project with just #500 and impact a student life.
#IamVincentAdeoba: I-Lead, I-Inspire, I-Impact. Share To Inspire Someone.
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Am touched. Great writeup. God bless LT for posting this...
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