QUOTE OF THE DAY

We don't love people because they earn it, we love people because that's what we owe them. Love, truly is never put out by the gushes of hate. Love conquers all.
-KENNY BADMUS

FACEBOOK LOVE VS OFFLINE LOVE

So this is my story.

I met Atala on a message board in 2007. He was an anonymous commenter, just like I was. I was more open so most regular commenters knew I was from Asaba, and that I lived in Edinburgh. He was this aloof guy, very very private. I was impressed by his intelligence, and how helpful he generally was to the members of the board, old and new. With time, we began to exchange banters on the site, and I found out that he was also based in the UK. He was a volunteer on the site, and when I also joined the team, we got a chance to work together, and I was further bowled over.

I'm a firm believer in going for what I want and when I became single later that year, I reached out to him with a personal message to wish him Happy Christmas. He replied that he had recently moved to the US, and my heart sank. I didn't believe in long distance relationships, especially with someone I hadn't met first. So I tried to put him out of my mind and look out for other options.

I went to Nigeria for Easter, and organised a meet-up with fellow message board members. The pictures of the party were circulated on the forum, and a few days later, I got a message from Atala. He said he knew I would be deluged with admirers and just wanted to get in line. That was such a corny line, but it got me. Still, I took about a week or so to think about it. I liked him, but he still lived in the US while I was in the UK. Anyway, I told him to send in his application, and that started a witty introduction.


Our communication moved from the forum's private messages to emails, phone calls and web cam, and it was as if we'd known each other for ever. Our conversations lasted hours, and we would speak everyday, and still exchange emails. However, after three months of this, I mentioned that what we had wasn't serious as I hadn't met him. He pulled back then, and we decided it wouldn't work.

I missed him like hell, but had to get back to my life, what I called real life as opposed to online life. We stopped calling each other, and kept our distance on the board. However, just over a month later, I noticed that he seemed to want another chance. He sent a message and I told him to call if he wanted to. My phone begun to ring immediately. Honestly, my heart melted then.

We spoke for longer than we ever had that night, and he said he was willing, ready and able to give a relationship with me his all. I had never stopped caring for him, but I knew I couldn't do an LDR if we did not meet. He said he would do something about it. A week later, he sent me his itinerary for a flight he booked to visit me a month later. I was like OMG, I couldn't believe it was happening.

It almost didn't happen. About a couple of days to his visit, he said something that almost spoilt it all. It was an emotional night, and when we got over that, I knew for certain, he was THE ONE. Meeting him at the airport after that was so exciting, and emotional too. I was scared though, what if he didn't like me? What if we didn't hit it off? All my fears were unnecessary. He stayed with me for a week, and it was beautiful.

He visited two more times in the next three months, and by then, we were talking marriage. On the second visit, we picked out an engagement ring together, and I organised a party for him to meet some of my friends formally. I thought the proposal was going to be nothing special, I was expecting it after all. But he surprised me. He got down on one knee, and sang a beautiful song he'd composed specially for the occasion. Words cannot describe what I felt.

Atala often says he's not a romantic, and he's certainly not a textbook one. But who needs textbooks when you can write your own? We didn't want to share the private emails, or the song he proposed with, but he agreed to write this poem which captures how he felt then, and how he still feels now.

The rising sun after the darkest night,
The comforting hand after a fearful fright,
The healing force that stills a raging blight,
None of these compare to having you in my life.

A sparkling jewel set in a golden crown,
The dazzling smile that lifts a brooding frown,
The wings that bear aloft when one is plummeting down,
All these are but naught to having you in my life.

For a long time my world was seen in shades of grey,
Then you happened, and all my clouds were chased away;

So I'll pass up on wealth more than a sum I could name,
Keep stepping when tempted by the trappings of fame,
Don't care about playing the power and prestige game,
I'd forsake all of these for having you as my wife
So what do you think?

culled from Myne whitmanwrites.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY

I hate to hear people say Nigeria is rich, we are not rich, we have a lot of money but in few hands, when the simple and basic still eludes us as a people .Where is the richness in lack of education.employment, health,and the most basic of amenities ?
-FUNMI IYANDA- ACE BROADCASTER/ENTREPRENEUR

SUCCESS STORIES MADE IN NAIJA....4

AYO MAKUN-AWARD WINNING COMEDIAN/CEO CORPORATE WORLD ENTERTAINMENT



When you are in the presence of individuals who are passionate about what they are doing, you find yourself caught up in their intensity. They have an undeniable energy that fills a room. The fire ignited inside them catches on. And sparks fly. Passion, which we identify with exuberance ironically, comes from passio, which means from a depth of suffering. Our understanding of life’s joys and sorrows and an appreciation that between our births and our deaths we each have, if we take advantage of it, a chance to make a difference.

Ayo makun, famously known as A.Y is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s strongest comedy brands, who is passionate about his craft, setting the money spinning comedy industry literally on fire with his scintillating jokes and unique style of delivery. It all started in his university days, then as a student, A.y was just having fun packaging events on campus and exhibiting his God-given potentials. At one of the numerous events he organised on campus, he invited Ali Baba, his mentor and coach. Alibaba was stunned and impressed by the level of excellence of the event. After completing his university education, ayo decided to hook up with ali baba who had earlier encouraged him to stick to his area of competence. From then, he began to show him places, took him to events, and gave him an offer to become his personal assistant.

He said:’Alibaba inspired my entry into comedy, apart from being his P.A, I became his event manager. Based on the exposure he gave me, and his financial remuneration, I said to my self-A.Y you better start making people laugh. There and then I told Ali that I wanted to start doing comedy’. His claim to fame started out on the set of made in warri organised by R.M.D,Nite of a thousand laugh and basket mouth’s laff and jams. From then on, he’s been gaining momentum in his career and smiling to the bank.

A.y,s definition of success is not just about prosperity but also about posterity, and that was how open mic nite comedy challenge was birthed to discover new talents in the comedy industry.Aletile oluwa seyitan Lawrence, who emerged from A.y’s open mic nite comedy challenge, was recently awarded at the National youth council of Nigeria for his contributions to society through comedy. Open mic nite comedy challenge gave seyilaw’s talent a lift as he has become one of the fastest growing stand up comedians to court Nigeria’s entertainment circuit.A.y observed that his driving force is knowing the fact that if you are not useful to yourself, you cannot be useful to the society.



LESSONS LEARNT

Start early:A.y discovered his career path in his university days and was able to stick to it. In the words of fela durotoye:’Early to start, early to reign’.



Menthorship: Ayo was able to leverage on alibaba’s experiential knowledge.Ali brought out the comic personality in him. Sometimes in life, your success is tied to your ability to leverage on other people’s knowledge. It is not always about what you know, but who you know.



Give back: Through his open mic nite comedy challenge, he has discovered over ten comedians who are living their dreams and succeeding on their own terms.In life you will be remembered not for your duration on earth, but for your donation to humanity.

What is the gift God has given you that you are not expressing? Remember to step out in faith, knowing fully well that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Go and rule your world!

SUCCESS STORIES MADE IN NAIJA 3...FROM GALE TO GLORY

“I believe artistes that have been able to stand the test of time are the ones who recognized and apply their P’s-Power, Patience, and Persistence.

-OLUMIDE EDWARDS ADEGBOLU

A.K.A Olu Maintain

It all started with a dream. In her words:” The dream of wearing a crown started when I was growing up. I saw Bianca Onoh(one time Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria) on Television and fell in love with her “So it was not a surprise that dream materialized when she became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2000.In June 2000, she made it to the semi final of the Miss Universe and internet scores showed that she was actually favoured over Miss Puerto Rico who later emerged winner. She would have screamed that she was discriminated against, that the judges were biased because she isn’t white or brown .She could have returned to the university disillusioned to finish her studies. But she stayed the course with her sights firmly on ruling the world some day. On 16th November 2001 at sun city South Africa , Priyanka Chopra stepped down to hand her the Miss world crown 2001.Making history as the first African to wear the crown. Her name?Agbani darego.

The race of life is often filled with barricades, obstacles and hurdles which’s goal is to stop us and hinder the giant in us from rising and enjoying the sweet pills of success.Every one knows the blows of life are inevitable , if you are hoping to become a champion in life’s boxing ring. What really counts is rising up each time you are knocked down and saying to yourself:”I may be knocked down, but I cannot be knocked out”. So many individuals, in the process of avoiding life’s perilious times resolve to do nothing, try something , or even dare the unusual. In the process, they are stuck remaining on one spot in life, ignorantly not knowing they possess the capacity to soar above the terrible winds of adversity. In the words of Roberto Goizuueta:”The moment avoiding failure becomes your motivation; you are down the part of inactivity. You stumble only if you are moving.”

Look at the butterfly, who once upon a time in its life was a caterpillar. A tiny, little wriggly, ugly, creature with about a 100 legs. An earth bound creature that cannot go very far. But at a time it goes into a cocoon and emerges from the cocoon a butterfly. And you see, a butterfly is so beautiful you don’t want to kill it, so pretty its heaven bound. It can fly as high as it wants its no longer earthbound. We become transformed from not being able to reach for the stars to being able to live our dreams , when we embrace the life changing benefits of advversity.Stephanie Okereke, One of Nigeria’s leading actress experienced a turning point in her life while traveling to the 2005 AMAA award ceremony, a car collided with the one she was in. Stephanie crawled from the ensuing flames with third –degree burns , split bones and a “Fighting spirit’. Bedridden for months, she had to undergo two surgeries, miss a casting for a Roberto-Deniro movie and her career was on hold .Stephanie stood strong inspite of the life threatening accident. She made a full recovery in time to resume training at The New Film Academy Los Angeles, and the Gene Frankel studios, New York where she was schooled in acting for film.Today, she is waxing stronger and pursuing her passion with renewed strength and vigour.

From the moment he came on as a substitute at Japan 93 scoring, ran towards the coach with the gesture saying:”I told you I could do it”. It was clear that a new star had arrived.Kanu Nwankwo went on to score four more goals. The next year he was a skipper and pivotal to the Nigerian dream team gold medal triumph at the atlannta Olympics in U.S.A.Then came the dark experience , doctors confirmed kannu had a heart problem.One that will put an end to his playing career. Interestingly and surprisingly , Kanu fought back by using resilience and courage as chief weapons.He was operated on and yes! He has bounced back from the surgeons table to his rightful place- the field of play-dazzling as ever.The detour of the heart problem led to the birth of the Kanu Heart Foundation, by which a lot of lives have been saved.

When you were a tiny little child, you made your way around the world on your hands and knees crawling. Every one around you were walking and one day, it got into your head to give that a try. So little by little, you worked on developing the skills you needed to walk. You grabbed on to something above you and pulled yourself upright. Through it all, you stumbled, fell down again and again, until you stood up all by yourself.You eventually took your first couple of steps…..all alone all by yourself and (hopefully) to the cheers and applause of your family. You became a champion. Today, you can still re-create that childhood experience and stretch it into your puzzling difficulties. If you can do it then, you can make it happen now.You can move from gale to glory and share your own success story. Go and rule your world!

THE WORD FOR TODAY

SUCCESS STORIES MADE IN NAIJA 2..THE COBHAM ASUQUO STORY

COBHAMS ASUQUO-NIGERIA'S WONDER MUSIC PRODUCER/CEO COBHAMS ASUQUO MUSIC PRODUCTION(C.A.M.P)



When the producers of the first apprentice – a reality television show about competing for an apprenticeship with Donald trump began constructing a story , they wanted to know which applicant will have what it takes to stand out in a crowd. As the first season unfolded, the person with the higher level of education was the first to be fired, and the least educated of the bunch, made it to the final five. In this case art imitated life and reality TV reflected some real facts about good leadership..One of the traits that made the least qualified candidate made it to the final stage is optimism. According to Orison swett marden:’The man who would succeed must think success, must think upward, , must think progressively, constructively, inventively and above all optimistically.’ Optimism is a sure fire weapon for conquering the humongous odds of life.Cobhams Asuquo is one personality who epitomizes this trait.Inspite of being visually impaired he is one personality who has been able to turn his difficulty into opportunities. Great men are adversity converters, they don’t make mountains out of molehills, but stepping stones out of mountains. The success of great men can be traced to their stories. Here are key success principles we can adopt from Cobhams Asuquo’s grass to grace story and apply it to our lives:



-THE GOD FACTOR: One quality I find fascinating about Cobhams is his deep love for God. For all that he has achieved the producer who once aspired to become a lawyer, will never agree to any personal accomplishment neither will he seize any occasion to drum up praise to himself. Instead, he is always grateful to God. He said: .’I am just grateful. I recognize the fact that I am part of the process. You might do a good beat for a good artiste, and you might still not sell, I think I have been fortunate I don’t take it for granted. The confidence that I have is that the work of my hands have been blessed’. At times we run ,the race of life without consulting God, the one who created the race called life.G.O.D is an acronym for General Over Destinies. Make him the general of your destiny.



-START EARLY: Cobhams usually likes to say his music career started when as a child, he used to puff his cheeks to play the 12 bar blues. He produced his first officially released album for a gospel artiste –Paul Natasha at the age of 16 but never made it to main stream audiences. The lesson here is to start pursuing your career path immediately you’ve discovered it. If God wanted you to pursue your career path when you are old, he shouldn’t have deposited the ability or talent in you at creation. He should have deposited the gift into you at an old age. Sit down and determine what your talent is. Start tinkering with it, start milking and harnessing it. You will be amazed where it will take you. I became a columnist at the age of 19 and got my first pay cheque as a motivational speaker at the age of 21.So you are never too young to start.



-SELF AWARENESS: As much as he so wished to become a legal luminary, he recognized the system is not wired to give knowledge but wired to make students read and sail through. He therefore abandoned his law degree at University of Lagos in 2004’.I just don’t want to cram and pass, self awareness means a lot to me than just cramming and passing’. I decided to opt for something more realistic which was music’ he said. In our world today, many individuals are afraid of following their heart because of the ‘Unknown’.Its imperative to define and refine the skills that are in harmony with your key result areas in life.



-GAIN MASTERY: Cobhams nurtured his love for music by immersing himself in various sounds while growing up. His style comprises a wild spectrum of sounds based on his careful understudy of such classical, jazz , traditional music greats.You only rise to become a master in your trade when you embrace mastery. The word mastery evolved from medieval French meaning someone who is exceptionally proficient and skilled. You, ve got to constantly sharpen your skills to be on the cutting edge.You are a product competing for shelf space in life’s super market, people will only buy into you when you demonstrate mastery. When you demonstrate mastery in your craft you. Can’t but get a bank draft.Cobhams mastery as a hit maker as seen him rise to the top of his game. He was signed on Sony ATV as a songwriter and as garnered several awards like the Nigeria Music Awards 2007 (Producer of the decade,)Hip-Hop World Awards 2008(Producer of the year) and others.





Conclusion:Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by individuals who were not smart enough to know they were impossible.Dare to bounce back each time you fall. The true test of resilience is what you do each time the door is slammed in your face. Never ever give up, There is light at the end of the tunnel.I will read your success story. Go and rule your world.

MEET THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITIES OF 2011.

TIME 2011 100Meet the most influential people in the world. They are artists and activists, reformers and researchers, heads of state and captains of industry. Their ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution. Welcome to this year's TIME 100
Full List
TIME 100

Wael Ghonim
Joseph Stiglitz
Reed Hastings
Amy Poehler
Geoffrey Canada
Mark Zuckerberg
Peter Vesterbacka
Angela Merkel
Julian Assange
Ron Bruder
Lamido Sanusi
Colin Firth
Amy Chua
Joe Biden
Jennifer Egan
Kim Clijsters
Ahmed Shuja Pasha
Aung San Suu Kyi
Cory Booker
Gabrielle Giffords
Katsunobu Sakurai
Michelle Obama
Paul Ryan
Ai Weiwei
Rob Bell
Fathi Terbil
Dilma Rousseff
Tom Ford
Liang Guanglie
Sue Savage-Rumbaugh
Takeshi Kanno
Nicolas Sarkozy
Michele Bachmann
Saad Mohseni
Chris Christie
Matthew Weiner
Lisa Jackson
Jean-Claude Trichet
Justin Bieber
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Joe Scarborough
Blake Lively
Hillary Clinton
Muqtada al-Sadr
Anwar al-Awlaki
Kim Jong Un
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
Hassan Nasrallah
Nathan Wolfe
Oprah Winfrey
Sergio Marchionne
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Felisa Wolfe-Simon
Esther Duflo
Rain
Larry Page
Mia Wasikowska
David Cameron
John Lasseter
Maria Bashir
Mukesh Ambani
Chris Colfer
Major General Margaret Woodward
Bruno Mars
David and Charles Koch
Hung Huang
General David Petraeus
Matt Damon and Gary White
Cecile Richards
George R.R. Martin
Marine Le Pen
Grant Achatz
Feisal Abdul Rauf
El Général
Jamie Dimon
Heidi Murkoff
Sting
Jonathan Franzen
V.S. Ramachandran
Michelle Rhee
Mark Wahlberg
Rebecca Eaton
Xi Jinping
Kathy Giusti
Arianna Huffington
Barack Obama
Lionel Messi
Azim Premji
Aruna Roy
Ray Chambers
Scott Rudin
John Boehner
Derrick Rossi
Hu Shuli
Benjamin Netanyahu
Ayman Mohyeldin
Charles Chao
Bineta Diop
Dharma Master Cheng Yen
Patti Smith

SOURCE:TIME MAGAZINE

THE NIGERIA FOOD INDUSTRY AWARDS..VOTE AND WIN

THE COMPETITION

Visit www.nfiawards.com and experience the 3-steps to winning

1. Click on the like button to like NFIAwards on facebook

2. Vote for your Best brands in all categories

3. vote and put a comment in the facebook comment bar below (bottom of the same page where you voted) or on the NFIAwards facebook fan page...mentioning me as your reference (e.g KEHINDE AJOSE asked me to vote and I did)


THEN you stand a chance of winning any of our fantastic prizes and treats which include:

1. mobile gadgets e.g Blackberry and Android smartphones, Ipads etc.

2. dinner with a Celebrities

3. all expense paid trip to Abuja for the Nigeria food Industry Awards

4. party tickets to Quest’ Ville

5. lots of food vouchers and recharge cards

6. many more wonderful prizes



HOW WE SELECT WINNERS

If up to 50 people mention your name on our facebook comment box in one week, you win the prize attached to the competition for that week instantly.

NB: remember to always check for the prizes to be won every week on our facebook page - www.facebook.com/nfiawards



GRAND PRIZE

If 500 people mention you as a reference on our facebook comment box in a month, you win the GRAND prize automatically



Vote now...Terms and conditions apply

SUCCESS STORY MADE IN NAIJA SERIES 1..THE BELLA NAIJA STORY

THE BELLA NAIJA STORY
In a country where there’s a frightening level of unemployment and underemployment, the success of BellaNaija, its growth from an idea to a profitable business, is a testimony to the power of possibilities; an inspiration to millions of Nigerian youths who are hoping to make the best out of the chaotic Nigerian system.

Founder Uche Eze is a driven young woman who identified a vacuum and couldn’t rest until she filled it. The fashion industry in Nigeria held a lot of promise. Nigerian designers and models were doing well all over the world. But conventional media, just like the government, was still struggling to identify the beauty hiding behind the queer mask. Just like the entertainment beat, fashion received only a few pages every Saturday and Sunday – not enough space, or resources to capture and fuel the impending growth.

To make matters worse, as at when BellaNaija came on board, most of these fashion columns had no presence on their respective newspapers’ websites.

The soft-sell journals, fond of dedicating generous space to fashion and lifestyle also had zero presence online.

And BellaNaija entered that space and made it hers.



The site’s writers and editors display excellent understanding of fashion matters and they’ve been able to cultivate a community of readers who understand what time it is, when the topic is fashion. The site’s event section, as well as music and prose segments are also impressive, even though its major strength remains fashion news, opinion, prose, features and red carpet coverage.

Alexa says most visitors to the site today, are women who are based outside Nigeria. And in five years, the site has grown to become one of the top 100 sites in Nigeria. (No 52 as at the time of writing).

It’s interesting that, for a team of young people with little journalism experience, the site parades almost hundred percent error free content. And running on the internet where most platforms are wont to break the rules and act with abandon, BN remains decent, positive and very professional – generating over 90 percent of the content it puts up.

But, just like every other blog, they continue to be under heavy criticism for what would seem a suspicious romance with the subjects the site covers – BN continues to insist that running ‘sponsored content’ is one of the ways to ensure revenue, in a system where most big spenders are yet to fully appreciate the reach of online media. The site has not for one minute pretended to be a news website and its editors constantly shy away from ‘negative news or damaging gossip’.

That the owners have been able to turn the platform into a viable brand; a household name and a force to reckon with within the Nigerian media landscape, is a feat worthy of acknowledgment and celebration. And we must note that they’ve done this entirely as a privately-funded internet company working in a country without access to fast, reliable internet or electricity.

Uche Eze and her team have been sharing the story of BellaNaija with us. It’s important we listen – apparently there’s a lot to learn from this start-up that’s making waves home and abroad…

culled from the Nigeria Entertainment Today's editorial tagged :BELLANAIJA AT 5

M.O.V.E WITH KENNY: WRITING AND PUBLISHING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL NETWOR...

M.O.V.E WITH KENNY: WRITING AND PUBLISHING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL NETWOR...: it was August 2009, and I had decided to start writing full time a few months earlier. I had joined a writing group and somebody suggeste...

WRITING AND PUBLISHING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL NETWORK-BY MYNE WHITMAN

it was August 2009, and I had decided to start writing full time a few months earlier. I had joined a writing group and somebody suggested blogging too. Since then, my blog has proved indispensable. I had started first by sharing my work-in-progress and as feedback poured in, I was encouraged and inspired to continue. Honestly I love being read and that is the opportunity I appreciate most of all from blogging. I also want to get better and blogging is the perfect way to sample a wide variety of opinion. Not all criticism is constructive of course and it helps that I can discuss these comments with my writing group. I have also taken part in several writers’ blogfests, which are useful not only because of the writing involved but the critique from fellow writer-bloggers. This way I’ve received professional feedback on my writing exercises, scenes from my WIP, and short story drafts.

In addition to my writing group and blogging, I polished my writing craft and style through freely available online writing courses. The critique from my writing group showed that they were taking effect on my work. Soon, I wrote ‘The End’ to my WIP, which had grown from a novella to a complete manuscript, and I began to shop for publishers. I queried traditional publishers in the United States but their replies showed that they preferred a story set in the US which was their major market or if it had to be African, then literary fiction. I really wanted to tell a contemporary Nigerian story which Nigerians would love to read something simple and easy to read. So I looked to Nigeria but there were not that many publishers and the few I discovered appeared resource constrained.

So I began to study alternative means of publishing. I researched Lulu – whom I actually used for an initial eBook – Authorhouse, and other so-called Vanity Presses. I kept an open mind as I read the testimonials of those who had used them in the recent past. I found that most of the successful ones were full-time writers and they’d had a prior audience before self publishing. As both of these factors described me too, I saw that this avenue was worth a try. Others factors I considered included the fact that the publishing world has begun to come to terms with the internet age and Print-on-Demand (POD) was becoming a valid choice of getting a book to an audience. The new technology and the advent of eBooks and e-readers like kindles, Nooks , etc. meant that the cost of producing books were no longer too exorbitant for an individual.

My decision was made when I considered who I wanted to be my audience. Most of my blog followers had been reading A Heart to Mend as excerpts on my blog and I wanted to give them a chance to read the whole story. I also found out that most publishers would not accept a manuscript that had been published online and so my traditional publishing choices were limited. Also, I knew that this story was just a first outing and there were several more stories to come. So I said to myself; “traditional publishers could come later if necessary, self-publishing it is!” My earlier research had shown that I needed a way to take some of the burden off and I chose AuthorHouse because they assign an author a production team. I also liked that they had access to the major retailers in America, Europe and the UK and a lot of author resources to guide one through the stages of marketing and publicity.





The main advantage of self-publishing for me is that as the author, I have full control over the content, design, and marketing of my book. I also decide when it goes to press and I retain all the publication and subsidiary rights. I was thus free to penetrate a niche market like Nigeria, which a commercial publisher outside of Nigeria would have ignored. (I know of several books by Nigerians, set and written in Nigeria but published in the UK or USA, which are yet to be distributed in Nigeria). I also believe that my book had a greater chance of success because I was very committed to promoting it, more than say, a publisher who has hundreds of other titles. In terms of sales, A Heart to Mend has been doing relatively well and I get most of the net revenue. I want to point out that apart from the commercial success, there’s also that deep satisfaction of knowing your creative work is out there making and contributing to conversation. A Heart to Mend was published in December 2009 and I am always amazed by the number of people who have read the book from all around the world.

On the flip side, self-publishing is expensive and requires a capital outlay to begin with rather than an advance you may receive from a traditional publisher. Even when my book came out, I had to invest further time and money in the publicity and marketing. If I had been published traditionally, I could’ve left all that to the agents and publishers and gone back to my next project. Not so with self-publishing, I had to put in a lot of effort and energy to get A Heart to Mend buzzing. A hurdle to be aware of is that a lot of media organizations still do not review, distribute or feature self-published books.

You can understand why I will always be grateful for the vehicle the internet provides to a writer and published author like me to get my book out there. Setting up an active blog and publishing my book has served a double purpose for me; finding out the target audience for my kind of writing and building a platform too. If not for the social networking channels, A Heart to Mend would never have gone viral the way it did. It was through the support of bloggers that I did my first blog tour for A Heart to Mend with the attendant publicity. By the end of that blog tour, I was getting requests for interviews and features almost daily. I put up chapter one of the book on a free reading website and it became a massive hit. It remained in the top 10 for three consecutive months!

The beauty of the internet was that I could remain in my work room with just my laptop and a connection, and meet up with these dozens of interviews. As time went on, I continued networking with other writers and self-published authors and I as I shared what I had learnt, I picked up some good nuggets from them too. I set up a twitter page and opened up my facebook profile for use with my pen name. As I became more adept at using the word-of-mouth tools on those two sites, the visibility of A Heart to Mend quadrupled. I learnt how to interconnect these media, how to set up scheduled tweets or how to update Facebook via RSS feeds, etc.

The challenge of using social networking is that of distraction. For me personally, Facebook has proved the most addictive. I find that sometimes while updating my pages, I may stray into something else entirely and so on, thereby wasting precious amounts of time that could have been put to better use. There was a day I took a break from writing and as usual, the first point of call was Facebook. The site was down, and I kept refreshing it for almost five minutes before it dawned what I was doing. I laughed at myself, left a message on Twitter about my addiction and went to check some other things. I had to really think that day but it is what it is. Apart from work, Facebook is also the only place I can keep in contact with all my family and most of my friends.

Finally, I think the reason social networking worked so well for me as a writer and publisher is because I am a social person. During the times I am not writing, I enjoy the company of other like-minded people and being able to use the internet and social networking to connect to more and more people in my writing life is a thing of learning and also of pleasure. At the end of the day, I have to find a way to balance the two by making sure that my internet use is mostly purposeful and in a way that is linked to my writing and also setting out a specific time for my writing itself without any distractions. That way, I still get a lot of writing done while remaining in the social circles.

________________

An edition of this article was published in the Saraba Magazine, Issue 7 - Technology
CULLED FROM MYNEWHITMANWRITES.COM

TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY WITH STEVE HARRIS

Hi there,



I decided to wait till Thursday to share my thoughts on Thursday (30-40years old).



Figured it'd be more apt.



Many of us reading now are perhaps in our early Thursday morning (30-33), some may be in Thursday afternoon (35-37) while others of us are approaching the evening of Thursday (38-40).



In my estimation, Thursday is the SEASON OF MASTERY!





In this season, you're expected to be a MASTER of your chosen field and craft. Here, you are at the peak of your creative and physical prowess.



Here, you must begin to make sound family&financial decisions in the season of your prosperity so that you have NO NEED to work on Saturday and Sunday!



Let me say this again.



You have NO BUSINESS working in the weekend of your life!



I believe that there's a new disease out there...poverty.



But don't get it twisted. It's not the same poverty you're used to.



Poverty isn't the beggar on the roadside, nor is it the kid that forcibly washes your windshield in traffic.



Poverty has evolved!



It wears a suit, drives a nice car, lives in a nice part of town, looks successful; but IS BROKE!



Could that be you?



I've met so many poor people who've made so many terrible financial decisions; earning so much, but living with so much debt.





Earning a paycheck, but truly living poor. It's sad.



The most important resource to master on Thursday are your TIME & MONEY!



Your income or salary is a reflection of the value your organization places on your life.



Do me a favour. Write down your monthly salary. Divide it by 22days (average work days in a month), then by 15hours(average work hours), then by 60mins, then by 60secs.



How much are you worth per second? That's the value of your time/life.



You better make it count!

The clock's ticking. Friday cometh!



Make NO EXCUSES!



Your Life Strategist

SteveHARRIS



@iamsteveharris

THE MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING SCAM-ADEOLU AKINYEMI

"Yes! At last someone is talking about this", some people are bound to say. I have no doubts as well that this might offend some people - usually the people prospering from this scam and the people who are planning to go into it! I have no apologies for my point of view, if you read with an open conscience and do your due research, you will find out that what I'm communicating here is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.



Two interesting discoveries struck me today! I decided to spend some time listening to a personal development audio this morning ahead of going to work. Sometimes we don't know why we do what we do, but we have confidence that there is always a higher power at work, working in us to will and to do according to divine pleasure. This morning was no exception. For the first time, I decided to pay attention to the biography of Brian Tracy, what I heard created loads of questions in my mind, that today was going to be spent answering... little did I know!



Brian Tracy is a motivational speaker, no doubt, he's authored books, audios, trained and spoken in over 500 companies and speaks really well. What I did not know till today, was that Brian wasn't just a speaker, he had grown from rags to riches, not speaking, but doing all sorts of funny menial jobs and businesses. He is not talking about what he knows nothing about, his work experience and profile, from washing dishes, to digging ditches, stacking lumber working on farms, to working menial jobs in manufacturing, construction, factories even in a ship and finally in SALES from which he moved to Business Management! 20yrs after this experience he has built, managed or turned around 22 businesses. When he speaks, he's not scamming anybody, he knows what he's talking about.



To my utter surprise, I got into my office this morning and met a motivational speaker in my office. He lamented bitterly about how he felt that what many of them in the industry were doing was a scam. He opined that while he had all the certifications in the world, they were not really producing results. He was following his mentors and he has people following him, and he knows that it's all just a game of deceit. After all, even Jesus was recorded to have done and taught! The reality is there are many motivational speakers and motivational speakers wannabe out there, that can't point at anything they have done. Please tell me what are they really teaching people?



To almost crown it all up, I got into my car after 8pm to go home, and had the urge to listen to a DVD a friend shared with me earlier today. To my utter shock and disbelief, the first 5 mins of the audio were used to read the profile of the speaker. The summary of the profile was, he's authored and sold over 50 million copies of his books, but he's built and led over 60 businesses into worldwide growth. Again it struck me, this guy is not just speaking, he's done, and therefore earned the right to speak. Even though I eventually researched the man and could fault his speech, he still had a lot ahead of many motivational speakers or wannabes in this side of the divide. He had good and bad experience. He had a track record of sufficient experience to share with others.



Out of curiosity before I decided to lay down for the night, I decided to do a little research on one of America's premier and most influential motivational speakers and authors- Jim Rohn( 1930–2009 ), an American motivational speaker and writer whose work helped launch or further the career of many others in the personal development industry, including Anthony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, and Jack Canfield. Jim Rohn was also mentored by Mr. Shoaff who also had direct influence on the early lives of Zig Ziglar and Mary Kay Ash. At the age of 25, Rohn heard a "laws of success" lecture given by Shoaff and went to work for him. I did a little research on Jim Rohn and what I discovered amazed me. Jim Rohn was broke and struggling through life, until he met with John Earl Shoaff, who decided to mentor him and introduce him to a Network Marketing Company - AbundaVita. At the age of 25, Jim Rohn began to apply the laws of success into his business and made his first million dollars 6yrs later at the age of 31! It was only after Jim had become an authority in selling that he ventured 2yrs later into responding to a request to speak, and began to speak. He shared with people what he believed were the philosophies and principles that made him successful. He didn't speak his way to wealth.



I went further to check out great authors and highly priced speakers like Robert Kiyosaki and also discovered that the bedrock of their proclamations is the backing of quality sales experience that the first succeeded in before they began to speak. Kiyosaki learnt selling in Xerox, but opines that the best place to get this skill is by getting on board a Network Marketing company with a good development system. When you see someone who speaks for a living and not much he has done with his life before then, I can guarantee you one thing - All you are likely to get from the program is excitement. It will not translate into anything in your life, because you can't give what you don't have. You can talk about what you have not experienced, and fake the good successful life, but you cannot transfer what you don't own! It's really a case of "teacher, don't teach me nonsense!". Or how do you reckon that a man who teaches financial freedom does not really know what it truly means in an experiential way? How do you learn leadership from someone whose only real contact with leadership is questionable at best, minimal at most. How do you learn effectiveness from someone who is in the real sense far from effective? How do you learn life skills from someone who didn't use any of it? How sustainable is the model of your teacher? Can you be like him? How?



I reiterate, that teaching what you have not learnt is a scam! I encourage you to challenge your speakers to share their experiences with you, what rights have they got to lead you? What do they want you to do to become as wealthy or wealthier than them? They can't ask you to wait all your life for their kind of lucky break, what have they done with their hands? It's important that we begin to ask these questions, or we may indeed be forced to fake it and not eventually make it. Every time I see a young man or woman that says what he wants to become is a public speaker, I feel for him. If he really wants to be a public speaker, he must first learn to be a private worker! The only thing revealed over time in the public, is the result of secret and hidden toils and travails. Our public speakers should stop deceiving our youth and start a company or become a part of one! Let them have track records littered with failure, and possibly garnished with success, let them make moves and make waves. Let them apply their skills, and prove them before serving them to unsuspecting people.



In my next article, I will share with you my further amazing discoveries about some of the most prolific and affluent public speakers in America and their views about an emerging industry. I might even analyze a few speakers to check out their foundation. Till then, don't learn nonsense!

MAKE THIS DECEMBER ONE TO REMEMBER...ATTEND

NO EXCUSES! Conference Date: Saturday, December 10th, 2011

Venue: Grand Villa Hotel, Shonibare Estate, Maryland, Ikeja

Speakers: Steve Harris, Victor Sanchez Aghahowa (Rapper, Writer: Bachelors, Letters To A Stranger, Writer & Director: Tinsel), Omalicha (On Air Personality, Rhythm 93.7)

Book your seats now: pay N1000 into Zenith Bank, EdgeEcution Global Resources 1012627261 or struggle to pay at the venue.

Be there! This is one not to miss.

THE 'ASSISTANT BOYFRIEND' SYNDROME

I read this piece over Myne Whitman's blog, but it sure resonates with what so many guys and ....even ladies alike go through.Have a great read
Sympathy love or not?

This is a situation that has always intrigued me especially since I have found myself in that scenario a couple of times. You meet a guy and you are friends for a while, and then you notice that he wants to be more than "just friends". This is the typical nice guy, he won't rush to jump your bones, or to define a romantic relationship. He only showers you with attention and affection. You name and he will do it, or has already done it. What will he not do? When I was in Uni, a guy said he would do anything.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Yes," he said.


I told him to lay down flat before me. Don't judge me, it was youthful exuberance and fresh memories of reading Estella in Dicken's Great Expectations. But guess what? The guy did. Let me not lie, it was very heady and sexy. At the end of the day, I still turned him away cos he was in first year and I was in second. There were a couple more times it happened. A very handsome guy, but not as smart as I wanted. One that was very caring and helpful, but not of the economic level I'd been brought up to expect.

We all have our lists, and I'm a big supporter of knowing what you want and sticking to it. But there are people who will love you so much and show it so well that you become confused. Maybe they even match half of what you're looking for. What do you do, throw out your non-negotiable and love them back?Feel free to comment

REVISITING THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

REVISITING THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

The buzz usually starts immediately they finish writing their final examinations paper,even during the examination , you could visibly see the anticipation on their faces.They are the graduating students , ready to take on their world.Chants of ‘Congratulations ‘ usually rents the air , followed by a full dose of laugther and excitement. This is usually the mood when final year students of universities write their final examination to round off their study.

The traditional design of school goes like this-get good grades, graduate with a degree, and boom!you are now in the career you’ve always wanted. But often times the fresh graduates realize too late that life is not divided in semesters,and the world out there is a university(a learning ground) on its own.
Oyeyinka Giwanson , a graduating student of Lagos State University, department of English studies, describes her university experience: ‘The university experience has taught me patience, tolerance and determination. Sometimes, i get discouraged and i feel like giving up, but the hope for a better future keeps me motivated’. In her words:’ It is beautiful passing through school, though its not a compulsory phase to pass through but it is necessary.I have been inspired by my lecturers and my friends alike. When asked about her post university plans, she passionately says:’I have plans to go to a French school and enrol in a photography academy, since I have a flair for the media ‘she noted.

‘Life is a stage and everyone a cast in the play ‘says Agbolade Omowole a 500level student of Ambrose Alli university, Ekpoma.In his words:’ My five years university experience has been challenging .I learnt how to cope with the struggles of life on campus ‘On his perspective about life after school, he makes a potent point: ‘To cope in the real world you need God, you need to use your brain, and other people’s time and resources.

For Funmi Gaji , a graduating student of Lagos State University, English department, the university experience is full of lessons to be learnt. ‘I have learnt to make hay while the sun shines.I learnt to be prepared always –You don’t wait till exam is a week away before you start reading.I learnt to work under pressure. These are lessons i believe can be applied to life.I learnt to fully maximize time for maximal result’ she said
Sikiru lamidi , also a graduating student of Lagos State university, English department believes the university experience is a clear case of different strokes for different folks.’ While so many have been carried away by the glitz and glamour , a selected few have always seen it as a challenge,an avenue where the wheels of a bright future is set in motion. The university experience has opened my eyes to things I have been happily ignorant about, made me a better person as i now understand that in actuality, my destiny is in my hands.I have been equipped with the theoretical knowledge needed to confront the world, now i realize that every man has a choice-to break even in life, or to remain tied to penury for life.’he expresses

According to Bill Gates:’Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.'

MADE IN NAIJA..... POWERED BY THE YOUNG

MADE IN NAIJA.....POWERED BY THE YOUNG
.....Books you need to read before 2011 runs out

Books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress the truth-Wole Soyinka

The game is changing now....the mantra that reads: ‘If you want to hide anything from a black man put it in a book, because they don’t read’. A crop of young Nigerians are using the written word to build lives and shape destinies.Here they are incisive and inspiring books you must read before 2011 draws the curtain on us
1.FROM COLLEGE DROP OUT TO CORPORATE SELL OUT by Steve Harris
In the brilliantly crafted foreword written by Tonye P.Cole, he says:’This book is an advice for everyone , anecdotes for parents with children in crisis,for siblings managing success and failures of each other, for entrepreneurs who look beyond the surface and take risks on people no one else would touch, for the downtrodden who can still find hope, for the backslider who overcomes his shame and runs back to God’.The book offers the reader a peek into how he rose from adversity and converted his clays into diamonds.Its a collector’s item.

2.MR FANTASTIC by Fela Durotoye
Many marriages have crashed after successful weddings.
This is because the wedding is not the marriage. The best that anybody can do for you is to come to your wedding but it is your responsibility to deal with your marriage.

You are better off not getting married than getting divorced.
The purpose of this book (Mr Fantastic) is to ensure that fewer marriages are dissolved because the link between strong marriages and strong nations is so critical. For me, this book is an important tool in ensuring that fewer marriages break up because the family unit is the smallest unit in a nation. This book is a must read to have a fantastic marriage.

3.TOMORROW DIED YESTERDAY by Chimeka Garricks
This is not just another ‘Niger Deltan story, it is one with heart and depth; palpable warmth and an intricate plot. Doye Koko popularly called ‘Doughboy’, Kaniye Rufus, Amaibi Akassa and Tubo are four fast friends bound together by history and circumstances. Fate has been unkind to all four friends and in turn has altered their lives in a most unexpected way.

1997 was the year everything changed in Asiama, the native town of all four men. An oil spill occurs with a heavy lawsuit following. The affected Asiama citizens get lucky and are compensated adequately but this is short-lived as ‘the powers that be’ ensure that none of these natives enjoy the fruits of the successful lawsuit.
Doye popularly known as “doughboy” becomes a terror to the oil companies, a demi-god to his kinsmen and an icon of some sort to everyone. He has become a Militant. In turn his actions put one of his best friends, Amaibi in danger.

A myriad of twists and turns bring all four friends together. Through betrayal, greed, deceit and neglect, the seams of their friendship is frayed but with the elasticity of love, understanding and a common history, the four friends overcome their personal demons and stick together the best way they know how.Its a great work well crafted and highly recommended.

4.THE SON OF YOUR FATHER’S CONCUBINE by Seun Salami
. It is a collection of eight short stories dealing with subjects like rape, faith, the search for identity/adventure, etc but they are all tragedies.Its a book worth reading as it provides learning points and centres around issues that affects humanity..

5.ENGAGED TO A JOB I HATE by Bankole Williams
The book was borne out of the author’s experience in two different work environments. One where he consistently heard people complain about their jobs and another where the staff were extremely passionate about their jobs and the impact it had on the lives of people. The biggest question he had always wanted to find answers to is, “why humans (people) act the way they do?” The quest for answers, particularly in the workplace led to further questions such as “why do people commit their lives to jobs that they detest?” and “Is there really any solution to this state of employee apathy?” This book was borne out of a desire to find and proffer lasting solutions to these pertinent issue

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested."

—Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

Join the book revolution today....these books will sure give your life a lift.

T-WIZZLE.....AS SWEET AS SUGARCANE

T-wizzle,a.k.a Sugarcane-man,real names,Nnaemeka Israel Nwabueze,
born april 12,has been prominent on the music scene for over a decade till date.
He was first heard in september 2008 when he dropped the single "crazy",
and a follow up single "sugarcaneman" in 2009,which enjoyed massive rotation on radio stations nationwide. T-wizzle's motivation has been driven by his passion for good music. A christian by birth, he hails from Anambra state of Nigeria.
T-wizzle's music is inspired by legendary acts like Eidris Abdulkareem,
2face Idibia and american rapper 50 cent. his undying talent has gained him plenty of collaborations with a major one coming from "Knight house"
on thier street scriptures album which also features top acts like Wizkid,Eva and Mo'cheedah. T-wizzle has also performed in high profile events/concerts,i.e "Nigerian music video awards(NMVA),Rythm unplugged,2face Idibia's- Unstoppable superman show,Dj zeez's-live in oshogbo concert and Skuki's Hip-hop awards-celebration party".
He is also a songwriter and music producer,co-founder and signed artiste under PLAT2UNES world records.

T-wizzle is currently promoting two singles,"Blowing me away & Dirty eyes" from his debut album
slated to drop by early next year. These records are sure gonna blow you esteem fans away.

For More Enquiries, Please Contact
OloriSupergal
+2347060907388

SHOW ME THE MONEY

SHOW ME THE MONEY
5 SUREFIRE WAYS TO LOCATING YOUR MONEY

Its not enough to desire a change in your financial status without knowing how to locate your financial bliss. The mystery behind money can be unravelled and an individual can be untied from financial slavery only when one wakes up to the reality that financial freedom doesn’t just answer to desire, it answers to knowledge.Life;s journey is meant to be enjoyed and not to be endured, therefore an ample dose of money can help you live the life of your dreams. So let us get started on the journey to locating where money lies and how to maximize it for maximum achievement.

1.PASSION
There is a connection between what you are passionate about and your money. The highest paid individuals in the world all engage in a love affair with their profession. Its something they love doing and still get paid doing it. According to Fela Durotoye:’God’s greatest joy is for you to earn a fee doing what you love to do for free’. Its not a fairy tale, its a reality that several young Nigerians are living. Years back Kelechi Amadi Obi a trained lawyer opted for his passion for photography,and today he is a sought after expert making mega bucks from his passion.So what are you passionate about?Your area of passion is a pointer to where your money lies

2.PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
It is no longer news that you can create a product from your passion and become the new definition of a mogul.The Chicken soup for the soul brand powered by Jack canfield and Mark Victor Hansen was an idea years back ,but has been turned into a book comprising of other series affiliated to it and has turned them into reference points .Ayo Makun, one of Nigeria’s sought after humorists created the A.Y live brand,Funke Akindele created the ‘Bigz girl Jenifa’ brand,Dbanj created the ‘Koko brand ,what product are you going to create from your passion? A product is a cash cow with the capacity to make you rich for the rest of your life. Creating a product line from your passion is the key to getting to the frontline in your career.

3.PEOPLE
Let me quickly state here that uncovering the hidden potentials and fostering a positive relationship with others is not only tied to what you can get in terms of financial reward, its a direct result of what you can give in terms of value. It is also important to note that the starting point of building strong and productive relationships with others is when you genuinely care about others. If you desire to be a money magnet, then you have to cultivate strong networks with others. People are your customers, people are your clients, people constitute your fanbase,people make up your readership e.t.c.No one succeeds financially without focusing their lens on meeting the needs of the people.

4.PROBLEM SOLVING
Your financial bliss is in direct proportion to the amount of solutions you proffer to the problem you are configured, calibrated, and wired to solve. Every profession is a solution to a problem, and your earning power in life is tied to your problem solving power. You can’t possibly solve every problem in the world, but there is a problem you are incredibly endowed to solve. Our country is the way it is because the problem solvers have not risen to the field of play to take their place. What ever infuriates you and angers you is only calling forth the solution lying dormant within you. You are the solution, where is the problem?

5.POTENTIAL
Potential can be described as your latent ability, unused power, talent under -cover, your unwrapped gift waiting to explode for mankind to behold. When Emeka Smith unleashed and maximized his comedy potential he never knew it would some day pay his bills and take him from an unknown Youngman to a renowned youngster. Start playing to your strength not to your weakness.Your potential is a potent tool for crushing the yoke of poverty, never underestimate it.Your money is tied to your gifts, strengths and talents. Exhibit it, express it, equip it, give it an excellent packaging and it will take you to the top.

Get ready for a shift in your finances as you develop the capacity to locate and maximize the money already lying within you waiting to be uncovered and unleashed. I will read your success story.

Kehinde Ajose is a Sought After Talent development coach,Acclaimed Syndicated columnist and publicist.He helps individuals to discover and develop their talents in order to create wealth from it and become global brands.He is reachable @ splendidkenny01@yahoo.com or 08024212530