Lifted 2 Lift

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up,

Just as in fact you are doing.

1thessalonians 5: 11

It isn’t enough to say in our heart

That we like a man for his ways

It isn’t enough that we fill our minds

With paeans of silent praise;

Nor is it enough that we honor a man

As our confidence upward mounts

It’s going up to the man himself,

And telling him so that counts!

If a man does a work you really admire,

Don’t leave a kind word unsaid

In fear that to do so might make him vain

And cause him to “lose his head”

But reach out your hand and tell him,

“Well done” and see how his gratitude swells,

It isn’t the flowers we strew on the grave,

It’s the word to the living that tells.

 

Every one has an invisible sign hanging from his neck

Saying, “MAKE ME FEEL IMPORTANT”

What makes you different?

As of this moment you should start thinking of yourself differently. You are not a staff, employee or worker belonging to some company or the other. You are not defined by your job title and you are not confined to your job description.

Start today: You are a brand

You are every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi or a body shop. To get yourself to think like your own brand manager, you can start by asking yourself the same questions brand managers  of Nike and Coke etc ask themselves. What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Challenge yourself to define your answer in 15 words or less, take time to write it down. And then take time to read it to yourself several times.

Your answer needs to have one or all of three effects: light up the eyes of your prospective clients, command a vote of confidence from your satisfied past client or most importantly grab you. If it doesn’t then you are in a big problem.

It is time to give some serious thought and effort to imagining and developing yourself as a brand.

Identifying the qualities and characteristics that make you distinctive from others (your competitors and your colleagues) is one way to start that cannot be over emphasized. What have you done lately…this week…to make yourself stand out?

What would your colleagues or your customers say is your greatest and clearest strength? Your most noteworthy (as in worthy of note) personal trait?

Finally, after all ask yourself one more question to define your brand: What do you want to be famous for? Yeah … that’s right…famous for!

BRAND 101…The YOU Brand

You are branded, branded, branded, branded.

It is time for each one of us to take a lesson. A lesson on brands…from the big brands. This lesson is for everyone who’s interested and wishes to stand out and prosper in this new world of work, in this FLAT WORLD.

Age, Position and business we are in regardless, we all need to understand the importance of branding. We are all CEO’s of our own companies: Me Inc. and if we must remain in business for a long time our most important Job is to be the Head Marketer for the brand called YOU.

Yes…it is as simple, yet as hard and as that inescapable.

Most of us are looking to be free agents in an economy: if not all of us. You are looking to have the best season you can imagine in your field, looking to work at your best and make remarkable records and looking to establish your own Nike equivalent. This because if you do, not only will you have every opportunity within arm’s (laptop’s) length, you’ll make a noteworthy contribution to your team’s success and you’ll put yourself in a great bargaining position for many seasons to come.

Good news (and largely good news) is everyone has a chance to stand out, to learn and improve and to build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark.

Today brands are everything, all kinds of products and services, from sneaker makers, to restaurants to consulting and accounting firms, all are figuring out how to transcend the narrow boundaries of their categories and become a brand surrounded by a ovation as loud as Tommy Hilfiger.

Even the Web understands this. The web makes the case of branding more direct. The web says: Anyone can have a website/blog especially because there are blogs that don’t cost a dime. Anyone: and that recently included my young cousin …Tomiwa. So how do you know which sites are worth visiting, which one to bookmark, which ones are worth going to more than once. The answer: Branding. The site you go back to are sites you trust, they are sites where the brand tells you the visit will be worth your while. They are sites owned by people/companies who exhibit some level of uniqueness or the other, they are branded sites.

Again and again, a brand is a promise of value that you’ll receive.

What holds for the web also holds for emails… “the killer App of the Net”. When everybody has email, anybody can send you email. How do you decide whose messages you are going to read and respond to first and whose you are going to trash away? The answer: Personal Branding. The name of the sender is every bit as important a brand…is a brand.

Nobody understands branding better than professional service firms. You might want to look at Generis Solutions or Author Anderson for a model of new rules in branding at company and personal level. Bringing it home and looking at Generis Solutions, notice that every professional service firm work with the same business model. They have almost no hard assets…my guess is they rent or lease items they possibly can keep from having to own anything. They however have a lot of soft assets…conventionally known as people, smart, motivated and talented people. And they have large revenues and astounding profits.

They also have clear culture of work and life. When you are hired, you report to work and join a team, you immediately start figuring out how to add value to the customer. Along the way you learn stuff, develop your skill, sharpen your ability, move from project to project. If you are really smart, you’ll figure out how to distinguish yourself from all the other very smart people walking around in N25,000 suits, high powered laptops and well polished resumes. Along the way, if you are really smart, you’ll figure out what it takes to create a distinctive role for yourself and as you do so you create a message and strategy to promote the brand called YOU

To do list

I walked into the office after a 3 days trip and i realized there was a new wave. It’s the “to do list” that was now raining. You had to put up your to do list for each day on the notice board in the morning and then rate how well you did in a staff meeting in the evening. First and foremost this office is really coming close to playing by what I call the “Rules of the Garage”. I think I should share it with everybody.

RULES OF THE GARAGE

• Believe you can change the world
• Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked…work whenever
• Know when to work alone and when to work together
• Share tools, share ideas, trust your colleagues
• No politics, no bureaucracy, these are ridiculous in the garage
• The customer defines a Job well done, radical ideas are not bad ideas
• Invent different ways of working, make a contribution everyday
• If it does not contribute, it does not leave the garage
• Believe that together we can do anything.
• Invent

These are my rules of work and I thought I should share it with all.Back to the talk of “to do lists”. I don’t have one for my work on Monday when I’ll resume back yet but I’ve always had a life’s “to do list”. One that should take me through everyday and I must admit I carried away and score less than 40% most times. Let me also share it with you and here your thoughts.

TODAY I WILL…

• Rise up early cos no day is ever enough for the day’s work
• Not loose an hour in the morning and spend the whole day looking for it
• Give my best time to communion with God
• Compliment three people
• Make myself valuable to somebody
• Leave someone better than I found him/her
• Tackle a problem bigger than me
• Take small steps to conquer bad Habits
• Smile a little more often
• Consider and ask myself WWJD from time to time
• Never be afraid to be me cos it’s me the world needs
• Get my brain engaged before I put my mouth in gear
• Judge this day not by the harvest but by the seeds I plant

So much for “to do list”. If I could make a 100% on this then we can have “@biola reloaded”.

Enemies of the ordinary

“Radical idea is not a bad idea”

Eccentric is the word that people have (are/will) always used to describe me. The word eccentric (in case you’ve never heard of it) is often associated with genius, giftedness, extreme creativity or display of dismissible (common) lunacy. “There has always been a method to my madness”. My eccentric behaviour is perceived by many to be the outward expression of my unique intelligence or creative impulse. My eccentric attributes are incomprehensible as some would agree not because they are illogical or the result of madness, but because they stem from a mind so original that it cannot be conformed to societal norms. For crying out loud, “I am not mad!”

When faced with life issues, be it at home, work or play I seek special methods and tools to go about them. I never hesitate to ask questions (as many as necessary). I try to restate problems sometimes by changing the wordings take different viewpoints and try it in graphical forms (I am primarily a graphic artist). Transforming one issue into another by the describing the problem to both laymen and experts in the field often helps to get new insights. By explaining it to others I get to hear myself and see the loopholes. I never try to learn all the details before deciding on a first approach. I keep the tools unlocked, I work quickly, whenever, wherever. Failure is not a fear, if I can’t make it better, I make it worse and analyze what happens. I turn to Mother Nature (the originator of serendipity) for assistance. I meditate out in/under a tree or in an open field, play with combinations of ideas and concepts. I keep my eyes open and my imaginations turned on. For me nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one I have. The first solution found is usually inadequate. I initiate brainstorming sessions, mostly informal, where participants are encouraged to suggest any idea that comes to mind. I am particularly stubborn about solving a problem. I sometimes spend time trying things I know won’t work or don’t know how they will work. I value experimentation, play, exaggeration and persistence. I am flexible about problem definition and problem solution. “Wow! Don’t you wanna grow up to be just like me?”

Many individuals manifest eccentricity consciously and deliberately in attempting to differentiate themselves from societal norms or enhance a sense of inimitable identity: given the overwhelming possible stereotypes often associated with eccentricity. Using the above, “judge for yourself, am I truly eccentric…?”

Whether you think I pass as eccentric or not, I know one thing as certain I’m an “enemy of the ordinary” because my habits make me achieve unique (extraordinary) results. You just have to be like me to cope with me otherwise you would tag me “crazy”. Cope with me (be like me) if you can otherwise, lay off. “The world cannot contain too many of us”. Mind you “I’ll be 29 my next birthday” (11th June).  

Bouncing Back

A yoruba proverb quotes “Ile oba to jo, ewa lo bukun“

I’ll translate; A burnt king’s palace only add to it’s beauty (on the long run)

It is also said “Agbo to reyin, agbara lo lo mu wa“

Meaning: when a bull steps back, it has only gone for more power.

Pardon me but I am still a Nigerian and I’m of the Yoruba tribe.

I want to use this time to thank all those thank all those that were here on both Friday and Saturday. thank you for coming and I’m sorry you did not find anything new as I may promised some. You cannot believe what happened to me.

On Friday morning I worked with a friend’s flash drive and caught a very deadly computer virus in the process. That paralyzed all my activities throughout Friday and Saturday. I had to format my C: I can only thank God was able to retrieve my files. The virus got into my registry and changed some configurations causing programs my laptop to start malfunctioning. It took a lot of effort to revive things but I’m back and better

Avoiding Viruses

1. Install a Strong Anti-virus and update it regularly. Kapersky, Norton, AVG and Avast are a few.
2. Beware of flash drives. As much as possible, do not accept just any flash drive.
3. Disable your autorun feature.

There are some very dangerous viruses out there right now so you can’t be too careful. I bounced right back, nothing missing, nothing broken. In fact I back new and improved. You may not be so fortunate. Please be careful.

My Chairmanship

Hey all,

In case you don’t know I work in an HR Consulting firm as a Graphic artist in the make and pack section.

Some days ago our Chairman (Adeolu Akinyemi) decided to rotate his Chairmanship among us and day before yesterday it was Kamal, yesterday it was my turn. The Chairman happens to be my only brother, I work for him. Today it is the turn of my younger sister (Seun) who also works with us. In a bid to help you all understand how it felt like yesterday I decided to gist Tola a colleague in the office about it today. And below is our conversation in full…Enjoy

Abiola Akinyemi: are u there
omosolatola: yep, how far?
Abiola Akinyemi: we need to talk
Abiola Akinyemi: i was reflecting on yesterday
omosolatola: ok
omosolatola: which part of yesterday
Abiola Akinyemi: and i realized that something more happened to me when i was on that seat
Abiola Akinyemi: i wont call it seat of power
omosolatola: tell me
omosolatola: isn’t it|?
Abiola Akinyemi: i’ll call it seat of leadership
omosolatola: ok…
Abiola Akinyemi: i can’t fully pin in it myself
Abiola Akinyemi: but practically speaking
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership is service
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership is responsibility
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership is adding value
omosolatola: okay…
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership is being fair
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership is upholding standards
Abiola Akinyemi: i felt all these yesterday
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership is delegating
omosolatola: biola!
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership id focus
Abiola Akinyemi: i’m being serious
Abiola Akinyemi: i saw everybody in the office from a different light
Abiola Akinyemi: i saw myself from a different light
Abiola Akinyemi: on the good side leadership is all that
Abiola Akinyemi: but if one is not careful
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership can be lazy
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership can be power
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership can be boring
Abiola Akinyemi: leadership can be costly
Abiola Akinyemi: yesterday i spent a lot making phone calls
Abiola Akinyemi: i sat alone until i had anu’s company
omosolatola: very funny, making cals?!
omosolatola: oky…
Abiola Akinyemi: i had to work from inside the office
Abiola Akinyemi: so i did make calls to cover for not going out to get some things
Abiola Akinyemi: i experienced what it felt like to deligate
Abiola Akinyemi: i asked kamal to represent me in a meeting i was to go for
Abiola Akinyemi: i had the opportunity so settle stuff between felix and bolaji
omosolatola: lol
Abiola Akinyemi: i had the opportunity to be fair and i’m sure i was
omosolatola: ok
Abiola Akinyemi: i asked for witnesses
Abiola Akinyemi: i saw bolaji admiting he was wrong
omosolatola: ok
Abiola Akinyemi: i could appeal to felix to let go if he would appologise
Abiola Akinyemi: felix added more conditions
Abiola Akinyemi: he agreed to abide
Abiola Akinyemi: they settled out of court
Abiola Akinyemi: no fines involved
Abiola Akinyemi: i found it an opportunity to serve
Abiola Akinyemi: and give what i can
Abiola Akinyemi: so i sent the mail that i did
Abiola Akinyemi: i’m sure everybody will be better of for it
Abiola Akinyemi: i dare to make it fun by making it a competition
Abiola Akinyemi: using the concept of nnc
Abiola Akinyemi: you can be paid for doing something i.e something that you are doing for your own good in the first place
Abiola Akinyemi: some have still not responded
Abiola Akinyemi: now if they get i fine for that they cannot hold me in bad blood
Abiola Akinyemi: that will be the difference between me and kamal
Abiola Akinyemi: staying alone helped me to focus instead of getting bored
omosolatola: biola this is all too much for me to take i o
Abiola Akinyemi: the standard of office conduct was in my hands and i upheld it as much as the day demanded
omosolatola: y are u telling me all thi
Abiola Akinyemi: seriously i felt sleepy at a point
Abiola Akinyemi: but my launch came on time
Abiola Akinyemi: let me ask you a question
Abiola Akinyemi: do you think chairman is better than you?
Abiola Akinyemi: answer sincerely
omosolatola: yes in a no of ways, now, not bcos he is born special or cos he has some super power but cos of some choices he has made
BUZZ!!!
Abiola Akinyemi: do you think you can be as good
Abiola Akinyemi: of course he will move so you may not catch him on that spot
Abiola Akinyemi: but do you think you can attain where he is now
Abiola Akinyemi: do you?
BUZZ!!!
Abiola Akinyemi: are you still there
BUZZ!!!
omosolatola: of cos i kno
Abiola Akinyemi: kno what
omosolatola: i kno i can be as god and even better if i choose to and wok at it
omosolatola: wat?
Abiola Akinyemi: okay
Abiola Akinyemi: what will you av to do
omosolatola: gime a min
omosolatola: 1. Get closest to God
2. Be a bit more patient
3. Read
4. Listen attentively
5. Get a mentor
6. Start a business
7. To always put in an extra effort
8. Review my goals and strategies every once in a while
9. Talk less
10. Set daily goals and follow through
11. Watch news
12. Meet and chat consistently with people that share my vision
13. Manage my time
14. Cultivate a good saving habit
15. Work on my self esteem

and some more i’m workin on
Abiola Akinyemi: yikes
omosolatola: lol
Abiola Akinyemi: o ti mura mi le tele ni
omosolatola: nope, juast been doin a lotta thinkn lately
Abiola Akinyemi: i’m out to assist especially you in any way i can
Abiola Akinyemi: i may be a little hard on you but
omosolatola: hey, thanks and to what do i owe this?
Abiola Akinyemi: the objective is to make you better
omosolatola: tank
Abiola Akinyemi: sorry i spoke a bit hash the other time
Abiola Akinyemi: but i’m sure u’ll understand
Abiola Akinyemi: i wish you will enjoy the avenues and resources that you av
Abiola Akinyemi: if you need to be driven you will get drive
Abiola Akinyemi: and on the long run
omosolatola: yep, i plan to and u only just spoke the truth d oda time!!
Abiola Akinyemi: it will not matter to you, who is a man or a woman
omosolatola: dnt worry no hard feelings
Abiola Akinyemi: you’ll understand that if you put your mind to some of the things these men have put their minds to
Abiola Akinyemi: if you understudy what they do and how they do it
Abiola Akinyemi: you can be…even better
Abiola Akinyemi: i understudy my brother everyday
Abiola Akinyemi: and not like i’m saying i am totally better than you but
Abiola Akinyemi: in certain ways you can understudy me
Abiola Akinyemi: i can understudy you
Abiola Akinyemi: i can learn about food
Abiola Akinyemi: and you can learn about computers and shortcuts
Abiola Akinyemi: shortcuts to getting things done
Abiola Akinyemi: I like you
Abiola Akinyemi: sincerely i do
omosolatola: woah thaks
omosolatola: y do u
Abiola Akinyemi: i always have anyway
omosolatola: hmn…
Abiola Akinyemi: y do i
Abiola Akinyemi: i like pple who are down to earth
omosolatola: o really, tank
Abiola Akinyemi: people who can admit to what they dont know
Abiola Akinyemi: such pple are teachable
Abiola Akinyemi: and they can learn fast if they set their mind to it
Abiola Akinyemi: my brother thinks i hav a better iq than him
Abiola Akinyemi: he thinks i can be smarter than him
omosolatola: lol
Abiola Akinyemi: if exposed to the same experience
Abiola Akinyemi: and if i started making the right choices
Abiola Akinyemi: hmm choices
Abiola Akinyemi: i intend to prove him right
omosolatola: m sure every one was born to be great its just a matter of choice and how you manage ur situation
Abiola Akinyemi: now have a nice day
Abiola Akinyemi: i want to put this our conversation on my blog

omosolatola: biola anybody can be anything, anything at allif only they set their minds to it, dat much i leant from generis
omosolatola: av a great day too and thanx for the talk.

Seriously I thought my brother’s (Chairman’s) move was a strange one and I wondered what good could come out of it. Alas it did and is still doing me a lot of good. I’m yet to recover…in fact I don’t hope to recover cos I like what it is doing to me

Get your glasses filled and let’s drink to leadership and service

Cheers all

2008…anything is possible

Finally I have a my goals for the year and a reflexion on who i want to be a few years from now.

It is a shame that I really could not put it together in written form until the mail from my boss that I had to put it together and submit it came. I’m now glad I did. Below you will be reading what I have come up with and the objective is to inspire and challenge some and to be held in check by others.

After I met with my chairman yesterday though, it turns out there are some things that will be fine tunned, but I’ll still give it to you raw and allow you make your own comments. Thanks in advance for the audience. Okay here we go.

 NAME:                 Akinyemi Abiola Akinade

A life worth living, is that lived for others

Do not let what I can’t do interfere with what I can do

Radical ideas are not bad ideas

By Dec 31, 2012

Be: Who will I be, what will I have become?

I will be an Entrepreneur, CEO of a company.

Do: What activities will I be engaging in?

My Dreams are

• ·         To own an image/brand making and consulting company
• ·         To own or manage a press
• ·         To run digital photography at its best
• ·         To help people discover themselves and find a place for their identity

 Have: What will I have?

• ·         A library of related books
• ·         Certified trainings that makes me a professional in my field and equips me with the right skills
• ·         Assets including  landed properties, office and the wherewithal to actualize even bigger aspirations
• ·         A chain of blessed lives in my portfolio
• ·         etc

By Dec 31, 2008

Goals for the Year

Achievement goals

• ·         NYSC
• ·         At least 1 Course in image school
• ·         Read 12 books, 1 per month
• ·         Have an asset portfolio not less than N2Million both in investment and cash
• ·         Raise 12 protégées and have 1 constant mentor one that I will allow to guide
• ·         Sharpen my graphic design, photography, people relations and ultimately entrepreneurial skills and ability

Habit goals

• ·         Smile a little more often (I will measure this based on comments)
• ·         Stop borrowin

Relationship goals

• ·         Dedicate quality time and money to improving on personal hygiene
• ·         Increase my network/reach by 20%
• ·         Become a role model

Spirit

• ·         Read the Bible through at least once
• ·         Have one memory verse a week
• ·         Dedicate my best time to communion with God

Soul & body

• ·         Keep fit with daily exercises

Brainstorming a minimum of 20 ways I can improve my life circumstances.

1.       Read books

2.       Smile more often…be happy

3.       Have a regular income

4.       Have a savings

5.       Have trainings

6.       Finish school

7.       Retain my job in Generis

8.       Join and be dedicated to a unit in church

9.       Rise up early

10.   Work quickly…keep the tools unlocked

11.   Learn from others

12.   Learn from past mistakes

13.   Only make promises I can keep

14.   Live within my means

15.   Have a mentor

16.   Sharpen my skills

17.   Desire a bright future

18.   Improve on attitudes

19.   Rise up to challenges

20.   Get wisdom

21.   Help others

Balance Exercise

Needs: What are my current needs?

·        

• ·         Conclude my Schoolings
• ·         Get professional with graphics
• ·         Retain a sources of regular income
• ·         Improve my wardrobe
• ·         Fix my car
• ·         Build a library: Buy and Read books
• ·         Get a copy of the science of getting rich
• ·         Make positive difference to a person or organization

 
How can I better meet my needs and even create abundance?

• ·         Retain my sources of regular income and be open to more opportunities
• ·         Invest and save
• ·         Spend less lavishly…avoid doodads
• ·         Get trained: commit time attending trainings and school
• ·         Pray and rely on God

Abilities: What are my skills, talents, and abilities?

·         Creativity

• ·         Good retentive memory
• ·         Resourceful
• ·         Follow through
• ·         People skills
• ·         Good listener
• ·         Talk
• ·         Fun loving

How can I take better advantage of my abilities?

• ·         Image making, branding
• ·         Motivation speaking
• ·         Mentoring and training

Desires: What do I want most?

·         Influence, Affluence and Impact

To do what I enjoy doing and make money from it in the process. To have a story that will help other coming behind me. To have a testimony of a life of service.

How can I enjoy more of what I want?

·         Time & chance, Opportunities and Finance

Purpose: What contribution am I making to others?

• ·         I have five people who seek my counsel today
• ·         I teach in the children’s church
• ·         I help in any way I can, day-in day-out

How can I increase my contribution and service?

• ·         Apply my heart to wisdom by also having a mentor to relate with
• ·         Read books
• ·         Be a giver…never hold back in a position to give
• ·         Commit my time and resources to service

Alignment

Are my needs, abilities, desires, and purpose in alignment?  Am I doing what I love, expressing my talents, meeting my needs, and fulfilling a greater purpose?

• ·         Yes I believe so

What can I do to bring my needs, abilities, desires, and purpose into greater alignment?

• ·         Share my desires, dreams and aspirations with people
• ·         Improve on myself
• ·         Take small steps to conquer bad habits
• ·         Identify opportunities and grab them

Making the most of this opportunity. I can live the life of my dreams.

Cheers

In the Begining….

Let there be Light.