Too Woke To Be Broke

14/06/2024

Take...
Risks
Risks

13/06/2024

Far better is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though chequered by defeats, than to take ranks with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the great twilight of mediocrity that knows neither victory nor defeat. ~Matt Morris.

19/05/2024

Why would you spend four years of your life, and the equivalent of $10,000 studying a course that has no relevance as a profession in the Twenty-First Century? Forget about your pride and ego for a minute. Try and be objective. Apart from teaching the course at a university, where can you work as a professional if you study the following courses in a Third World country facing developmental challenges:

Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Linguistics, Religious Studies, Political Science, etc.

Go abroad. Many universities have stopped offering these courses. Please fact-check me: Education boards in America have a list of 1400 outdated degree courses. Yet, in Black African nations, we are graduating such degree holders in their hundreds of thousands every year. Then they graduate and cannot find a job (no surprise), and they blame the government.

If this were six months of your life and the course cost $100, then it could be argued that the time, money and effort were worth it. But come on, four years of your life and $10,000 of your parents' money for that? Education is an investment. That is why banks and governments offer student loans. The idea is that you invest in an asset, not a liability.

Reading such courses is like taking a bank loan to open a video rental club. Who rate videos in this Netflix generation?

As a sociologist, what do they teach you at your university that I cannot get in one millisecond on Google?

You are better off learning a skill, like Nursing, Cloud Computing, Web Design, Ethical Hacking, Blockchain, etc, and using that money as seed capital to set yourself up in business, than studying a course with no professional relevance and high demand, with the expectation that someone would employ you. You can even learn those courses for free on Udemy and Coursera.

If you must invest that time and money on a degree, ensure it is a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematical, Business, or Medical field.

Even beyond the irrelevance of many of these courses, Artificial Intelligence has programmed many degree courses for planned obsolescence. Sadly, AI will eliminate Accountants and some aspects of the legal profession. Hey, please don't hate me. I'm just the messenger.

Of course, those who have already graduated from these useless courses will defend it. But look at their lives. What did Peter Obi, who read Philosophy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, achieve in government? He did not build a single school in eight years. Instead, he built a brewery. A doctor, engineer, pharmacist, or economist would have had better priorities.

That is why Kwankwaso, an Engineer, built over a hundred schools, including the best public university in the Northwest, and another public university, along with polytechnics and colleges. But Philosophy graduate built brewery. Garbage in, garbage out!

I know it is not what you want to hear. But the truth is bitter and better.

17/05/2024

Recommended!

brand new book.

17/05/2024

Musings of an evolved mind...👍🏽

Interviewer: Do you consider yourself a wise man?

KAA: I’m only as wise to the extent of the number of mistakes I have made.

Interviewer: You seem to know a lot of things.

KAA: I’m only as knowledgeable to the extent of the number of questions I have asked and the number of things I have attempted to do.

Interviewer: How are you so young and yet so mentally strong?

KAA: I’m only as strong to the extent of the number of misfortunes and challenges I have endured.

Interviewer: How rich are you?

KAA: I’m only rich to the extent of the number of things I can lose and still sleep peacefully at night.

Interviewer: Do you consider yourself a loving man?

KAA: I’m many things to many people and a man is only as loving as the number of times he’s willing to forgive.

Interviewer: What can you say about your life generally?

KAA: My life, just like many other lives, is full of past mistakes, scars from losses and challenges, and so many deeds that I’m not so proud of. But these are the things that cumulatively built me. Without these things that we forbid daily, I would not be the person I am now.

Interviewer: Is this what you tell your younger ones?

KAA: Yes. I tell them that the things they are afraid of must first happen to them before they can become the things they want to be.

KAA

14/05/2024

We admired this particular property so much. It was a dream to own something like that.

I and my friend who lived with me some years back would stay in our house and argue about the cost of the property and all of that.

Unknown to this my friend, I own the property. One day, a lawyer from the law firm managing the property asked me why I do that.

I told him what I had posted here before. The true and most secure wealth of a man is the one only a very few people know about.

This was what I learned from my mentors.

I have different law firms that manage different branches of my life. They do not know each other and they only know as much as I want them to.

So, no one person or a group of people can completely take me down. No one can fight what does not exist.

This was what Raymond Reddington did in the movie Blacklist.

His closest friend and trusted handyman, Dembe, knew only as much as Raymond wanted him to know.

Raymond built a criminal empire with widely established endless sources of information, everyone knew this but no one person or organization knew the vast nature or the in-depth details of this empire.

His ever-scheming and conspiring enemies could only attack what they knew about.

The world is a very treacherous place and to truly survive, you must always be ten steps ahead. You must build a puzzle security around your existence.

This is my strategy too as an arbitrage blogger; if you attack one account, 12 more will be looking at you.

I’m not moved to announce or attach my name to everything that belongs to me. One of my exciting plans is to build two rival companies and just sit back and watch them compete against themselves without knowing that they belong to one person. Imagine the fun! 😀

You must know that the biggest threat against you is to be overrated, and your strongest fortress is to be underrated. Resist the urge to be the man everyone knows.

KAA

14/05/2024

The general language of success is ACTION!
&
Your associations can either make you or mar you.

14/05/2024

~ Constant and never ending improvement.

14/05/2024

Recommended Book For The Week..."THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON"... Read & Digest It.

14/05/2024

Food4Thought

“The elephant that will block your success”
__The miracle of the little boy's lunch

The most powerful principle to drive entrepreneurship that I've ever heard came from the late evangelist TL Osborn who often said to his listeners: “If you really want to be successful, find a human need and reach out to fulfill it”. Sounds simple but it is truly profound.

I used to think my platform was read only by Africans only to find that everywhere I went, the message was resonating. Take the example a few weeks ago I shared here about the young Indian technology entrepreneur, Dr Sampriti Bhattacharyya, who asked me to come and see her innovation when I was in the US recently.

Her innovation was not just about water transportation; she was primarily trying to address the very real challenge of Climate Change as maritime transport has one of the biggest carbon footprints. Elon Musk is one of the richest men in the world, not because he designed a cool car but he designed a car which addresses the human [and humanity's] need to deal with Climate Change.

There is a real nobility when you approach entrepreneurship not as a means to make money but as a need to address a problem that you are seeing either in your community or even the world.

“Money follows successful innovation,” is a powerful mantra to keep in the back of your mind.

I once had breakfast with former President Obasanjo and Aliko Dangote in which the President revealed how Aliko started cement manufacturing in Nigeria: “When I became President I noticed that Nigeria was importing cement from Europe,” he recalled.

“So I called all the importers to a meeting and asked them why they did not consider it viable to manufacture. They all gave me lots of excuses but this young guy was the only one who listed what needed to be done to get manufacturing going. So, I asked him for a list and I changed the laws for everyone... but only he took up the challenge.”

The rest is history.

Listen to me whilst I say it again: If you allow yourself, you can find a lot of reasons why it is not possible to do something. But that is not the way of the entrepreneur. Rather focus on "Why not?"

Dr Sampriti could have said to herself: “I’m a poor young Indian girl. Who will listen to me in America? I’m not white. I have no money. My parents are not rich”...

Pastor Chris used to say, “Don’t have a (self) pity party”.

You have to get out there and just find a way to get started.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus used the little boy’s lunch to feed a multitude, why he didn’t he just feed them out of nothing? My own take is that God prefers for us to use whatever is in our hand before He turns it into a miracle of abundance.

Don’t despise small or inconsequential beginnings or say things like “I have nothing!” There is no one who has “nothing”. Try something with what you have.

Today, rather than focusing your mind on what you need, think rather of what others need. Instead of focusing on who can help you, think rather of whom you can help, even as you tackle your own challenges.

These are tough times for many of you but you can do it. Stay strong and of good courage. Have a blessed Sunday.

[*Posting here again on this platform per request from which I will still do from time to time].

14/05/2024

TrueTalk...BalanceIsKey

Pause: Joking around can cost you...

When I was a young entrepreneur, I travelled to Asia to meet a very serious group of investors with a member of my team who was very smart but had one weakness; he loved to joke around. For the most part, it was harmless and it usually put people at ease.

As we sat down to start our meeting, my colleague made a joke that was funny back home, but our host did not find it funny; actually they were not amused at all. It was a disaster!

The problem with jokes is they don’t always work when you are dealing with people from other cultures, or even with people of another generation. It is very, very risky and can take away any chance of raising capital or finding serious partners.

Ever since that incident, I realized that joking around with people should only be done after you have gotten to know them better. Personally, I don’t like joking around and I avoid being forward and familiar until the other side has shown me their comfort.

I will never forget the offense taken by a senior Nigerian business leader because a member of my team addressed him by his first name on our first meeting. He ended the meeting!

So here is my advice: If you like joking around, sharing jokes etc., just remember that in the world of entrepreneurship it can be like carrying a banner saying: “Please don’t take me seriously!”

When you meet potential investors, do everything you can to signal, “I’m serious; so serious that you can trust me with your money”.

Leave the joking to your friends at home. Stay focused, even when making comments on a platform like this one, because you never know who is reading, or who will look you up online in the future.

Image credit: UbuntuHope/Kathi Walther Bouma, Zimbabwe, 2022. "Be careful what you say; everyone has a different way of seeing it".

14/05/2024

30 Side Hustles You Can Still Do With or Without a Full-Time Job:

Affiliate marketing
Amazon Kindle Publishing
App creator
Blogger
Brand marketing/Influencer
CV/Resume writer
Content Creating
Crypto trader
Drone Photography
Dropshipping
Fiverr
Forex e-trading
Online Marketing
Online Quality Assurance Exec
Online music reviewer
Online tutor
Personal Trainer
Podcaster
Print on Demand
Project writer
Quora
SEO Optimisation
Shopify merchant
Survey taker
TOEFL & IELTS Coach
Virtual Assistant
Web designer
Website Testing
YouTubing
eBay seller

These are all solutions to the disease of poverty in the year 2024. Do not complain. Or find fault. Or sneer. Attempt at least one. All you need for most of them is a laptop or smartphone, and Internet data. You already have one. You currently use it to gossip, chat and entertain yourself. Now flip it and use it to create wealth for yourself!



Credit: Reno Omokri

07/05/2024

From Grass To Grace...

04/05/2024

So so Insightful...Interdependence!!!

“Do you want power or do you want wealth?”

This was the question my mentor asked me when I went to see him about an investor's offer to put money into one of my early businesses!

Here is the background: My business had been growing fast, but I needed more capital to meet the demand. I had no choice but to look for equity investors because borrowing from the bank was a non-starter. I found some potential investors and they suggested that we get the business valued by a professional accountant.

Let’s say that it was valued at $1m [not the actual number]. The investors asked for my business plan, and it showed I needed $1.2m in capital injection.

“Good, we will give you the $1.2m for 54.5%, and we want board seats and an independent chairman”.

I balked at the fact that my own shareholding was now 45.5%, but I was smart enough not to show it and asked for a few days to think about it. So I went to see this business sage and said to him, ”I’m giving up control of my baby, and it upsets me!”

He listened to me briefly then said emphatically: “Do you want power or do you want wealth? If it’s power you want go to politics, but if it’s wealth you want take the deal.”

And with that he told me not to come back until I stopped being a “baby!”

It was sobering and yet changed my life. I went and looked at the founders of some of the most successful companies in the world at the time and found they actually had small shareholdings sometimes less than 10%. It shocked me…

I hear so many young entrepreneurs talk about 51%, and I’m immediately reminded of that conversation.

Now you want me to assure you that you will not “lose control” and I won’t because it all depends on your management of the business. It’s possible you are great at innovation but a lousy manager and you should rightly be removed by the investors; that is all part of the game.

Steve Jobs was sacked from Apple, and lucky for him he found his way back, but that doesn’t always happen.

Wealth comes as a result of getting investment and successfully scaling the business. As the company grows the percentage of your shares usually falls, but at the same time the value of the shares you have increases; that is the trade off.

If it is power (in the business) that you want and you want to have more than 51%, usually investors will avoid you, because it means your personal interest will override the interest of the company, and you might deny the company its growth potential in order to protect your percentage holding... your so called “power”. I would not personally have anything to do with a partner who thinks like that.

I want you to really think hard about what I have said. Take time to look at the percentage interests of famous founders like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc., and show us what you find out.

What I can tell you is that they opted for wealth over power. Even though they have small stakes, their investors did not oust them because they needed them to run the company and continue to innovate it to super growth. You will find that some entrepreneurs opted not to the run the company and instead looked for more experienced guys to do it for them. Google founders and even eBay fall into this category.

Of course, not everything is binary, sometimes it is possible to come up with structures that give you some more power even when your shareholding percentage is small, but make sure you understand what makes that possible before demanding it of investors, otherwise they will simply show you the door!

Time to get out of the !

One more thing: As a modern entrepreneur, you should consider it mandatory to read books like the story of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, or the book on Jeff Bezos by the same author. stuff.

(of how a game is played) is true power!

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them". Michael Jordan

Image credit: UbuntuHope/Kathi Walther Bouma, Botswana 2023. "We look backwards to learn. We look forward to succeed"...

16/04/2024

Go Hard or Go Home...

16/04/2024

What is a “Master of Scale”?
__"Scalable ideas don't have to tackle dramatic problems; they have to tackle neglected problems". Reid Hoffman

When I first started this platform, I used to pose a simple question to would-be entrepreneurs [and even some guys]: “Which of these businesses do you consider to be the most lucrative: telecoms, cosmetics, supermarkets, mining, farming?”

And always you could be guaranteed that most people would fall for it, and give the wrong answers! The answer is of course, “There's not one answer. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!”

That is why if you look at the top ten richest people in the world, they mostly all do different things. Even the 18 billionaires in Africa, according to Forbes magazine, mostly do different things!

It does not matter what business you are in, if you are a highly skilled and astute entrepreneur you probably can turn that business into a multibillion dollar business. It is not the type of business that matters, but the of the .

Elon Musk, for example, makes cars and rockets [that's how he made his billions] while Bernard Arnault, Chairman of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (FVMH) in France, made his money leading the world's most successful branded luxury goods group. In recent years, they have often traded positions as the world’s richest person. Jeff Bezos made his money through eCommerce, starting out selling books online because he was an avid reader!

One thing they all have in common is that they are “Masters of Scale”. That is to say, they have the vision and ability to take a business and make it big, very big, often on a global scale.

Sam Walton became the richest man in the world selling castoff clothes that manufacturers considered sub standard [they hadn't passed quality control for one reason or another]. He would buy them and then resell them for a $1! And from there he went on to build Walmart, the world’s largest company in terms of sales and employees; via 10,500+ stores and ecommerce sites in 19 countries [mostly the USA] they employ about 2,1 million people, and generated $638.78bn in revenue last year alone!

Masters of Scale know how to build companies either horizontally or vertically. They can have small shops, which are repeated hundreds of times like McDonald's, or they can have a huge complex producing aeroplanes!

My friend Richard Branson is one of the greatest Masters of Scale the world has ever known, and he can do it across multiple industries. Take his simple “Virgin Active" health clubs. "What is so hard about that?" you might ask.

Try rolling out 238+ gyms in 8 countries across four continents. [They have about 133 in South Africa alone!]

The challenge for Africa’s entrepreneurs is to take whatever they have, do on the prospective new market(s), address all the related related to strategies... then it.

__We are like a forest of seedlings with few tall trees, right now. We need more of these seedlings to become tall and mighty trees.

The key to unlocking this is to pick up the tools of the Master of Scale: Remember, I have told you here before that the formula of Master of Scale is the 3Ps: , , . It’s actually not or , and certainly not !

The good news is that all the skills of The Masters of Scale, are actually acquired . It has nothing do with special “born with” gifts.

Suppose, for example, you have a small shop in the market selling clothes, and you want to , what should you do? Let me hear from you. Masters of Scale .

Let me tell you, if that is all I had, I would turn it into a business that's found in every African market within a few years. Why? I’m a Master of Scale: I can set up a business in almost any country [which is not at war] and run it remotely without ever going there. I have done this all over Africa. I can find excellent in that country to run it for me without them stealing a cent from me. Why? I’m a Master of Scale!

My Liberian friend Richelieu Dennis started making cosmetics in the kitchen of a New York apartment and scaled it into a multibillion dollar company called Sundial. If you don't know of him, be sure to check him out.

The challenge for you is to stop dreaming of getting into the oil or gold business. You need to learn the of a Master of Scale, and apply it to whatever [or Service] you have mastered through .

Years ago, I urged those who were on this platform at the time to go through every single episode of a Podcast called "Business Wars". Remember?

I wanted you to see how entrepreneurs from all sorts of backgrounds became Masters of Scale, often whilst competing with an aggressive competitor in the same industry. As I said in the last post, I also recommended Reid Hoffman’s podcast "Masters of Scale" in which he interviews some of the most unlikely success stories.

You can still listen to them, and if you're serious about being an entrepreneur you must, because such lessons never grow old!

I read books by and on entrepreneurs every single month, searching and studying insights of their “Master of Scale” playbook! So can you.

“What is in your hand?”

Don’t say “It’s nothing!”

In the hands of the Master of Scale, it’s enough. Let’s get going!

[Some of the asked I keep posting here on this platform for a while, so this one's for you!]

Image caption: Who knows why the baobab is called The Tree of Life? How does might this relate to ?

14/04/2024

“The elephant that will block your success”
__The miracle of the little boy's lunch

The most powerful principle to drive entrepreneurship that I've ever heard came from the late evangelist TL Osborn who often said to his listeners: “If you really want to be successful, find a human need and reach out to fulfill it”. Sounds simple but it is truly profound.

I used to think my platform was read only by Africans only to find that everywhere I went, the message was resonating. Take the example a few weeks ago I shared here about the young Indian technology entrepreneur, Dr Sampriti Bhattacharyya, who asked me to come and see her innovation when I was in the US recently.

Her innovation was not just about water transportation; she was primarily trying to address the very real challenge of Climate Change as maritime transport has one of the biggest carbon footprints. Elon Musk is one of the richest men in the world, not because he designed a cool car but he designed a car which addresses the human [and humanity's] need to deal with Climate Change.

There is a real nobility when you approach entrepreneurship not as a means to make money but as a need to address a problem that you are seeing either in your community or even the world.

“Money follows successful innovation,” is a powerful mantra to keep in the back of your mind.

I once had breakfast with former President Obasanjo and Aliko Dangote in which the President revealed how Aliko started cement manufacturing in Nigeria: “When I became President I noticed that Nigeria was importing cement from Europe,” he recalled.

“So I called all the importers to a meeting and asked them why they did not consider it viable to manufacture. They all gave me lots of excuses but this young guy was the only one who listed what needed to be done to get manufacturing going. So, I asked him for a list and I changed the laws for everyone... but only he took up the challenge.”

The rest is history.

Listen to me whilst I say it again: If you allow yourself, you can find a lot of reasons why it is not possible to do something. But that is not the way of the entrepreneur. Rather focus on "Why not?"

Dr Sampriti could have said to herself: “I’m a poor young Indian girl. Who will listen to me in America? I’m not white. I have no money. My parents are not rich”...

Pastor Chris used to say, “Don’t have a (self) pity party”.

You have to get out there and just find a way to get started.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus used the little boy’s lunch to feed a multitude, why he didn’t he just feed them out of nothing? My own take is that God prefers for us to use whatever is in our hand before He turns it into a miracle of abundance.

Don’t despise small or inconsequential beginnings or say things like “I have nothing!” There is no one who has “nothing”. Try something with what you have.

Today, rather than focusing your mind on what you need, think rather of what others need. Instead of focusing on who can help you, think rather of whom you can help, even as you tackle your own challenges.

These are tough times for many of you but you can do it. Stay strong and of good courage. Have a blessed Sunday.

[*Posting here again on this platform per request from which I will still do from time to time].

12/04/2024

FOUR STORIES TO START:
1. Nokia rejected Android.
2. Yahoo rejected Google.
3. Kodak turned down digital cameras.
4. Blockbuster rejected Netflix.

LESSONS:
1. Take risks.
2. Accept the change.
3. If you refuse to change over time, it will become obsolete.

TWO MORE STORIES:
1. Facebook takes over WhatsApp and Instagram.
2. Grab takes over Uber in Southeast Asia.

LESSONS:
1. Become so powerful that your competitors become your allies.
2. Reach top position and work smart with competition.
3. Keep innovating.

TWO MORE STORIES:
1. Colonel Sanders founded KFC at age 65
2. Jack Ma, who couldn't get a job at KFC, founded Alibaba and retired at age 55

LESSONS:
1. Age is just a number.
2. Only those who keep trying will succeed.

FOR THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST IMPORTANT:
Lamborghini was founded as a result of the revenge of a tractor owner who was insulted by Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari.

LESSONS:
1. Never underestimate anyone, ever!
2. Just keep working hard.
3. Invest your time wisely.
4. Don't be afraid to fail.
5. Let's go!

Credit:
Frank Facts

12/04/2024

RULES OF LIVING WITH PEOPLE

1. When you meet young people - INSPIRE THEM.

2. When you meet children - EDUCATE THEM.

3. When you meet old people - HELP THEM.

4. When you meet wise people - STUDY THEM.

5. When you meet leaders - HONOUR THEM.

6. When you meet foolish people - AVOID THEM.

7. When you meet humble people - TREASURE THEM.

8. When you meet arrogant people - IGNORE THEM.

9. When you meet gracious people - EMULATE THEM.

10. When you meet aspirational people - ELEVATE THEM.

11. When you meet strong people - SUPPORT THEM.

12. When you meet godly people - BLESS THEM.

13. When you meet elderly people - RESPECT THEM.

14. When you meet weak people - STRENGTHEN THEM.

15. When you meet hardworking people - ENCOURAGE THEM.

16. When you meet kind people - ESTEEM THEM.

17. When you meet Honest people -
PROMOTE THEM.

18. When you meet virtuous people - REWARD THEM.

19. When you meety evil people - EVADE THEM.

20. And in all situation “ Watch, Pray and wish everyone well.

1. Dr. Ben Carson said, "I struggled academically throughout elementary school yet became the best neurosurgeon in the world in 1987."

LESSON:

Struggling is a sign that you are on a verge of success. Don't quit yet.

2. Bill Gates said, "I didn't even complete my university education but became the world's richest man."

LESSON:

School does not make you rich. School is only supposed to polish what will make you rich, not make you rich.

3. Christiano Ronaldo said, "I told my father that we would be very rich but he couldn't believe me. I made it a reality."

LESSON:

Your words rule your life. If you mean what you have said, each word will come to pass. You get what you say.

4. Hear Lionel Messi!

"I used to serve tea at a shop to support my football training and still became one of the world's best footballers."

LESSON:

Believe in your dream. Don't let your pain tell you how your future will look like.

07/04/2024

FOUR STORIES TO START:
1. Nokia rejected Android.
2. Yahoo rejected Google.
3. Kodak turned down digital cameras.
4. Blockbuster rejected Netflix.

LESSONS:
1. Take risks.
2. Accept the change.
3. If you refuse to change over time, it will become obsolete.

TWO MORE STORIES:
1. Facebook takes over WhatsApp and Instagram.
2. Grab takes over Uber in Southeast Asia.

LESSONS:
1. Become so powerful that your competitors become your allies.
2. Reach top position and work smart with competition.
3. Keep innovating.

TWO MORE STORIES:
1. Colonel Sanders founded KFC at age 65
2. Jack Ma, who couldn't get a job at KFC, founded Alibaba and retired at age 55

LESSONS:
1. Age is just a number.
2. Only those who keep trying will succeed.

FOR THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST IMPORTANT:
Lamborghini was founded as a result of the revenge of a tractor owner who was insulted by Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari.

LESSONS:
1. Never underestimate anyone, ever!
2. Just keep working hard.
3. Invest your time wisely.
4. Don't be afraid to fail.
5. Let's go!

keep following Frank Facts