Thinking Out Loud : DON'T LET PEOPLE CHANGE YOU

In my church, we have a musical group. I am a major fan of their music, everytime they perform I get so excited and filled with joy. I personally like one young lady in the group because of  her style, anytime she is up on the altar, I gush about her style to my sister.

This past Sunday, the stylish songstress passed us, my sister asked me to go and say hi to her but I refused. My sister was surprised because I am usually very bold when it comes to stuffs like this. So my sister does what I would normally do, I try to stop her but she refuses to listen to me. She walks up to the stylish songstress and says "I celebrate you, my sister admires your style, she is too shy to introduce herself to you", the stylish songstress walks up to me with a smile and says "Hello, I'm Uzo, what's your name?", I introduce myself, she smiles and says she likes my hair, I smile back and say 'thank you", then she leaves. My sister then turns to me and says "What happened to you? You were never scared to make friends or talk to strangers you admire. This question made me ponder a bit.

Growing up, we moved a lot. This offered me a chance to meet different people, know diverse cultures and appreciate all kinds of people. I had my secondary school education in Northern Nigeria, the people are so friendly. I had so many friends in secondary school because of how down to earth people were. We had cliques in my secondary school but It was hard to pick a best friend or settle for a clique to be closer to. My corner mate or bunkie (Like a lot of boarders like to call it) was Hausa, she was from a wealthy and prominent family but you never could tell because she was so humble. Once I was going to visit her and a family friend offered to drop me over at her place, he didn't believe I knew anyone from that family because of how prominent they were, he only believed me when they opened the gate and all her little cousins screamed my name like I was a family member. I can write a book using my secondary school experiences but I will rather wait for it to be turned into a movie script by my cousin.

After secondary school, I moved back to Lagos, I had not been in Lagos for a while but I didn't find it difficult to make new friends. The young people in the estate we lived in were equally affable people. 2006 came along and I had to move again. This time, the location was Port Harcourt. I didn't know much about Port Harcourt, I was just excited and looking forward to learning new things and meeting new people. I always wanted to study in the North, I wanted to attend University Of Jos but that didn't work out because I missed the Post Universities Matriculation Examination. My dad didn't appreciate Nigerian Universities, so he did his research on Ghana and picked a school for my sister and I. However, we still went ahead to write Jamb, even though we didn't need it. We both passed, I went ahead to write the Post UME exam, my sister's focus was on the Ghanaian University, so she didn't bother with Post UME.

I passed my Post UME and my name came up on the admission list. I decided I was going to study at the University Of Port Harcourt. I had heard ugly stories about the University but I didn't care. My sister resumed school before me because Uniport cancelled our first Post UME, they said there was alot of cheating and EXPO passed around. I didn't understand that because that expo didn't get to me. So another exam was scheduled with some serious supervision, I passed again.

My real Port Harcourt experience started when I gained admission into the University Of Port Harcourt. My first impression was bad, most people were so unfriendly and snobbish. You ask for a simple direction and you will get a frown like you did something wrong. It was bad for me because I didn't know a single soul in the school, most people had friends, siblings or relations to help them out. I had to figure out everything on my own. Once I settled, I made a few friends and aquaintances. During the holidays, I would run into an aquaintance and with a friendly disposition, I would try to say Hi!!! in return, they would act snobbish or just completely ignore me or throw their face away. I was utterly shocked at this kind of behaviour.

Once I ran into a girl who was a neighbour's friend, she was always knocking at my door borrowing one thing or the other, she knew my name and over time, we would have small talks when she comes to borrow something. I saw her in town and went to say "Hi", she turned and said "Do I know you?", I smiled and introduced myself, It was so awkward. I have so many experiences. Over time, I would hear people tell me "You are definitely not a PH girl o", PH girl was a tag. To get that tag, you had to have some characteristics which I consider as flaws but for some reason, it was a good thing. Another time, a neighbor in school came into my room, He was going through my photo album and saw pictures of myself and my family in Jamaica and London. He looked at me with a kind of facial expression, I asked 'what's wrong?, He said "So you have travelled out before and no one knows?, You look so simple, no one would ever know you travel a lot. He went ahead to tell some other neighbors. By the next day, girls who never spoke to me started to say hi regularly.

I struggled to keep being open minded and down to earth but my environment was different. A lot of people in my new environment had known themselves from childhood, formed cliques and was not ready to mingle with people outside their cliques. The unfriendly dispositions suddenly got to me and I changed. I was tired of the awkwardness that came with having to say hi to snobbish people. Back to my sister's question, I realize that I let the behaviour of others change me, this is wrong. I am the most down to earth and friendly person I know, I am not bragging, I know this as a fact. The world is so big, with so many humans that are yet to meet me, so why rob them of a chance to meet one of the most affable and  nicest person on earth, that would be wicked. I am back to my default setting, letting go and being who God created me to be, not the version, ugly experiences created.

Friendliness is being open toward other people. It means being curious,warm and inviting towards people you don't know well. If anyone has treated you otherwise, just let the experience go, don't change, there are nice people like you out there waiting for their paths to cross yours. I met my husband on Facebook, he was so down to earth and kind with words, we became friends, turned into lovers and got married. My advice to unfriendly people, being friendly doesn't cost you a dime, so treat others with respect and kindness.

Hair Talk.

A lot of folks believe that our hair can't grow in Nigeria and a lot of people think the weather doesn't favour growth. This is a myth, we know genes play a role in the growth of long beautiful hair. However, the Nigerian hair can grow, you just need to take care of it with the right routine and products.

We eat to grow and feel healthy, if we skip our 3 square meal, we feel hungry. Well, the same applies to your scalp, the scalp needs food in form of oils, water and vitamins and it needs it daily. The typical saloon in Nigeria doesn't have time to pay attention to your hair because they are too busy trying to make more money. So when they apply conditioner to your hair, they rinse it off almost immediately and you don't see the results of that product.

That is why I would advise you do a lot of D.I.Y (Do it yourself) at home. I wash my hair myself or sometimes my husband helps me. That way, no one rushes me. I take my time to part my hair into sections and apply my products to my hair.

Another myth says "If you don't buy expensive hair products, your hair won't grow", that is wrong. Choose products that work well with your hair. As a product junkie, I have tried a lot of hair products and discovered it's not the price of the product that aids in the growth of my hair. Your shelf could be full of expensive hair products and you still won't see any improvement. A routine on how you use your products would help you.

My hair stash 

Here are some products I use for my hair and I have seen amazing results in a short period, I say "amazing" because I cut my hair in August 2016 and I can put my hair in a bun already. The products I use are affordable, effective and produced with natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, carrot oil, olive oil, jojoba oil and shea butter. When it comes to solving scalp condition issues such as dandruff, flaking and itching, the At One with Nature brand has been a key innovator to assist in solving many of these scalp problems associated with dry scalp and dandruff.

My favourite "At one with nature" product would have to be their detangler, which is perfect for both natural and relaxed hair. Helps you comb your hair without stressing your scalp. Trust me, if you are on natural hair, you would fall in love with this detangler. The rules for natural hair is applicable to relaxed hair, since relaxed hair doesn't experience shrinkage, you are bound to see the results of sticking to a good hair routine faster than sisters with natural hair.

Are you looking to get your natural hair products? I get my natural hair products from Lush Naija. Lush Naija is a natural hair hub that stocks a variety of affordable and effective brands for natural hair. You can find them on Instagram: @lush_naija.

Connoisseur Of Style: Michelle Obama

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is an American lawyer and writer who was First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She is married to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Michelle Obama wearing Maki Oh

The world would always remember Michelle Obama as the first African-American First Lady. In the world of fashion, she would always be remembered as the first Lady who was always graceful, elegant, full of sophistication and poise.

Every time she stepped out for an event, she left us drooling over what she wore. Whether it is casual or formal, she makes a statement with whatever she wears. I love the fact that in her mix of designer clothing, Nigerian labels were found. She was occasionally spotted wearing Duro Olowu and Maki Oh.  It's always a joy to see Nigerian designers excel internationally. It inspires me.

Michelle Obama is an incredibly strong woman and a beautiful example for the youth. She plays an important role in demonstrating that young girls or women can  embody professionalism, beauty, romance, sophistication, refinement and still be covered up properly in clothes.

Do you consider yourself stylish and would you like to get featured on our "Connoisseur Of Style" segment? Interested? send an email to info@midefashioncounty.com.ng with subject "C.O.S" and we will get back to you.

Fashion Focus: Adire Lounge

Nigerians celebrate in different fabrics. With the popular "aso ebi" culture, we can barely do without fabrics, we are one of the largest market for the popular "Ankara" fabric. We have a lot of brands who produce bold or small prints. In the world of African fabrics, Adire stands out for its unique design. 

Adire is an indigo resist dyed fabric that is produced in South-Western Nigeria. Currently, in the fashion industry, Textile company "Adire lounge" is at the fore front of revamping Adire with assorted designs. 

Cynthia Okochu of Adire Lounge 

Cynthia Okochu is the beautiful brain behind the brand "Adire Lounge, she promotes the fabric and has been able to let fashion enthusiasts see the uniqueness of the fabric.

You can see more of Adire Lounge on Instagram. Follow their story by following @adirelounge. We can make the Nigerian fashion industry better when we patronize made-in Nigerian brands, you can rely on a lot of brands for quality, so stop making excuses. Lol!!!


Photo credit: Instagram- @adirelounge 

Connoisseur Of Style: Chimamanda Adichie

Renowned author "Chimamanda Adichie" is one Nigerian woman I admire from a distance. Her books have an excellent narrative of Nigeria. Her views on feminism might be a little offensive to a lot of Nigerians, I don't agree with all of her arguments but I support a few. Empowering women is key, which is what the celebrated author advocates for and I completely agree with her.

When it comes to style, I believe she can do no wrong. If I will rate her on a scale of 1 to 10, she gets a 10. Her style is so effortless yet so elegant. If you are a style fan of "modest and chic", then her wardrobe is probably one you would wish to raid.

She is also a major supporter of Nigerian fashion brands.  The fashion industry in Nigeria keeps improving and it is only fair that we start to promote our creativity. I hope I get to design a piece for her someday. She is the perfect muse.

Do you consider yourself stylish and would like to get featured on our "Connoisseur of Style" segment, then send an email to info@midefashioncounty.com.ng with subject "C.O.S" and we will get in touch with you. 

Thinking out loud: Common Natural Hair Myths

I personally decided to cut my relaxed hair and transition to natural hair. I was never lucky with relaxers, there was always a new brand in the market that a hair stylist would recommend to me but my hair always got burnt and still looked due for a retouch. I have full short hair and this is a miracle for someone who was called ''GORIMAKPA" by my aunties, I think it means ''someone with a hairless scalp''.

Transitioning was stressful at first because I did not have any knowledge on how to manage my new growth. With time, I did my research and discovered It was an easy task. After transitioning for 3 months, I did my big chop.

6 months after the big chop. Length check. You can see me sweating, all thanks to detangling after loosing a protective hair style.

I was in a fast food restaurant the other day, relaxing, chewing my meat pie as I was writing a new entry into my personal journal, I noticed a group of young folks starring at me, the stare was so obvious and rude, then I heard one of the girls say "they only wash their hair once in a year", it dawned on me that they were talking about my hair, the others laughed and someone said "that's impossible" but she continued saying ''people with natural hair washed their hair once in a year''. I had to correct them. When I am not rocking a protective hair style, I wash my hair every two weeks. 

I have a lot of people ask me questions about my natural hair and noticed there are plenty myths about our black natural hair, which are just false or exaggerated. I want to share some and debunk them.

1. “Natural Hair is Very Strong”

This is a misconception. It may look or even feel rough and tough, but it isn’t. Natural hair is actually fragile and has to be handled with much care. Why? Because the strands curl and bend so much that each curl is a possible breaking point because the bend in the strand weakens the shaft. In fact, many people assume people with natural hair have thick and strong hair strands when in fact they can have fine and wiry strands which can break easily.

2. “Natural Hair Can’t Be Combed.”

Naturally curly/kinky hair is not meant to be combed and styled like straight hair. Curly/kinky hair requires a whole new mind set in styling and you can’t work with kinky hair the way you do with relaxed hair. I can not and will not attempt to get a comb through my hair dry — only while it’s soaking wet with conditioner.

4. Natural hair products are expensive

There are low, mid and high priced natural hair brands in the markets. They all do the same job, It all depends on your hair type and how regular you take care of your hair. Just like relaxed hair, natural hair also has certain needs that certain brands cater to. Don't look down on the pocket friendly products because you can also get perfect results with them.

3. “Trimming Makes Natural Hair Grow.”

Even though trimming will improve the overall health of your hair by getting rid of split ends, it has nothing to do with the hair that grows out of your scalp. By trimming your hair, you are able to hold on to strands that don’t split, so you are able to see length because it’s not breaking and splitting. I had a friend who would hold on to her split, see-through ends in an attempt to grow her hair long. But she had to get a major haircut once a year to get rid of the splits, so each year she had to cut her hair shorter and shorter to make it healthy again. It was a never ending cycle that could have been prevented.

4. “You Shouldn’t Wash Natural Hair Too Often”

I grew up hearing that you can’t wash too often because our hair is very fragile. Maybe with relaxed hair, but washing is wonderful for natural hair. However, strong shampoos can be drying. If you do use shampoo be sparing with cleaners that contain sodium laurel sulphate. If SLS is too harsh for your strands, try a “conditioner wash”, using conditioner to cleanse your hair instead of shampoo.

5. “Water Will Dry Out Natural Hair”

Water is the best moisturizer for natural hair, so don’t be afraid to apply it! The key to maintaining a moisture balance is RETAINING the water that you do apply to your hair via sealing. Here is an article listing the two steps to effective moisturization.

Our hair is beautiful, whether relaxed or natural, the key to having healthy relaxed or natural hair is taking care of it, just the way we pay attention to our skin and body in general, our hair also needs that tender love and care. 

XOXO

THINKING OUT LOUD: Let's talk about training up a child.

I owe my dad a basket full of gratitude, my father was always there to let you know the difference between right and wrong or good and bad. There was no avenue for spoiling us, he wasn't the type of parent to spare the rod if you did something wrong as a child. There were days where he would correct with his mouth and there were days where he would correct with punishment. His favourite was one he called "stool down", some of you know it as "pick pin".

I remember how my sister and I used to tear out pages from our notebooks to create funny crafts. Our exercise books never lasted, my dad explained to us why it was wrong to play with our exercise books and to stop that silly behaviour, he numbered all the pages. So if page 15 was missing, you would have to give a very good explanation. He had a full time job as an Engineer and a full time job as a father. He never took anything for granted.

This affected the way we behaved outside the house, it made us respect his presence and absence. Our training was both formal and informal. This is why I was never the type of girl to fall for peer pressure, if I want something, I work for it, if I cannot get it at the time,  I remain contented till I can buy it for myself. I can say 80% of the kind of woman I turned out to be can be blamed on my father's ability to understand the importance of training his children. I have so many stories of my dad but I will leave that gist for another day. 

My BabaTee (That's his nickname, lol! a short form for Babatunde) and yours truly.

 These days, most young parents leave the duty of training their children to anyone. Charity begins at home, when you decide to let your children behave in a wrong way without any correction, you are leaving that child's future to chance or luck. I hear people make comments like this when their children misbehaves "he's just a child or she's just a child" and I don't understand them. Should the training of a child begin when he or she is a teenager or an adolescent?

I was in the hospital last week, while waiting to see the doctor, a little boy kept jumping all over the place, at first it seemed adorable because he was really cute but after a while, it became too much as he was disturbing a lot of adults. His mother kept shouting and chasing him. You could see that she was tired. A man seated close to me caught the toddler and held him down. He cried for a while, then became calm. The man looked at the mother and said "stop acting like he is bigger than you", she laughed and said "aah!!! he is bigger than me o!". I have seen people let their children stay up late on school days, they let them watch anything on tv till when they are ready to sleep. As a child, if the movie wasn't PG rated or strictly for children, there was no way my dad would let you see the movie. Children should have a time when they go to bed especially when they have to go to school. Just like some adults who have schedules, I believe children should have schedules too.

There should be a time for everything in their young lives. A time to play, a time to read, a time for siesta, a time for fun. Guide your children, don't let them do the guidance for you, it's your responsibility as a parent and remember this "If you don't give your children the proper training they need, society would assist you and in many cases, it won't be the kind of help you would like.   

Let's talk about the movie "HIDDEN FIGURES"

This past Friday was date night for me and bestie, the good Lord knows how much we needed one. The past few months has been all about "work and no play", that is what setting up a new business does to a couple who are partners in the same business. We decided to see the movie "Hiddden Figures", I didn't know what the movie was about and film house had run out of movie catalogues, just seeing Taraji  Henson and a little girl scribbling some maths on a chalk board caught my attention. It had to be an inspirational movie and so that's what we saw.

As a fashion enthusiast and a lover of all things vintage, I was immediately hooked, I wanted everything they wore in my wardrobe, vintage fashion is so classy, stylish and modest. Asides the fashion, I loved the story and related well with it because it was based on true events. Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson were female computers and pioneers who did their jobs during a time of racial and gender discrimination while acting with dignity and humanity. Lessons learned from the movie are patience in adversity, fortitude, integrity and perseverance in the face of discrimination and condescension.

They pushed the boundaries of what it meant to be a mathematician, a scientist or an engineer. This can be applied in every field of life we find ourselves, we should always thrive to do to the best of our ability.


xoxo...
Chioma Mide

Team Jesus Christ. What team do you belong to?

Do you postpone talking about Jesus to friends? Do you hold back when you see a friend backslide? (like it's a competition to make heaven). Do you compromise on God's standard because grace abounds? Romans 6:1, I beg you to desist from such ways.

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come quickly and will remove the candlestick out of thy place, except though repent "- Revelations 2:5

Be proud of whom you profess you love to, share this love with your family and  strangers, ask for the in-filling and out-pouring of the Holy Spirit; and don't be scared to shout God's fame. Who would you rather be, the smart five virgins or the virgins left behind? Matthew 25:1. The choice is yours. God is so forgiving, Jesus Christ came for the sinners and not the righteous, so every time you fall out of love with Him, don't give up because He won't give up on you. Run back to him. He is waiting with open arms.

 ...........................................................................

Testimony: God healed my friend's mom of cancer. "Health is Wealth", you will never understand this until you or your loved ones have to battle with any sickness.  Thankful for her life.

Thinking out loud: HE turned my mourning into dancing

On the 18th of March 2016, I lost someone precious to me, I went through an ugly experience on this day, it was the most painful experience I have ever had as an adult. Crying didn't seem to be enough, I was depressed, the nurses and doctors consoled me, my family provided their shoulders for me to lean on, my husband was more than helpful, while others asked me not to cry, He would ask me to let it all out.

I managed to sleep after crying a river, when I woke up, it felt like I had a bad dream but it was real. I was lost in my own thoughts, I smiled when I was spoken to, but deep down inside me, I was a mess. Completely heart broken. I took a break from life. Is that even possible? Oh Yes!. When nothing seems to bother you again, you simply do not care, when you focus on only work and nothing more, when all you want to do is be alone, that is what it feels like to take a break from life. It's gradual step towards depression. 

It was recommended I read the bible, study it and make a conscious effort to memorize the words in it. I took the advise, I started with Matthew, I decided to start with the new testament because I needed to hear Jesus Christ speak to me through the words about his promises for me. I started feeling better and all my depression was released, the mysteries in the bible were revealed to me and suddenly everything that mattered became a mirage.  I lost someone precious, it was an awful experience.  I was scared and hid in my closet, I almost let the grief steal my joy. 

Through studying the word of God, I was healed. No one should ever have to go through such a painful experience but the bible helped me understand I was going to see this person someday. Life on earth is a temporary journey, we are just spirits occupying a body, immortality can't be expressed through the flesh, we will have to die first. So death is inevitable, my prayer is that we get to live to an old age, get married, have children, dream, turn our dreams to reality, be merry, love, be fulfilled, serve the Lord in truth.

Before this ugly experience, I got hurt emotionally by some people I thought I knew. My dad had taken his time in the past to make me understand the world is brutal and you have to stand up for yourself when people either take you for granted or treat you in an ill manner because for some reason, they misread your meekness for vulnerability. Psalms 28:3 and Jeremiah 20:11 gives me comfort. The good Lord sees the heart and He will be the judge between me and anyone who persecutes me. 

The world is a battlefield, the devil is constantly trying to steal the joy of our salvation and the best way to get by is to be armoured with the words of God, prayers and fellowship. God will never fail you, I am a witness, He has saved me countless times. If you are going through something that makes you hopeless, sad or depressed, know that the truth in God's words can set you free. 

"Psalms 30:11 ~You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."

The natural skincare wonder : Oriflame.

I recently purchased a range of oriflame skin care products. I decided to do a review and maybe it could help a sister or more out there who constantly battle with pimples, blemish, acnes, black spots and oily skin.

Last year, I found out that products made with natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, tea tree oil, honey, lemon juice, carrot oil are friendly on our skins.

I had a chance to attend a business seminar in Abuja who had beauty entrepreneurs talk to us. I am not in the beauty business but as a woman, I love beauty products and I am always willing to learn how to take care of my skin in a healthy way.

One of the entrepreneurs mentioned that as women, we need to research the ingredients used in making the skin care products we use. I just buy, I never check what they are made from and a lot of ladies are like me. With my new found knowledge, I always make out time to research and understand the benefits of the ingredients used in my skin and hair products. Everyone in my personal life knows I am transitioning to natural hair, since I 've been chemical free, I 've been able to appreciate natural ingredients more.

If you have an oily skin, it only means like me, you suffer from enlarged pores, blackheads and a shiny complexion. Hence it requires gentle but thorough cleansing of impurities. I started using black soap, which is perfect for my body and complexion.

However, I need a good body lotion and facial cleanser made with natural ingredients to compliment my soap. Stumbled on Oriflame and I am completely satisfied with the results. Oriflame is a sweden skin care and beauty company.

I use Oriflame Love nature tea tree oil face lotion, which is easy to absorb and provides a lightweight hydration for my face.

I also use "love nature tea tree oil blemish solver", which helps to dry out and clear blemishes. For my body, I use Happy skin, which is another famous skincare product under the Oriflame brand, it has a lovely smell, it is good for normal as well as dry skins and contains sesame oil which is a natural ingredient.

Oriflame has a range of other lovely skincare products suitable for different skin types and ages.

There is nothing more pleasant than letting your skin experience the beauty of nature. Oriflame has given me the value for my money.

If you would like to try Oriflame, contact one of their beauty consultants by calling +2347015 627 338 or chatting with her on BBM: 56644BF5.

Because Jesus lives... Happy Easter!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Who is He? He introduced himself in John 14:6.

Today's Easter service seemed to be for me. It felt like God decided to speak to me through the pastors who preached the sermon.

I have celebrated Easter several times but this year, I clearly understand the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It gives me a new form of peace knowing that when He died, He beared the brunt of my sins, cares, burdens, frustrations, worries, all other negative effects of sin and He traded it for everlasting life, peace, joy, happiness, good health, hope, love and so much more.

It doesn't matter how the world treats you or me, it doesn't matter if today or the past seems annoyingly bleak, it doesn't matter if people or the devil persecute you for no just reasons, it doesn't matter if you are mocked for believing in Jesus Christ, it doesn't matter if life has scared you, you need to know that the enemy trembles every time because Jesus lives forever and He has paid all the debt we owe, He has shamed the enemy and removed our name from the book of death and included it in the book of life.

As long as we continue to believe and hold unto Jesus Christ, we will keep winning. Jesus won the battle a long time ago. We are more than conquerors when we believe.

Happy Easter beautiful people, He lives!!!

Tales of an entrepreneur: Road to women’s business growth

February and March has been a "busy bee" month for team MFC. We are thankful for all the heavenly favours and awesome people who continue to believe in our vision for Mi'De Fashion County.

I have not had a chance to blog lately, so I thought it would be nice to check up on my virtual friends (smiling as I type).  How have you been?

We were recently selected to be part of the Road to Women’s Business Growth Programme sponsored by the Cherie Blaire Foundation and ExxonMobil in partnership with EDC. I had a chance of learning more on accounting and finance in general.

The project was delivered via a unique blended learning approach which combined in-class learning with online e-modules. It is absolutely blissful to be a financial literate, especially when you are a business owner.

First day of in-class training. Floral skirt by Mi'De Fashion County. 

Lesson learned during this project: Take responsibility for your personal and professional development.

THE BOOK WORM 001 : Book for the month "How they started 'Global Brands' "

In the spirit of making reading an addictive habit of mine, I decided to start the year with the book "How they started, Global brands". I enjoy inspiration but value lessons more and this book has taught me a dozen of lessons.

This book is about 21 businesses that began by someone acting on their idea, making the decision to start a business, these businesses then grew to be incredibly successful and world renowned. Now I'm sure this describes someone out there. The product or service you offer might just be at an idea, market testing, market entry, growth or failure stage, this book will inspire you and help you understand how global business leaders worked hard, got it right, failed, started all over and preserved  to earn global recognition, patronage and a huge net profit.

If you are looking for inspiration, you'll be inspired, the entrepreneurs discussed in  this book started out early, some were middle-aged and some were old when they started their business venture. It helps you understand that age is no barrier for walking down the road of entrepreneurship.

If there is a problem in the world and your idea is going to solve it, this book inspires you to take a risk to be that problem solver the world needs. You could be in secondary school, university, working or retired, you can still embark on this adventure  called "Entrepreneurship". I call it an adventure because it is an exciting and remarkable experience with unknown risks.

Have you read any book that changed your life for good? Kindly share the title and author with me. Leave it as a comment or  mail me. Thank you.

Inspiration: LIVE AND LEARN WHILE YOUNG.

Everyone makes mistakes but no matter how much humiliation, pain or sadness they may cause, every misstep helps us learn and grow and ultimately be better people. In fact, some mistakes are even necessary for your future success and you should try to make them while you are still young as it helps you build the skills necessary to deal with change.

"If young persons don't learn that failure is part of growing early on, then they may be less equipped to deal with failure later on in life," Kerr says.

Here are some necessary mistakes everyone should make before turning 30:

Feel entitled, at least once
Assuming you were going to get that promotion or be assigned an important project or made a team leader are all mistakes you should make at least once. Learning from these types of mistakes will remind you not to take things for granted and not to sit back and assume something will be handed to you.

Say what's on your mind
This is the part of growing up and navigating relationships, both personal and professional. Making the mistake of deeply offending someone can serve as a wake up call to be more empathetic around others and help you develop better communication skills.

Burn bridges
Obviously, you don't want to do this frequently, but making the mistake of burning a bridge once or twice can actually be beneficial. It's sometimes more challenging to see the long term consequences of our actions when we are younger and burning bridges can come back to haunt us in substantial ways. Learning to walk away from a difficult situation on a positive note with your head held high is an important lesson throughout your life.

Be passive
It's natural, especially when you are young, to sometimes sit back and want to please everyone in hopes of making sure everyone gets along but being too passive and not learning to ask for what you want can lead to missed opportunities and the earlier you learn that lesson,the better.
P/S: I personally learned this lesson the hard way.

Stick with a terrible job
Even if your boss is horrible and the pay is bad, don't give up and jump the ship. Stick around for a while and try to find a solution even if it seems like a terrible move at the time. The way you handle yourself in this situation will forever shape the way you treat people when you are in charge.

Hit rock bottom
Before the wildly successful "Harry Potter" series came to life. J.K Rowling was a single mom in her 30s on welfare with no job, no money and a child to raise in her own. In a 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University, Rowling discussed how hitting rock bottom forced her to finish the first Harry Potter book. She said "I've often met people who are terrified, you know, in a straitjacket of their own making, because they'd rather do anything than fail. They don't want to try for the fear of failing," she says.
"Hitting rock bottom wasn't fun at all. I'm not romanticizing rock bottom but it was liberating. What did I have to lose?"

I read this article in an edition of "IN THE CITY".

It inspired me and I decided to share it with my readers, I hope it inspires you too.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Article was originally published in the August 2015 edition of "In the City".

Photo Credit: Chioma Olamide Egbelu.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES!!!

Professional Tailors needed at Mi'De Fashion County

Location : PORT HARCOURT 

Job description 

• Guiding and teaching interns or freelancers.

• High quality work under fast pace.

• Highly motivated, flexible and team-player.

• Good communication skills.


MAJOR PREFERENCE would be given to applicants with the following tailoring skills :

• Ability to interpret sketched designs and 
  produce clothing with excellent finishings.

• Excellent hand in both fluid and structured

   garments.

• Good understanding of patterns.

Interested individuals should send the following
to this email : info@midefashioncounty.com.ng

1. A  copy of your  CV.

2. A picture sample of a clothing you personally
     created .

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

I'm a day late to scream "Happy New Year" virtually, I am so sorry.

Happy New Year Beautiful People!!!

Wishing you a blissful 2016, Thanks for sticking around and for your continued patronage.

*****************************************************************************

 In other news, The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme application portal is now open to all African entrepreneurs to apply.

I am a proud alumni. TEEP was part of the best things that happened to me in 2015. It's an educative and unforgettable experience, trust me when I say "Your life as an entrepreneur would never remain the same after TEEP".

I encourage you to apply by clicking the link below
http://tonyelumelufoundation.org/teep/

As the days in 2016 unfold, I dare you to take a chance to make your dreams come true. If you are a budding entrepreneur, you can start with TEEP.


XOXO

Chioma Olamide Egbelu.

Love life tatafo

Merry Christmas Lovelies, I hope you had an awesome day celebrating Jesus Christ and you had a chance to be wrapped up in the love, peace and warmth of this holy season.

I enjoyed mine, it was my first Christmas with my husband. I got married last week to my best friend, it was an intimate ceremony with my family and close friends. Nothing cliché.

I've shared a couple of musical lyrics on my blog to inspire my readers. Today, I want to dedicate the lyrics of Tyrese's "Best in me" to my best friend / husband. The first time I listened to this song, I was in a friend's room, the lyrics described what I would love in a lifetime partner and I think an angel passed by me on that day because my husband describes someone I had always prayed and longed for.

He is God fearing, he is beautiful inside and outside, I know "beautiful is not an adjective to describe a male" but it fits perfectly to describe him. He is so kind and down to earth. His humility inspires me, his jokes are soothing especially on days when I am stressed. In a nutshell, he is the man of my dreams and the "Prince Charming" that I hoped will sweep me off my feet in an imaginative glass slipper.  Lol!

                               

  Best in me  by Tyrese (Dedicated to my husband)

What a joy it is to be loved by you
My most precious gift, my guardian angel
I believe God sent you here to slow me down.
And So whatever it takes imma keep you around baby.

I feel like i can conquer the world with you by my side.
cause of your unconditional love
baby that's why
You bring out the best in me
cause you are the best baby
And if I had to do it again (I'll still choose you)
You bring out the best of me
Cause you are the best baby


I feel like i can conquer the world with you by my side
Cause of your unconditional love
baby that's why
You bring out the best in me
cause you are the best baby
And if I had to do it again (I'll still choose you)
You bring out the best of me
Cause you are the best baby

So if you're feeling like you got that man
You think he's the best
You think he's the world
Throw your hands up and sing to the world
He's the best. he's the best man
So the next time you see a man and you think he's fine
Look him in the eye and be like Na Na
He can never be like mine, mine
Cause He's the best, he's the best man

You bring out the best in me
cause you are the best baby
And I had to do it again (I'll still choose you)
You bring out the best in me
Cause you are the best baby.



Note: Tyrese was singing to a lady. So I've altered the lyrics to replace she/her with he/him.

When you are in love, you wish time could stand still but it doesn't. I'm on a new journey and with the grace of God by our side, I hope to bask in the glory of each moment spent with you.

Blog entry dedicated to Victor Egbelu


Compliments of the season.

xoxo

Chioma Olamide Egbelu