So, you think boys don’t need attention? Think again
The Affirmed Boy, is a book by Nigerian writer Queenette Enilama, that could change the way we raise our boys. At a time when the negative effects of social media and peer pressure, are wreaking havoc on the developmental process of the boy child, The Affirmed Boy is a book that gives boys an affirmation that they are enough and do not need to succumb to all the pressure to belong.
They can be positive influencers and immune to negative influence. Each page contains a unique lesson, in the form of an affirmation, that tackles a specific challenge in the life of a growing boy. Following the declaration of the affirmation, there is a supporting biblical scripture and a short but boy-tailored prayer, he would love to say. The affirmation page is followed by a Notes page where the reader can write thoughts and feelings about the lesson learned that day. Each page is colorful, with images to enhance its aesthetic value and make for a pleasurable read. At the end of the book, the affirmed boy would have begun to discover himself and develop self-awareness, self-worth and self-confidence, as well as, a well-rounded and emotionally sound.
The Affirmed Boy is a daily companion developmental book for boys between the ages of 6 and 14 years.
The Affirmed Boy is published by TAF PUBLISHING VENTURES Published: 18/05/2019 Available online at https://paystack.com/pay/affirmationforboys or you can pay into Zenith Bank account 2008632045, then send request, with proof of payment to WhatsApp at the number listed below. Queenette Enilama is a writer, certified Emotional Intelligence Coach and Co-Founder of the “NoBoyLeftBehind” Initiative, with a contagious passion for the boy child. She has written several stories, reviewed on a number of online platforms and is set to launch a series of E-books in the coming months. Her No Boys Left Behind initiative, trains, and grooms young boys and teenagers into excellent young men, with a different and responsible perspective on society. For more information about The Affirmed Boy, or to schedule an interview, with Queenette, please contact her on 09096780595 or email her at qenilama@gmail.com
The ability to work effectively with others on a task
involves learning to listen well, respecting the opinions of others,
communicating effectively and embracing each other’s strength to accomplish a
goal.
The ability to work effectively with others on a task
involves learning to listen well, respecting the opinions of others,
communicating effectively and embracing each other’s strength to accomplish a
goal.
So you just got a new job and you’re wondering what to do to
be successful on the job? This article seeks to address necessary skills you
would need to be successful on a job regardless of the level of your role.
Ability to handle
pressure
If you work in a fast paced environment, you’re most likely
to work under extreme pressure. This means having to deal with constraints out
of your control. Unexpected events or problems are bound to come up in the
workplace, you should learn how to work well in these circumstances, so you
don’t panic or lose sight of the job.
Collaboration/Team
work
Most workplace environment involves relating to different
kinds of people. The ability to work effectively with others on a task involves
learning to listen well, respecting the opinions of others, communicating
effectively and embracing each other’s strength to accomplish a goal.
Self-Management/Motivation
The ability to manage yourself to accomplish the required
task is important for success on the role. No manager would like to manage
someone that would need frequent hand holding. You need to take the initiative
and be accountable for every success or failure. In a workplace where most employees are
dissatisfied for various reasons which tend to affect productivity,
self-motivation is an important skill to develop which gives you the strength
to perform exceptionally.
Flexibility
The workplace is constantly changing and only people who are
flexible enough to the changes will thrive. You have to be willing and able to
adapt in order to meet individual and business needs.
Ability to accept
criticism
Nobody is totally perfect, so there would be instances were
colleagues and bosses would be direct with you and tell you as it is. Some may
be emotionally intelligent to make it constructive while some may not be. Learn
to take corrections and avoid justifying or making excuses. Learn from the
mistakes and move on. Don’t weep over spilled milk.
Emotional
intelligence
Fundamental aspects of emotional intelligence include
empathy, self-awareness, social skills, self-regulation and motivation. Being
emotionally intelligent helps you to understand your emotions, manage your
emotions as well as manage other emotions.
Time management
This is an important skill to have, especially when there
are numerous tasks within a limited time frame. One thing that has helped me is
having a To-Do list. This helps me ensure that I am deliberate in all my
activities. Google Calendar is a lifesaver, but most people think it’s too much
stress to use it.
Every morning, I write down my tasks, set a timeline for
myself, fix some on my calendar, leave some allowance for distractions and
stick with it.
Also, learn to say no to things. Learn to prioritize; and
most importantly, avoid unnecessary distractions that eat into your time.
Problem solving
Problems will definitely arise in the workplace and you were employed to solve a problem if not, you won’t be hired. For me, a star employee is someone that sees a solution in every problem. Have the mindset that nothing is impossible and work towards it. If you’re the kind of person that always goes back to their boss for issues when they arise, you may have a problem. Go with possible solutions and steps you have taken to address an issue.
On a recent Instagram post, Mo Abudu shared tips on how we can overcome our fears and start achieving successes. Above all, the need to believe we are as important like the important people we look up to.
Read her note here
….. I have said it time and time again, IF YOUR DREAMS DO NOT SCARE YOU, THEN THEY ARE SIMPLY NOT BIG ENOUGH!!! Please be rest assured that FEAR is part of the process.
Often times fear is caused by a lack of preparation. Overcoming fear is about being prepared and mapping out your plan. This leads me to the most popular reason you all gave for not achieving your dreams–PROCRASTINATION!!!
I strongly believe FEAR AND PROCRASTINATION work hand in hand. Once you map out your plan and start to work your plan – taking it in baby steps or big leaps and jumps depending on how you approach things, you will start to see progress. This is where PROCRASTINATION ends!!! As I always say, “IF YOU CAN THINK IT – YOU CAN DO IT”.
The challenge is how many of us are moving beyond “thinking” – we have to get up and “Do It”. Please do not be fooled by thinking the most successful people in this world are more intelligent than you or better than you – the secret is that they get up and “do” everyday! Never giving up! Never getting tired! Never taking no for an answer. This is the key to success. So please start drawing up those plans now and start doing!#MoAbudu
Favour Osiri Wisdom is an encourager, a certified marriage and relationship mentor with The Institute of Marriage and Family Affairs USA. A certified negotiation and conflict analysis expert with (USIP). United States Institute for Peace. She is the coordinator of the foremost marriage academy in the south south region of Nigeria; The Wisdom Driven Marriage Academy in the city of Port Harcourt which equips both married and intending marriage couples to acquire skills to build the marriage of their dreams.
Favour is passionate about women and girls. Having suffered so much under intense poverty growing up as the first child amongst seven children. She founded the Model Woman Foundation in 2016 where she mentors weekly organizing online seminars. She and her Pastor husband are presenters of a weekly relationship show called “For better for us” on Facebook . She recently authored two books tilted How Not to Marry an I.D.I.O.T and Before You Marry.
Favour believes her background cannot keep her back on the ground and she is determined to help restore more homes. She shares her story in this inspiring and educative interview.
Childhood My childhood is full of interesting events that have shaped me into the woman I am today. I didn’t have luxury growing up so being the first child amongst 7 children; my mind was constantly processing on what next to do to make money.
I learnt how to braid hair at age 10 and every Christmas season I made money from braiding hair I wanted to go to school at all cost because at that time I was going to be the first graduate in my compound ( both in my maternal and paternal home) .The poverty around me was just too much, I sold oranges during its season, I was involved in the “bole” business (roasted fish and plantain) which I inherited from my mother.
I ran a bukka joint in a mechanic garage at age 19. In 1998 I went to NYSC orientation camp in the city where I lived at that time to do food business.
When I saw the corp members come to buy food from my stand, I remember weeping one day because I wanted to be like them. I thank God I later saved up money from my mechanic garage food business to buy forms into the Polytechnic and went on to become the first graduate in my family (maternal and paternal) with many other degrees. All of these experiences are instrumental to what I do now which is to encourage and stir women around me to rise up
Inspiration behind The Wisdom Driven Marriage Academy and The Model woman foundation The wisdom driven marriage academy kicked off in 2016 and has brought illumination to a lot of singles and married couples. The testimonies are amazing.
The Modelwoman foundation is my gift to womanhood. It was founded in 2016. I am an encourager so I never fail to shamelessly use myself as an example of a woman who dare to excel against all odds I could speak to someone for hours with the intent to make sure they move to another level.
I was doing this with women around me and I saw them began to soar and felt I could reach more women globally using technology so in 2016, we started on whatsapp with few women and today we are grateful. We now hold an online conference tagged “The Complete woman Conference and a live conference tagged “Ignite”
My books; how Not to Marry an I.D.I.O.T & Before You Marry
How not to marry an I.D.I.O.T came as a result of my personal experience of manifesting these traits in the past and my interaction with intending couples and married couples alike. I have seen people marry with all the red flags telling them not to and the marriage breaks after few months. Some people also think marriage does not require skills but it does seriously.
Infact it is the most skilled intensive venture I know because you are dealing with the emotions and destiny of people. I.D.I.O.T is an acronym for traits which are red flags telling you not to continue with the relationship. People with Idiotic attitude are not ready to learn, they want to do marriage the way they like.
A lot of marriages are going through pain because of these Idiotic attitudes. The beautiful thing about the book is that it proffers solution on how to overcome these traits as a single or married person and gives you a step by step approach to end a forever idiotic relationship.
Before You Marry is a compilation of 50 things (There might be more) to consider before you marry. The book is to help intending couples with some of the relevant questions and discussions they need to have before they walk the aisle we live in the age where people see marriage as the next thing to check on their list without asking relevant questions. Questions reveal a lot of things.
Impact of Model Woman The modelwoman foundation has been a blessing to a lot of women. Most of these women I have never met because 90% of our engagement is online.
The vision of the foundation is to build excellent legacies so we deployed the strategy of pray and learn. Weekly we pray and organize seminar sessions addressing different issues. We have testimonies of over 60 women who have started new businesses in the group, women who had no idea on what business to start when they joined us, we have marriages restored through the seminars in the group, we have women discovering their purpose and pursuing them.
We have women who have been spiritually revived, the sessions on parenting was life transforming for the women. we have single mums, divorcees in our midst whose self esteem has been restored and are doing so well. We have ladies who were so deep into being side chic to married men end the relationships and turned a new leaf, we have married women involved in illicit relationships end the relationships and became purpose driven.
Challenges I work with women mostly, the challenge has been the limiting mindset where some of them believe they can’t get to certain heights because of their gender.
Another challenge is some people think getting married is the next thing to be checked on their list without adequately preparing for marriage. They prepare for wedding and not marriage. Just like flying a plane requires skills, marriage, even relationship in the work place requires skills else the marriaage will crash like a plane manned by an ignorant person.
Some couples are excited and working hard ontheir marriage, it is not that they have not had issues, they were only equipped with tools to handle even challenging seasons in their marriage.
Other Projects I have a passion for women, I also want them to pass the same passion to their daughters so we have the Mum and Daughter Ball (MDB) which is aimed at creating that intentional bonding relationship.
The maiden edition will hold this year. I also have a project for single mums and single dads which will come up before the end of this year. The big one is the Wisdom driven marriage retreat and resorts. A place for couples to unwind and bond.
Reward The testimonies of changed lives. One incident is a single lady who has been in a relationship with a married man for many years and depended on him for financial assistance. She told me she had always wanted to end the relationship but couldn’t because of the financial assistance she was getting.
Through the sessions on the modelwoman platform, she was able to break free and has an amazing life today working and making a living. So my greatest rewards are women who have found themselves and are unapologetically living their best lives.
On the cause of broken marriages lately Ignorance is a big issue. I am a firm believer that whatever you are not skilled in, you will kill and if you keep doing it for a long time, it can kill you.. People go to different schools to acquire knowledge in different fields and that’s why they do well. Communication skills, negotiations skills, parenting skills, financial skills and many other skills to build a solid marriage.. These skills are supposed to be acquired pre and post wedding.
Most pre-marital counseling curriculum are not updated to even handle today’s peculiar challenges. When these skills are lacking, marital frustrations begins to set it.. Many people want it fast and are not ready to be patient. Another example is when you do not recognize that the spouse you married 20 years ago has changed and you also need to change.( change here means growth)
To women who are about to get married
Discover yourself before you say yes to a marriage proposal. Your purpose in life will guide your choice. Be economically empowered.
Go into marriage as an asset not a liability. Be equipped with the skills and ensure your would be husband does same. Do not give in to pressure to marry anyone just because everyone around you is getting married. You will stand alone when the heat comes as those who pressured you will be no where to be found.
Give the relationship time. Ask questions. Because I am a Christian and believe that God ordained marriage, I will encourage that women talk to God about their proposed spouse or marriage. Also don’t be carried away by emotions, ensure both of you are agreeable.
My Inspiration My husband is my number one inspiration and cheer leader. The way he handles pressures and responds when there is a challenge is inspiring.
My 3 wise children constantly push me to study because of the enormous potential they carry. Every day I want to become a better parent who will continually unleash their potential for them to impact their world.
Being a woman of Rubies Wow! I decided long ago I was going to make a positive mark on every woman I meet. So intentionally mentoring them and ensuring they follow the process to make progress is what I think makes me a woman of rubies.
When we as women collaborate and not compete we will achieve so much because value is in people not places.
God has trapped what we need in relationships. Having the skills to find and nurture these relationships as women will make life so easy. So I must commend Women of Rubies for what they are doing by celebrating women. That’s the spirit!
Final words of advice for women all over the world Lookout for other women in your community, office, neighborhood. Collaborate, don’t compete. Aspire to the highest level God has designed for you. Don’t think because you are a woman you are inferior; you are the express image of God. Learn from other women. Celebrate a sister whose time of shinning has come and you will attract same.
You are offered a nice job position, in a nice communication agency, well located. You feel great.This was supposed to be the biggest announcement of 2019 so far.
First day : everyone is smiling at you, welcoming, but you don’t know how to act, feeling everyone’s look upon you. 15 days later, you’re done. Nobody speaks to you.
My first (and peculiar) reaction : asking Google about that. Because that state of loneliness hit me so hard that something in my head told be to check on the internet if I could share this with other people. I found several psychological/kind of depressing articles, but didn’t find anything appropriate. These were just a bunch of people complaining without giving advices about it.
Being connected to a social circle has never been so important as far as Facebook, Twitter Instagram or Snapchat have (or at least one of them) taken over our lives. (Really ?). But Internet is another problem.
At work, indifference is the greatest contempt
People at work can be even more cruel and can really destroy you for no particular reason. When you’re highly implicated, work hard, do the best you can and all of a sudden you feel so bad because you see people gathering themselves to talk, make private jokes, working (or acting like working) closely together, trust me, it is normal to feel left behind.
Welcome to ostracism. A land where your imagination is tortured everyday. It is not about being sensitive, because sensitivity is different from one person to another. It is strictly about being ignored.
So how can you handle at work ?
Right now, your boss is not talking to you anymore, and you’re one of these scared “millenial” that thinks that work should be a place where you can express yourself, in a blossoming workspace, with some intricate and thrilling frameworks, imagining stories that matters. And you’re not doing any of these things. You’re not fitting to the work spirit of the company, and now, panic-stricken.
All social interactions with your coworkers are slowly going down, to the point of not even saying “hello/goodbye”. It’s going wrong for real. And this ostracism can lead to depression, because feeling useless and hopeless
1 — Stop complaining
Did I mention that I’m French ? I think it is truly specific to my country. People are complaining every minute in advertising/digital agencies. About clients, about emails, about the amount of work, about the boss… This is clearly annoying. Their time spent complaining could be used doing real-work no ?
So if you’re being ostracized, be strong, and simply face this fact as it is. Being down-to-earth is very useful when facing that kind of situation. It is important to visualise the situation to better go forward and being less stressful.
2 — Dig up your mind
Ok so, now that you have understood the situation, let the anger and worries go and stop trying to make clumsy conclusions or getting ahead of yourself, asking “but why is this happening, what did I do, did I made something wrong, maybe I’m not good enough…” In every overrated advertising agencies, people are mostly the same, so you will face this situation in every one of them. Just sayin’. I’ve been working in agencies for 4 years, and it’s been exactly the same, most of the people are faking work.
“Think outside the box, make things that change things” (and other posh mottos), they said. Agencies are mainly copy and paste. They are baking and re-baking ideas since 1980’s, but with higher prices, using the same Istock / Getty / Shutterstock/ Thinkstock image banks. Using the same reportings with so low Facebook interactions, not even asking themselves what people would like to see when interacting with brands. It is really funny since I’m writing this from my desk, in a nice advertising agency, observing people writing emails, sending Gif or tagging themselves on the last Tasty recipe on Facebook.
If you are feeling alone and like you’re in the spam box, it’s seriously no big deal. You have now time to think about yourself and step back at how different you are, simply by speaking your mind and asserting yourself .
3 — Just do something else with your free time
Now that you are barely transparent, you can do things far more interesting than nothing. Meaning : “Great ! I’m out of this sham and mockery system.” Read, take time for yourself, leave your phone, learn something you didn’t know. In a nutshell, be curious.
If you read this, you can now take a deep breath and play down the situation. And if you want more cool, follow me 🙂
Adefunke Anurukem is the Managing Director of Auto Dome Limited, one of the very few female entrepreneurs operating in the male-dominated Nigerian automotive industry. She talks about the challenges and motivation in a business majorly run by men
Let’s meet you please My name is Adefunke Anurukem, an alumnus of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and Fate Foundation and Education Development Centre (EDC). I am the Managing Director of Auto Dome Limited. Auto Dome is a one-stop shop for all automotive needs. Our services include automobile sales, provision of after sales services, fleet management, logistics and sale of car care products. I am also the current president of the Women in Automotive Sector Association (WASA), our aim is to bring together all women in the automotive business and discuss our challenges, fears, future aspirations, and proffer solutions. We provide assistance and empowerment to new women entrepreneurs in the automotive business.
How many years have you been into this business? I have over 17 years experience working in the automotive industry in Nigeria. I worked with several Nigerian automotive franchises before branching out and starting Auto Dome in 2010.
How has the exchange rate affected the automobile business? Our business is solely dependent on foreign exchange, since most of the cars are produced and assembled outside the country, as a result, exchange rate fluctuations over the past few years have significantly affected the Automobile industry, with the 2015 devaluation of the Naira being the worst hit. Another challenge faced by the automotive industry is the increase in Custom duties, which has significantly increased the cost of doing business. In the face of these challenges, we at Auto Dome have had to re-strategise and optimise our business processes in order to stay afloat.
How has your experience been like in relation to the number of years you’ve been in the industry? The business climate in Nigeria is ever evolving. When we started Auto Dome in 2010, we had our own fair share of challenges. We made some mistakes, because we were naïve in some areas of our operations. Initially, our focus was solely on car sales, but after careful analysis of clients’ demands over the years, we have added a range of services and products.
Now that we are over eight years in the business, we are looking at opening more branches nationwide and signing a franchise deal to represent a reputable international brand here in Nigeria. One key factor in setting up a business in any industry is to have first-hand industry knowledge, product knowledge, and understanding of government policies and how it affects your industry. In my experience, business has been challenging, interesting, tasking, but very fulfilling, in spite of all the odds against business owners in Nigeria. Everyday comes with its own unique challenges that you must device a unique ways to solve. However, solving tasking problems in business expands your capacity to face more and get good results
How did you grow the business and what were the challenges? Growing the business has been solely by the grace of God and passion for what I do. Whether it’s car sales, servicing, leasing, fleet management or selling care products, were solving problems and adding value. As an ambassador of my brand, the most important thing has been to identify customer needs and provide solutions that best suit them. By doing these we have been able to grow the business over the years. Challenges growing up were majorly pressure from the society seeing you as a woman and setting limits on how far you can reach. Moreover, I have always loved to challenge myself and tread where others are afraid to tread. I try to not see any limit to what I can achieve, and that has continued to give me the energy to conquer challenges.
What are your inspiring feedbacks? Oh! I’ve had some interesting feedbacks in my time. You hear things like, “Wow! A woman selling cars? “You behave like a man!’ At first I used to feel offended but as I grew in the business I began to see it as a compliment. Also some clients have come back and said “I find you very professional in your dealings.” Some of the most important customer feedbacks, however, are expressions of satisfaction with products and services, repeat purchases from clients and good referrals. These are key for us and we get loads of such.
Where do you see your business in the next five years? In five years, we would have opened more branches, in at least three more Nigerian cities and have become a franchise holder for Nigerian-assembled automobiles with specifications cutting across the board, thereby adding to economy growth in the country.
What’s your advice to younger ones? Keep your eyes on the ball. There are a lot of distractions out there, but remain focused and have a plan. Don’t go into business because you want to outdo the other person. Develop a passion for what you do, because when the tough times come that’s what will sustain you. Lastly, always have a CAN DO spirit and believe in yourself because the sky is just the starting point.
What is your motivation? Firstly, God, because without him I am nothing. I also have a solid family support, without their constant love and affection, I would have been much more affected by the highs and lows of business life. Thirdly, myself, I am a self-starter, you are the only one who can pull yourself from your inner strength genuinely. Finally, I have other mentors, accountability partners and colleagues in the industry that I look up to. I also read articles, books and reviews of selected role to stay motivated.
To what extent have you leveraged on technology in growing your business: I cannot over emphasize how much technology has helped in growing our business. In the early years sales were made mostly by personal contact. In that regard, a lot of staff were required to go out and look for prospective clients, which in itself proved quite difficult, because information was not readily available. However, with the improvements in digital technology, business can be done faster and at lower operational costs. The advent of interconnectivity and globalization (the early days of the fourth industrial revolution) has been phenomenal! We have been able to transact business successfully with numerous customers all around the world, thereby growing our clientele base. It is so amazing that we have even made major sales off of WhatsApp Status updates!
I am sure there are still a lot of positive technological advancements to come and we at AutoDome will continue to strategically position ourselves in order to harness its power to achieve our aims and objectives in this business.
This week was the week proud new parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have presented their new-born son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to the world. Also the week BBC Radio host Danny Baker was fired Thursday after tweeting out a cartoon the day before representing the new royal baby as a chimpanzee in a suit, with the caption: “Royal baby leaves the hospital.”
Baker, an award-winning host as well as a comedy writer and journalist, initially deleted the tweet and apologized for its contents.
“Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up,” he tweeted first. “Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out it’s possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that’s it.”
As the backlash kicked off on social media, in a desperate attempt to make amends, Baker tweeted,
“Once again. Sincere apologies for the stupid unthinking gag pic earlier. Was supposed to be joke about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted. Royal watching not my forte. Also, guessing it was my turn in the barrel.”
Then he tried yet again, relaying an exchange at his door with a Daily Mail reporter. Baker’s irritation was showing as the reporter allegedly asked him, “Do you think black people look like monkeys?”
“This was a serious error of judgment and goes against the values we as a station aim to embody,” the BBC said in a statement Thursday, as the broadcaster decided to let the presenter go. “Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”
Shortly after he had been fired, Baker turned on his former employer for making the decision to let him go.
“The call to fire me from @bbc5live was a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity,” he tweeted Thursday. “Took a tone that said I actually meant that ridiculous tweet and the BBC must uphold blah blah blah. Literally threw me under the bus. Could hear the suits knees knocking.”
In an LBC interview after he was fired, Baker told James O’Brien: “It was put up there as a joke about class. It was supposed to be preposterous about toffs leaving. The idea that there was any racial basis for it … it came out of my own ignorance.
“I curdled that I thought anyone could have thought that was the intent behind that photo.”
A whole 24 hours after the radio host shared the offensive post the backlash continued with many criticising Baker, including ITV News anchor Charlene White who said, “To claim ‘ignorance’, and give a half-hearted apology – again full of jokey ‘banter’ – despite people highlighting just how clearly offensive it is, is also unacceptable. That’s not the world we live in now. Those who live in privilege must be held to account” and writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch who tweeted: “Not only does Danny Baker post an image comparing a baby w African heritage to an ape, but he has the audacity to say problem is that those of us who point out how racist it is have ‘diseased minds’.”
Hirsch’s comment right here sums it all up For those still wondering what the brouhaha is all about – and there are indeed many of them still pondering all over Twitter and Facebook. One such today came across Mr O’s rant on Facebook and ventured to comment, “Pretty sure he meant it as ‘the kid is gonna become another royal monkey being controlled and pranced around by higher ups without proper freedom’ rather than anything racial. Completely unfair to fire him based on his post. From the statement also he didn’t mean it as some people understood it.”
What is perhaps equally as troubling as, if not more so than, Baker’s original tweet is the defence he offers for his actions, which is echoed by those who see no wrongdoing in Baker’s behaviour. And it can be summed up in two words: white privilege.
No need pointing out Baker’s race and privilege. Needless to add, the aforementioned clueless commentator is another member of the white privilege club where the colour of one’s skin and the privileges that naturally come with it make one blind to connotations and in fact blatant codes of racism, such as depicting the biracial offspring of the Duke and Duchess as a chimp.
White privilege is also the same disease that caused similar blindness in 2018 when H&M outraged its black audience with their ill-advised ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’ hoody, incidentally worn by a black kid.
Also the same disease which made Heineken and its supporters equally deaf to the racial undertones of the tagline ‘sometimes lighter is better’ the brand used to market its light beer.
There are countless examples from the world of modern media and advertising to show just how rampant white privilege still is and how so many are blind and deaf to the connotations of certain imagery and words which struck a chord with a racially diverse audience. But to suffer from the white privilege disease and then accuse those offended of having ‘diseased minds’? So glad karma served up real fast in the case of Danny Baker.
Nkechi Idinmachi is the Creator and Marketing Communications Manager at Pages&Ink Limited, an organisation focused on working with SMEs to enable them leverage digital tools to grow their businesses online, attract their target customers while also delighting them into becoming happy promoters of their organisations’ products and services. Having overcome the obstacle of feeding her preemie baby with multiple food allergies, she’s showing other mums the way on her Instagram page @babychefng and through her upcoming Cookout, helping them take charge of their children’s nutrition with her numerous baby friendly, allergen free recipes made with Nigerian food ingredients. She is also the founder of Herlibrary for Learning and Empowerment Foundation, an NGO that builds libraries, provides books and learning resources for public schools in eastern Nigeria. They recently completed their pioneer Library project at Udo Primary School, Ogbunike, Anambra State. Idinmachi is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University with a degree in German Language, a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications from IE Business School, Spain and a certificate in Child Nutrition and Cooking from Stanford School of Medicine. In this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA she shares her passion for being an entrepreneur while combining with her duties as a mum.
How important is leveraging on digital tools to growing a business? The importance of digital tools in growing a business cannot be over-emphasised. It is the most affordable, convenient and effective way for any business to boost its visibility. I have seen first- hand how a business can go from local to international in a few short months by strategically leveraging digital tools. When I resumed at my previous place of employment, their only digital footprint was a redundant website. I created and infused fresh content, redesigned the website and began optimising it for search engines. Shortly afterwards, we began to receive calls from huge facilities management companies in the USA, South Africa and from other companies abroad who were bidding for FM contracts with multinationals and were in search of a partnership with a Nigerian FM company. This demonstrated to me the efficiency of digital tools in providing business owners the best chances for competition, survival and opportunities beyond their reach.
What led you to setting up Pages and Ink Limited? Shortly after getting married in 2016, it became clear that my husband and I both had crazy schedules which saw us leaving the house as early as 5:00am and not getting home till about 8:00p.m. I was frightened by the thought of bringing a child into that chaotic routine and so I decided that I would resign just before we were ready to start a family. My husband was reluctant initially, knowing how driven and ambitious I am. He didn’t want me feeling frustrated and unfulfilled as a stay-at-home mum, but I began planning an exit strategy, anyway.
At the time, my job role as a Marketing Communications executive for one of Lagos’ top facilities management companies gave me a lot of fulfillment, so I decided to develop my skill sets further in the field and took an online course in Integrated Marketing Communications, from IE Business School. After registering the business, Pages and Ink Limited, I spread word about it and landed my first clients. I would get home at 8:00pm and work till 2:00 am on my “side hustle” and then leave the house a few hours later to my full-time job. By September of 2016, I realised I had made over twice my salary from my “side hustle!” I think it was then that my husband believed that I was determined to make “working from home” work. Then the miracle happened. I informed my boss of my decision to resign and he asked me what my reasons were and I told him about my new company. He was happy and requested I consult for the company. I am very grateful to Mr. Wole Aderogba for the opportunity, which marked the official beginning of the journey.
Do you think businesses need online presence to thrive? According to a recent research, 45 per cent of global consumers say they shop for goods and services online. The trend has grown exponentially in Nigeria as more people now increasingly shop from their homes and offices. With the current trend, if you are a “brick and mortar” business without an online presence, it won’t be long before your competition that has gone “click to brick” takes over the market. Creating a comprehensive online presence is the key to building a thriving, sustainable business. However, it isn’t enough to just be present online, you must be active and leverage on digital tools – optimise your website for search engines, get social, create relevant and appealing content, engage your online community. Put out valuable information to establish your brand as an expert in your industry. You have to invest the necessary time if you want to be successful in building a formidable online presence.
As a ‘Mumpreneur’, how would you describe this concept? This means that I am a full-time entrepreneur and a full-time mum. It is my way of promoting self-employment and showing other qualified women who have left their professions to become full-time mothers that they don’t have to feel stuck. There is a way to juggle home and a professional career if one chooses to.
What was your drive as the founder of Herlibrary? I grew up in the village in Anambra State, South-Eastern Nigeria. Like most places in that region, there’s sadly not much going on in terms of development and empowerment of the girl child. The ultimate achievement expected by your parents and peers is (thankfully) a university education and a husband; better still, one from “the abroad”. Books saved me; they opened my eyes to opportunities beyond my background and enabled me to dream big.
With a decline in reading culture, what is the impact of your project with the NGO? I don’t quite agree that the reading culture in Nigeria is declining. With the growth of mobile users, I think it is growing instead as people are constantly on their phones reading. We read blogs, Instagram captions, twitter posts, e-books and other digital content because they are available. I strongly believe that if books are made available to young Nigerians, books that pique their interest, they will read. This is why my NGO, HerLibrary, is doing our best to provide books from a varied genre in the rural communities in eastern Nigeria, to expose them to a world beyond their background. We also run book clubs where they read mostly fictional books that teach kids about entrepreneurship.
As a marketing communications expert, what is your advice to business owners with dwindling sales and at the verge of packing up? Get digital, define your niche and target market, create terrific content that would be appealing to them, get social and engage. Learn the best practices and use them. Be consistent, it’s hard but totally worth it.
What is your advice to women on pursuing their dreams and managing the home-front? My advice is to just try; it is not enough to dream or wish. You have to do the work and put in the effort. Getting organised and scheduling activities and tasks in your home will give you the sanity and peace of mind to pursue your dreams. Stop undermining yourself. You can do it. Start small if you do not have the means to go all out. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have, without excuses. The best time to do it is NOW and yes under your present circumstances. If it gets overwhelming, step back a little bit and attack it again.
How do you unwind? NETFLIX. I enjoy watching reality shows, cooking shows. I love to read, too. I am currently reading Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it to every woman who wants to make an impact.
What is your philosophy of life? Everything I am, everything I have is from God and for him. It’s in him that I live and move and have my being. Without him, I am nothing.
Sleep training is basically a process of helping a baby learn to sleep well, teaching your child how to sleep independently without help like rocking, backing, nursing, carrying, etc., which usually adds to your stress as a parent.
While we all understand the importance of food to the body, we fail to realise that sleep is more important, and is an essential part of human development. In fact, it is possible to go days without food, but just try going three or four nights in a row without sleep and you just might start hallucinating. Yes! That’s how dangerous lack of sleep is.
Now, as a parent, when you’ve not had enough consolidated sleep, consecutively for say three days, how do you feel? Tired, cranky, exhausted, unproductive—the list is exhaustive. The same can be said for kids. Imagine what your children go through each day when they are not having enough sleep, especially four-month-olds and above.
Benefits of good consolidated sleep
They are more alert at school, and easily grasp and comprehend things. Yes, children tend to be forgetful because, of course, they are kids. But their attention span and comprehension is better when they have slept properly.
Increase in concentration level is also noticeably better.
They are physically and emotionally healthy, as the brain repairs and recovery takes place during consolidated sleep period.
The growth hormone in children is developed adequately during sleep.
Mummy time becomes possible. I mean, imagine putting your feet up after a long day, with a glass of wine while reading a book, watching your favourite TV show or catching up on BellaNaija. Of course, your child must be fast asleep for you to truly enjoy it.
Extra bonding time with your partner. Now, for me this is just the icing on the cake! Who doesn’t love bonding time with zero interruption from your little one.
Some of the things holding us back include:
Co-sleeping with your child While this may be seen as bonding in the beginning, it is a long term recipe for disaster, because you’ll never be able to get enough sleep.
Guilt as a working parent You know those times you tell yourself you’re just going to bond with your child, but really you’re just bonding with your phone after a long day.
Impatience Sometimes, we are just so impatient to put the child to sleep. You just don’t want to stop what you’re doing at the expense of your child’s health.
Easily give in to your child Your child wants to continue watching cartoons till 11 PM, and you agree so he/she doesn’t cry or disturb your peace. This is wrong whichever way you look at it. Who is the parent, who is the child?
5 signs to know your child’s sleep pattern needs to be improved:
Your child throws too many unnecessary tantrums. We sometimes wrongfully assume that it is “normal” for kids to throw tantrums, but it really isn’t.
Your child cries too much, especially in the mornings.
If you have to wake the child up in the mornings, and the child is refusing to wake up or sleepy till he or she is ready for school.
You are in and out of hospital many days, except your child has a form of health challenge.
You aren’t as productive as you should be as a mum.
Creating a sleep pattern for your child needs consistency and a realistic sleep routine. When you are having a bit of challenge creating a consolidated sleep pattern for your child, as a child psychologist who is also a sleep consultant, I just advise parents to sleep train the child.
Sleep training is basically a process of helping a baby learn to sleep well, teaching your child how to sleep independently without help like rocking, backing, nursing, carrying, etc., which usually adds to your stress as a parent.
Children need, depending on their ages, an average of about ten to fourteen hours of consolidated (uninterrupted) sleep every day, while newborns need about fourteen to sixteen hours. I hear some mums say, I wasn’t sleep trained or taught to sleep and I grew up great, why should I teach my child to sleep? But what we forget as parents is that life sleep trained us.
Remember in those days there were no gadgets, DSTV, YouTube, unlimited access to internet. Children’s TV stations closed 7 PM. Your parents went to bed after the 10 PM news. There was no generator and when power went off, everyone retired to bed. So we were sleeping well and having uninterrupted sleep.
Fast forward to this digital age with everything 24 hours. 24 hours access to the internet, generator, TV, phones, etc. This lifestyle is greatly affecting our sleep pattern, thus affecting the quality of our sleep and health.
That is why it’s necessary to help your child develop a great sleep pattern now. Imagine their lives ten years down the line if nothing is done now in this digital age.
If your child isn’t having enough sleep, or you as a mum aren’t, you’re harming both of you. Is this what you really want? Or would you like to do something about it today? Think about it.
Amazon announced on Monday, its plan to deliver packages faster for its customers.
The company made an offer to its employees, telling them to quit their jobs and it’ll help them start a business delivering Amazon packages.
Amazon says it’ll cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for interested employees, adding that it will also pay them three months’ worth of their salary.
TIME reports that the program started last year and it’s part of the company’s plan to launch an independent Amazon delivery business.
More than 200 Amazon delivery businesses have been created since the program was launched, according to Amazon’s vice president of global delivery services, John Felton.
Photo Credit: Ali Balikci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
