Category: Autobiography

So, beginning a journey into the “Boss” life isn’t something anyone just plunges into.
There is always a back story to such a decision and it can be one of the most defining stages of a person’s life.
I for one never really thought about starting something from scratch, at least not seriously and at an early stage.

Most folks would rather work for a few years, gain some momentum in the corporate world, form strong alliances, contribute some value to organizations they have an interest in, make some money and save up for resources before starting out on their own.

I could say I have done that, at least partially (maybe way too early before I was even officially a graduate) and continue to do so (save for the part of making and saving some money).

So, what made me take the entrepreneurial plunge?

Well, I think lots of reasons lead to this decision.
Now, there is a world of difference between what I studied as a Bachelor’s degree and what I currently do, but I will say my pro-bono services lead to wanting more growth and understanding to function and serve better.

I like to do excellent work and when one receives an appointment from an Alma Mater you’ve had a good track record with, it is difficult to take such a responsibility for granted.

Now, there is a world of difference between what I studied as a Bachelor’s degree and what I currently do, but I will say my pro-bono services led to wanting more growth and understanding to function and serve better.

I like to do excellent work and when one receives an appointment from an Alma Mater you’ve had a good track record with, you probably won’t take such a responsibility for granted.

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So, I began to research and learn more and soon found this field to be quite interesting.
I leveraged on the first flexible year after college to take an online course that helped me better understand my role. It also led to narrowing down my job applications to specific roles.

I learnt much working for a year with two different organizations and was stretched to the limit (maybe not the limit, but stretched thinly).

Mostly because of the kind of ethics and work culture in this part of the world, many organizations tend to take advantage of employees and sometimes back them into corners. Loading up more and more responsibilities beyond their job descriptions, as was the case for me.

I think this is so because the market place has a big pool of people constantly in search of jobs, so employees are often treated badly by companies with a poor mindset, reflected in statements like, “after all, someone out there is looking for this very job you have”.

A bad mindset and thought pattern, I know.
I think many employees have somehow evolved to become insensitive to the needs of the people they bring aboard their organizations.

I honestly don’t think they set out to be this way or desire to run their companies in such a manner, but experiences (especially bad experiences) change people in leadership.

Things can definitely spin out of control in the work place if bosses do not handle some things carefully and intelligently.

I on the other hand persevered for a while, but when the work experience began to affect my health, mental well-being, my earnings and even my pro-bono services (which were beginning to experience a decline in performance), I knew it was time to go.
So, I quit.
After giving a full month’s notice.

There wasn’t much to look forward to anyway, after all, everyone I had met on my first day had either quit or had been fired and every one I was leaving behind was completely new.
Sad, but somehow, I felt more relieved and at peace with my decision.

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So, doing nothing for a while got me thinking, especially with no call back on new job applications.
The ones who did call offered much less pay for more work.

I recall praying a lot to God about things as I thought to myself, what can I do with the skills I currently have?
I couldn’t have had lots of early work experiences for nothing, right?
Or a great result and degree for nothing, right?

So, I did a lot of self-examination about my skill sets, my areas of passion, things that made me restless and I even revisited those childhood dreams I had, even those I used to joke about.

With lots of guidance from God, business conferences and a church conference (one I’ll always remember as long as I live).

I was able to create a business plan, looking beyond my immediate circumstance to what could be.

Not that I had all the resources.
As a matter of fact, I think everything seemed to work against what I had envisioned, my only laptop broke down, relationships that were dear to me went south, everything seemed to go so wrong.
You could say, all hell broke loose.

It was especially hard since I was a long distance away from the comfort of home.
I couldn’t even tell my parents, my mum would only worry and I might have been forced into getting a Job I really had no passion for, maybe a steady one though.

However, deep in my heart, I knew I needed to acquire the relevant skills to succeed in the responsibilities I had and going back home was not an option.
I remember feeling very sad and broken. Lost and quite tired often, but I knew I could not give up.
I learnt to take each day at a time, being content with little, but fanning the flames of the dreams in my heart.

I still made job applications, but got nothing, even though my work experience and academic performance in college was quite outstanding.
However, my next job break would come soon from a very kind stranger at a business conference, one I reluctantly attended, as I was running out of financial resources.

So, when I got the job, I thought to myself, I’ll build this dream along side my steady work. Alas, this was not to be!

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I soon found myself working long hours every day and weekends (count Sundays), experiencing long salary delays each month, losing sleep, but pouring in more work everyday round the clock, to say the least.
It soon became another terrible experience.

For someone who depended solely on her earnings and was also a long way from home, it was a hard place to be repeatedly.
I enjoyed my work, but knew I couldn’t stay, especially when I saw no prospects of growth and advancement after much efforts and investment made.

After being patient and persevering, I gave a month’s notice that brought with it a whole month’s work of campaigns that would run after I left. A bad deal yes, but for one who is grounded in doing the right thing always, I knew it was the right way to end my time there.
So once again, I walked away.

It took me some weeks to get back to a normal routine and sleep pattern without waking up early in a state of panic about work that needed to be done, as used to be the case.

So, I went back to my drawing board and decided to just focus, learn and set in place the solid structures required for my Consulting Company, Brave Publicity Ink.

Have I arrived? No.
I’m still on my way.
Do I have all the answers yet? No.

My journey is still rolling out in its early stages, but I’m willing to try my very best, put myself out there and grow something that would one day become a legacy.
A brand that would help, inspire, motivate and empower other people.
A brand that would make the world a better place.

Is “The Life of a CEO” a journey for everyone?
I don’t know.

All I know is, life is full of uncertainties and risks.

We’ve all got to make some hard decisions at different points in our lives, taking calculated risks to move forward, especially if you have a deep desire to make a difference and it remains a burning passion in your heart that you can’t shake off.

You can’t afford to sit back and mope around about how difficult things are when life throws you lemons and rocks. You’ve got to push.
Even when you feel like you’re breaking. You won’t.
You’ll be alright, eventually.

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I’m a firm believer in God and my relationship with Jesus Christ is what has helped me weather the difficult times in my life and journey so far.

I know God never leaves us to hang dry, if we will choose to walk with Him and do things honestly and with integrity, even in the hard times.
I believe there is always something you have within you or around you that can make a difference, especially if you are thinking of taking the plunge too.

So, this is my journey so far.
I’m taking things one day at a time, one step at a time and celebrating the small wins, even as I get comfortable in these “Boss Shoes”.

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Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

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