Work for Yourself

In the last 10 days, a lot of bankers have become jobless as a result of the post-acquisition exercise - and it has really got me thinking. Many families have suddenly been deprived of their daily bread, and I can bet that criminality will be on the increase. Expectedly, many of the victims of the banks' axe are still struggling to come to terms with reality; but I am also very sure that some of them must have laughed off the incident and moved on. Well, if you find the second part of my statement difficult to believe, I don't blame you. I didn't believe it too until I saw it happen.

A few years ago, some of my colleagues were sacked,and emotions really ran wild. For days, the office was like a ghost town as we fervently prayed for the 'unfortunate' ones. Today, many of them are doing better than we can ever imagine. Of particular note is my Team Lead who was affected back then. A week after receiving her letter, she left for the UK on vacation and I personally thought she wasn't normal. I felt going to the UK was not the best way for her to spend the 'little change' she had. She came back a few weeks later and began her business, and today, she is a Big Madam by every standard.

A colleague of mine was sacked as a level 1 staff. Less than 2 years later, he came to the office with a request to purchase one of our services for commercial use- and he came in a brand new Infiniti jeep!

Most times, the fear of the unknown keeps us tied to a spot for years, preventing us from exploring our potentials to the fullest. Our generation is perhaps the most self-reliant and focused generation this country has ever produced. There's hardly any member of this generation who is not business-minded; and I cannot count the number of people who already own at least a plot of land- that's a feat our parents took years to achieve! Our universities keep churning out 'kids' as Masters' degree holders, most of us are already aware that we can not become billionaires by working for others, and are seriously making plans to be on our own.

But in all these, unexpected issues come up and our plans become disrupted. Still, we are strong enough to get up and move on. We may have lost our jobs at a most unexpected time,but we've not lost our skills. We may be down,but we are certainly not out. What's more, we have the gift of patience and can build a brand from almost nothing. Audu Maikori never imagined that Hakeem Bello-Osagie would one day become the Chairman of his tiny Chocolate City Records; Linda Ikeji didn't know that her blog would give her more fame than her modelling career; Ayo Animashaun has turned Hip Hop World into a brand; and the list is endless.

To those who lost their job, my heart is with you. But then, maybe this is God's way of pushing you to that next level you are so afraid to even think about. Whatever happens, I am sure of seeing you at the top. 

You have worked for others;now is the time to work for yourself.