Tuesday 30 October 2012

THE IRONY OF EXPECTATIONS by Obinna E. C. Ebirim


Once upon a time, a well known painter was finishing his painting. It’s an incredibly beautiful painting. The painter was consumed by and excited with his own painting that he unconsciously started taking steps backward to admire it from different distances. He didn’t look back when he walked backward. He kept on walking backward until it was a step away from the edge of the tall building. Just one more step backward and he could get himself killed.
A man saw what the painter was doing and was about to shout at him to warn him but he then realized that his shout might have surprised the painter and thus make him take one step backward and fell down.
The man then took a brush and paint and began to paint on the beautiful painting until it was completely damaged.
 As he started, the painter started running forward towards his painting. The painter got very angry and moved forward to hit the man. However, some other people who were also present at the vicinity held him and showed him his last position which almost made him fall.
 Sometimes we have painted our future with such beauty and dreamed of beautiful days we will spend with our loved one. But then God seemed to destroy our beautiful painting when He sees what danger lies ahead of us. At such, we become angry and annoyed by what God has done to us. But one thing we have to keep in mind is this: God provides only the best for us, his children. Always expect the best.
We celebrate you!

Saturday 27 October 2012

REBRAND FROM THE INSIDE OUT


Of what use is a well packaged product without a corresponding content? I've discovered that, It is possible to be well packaged but with a flabby character strength. Yes! Its rationally healthy and professionally sound to package your exterior but more important is your character strength; we've got Palace-living fools, Escalade-driving nonentities, broadchested and breath-taking-physique idiots and...you know more... True branding therefore begins from the inside-out. After the assuming accolade of the exterior is received, never allow your interior raise a hill of craps that will sabotage your identity. I don't mean to insult anyone but you and I know this is the truth. Rebrand from the inside-out!
We celebrate you!

Wednesday 24 October 2012

BE MORE LIKE RICHARD BRANSON



BE COURAGEOUS 
Starting a business requires taking risks and innovating where others haven't. Money, reputation and personal relationships are often on the line, but entrepreneurs have to know when to take chances -- and when not to.
When Branson launched Virgin Atlantic airlines in 1984 and Virgin Australia in 2000, his fellow board members were skeptical about the chances for success. But Branson recognized an opportunity and stuck to it -- and it has paid off. Virgin Atlantic now carries more than five million passengers a year, and Virgin Australia has become the country's second largest airline.

BUILD A SOLID NETWORK
What's a great business idea worth if no one knows about it and you don't know any influential people to help you get it off the ground? A successful entrepreneur will begin networking early, and continue networking as he or she grows the business
When Branson began networking for Virgin Music in the 1970s, he was serious from that start about meeting with agents, persuading musicians to sign on and finding distributors. You can get started by attending industry events, joining regional business associations and by being active on social networking sites like Facebook, nairaland, twitter, blogspot and LinkedIn.

BE OPEN TO CHANGE
With economies shifting and technology evolving at lightning speed, change happens whether you want it to or not
With Virgin Records, Branson was a master at navigating change. From transitioning from LPs to cassettes to CDs, and from small shops to mega stores, Branson transformed the business model a number of times before selling the company to EMI in 1992.
Diagnosed with dyslexia, Branson left school at age 16 because he was unable to follow the curriculum. But he turned the disadvantage into an advantage as an entrepreneur.
In reviewing Virgin's advertising and marketing, Branson's colleagues read everything aloud, giving him a sense of the overall concept and allowing him to weed out industry jargon in favor of ordinary language.
“Whenever something goes wrong or you find yourself at a disadvantage, often the best way to handle it is to turn a negative into a positive," Branson says

KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP
No matter what age, entrepreneurs can think they know everything and have enough bandwidth to do it all. But entrepreneurs are human, with human limitations. Sometimes it's best to turn to people who know you and people you can trust for advice or assistance.
At age 19, Branson started a mail-order record business but never asked anyone for advice on how to carry out a business plan. Then he made a poor decision: smuggling records through customs to avoid paying taxes. Caught by British customs officials, he was bailed out of jail by his mother, who later became one of his most trusted business mentors.
“Thinking back to 1969, my mother's common-sense advice would have been just the thing I needed to hear," Branson says

LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
From tapping into social networks to using old-school methods like phone calls, it's critical to connect with customers, let them know you're listening and that you care about satisfying their needs. Learn to add innovation to your customer connect, add empathy, get their phone data and learn to send happy birth day sms messages to your customers.
Branson for instance, uses social media to give him a real-time view of how his companies can improve. "Through customers' comments, we started learning about issues with our products and services more quickly than ever before," he says. "In response, we set up systems so that a customer who has a question or a problem can get a quick answer from our team. I try to answer a few questions every day from followers”.

STAY FOCUSED WHEN FOLLOWING YOUR BUSINESS
Even when an entrepreneur starts out with a great idea, passion and a laser focus, he or she can become distracted. It can be tempting to make changes that don't always make sense for your overall goals. Some people go following after the business they think that is paying well. Branson recommends knowing your mission, making sure you get the basic structure right, installing the right team at the top and paying attention to details.
At Virgin America, for instance, Branson's CEO attends an annual training program to help "keep the enthusiasm that marked our early development. The point is to keep our teams up to date and connected, which prevents them from becoming complacent or settling for the status quo," Branson says.

REMEMBER TO BE POSITIVE
It takes a strong personality to be an entrepreneur. But sometimes, business owners can feel tempted to be aggressive or even angry with customers, competitors and their own teams.
No one wants to work with a dictator or a bully. Successful entrepreneurs find a balance between being aggressive in business and treating those who work with or for them with respect and gratitude. If companies or individuals you deal with don't respond to a positive approach, they might not be the right people to do business with.
“I hope we are successful at Virgin because we engage with everyone in a positive, inclusive manner rather than in an aggressive, combative or negative way," Branson says

ENCOURAGE TEAMWORK AND FUN
As the founder of your company, you may be the one telling the world about your incredible new product and showing it off at industry events. But this wouldn't be possible without your partners and teammates working hard behind the scenes. Teams that are happy and work well together can accomplish great things. You have to make them see the vision you see. They shouldn’t only see it, make them key into it and develop as much passion as you have for the goal.
Take the Virgin Group, for instance. It celebrated the Olympics this summer by taking part in fun races. "Events like these can help to break down departmental barriers and foster better teamwork as employees get to know each other in an informal setting," Branson says. "This can go a long way toward showing your staff that it is OK to have fun.

DON’T FEAR TO EXIT
Learn when to sell your business. It can be difficult to know when to sell because, as a founder and entrepreneur, you can become attached to your business and team. It can help to seek input from trusted advisors about whether selling will be good for the overall health of your company.
Branson sold a number of Virgin companies over the years. Probably the most notable was the sale of Virgin Records to EMI. "It was a very emotional day for me -- at one point, I broke down in tears," he says. "Looking back, it's clear that we sold at the right time, and the decision made sense for Virgin as a whole. That secured our group's future and gave us a war chest for investing in new businesses.” At work
Starting a business requires taking risks and innovating where others haven't. Money, reputation and personal relationships are often on the line, but entrepreneurs have to know when to take chances -- and when not to.
When Branson launched Virgin Atlantic airlines in 1984 and Virgin Australia in 2000, his fellow board members were skeptical about the chances for success. But Branson recognized an opportunity and stuck to it -- and it has paid off. Virgin Atlantic now carries more than five million passengers a year, and Virgin Australia has become the country's second largest airline.


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We celebrate you.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Be Positive


Think positive

If you have a positive attitude, you will find it much easier to manifest your desires, as you will be naturally giving out positive emotional thought vibrations which will attract positive things to you. Even if you are not consciously trying to manifest something, your positive attitude will naturally attract more things to be positive about and you will be one of those people who seem to attract endless good fortune.
Try to remain positive at all times. This doesn’t mean you can never feel down or can never again have a good old moan, but you have to make your natural state as positive and as upbeat as possible. Get out of the habit of complaining about certain situations in your life. Stop any negative self talk, such as Oh I’ll never be able to do that’. Expect that good things will happen to you and that every outcome will be positive.
If something unwanted happens, try to see a positive side to it if you can. For example, if you moan that every time you have a little extra money, your car needs repairs or you receive an unexpected bill, try turning it around and start being thankful that you have the extra money to allow you to pay for these unexpected expenses.
I heard about someone whose car required so many repairs it was not economically worth repairing. He couldn’t afford to replace it, so decided he would have to go without a car until he had saved the money for a new one. He started cycling to work, and after a few months realized that he had lost two stones in weight and was enjoying cycling so much he decided to take it up competitively. So from not being able to afford a new car, he became fit and healthy and found a new hobby!
Always get into the habit of looking for the positive side to your problems.
Unfortunately our natural state is to feel either negative or at best in a state of what I call flat- neither unhappy but not particularly great either. It is very difficult to attract positive things into your life by feeling flat, as you are shutting yourself off from vibrating at a higher level; these vibrations flow best when you are feeling happy, positive and good about yourself.
Do more of the things that bring you joy, for whenever you feel joy, happiness and love you are connected most strongly to your higher self. Chat to your partner, laugh with your children, stroke or play with your pet. Meet up with a friend for lunch and have a laugh. Listen to your favorite music, or music that calms, relaxes or inspires you, or watch a television show that motivates you or makes you laugh.
Place pictures of your family, your pets or of you enjoying a favorite hobby around your home and place of work. Looking at them should help you to feel instantly more positive and full of love. Remember those good times.
Exercise can be a great mood lifter. Even a gentle walk can raise your spirits and boost your energy levels.
Nobody can feel happy all of the time, although feeling upbeat becomes easier the more you practice it, but start by finding things to feel great about in your life; laugh more, moan less, hang around with positive, upbeat people and try to avoid negative folk. Expect that things will turn out well and that if you experience a problem you will find a solution. Expect good things to come your way!
Not only will you start to attract many more good things than bad into your life, but you will be much more open to receiving your intentions.
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Thursday 18 October 2012

NIGERIA, THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES

                                                   I LOVE THIS COUNTRY NIGERIA



THIS COUNTRY NIGERIA
The secret to gaining financial freedom is by finding a need and providing solution to it. People say Nigeria got problems and that Nigeria is a hard place to live. If Nigeria got problems it means that Nigeria is highly in demand of solutions for these problems...or should I list them, transportation needs, market needs, food needs, education needs, communication needs, technology needs etc for more than 160million people. You could just be that need solver. However the truth is that Nigeria is the only Land of all opportunities. A country not so regulated that you could almost do anything you want. You could start any kind of business you want, make any kind of noise you want, and in fact party any way you want (including, road block party, the Lagos people can tell more). It’s a land you can start with the little you have without having to go through much of government regulations as found in most other nations (like in the US, to open a barbershop or hair salon you have to attend a six months training program, write an exam and be issued a certificate for practice) who dares try that in Nigeria? That just makes Nigeria the home for all ...Dongote is rich because he is providing much of these needs, noodles, sugar, drinks, cement, cargo, etc Millions of Nigerians are living and eating “Dangote”. Think About this, imagine how many million Nigerians you could provide their need...imagine how much financial returns this would be. You guessed right, it runs in hundreds of millions. Start from what you need, then what your neighbor needs, then what your community needs, your state and maybe the whole federation... Think about this; Imagine that 10 million Nigerians wake up each morning depending on you for, say their tooth paste needs...You are made!








THESE WORDS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE





ARE YOU STILL THINKING OF WHAT TO DO?
                              This words can change your life
      SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timed GOALS...
                              FOCUS: Follow On Course Until Successful
                              FAILURE: False Evidence Appearing Real

Tuesday 16 October 2012

NIGERIAN BORN CELEBRITIES ROCKING THE WORLD...


THESE ARE ORDINARY NIGERIANS DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THESE MEN AND WOMEN BEAT CULTURE AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS TO MEET THEIR DREAMS. IF THEY CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT!
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Annie Ilonzeh



Carmen Ejogo
           Actress, Away We Go

Caroline Chikezie

Chamillionaire
       RAPPER: Soundtrack, Never Back Down

Chiwetel Ejiofor
           Actor, Children of Men

Christopher Obi

David Oyelowo

Dayo Okeniyi
        Actor, The Hunger Games

Ebbe Bassey
      Actress, A Spoonful of Sugar

Esosa Edosomwan
    Actress, 50 Bucks in Argentina

Enuka Okuma


Gbenga Akinnagbe
             Actor, The Savages

Grace Ayorinde
        Actress, Almost Broadway

Hope Olaide Wilson

Judith Shekoni

Megalyn Echikunwoke
                   Actress, Fix

Nonso Anozie
                Actor, The Grey

Vera Ephraim
         Actress, Blood Tokoloshe


Tinie Tempah
           Self, Episode #19.160

Taio Cruz
                Soundtrack, Rio

Sophie Okonedo
            Actress, Hotel Rwanda

Shirley Bassey

SEAL
Singer & 4 times Grammy Winner

FOLASADE
International Singer

Rakie Ayola
              Actress, Dredd 3D

Osas Ighodaro
         Actress, Cadillac Records





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