Life – The Chief Nomad

A Lesson from My Morning Routine

Life Stuff October 28, 2024

My grooming routine every morning usually involves combing out my hair first, followed by applying hair mousse and finally using a Big Twist Sponge to achieve the Afro Curl Coil.

As I carried out the routine this morning, I noticed my almost 4-year-old son by my side waiting for school drop. As he watched, he had a comment for each process. For the first one, it was “Daddy I like your hair”. For the second one, “Daddy what is that and why apply so much”. I had a response ready for each of his questions up to this point, but nothing prepared me for the last one, “Daddy why are you scattering your hair?”

I mean, he just passed a compliment when he saw me comb it out, only to watch in horror as I scattered the same hair 🤦‍♂️

This brings me to the why of this post. During a recent class at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, one of the professors Dean Pacey talked about the concept of #creativedestruction. Being someone who is fascinated by paradoxes, I found this very interesting. Even more so when he shared an example of its use – during Steve’s Jobs second stint at Apple, which ultimately turned the fortunes of the company around, making it the most valuable company in the world.

The more I explored, the more I found it relatable to my professional journey up to this point – First it was Design, then Photography, then Branding, then Advertising, then Websites and Digital Marketing, then Events, then Software Development. Today I’m embracing Sales. The outcome for me is that each iteration sets you up for innovation.

So I’m curious about why more companies are not open to adopting a concept that could exponentially change their outlook. Could it be fear? comfort? or just having their head in the sand. Let me know in the comments section.

Just in case you’re wondering what I told my son, let’s just say that I told him the truth. That was his first lesson in Creative Destruction 😎

Remembering Ife, My Forever Ally

Life Stuff July 16, 2024

Our paths crossed 15 years ago at work when, in 2009, Ife joined ZK Advertising in Lagos, Nigeria where I was a Junior Art Director. Read More

Retired, not tired

Food Life Stuff Travel May 9, 2021

As a toddler, if you had asked me what my mum did for a living, I probably would have mouthed “cake” and I wouldn’t have been far from the truth. You see, the earliest images I had of my mum were rather doughy, not the money kind though. I’m talking lots of flour, butter, eggs, milk, nutmeg and baking powder. Read More

Welcome to Tosin’s Room

Life March 18, 2021

Where to begin? Tosin Olusoga died 5 years ago today at the age of 19 but already has a space dedicated to his memory at the University of East Anglia (UEA)’s School of Economics, where he also has a prize named after him, The Tosin Olusoga Memorial Prize, open to African students and awarded for excellent performance in their final assessment.

A lot has been written already about Tosin HERE and so I will keep this simple.

No One Fails Alone

Life January 6, 2019

Social media (in all its manifestations) often appears like the world’s best-kept secret but even then, it is undeniable that there are no secrets on social media! A notification here, a nudge there, you’re constantly reminded (read that as harassed) about milestones, goals, and projections.

If you pay closer attention, you’ll realize that social media knows a lot more about you than you give it credit for. Scary! It is like the timekeeper with the demanding task of ringing bells in people’s ears or the class captain with an equally unenviable task of getting everyone into shape.

This brings me to the reason for this post. Linkedin just notified me that I’ve been 6 years at Bedouin (pronounced Bed-Win). Wow!

It feels like only yesterday that I was contemplating trading off ALL my material belongings to enable me to actualize a burning ambition to activate a 2-year part-scholarship to study in the US, which had precipitated my resignation from my last place of work.

I eventually gave up the scholarship and the idea of traveling altogether since it was beyond my means, despite my efforts at raising the funds. In the end, it turned out to become a quintessential example of how not all disappointments turn out to be bad after all.

I got inspired to pour out my energies and some frustration on a business I had registered 14 months prior but didn’t feel adequate to run yet. Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought I could build let alone run a business at the time.

Not to be deterred, I set out with my Canon 60D camera + gear, old Mackbook Pro, which were the only legacies of savings from my convoluted work history.

I recall barely having anything left each month after paying for Internet, Fuel, NEPA, and giving allowances to the 2 guys that started with me as interns. We operated out of my bedroom in an apartment my siblings and I contributed some money to rent for our mum. My workstation was a converted shoe rack!

It’s been six years of sacrifices, sleepless nights, heartbreak, disappointments, and frustration but it’s also been a jolly good ride. I’ve established a lot of connections and made a lot of friends and enemies in the process.

From very humble beginnings, our business has grown in value and impact. The goal had always been to make steady progress to achieve organic growth on a year-on-year basis despite the headwinds. As at first quarter last year, that figure stood north of $700,000!

It has not been a walk in the park. We’ve been forced to tweak our business model three times and on the verge of our most ambitious pivot yet.

I designed the roadmap and blueprint that currently drives the business forward, but I wasn’t alone. I’ve had a fully grounded support system made up of a close circle of friends and my ever-supportive family. I’m particularly grateful to Kayode Kolade for working with me to craft that vision, Tunji Mesh for providing his expertise when available. Segun Ogunleye, Basit Arasi for their constant support and guidance. I can’t mention everyone but I’m truly thankful for every time anyone has said NO to me.

Here’s to 60 more years!