THE “WOW-FACTOR”

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

I was going to title this post X-Factor (Xtra factor) but I changed my mind cos when I thought about this article, the first thing I said was…WOW!

I was not a fan of Lagos, not at all. My friends who were born and bred in Lagos spoke about the fun city like it was a second paradise but somehow, I still did not share same thoughts with them as the Lagos bug had not bitten me yet. No doubt, the city was lively and fun but the traffic killed my buzz. I lived in Abuja and had only been to Lagos twice so the thought of being in Lagos for 5 weeks crept life out of me. I missed my flight from Abuja to Lagos, that’s how bad it was but I finally boarded the last flight and got into Lagos for the 5-week training. I was not so excited about staying 5 weeks in Lagos but it took a WOW-experience to change that.

The training school always saved the best part for the last; so on the last day of training, our final facilitator, Dr. Noel Akpata walked into the class. I was already getting my things together so that I could leave immediately he was through but the reverse was the case. When he started talking; I was like….who is this? My antennas sprang up and my ears wanted to hear some more. He spoke with such enthusiasm and charisma; the kind of words that will make you want to run out of your comfort zone, so much ginger and motivation. It was a boom-sha-sha experience and after the lecture I was like..WOW!!! Lagos was worth it afterall. I was not so keen on leaving immediately because I had to tap into some of this “wow-factor” and trust me….I sure did.

Do you have a “wow-factor”? What is it about you that attract people to you? (Guys I don’t mean your swag & ladies I don’t mean your face). What is that extra thing that makes people say WOW after an encounter with you? Do they want to keep coming back? (Pls I don’t mean your exes). One “wow” moment from you can be a turning point in someone’s life. You may look at yourself and say, “I don’t have anything to offer anybody”. That is not true because you have not searched within you to discover the virtue that is hidden within. There’s always more than meets the eye if only you’re willing to discover it. You’re not ordinary because God has deposited treasures inside of you which can only be seen when you use it.

Is there something you’re passionate about? Go for it. NIKE will say “Just Do It”. Don’t be the one sitting and watching others, come out of your comfort zone and bring out the “wow-factor” in you.

Today, Dr Noel Akpata has represented Nigeria in national and international conferences. An example is The World Economic Forum on Emerging Markets/Global China Business Meeting 2010.(Dr Noel Akpata representing Africa and Nigeria amongst fortune 500 business leaders and political leaders from around the world).  It all started with one “wow” experience and a combination of many wow experiences is what I call..BOOM-SHA-SHA.

You can do it too.

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THE NIGERIAN WHO BOUGHT GATWICK AIRPORT

Sunday, August 5, 2012

I was in the salon yesterday when I got this news and my eyes lit up...this is the kinda news I love to hear. I just had to blog about it, not because it is the latest gist but because I love to identify with and celebrate SUCCESS. I'm going to buy up companies (don't look at me now...in the future you'll remember this story). I'm sure Mr. Ogunlesi said stuff like this some years back and here it is. 

It really matters how you see and how far you can see. Don't be myopic with life, see beyond your horizon and someday you'll be big enough to acquire as much wealth as possible. I'm greatly inspired, hence the reason for this post. I hope it inspires you too. 

Up until February 2010, very few people had heard about Adebayo Ogunlesi. The Nigerian-born investment banker and money manager made international headlines when he led the acquisition of London’s Gatwick Airport from the British Airports Authority in a recorded £1.51 billion deal. The acquisition instantly propelled Ogunlesi, 58, into the global spotlight and earned him a place in history as the man who acquired London’s second largest international airport.

Adebayo Ogunlesi is the chairman and managing partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a New York-based independent private equity fund focused primarily on infrastructural investments, with over $5.6 billion under management. The purchase of Gatwick Airport may have grabbed all the headlines, but GIP has some other noteworthy assets in its portfolio including a 75% stake in London City Airport, and Biffa Limited, a UK based waste management company.

Gatwick suffered deep losses over the years, and all the turnaround efforts made by its former managers, the British Airport Authority (BAA), failed to halt the downward spiral. In the first nine months of 2009, the airport reportedly recorded a pre-tax loss of over £780 million, prompting the British government to actively shop for buyers. BAA also reportedly lost £225 million on Gatwick after it was compelled to sell the airport by the Competition Commission.

 While Ogunlesi’s acquisition might have brought him international acclaim and made him something of an overnight private equity rock star, pundits kept their fingers crossed to see what he will make out of the ailing airport. But Ogunlesi believed strongly in the future of the airport so much that he invested some of his own personal funds into the acquisition. He promised to make Gatwick a truly first class international airline and substantially improve the customer experience. Judging from his antecedents, he is likely to deliver on those promises.

Culled from:Ventures Africa 

Have a great week ahead.

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IMPRESSIVE! Nigerian Student Receives 7 Awards at his Graduation from City University of New York

Monday, June 4, 2012

Olu Onemona, a Nigerian in diaspora has made us proud once again. It is always a thing of joy to see fellow Nigerians shine so brightly amidst the disgrace and bad names some have brought our great country. In the past  few months, there have been stories about Nigerians involved in unruly behaviour outside the country and it is with great joy that LynnVille celebrates with Olu for bringing a smile to our face. I believe good things should always be celebrated and I also believe this post will inspire every young Nigerian both students and non students; hardwork and diligence pays. 

Olu Onemola, a Nigerian graduate at the Lehman College, theCity University of New York (CUNY), United States of America who received seven awards at the university’s 2012 graduation ceremony. He received the awards during the graduation ceremony held on Saturday in New York.

Olu is the son of Bukun-olu Onemola, Nigeria’s Deputy Ambassador at the United Nations in New York. He studied Polititical Science at Lehman and received the distinguished “Golden Key’’ award, otherwise referred to as International Honour Society which is an academic honour society for high-achieving scholars. Other awards are the Pi Sigma Alpha, National Honour Society in Political Science, and The Jacob Hammer Memorial Prize in English which is awarded to a student leading in theatre performance. He also won the Edgar Dawson Prize in Political and Legal Theory which is an award to the outstanding Political Science graduate with the strongest portfolio of political and legal essays. Onemola also received the CUNY Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence in Leadership Award, and the Cum Laude Award. This is a Latin term that signifies “With Honours”, a distinction bestowed on graduates that fall within a 3.4 to a 3.59 GPA on a four-point scale.

Speaking on the awards, the elated Onemola said they had inspired him to continue to thrive in all his endeavours, regardless of any obstacles that might stand on his way.

“My impression is that hard work definitely pays off. Being able to achieve such feats, while serving as the President of the Student Government, is a testament to hard work,’’ he said.

Congrats Ola, 7 awards is definitely worth celebrating. 

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STRATEGIES FOR EXCELLENCE

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Did I hear someone say I want to be the best? Did he/she just say I want to make it to the top? Ok, this article is exactly what you need. It’s funny how sometimes during an examination you hear someone say things like "I don't need an A, I just wish I can get a B or C". I always tell such people that if you aim for a C, you'll limit yourself to studying towards a C and then after the exam, you may even get a D. But if you aim for an A, you'll push yourself  outside your comfort zone, beyond every limitation and work hard to get an A and you'll be amazed at the score you get. Maybe you aimed for a score of 75 or 80 but because you were determined to be an A-student, you accomplished more than you expected and instead of 75 or 80, you actually got 96. Some people have accepted to be average but i know you…yes you reading this right now; I know you want an "A" not just in your academics or job but also in every aspect of your life. Aim high, strive for excellence and give your best shot to everything that comes your way. Here are some strategies for achieving excellence:

1. 1.   THINK BIG. Dream it, see it and pursue it.
2. Set goals and targets
3. Make a to-do-list and follow it strictly so you don’t forget anything
4. Set your priorities right and know which is most and least important (first things first)
5. NEVER procrastinate (you may eventually not do that thing)
6. No excuses – Be determined and focused
7. Have the i-can-do-it mentality cos you can do anything if you’re determined
8. Don’t accept defeat…it’s ok to fail but dust yourself up and try again
9. Do something: don’t just sit and wait for things to happen cos nothing will move until you move. Newton’s Law of Motion states that every object in a state of rest remains in that position until an external force is applied to it. So what are you waiting for?
10. Be diligent in all things: work as though you own the company; don’t work with eye service instead give it your best shot and watch yourself grow faster than you think. Diligence is a spring board to greater heights cos if you are faithful in little…more will be committed into your hands. Proverbs 22:29 - Seest thou a man diligent in his work, he shall stand before kings.
11. Dare to be different: In everything and everyway don’t try to fit into the crowd cos you were made to stand out. Don’t settle for the status quo…there’s a higher level.
12. Relax: Whatever you do, no matter how busy you get or how time-consuming your job is, find time to rest and relax your body. You’ll need to stay fit and healthy to do the job.
13. Measure your progress with time: this is very important because you need to know how far you have gone and what things you have accomplished so far. If you don't measure your progress, it means you don't expect to grow.
14. Write down all your plans and place it before God cos you need him to achieve every form of excellence. Infact, He is the definition of excellence.

I hope these strategies will help you focus on the path of excellence.

Believe it

Dream it

See it & you can have it 

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