Monday, 4 November 2019

HOLY GRAIL, WORK REFERENCE & REPUTATION

THE ENTREPRENEURS WORK REFERENCE & REPUTATION

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”  (Barack Obama)


HOLY GRAIL & ROMANTICISING ENTREPRENEURSHIP  I

Is entrepreneurship the Holy Grail?

It is argued that most businesses fail and entrepreneurship requires extreme daily hard work but is romanticised as the holy grail (the sought after).

The entrepreneur’s successful business venturing become their assets, reputation, business card, and work references. Successful entrepreneurs become winners and game changers

However, consider that in the game of life, just like sports, there are always losers and few big winners. Entrepreneurs fail daily, some are broke, others earn pittance daily trying to survive or keep businesses afloat. Some get back after the fall to re-continue after several mishaps and eventually succeed. A core principle of entrepreneurship is the ability to handle setbacks, not grind to a halt, focus and keep moving forward.

“Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.” (Mae Jemison)

When a romance fails, you don’t give up on ever finding love again you get back up. It's about not allowing the mind to wallow in self-pity and depression but taking back control as the CEO of your life. It's about crying when things go bad or wailing at night thinking about where the next money is going to come from to feed or pay bills but wiping the tears, getting back up daily and defeating life’s problems. Research shows that entrepreneurs of all gender know what it feels like to cry when nothing works and to temporary give up or think about giving-up. Whatever process the entrepreneur goes through to not quit is what earns one the entrepreneurship identity.

entrepreneurship is not a fashion trend because it is a mind-set and a lifelong career for those who understand that entrepreneurship is a viable career choice

Hence, to succeed as an entrepreneur, one must learn how to problem-solve to start again and again after many failures. The entrepreneurs’ that achieve a single goal are proof that at least one goal out of many business ideas or failures can thrive. Subsequently, the entrepreneur enjoys career satisfaction following dreams and giving life their best shot. This entrepreneur likely falls within the income percentage of businesses that earn an average of the income bracket of the 20%. The entrepreneur’s fruitful venture becomes their asset, reputation, business card, and work reference. Successful entrepreneurs become winners and game changers.

HOLY GRAIL & ROMANTICISING ENTREPRENEURSHIP II

“We are all gifted. That is our inheritance.” (Ethel Waters)

Is entrepreneurship the Holy Grail? What is the relationship between romance and careers? Well, many entrepreneurs are passionately married to their careers and businesses while employees are married to their jobs.  Neglecting the family is not being encouraged, but the reality is that majority of people’s lives are spent in the workplace rather than doing what they enjoy, or with say, families or the home which is akin to an unhealthy work romance.

“When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid" (Audre Lorde)

Many entrepreneurs work round the clock which can be tasking for the body, some hardly see or have time for friends and family due to working 24/7. Similarly, employees get to work in the morning and leave in the evening or at night. By the time they get home they are too tired to positively engage with the family. They go to bed and repeat, over and over. This is why some jobs are called the rat race. The WESM section on mind (you), body (work) and soul (family) discusses the distinction between personal and career goals to hopefully encourage a better work-life balance. However, Alain de Botton says, “There is no such thing as work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life”.

“The difference in living and feeling alive, is using your fear as fuel to fly” (India Arie)

According to a Gallup survey, only about 13% of workers are actively engaged in their jobs, while 87% are simply going through the motions akin to riding a stationary bike in the gym going nowhere. This group waste valuable time complaining about their jobs instead of being more creative at work, innovative and the CEO of their lives. However, don’t wait for the pessimists, continue moving and you can become much of what you decide and action.

“Fear is a disease that eats away at logic and makes man inhuman" (Marian Anderson)

The 13% career-oriented consists of the intrapreneurial. However, many start work accepting any job and over time gradually move into pursuing a career. It is true that not everyone is an entrepreneur or intrapreneurial employee because there are over 90% more employees worldwide and less than 10% entrepreneurs. Hence, not everyone is meant to solely become an employee working 9-5pm, just staying alive.

"Those who ignore the 80/20 principles are doomed to average returns. those who use it must bear the burden of exceptional achievement” (Richard Koch)

Additionally, the Pareto Principle known as the 80/20 rule describes how in life the law of the vital few operates, that for many events about 80% productivity comes from 20%. This ratio is largely same for the distribution of income and wealth amongst people in the world, mostly 20% own 80% of the land. This is not a cause to despair, rather a reinforcement that anyone who becomes the CEO of their life and raises their productivity levels will ultimately enjoy this 20% principle. We are all unique, and whether a person chooses to start a business or not, they would definitely become more successful being intrapreneurial than if they were less enterprising at their career.

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” (Maya Angelou)

Make no mistake, being a valuable employee OR leading a successful business are not a walk in the park, both require very serious problem-solving, commitment and focused hard work. Hence, no more trying to shame individuals for identifying with or aiming to become entrepreneurs. To further reinforce the perspective, entrepreneurship is not a fashion trend because it is a mind-set and a lifelong career for those who understand that entrepreneurship is a viable career choice. When more people dream big, start small, create products and services, develop opportunity, wish and take action to become entrepreneurial this is encouraging.

“I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world...but it didn’t happen overnight. It took me 30 years to get to where I am today. To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.” (Aliko Dangote) 

Therefore, is entrepreneurship the Holy Grail? It is, depending on whether you consider the cup as half-empty or half-full. The entrepreneur’s fruitful ventures become their assets, reputation, business card, and work reference. Successful entrepreneurs eventually become winners and game changers.


ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOKS by Dr Beem Beeka & Doo Beeka @Amazon


2. How to Start Your Own Business: Entrepreneurship Career Edition 2 (Entrepreneurship Career Startup Edition Book 1)
3. Mu Koyi Sana’a (Hausa Entrepreneurship Book)

4. The Entrepreneurs Tool kit. The African Business Roundtable (ABR). 

5. A Practical Guide: How to Start and Grow Your Own Business. 

6. Effective Ways to Know, Manage or Motivate your Team to Attain High Profitability. UK

DOCTORATE THESIS

7.  Beeka, B. H (2015) Entrepreneurship as a Viable Career Choice for Nigerian Youth. Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University Doctor of Philosophy Thesis. 

JOURNALS 


SHEFFIELD DOCTORAL CONFERENCE: WON BEST PAPER 

10.  Beeka, B. (2011) Entrepreneurship as a career choice: Opportunity recognition model from an emerging economy. In Lee, B and Palmer, N.J (Eds) Sheffield Doctoral Conference Proceedings, pp. 19-36. Sheffield: The University of Sheffield Management School Research Office. 

#LEAD #ECC #Career #Employability #Intrapreneurship #Entrepreneurship

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Friday, 1 November 2019

WORLD VEGAN DAY: ITAL IS VITAL-LET FOOD BY THY MEDICINE

The Fathers of medicine Imhotep and Hippocrates promoted “Let Food by thy Medicine”. Food and nutrition (plant-based, meat or meat-free, pescatarianism, vegetarianism, veganism etc) are individual choices. However, today is World Vegan Day so we are dedicating today’s article to veganism.


The word Vegan was coined by Donald Watson who started the Vegan Society in England around 1944. They invite everyone into the lifestyle and encourage that vegans have a great opportunity to save the planet, consume ethical foods, learn more about nutrition, and an improved diet. That it is possible to get nutrients from plant foods allowing for healthier options like whole grains, fruit, nuts, seeds and vegetables, which are packed full of beneficial fibre, vitamins and minerals.


Mya the American singer was diagnosed anaemic and cured herself through becoming a strict vegan after practising vegetarianism. Apparently, humans can alkaline their bodies with food, or make it acidic and a host for diseases through food. 

Therefore, what is your food, diet, nutrition or lifestyle regiment? What do you feed your kids? Can kids be Vegans? the answer is in the affirmative. “Shine with Plants” a blogger/vlogger feeds her family and kid up to 90% raw foods and the rest cooked. She said “I switched to a totally plant-based diet, and this discovery has been life-altering. After eating this way for only few days, I started feeling the changes in my body, mind and soul. I noticed astonishing results in my health and weight, and I finally started to live a fully joyful and passionate life every day. My energy level skyrocketed like never before and exercising became a part of my daily routine. Today, I feel more aligned with who I really am by eating foods which not only make me healthy and slim, but also save the animals that I’ve always been in love with. I wake up every day with the excitement of taking a new step toward becoming the best version of myself.”


Vegans in the first instance follow a plant-based diet/nutrition and lifestyle. But how exactly are vegans and vegetarians different? Well, vegetarians avoid meat but eat eggs and dairy. While vegans, particularly in their diet, abstain from all animal products. Below are the popular categories of veganism. 

1.     Dietary vegans: Eat only healthy fruits, vegetables, starches, grains, seeds, and refrain from all animal products e.g. meat, fish, eggs, animal dairy products-milk, cheese, and all associated animal-derived foods.

2.     Ethical vegans: Follow a strict vegan diet as above but extend the philosophy into other areas of life. They promote more kindness to animals and not patronising animal-based commodities e.g. fur, skin, animal farms and others. Ethical Vegans e.g. PETA oppose the use of animals for any purpose. Equally, environmental vegans, encourage the avoidance of animal products that the industrial farming of animals is not sustainable and damages the environment.


Many individuals and celebrities are adopting the vegan diet or lifestyle, but veganism is not a new practice. It’s been in existence from early man, and women. It is challenging for the modern or non-vegan to seek or comprehend that protein can be obtained from other sources asides meat because modern diet is filled with meat. However, human life started in Africa, and African’s were living off mostly plant-based diets before meat got introduced into the cuisine. The diet of many rural Africans today in much of West Africa is deliberately plant-based with rich green healthy chlorophyll filled vegetables. Furthermore, the Ethiopian diet is mostly vegetarian or vegan. Ethiopia the Horn of Africa was never colonised and is the site where the oldest skeleton of an anatomically modern human was discovered. Archaeologists believe that “humans” originated Ethiopian before spreading into other parts of the world.


Early Indians, Asians or Rastafarians do not eat meat. The Rastafari movement encourages followers as a sacred duty to only eat a plant-based diet i.e. food grown from the earth - unmodified and free from additives, chemicals and meat. This is what is termed Ital is Vital, a way to promote life energy.


Veganism will thrive because it is as old as humans, but as a diet movement it increases around the world given the need to live healthier. Dr Sebi was said to have cured all kinds of modern diseases (e.g. Anaemia, HIV, Diabetes etc) through African vegan plant cell foods and herbs. Research finds acidic foods (e.g. meat, milk, additives, processed food and certain starches etc) produce mucus that compromise cells and cause ill-health. That healthy vegans have less mucus than those who consume meat, milk and heavy starch diets. Vegans experience all sorts trying to discredit their methods sometimes offering worse alternative. However, some heal through knowledge, awareness, and action, it is not just a doctor, that has the final say regarding anything that goes into your own body.  

Specificity implies you are unique so follow your heart and body. Eat what you can and listen to your body if it agrees to discontinue or continue. These are examples of experiences from different vegans. 

(a) Asides from breastmilk for babies due to lactose intolerance it is best to use seeds as milk alternatives.
(b) Food supplements are derived from plants so when possible, find the original plants or herbs and take those instead.
(c) African-American’s call sweet potatoes ‘yams’, however the yam African's eat is different and a vegetable starch with a low glycemic index making the African yam a healthier starch option to cassava, sweet or Irish potatoes.
(d)  Some vegans avoid white rice and wheat, sticking to consuming to ancient grains as alternatives.
(e) Strict vegans avoid soy milk or soya bean tofu products citing soy causes hormonal imbalances.  
  
The nutrition journey is different for everyone. Everyone is responsible for their own choices and life. Thus, anyone that wishes to pursue a more vegan based diet should carry out their own research and investigate what is best for their body.



Whatever you chose to eat, food has physical, health and spiritual value. It is advisable that every human incorporates more, plants, fruits and vegetables in their nutrition. “Let Food by thy Medicine” said Imhotep and Hippocrates.

HAPPY WORLD VEGAN DAY!

Disclaimer: This blog is not providing any medical advice. Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. While every precaution has been taken in the research but it is advised that names, places, narratives and quotes be independently confirmed by the reader. The publisher and the author cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. The editor, publisher or author can accept no responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication.

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