Global pop star, D’banj, alongside comedy legends Alibaba, Gbenga Adeyinka and Tee-A on Thursday, 11^th of August 2016, joined other creative industry leaders in Ibadan, Oyo State to inspire a younger generation of entrepreneurs at OSMD Network’s inaugural Youth Empowerment Summit.

The bi-annual event, tagged, “What Is Your Hand: A STRATEGIC TOOL” held at the Conference Hall of Mauve 21, Ibadan, featuring keynote speakers, Tunji Olugbodi, an integrated marketing communications expert, and Ubong King,  a security services business mogul.

Founder Olorisupergal.com, Oluwatosin Ajibade, shares tips on “What’s in Your Hand: A Strategic Tool”.

1. Identify what you have: What is it you have that others don’t? What are you good at? Is there something that’s a burden or a chore for others, but comes easily to you? What are the things you are passionate about?

I didn’t really plan to become a blogger, much less a successful one. I have always been really passionate about knowing what’s happening, and before I started blogging I used to spend time finding out what was happening, and then I would share the information on Facebook. I wasn’t even using a computer; all I had was my old Nokia phone! Before I knew it, I had a large following on Facebook and by 2009 I had reached the limit and could no longer accept new friends. So from there I had to extend my engagement beyond my Facebook account.

Start with what’s in your hand and commit yourself to it. Put your heart into it and you’ll find that the little you have will grow into much.

I didn’t start off wanting to be popular; I just followed my passion and used what I had in my hand. And that brings us to the next step.

2. Look around for a need it can meet:

In my case, I realised that inasmuch as I was passionate about what was going on and willing to spend time searching for information, there were people who needed same but couldn’t go after it, so I did the hard work and served them what they needed. And sure enough, they kept coming back for more. You need to find a relationship between your passion and what people value.

3. Don’t be afraid to “own” it

One important thing that owning it can do for you is that it frees you to pursue it publicly, and then more and more people come to know you for it. If you had spoken to me about blogging in 2009, my blank face would have betrayed me; I didn’t know what a blog was! All I knew was that I loved entertainment and I loved being up-to-date on happenings.  

It was a friend who told me that I could put out things on the internet free of charge, and was also kind enough to point me to successful Nigerian bloggers. I knew instantly that whenever I started to blog, it would definitely be about entertainment.

If I had kept my passion a secret, do you think it would have occurred to my friend to tell me? That information was only considered important because I had made my passion as widely known as I could.

When you go public with what you have in your hand, you will attract people who can help you take it to the next level. If you hide it, nobody will know and it will remain dormant.

Identifying what’s in your hand and what needs it can meet is not enough. Unless you “own” it, you won’t be able to make impact with it.

4. Don’t stop improving yourself

People often say, “Find your passion and stick to it!” However I find that advice to be one-sided. I started the social media business from a passion and it hasn’t spared me the challenges and hurdles that accompany every productive venture.

Being passionate about something doesn’t guarantee success. You must be strategic.

Once you’ve identified what’s in your hand and the needs it meets, and you’ve given yourself permission to be you, you must now learn the tricks of your trade and become a master of it.

I believe every type of business requires strategies and requires you to stay current and up-to-date. I have attended seminars, summits, leadership courses and media school just to expand my knowledge in this field. I believe the only way to get better at your craft is to constantly strive to improve on what you learnt yesterday.

5. Be ready to make the necessary sacrifices

When trying to make the most of what’s in your hand, you must realise that it’s a commitment that requires sacrifice. That sacrifice for some is their social life, for others it’s a monthly salary, for some of us it’s both!

I remember not having a social life for a long time. As soon as I woke up in the morning and said ‘Thank you Jesus’, the next thing would be to grab my phone and catch up with what happened while I was asleep. There were days I preferred working all night and resting during the day, and on other days I would work till 2 am or 3 am, sleep, and then be back on my grind by 6 am.

On top of all this, my parents were worried, “Tosin when are you going to get a proper job?”

I had to forego a steady monthly salary and a social life. I had to pay the price.

So, it may seem like you don’t have anything, but that’s not true. Every one of us has something to offer to society. Think about it, evaluate yourself, look at your daily routines, identify that thing in your hand, and keep these tips in mind.

What’s in your hand may not seem significant to you, but it has great potential if you use it right.

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