To My Younger Self: What Were You Thinking?

When you are young, you take bigger risks, having less to lose. This is the rationale behind many opportunities restricted to youth (18 - 35 years, sometimes extended to 40 years for women inclusion). They need risk takers to innovate, solve the world's problems.

Over the years, I have worked on/participated in many leadership, entrepreneurship, employment and education projects that has demonstrated how young people in Africa are taking risks and creating solutions for our continent and our world, despite the huge challenges. From the Obama Leaders Africa program, to Challenge Fund for Youth Employment, AYuTe Africa Challenge, NASME Youth Enterprise Challenge (NYEC), Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN), amongst many others. Africa is indeed blessed with amazing young minds.

I understand this concept of youth and risk. I took a huge risk myself. I was 24 years old and it was in November 2007 that I played my youthful card and took the risk to quit my dream job. Learn about the real reason here.

Earlier that year in February 2007, I got married to my best friend.... We had spent most of our savings on the wedding ceremony and our home. What I had in my bank account was used to purchase my old laptop from previous job, a desk jet printer, an internet modem, a desk and chair. After that, I had barely what could get me going for three months.

What was I thinking? The truth was, I had a back-up plan. I had a well paying lifeline job with a real estate company who was initially my client. I had done a great job as a consultant. I wrote a Business Plan that was used to raise financing for a big project. They wanted me full-time. But deep down in my heart, I was not very clear about my future there and guess what? It didn't last long.

Subsequently, I continued consulting from my bedroom and attended meetings at restaurants. I was famous at the upstairs section of a Nando's restaurant close to my house. That was my go-to meeting spot. They had great seating, wi-fi and of course, food. Based on review of my records, I decided to get a loan from a "Loan Shark" when I realised my restaurant bills added up to the cost of an office space. Getting this loan at 10% interest/per month, I set up shop in a 15sq/m space at Alausa Shopping Mall, Central Business District of Lagos, Nigeria.

Then I hit rock bottom. I had trouble finding "well-paying" clients. I had done lots of "free/pro-bono" and "subsidised" work for my portfolio. I had proof of results for the businesses I worked with, but that was it.

There is one experience I will never forget. I had to work overnight with a female client because my final payment of N50,000 (about $400 at that time) was tied to finishing her Business Plan. I decided to leave around 12 midnight once I was done and she gave me my final cheque. Joy, Tiredness, Anger, Relief ...was the mix of feelings that made me leave her house. Unfortunately, hubby didn't know I was coming back and he had locked up. You see, that N50,000 cheque meant so much as it was my only income for that month. I had to pay the "Loan Shark" the next day. I had zero naira in my bank account. That night, I slept in the car..... Actually, I cried all night in the car.

With all that hustle, as a young female entrepreneur in the consulting space, I also faced gender and age bias from every angle... I got comments like:

"Where is your boss? I mean, Mr. Olanrewaju. The man that we've been having intelligent discussions over emails."

"How old did you say you were again? 25? Hmm...even my business is older than you. How can you be my consultant?

Add employee troubles to it. Getting staff to work at the amount I could afford, plus finding those with the right baseline skills to be a consultant was war. Top it up with their attitude to a start-up business. It was all demoralising.

I remember overhearing my staff on the phone one day...

".... I am just managing here till something better comes up. This wannabe Consulting Firm that is in a shopping mall. Is this a Consulting Firm or a Shop? ...."

Mix all of that up with the numerous Nigerian business environment challenges... power, internet, multiple taxation, facility management, financing, payroll, ... Name it, I faced it.

It was like everything was working against my success.

But the thought of giving up was too painful. This was my path... or was it?

Let's chat in the comments.

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