Oluwafemi Blessing Adeniyi

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I wrote an article called "How to make it in life if your father is NOT Femi Otedola". Read it here: @drola/did-teni-the-entertainer-lie-to-us-1472985f811d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@drola/did-ten…

Let me share what I have done in the past as a PmP mapped into the 5 steps from @DrOlaBrown's article. Quick background so you understand where I'm coming from. During my YCT days, I used to work in some plastic factory hence the reason for my hard palm 😀😅. I also had to borrowed money to pay my first UNILAG school fees. I was visibly pako😀 disclaimer: Me, I’m not trying to be as rich as Dangote or Otedola 😅. far from it. In fact, I’ve said before that once I hit my personal target of about $2m liquid assets, I’ll probably disappear to Igbotako for community development work and a quieter life. Also, I am not rich yet. but we thank God Now, lets see how the steps in the article fit into what I have done ... of course there are other things and steps that help Step 1: Get into a good university. I didn't stop at polytechnic. Even at YCT during my ND, I pushed for UNILAG. Finished with First Class in Accounting. BGS in both the department and faculty for both institutions. Over 20 academic awards. I knew early that my CV has to scream for me given that no one could make the calls for me. At my Sahara 2016 GMT programme final interview, they projected my CV to the chairman and other board members present at that interview - ND Distinction, First Class, BGS twice, ICAN, ACCA, 20+ awards. The Chairman and the entire board couldn't even ask me a question. He just said: "Do you have any life? Did you have fun in school?" I can see how impressed and couldnt just say know...I knew I already got the job. Step 2: Work in financial services. I moved into consulting, focused on financial services and a very niche complex area (actuarial and quant). And I don't just deliver on client engagements. I want them to see the difference. Two of the biggest insurance companies CEO in Nigeria wrote to Partner about how exceptional I was on a projects..That actually added more case to a back to back double promotion I have slept in the office because of client deliverables. not once, not twice as a Senior and as a Manager. There is no substitute for hard work. I keep telling younger ones this. You cannot shortcut excellence when you don't have connections backing you up. Step 3: Realise it will take longer. I play the long game. One reason I stayed back in Nigeria is because I can see the massive opportunities ahead in the space I work in. The difference in my earnings over the last decade vs now is significant and it's still very far from what's possible. Today I told some LASU students if they could imagine that some folks earn ₦30m+ per month in this Lagos? The good thing about the path I chose is that seeing those numbers ahead is always comforting. The ceiling is high. You just have to be patient enough to climb. Step 4: Grow your network. Naturally, I am a very shy person. Extremely introverted. But in the last 5 years, I've pushed myself to connect with clients, colleagues, and people outside my comfort zone. We've won engagements just because of a presentation I did for some years ago. I make myself available for some pro bono work. My last IFRS 9 video took over 12 hours to produce, even though you all see 4 hours of content. Some clients call me outside work hours. I focus on how to make them look good with their boss too. Networking is really just giving. Step 5: Be aggressive about self development. This is the biggest one for me. ACCA. ACA. CFA. FRM. SCR. And now actuarial exams IFOA and SOA. Passed 14 papers across both in 3 years. Also failed 10 papers in that same period. Failing is part of it lol. I'm quite aggressive. Last December, I was in the office from Dec 26 to 4AM on January 1st writing a 96hour SOA assessment. I actually spent over 80 hours on it. That means I literally started the new year in the office. Extreme? Yes. I don't encourage anyone to do that. But that's what it took. Working your way out of poverty comes with massive tradeoffs. And it's perfectly rational to decide not to do it that way. But if you choose this path, know that momentum compounds. The early years are the hardest. The loneliest. But every exam, every late night, every relationship you build, it stacks up. May be when I buy my AMG G 63😎, I will come back and confirm that yes it's possible. for now lets keep trusting the process. I'm not even rich yet. But I'm always thankful for how far I've come. Grateful for everyone that has been part of my joinery...friends, family, colleagues , scholarships companies, bosses etc TBT to my 2020 birthday...one clown had to remind me how I be pako for undergrate