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Economics 101

One of the first things that people do when the gap between the rich and the poor widens and unemployment rises is to take to the streets to demand a change of regime. Politics is governance, so it does play a role in the economic disparity within the country, but the main reasons behind unemployment may not be remedied as simply as changing the leadership. The rules of engagement, i.e. the laws and regulations, are important, however the forces of economics can have a greater impact on improving the lives of a country’s citizens. The forces of supply and demand can be manipulated, but only ever so slightly. We need to strive for less government and non-governmental organization involvement in economic activity in order to increase our chances of upward mobility or advancement as a society. We need a well-regulated free market system that has very few barriers to entry and a rabid intolerance for monopolies and/or corruption. The main role for governments, non-governmental organization
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Start Small, Start Close, Start At The Bottom

We are encouraged to dream big from an early age. Unfortunately, this leaves us unable to make the first step because we either don’t know what that step is, or it is not as glamorous as where we would like to end up. In some cases, the dream is so big it results in paralysis. Another challenge nowadays is that a lot of the world is obsessed with global matters, i.e. politics, the news, big corporations, non-governmental organizations, social media, etc. Although the state of the world and our participation in it is important, we seem to have forgotten that change starts in our  hearts, households, and that it starts small. We have dreams of being CEOs, board members, or wealthy, without the realization that everything worth doing starts small, starts close, and requires us to start at the bottom.  We have to start small because most of us do not have the capital, both human and monetary, to afford something big. We need to build the network and contacts that will eventually lead to th
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Serve Through Your Enterprise

The church has failed us when it comes to helping us understand what serving God looks like from a practical standpoint. We have been led to believe that when the Bible speaks of worship, it is speaking of ritual, but when we study the root words or original text of what worship, service, and work have in common, we find the same word. Work, ministry, employment, deputyship, service, worship can all mean the exact same thing. So why have we not been enlightened about the fact that we are supposed to work or serve for six days then rest on the seventh? Why have we been led to believe that the work that we do for the customer, either through an employer when employed or directly when an entrepreneur, is not ministry or service? Many of us are falsely under the impression that worship does not include work during the week and that worship is music, when clearly it is not limited to music. Worship can include music, but it is not limited to it. We are supposed to serve God everyday with si
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Embrace The Islands

Although there are many ways to think of what makes up society, it is helpful to think of society being divided into two sections - the mainland and the islands. The mainland is the more cautious part that takes longer to adopt ideas or change their mind on issues, and the islands are the radical, liberal-minded parts that tend to be quick to embrace new ideas. People with mainland-values have a proclivity for order, rules, and traditions, while islanders, the creatives of a society, have an affinity for adventure, radical ideas, and a rejection of the status quo. For societal cohesion or progress, we have to embrace both parts of society. The mainland helps us to stay grounded in the lessons of our past, while the islands lead us into a bright and prosperous future.  As society, we cannot have one without the other, nor live in a world of extremist propagation of one over the other. There is a need to embrace radical ideas because they will eventually be widely accepted, if and when,
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Build, For Better

When we look around, we see what has been built by those who came before us. Everything around us is a consequence of the actions, intentional or not, of people in the past. We, living in the present, can build for the future. We can create the world that our children can be proud of. It is easy to destroy; a whole ship can be sunk by one sailor. We have a duty to ourselves, those around us, and those soon to follow. Foundations for the future, that we desire, have to be laid today. We have to build bridges, not burn them. The future can be bright as long as we start generating power now. Future generations need to find the necessary infrastructure already in place, in order to create the type of society that they will need in their present and future.  We have to grow through evolution, not resets. We need evolution because we cannot be sure about how systems affect each other. Too many times, those with the ability to bring change, shutdown a program and introduce another, only to fi
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More The Same Than Different

When we get on social media or turn on the news, we are bombarded with all that is wrong with the world. Most of what we have come to understand as news, is bad news. There is a tremendous amount of polarization and accentuation of our differences. Nowadays, we do not get on social media to learn about others and to find common ground, but we get on to tear each other down. We have moved from the truly liberal mindset of embracing differences and celebrating similarities to a culture of taking sides. If we were to believe the news or social media, then we would think that the world is in the worst possible state. As humankind, we have to move past the echo chambers to find unity. We need to embrace the truth, which is, that we are more the same than we are different. We have to shut out the noise of social media and the news, and go out to experience real life. When you visit the outside world, you will find that we have a society filled with good people.  We all have needs and wants,
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Wealth Comes From Legitimate Ownership

We all need to make a living, and after working for “the man,” many of us start to dream of owning our own business. Often people start doing business in the form of a “side hustle” with the hopes of leaving their 8 to 5 job. Although people may start out their entrepreneurship journey because of disillusionment, the most successful entrepreneurs are those who start a business to deliver a product or service that people desperately need. After all, a company is simply a gathering of people, in order to deliver a product or a service. The success of the business is then determined by how efficiently the operation is run, and the level at which the surrounding community benefits from the activities of the enterprise. The creators of the enterprise, through their legitimate ownership of the company, earn their wealth when their  business grows. We need to teach our children about the power of ideas and their execution. We need to solidify the connection between ideas, their execution, the
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Good Life, Good Business Part 2

At the core of any life or enterprise is decision-making. We are our decisions. Anyone who finds themselves in the clutches of a disastrous life got there through bad decisions made by either themselves, their kin, or complete strangers. The “system,” as we know it, is a result of the many decisions made by those around us and those who have come before us. A piece of equipment is only as effective or as beneficial as the operator. Decisions are the difference! Life and business are driven by decisions. The monetary system is merely a framework to facilitate trade, but people are the ones who have to initiate the trade or program the algorithms that do. The secret to having a decent life is centered on knowing that decisions matter more than any system or framework. One should focus on making better decisions every day, and surrounding themselves with those who make good decisions, too. You should not let the need to belong and the culture around you determine your decisions; be the ca
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Good Life, Good Business

Many, especially in Africa, are under the impression that business values and good-person life values do not go together. We have been raised to believe that one cannot be a good Christian and be successful at anything business related. This could not be further from the truth! All the things that make a person a good Christian, also make one a good business person. To reach the upper echelons of any hierarchy, we have to contribute to the largest number of people. Having more friends is of more value than having more money. This is not to say that all rich people contribute to society in a positive way,  but it is to say that most of them have followed principles that are designed for having a better life. A better business is simply a pleasant byproduct.  Valuing other people’s time is critical to succeeding in life and in business. If you are on time, people feel respected, and you can start your meeting in light of that respect. When we are late for meetings, the people we are meet
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Who's In Your Orbit

Relationships are at the core of our civilization! We cannot build anything without relationships. Whether for business or pleasure, we always need to cultivate relationships in order to achieve intended goals. Those with tumultuous lives, more often than not, have tumultuous relationships. They do not possess the ability to manage expectations within appropriate frameworks; they do not have proper boundaries! Eastern cultures struggle with boundaries, because the demands made by family, friends, and strangers on an individual are not made within mutually beneficial relationship ecosystems. Plus, eastern cultures form relationships around social activities centered on consumption, instead of activities centered on production. How we manage our relationships can be one of the main ways that we can best manage our time: our most important resource.  One of the best ways to think about relationships is to use visual devices. One such device is to think of relationships, and the boundaries
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