Hey there..

So...

2018 ended on a super note.

And by the end of the first quarter of 2019...

I'd crossed a billion naira in revenue.

#oyaeverybodyclap

#yesyeskeepclapping

#yesthankyouthankyou

As far I was concerned:

I was now officially a god amongst men!

I'd lived well below my means for the better part of my working life..

It was finally my turn to shine.

#smh

To fully blow up..

And against the advice of my wife...

Who typically has more sense than I do...

I raised N750million purely on the strength of my reputation.

And went on a buying spree.

I was committed to making Primedia Communications Ltd worldclass.

Anyways...

Long story short...

I got distracted and next thing I knew...

Most of my PowerIdeas subscribers didn't renew...

My investors panicked and suddenly...

I was owing N1.5m

Well...technically it wasn't that sudden...

By the way...

If that sudden magical debt didn't make sense to you...

Believe me when I say...

It didn't make any sense to me either...

My saving grace was my reputation for keeping my word.

“A promise is a cloud. Fulfillment is rain.” — Proverb

It’s amazing how quickly you can develop a reputation for being unreliable.

When you always do what you say...

You’re telling people in the clearest terms that you’re consistent and trustworthy.

If you typically make a lot of (well-meaning) promises and forget half of them...

Figure out ways to ensure that you fulfill these promises.

I have a journal where I write down all promises I make...

Especially to my #1 client...

Vivian my wife.

That has paid off in multiple different ways in terms of the trust between us...

Back in 2019...

The trust with my market place meant I could ask for money in advance for services and delay fulfilling them for a year and a half...

And there was no scandal on social media.

And I'm not talking chin chin money...

It gave me the freedom to focus primarily on getting my self out of the mess I'd created without worrying about creating another one.

Do what you say you will do people!

And if you no longer can do it...

Communicate...

Renegotiate...

Know when to say yes and when to say no.

It’s much better to be honest than idealistic...

Especially when other people’s time and energy are involved.

Tomorrow...

I'll share with you how not finishing what you start can mess you up in ways you can't even begin to imagine...

And a few bits of non scandalous gossip.

Till then...

Get out of your own way.

CTM