#ElevateDay Christmas Special with @kehindeagbejule

#ElevateDay is a live Twitter event that takes place 6pm every Tuesday @elevationng. It is an open forum for learning, sharing and impacting lives. On this Christmas special, we speak with the head of Elevate 200, an initiative of the Elevation Church, that embodies all Christmas is about: love and sharing.

@elevationng: @kehindeagbejule What is Elevate 200 all about ?

The programme was designed to guide 200 less privileged members of our local community(both island and mainland). The programme started in April 2011.

Elevation Church: What are the things Elevate 200 has achieved?

We help them develop capacity to become useful and productive to themselves and society. We also minister to their bodies by feeding them every Sunday. These are people who were sleeping under the bridges on the island, TBS and Bar Beach. We have empowered over 15 members who successfully passed through our training session and qualified. One got driving employment with an accommodation.

Elevation Church: What is Elevate 200 doing this season?

We just concluded a medical outreach for our members. We have two centres at present -Onikan and Oniru with a population of 300 adults and 130 children. Also last Sunday, we gave out raw food stuffs to all our members. Tomorrow is our annual Soup Kitchen day where we dine and wine with the less privileged around Oniru area.

Elevation Church: What does Christmas mean to you and how can we celebrate it?

Well, Christmas to me means sacrifice which is rooted in love. Christ brought peace and comfort to mankind. We have to spread this joy and comfort we enjoy to other people including non-believers so they can enjoy. He who is kind to the poor lends to God and He will reward him. Proverbs 19:17. God will always reward our work of love.

Elevation Church: Thank you so much for joining us on today's #ElevateDay . Merry Christmas!!!

Kehinde Agbejule : It's a pleasure being our guest today. Thanks for the opportunity. Merry Christmas to you all.

#ElevateDay with @gossyomega : Innovative Business Ideas for A Brighter Future

On #ElevateDay today, we're discussing how to create and implement unique business ideas.

 Introduction
Gossy Ukanwoke @gossyomega has been referred to as the Mark Zuckerberg of Nigeria by Forbes. Gossy Ukanwoke is the President of Beni American University at the age of 24. He oversees all affairs of the institution, from academics, to admissions and student life. 24- year old Nigerian entrepreneur wants to transform how education is provided by making it readily available.

Prior to Beni American University,Gossy founded Students Circle Network, an academic social network for students. Students Circle Network brings over 10,000 free academic resources from over 200 universities globally and shares it for free. Students Circle has grown to become a world known social network and has been featured on several news media worldwide. Gossy Ukanwoke has been referred to as “Africa’s Top Tech Entrepreneur” by ITNews Africa in 2011. He has also been a guest speaker at the Girne American University PhD series seminars.

#ElevateDay begins

@elevationng :  @gossyomega In your opinion, what can one do to create unique business ideas? #ElevateDay

Thank you. To create an idea that is unique, I believe we should look inward. Starting from our immediate society to see what gaps are left open. Amazingly we have a lot of places where there are options to create something new. We can look at ways to fill in those gaps, bridge the divides and provide for a need that is in the market. Lastly, look at what others have done in different markets and see how you can improve upon those and make it unique.

@elevationng :  @gossyomega How can you sell your novel ideas to others? How do you get them to believe in it? #ElevateDay

A novel idea sells itself. If you are solving a problem and people need that problem solved. They'll seek you out.  If you are looking at building a team, you need to find those who are passionate about same thing, they will see an opportunity to get involved and the novel idea is sold to them. The most important thing is create something unique, find a market for it, tune it, adjust it to the diversity of the market, the idea does the rest.

@elevationng :  @gossyomega Why is it so difficult for Nigerians to innovate? #ElevateDay

You only innovate when you have a supporting environment for innovation. That we don't have so readily in Nigeria. We have the brightest minds, but they are stuck in a society where challenging the status-quo is frowned upon. The enabling environment includes funds, government policies, supporting industries, societal perception e.t.c.

Those who will innovate are those who have decided to take whatever is thrown at them for challenging the norm. However I see an increase in the support we give each other as young people to work together to innovate. Importantly, the most ignored reason why we cannot innovate is because we see others as competitors than for synergy. We spend more time fighting each other as to who is better, than supporting one another to innovate and grow.

@elevationng :  @gossyomega Can you share with us some very PRACTICAL steps for starting and running a pioneer business? #ElevateDay

• Research - look at the area you are used to, see what is needed, check for governing policies and entry barriers. 

• Create a solution, research more, tune your solution. Do not just copy a solution off the internet and implement

• Build a team. No matter how simple it may seem, you do not know it all and cannot do it all alone. Delegate roles to your team members, be ambitious but set realistic goals. Don't choke yourself with too much

• Be ready to leave your comfort zone. Get on ground because things are a bit diversified on ground test your solution or idea. see what the intended users think, what do they say, iterate your idea further 

• Legalize and incorporate . It only remains an idea till it becomes a legal entity. Consult mentors, lawyers

• Ship your idea / product / solution and still keep listening to your market, mentors and team. Keep improving  

• Make money :) make some impact. See how you can build a business that will outlive you. This is our biggest hurdle 

• Keep innovating, building, shipping, watching trends, adjusting and READ! Don't get too busy for family and friends  

• Finally on this, know when its time to exit. There are several ways of exiting, but this is a topic on its own. exit options possible - acquisition, mergers,re-focus, go public (IPO) or shutdown (not all businesses succeed).

@elevationng :  @gossyomega Lastly, what did you learn on your path to establishing the Beni American University ? #ElevateDay

• Until you get into the market, do not assume. Do extensive research to get the best possible statistics you need  
• Learn all the governing policies of your industry. There are always hidden charges and rules never publicly stated
• Remain optimistic, hopeful & steadfast because there is a problem that needs you to solve it. Never give up faith
• Don't be afraid to ask for help. You are not super human. Be ready to collaborate. You are not alone

 @elevationng :  @gossyomega Thank you so much for joining us & sharing your knowledge and experience on #ElevateDay

@gossyomega : My pleasure always

#ElevateDay with @iamsteveharris : Finishing Strong in Business

Renowned speaker,trainer and management consultant, Steve Harris joins us on #ElevateDay to discuss Finishing Strong in Business.Enjoy

Introduction 

Steve Harris is regarded as Nigeria's leading Life Strategist, a highly sought after Management Consultant, Motivational Speaker & Author.  He has designed, managed & facilitated several customer service& personal mastery training programmes, management and leadership retreats.

In 2011, he authored his biography; ‘From College Dropout to Corporate Sellout’, where he shares his secrets to overcoming the ‘perceived impossible’ and achieving phenomenal success despite being a Two Time College Dropout. He is the CEO of EdgeEcution ,a top-notch management consulting firm. Steve Harris is turn-around expert, inspirational speaker & inspirational corporate activator. In July 2011, Steve Harris was made a United Nations Young Ambassador for Peace due to his impact & inspiration.

#ElevateDay begins

@elevationng : @iamsteveharris In your opinion, what's the very first thing to do when starting a business? #ElevateDay

Well, I'd say ask what need does my business meet? What problem does it solve or what desire does it meet? If it meets a small need, it's gonna provide small money! Your value is determined by the vacuum you fill. So identify who the customers (folk who can pay) are from your consumers (folk who love you but can't/wont pay). The bigger the problem, the bigger the solution: the bigger the solution, the bigger the value, : the bigger the value, the bigger the money they pay and the bigger the money, the bigger the boy! Lol

@elevationng :  @iamsteveharris How can businesses improve customer service? #ElevateDay

First off, businesses need to recognize that customers do business with people they like. So they've gotta make a conscious effort to raise their likeability factor. If the customers don't like you, you're toast! Also business owners need to remember that brands are built by consistent experience! So what type of experience do I get when I interact with you? Are you glad to see me or am I an interruption? As a management Consultant, I train many organizations on customer service, and I tell them customer service is DEAD! Every firm knows what good service is from bad service : But what gets you to stand out is SERVICE MAGIC! You have to build a 'wow' factor into your business! It could be the way you respond on the telephone or the fact that you deliver reports 24 hours after engagement, or deliver hot food or give a refund if its cold. Everyone talks about the extra mile, but it's borne out of great sacrifice. Knowing that the day you lose your customers, you're outta business! Turn your customers into brand evangelists. Be like Arsenal fans, they may not win trophies, but they can sell their club to anyone (low blow)

@elevationng : @iamsteveharris Why is it so difficult for a growing business to establish a reputation?

As I said before, brands are built by CONSISTENT experience. Unfortunately, many businesses vacillate in service delivery. So they're great today, and awful tomorrow. And soon, the customers see them as average! In business, you're either GREAT or TERRIBLE! AVERAGE or 'Just There' is forgotten!

@elevationng : @iamsteveharris Can you share with us some very PRACTICAL steps for running a successful business?

• You've gotta be aware of what your customers want. You need to feel their pulse, conduct research, and ask them.
•  Touch base. What should you start, stop or improve? 
• Also remember that your staff are also your customers and will give your customers what you give to them. Instill your corporate DNA (vision, values etc) into your team. Reward great behaviour and sanction wrong behavior. Communicate with your people. Don't be too far from them. 
• Measure and manage growth. 
• Don't over capitalize and lastly, 
• Dream BIG, Start small and Grow fast!

@elevationng :  @iamsteveharris What should a business be aware of when taking on new staff? #ElevateDay

Do they fit into the corporate culture? Do they share our values? Are they suited for the task?  Can they be trained? How proactive are they? How fast will they jump ship if we're in slow times? Where do they see themselves in a couple of years? How much would they like to earn and CAN THEY SELL? .Most importantly, can they bring in more than the value of what they're being paid? I started business with N20k in Jan 2011, but I found out I was wealthier in goodwill. I traded off my goodwill.

@elevationng :  Thank you @iamsteveharris for sharing with us your knowledge & experience #ElevateDay

@iamsteveharris : @elevationng ...Thank you for the privilege

Thank you for joining us on #ElevateDay today.Do join us same time next week for another mind-blowing session. #ElevateDay holds every Tuesday at 6pm on Twitter.


 

#ElevateNW : The Law of Attraction

On #ElevateNW today, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is what we are watching.Based on the best-selling book and movie by Rhonda Bryne. The Law of Attraction shows us that we can create our own greatness with our thoughts.This is the same thing the Bible points to severally.

The secret gives you anything you want: happiness,health and wealth.  What kind of business do you want? Do you want more success? What kind of partner do you want? I've seen many miracles take place in people's lives: financial miracles,miracles of healing, because of this secret. You've been sitting there wondering,"What is the secret?" I'll tell you how I've come to understand it.

The secret is the law of attraction.Everything that is coming into your life,you are attracting into your life. Whatever is going on in your mind,you are attracting to you.And it's going to happen sooner or later. You are the one who calls the law of attraction into action and you do it through your thoughts.

Charles Hanel said the law of attraction is the greatest&the most infallible law upon which the entire system of creation depends. Why do you think 1% of the population earns abt 96% of all the money,all over the world.It's not an accident.They know the secret. People who draw wealth into their lives,use the secret either consciously or unconsciously.They think thoughts of abundance. The simplest way to understand the law of attraction is seeing yourself as a magnet.A magnet will attract to itself. Basically put,the law of attraction says like attracts like ,but we are speaking at a level of thought.

Your job is to hold on to the thoughts of what you want,make it absolutely clear in your mind and you invoke the law of attraction . You become what you think about the most and you also attract what you think about the most. Your life right now is a reflection of your past thoughts.That includes both the good and bad things. If you see it in your mind,you are going to hold it in your hand. As you learn the secret,you'll come to know you can have, be or do anything you want. If you want to change anything in your life ,do it by changing your thoughts.

Here's the problem: most people are thinking about what they don't want and they're wondering why it keeps showing up. The law of attraction doesn't care whether you perceive something to be good or bad.It's always responding to your thoughts. The law of attraction is the law of creation .You can think your life into existence. Creation is always happening.Every time you have a thought, something is going to manifest out of these thoughts.

You attract the predominant thoughts you are holding in your awareness,whether they are conscious or not  .By consciously changing your thoughts, you can change your life. You draw everything to yourself.The people,the job,the circumstances.You do this with your thought. Your are the artist of your own life,the sculpture you are sculpting is you.You do this with your thoughts.The law of attraction is a law of nature.Just like the law of gravity,it is precise & exact.

Everything that surrounds you right now in your life,you attracted to yourself.Change them by changing your thoughts .You can change every circumstance and event in your life by simply changing the way you think. Most of us attract by default.We just think that we have no control over it.This is not true. Researchers tell us we have about 60,000 thoughts a day.It would be exhausting to monitor these thoughts. Your feelings let you know what you're thinking.It's a great way to gauge your thoughts.The emotions are an incredible gift that we have to let us know what we're thinking.

What am I attracting right now? Well,how are you feeling? I feel good.Great ! Keep doing that. Begin to feel wonderful about what you want.Begin to feel the way you'll feel once it arrives.You'll attract it this way. You can begin right now to feel healthy.You can begin right now to feel prosperous.It's in your thoughts. You attract what you FEEL about not just what you THINK about.

"Whatsoever you shall ask in prayer,believing,you shall receive" -Matthew 21:22. Your thoughts and your feelings create your life.It will always be that way.Guaranteed ! It's important that you feel good ,because you attract more of this to yourself. You must act speak &think as though you are receiving what you want now.  Most of us never allow ourselves to truly want what we want,because we don't see how it's going to manifest.

You create your own universe as you go along -Winston Churchhill. Believe that what you want is already yours,believe that it is already yours.Life can be absolutely phenomenal & it should be when you start using the secret. See the things that you want as already yours.Know that they will come to you at need .Nothing can come into your experience ,unless you summon it through persistent thoughts.

You can start with nothing.And out of nothing,out of no way, a way will be made."Take the first step in faith,you don't have to see the whole staircase,just take the first step"-Martin Luther King. The universe does everything with zero effort.Grass doesn't strain to grow.It can be that way in your life too. Our thoughts are ever at work,fixing up things in advance for us,either good or bad.

Getting anything you want involves 3 steps:Ask,believe, & receive.Create your day in advance by thinking about the way you want it to go & you will create your life intentionally. You can change your life and master your destiny by changing your thoughts.Expectation is a powerful attractive force,it draws things to you.What we think about and THANK about, we bring about.Remain grateful.

That's all on #ElevateNW today.All sayings are from The Secret by Rhonda Byrne .

#ElevateDay : The Power of Goals and Finishing Strong with Emmanuel Oluwatosin

As 2012 draws to a close,some of us have goals that we haven't achieved.This is the purpose of today's #ElevateDay .Join us as we talk with Emmanuel Olutosin, Business Manager,West Africa for Nokia Life.

Our Guest Speaker on Finishing strong on #ElevateDay today is @eolutosin ,a pro-active professional within the ICT & Telecoms sector .He has over 12 years experience identifying & developing innovative business solutions within these sectors. Emmanuel Olutosin currently leads the Mobile Monday Nigeria team & works to connect startups/businesses to angel investors/VCs. He is currently the Business Manager, West Africa for Nokia Life.

@elevationng : @eolutosin Why do think it is important to set goals ? #ElevateDay

 @eolutosin : Goal setting is your first point toward success. You can not achieve what you are not clear about. Goals put your life into real action mode. Without this step, the other steps of goal achievement cannot take place. Imagine a football match w'out goal posts? each player's a sense of direction. What happen if we remove goal posts? Also, goal gives you laser focus.

@elevationng  : @eolutosin How can an individual set goals? #ElevateDay

@eolutosin : First, you need to be clear on what you want to achieve and write it down in present tense.  Next step'll be to set a deadline for your goal. Lack of deadline can make you put off really trying to complete a goal. One thing that many of us don't do is identifying People, Groups, & Organizations that Can Assist us on the way. God hasn't created us in isolation. He has prepared people to help us on the way. So, we need to identify these people.

List benefits of achieving your Goal. What do you stand to gain if you achieve your goals today. You also need to list skills that you require to attain your goals. You may need to go to school or learn a trade. And finally, develop a plan. How do you intend to move from where you are now to where you want to achieve. In summary, you must set clear goals with deadline, identify people & skills that you need & carve out a plan. You need to be careful that you're not just following a tradition. Set goals that you can achieve & be realistic

@elevationng :  @eolutosin In your opinion, what makes goals unattainable? #ElevateDay

 

1. Lack of clarity on what you want to achieve. When you don’t know where you are going, it's really hard to get there.  

2. Procrastination: if you don’t get started, you’ll never achieve your goal. 

3. When you set unrealistic goals, it becomes difficult to achieve them. You will just be struggling  

4. The goals of most people are not documented & don't have clear deadline. Some have their goals in their head. It isn't enough to say you want to become the CEO of a company. Do you have clarity on what it takes to become a CEO?

5. Another reason why some goals become unattainable is when the owners are pursuing too many things at the time. When you set goals and you don't take responsibility for achieving the goals, your goals may just remain dreams.

6. One key reason most people overlook is power of association. Your association makes or breaks you .You can't say you want to become a doctor and spend most of your time with Engineers. You'll become doctor of engineering.

7. Lastly, most people set goals that they don't have the capacity or skills required & they are not ready to pay the price

@elevationng :  @eolutosin Can you share with us some very practical steps to achieving our goals? #ElevateDay

The first step is to ensure that your goals are realistic and that the goals are personal to you. Don't set a goal because that is your close friend or spouse's goal. You need to answer the why question. Why am I setting this goal? Do I have enough reasons to pursue this goal? Will I be able to follow through? Once you have been able to answer these questions, you need to break down your goals into small bits.

I learnt a system recently from Bill Hybel and it has been very useful to me. It is called the 6 X 6 rule. This means that you should identify 6 goals that you want to achieve in 6 weeks & focus on them.And don't forget to set a reward for achieving each task on the list. Reward yourself when you complete each task. Once you achieve these 6 goals in 6 weeks, reward yourself & identify another 6. Then, continue the process. The key focus here is ensuring that you complete a small task in a short time as against going for big goal at once

@elevationng : How can one deal with the discouragement that comes from not achieving goals? #ElevateDay

Don't dwell too much on your failure. Identify the reasons why you have not been able to achieve your goals and move on . Discouragement will always come but you have to do like David did. Encourage yourself in the Lord.  Above all, go to God in prayer. HE has you covered and will always show you the next step to take. Hold on to God.

@elevationng  : @eolutosin Can you share some Bible verses and quotes for achieving goals ? #ElevateDay

One that comes to mind is Hab 2:2-3 "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. The vision awaits its appointed time; It'll not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come .Another scripture that comes to mind is Prov. 21:5: "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty.."

Luke 14:28: Which of you building a tower doesn't sit down first & count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it ? Eccl 5:3 is another great one "A dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words"

My favorite quote is "If you don’t know where you are going, every road will look attractive & inviting"

@elevationng :  @eolutosin Can you please share some books,movies and songs to battle discouragement? #ElevateDay

I will start with books. First one is "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy. It is a book that I will recommend any day. "Goals: How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible" also by Brian Tracy. You definitely want to lay your hand on "Goals: Setting And Achieving Them On Schedule" by Zig Ziglar. Last book I will recommend is "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey.

I can't think of a song now but on movie, "Coach Carter" directed by Thomas carter comes readily to mind . "Coach Carter" features Samual L. Jackson & is based on a true story. It is a movie I will recommend any day. Another movie I'll recommend is "The Pursuit of Happyness" featuring Will Smith. It's a movie to watch with your family.

@elevationng : @eolutosin What are your thoughts on “Finishing Strong” ? #ElevateDay

It's not how you started that matters but how you finish. and always remember that we are all running different races .How you run a 100 metre race is different from 8000 metres. So, understand what you want to achieve and decide on  the best strategy.  Also, a good start will help you get to d finish line faster, but without a strong push at the end, you’ll come up short. So, keep your eyes focused on the goals and the rewards and let go of every distractions on the way.

@elevationng : @eolutosin Lastly,what’s your advice for 2013 ? #ElevateDay

2013 is a new year and an opportunity to begin again. Have a clear picture of what you want to achieve and go for it.  Also, don’t allow anything or people to distract you and remember to look up to God for strength. God's grace is sufficient for us in our weakness & He's all we need to achieve our goals in 2013. So, let's trust Him.