SWEAT - Fri 27/06/08

Yes, I am working every hour that God gives, I am getting back ache from tensing my muscles from the stress brought about by the workload, but I am also learning something new every day. I am involved in oil and gas deals, real estate deals, manufacturing company deals, health sector deals, money collection deals and any other kind of deal that makes money.

You call it, I am in it. I go to General Meetings in the middle of Lagos, where I sit across the table from business owners who have poured their lives into their businesses and are about to lose everything because of poor management. I sit across the table from smooth operators who are fortuous enough to be adept at making money. I sit across from Commissioners who have a totally different view as to how to make money. I am sweating it, but every week, I know a little more than the week before.

I am gradually learning how to do business in Nigeria. I am learning (gradually) what makes up a good deal. I am learning that if I am going to a meeting and the rain is falling, I better give myself two hrs to get there instead of one. I am learning that I can’t tear myself apart to resolve people’s problems. I am here to make money, not run a charitable organization. If I had wanted to run a charitable organisation, I would have gone and got a job with a NGO.

I am going to crack this. I am going to have this beast running like a well oiled money making machine. I am going to having things running so smoothly that I will be taking off to play golf on a Wednesday afternoon with important people, while I make money for every golf swing I take. I am going to sweat some more but it is going to happen.