I S S U E 9

WWW.NERDSLOT.ORG
VALOUR
MAX
AUGUST 2018

MAKE BELIEVE

HOW TO
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ATTRACT
INVESTORS TO
YOUR START-UP

INCORPORATED

BEFORE YOU
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SIGN THAT
CONTRACT
TIPS ON HOW TO FOLLOW YOUR

passion
FIGURE

GO SOLO
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OR GET A
PARTNER???

SHE POWER
by 7 y e a r o l d p h o t o g r a p h e r
MARRIAGE IS

ARIYIKE
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

NOT THE END

OF THE ROAD

ENTREPRENEUR S TA R T U P S I N N O VAT I O N I N S P I R AT I O N BUSINESS

AS A STARTING ENTREPRENEUR, WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER THINK OF

"PUTTING ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET"
Contents <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< valourmax
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CONTENTS
W W W . N E R D S L O T. O R G

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VALOURMA X IS SUE 9 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Putting all your

eggs in one Basket
WHY YOU SHOULD NOT CONSIDER IT.
09
How to attract investors
to your start-up

18
HOW TO GO ABOUT
FUNDING YOUR NEW
IDEA.

07 08 10
Mark Essien. The man who The Lean start-up Do not lower your standard.
started a hotel business principles. The best way to Living above mediocrity.
with owning a hotel. run a start-up.

13 15 17
Marrigae is not the end of Building the right team for
How Dr Ola Orekunrin
the road. 4 reasons why you your start-up.
founded the first
need to continue working.
ambulance service in West
Africa
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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

25
Take Risks While You're
Young

Moyinoluwa
11 44
Ariyike

22
Movies in V.R
INTERVIEW WITH
THE 7 YEAR OLD Partnership with the
PHOTOGRAPHER
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Creator

19 18 29
The Nigerian passort How to attract investors to "Loving You" by Katja
validity extension. What it your start-up. Demming.
means.

33 35 38
Before you sign that Have you ever considered Discovering pearls from the
contract. Things to check insurance? Tunneji show.
before agreeing to any.
Credits <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
letter from the
ValourMax issue 9, only for the serious minded...
In the journey of entrepreneurship, there
are times when you have to make key de-
cisions that can either make or mar your
business. Having a cofounder / partner
goes a long way to help.
You should have at least one person that
shares the same drive with you, even if
the person is not part of the business.
You never know the importance until you
are up to your neck with mistakes that
could have been avoided.
ValourMax is an example of a brillant
partnership. Every single member of the
team is invaluable and are cherised as
such. We go all out to make sure we are
able to deliver. Trust me, there are stories
to tell.
So once again, it gives me undescibable
joy to present this issue of ValourMax to
you our ever loyal reader. Whether you
valourmax >>>>>>>>> THE BETTER YOU <<<<<<<<<
valourmax
magazine
catch you on social nets:
facebook twitter
facebook.com/valourmax twitter.com/valourmax
INSTAGRAM website
instagram.com/valourmax www.nerdslot.org
editor
FRANKLIN UKA
the team
read ValourMax for leisure or for more
insight, the result is still the same. It will
not just open your mind eye to the possib-
lity of your future but will also encourage
you to act on it.
JOSHUA AMOBI
Do take your time to read the content of
Joshua is in charge of gathering the con-
each pages, as they have been carefully tent. He is the lead writer for Incorporat-
ed. He is also the Creative director of Val-
prepared for you, in order to bring you to ourMax.
the discovery of your purpose.
EMEKA NWANKWO
As Purpose Antonia describes in "Do not
WIth exceptional people skills, Hilary conducts
lower your standard", we must make that all ValourMax interviews. He also proofreads
ValourMax issues.
choice to live above mediocrity. Stop
talking about peolpe or their worth, but
instead get started on that idea. CHINEDU UZORUE
Chinedu is a contributor for ValourMax maga-
The word sufffers not because of the zine. He writes for the Make Believe and Tech
Sully categories. An excellent writer and a won-
deeds of the evil men but because of the
derful addition to the team.
silence of the good ones.
TOYESE
FRANKLIN UKA Toyese handles research and confirms the
chief editor, valourmax mag- facts in every issue. He also doubles a Valour-
Max graphic designer.
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magazine

VALOUR
MACHO MAN

6 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< magazine

mark ESSIEN
FOUNDER
HOTELS.NG

M
ark Essien is the founder and CEO of Hotels.ng. He is cinema as a ticket tearer which only lasted for 2 months. His second job was
also a Nigerian Entrepreneur and a software developer. to take care of a paralyzed man at night shifts. It was during that period he
learnt programming.
He adopted the exact model of UBER, the biggest taxi
company in the world that owns no car, and Airnub the
biggest hospitality service for people to lease or rent
Not quite long Mark developed a file sharing software called Gnumm,
short-term lodging including holiday cottages, apartments, home stays,
which was later acquired by Snoopstar.com. He joined the same company
hostel beds and hotel rooms without owing any real estate to found his
that bought his software and there he acquired advanced knowledge in
business.
programming.
Biography

Mark Essien was born in Ikot Ekepene in the southern state of Akwa Ibom,
Upon leaving Germany he had created the trial version of Hotels.ng and
Nigeria.
arriving Nigeria he did a rigorous research about the market and in 2013
Education he launched Hotels.ng shortly after he caught the attention of Jason Njoku
who was beginning a start-up fund (Spark.ng) and looking for good inter-
Mark Essien started his education at Monika Kindergarten primary school
net businesses to invest in.
and also attended Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria. After
his secondary school in Nigeria Mark went to Germany at the of 18 years for
his Bachelors in Computer Engineering (Hardware, Robotics) at the Beuth
Sparks.ng made an initial investment of $75,000 and few months later they
University, Berlin and he also did his MSc in Computer Science at the Freie
made another investment this time worth $150,000.
University Berlin, Germany.
After 2 years in existence Mark Essien (Hotels.ng) received another $1.2mil-
Family
lion start-up funds from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s Omidyar Network
On April 8, 2017 Mark Essien tied the knot with his beautiful wife Jenni Nai- and from EchoVC Pan-African fund.
aretti at his hometown in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom. She is a Lead developer.
Mark Essien story is an inspiration to Nigeria youths, technology can actu-
Business Interests ally overtake traditional business which only requires one to be brave and
be creative.
After his time in the university Mark Essien first job in Germany was in the

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 7
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

THE SOFTCOPY OF LEAN START-UP

lEaN Start-up DOWNLOAD

S
tart-ups face many challenges and processes. The idea of a lean start-up comes
only the best go on to become from Eric Ries, who has written extensively on it
successful companies. One issue in a book and a website.
that holds traditional start-ups back is that they
We have decided to recommend this book for
often start with a product idea and then build
every starting entrepreneur, as it would go a
it without making sure there is a market for it.
long way in your journey. According to him,
Often, a start-up will fail because it does not
there are five main principles for creating lean
deliver something that people actually want.
start-ups:
A lean start-up attempts to solve this problem
scientifically by using specific principles and

1 2 3 4 5

Entrepreneurs are Entrepreneurship is Innovation Build,

everywhere
There are many types of
entrepreneurs and start-ups.
Tons of opportunities exist
that entrepreneurs can take
advantage of to build a suc-
cessful business.
management
Start-ups need manage-
ment just like any company.
However, lean start-ups have
a unique type. Having flexible,
learning oriented manage-
ment makes for a successful
lean start-up.
Validated learn-
ing
Lean start-ups primarily
serve customers with
their products. They
adapt to the needs of the
target market by learning
exactly what it is that
customers want. Through
experimentation, they
find what works best.
Accounting
Lean start-ups keep
detailed records of tests
and analysis to figure out
what works best. They
gauge progress on the
amount learned about
the innovation rather than
the amount of new work
created.
MeasurE,
Learn
Lean start-ups hit the ground
running by building the sim-
plest product that does what
it should, called the Minimum
Viable Product (MVP). This
goes through rigorous evalu-
ation through tests and user
feedback to collect data on
how targeted users accept
the product.

8 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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PUTTING ALL
YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET
Entrepreneurs are well-known as risk-takers. Some
of them remain rigid on a particular ideology some
others walk their journey bsed on calculated-risk

This involves spreading your options but wisely. Considering
the volatility of the business world today, here is why
entrepreneurs should pursue the calculated-risk path.
“Do or die” situation often brings out huge success because
I believe people will generally exceed expectations when
they are faced in a difficult situation (of course, some would
crumble and flee from challenges…)
Aggressive risk-takers pursue “high risk, high gain” business
opportunities, with a hope of striking a gold vein and being
showered in riches. Some made it, but unfortunately,
many fall deep into financial troubles – that almost always
includes personal finances.
Why? Because aggressive risk-takers are going all out,
including sacrificing their personal finances – in short, they
put everything at stake. That is not really entrepreneurship –
that’s more like gambling with “winners take all” principle.
When you are responsible to nobody but yourself, you could
take the all-out approach. However, if you have a family to
support and/or are the primary bread winner of your family,
going all-out is probably the biggest business mistake of all.
Best Choice
The best entrepreneurial progress in a well-planned one,
especially financial-wise. You could allocate your eggs into
many “baskets” that include retained earnings to grow your
business, investing (mainly in other ventures) personal
savings account, and some others. By having multiple
baskets, you spread risks to minimise damages when
things go wrong.
Sure, surprises will happen on regular basis – that’s how
entrepreneurship works, but I follow Rich Dad Poor Dad’s
Robert Kiyosaki’s advice to manage my risk. I believe
that taking steps not knowing what will happen as the
consequences is risky.
I’m not an expert, so take this as a friendly suggestion,
rather than a professional advice… Try to make every
business decision have a cushion or a safety net – just
in case what you work on fails. You need to reassure
that if you by chance fail, you will be able to move on
immediately, as you expect to fail a lot in order to achieve
success (failure is the entrepreneur’s friend!)
I don’t know your financial situation right now, but I
suggest you to strategize your plans with your hard-
earned money. I don’t think going all-out is a good idea
– it’s better to use other people’s money, instead of staking
every penny you have in your business.
So – how about you? Are you a risk-taker who are willing
to stake everything to achieve big success or a risk-
taker who works on achieving your goal via strong risk
management?

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 9
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WORDS FROM

purpose
ANTONIO
DO NOT LOWER YOUR
STANDARD
We live in a world where almost anything is accepted and mediocrity
is well celebrated. We easily clap and accept anything that appeals to
public sentiments irrespective of its level of value it proposes.

This is so because society has lowered its standard; we easily get sat-
isfied with just about anything but this should not be so.

We must have a well defined basic standard of excellence towards

anyone or anything that proposes value in any format even with polit-
ical aspirants.

When you are a man or woman of inestimable value and sterling con-
tent, you will demand the same or at least close to that from anyone
or anything that tries to appeal for your attention or approval because
what you endorse knowingly or not is a direct reflection of who you
are and the quality you are made of.

Have a productive week ahead.

10 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE
CREATOR
Just as it was in the beginning, the world is thrown
into a certain level of chaos and unrest; though this
time this chaos may not be aesthetic, there is still so
much unrest, pain and anguish in the world.

Despite this obvious conundrum, God is not entirely

bothered and you know why? You are on earth.

Who and what God is in heaven, you are on earth and

so God seeks men and women who will be aligned
and willing enough to partner with Him in the restora-
tion of order and beauty on earth especially in peo-
ple's lives.

I'll say this over and again, you are not on earth to just
make money, get married and die at a good old age.
You have a purpose and role to play in God's divine
plan for mankind.

Just as partners share profits according to agreed per-

centage, one cannot possibly fathom the level of profit
that accrues to him or her when it comes to partner-
ship with God.

Have a day of wonders

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 11
 Power man < < < << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << << < < <valourmax
SheMacho valourmax
magazine
magazine

VALOUR
SHE POWER

12 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
12
12
x She Power valourmax
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ola OREKUNRIN
FLYING DOCTORS
How a young woman doctor pioneered West Africa's
first air ambulance service

Ola Orekunrin was born in London and grew up in a foster home with her She studied evacuation models and air ambulance services in other devel-
oping countries before launching Flying Doctors Nigeria Limited, which
sister in the small seaside town of Lowestoft in the south-east of England.
today enables her to combine her deep love for medicine and Africa with
She studied at the University of York in the UK, graduating at the age of 21
her growing passion for flying. Ola is also a trainee helicopter pilot.
as a qualified doctor. Her meteoric rise in the field of medical studies took
her to Japan as a result of her being awarded the MEXT Japanese Govern- Ola’s persistence, hard work, and gritty determination paid off, and today,
ment Scholarship. her business, Flying Doctors Nigeria Limited is the first air ambulance
service in West Africa to provide urgent helicopter, airplane ambulance and
However, the catalyst for her career decision came when her sister became
evacuation services for critically injured people. With a mixed-pool of more
very, very ill whilst staying with relatives in Nigeria. The local hospital was
than 20 aircraft that are used for different types of evacuation, and about 30
unable to manage her sickle cell anemia condition, and as a result, Ola and
staff all employed in different capacities and branches in three major cities
her family started to search for an air ambulance so that she could be safely
in Nigeria.
transported to a suitable medical facility in the country. The only one to be
found was in South Africa, 5 hours away, but by the time the logistics had Importantly, since the launch of the business, hundreds of lives have been
been arranged, Ola’s sister had died of her condition. saved – not just in Nigeria, but across the African continent. The Lagos-
based company has so far airlifted around 500 patients, using a fleet of
The real tragedy is that she didn’t die because her condition was unman-
planes and helicopters to rapidly move injured workers and critically ill
ageable; she died of a condition that could have been managed with the
people from remote areas to hospitals. From patients with road traffic
right medicines in the cupboard of a highly efficient Accident and Emer-
trauma, to bomb blast injuries to gunshot wounds, Ola and her company
gency hospital ward - it was just a problem of access. This broke Ola’s heart,
are helping to save lives by moving these patients safely, rapidly, and pro-
so she left her job and took the decision to move to Nigeria where she
viding a high level of care en route.”
could try to make a difference to the lives of other patients and improving
healthcare in the country as a whole.

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 13
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MARRIAGE IS NOT THE

END OF THE ROAD

4
REASONS
WHY YOU NEED
TO CONTINUE
WORKING

Usually, most women tend to drop their career for the sake of their family. It is a pre-set concept that, a
family suffers if women work outside. But this is not the real fact and studies show something different. It’s
the high time to talk about the big benefits of keeping up your career or jobs working outside even after
your marriage and motherhood.

Be it a personal business or a job. When you work, your self-esteem will increase considerably and you will
feel satisfied with yourself. Here are few great benefits for women to stay in the workforce or why women
should not drop their career after marriage?

14 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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02
YOU WILL BE A
HAPPIER AND
SATISFIED
PERSON
Most of us believe that relentless
effort of balancing between job
and family properly can cause
severe stress and depression for
working women.
While working ladies enjoy a hap-
pier state of mind, stay-at-home
women have to deal with more
depression and stress.
The studies also have shown that
the mental health of sit-at home
ladies improve significantly when
they start working outside home.
valourmax
magazine
D
01 FASHION
FINANCIAL
INDEPENCE
This is the most important factor that
controls the quality of a woman’s life.
It is the one of most liberating aspects
that you need to lead a quality life with
respect.
When you are financially stable, you can
bear your own expenses, you don’t need
to seek money from your partner. This
will give you sense of accomplishments
and self-identity, allowing you to evolve
as a better and independent human
04
being. YOU SERVE AS
ROLE MODEL
TO YOUR
KIDS
A successful working woman who
balances her professional life and
family with much aplomb has a
great impact on their offspring.
Their effort of balancing both fam-
ily and job indirectly play a signifi-
cant role in the life of their kids.
A stay at home woman who is sad
03 FASHION with her life cannot be a positive
influence or role model in her kids’
HAPPIER lives while a working woman with
MARRIAGE
a sense of accomplishment can
always serve as a role model for
Having something to focus on except her children.
your home and husband, makes your
marriage flourish more. If you bring some Seeing your dedication and confi-
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy
extra money home, your partner will feel dence, kids can get inspired to do
text of the inting and typesetting
less financial pressure, allowing him to be something meaningful in life and
ndustry. Lorem Ipsum hn the
more relaxed. also you can imbibe some excel-
when an unknown printer took
lent work ethics into their children.
a galley of type has electronic
Stay at home women, they don’t have
typesetting, remaining essentially
anything to focus on expect family rea-
will be distracted by thesed to using
sons and husband. Their husband may
feel suffocated with this extra concern at
times, leading to tension in relationship.
VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 15
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magazine

VALOUR
MAKE BELIEVE

16 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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magazine

BUILDING THE
RIGHT TEAM FOR YOUR START-UP
Startups are like newborn babies. Like neonates, startups are very delicate and need
adequate care and nurturing before they can stand on their own. So many things
can either spur the growth of a startup, or crush it without intention. Having a wrong
team is one of such things that can stop a startup from ever developing into a
fully-fledged company.

That said, if you are starting your own company, then, you will need to
build it around a team; not just any team, a strong and reliable team. While
the process of getting the right persons for your team may not be a stroll
in the park, you can, however, make it less demanding by getting the
right understanding of what your teammates should be like. This is
because, like in sports, a team is only as good as its members.

So, to form the solid team for your startup, here are some
of the most important things to take note of:

1. Recruit people with the same mindset

This is a very important point to consider. If your
teammates do not have the same goal as you, then your
startup may never graduate from its startup status. Therefore,
it is important that you take your time and understand whether
each person is thinking in the same direction as you.

2. Look for people who are future-oriented

While it is true that you are building a team for your startup, you also need
to understand that you wouldn’t want your company to remain a startup
forever. So, when hiring members for your team, let them understand your vision
for the company, especially for the future.

3. Let your potential teammates be diverse

A team with members who have similar strengths and weaknesses does not leave any room
for creativity, which is something every startup needs. Therefore, it goes without saying that you
need to hire teammates who have varying talents and weaknesses – yes, we all have them – so as
to make your team diverse in talents.

4. Recruit proactive thinkers and action-takers

Running a startup can be overwhelming; thus, it is essential that you have team members who
are not just problem-solvers, but are also problem-detectors. Besides this, your teammates also
need to be able to take actions when faced with difficult situations in an efficient manner.

5. Ensure that you have planned the various positions for team members
Like in a sports team, everyone has a specific role they play. For instance, a soccer/football team
comprises midfielders, defenders, strikers, and a goalkeeper, with each player doing something
special. So before you start recruiting people for your startup, you should ensure that you have
everything mapped out, with the various positions well-defined. This makes it easy to get the
right person for a particular role.

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 17
 Make
Make Believe
Believe
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HOW TO ATTRACT
INVESTORS TO YOUR
START-UP
O ne of the major problems while starting a
business is getting investors. Because no one is willing
to put their money into something they are not sure
of, it might be difficult for startups to get funding. So,
if you have a startup and you find yourself in such a
situation, be rest assured that most other business
owners today passed through a similar stage.
Following are six ways of attracting investors to your
startup.
1. Leverage the power of social media
The importance of social media power cannot be
overemphasized. You can use platforms such as
LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with potential inves-
tors. Before pitching to potential investors on social
media, ensure that you do your homework well by
getting to know their interests and by endearing
yourself to them by posting relevant information on
your timeline.
2. Have a good business plan
Would you invest in a product that you don’t know
how it would benefit others or how it would bring
18 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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valourmax
magazine
you profit? I guess your answer to that question is a
resounding NO. If you won’t then, no investor would
5. Pitch with a ROI
When pitching potential investors, it might be neces-
also. So before going on to seek investors for your
sary that you explain to them what they tend to
startup, it is important that you have a well-laid out
benefit from their investment. If there is nothing to
plan for your business. If your business is about a
be gained from investing in your company, then there
product, make sure that you have a working model of
will be no need putting their money into it. Therefore,
the product to showcase to investors.
instead of focusing on what you will gain, you should
3. Seek for investors for your type of business also consider what your potential investor can gain
from partnering with you.
Instead of searching for investment from any person,
seek for investors that are interested in your type of 6. Use fundraising platforms
business. Getting to know your potential investors will
Online fundraising platforms like Gust and CircleUp
help you to know whether they are truly interested
help to increase your access to would-be investors
in your business or not. Doing this will increase the
while also eliminating the barrier of location. So in-
chances of getting the right investors for your startup.
stead of relying solely on in-person investors, extend
4. Don’t cold pitch your reach by posting your business on any of these
platforms.
By cold pitching, I mean directly asking investors to
invest in your startup. Instead of cold pitching, try
going the subtle way by first forming a relationship
with the potential investor, and seeking out advice
from them concerning your startup. When you have
endeared yourself to a potential investor, pitching be-
comes easy and the investor is more willing to invest.
 Make Believe < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < valourmax
magazine

THE NIGERIAN PASSPORT

VALIDITY EXTENSION
What it means

On July 27, 2018, it was reported that the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, directed that the validity of the Nigerian
passport should be extended to 10 years, from the former 5-year validity period.

This decision is coming against the backdrop of complaints by many Nigerian citizens and those in the Diaspora for a rever-
sal of the policy which was implemented in 2007. Before the 5-year validity implementation in 2007, the Nigerian passport
was valid for 10 years.

While this is good news, especially when you consider the hassles one has to pass through in order to obtain the passport,
what many people do not consider is the cost implication.

The fact that the NIS (National Immigration Service) Comptoller-General, Muhammad Babandede, said that the cost will be
increased means that getting the passport by an average Nigerian may not be as easy as it was before. Furthermore, the
recent statistics ranking Nigeria as the country with the most number of people living in extreme poverty only buttresses
my point.

Although the NIS is yet to give any word on the expected date of implementation of the directive and the new cost, Nigeri-
ans need to understand that the cost may be outrageous.

Presently, the cost of applying for the Nigerian Passport is as follows:

BOOKLET TYPE AGE AGES 0 – 17 AGES 18 – 59 AGES 60+

32 PAGES 8,750 15,000 8,750
64 PAGES 20,000 20,000 20,000

So, before Nigerians should start celebrating this new policy, there is need for them to ask themselves this question: If I
can afford the new fee, why should I remain in the country, and if not what is my fate?

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece belong solely to the author, and does not in any way represent the
organizations views.

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MOYINOLUWA
ARIYIKE
You are never too young to follow
your passion, its only a matter of
ceo aggital
how bad you want to.

20 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
Interview <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
VM: May we know you?
Ariyike: My name is Chloe Moyinoluwa Ariyike
Oluwaseun. My sister's name is Candace
Morounfoluwa Ajiyike Oluwaseun. I am 7years
old and my sister is 5years old. We are the
owners of Ariyike Photografy.
Nice meeting you sir
VM: I know you must have told it a lot, but
we'd love to hear your story, how did Ariyike
photography start?
Ariyike: (Laugh...)Ariyike Photografy started
when I was very small. Like when I was 2years
old. I used to have a toy camera that I play around
with alot until my grandma gave me her own first
camera when I was 2years old which became
my best friend. I don't have the toy camera again
o but I still have the camera my grandma gave
me. It's in my room. It was her first camera too.
She said she bought the camera even before she
gave birth to my daddy. So she blessed me with
it. And my dad bought a professional camera as
a birthday gift to me when I was 4 years old. The
camera is a Nikon D7000. And that was when
Ariyike started.
VM: And you're seven years old. How are you
able to build an empire out of your career at such
an early age?
Ariyike: I have been able to operate my
photography business successfully with the
support of my daddy and my mummy and
mostly my younger sister who is my partner in
the business.
VM: And your clients trust, how did you earn
that?
Ariyike: (Laugh...) Uuuhhnn...Yes. That is always
a big challenge at first. At first they don't take me
serious until I take a picture of them and show it
to them. Then they keep asking me to take more
picture of them. Some will even be begging me
to take their pictures after seeing the one I have
taken. But at first some will even chase me away
to go and sit down. When I go to take picture in
some churches, the ushers will chase me away
valourmax
magazine
to go and sit down. But when I take a picture of
them and they see it, they will believe me and ask
me to take more pictures of them. When I go to
events too, the same thing happens. But now the
story has changed. Many people now know me
and they don't chase me anymore. Even when
I am not with camera they will be asking for my
camera to come and snap them. (Laughing)
VM: How does a busy lady like you do it, shuffle
between school and work?
Ariyike: With the support of my parent who got
special home tutors for me and my school who
have been very supportive it's been very easy.
Shey you know I am brilliant too and I like art
subjects. And my daddy always say I must do
well in school or else he will stop me from taking
pictures. So I am doing well in school o because I
don't want him to stop me from taking pictures.
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VM: Aside photography and school, what else do you do? tired. She has her own camera too and she takes good pictures too.

Ariyike: I play Musical Keyboard very well. I also draw and paint. I do
VM: What other things influenced you?"
lots of creative drawings using the computer as well. Since my dad
won't allow me to edit my pictures myself I only use my computer to Ariyike: My Family, my environment, my school, my friends, my church
draw what I like and he always says he like what I draw and atimes
he print some of them for me. I have them on my room wall.
VM: What areas in your life are you working on improving?

VM: Which would you rather do all day, watch movies or play video
Ariyike: I want to improve in my speech. My parents got me a teacher

"
games?
who is teaching me public speech and public exposure.
I also want to be able to take pictures like no one has ever taken before.
Ariyike: I watch cartoons especially the educative ones alot
whenever I am free. I also love watching Animal Channels.
VM: What would I have to do to become a good photographer?

VM: And music who are your favorite local and international artists?
Ariyike: (Laughing) Just be ready to work hard. Buy your camera and
take plenty pictures. But it is not easy o. You have to work hard.
Ariyike: Local: Dj Enimoney
International: I don't have oooo

VM: What would you like to say to your fans and kids all over the
world?

Ariyike: You can never be too young to start building your life.
Dream it, Work it and Live it.

VM: Tell us about your family and how they've influenced your life.

Ariyike: My family consist of my father who is a photographer, my

mother who is also a photographer, myself and my younger sister
who is also a photographer. So we are family of photographers. You
know my grandma is also a photographer. My family's support has
helped me a lot to achieve success in my business.

They are always with me to support me all the time. My younger

sister is always helping me to take pictures at event whenever I am

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VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 23
 valourmax
Ultra Me < < < < < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <magazine
<<

VALOUR
ULTRA ME

24 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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TAKE RISKS WHILE

YOU ARE YOUNG
FOR A LONG TIME, YOUTHFULNESS HAS
BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH EXUBERANCE
This is true in a lot of ways. But let’s look at things more objectively.
I once heard someone make a profound statement. He said, “Take
risks while you are young. You are allowed to make mistakes and
lose money when you are young because it gives you time learn and
amend”. Now a lot of young people confuse living recklessly with
taking risk. One couldn’t be more far from reality. Risk taking is a core
part of entrepreneurship and to get ahead in the world of business
you must constantly explore new grounds and take new risks. So
what really is risk taking? Hold that thought, and let’s take a look at
reckless living. More often than not, reckless living goes in a negative
direction of thinking,

it stems from high levels of indiscipline, with little or no perspective

and a high level of ignorance as regards the potential consequence
of such an action. Reckless living involves immediate gratification,
risk taking involves long term perspective. Perspective is the amount
of time forward someone projects or considers when making a
decision or taking an action. When taking risks, a lot of perspective is
required, because one wrong move can be the foundation of future
failures and mishaps.

Taking risks is not a leap in the dark, but venturing out into some-
thing new and uncharted ground, based on inspiration after haven
gathered as much information as possible. I’ll have you know that
a lot of people who live reckless, carefree lives never achieve much,
because when it comes to the things that really matter, they never
leave their comfort zones. Risk taking involves leaving your comfort
zones because it challenges you physically and more particularly,
intellectually. When taking risks, you are fully aware of the potential
reward of success or the potential consequence of failure.

When taking risks, you are fully convinced that the rewards far
outweigh the chance of failure and you might also need to have a
failsafe plan peradventure things don’t go as you planned. Japanese
companies, who are at the forefront of technological advancement
in the world have plans for up to a century in the future. They are try-
ing new stuff every day and yet it’s all according to a well thought up
plan. As an entrepreneur, you need to understand that you can never
eliminate risks, but you can fortify yourself with information.

Finally, being young gives you the advantage of finding new ideas,
testing you assumptions, and learning from mistakes, knowing bet-
ter, planning better and hence, doing better. Overcome your fear of
the unknown plan for your tomorrow, do something now for the sake
of the future.

The best time to have started that business, taken that course, made
that call, walked into that office was yesterday, the next best time is
now. What’s the worst that can happen? Maybe things don’t happen
the way you planned, well that gives you the luxury of planning more
intelligently. Take risks now that you’re young. Some years down the
line, you’ll be happy you did.

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NOBODY IN THE WORLD
HAS PROBLEMS
If someone walked up to you on the
street and made the above state-
ment, you’d probably scan the person
properly for signs of mental illness.
But take a step back and let’s visual-
ize life from the perspective of the
above statement, after all, life is about
different points view. Some years ago,
when you were a child, and you had to
crawl all around the place, the seem-
ing “problem” was that you couldn’t
walk. But then you grew, and outgrew
your inability to walk. So even though
walking was and still is a necessity, it’s
no longer a problem. It’s the same with
every other area of life.
One day, you realize that you don’t
have a car and you need to move
around a lot, so the lack of a motor
vehicle becomes your “problem”. Then
you get a car and not having a car,
stopped being a problem, right? Well
there’s a new problem in town, and
its name is maintenance. Look, even
after you got a car, the need for trans-
portation remained a constant, but
you simply outgrew the challenge of
not having a car. Just like as different
stages of biological maturity have their
milestones, different stages of financ-
es, academics, career etc. have theirs.
This simply means that there are two
ways to look at life; an infinite loop of
26 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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problems or a continuous process of
maturity. Imagine a two week old baby
who wouldn’t stop crying because it
wanted to have pizza, well you would
think such a baby was ‘bananas’. Same
thing, imagine judging and criticiz-
ing yourself based on someone else’s
achievement, attainment, possessions
or qualifications. You are at different
points in your own individual and
personal evolution. Humans give
birth after nine months, elephants
after twenty-two months, one process
doesn’t invalidate the other.
That someone else is successful
doesn’t make you a failure. Everything
is beautiful in its time. Imagine a six
year old boy with well-developed
gym muscles. How weird is that? But
YOU DON’T SOLVE
if those muscle were to be on a full
grown adult man, they would look real
‘PROBLEMS’, YOU
good. Life will never commit to you
something that is higher than your OUTGROW THEM.
level of maturity. If you go beyond life’s
principle to get, you’ll get yourself into
all sorts of troubles.
Depression is unnecessary, envy is un-
necessary, regret is unnecessary. You
do not have problems, you are simply
maturing into a new and higher level.
Appreciate yourself for that. You don’t
solve ‘problems’, you outgrow them.
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magazine

LOVING
YOU

by

KATJA
DEMMING
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VM: Tell us about yourself, your family, things that interest you, or your daily routine.

Katja: Hi, I'm Katja Demming, am 45 years old and work as a Personal Life Coach. I have
two wonderful children, Leon 17 years and Nele 14 years. I now live in a very loving and
respectful partnership. That was not always so. There were times in my life when I have

>>>> thought too little of myself and I always tried to please everyone.

When I was able to solve this inner attitude for myself and learnt to stand by myself,
to be authentic and remain true to myself, my life became much happier, more
fulfilled and more beautiful. In my spare time, I study books that deal with personal
development. I attend many training courses and seminars, read books and meditate.
I also do a lot of sport and like spending time with my family. Meditation is a very
important element for me to come into contact with myself sort my thoughts. This
connection to me is an important part for my well-being.

VM: How did you get into career as a life coach?

Katja: 2010 was the lowest point in my life. My marriage had failed after ten years
because my husband had a problem with the loyalty and I found myself in a
relationship in which there was no love. After a spinal disc surgery, I was in the hospital
and my partner had refused to visit me during this whole time. On a cold January
Sunday, I decided to stop it and first before anything take better care of myself in the
future.

This long and loving journey for myself that was truly worth it. Three years later I
became a life coach and I've decided that I want to help people to live a better life in
which they live more consciously, happier and more fulfilled. Because I think that
everyone has come to the world to be happy. Only we can take our lives into our own
hands and make it as beautiful as we want.
1
We are not simply at the mercy of life, we have the power to create the most beautiful
life. Certainly, everything is not always smooth and there will be some sad moments.
But when we are in a healthy self-esteem and self-love, then we take these hurdles of
life easier. My vision of my life is to show as many people as possible, that it is worthwhile
to live. Today I give seminars, workshops, lectures and weekend courses, all to help
people recognize their uniqueness and see happiness in themselves, accept them and
learn to love.

VM: What are the core values or principles that you teach?

Katja: My personal core values are love, respect, honesty, authenticity and justice.
Everything I teach is based on it. In my life I have learned that self-love is a necessary
basis for a happy life and happy relationships. Therefore, I teach that every person
should first of all deal with himself. So, who are you? where do you want to go? or Who
do you want to be? Here you have to deal honestly with what isn’t always easy and hurts
sometimes. But the result of this analysis will make your own identity revealed. You get
to know yourself better, know how to take care of yourself and love yourself.

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VM: What challenges do you face in your work?

My main focus in coaching it is to lead people into a happier existence. I'm

working in particular with women because they often have more anxiety

>>>>
than men to deal with themselves and their lives. Men are, in my experience,
often not so open to personality development. Last year, however, I realize
that the willingness increases as well.

Women prefer to be in an unhappy just to avoid being alone. When these

women come into coaching to me, we first work on their self-worth. I teach
them to care for and cherish themselves. There is nothing like the moment
when the client suddenly feels how great and special she is. Seeing the beam
in their eyes is priceless.

VM: What inspires you? Advice / words of encouragement for young people
talk a lot about self-love.

Katja: I inspire myself the most, by reading books. It teaches me about so

many people we can learn. When I read their thoughts on specific topics,
they inspire and I come to my own. Also, at seminars I get a lot of inspiration.

I especially like working with teenagers and young adults. So that they start
right to live consciously and learn their lives happy. It is important that you
understand early on that you are responsible for what happens to you in life.

Take for example, the feeling of gratitude. When we are grateful every day for
what we have, then we see and live in abundance and that makes us happy. If
we are not grateful, we live in lack. We compare ourselves to others who have
1 more. We make ourselves constantly aware of what we are missing instead of
appreciating what we already have. This makes us small and dissatisfied.

Unfortunately, children and young people are often told what they do wrong
and get too little praise for things they do really well. So, it leaves many young
people in doubt of whether they are loved, because they constantly feel they
are not good enough.

VM: Can you explain your ideology of self-love?

Katja: Who does not love himself cannot love others. Who does not love
himself, is in constant battle with himself and his environment. He keeps
looking for evidence that he is good. He compares himself, fights with others
just to get better and improve themselves. Someone who loves himself,
however, accepts the other as he is. My vision is to bring as many people as
possible in their self-love, because then our world will be a better place.

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TONY ELUMELU
THE BUSINESS TYCOON
Name: Tony Elumelu
Nationality: Nigerian
Occupation: Chairman, Transnational Corporation of
Nigeria. Heirs Holdings & United Bank of Africa.
Years active: 1987- present
Net worth: US$700 Million (as of March 2015).
Alma mater: Ambrose Alli University, University of
Lagos State Nigeria.

Brief history
Elumelu was born in Jos, Plateau State in 22nd of
March 1963. He’s from Onicha Ukwu in Aniocha North
local Government Area of Delta State. He studied eco-
nomics in Ambrose Alli University and got his bach-
elor’s degree and also went to University of Lagos for
his master’s degree in science. He aslo went to Havard
Business School for Advanced Management Pro-
gramme. Tony Elumelu married Awele Vivian Elumelu
who is a medical doctor, in 1993, and they have seven
children together. Out of his four siblings, one is a for-
mer member of the Nigerian Federal House of Repre-
sentatives, Ndudi Elumelu by name. He is also a cousin
to the late legendary Nigerian reggae artiste by name
Ras Kimono.
Life in the banking sector
Elumelu acquired and turned Standard Trust Bank
into a top-five player in Nigeria. He also led the acquisi-
tion of the United Bank of Africa (UBA) in 2005, later
transformed it from a single-country bank to a pan-
Africa institution with over seven million customers in
19 African countries. After his retirement from UBA in
2010 he founded Heirs Holdings, which invest in real
estate, financial services, health care sectors, agribusi-
ness, and hospitality. Heirs Holdings acquired a control-
ling interest in Transnational Corporation of Nigeria
Plc (Transcorp), a publicly quoted conglomerate that
has business interest in agribusiness, hospitality sector,
and energy in 2011. He was appointed chairman of the
corporation.
Tony Elumelu philosophy
The word Africapitalism was coined by him. According
to him, it is a philosophy that embodies the private sec-
tor's commitment to the economic transformation of
Africa through long-term investment that creates both
prosperity and social wealth. He believes that
Africa can take charge
of the value-adding sectors
and makes sure that those
value-added processes happens
in Africa. This he believes will not
happen based on government policies
or nationalism, but through a generation
of private sector entrepreneurs that has the
vision, the tools and the opportunity to shape the
future of the continent. He insists that Africapitalism is
not capitalism with the African twist; it is a rallying cry
to empower the private sector entrepreneurs to drive
Africa's economic and social growth.
Accolades
The Federal Government of Nigeria granted Tony Elu-
melu the title of member of the order of the Federal
Republic (MFR), a national Honour. Elumelu was voted
African business leader of the year by Africa Investor
magazine in 2006, and was recognised African banker
of the year by African Banker magazine in 2008. In
2013, Elumelu received a leadership Award in Business
and Philanthropy from the Africa-America Institute
(AAI) Awards. These are one of the few awards that he
has received through his business and career life.

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BEFORE YOU
SIGN THAT
CONTRACT
Going into a contract or signing a contract
might be very appealing, especially to start-
ups and young entrepreneurs. Not all con-
tract papers end up containing what was
originally said and some might also carry
additional terms that might not be clearly
pointed out.
Start-ups and young entrepreneurs see it as a fascinating
experience for them when contract papers are been
offered to them for the first time either by investors or
partners, but one thing they fail to understand is that could
be kicked out of their own business/company because they
didn’t understand the terms of what they are signing and
the future implications. Don’t be in a hurry in putting your
signature into any paper that is presented to you, even
when it seems enticing. Make sure you understand the
terms written down and what every word implies and you
can also make use of a lawyer for more explanation.
As an entrepreneur you most likely to enter into different
contracts, long term and short term, business contracts,
investment contract etc. A contract is one thing that helps
your business grow, hence it cannot be avoided.

These are the few basic things to look out for in a contract
paper after agreeing on what you expect to gain from the
contract.
• It must state that it is legally binding and charges can be
pressed if deferred- if the contract paper does not state
that the parties involved are up for quarry and charges can
be pressed if one party refuses to cooperate with the terms
and agreement, that paper should not be signed.
• Your company name and the other parties name should
be spelled boldly (logos are also preferably). This seems
ordinary but when cases arise you will understand the
need for it.
• It must state when the contract is due, how long the
contract will last, terms and conditions applied. It helps to
make sure that what was said/agreed on is what is written
down.
• It must carry a legal stamp and any legislative logo to
make sure that paper is certified and is backed up legally.
Without this it implies that the law does not know that
such contract is existing.
• It must state how the settlement is to be done, what is to
be benefited and how each party is going to receive it.
These are the few things out of the many that should be
considered. If the papers are too bulky and has a lot that
you don’t understand, please seek out for a lawyer to take a
good look at them and help you make a better choice.
So many have been kicked out of a business because of
not fully understanding a contract before signing, “don’t be
one of them”.

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FEASILBILITY STUDY ON

ONLINE
CLOTH STORE
(WHOLESALE)
Online retailing has been the kicker. Customers desire to shop online has increased
rapidly on this part of the world that the need for more online shops is been encouraged.
Am going to share a little finding I made and a business strategy that anyone interested
can try. The online retailing world in Nigeria and the sub-saharan Africa according to my
discovery are structured into two, leaving one part unexplored.

• The first is those you buy new products from like Jumia, Konga etc.
• The second is fairly used product not used in the country but used outside the country.

This second option is the one unseen and is worth giving a try.
There are lots of fairly used products but the focus of this plan is on clothes and it is not a retail
shop but a wholesale. For those familiar with the word “bail of clothes (a package filled
with different kinds of clothes and can only be seen when the customer pays for the bail),
this business is structured around it but now will be taken online as an online store.

Executive summary
An online cloth bail shop is where customers or retailers buy these bails in the
comfort of their house and pay online for the bail he/she paid for to be
delivered to him/her for resale.

Technology
It is a website with an App that customers can make their purchases with ease and
have it delivered to them.

Market
Cloth retailers that sell clothes in pieces

Customers demographics
Location- Nigeria and the sub-saharan Africa
Profession- cloth retailer

Market strategy
Usp- easy purchase of clothes and fast delivery without the customer doing it themselves.
Due to retailers’ stress on travelling long distance to make a purchase or having to wait very long for the delivery to be
made, the business will take advantage of that and be their savior.

Cost analysis
Warehouse- can be your house for the start
Website- 4000naira for domain name and 12,000naira for hosting and 5000-10000naira web design charge.

Revenue
This depends on how much you want each bail to be.

This plan can still be worked on but it’s just to show you the picture of the whole thing.

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Have You Considered
Insurance
According to the 7 rules of investing, one of the most important is the 3rd rule -
"Buy securities and insurance for your money".
It throws more spotlight on insurance and the importance of being secured. If any
business/company has started throwing off cash, this is something that needs to
be addressed.
An Insurance is a means of protection
from financial loss. It is a form of risk
management, primarily used to hedge
against risk of a contingent or uncertain
loss.
Why do you need to be insured?
• As the business grows the risk it faces
increases too
• It is much better than saving money
in the bank when struck from uncertain
loss.
• It is one of the best systems to manage
risk that you cannot perceive before-
hand.
As a novice or someone who has not
bought an insurance before, there are
some questions you need to have clear
answers to first:
• Why do you need an insurance?
• What is it that I want to protect from
risk?
• What level of risk can that tend to face?
If you can get clear answers on these,
then you can move to stage two - meet-
ing an insurance agent and stating
clearly this questions and answers to
the agent. The agent will then show
you ways you can achieve them with
insurance.
For some that are already saving money
in the bank as a form of risk manage-
ment. Instead of saving money in the
bank, get insured.
Why is buying an insurance better than
saving money for risk uncertainties?
• Money saved in the bank depreciates
in value over time and when the losses
occur it might not be enough to meet
the losses.
• The bank is making more money with
your money and paying you pea-nuts as
interest even as your money depreci-
ates.
So, an insurance is sure something
to consider now that your business is
growing.
valourmax
magazine
Okadabooks e-publishing was started in
Nigeria in the year 2010 by Okechukwu Ofili,
then the country had not gone into digital
publishing and was still on prints. The frustra-
tion of publishing a book written by himself,
Okechukwu Ofili (founder), and not getting
his full payment, spurred creativity in the mind
of the founder.
After publishing his book, “How Stupidity
Saved My Life” and promoting it through
bookstores and local radio's the book got out
to the market and sold. Until when the prob-
lems of print and bookstores owners surfaced
and they owed him the sum of N1.5m, and still
posted him around on dates he should come
collect his money. This made the founder to
lauch a social media campaign, “xyz book-
store, pay me my money”, this campaign was
a buzzer that it got the attention of his debtors
and they finally paid him his money. After hav-
ing such experience he decided he will fix the
system by bringing a new structure for book
publishing and selling.
The idea of okadabooks came up because of
the need to create a transparent system that
allows you to know where your book sales are
coming from, and make it easier for you to
access your money. The easy distribution and
publishing of books across Nigeria and the
sub-saharan Africa was the goal. This was how
the company was founded.
Key notes
Although situations and hard times can spur
creativity to actually build a company or a
product but the key thing is starting a com-
pany to build what you believe in.
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Go Solo or Get a Partner
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There is this saying. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want
to go far, go as a team. “No man is an island” ~ It means that
no man, and no woman, can accomplish anything alone and
needs other people to be complete, and that individualism
can only be viable up to a point.
However, having the right team will ultimately make or break
your business. There is no million-dollar idea, only million-
dollar execution. The team is more important than its idea.
However, it’s the leader that leads the entire team that matters
most, team or no team.
On the other hand, there have always been successful single
founder companies, but they were true outliers. That will
change: Today, it is more possible than ever before for one
person to effectively lead both building and selling during
a consumer internet start-up’s early growth phase. Though
it may be possible to be a successful single founder, the
emotional support and camaraderie that come with having a
co-founder is priceless.
The very idea of having someone who is like-minded like
you & willing to “all in” with you emotionally is the primary
benefit of having a co-founder. Of course the skill set of the
co-founder you recruit has to be able to compliment you right
from the start. He or she will able to do what you can’t do,
adding diversity to your start-up. A true partner on the journey
is invaluable.
Yet the odds of finding a co-founder who’s a true partner — in
every sense of the word — are about the same as your odds of
finding that perfect spouse… We all read the world statistics
of 50% of marriages ended in divorce, what if you end up with
a co-founder mismatch? Examples of co-founders having
disputes & conflicts, ended up in very toxic relationships. Your
emotional investment in that other person will have been for
naught, and the company’s odds of success post co-founder
breakup will be radically diminished.
The best co-founders have known and worked with each other
for a while: Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard roommates,
Larry Paige and Sergey Brin — you get the picture. Start
building strong relationships with potential co-founders
early in life, without an eye to a specific end. It will serve you
well, and when that million-dollar idea surfaces, you’ll have a
network of well-vetted prospective co-founders to draw from.
So now you have a billion-dollar market opportunity & the best
product idea to seize it but simply no potential co-founder to
work with. Well, not having a co-founder is no longer a valid
excuse for not starting. Start showing up every day, hustle,
sell, recruit & inspire others to join you along the way. Always
remember this: The person you’ve been waiting for is you!
VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 37
 Dilianne <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< valourmax
magazine

DISCOVERING
PEARLS FROM
THE TUNEJJI
SHOW!
everyday greatness with dilianne
MR. ADEWALE ALADEJANA IS THE CEO OF SAPPHIRE SCENTS, HE
AT T E N D E D B O W E N U N I V E R S I T Y I N O S U N STAT E A N D G R A D U AT E D I N
2 0 07, U P O N G R A D U AT I O N H E G OT A J O B , W H I C H H E W O U L D Q U I T
FOUR YEARS DOWN THE LINE TO FOLLOW HIS DREAM AND PAS-
SION, AND IN TURN, BUILD AN EMPIRE!

38 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
 DIlianne <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< valourmax
magazine
Mr. Tunejji Ojediran is a man with pearls on his inside which
transforms to greatness on the outside! He began his career as a
musician, and down the line, he discovered what would later
make his name a household name outside the shores of his
country! His very own show!

DA: What inspired you to start up your own show?

A PEEK AT SHOWBIZ
Tunejji: I started my show in 2016, and that was a
phenomenal year for me, I started my career as a
singer, I’ve been singing and producing music since 2013,
but never had a breakthrough. I released a song in 2016
and it went viral, I was very happy to have the opportunity
to influence people and I didn’t want it to stop there, I wanted
to be able to change lives on a daily basis. I prayed about in August
2016 and the Holy Spirit told me to start a TV show, I didn’t know how
to go about it, but I knew I wanted to impact people and that was what
inspired it.

DA: When you decided to start up your show, what were the steps you took?

Tunejji: After the idea came to me, I told my pastor about it, He gave me the go ahead,
but I delayed for about one month, in fact I completely forgot about it. One month
later (during my 300L break) I went back to church and my pastor asked me if I had
started working on the show, and I told him no, he told me to do something about
it fast, so I spent the whole of September and October learning about TV shows and
seeking from the Lord the nature of the TV Show to go into. Then I got the full idea, it
was to reach out to talented people and give them the platform to showcase it to the
world. The first thing I did was to sit down and study how to run and host a TV show.
The next thing I did was to reach out to people who shared the same vision with me, I
reached out to over 100 people who I believed would support me, but very few peo-
ple supported because some saw me as a small boy and didn’t believe I could handle
it. I put together a great team, and then I wrote down everything I needed to run a
1
TV show. I equally looked for people who had the skills to be on my team. Concerning
funds, my mum gave me the capital I used to start up my show.
We launched the show on 1st November 2016

DA: How were you able to get your own show to run on MiTv?

Tunejji: My show started running on MiTv one year after I started. From the year I start-
ed, I’ve been building the show to match up with standard, because I don’t believe
in mediocrity. One of my friends suggested going on air to me, since my show had
been online for a long time, well, I didn’t take him serious, but he went ahead to the
TV station and they called me in. At first they were not interested in what my show
was about, they were only interested in how much I was bringing to the table. We
were able to cut a deal, and the first time my show aired, they were amazed and told
me that was the best show they have had on their platform. They asked me who was
responsible for my video packaging etc and when I told them I did everything myself,
they decided to cut a new deal and run my show for free and in return, I would direct
their set, and I would also manage the station for a while. I also get paid, that’s the
extra!

DA: Who are your mentors and what do you do daily to improve yourself?

Tunejji: My mentor is Pastor Chris Oyakhiliome, he gives me a vision on global overtak-

2 ing, and that is what I intend to do with my show, we have gone beyond the borders

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 39
 Dilianne < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < valourmax
magazine

>

of Nigeria, we have audition entries coming from Africa and even outside Africa at the
moment.
What I do to improve myself is I read a lot, like, I study. I study on how to improve my-
self and my show, I learn how to be a better presenter, and I equally study business. I
pray, and I set down goals, I know where my show would be in 1, 2, 5 and even 10 years
from now.

DA: what are the major challenges you’ve faced and how did you overcome them?

Tunejji: The major challenge in running a TV show is actually the money. I have over-
come that challenge because I know the value I am creating and what I bring to the
table, so with that knowledge people have decided to sponsor the show, because I
made them to understand that what I’m offering is of irrefutable value.

DA: What is your advice to those who want to start up their own show but have very
little funds?

Tunejji: My advice for start-ups is to first understand the nature of what they want to
do, understand their market, invest in themselves and then kick-off. People don’t buy
the show, they buy the value. The truth is, these days, you don’t need to have money
to start everything, if you know what you are doing and you know how to trade value,
selling yourself and your show becomes easy

Kindly visit www.dilianne.com for more inspiring stories and interviews.

Twitter handle: @dilianney
Instagram handle: @dilianney

40 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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Tech Sully valourmax
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VALOUR
TECH SULLY

42 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
Tech Sully valourmax
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< magazine

5 FOR
MUST HAVE APPS
ENTREPRENEURS

01 POCKET 02 SALESFORCE1 03 EVERNOTE

First on our list is Pocket. As the name
suggests, "Pocket" helps entrepreneurs
to save or integrate online posts, videos,
and other similar content (which are
gotten from the Internet) in a single
place. Chances are, that you must have
bookmarked an interesting article to be
read later, only to forget about it. With
Pocket, you can view the saved contents
at any time, without having to worry about
where you stopped. It even gets better
when you consider that you can view
the saved content without an Internet
.connection
Salesforce1 is a mobile app that uses PaaS
(Payment as a Service) for connecting
business owners with their customers.
The app helps entrepreneurs by providing
them with relevant information about
their customers in a centralized platform
that takes away the technicalities of
building a system from scratch. As an
entrepreneur, Salesforce1 also helps you to
manage and share information with your
team. With Salesforce1, entrepreneurs
can effectively boost their sales as well as
manage their CRM from anywhere, as far
.as there’s an Internet connection
To complete the list, we have Evernote.
Evernote is an application that comes
to mind when you think of a mobile
notebook. While there are many notepad
mobile apps, Evernote stands out due to
its simplicity and multifarious nature. As
an Entrepreneur, Evernote will help you
to record important events like when you
stumble upon a life-changing idea. Apart
from note-taking, Evernote also allows you
to get your ideas down by using images
.and cards, which can all be shared

04 TRIP-IT
As a business owner, it is more likely that
you travel a lot. While traveling is great
for business, trying to keep track of your
travel plans may not be easy. This is where
TripIt comes in. TripIt can be considered
as an Itinerary assistant. TripIt helps
you to organize all your travel plans, by
integrating them into a single itinerary.
So you don’t have to worry about keeping
.track of your travel plans anymore
05 LINKEDIN
Having the LinkedIn app is a no-brainer for
every entrepreneur. Basically, the LinkedIn
app helps you, as an entrepreneur, to
connect and stay connected with other
professionals in your industry. Through
this app, you can share ideas and network
with similar minds, regardless of your
location. And since LinkedIn is a social
media platform, albeit for professionals,
you are assured of staying in touch with
the recent happenings in your field, and
.beyond

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 43
Tech valourmax
valourmax
TechSully
Sully <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< magazine
magazine

MOVIES
IN V.R.
There is a somewhat growing trend in watching
movies in VR (virtual reality), which seems to
point that “VR movies” might be the next big
thing in the movie industry

With companies such as Protozoa Pictures and the New
York Times already producing VR content for viewers, the
future looks hopeful for VR movies. But, before we continue,
let us understand the concept of virtual reality.
What is virtual reality?
Virtual Reality, or VR, is the use of computer in creating
a simulated three-dimensional visual environment. VR
involves the use special gears such as VR headsets to
immerse the user in the simulated visual world where they
are able to interact with objects as if the user was inside the
environment.
VR Movies: How do they fit?
Given the fact that more and more persons watch video
content on their mobile device than on actual TV screens,
and the dwindling attention spans of humans, it only
makes logical sense to invest in immersive entertainment
technology like VR movies.
Although the VR industry is still nascent due to several
reasons, watching movies in VR is becoming increasingly
popular. And with major players being Oculus, HTC, Sony,
Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, it means that the industry
can gain the much-needed traction in a not-so-distant time.
According to my research, the first ever VR movie produced
is “The Lawnmower Man” in 1992. After the theatrical release
of the movie, it became an instant hit, with many people
wanting to see the movie. Disappointingly, the VR movie
industry did not go on strong as was predicted due to various
reasons, especially the high cost of the equipment.
However, technology has advanced since then, with
equipment prices plummeting. This is the reason why there
is a gradual surge in the number of players in the VR industry
today. And while Hollywood is still trying to succeed with 3D
movies, the future for VR movies looks promising.
The fact, however, remains that, the extent of adoption of VR
in mainstream movie production depends on critical factors
such as the affordability of the technology to consumers and
its popularity.

44 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
Tech Sully valourmax
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BLOCKCHAIN:
THE NEXT DISRUPTIVE
TECHNOLOGY
BLOCKCHAIN

The “Dotcom bubble” in the late 90s

and early 2000 was a period marked
by rapid expansion of businesses
based on the Internet. This time peri-
od saw a spike in equity valuations of
several U.S startups due to the grow-
ing influence of the Internet.

Ever since then, the influence of the

Internet has continued to spread,
cutting across various industries. And
like the Internet, the blockchain is
another technology that promises to
cause disruption in several industries.
Although the Blockchain technolo-
gy was first introduced in 2009 by
a Japanese, it was only about two
years ago that the popularity of the
technology began to rise and gain
mainstream attention. However,
within that little space of time, this
nascent technology is already causing
shockwaves in various sectors of the
business world.

What is the Blockchain?

The Blockchain technology is a
decentralized digital ledger for
recording transactions. Each part of
the blockchain is called a block that
chronologically links to other blocks,
hence the name, “Blockchain.” Each
block contains information about
transactions carried out at a particu-
lar time. When a block is completed,
a new block is generated with a link
to the previous block, and the process
continues.

You can consider the Blockchain as a

public spreadsheet or account book
that contains a record of all transac-
tions ever done on a network with the
ability to update itself everywhere,
making it almost impossible to tam-
per with.

VALOURMAX MAGAZINE 45
 valourmax
valourmax
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Tech Sully < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < magazine
magazine
magazine

The blockchain is the technology behind several digital cryp-

to-currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other similar coins.
However, beyond its use a verification system for crypto-cur-
rency transactions, the Blockchain is also considered as the
next revolutionary technology, after the Internet.

How is the Blockchain technology disruptive?

The Blockchain is already disrupting industries and is going
to disrupt a lot of other industries. The following are some
of the top industries to face disruption by this revolutionary
technology.

1. Banking
The banking industry is, without a doubt, the first industry
facing disruption from blockchain. While most professionals
in the banking industry are against the technology, others
have started embracing it as a means to reduce cost and
improve efficiency in delivering services. To the banks, the
Blockchain is most times referred to as DLT (distributed ledg-
er technology).
Blockchain would disrupt the banking industry by providing
a fast, transparent and secure way of storing banking infor-
mation. Moreover, since the system is distributed, the risk of
having a system collapse is almost non-existent.

2. Security
A major advantage of the blockchain is security. Since the
system is decentralized, with no central entity controlling
things, it becomes difficult for data to be lost due to unethi-
cal processes like hacking. Furthermore, the advanced en-
cryption and verification methods of the system completely
obviate the problem of data tampering.

That being said, security systems based on the blockchain

can leverage on the security advantage of the technology in
creating hack-proof data encryption systems.

3. Healthcare
The healthcare sector is another industry that can benefit
from the blockchain. With the blockchain, the need for paper
records or scattered digital records will be reduced as health
records can be retrieved from virtually anywhere. Even better,
the speed of accessing such records and the continuance
of the system can also help in times of emergency. Systems
such as the recently launched “Shivom” genomics ecosys-
tem are already using the distributed ledger technology in
improving healthcare.

The above-mentioned industries are only a tip of the iceberg.

The effect of the blockchain technology is far-reaching. It is
only a matter of time before others will follow.

Other industries that will face disruption due to the block-

chain are real estate, education, transportation, and charity
organizations.

46 VALOURMAX MAGAZINE
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