Summary

The text discusses the personal journey of an individual from their initial career steps in HR and media to the inception of their entrepreneurial aspirations and social innovation efforts, inspired by introspection prompted by a challenging question: "Why Have You Not Started?".

Abstract

The narrative begins with a brief introduction to Mo Abudu, an African media mogul, who started her career in Human Resources before venturing into television and film production. It then shifts to a personal anecdote where the author reflects on their own career, which was influenced by a mentor's recommendation letter leading to a role in HR and eventually becoming the youngest employee at their company. The author describes how they leveraged their position to learn from every corner of the organization. The central theme emerges when a friend's pointed question, "Why Have You Not Started?", prompts deep introspection about the author's delayed entrepreneurial endeavors. The question lingers and forces the author to confront the excuses preventing them from starting their side business. Later, the same question catalyzes the author's foray into social innovation, leading them to volunteer work in Lagos, which has become a significant part of their life, culminating in the initiation of a community project using storytelling for peacebuilding and social justice. The article concludes by challenging readers to consider the same question as they plan for the future.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the influence of Mo Abudu as a symbol of success and the importance of never stopping dreaming.
A recommendation letter played a crucial role in the author's early career, emphasizing the value of mentorship and personal advocacy.
The author admits initial resentment towards the challenging question but eventually recognizes its power as a catalyst for personal growth.
There is a belief that even significant hurdles, like a challenging economy, should not impede one from starting a new venture.
The act of writing down reasons for not starting a business revealed the author's personal and logistical challenges, which were then addressed systematically.
Volunteering is presented as a meaningful way to contribute to society and gain valuable experience, even when time seems scarce.
The author's passion for social innovation is evident, with their community initiative being a testament to the transformative power of storytelling and the arts.
The article conveys a motivational message that encourages readers to take action towards their goals and not to let uncertainties or lack of immediate resources hold them back.

Why Have You Not Started?

The question that keeps on giving

Mo Abudu once headed the HR and Training for ExxonMobil in Nigeria. Today, she is better known as the first African woman to own a Pan-African TV channel, owner of EbonyLife TV, creator, and presenter of the daytime TV show — Moments with Mo, one of Africa’s most successful women according to Forbes, producer of heavyweight movies like Chief Daddy, The Wedding Party, and Oloture.

Never Stop Dreaming; it is one right nobody can take away, wherever you are — Mo Abudu

A recommendation letter helped me secure my first job. At 21, I worked as a salesperson for an advertising company and a reporter at the university radio station. However, this letter from my mentor described me as a “resourceful and creative” young woman who deserves any available opportunity to grow.

The Human Resources department needed an extra hand, so after my interviews, I was deployed to the team. I never planned to work in Human Resources but I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity and have worked remarkably hard to excel at it.

I became their youngest-ever employee, and I utilized the opportunity of being downplayed to learn from everyone, office to office, department to department.

Sometime in 2018, I was having a discussion with a new friend and when I mentioned the side business I had in mind, his next words annoyed me but would stay with me long after he left.

“Why Have You Not Started?”

I did not like the question that day. It felt like he was pressuring me with that one sentence.

How dare he?

Does he know how hard the economy is?

Is it so easy to just have an idea and start immediately?

A year later, that question still haunted me, not as a sting but as an introspection. Why really had I not started this business I have spoken so highly of? Then, I began to write the reasons why — I needed money to buy a domain name, money to pay a web developer for the website, find importers of my products, etc.

After I had written all my reasons, I realized it was not something I could do at the time. All these conclusions stemmed from answering that singular question.

I have always known that my end goal was social innovation, but it did not stop me from working in HR. In 2020, I asked myself that question again, and my reasons were — I didn’t know what organization to volunteer with to gain experience, I did not have free time, and I did not know how I could contribute.

First things first, I searched for places to volunteer in Lagos, Nigeria. It brought up a lot of organizations which I narrowed to two based on my passion.

Next, after a hectic week of work, my Saturdays were previously dedicated to binge-watching old Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) episodes, so I decided to start by sacrificing that time.

Since I started volunteering in 2020, I have slowly but surely given up more hours to it annually. It is almost like another full-time job because I love it.

In 2022, I started my community initiative, using storytelling in the form of using the arts to promote community peacebuilding and social justice.

Now, it’s my turn to ask you as well as we roll into 2024,

“Why Have You Not Started?”

Reference

Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Abudu