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More Photos from the OUTREACH TO UKE VILLAGE APRIL 2012
Thursday 19 April 2012
Sunday 15 April 2012
Featured Entrepreneur Interview - Samuel Uduma/ CEO of ChargeBox Nigeria Limited
I would like to introduce you to my first featured entrepreneur . . . Sam Uduma, MD and CEO of ChargeBox Ltd Nigeria.
His business caught my attention a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved the idea so am pleased to share with you our interview!
Enjoy!
· Tell us a little about yourself, your background
I am Samuel Uduma, 26 yrs of age, the First of 2 boys, from a township called Ohafia, Abia State. Engineering degree from Uni of Nottingham with a masters in Telecoms from Uni of Bristol. Friends call me SuperGeek.
· What is your business and what do you do?
Primarily, I’d say I am a technology enthusiast and my business centers around incubation of Technology solutions - taking them from "proof of concept" stage to "implementation". This enthusiasm has led me to creating a company Chargebox Nigeria on which an innovative, unique solution - ChargeBox Kiosks have been launched.
· When did you start the business?
ChargeBox Nigeria was officially incorporated in Sept, 2011. However the qualification of the solution and evaluation of its viability began about a year before that.
· How did you get the idea for this?
Not surprisingly, the idea was born out of a related need at the time. I had gone to visit my girlfriend in London, where she was lodging at an airport hotel en route U.S.A. In typical character, I had left my mobile phone charger at home and my BB battery was giving me the red stare. I spotted this contraption in the hotel which said "charge your phone here". Using it was extremely easy, convenient and secure so I had the Eureka moment and started making moves to bring Chargebox to naija. Obtained exclusivity rights to deploy and run Chargebox kiosks in West Africa and the rest is....
· What were the biggest startup challenges?
As an employee of another telecoms leader - Ericsson UK, it was near impossible to find the time to do all that was required to make Chargebox Nigeria a reality. It also didn't help that the UK govt were taking all my money through a legalized form of extortion - Tax!!
· How did you overcome those challenges?
I brought in like minded partners, gave them vested interests in the company and utilized their skills & networks to develop what is today known as Chargebox Nigeria
· What makes your business unique, what’s your “unique selling point”?
I think I’ve given this away already - Accessibility, Use-ability, convenience and security.
· In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Sporadic!!!
· What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Job security...lol. Seriously though, having worked for someone else, I can say there are very close synergies between the employed and self employed. For one, measurements of success and failure are closely related, the difference being in the case of the latter, the entrepreneur could face more sever consequences like bankruptcy and even jail time o_O.
· What do you think it takes to become a successful entrepreneur?
I won’t know for sure yet lol... however; i think dedication and vision will set you on the right path. It doesnt hurt to have the right partners as well, God being numero uno.
· What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
This is a tricky one as i've seen hugely successful "skill-less" entrepreneurs (branson...lol). In terms of skill, the more adept you are at convincing people about the usefulness of your product/service, the better chance you have at making it work. So in a nutshell, Sales skill is key.
· What would you say to someone considering starting their own business?
Don't do it!!!! Lol, just joking. i'd say to someone with such ambition, the mere thought of starting their business shows they have the right building blocks, however, not only the blocks make a house habitable. They need to measure the risk on a scale of 0-100% certainty and continually de-risk the business in their minds until the scale tips over 50% risky. The moment you feel the likelihood of reward for your business outweighs the risk of failure then go for it Hammer and tons! P.S ALWAYS HAVE A FALLBACK!!!!
· What was your greatest fear in starting a business? How did you manage that fear?
Fear of failure. I wont necessary say that fear is completely gone as the business is not as successful as i want it to be yet. Now i must stress it is completely human to not want to fail but the fear of failure is an innately cancerous thing to have, failure isnt always bad when controlled as there's always a valuable lesson to learn - this is the way i have taught myself to manage that fear.
· What would say are the five key elements for starting and running a successful business?
God first, respect for people, know your product/service, know your market, and work relentlessly.
· What inspires you?
A ton! I am inspired by certain people in my life, inspired by the state of affairs in my country, inspired by that fear of failure...lol, inspired by the magnitude of what i can achieve etc etc... As you can see, doesn't take much to inspire me :-)
· If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask yourself, and what would the answer be?
Now I’m doing your job for you, i hope i'm getting paid! Ok seriously, i would ask myself - If you could do anything differently in retrospect what would it be? My answer - NOTHING!
Thanks for your time :)
Don't Forget to Share!!!
 |
| CEO ChargeBox Ltd |
His business caught my attention a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved the idea so am pleased to share with you our interview!
 |
| Ask her about ChargeBox! |
Enjoy!
· Tell us a little about yourself, your background
I am Samuel Uduma, 26 yrs of age, the First of 2 boys, from a township called Ohafia, Abia State. Engineering degree from Uni of Nottingham with a masters in Telecoms from Uni of Bristol. Friends call me SuperGeek.
· What is your business and what do you do?
Primarily, I’d say I am a technology enthusiast and my business centers around incubation of Technology solutions - taking them from "proof of concept" stage to "implementation". This enthusiasm has led me to creating a company Chargebox Nigeria on which an innovative, unique solution - ChargeBox Kiosks have been launched.
· When did you start the business?
ChargeBox Nigeria was officially incorporated in Sept, 2011. However the qualification of the solution and evaluation of its viability began about a year before that.
· How did you get the idea for this?
Not surprisingly, the idea was born out of a related need at the time. I had gone to visit my girlfriend in London, where she was lodging at an airport hotel en route U.S.A. In typical character, I had left my mobile phone charger at home and my BB battery was giving me the red stare. I spotted this contraption in the hotel which said "charge your phone here". Using it was extremely easy, convenient and secure so I had the Eureka moment and started making moves to bring Chargebox to naija. Obtained exclusivity rights to deploy and run Chargebox kiosks in West Africa and the rest is....
· What were the biggest startup challenges?
As an employee of another telecoms leader - Ericsson UK, it was near impossible to find the time to do all that was required to make Chargebox Nigeria a reality. It also didn't help that the UK govt were taking all my money through a legalized form of extortion - Tax!!
· How did you overcome those challenges?
I brought in like minded partners, gave them vested interests in the company and utilized their skills & networks to develop what is today known as Chargebox Nigeria
· What makes your business unique, what’s your “unique selling point”?
I think I’ve given this away already - Accessibility, Use-ability, convenience and security.
· In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Sporadic!!!
· What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Job security...lol. Seriously though, having worked for someone else, I can say there are very close synergies between the employed and self employed. For one, measurements of success and failure are closely related, the difference being in the case of the latter, the entrepreneur could face more sever consequences like bankruptcy and even jail time o_O.
· What do you think it takes to become a successful entrepreneur?
I won’t know for sure yet lol... however; i think dedication and vision will set you on the right path. It doesnt hurt to have the right partners as well, God being numero uno.
· What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
This is a tricky one as i've seen hugely successful "skill-less" entrepreneurs (branson...lol). In terms of skill, the more adept you are at convincing people about the usefulness of your product/service, the better chance you have at making it work. So in a nutshell, Sales skill is key.
· What would you say to someone considering starting their own business?
Don't do it!!!! Lol, just joking. i'd say to someone with such ambition, the mere thought of starting their business shows they have the right building blocks, however, not only the blocks make a house habitable. They need to measure the risk on a scale of 0-100% certainty and continually de-risk the business in their minds until the scale tips over 50% risky. The moment you feel the likelihood of reward for your business outweighs the risk of failure then go for it Hammer and tons! P.S ALWAYS HAVE A FALLBACK!!!!
· What was your greatest fear in starting a business? How did you manage that fear?
Fear of failure. I wont necessary say that fear is completely gone as the business is not as successful as i want it to be yet. Now i must stress it is completely human to not want to fail but the fear of failure is an innately cancerous thing to have, failure isnt always bad when controlled as there's always a valuable lesson to learn - this is the way i have taught myself to manage that fear.
· What would say are the five key elements for starting and running a successful business?
God first, respect for people, know your product/service, know your market, and work relentlessly.
· What inspires you?
A ton! I am inspired by certain people in my life, inspired by the state of affairs in my country, inspired by that fear of failure...lol, inspired by the magnitude of what i can achieve etc etc... As you can see, doesn't take much to inspire me :-)
· If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask yourself, and what would the answer be?
Now I’m doing your job for you, i hope i'm getting paid! Ok seriously, i would ask myself - If you could do anything differently in retrospect what would it be? My answer - NOTHING!
Thanks for your time :)
 |
| ChargeBox Kiosk at SilverBird, Lagos |
Don't Forget to Share!!!
Friday 13 April 2012
Next TDFoundation OutReach - April 14th 2012
“FEEDING THE HUNGRY, HELPING THE POOR” TEL: 0803 499 7181
EMAIL: TDFOUNDATION@GMAIL.COM
DATE: 14th APRIL, 2012
LOCATION: UKE VILLAGE (Masaka Area)
Mathew 25: 34-36
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
Our next outreach is to Uke village, we will be taking food, clothing and the good news of the gospel, we will be providing free medical consultation, free blood pressure screening, free medication and counselling for all that come. Please be a part of this good work, ask your friends and neighbours to donate old/new clothes and food. We are blessed to be a blessing. Please contact Tunde Dada on 0803 499 7181 or email tundedada@aol.com to donatemoney, food, old/new clothes, medication and your time n skills. You shall surely be blessed as you do so.
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| FREE PHARMACY AT THE OUTREACH |
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| ALTER CALL |
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| FOOD DISTRIBUTION |
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| ANOTHER DAY SERVING THE LORD |
1st John 3:17-18 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Monday 9 April 2012
Note to Parents . . .
We need to teach our daughters the DIFFERENCE between:--
A man who flatters her and a man who compliments her;
A man who spends money on her and a man who invests in her;
A man who views her as a property and a man who views her properly;
A man who lusts after her and a man who loves her;
A man who believes he is GOD'S gift to women and a man who remembers a woman was GOD'S gift to man;
AND THEN,TEACH OUR SONS TO BE THAT KIND OF MAN!
****I didn't write this, just came across it and thot I'd share.****
A man who flatters her and a man who compliments her;
A man who spends money on her and a man who invests in her;
A man who views her as a property and a man who views her properly;
A man who lusts after her and a man who loves her;
A man who believes he is GOD'S gift to women and a man who remembers a woman was GOD'S gift to man;
AND THEN,TEACH OUR SONS TO BE THAT KIND OF MAN!
****I didn't write this, just came across it and thot I'd share.****
Grooming for Men
Disclaimer: This is just my own personal
opinion, as a man u don’t have to follow this but I am sure there are
definitely some women out there that wouldn’t mind if their man took on some of
these tips.
Trim nose hair please....
Keep your lips moisturized. Lip balm and Chap
Stick was not just made for women. There is nothing less attractive than a man
with dry, crusty, ashy white lips talking to you and God forbid he trys to
kiss you with that situation going on.
Take care of the pits. Now you don’t have
to shave it all off but at least shave off enough so that your deodorant can be
most effective J
Now I personally am not a fan of grizzly
hairy men but some women don’t mind. However if you are looking more like an
angry werewolf you might wanna contemplate waxing your chest or back.
Aaaaah, Brazilian for men J I think most people know by now what a Brazilian wax consists of
but guess what?! . . . .It is not just for women. Yes I do know it’s a bit
painful but a glass of wine or some paracetamol 20 mins before should take care
of that. Not only does it keep you fresher down there it’s been said that it
provides a much friendlier environment for your partner.... or so I’ve been
told. However, if that is too extreme for you a good ole razor will work.
Finger nails . . . CUT THEM!!! . . . I will
never understand why men keep long nails. I don’t think any woman on the face
of earth finds it attractive. Also for the sake of those of you that have
partners please make sure they are short and smooth before engaging in any sort
of “physical activity”. Trust me; your woman is most likely squirming and
wriggling about from pain and discomfort more so than pleasure.
While you are now cutting your finger nails
please do not forget to cut your toenails too, I mean how do you fit them into
your closed shoes???
Oh, and I know some of you only lotion the
parts of your body that you think is exposed, just keep your whole situation
moisturized. It’s good for your skin. If you are in a hot country stick to baby
lotion, it is nice and light ant won’t leave you feeling greasy. If you are in
a cold and dry place try and use a more moisturising lotion like Jergens or
Keri and when all else fails Vaseline will never fail you.
Ok, that’s it for now . . . .hopefully we
can have a few more better groomed men around J
Friday 6 April 2012
OmogeLepa T-Shirts now Available @ Celebrations in Abuja
For everyone in Abuja Nigeria make sure you go to CELEBRATIONS on Adetokunbo Ademola Cresent, Wuse 2 to pick up your OmogeLepa Ladies and Men T-shirts.
DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND!!!
#ThisIsAMovement
Celebration Store
79 Adetokunbo Ademola Crst
Wuse 2, abuja
Monday 2 April 2012
Featured Omoge for April 2012- Nkem Onwudiwe (SYMONE)
This
month’s featured Omoge is New Media and PR Executive Nkem aka Symone!
Vibrant,
sophisticated, dedicated and professional Symone is freelance a PR consultant
based out of Lagos, Nigeria.
Previously,
she worked full time as PR consultant to Mo Abudu (popular host of MNET’s first
ever syndicated daily talk show “Moments
with Mo” ).
Since
taking the big leap into the industry as a freelance consultant she states that
she loves the fact that every day brings on new challenges and loves the
challenges because they push her to be better.
“As a publicist, my clients are my primary
priority. Every other thing is secondary.”
Her
ever growing portfolio also includes The Debaters Season one and two and Naija
Diamonds (a mini- documentary showcasing representatives of true Nigerian
spirit). In addition, she has worked with celebrities such as popular DJ
Xclusive, Waje, Nse Ikpe-Etim, MIMI (Big Brother Africa 3 Ex Housemate) and
Chica (a talented young upcoming musician).
So,
if you are in need of an excellent PR consultant in Nigeria feel free to
contact Ms. Symone.
To
find out more about her, please check out her website: SYMONEPR
Follow her on twitter @HRHSymone
Don’t
Forget to Share!!! J
Daily Declarations
Happy New Month Folks!!!
Thought I would start off this month's first post with some positivity, so am sharing some statements that I like to go over every morning . . . well, most mornings just to help start my day off right and help me along my way of being a better person.
Enjoy :)
Thought I would start off this month's first post with some positivity, so am sharing some statements that I like to go over every morning . . . well, most mornings just to help start my day off right and help me along my way of being a better person.
Enjoy :)
DAILY DECLARATIONS 3
(There is creative power to the spoken word. And the Lord said “let there be light and there was light”}
READ ALOUD OVER YOURSELF AND BE BLESSED!!!
· I am in right standing with God.
· I will not bow down to fear.
· I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ who strengthens me.
· I promptly obey God.
· I don’t make decisions based on my feelings.
· I make decisions based on what I know is in line with the word of God.
· God abundantly supplies all of my needs.
· God loves me unconditionally, I do not need to qualify for His love.
· I am difficult to offend.
· I love people and I enjoy helping them.
· I pursue peace with God, myself and others.
· I am a disciplined and self controlled person.
· I trust God completely and there is no need to worry.
· I live in the present and not in the past and enjoy each moment.
· I am content and emotionally stable.
· I put God first in my life.
****My favorite one is that am difficult to offend....it really helps me to be less sensitive to negativity and people with a bad attitude or that are just having a bad day and want me to join them.****
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