Being a hustler since the age of 16, I can now firmly say that I'm a life endorsed and "certified hustlet". I’ve ALWAYS been obsessed with making extra money 💵💵💵💵
In primary school, I launched a very unsuccessful "Lingala Dance Career" (I used to dance for my parents visitors in exchange for cash; Affordable child labour me thinks). And trust you me, Fally Ipupa HAD nothing on me...I say 'HAD' because as of now, I can't tell where my waist ends, and where my butt begins😂 3 years on #babyweight things.
In high school, I stayed busy babysitting my cousins for mere wages, which provided regular, but not-so-modest paydays.
But when I got to college, that's where The Real Hustle begun...
~ I sold Mitumba (Swahili slang for second hand clothes);
~ Sold MTN sim cards (I can't even remember why on earth I sold sim cards that weren't affiliated to any phone networks in my country🇰🇪);
~ Hawked fruit salad in an insurance firm during lunch hour (A 150% loss making venture);
~ A Temp Marketing Rep for Code Red Entertainment (The job description entailed, rounding up drank campus students and putting them in hired vans that will take them clubbing);
~ Helped my 'brother-in-love' start a road construction company, which I'm proud to say, it's the only business venture that survived the "college business massacre". But guess what? This smarty-pants right here🙋♀️, exited before the company went "platinum". Talk of my "great sense of luck".
I utterly failed in all my business ventures...Incomprehensible, Inexplicable, Unfathomable failures. But in it all, I learnt a great deal of life lessons such as:
~ I'm no longer afraid to Take Risks and I'm willing to Fail Over and Over again.
~ I've learnt how to Identify Great Business Opportunities and Niches.
~ I've gained strong Money Management Skills.
~ I've learnt to Network and Build Incredible Business Connections.
~ I've learnt to Invest in myself by constantly Learning New a Skill set.
~ I've Mastered and Perfected the Art of Negotiations.
I'm what I am today because of these life learning experiences and I wouldn't have it any other way. My main take away from it all is that, It is okay to fail. You get up, try again and do better than before. Keep failing until you get your perfect "Frog turned into prince charming of a business".
As the late Maya Angelou wisely put it, "I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better."
I just wanted to thank you for creating really great content