Life Series Class ‘01 with Ibukun Awosika

For any young woman with dreams and aspires to be great, she that hopes to legitimately evolve from near-nothing adventures at the lowest scratch to Mega Super Success, Mrs Ibukun Awosika remains a Role Model any day. Not just an Entrepreneur but a Leader, a Motivational Speaker and a Challenger that has actually transformed businesses in Africa, Mrs Awosika started out establishing a Furniture Company as a young woman in her twenties, a field purportedly reserved for men in her days.

Reiterating a few of her achievement which is actually splashed over the internet; she is presently the Chairman, Board of Directors of First Bank Nigeria Limited, the Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group (a body of a Group of Companies that includes; the Chair Centre Limited, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited, Furniture Manufacturer Mart, TCC Security Systems and Cubes and Boxes Limited). Mrs Awosika also Chairs the Board of Groups like Digital Jewel Limited and Cadbury Nigeria Plc, so also a not-for-Profit Boards like House of Tara International and after-School Graduate Development Centre etc. Her resume is one so intimidating that could make up some several pages so permit me to pause.

For a woman I admire so very much, following her Official Instagram page was the least I could do to get closer. From there-in came the call out for young Women of Vision aged 25-35 for the Maiden edition of the Life Series with Ibukun Awosika which was held on Sunday, the 23^rd of June, 2019 at a Venue on the Island. 

         Talking about throwing down the ladder of success right after climbing up the stairs. I was not surprised when she said thousands of mails were sent from would-be participants to her team who in turn found it difficult, screening down to a little more than hundred, which I was part of.

She had noted that the number of females found generally reduces at the ascension of the ladder of success. This is attributed to the Patriarchal and then the Archaic African Community which often limits ambitious Young Women. The Society on the average perceives an ambitious young woman as arrogant that dreads being subdued. That way, she tend to tone down the zeal with which success is pursued in the first place. 

Other factors militating against the girl child from succeeding are sheer inferiority complex, arising from being referred to as the weaker sex, wrong choice of spouse which is, cohabiting with a male whose visions does not properly align with hers, but she just has to marry him anyway, owing to societal pressures etc. 

Mrs Awosika is a mother of three boys with no biological girl child, but she choose to adopt young women whom she regularly mentors to become enviable members of the society.

At the session, she took adequate time to answer all of the life questions. They were inquisitions that range from individual Growth to Careers, Relationships etc. And the zeal with which she attended to the puzzles on the mind of each and every woman in that gathering, is another angle that clearly displays her humility and readiness to be the guide to the upcoming Generation. From the individual handshake and familiarization with most participants which I considered golden though, to having to leave the stage to mingle effectively, then I have chosen wisely looking up to a mother figure like her. 

Admonishing the young women to embrace what seemed their failures and see it as a challenge to birth a selling point, she relived her personal experiences as a reference point to learn from. How she had started out her Furniture Business from the scratch, at a time that it was considered absurd for females to venture into such businesses, to once encountering serious difficulties which possibly would have marked her end. But instead of bowing out, she chose pro-activeness by towing the path of partnership and onward International affiliation till the dust settled. A major feat she maintained must have endeared her to present positioning. Starting out, many had called her weird and crazy, others clearly could not fathom what was going on in her mind, but she stood her ground and got the support of her father as well.

Placing in high esteem her husband too, she maintained that the fact that she ended up with someone who not only loves God same way she does, but supports her a hundred percent as well clearly played a significant role in the successes she has recorded overtime.

“Women generally are torn between Careers, the home front, Personal time, making and tutoring Babies and then their relationships with their Hubby, Bosses and Clients" she had started out "so wisdom is needed to be able to balance all, and only a good and supportive man would understand the challenges involved and be willing to bear with you” she maintained.

Lecturing further, Mrs Awosika advised young women who hope to succeed to unarguably remain not just decent and godly, but cultured as well. All of these settle a whole lot of dusts that may gather as they progress. Warming beds all the way to the top would not last long, so also is cutting corners. And that no matter what life presently brings forth, career growth is key.

“Life issues would sort themselves and fall in the right place appropriately, as at the right time that God wants it to be” she assured “so brooding over them at the expense of your dreams would only find you wanting and regretting over the wasted period of being unfruitful later, and then trying to catch up might be difficult"

Instances are women looking for the fruit of the womb and neglecting their dreams, just because of what the society thinks about having to stay idle for conception to take place. Doing so is tantamount to not being able to avail the child that comes thereafter the affluence that might have been available if she had not stopped in her tracks. Same goes for those who are brooding over finding a mate, the right guy possibly might be at the next level you have refused to attain. 

Meanwhile, I took my time to take notes from the Master Class Viz;

•       Never apologize for who you are, what is important is who you are going to be.
• · Be true to yourself always.
• ·   Write and know your truth, read over and over again.
• ·   You are the only one that have the power to define you.
• ·        Your choice of spouse should be someone that aligns with your goal since he remains a key factor in your life as a woman.
• ·        Never marry for the wrong reasons or for pressure. Marry a man who first of all fears God, then he should have the compassion in his heart and the capacity to accommodate your visions and dreams. Selfishly make that decision about who you marry.
• ·        Don’t fret over what you cannot control, it is futile.
• ·        Live the best of your life in the time and season that you are.
• ·        Whatever your hands finds time to do, do it well.
• ·        Your gender is irrelevant, do what you have to do and do it well.
• ·        Turn a physical disadvantage to your advantage
• ·        Build relationship and don’t play the girl card because it not only undermines you, but short termed.
• ·        Most girls can deliver but lacks the confidence to show that they can.
• ·        What men call failure is usually interim, make the best use of it.

          Finally, she highlighted the importance of having the right circle of friends who would always spur us to greatness even when we seem weary.

“Having integrity and values as a woman is key, such that in the days of coincidences, that integrity speaks for her”   Ibukun Awosika ‘2019- Life Series Class ‘01