The 10-minute rule that changed how I voice my perspective Sitting at the back of my strategy class in Stanford was like being on the edge of an intimidating arena. That’s what it was like 11 years ago. Unlike my engineering classes with rows facing the teacher, these seats felt more grand. They were lined […]
I’ve now learned this one skill, from writing 4 books, that turns “boring life” into compelling content When I was writing my first book, PRESS PLAY, my writing instructor said: “to get more credibility on your topic, go out and interview experts.” I got on my sales outreach grind. I sent out cold messages on […]
The night-time constraint I use to beat productivity addiction A few weeks ago, I was in Paris with my wife. We were in line at one of those fancy stores. You know the type – the ones in which they only let two people in at a time. I was eating a cookie from one […]
How I learned it from a failed sales call. “I mean I don’t know you from Adam.” That’s what I heard from the deep voice on the other side of a sales call I had anticipated for weeks. Let me take you back a few weeks before that phone call. I had emailed a bunch […]
How a simple google search challenged everything I learned in business school at Stanford In 2014, I was a bright-eyed newly untested entrepreneur. I had a dream. It wasn’t as profound as Martin Luther King Jr’s dream but it was a dream, nonetheless. What made it special is that it was mine. I had a […]
What my rushed wedding speech taught me about business On the day I got married, I was trying to be calm. I’m not sure if I succeeded. I woke up early. I did a 1-hr meditation, longer than I usually do. I checked all my messages. Made sure all the invites sent were received. It […]
Without Pretending It Doesn’t Sting… “STOP EMAILING ME. TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST” I shrunk in my chair when I opened my email and saw that response. I immediately responded, apologized, and added him to the blocklist. He wouldn’t be the first. I had received different versions of “don’t email me” in replies that would […]
What I learned about systems while jet-lagged in Paris On Monday, I woke up at 11 AM. Not because I decided to sleep in. We were in Paris on our way to Lagos, in a few days, and still adjusting to the time zone change. The room was dark. All curtains pulled together. My mind […]
Why rebellion becomes necessary I’ve been running an experiment on LinkedIn for two years. I’ve posted every single day for the last 603 days. The last one I posted had something to do with my career and rebrand. I had my picture in it. I think I wore a t- shirt. Maybe it was a […]
“Nipsey Hussle is from Crenshaw. You, Nifemi Aluko, you’re from Ikeja Lagos. So go find your own lane. The marathon continues.” I almost spilled my coffee laughing when my brand consultant gave me that very direct feedback. Then gave me a pep talk. Here’s how we got there. I’d worked through my recent rebrand. We […]