A Review by Oseloka H. Obaze
The powers of the written word “highlight its ability to shape thoughts, change the world, and create lasting connections through healing, inspiration, and reflection.” While traditional wisdom, says that “a picture tells a thousand stories,” James Lafferty, an American actor and director, surmised that “The picture alone, without the written word, leaves half the story untold.”
We are gathered today, first, to honour and validate the importance and power of the written word. Secondly, we have an eclectic group of invitees; prospective young entrepreneurs, change makers, visionaries, and captain of industries. What is it, exactly, that pulls this group together on a Monday afternoon in Lagos?
We have come to honour and support one of our own, Mrs. Ebele Obi. She is the author of the book being presented today, which is titled, Just Go Further- Become the Total Entrepreneur.
My task here is very simple; to lend my voice to the ensuing conversations, and to underpin the essence of shared vision, and support in the smallest way possible, whatever dreams, aspirations, and networking opportunities, this book and this gathering may bring about.
For the purposes of full disclosure, I had before now, been asked to co-write the foreword to this book. I did, along with Professor M.U. Adikwu. So, kindly forgive me, if you find some of the things I may say here, already recorded in the foreword.
At the juncture when I read the manuscript of Just Go Further- Become the Total Entrepreneur, I was, coincidentally, engrossed in the book, How Successful People Think, by John C. Maxwell. Upon request, I accepted to do the foreword, not from the author, but from her brother, and my dear friend. Ejike Onwusowulu. I recognized in reading the manuscript, that it was a manifestation of how successful people think. They share and transfer knowledge and they also motivate others to become successful. That is history. Let’s fast forward to the present.
Rather than following the traditional book review format, I would like from the onset, to put the book being presented today in its proper context. Just Go Further- Become the Total Entrepreneur is a motivational book written by an entrepreneur, for budding entrepreneurs. It is by no means, the first or last book on entrepreneurship to emerge in the Nigerian literary scene.
Yet, it is a fit-for-the purpose book. Essentially, it has three vital strands. Why? How to, and Gateways. It is a fundamental work targeted at dreamers; those who think they can become viable and trail-blazing entrepreneurs, but are hobbled by self-doubt, aspiring entrepreneur, as well as seasoned professionals who had long transcended the elemental aspects of entrepreneurship.
To those in these categories, the book is a clarion call, to rise persevere, despite prevalent challenges, to think boldly – at times outside the box- and sometimes as outliers; but above all to pursue one’s dream with purpose and unfettered passion.
The 240-page book is segmented into three self-explanatory parts. Part 1: Becoming or Being an Entrepreneur; Part 2: Sustaining Growth as an Entrepreneur; and Part 3: Crossing Generations. It also has a total of 16 chapters, along with real-life interviews with successful entrepreneurs, abstracts, recommendations for further reading, references and testimonials.
For us in Nigeria, the book speaks to the utility of free enterprise; how to do it yourself, and how to think progressively big, even in a stifling economic environment like ours. It prods our young people, to think of themselves not as prospective employees but as prospective employers in this era of start-ups, fiercely driven by innovative and disruptive technology and artificial intelligence.
Generally, the book speaks to why: entrepreneurs start companies and the critical roles they play in any economy. Pivoting away from the “why,” the book delves with the how to: these include identifying the problems, prospects, opportunities, as well as unmet needs, and thereafter, developing the pertinent business ideas required to solve the problem or needs. These efforts, naturally follow a well-identified industry trajectory, regardless of the cadre the entrepreneurs fall into, be it the so-called Small or Medium Scale (SME) small business enterprise, social entrepreneurship, scalable startup entrepreneurship, or large company entrepreneurship.
The author’s first sentence is poignant: “Hey, I want to take you on a journey, like on a roller coaster.” And she surely did. Like all things in life, the book recognizes that swings, obstacles and challenges will abide. And it’s only by overcoming such obstacles, including the imponderables that success can be achieved. In tackling the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the author touches on personal sacrifices required for success and growth, which she opines, might in extreme cases, include risking the ability to put food on the table.
As she explains, “the growth period is a very sensitive period in the life of entrepreneurs,” and she draws lessons from an established entrepreneur, who cautions that “it is good to follow your passion but, your passion must put food on your table.” Regardless for how fervent your passion is, the concretization of entrepreneurial realities, require surmounting several thresholds related to preparation, marketing, execution and leadership in order to achieve success.
Beyond the obvious entrepreneurial exhortations, Just Go Further- Become the Total Entrepreneur, is a special purpose vehicle, keen driver and motivational book aimed at those who aspire, those who are hobbled by self-doubt, and those who need a nudge to get-up and embark on a startup. It is a do-it-yourself and how-to-do-it-right exposé. This three-part 16-chapter book is a handful, bursting with motivational insights for would-be-entrepreneurs.
This book grapples with three critical questions every aspiring entrepreneur must contemplate. What does it take to become an Entrepreneur? How do you sustain growth as an Entrepreneur? And how do you replicate your success by transference of your skill sets, innovative ideas and methodologies in the workplace, in order to make them sustainable and cross-generational? These questions are germane, considering that the traditional definition of an enterprise is “a project or undertaking that is especially difficult, complicated or risky.”
Inevitably, since there are some recurring questions relative to entrepreneurial aspirations, the author attempts to offer clarity to such questions, including a rhetorical but ubiquitous question in our evolving startup and globalized world: Are entrepreneurs born or made?
I believe the jury is still out on that question. But as we know, some of the contemporary global redoubtable entrepreneurs and unicorn company founders were not Sorbonne, Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard graduates. In reality, and this pattern seems consistent, some notable redoubtable entrepreneurs and unicorn founders, did not even graduate from High School. What they had were ideas, personal motivation and the sheer drive and audacity to run with such ideas against all odds. The resulting high valuations were usually, consequential adjuncts.
As such, I suspect that most readers of this book will identify with the author’s assertion that “every individual is an entrepreneur? Some blossom into business owners, some show up their entrepreneurial spirit wherever they find themselves, while others simply disappear somewhere in our big global space.” Since many entrepreneurs will never self-actualize; their dreams and skills will be stillborn. It is to such persons, amongst others, that the author directs her attention.
In very plain language, the author has identified twenty mainstream attributes of an entrepreneur, which most people will easily recognize, but might never appreciate that they posses. But this is exactly what should set anyone thinking. She prods the reader to also explore and ask some heady questions to wit; If I am — an idea generator, if I am a passionate influencer, creative and goal-oriented, if I listen well and take honest advice; if I am courageous, motivated, comfortable with change, self-assured, diligent, resourceful and persevering — Why then, do I not belong to that “group of individuals having some common characteristics and qualities and characterized as entrepreneurs? Why am I not one of those entrepreneurs who can unlock hidden potentials?
Since no one ever embarks on an enterprise with a mission to fail, each enterprise must have a life cycle, which if not properly sequenced, should at least be measurable by certain benchmark accomplishments and its sustainability.
Contextually, the author offers the reader and entrepreneur-to-be, extant and acceptable insights into setting up management and growth measuring tools; the so-called SMART and SMARTER indices. As she asserts, “Every entrepreneur must have an assessment document with which to measure growth and progress. This will help direct their efforts especially in terms of marketing, branding and profitability.”
I am convinced that every eventual reader of this book will agree with me that the ultimate selling point and value of this book lay in Part 3, wherein the issues of succession are discussed. Readers will also agree that it is commonplace in business circles in Nigeria and elsewhere, to hear expressions of grave worries about enterprise sustainability and its corollary, leadership succession challenges. The author does well to underscore the importance of effective leadership and succession planning. As she stated “Succession planning and execution can also be used to forecast the future of an organization amidst many other factors that drive success and succession.”
Part 3, will also be most invaluable even for well-established entrepreneurs, who per chance, have not done their due diligence in succession planning and therefore, are still at risk. It will also serve young entrepreneurs well, and ensure they do not encounter the pitfalls that rendered many enterprises belonging to the past generations moribund, once the founder is deceased. Another factor that is perhaps noteworthy in this context, is the global fail rates of new SMES.
For the record, enterprise experts estimate that “20% of small businesses fail in their first year, 30% of small businesses fail in their second year, and 50% of small businesses fail after five years in business. Finally, 65% to 70% of small business owners fail in their 10th year in business.” Relatedly, “Over 70% of small to micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa fold within the first 5–7 years of inception. In Nigeria the numbers are even direr: “about 80 percent of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in Nigeria fail within the first five years of their existence due to lack of experience and other wrong business practices.” While these figures should give us pause, they also speak to the revelatory value of this book.
The author does ask another heady question that ought to be of interests to us all. “If at this moment you drop dead or better may be, get entangled by a life changing ailment, which renders you incapable of carrying on with your entrepreneurial activities, what will be happening in your business?” In response, the author cites as examples, the fate of three successful Nigerian family-owned enterprises, and what happened to them because they were bereft of succession planning. You have to read the book to get the rest of the gist.
Ebele Obi has acquitted herself creditably as an inimitable live coach, business leader and mentor. In writing Just Go Further-Become the Total Entrepreneur, Ebele Obi has made a memorable contribution to the world of public and private enterprise, in very plain and understandable language.
Readers may variously consider Just Go Further- Become the Total Entrepreneur, a reference book, a business guide or a do-it-yourself book. Whatever assessment it garners, the volume is compellingly motivational. It speaks to the gumption required to begin and successfully traverse the often confounding and labyrinthine recesses of entrepreneurship. Yet, the book is also the sharing of the author’s personal story, experience, resilience, and entrepreneurial journey. As she asserts, “Entrepreneurship is about mindset, courage, and consistency. This book encourages people not just to start, but to go further, to become total entrepreneurs who can thrive anywhere.”
The enduring influence and value of this book, which will be in perpetuity, can only be described as one of infinite possibilities. The validity and veracity of the recommendations in Just Go Further-Become the Total Entrepreneur, rests largely on the fact that the author has leveraged her privileged contacts with at least seven highly regarded and successful Nigerian entrepreneurs, thus drawing on their very vast and rich collective experience.
I believe that most readers will glean from this book, something worthwhile. It should also interest those who wish to see the high failure rate of SMEs in Africa and Nigeria reduced drastically. Perhaps, the greatest beneficiaries of Just Go Further-Become the Total Entrepreneur will include the target audience, mainly talented young adults focused on startups, unemployed graduates, and struggling entrepreneurs. This book will surely teach our young ones to think outside the box and seek to become employers of labour instead of wage-seeking employees.
I recommend Just Go Further-Become the Total Entrepreneur highly, to all readers, especially those who seek to become Entrepreneurs.