9 years and counting...
contemplations on 9 years of transformational change: here are my learnings from building SFAN.
When I started SFAN at Radford, I had no idea how much work it’ll take to get to the point we are now - having our own fancy office, building our programming into a more permanent platform, and scaling up with global recognition.🤩
I knew it would not be a walk in the park.
But I had no clue that I’ll be almost homeless at one point. I didn’t think I’d have to struggle between the option of feeding myself or feeding my baby company.
It was a brutal grind.
And I still have some scars on my body today: You can read the real, raw story here.
God has blessed us now. So I must share the journey.
If you’re just starting, whether to build a new platform or join forces with an existing team, here are 5 of my learnings that you can adapt to your context:
🌾#1: Start with Why. One thing that has sustained me through the years is my why, the reason I’m doing this work. I believe that young people are smart, and I care about giving communities the skills and opportunities they need to do productive and meaningful work and live their best lives.
That’s my why. On days of pressure or discomfort, I remember that the world is waiting for me to succeed. It makes no difference whether you’re starting a job or business: what’s your why?
💎#2: Be disciplined. Tucci Ivowi once said that there’s no excuse for poor work. And she’s right. Excellence should be your watchword. That means you not only do things right, but you can wait to have them accepted or rejected.
You constantly learn, weed out wrong ideas, improve your optics, and refine your views. That’s how you separate your output from the sea of others — because you care deeply about your users' experience, not just getting things done and moving on.
🤝#3: Never work alone. We say at SFAN that you can do a lot as one person, but you can do much more as a team of like-minded individuals. Learn to collaborate.
The positive opinions of others on your team matter, and you can learn from anybody. You will be surprised at how much data you will get when you become open-minded.
🥳#4: Have fun. The world is getting more challenging. And I believe the pressures will intensify as the digital economy brings even more interconnections and proliferation of information.
Work can be fun or miserable. It largely depends on your outlook. If you choose to do the job, have fun with the process.
Don’t lose your sense of good self because you want to be taken seriously. Your best ideas come when you’re at equilibrium with your inner self, working from the point of flow and not grind and hustle.
🔌#5 Be a conduit, not a reservoir. Joe Polish has said that the world gives to givers and takes from takers. Don’t worry about getting even.
Let God use you as a conduit to bless the world, lift others, and create transformational change. Be the change and help others aspire to your inspiration.
I further distilled the thoughts and packaged them into an excellent, easy-to-read book you can order here. OR you can get a hard copy by replying to this email.
What we’re working on
If you wish to upskill and future-proof your career in UX/UI, digital marketing, data science, software development, or financial analysis, visit the website and apply before September 30th.
Our program is success-based, so you don’t have any liability whatsoever.
New touch on ‘same ol’
SFAN website received a new makeover from one of our ReadyforWork alums, Theophilus Asamoah. It’s still coming together, but I think you’d love it as much as I do.
Have a look at sfanonline.org
That’s all I have for you this time. Thanks for being part of our story.
I love you,
TC