Notes on Life: Trials, Errors, and Lessons Learned.

As I wrap this up, it’s now 6:54 PM on a Sunday evening. I’ve removed my long brown nails because they were seriously hindering my productivity.

Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash

Hey friends! It's currently 1:01 AM on December 30, 2024. Right now, I’m typing with long brown nails, and it’s honestly inconvenient, but hey, I use my money to buy my own problems. Anyways, how are you? As for me, I’m feeling exhausted by seeing everyone—myself included—planning for 2025. But, we’re going to live it intentionally! Wait, did I say we? Well, I meant I will live 2025 with purpose and vigor.

This morning, I had a peaceful but somewhat worrying conversation with my friend. It centered around the work needed to be successful. I said a lot of things, and I’m afraid I might have sounded insensitive. The core of the conversation was me telling him to figure out what he wants to do to be successful, but in hindsight, I’m not sure I truly understood him. Perhaps he doesn’t even know what he wants to work on. Over time, I’ve realized that not everyone is lazy—many people simply don’t know what to focus on.

I remember the COVID-19 lockdown in 2019. It gave us all the opportunity to reflect and explore. I was so lost during that time. I had a passion for writing, but I didn’t know what niche to focus on or how hard I needed to work. I tried poetry—at one point, I even asked a friend if he’d invest in my poetry business (and now, reflecting on that, I’m laughing out loud because, let’s be real, it wasn’t worth investing in). The goal was to write love notes for people and make money. That didn’t work out. I learned how to write movie scripts, but that didn’t stick. I learned copywriting, content marketing, and digital marketing—none of which worked for me either. But I don’t regret any of it. I’m a voracious learner, constantly reading books and articles to improve myself. I never let a day pass without learning something new.

Fast forward to today, I’m attending conferences and taking business lessons like my life depends on it. Through all of this trial and error, I’ve discovered that I truly love business. If you ask me now, I’d be so excited to talk to you about buying and selling—I’m passionate about it. I grew up watching my mom, an incredibly industrious woman, and I never imagined I’d be so good at business myself. When I was younger, it was more about survival, so I had no choice but to be involved. I was always the one talking to people, persuading them to buy. After university, I paused for a bit, but once my NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) ended, I dove back in.

Friends, I won’t bore you too much, but reflecting on all of this, I can say that the road to success isn’t smooth. You’ll try many things before you find the one that works. And sometimes, that’s just how it goes. I say sometimes because trust fund kids might not relate. But at the end of the day, we should strive to live purposeful lives.

As I wrap this up, it’s now 6:54 PM on a Sunday evening. I’ve removed my long brown nails because they were seriously hindering my productivity. For some reason, now that they’re off, I can think clearly, and I’m planning out a Valentine’s package for my business. It’s been a lot, honestly. I paid two different influencers to help generate more leads. More leads equal more sales. As a business owner, I've learned that generating new leads is an ongoing process. You can't rely solely on repeat buys from existing customers, as their purchasing cycles may vary. To maintain a steady sales flow, it's essential to continually attract new leads and prospects

Friends! Running my business has taught me the importance of capital, especially in the fast-paced perfume industry. With new products emerging daily, customers want to stay on-trend, which means I need to keep up with inventory and cash flow. The reality is, cash flow is the lifeblood of any business, and I'm feeling the pressure.

Friends! I hope you find clarity and purpose until next time. See you soon.

Happy New Year, friends! Take care of yourselves, and please wish me luck!