Ladies, move your business forward!

Hi all!

Sorry for the long silence. I’m head deep into my clothing line and it’s looking really good! I’m going to post some of the designs here for you to see very soon.

For being so supportive and for believing, in your own little way, in my dreams, I would like to sponsor two people to the Business Women’s Workshop happening next week Saturday. It’s a workshop that will teach women with small businesses how to grow their businesses 100%. They need only 30 women passionate about taking their businesses forward. It’ll be a privilege to be there as it is an exclusive workshop that will also give you the opportunity to get 30 new customers! A great way to network, brainstorm, strategize and grow your business.

So if you are interested to be part of the workshop send a mail to adaoraukoh@gmail.com. Tell me what you do and why I should sponsor you to this workshop.

That’s my little contribution to making you a bigger and more successful business woman.

Now I have to go back to designing my clothes for plus-sized women.

See you all later!

-          Adaora

First Quarter of our Lives!

Quarterly Performance Appraisal.

That’s what we call the mental sheet that we use to decide how well we have fared in last quarter of the year. So how well do you think you have fared? Did you get the job you were aiming for? Did you start that business? Have you proposed to your partner? Have you gotten that promotion? Did you start that new project/initiative you were working on? Have you been able to take your career a notch higher as you had anticipated? Did you win that award you wished you won last year?

What did you achieve in the frost quarter of 2012 that just went by?

Did you become a better person? Have you dealt with you anger issues? Your pain? Have you forgiven that person? Are you managing your time wisely now?

If you haven’t achieved as much as you had planned, it’s ok. Take stock of what you think you achieved so that by the end of the second quarter, you’ll have something to show for the days of your lives.

It’s a new week. Get on that job and make it work!

-          Adaora

Love is mad!

Love is hard, and with the unravelling truths around us, we now know it is also mad! That is why sometimes it is better to let love go. Just let it go. You’ll find happiness on your own. And if it looks impossible, lean to the only true Love that cannot hurt you, scar you and leave you to die – Jesus!

If he hits you, he can't say he loves you.

Then listen to some soul music. No one does it like the big, bold and beautiful Adele at the moment, so find some succour in her music. I have posted the lyrics of “Someone like you” below so it can comfort you.

Remember, love is a beautiful thing. But even Lucifer was once an angel of heaven.

Anything can be corrupted. Think about it.

- Adaora



Adele: “Someone Like You”

I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now.
I heard that your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.

Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead, "
Yeah

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I'd hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."
Yeah

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
They are memories made.
Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."

Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."
Yeah

3 things I’m loving...

I woke up yesterday to the sound of Dbanj’s “Oliver Twist” coming from my neighbour’s house. After a few hours and chores done, I put on the TV and there I saw the video of the song for the first time. Wow! I was so impressed, and so happy for him…and of course, Don Jazzy. No matter the decision they make, I think for the time they were together they made some of the best music of this time.

It seems something is roaring in the Nigerian spirit these days especially in the quarters that can impact change faster. The last time was when we stood up against the treatment meted to Nigerians in South Africa in regards to yellow fever certification issues. The government was not slow and indifferent as they usually are, but they took a fast decision to fight back and defend the integrity of Nigerians. I was happy like all Nigerians must have been. Then only yesterday, we hear that the government is taking the British Airways years of being apathetic to the Nigerian traveller and with the reality of Nigerian trips to the UK being the highest in the world very seriously and looking into ways of curbing BA’s excesses. Great! There’s nothing as satisfying as knowing that your government cares about the things that affect its citizens. We await the result of all of this.

big. bold. beautiful.

And thirdly, I am sooooooo loving my new Big, Bold, and Beautiful collection of “Adaora” – my new fashion line. Everything is looking so great at the moment. I’ll be meeting with my publicist, the effervescent Joy Isi Bewaji, and we’ll be going through the collection together before we release the launch date. My heart is in my mouth but I am hopeful and positive that it will all turn out very well.

Wish me luck J

So what are you guys up to this winning Wednesday? Make the best use of the day cos it is a gift from God.

See ya!

-          Adaora

Life's Best Choices

I read the story of a young lady who died during the process of trying to have another child for her husband – a man who did not regard her in any way, not even after two children. She stuck with the marriage, believing that it’ll get better with time, but it never did. Her in-laws turned her life into hell and her husband fuelled it.

It was sad to read that such a pretty woman lived such a miserable life in marriage.

What does that tell us?

This marriage thing is not by force. You have a choice – in fact, CHOICE is the best gift from God (after salvation)! We do not know how much of a wonderful God we have, how much he has put at our disposal, how much freedom we are allowed to explore – it makes NO sense to lose it all because of another human being.

Ladies, STOP falling head over heels in love with men who do not love you. If he stops loving you and stops treating you the way he used to – to a point of violence and total disregard, the first thing you think about is YOU; not the children and definitely not him. Think of YOUR safety first; make decisions that will save you before thinking of whether the children will miss their father if you divorce him.

Come on ladies wake up! This nonsense must stop. Marriage is not a do-or-die affair. If it is broken and cannot be fixed, walk. Save yourself! If you don’t you may lose your life and another woman will come in and handle your children.

We make all these lame excuses for men; enough! This attitude women have is born out of an inferiority complex. You do not need a man to be complete.

Another story of a policeman that bathe his wife with petrol is still fresh in the news. And believe it or not, the woman is still considering going back to him!

Madness!

That is not love; it is a deep-seated insecurity that deludes some women.
This is my piece today. Sadly, it hurts really deep.

Love yourself women. Love yourself.

Selah!

- Adaora

The Young and Desperate!

Oh my goodness, I have the craziest publicist in the entire world!

Joy Isi Bewaji writes for…well…almost every respectable media. Yesterday I got a link to one of her articles on ynaija.com, I have been rolling on the floor laughing my sexy big and beautiful ass off.

You all need to read this and tell me if it reminds you of someone you know.  It’s so hilarious and painful at the same time. Tomorrow I’ll take the subject up and add my own voice, but just read what she’s got first:

***

On the Red Carpet, everyone’s an idiot

Call up the shrink if you must ‘cos I am certain anyone who consistently struts on the red carpet week after week in Lagos needs help!

Here’s the familiar red carpet scenario: there’s an event coming up. Katie, a student and a part-time groupie, is working towards getting the ‘strictly by invitation’ VIP card. She calls the bank manager she spent a night with last week if he can help out. He can’t; in fact he’s not sure how a fashion/music event is any of his business, he has three children and a greedy wife to take care of.

She sends SMS to the local government chairman whom she gave a blow job in his SUV a month back for assistance. He didn’t respond.

She pings her boyfriend – the one she spends time with when the other one is not in town, he is not sure how to get the invites but would like to tag along when she figures it out. She sends him an angry emoticon!

Then she calls her girl who is currently dating a club owner on the Island. Her friend has one extra invite for the gig but would like to know what Katie would be wearing.

“I’m not sure yet; I’ll probably get something from Mobos. But I’ve got killer Loubs to die for.”

“Hmmmph!” her friend snorts.

Invite now sorted, Katie sprints from one end of Lagos to the other.

Pedicure/Manicure: Check!

Makeup artiste: Check!

Body magic: check!

Hermes-bag-borrowed-from-an-acquaintance: Check!

Brazilian-weave-money-shagged-off-Alhaji: double Check!!!

She wakes up on the morning of the event. She casually tweets about being invited for this gig but isn’t so sure she has the time or can make it there today.

“got loads of work to do…” she tweets, and the devil is impressed.

The invitation card states 6pm as the kick-off time. By 7pm, Katie heads to the shower then pours herself into her body magic.
She slithers into her dress – an outfit that can barely contain her boobs, wears her perfume, and then her Louboutins.

Nothing is yet as outrageous as her makeup. Long flickering lashes, layers and layers of foundation, bright red blush, full red lips, and a deliberate messy Brazilian weave. She’s trying to achieve the Kim-Kardashian-rolling-out-of-bed look.

At the event the hall is still being arranged. And it is 8.30pm.

The red carpet has turned to burnt brown as everyone wants a spot on it. Katie poses with every celebrity in sight, and manages to pour her breasts on Tuface. If only she could…

But he was gone before she could proceed with any reasonable plan. Now she is asking Jesse Jagz for a picture with her phone in that excruciating accent people come up with the minute they step on the red-carpet:

“hoiya, I’d luuurve to ‘ave a pinshure wid yeu.”

Champagne is scarce on the red carpet, yet people are supposed to remain standing for more than 3 hours! And the idiots, they stand and wait as if their lives depend on it.

Finally it is time to go in, and you suffer another round of discrimination/humiliation. The first round was, of course, before the red carpet – at the main gate with the bouncers. To get into the auditorium/hall, you have to have a recognisable face cos those bouncers like angry policemen take delight in making you wonder how dumb you must be to leave your house in the first place.

After 5 hours, Katie finally gets into the hall. Her feet burns like hell, but she’s going to suck it all in and pray that, may be, Dr. Sid’s publicist (at the least) looks her way…

It takes another hour to finally get the event on the roll. It’s now past midnight. Everyone is falling over one another to get a good glimpse of MI. Only then did she realise she ‘forgot’ to put on her underwear.

The show ends by 2pm. Katie is tired and unfulfilled. But she’ll do it all over again next week. There’s this jimmy choo she saw at The Palms…

Just thinking of Bieber

I am writing this after watching a documentary on Justin Bieber, the beauty of becoming a star at such a young age. I watched the gradual growth of this young boy.

What I’m getting at is how his growth had meaning. He learned to play the keyboard and guitar. He sang in local competition and even sang on the streets. One time he made enough money to take his mother on a vacation!

That goes for many successful Hollywood stories – Angelina Jolie, even when she was already loved by the world, still got lessons from acting school.

But in this part of the world, you have to compromise everything you are just to show your talent. It is so crazy. Companies would leave the talented and hardworking one and give the business to the one sleeping with the boss or the one whose father is related to the CEO.

That is why we are backwards even in little things. Everything in Nigeria is mediocre because real talent is subdued and oppressed for the wack ones to grow.
If you don’t have money of your own or you are not from a rich family, just forget it!

Sad.

I realise that Justin Bieber’s success is a combination of many things – talent, hardwork, opportunity, people, the right environment, and strategy.
Now we are all living in a Bieber’s world! All because a young man dreamed and a society allowed him to grow.
What is Nigeria doing to her own people?
Let’s meditate on the future.

-          Adaora