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I Believe in Us: A Personal Reflection

“Is this a partnership?” a friend asked.
“No,” I replied.
“But the name sounds like one.”

The name contains “family.” No doubt she thought it was a partnership.

I’ve learnt to treat people like we’ll be together forever. It has its ups and downs. Growing up in an environment where desperation wasn’t common gave me a blind spot: I thought most people were considerate.

With time, I became more cautious. I realised many people only care about money—and they don’t mind causing pain to get it.

The first time someone told me, “I don’t trust myself,” I had to take a second look.

If you don’t trust yourself—if you don’t have a line you won’t cross, even when the world is collapsing—why should I trust you?

We all come from different backgrounds.
Some were raised with a dog-eat-dog mentality. Others experienced win-win. And some simply say, let sleeping dogs lie.

Lifestyle isn’t just taught—it’s absorbed, especially in childhood. That’s why where and how you raise your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.

I always commend Tunde Onakoya for emerging from Makoko untainted. Today, he’s raising giants. One of his admirers is Adiza—she loves chess too.

*Adiza at our #ImpactfulLeadersAward Abuja*

I often see posts that say things like, “Your workmates are not your friends. Work, get paid, go home.” But that kind of thinking promotes isolation, disconnection, and a lack of true support.

I’ve had moments when I became a support system for my colleagues. This is the result of thinking beyond transactions.

When I went full-time into business at age 25, my former colleague became my ambassador – not out of familiarity, but belief in my ability.

He referred someone who thought she needed major external help to succeed. It turned out all she needed was a solid foundation. Once we rebuilt that, she bypassed the middlemen and became a bestseller.

We all have a story.

Mine began as a quiet introvert – reading, branding, coding, writing. Then employment pushed me out into the world: selling, negotiating, connecting.

Business transformed me. But today, I want something beyond the numbers.

I want meaningful conversations.
I want to share perspectives.
I want to serve millions, not just dozens – without compromising the values that give me fulfilment.