Sometime ago, I did research into talent and success for a blog post and concluded that it’s not talent that counts as much as being willing to work on your craft, being dedicated to the journey, learning and refusing to give up, that makes people successful. In my blog post – A letter to the Young and Talented; Hard Work Counts, I talked about the famous quote ‘hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’ and how in my late teens and early 20s, I clung to this quote because it meant that although I felt talentless, I had a shot at being successful, if I worked hard. But, in order for ..read more

You’re ambitious. You want to get to the top of your field and have a plan of how to get there or at least an idea of where you would like to be in two to three years. But there’s only one problem. You keep being passed over for promotions. You’ve seen colleagues who’ve been in your organisation for short period of time promoted and receive formal awards. People who were in a lower grade than you have now surpassed you. You’ve experienced a really embarrassing demotion and your friends outside of work seem to be enjoying promotions, and going up in their careers, except you. Not only that, you ..read more

I know what you’re thinking reading the title, “here we go again, another book nerd ranting on about the forgotten art of reading”. You couldn’t be so far from the…ok, you’re right. This is exactly what you think, another nerd reminding you of the benefits of reading, beyond academic success. But seriously, when was the last time you picked a good book, a paper copy not audio, and allowed yourself to be transported to another world? If that’s happened recently, good on you and virtual high-five!  If that’s not your story, no judgement here but this blog post is for you. Sometimes, I feel ..read more

In an earlier post, I talked about entrepreneurship and whether it was possible for anyone to be an entrepreneur. On very few occasions, it is better to dive straight into a new project and hope you have what it takes to swim against the tide but that’s not always the wisest choice. Success takes planning and calculated risk so if you’re serious about pursuing entrepreneurial path, do your research. Hear from entrepreneurs who are currently excelling in the game and learn from their experience. Start with these 5 Ted Talks on entrepreneurship: 1. Understand that entrepreneurship isn’t reserved ..read more

If nothing could hold you back, what would you want to accomplish? We often focus on outward hurdles that prevent us from pursuing a dream. Maybe, it is finances, timing, illness, etc. But our outward challenges are nothing compared to the inner hurdles we need to overcome.   Time and time again, I see these internal hurdles creep in whenever I want to move forward with a project: Fear Fear creeps into every aspect of our lives and grips us: fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of being rejected, fear of being different and being mocked. I let fear get the best of me sometimes but ..read more

Tell us a bit about yourself and ChitChat UK I am a Mental Health Advocate. I run a non-profit organisation called ChitChat UK which supports, empowers, and prevent mental health problems using the power of conversation. In the last 2 years, we have had Mental Health focused programmes, initiatives, events, and a support group. Including: Work-Life Balance Programmes Women Overcoming Mental Health Problems Toxic Masculinity and how this affects Men’s Mental Health Lockdown & Mental Health Our approach to Mental Health is promoting the power of conversation; by creating safe space for peopl ..read more

For a very long time I really did not know what I wanted to do or accomplish in life. My initial plan was that I’d study law, become a barrister and help people but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. I ended up studying English and Literary studies and developed an interest in creative writing. I love reading novels and that’s where my love for writing began. But along the line, I became scared and worried, “what if people didn’t like my story or style of writing?” There was a lot of things going through my mind, and so I withdrew from writing. I stayed at home after school trying to d ..read more

If you had to narrow down your truths and principles to five, what would they be? Imagine you are about to die and all you had by your bedside was a sheet of paper and pen to write down five truths for the next generation to live by. What would those five truths be? Here are some of mine: 1. Know God is your Heavenly Father Stay connected to the Father because when you know He is your source, your Creator and in His image you’re made, it will help you deal with any issues of identity and belonging. You never have to pretend or apologise for being you; you will understand that everything about ..read more

I will start by saying trust your process. When I started my business I didn’t realise how hard it really is. I always knew I’ll own a business someday. Anyone who knows me would say, I have loads of energy and I am very impulsive. I usually jump before planning, now I have learnt how to plan before jumping. My career journey so far My career journey has been one heck of a ride, in fact it still is. Initially, I wanted to become a lawyer, then studied law and realised I didn’t enjoy it as much as I anticipated I would. I did a joint degree, so luckily I was able to change law to my minor in my ..read more

What does it mean to take the Bold and Beautiful Path? Remember how enthusiastic and hopeful you were about what your life be as an adult when you were a child? I particularly remember all the plans I had to achieve the highest possible academic qualification, travel the world, work in different countries, set up social enterprises, own a Christian TV network, be a writer and host regular dinner parties filled with interesting and engaging conversations about life, faith and current affairs. I have had many wishes and desires since I can remember but as an adult fully responsible for my own li ..read more