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This time 20 years ago, I was a driver salesman. I sat for an interview with hundreds of candidates. The interview was handled by a foremost fast moving consumer goods company. We initially thought we would be employed by the company. It was when the final 8 candidates were selected that we were informed we would work for a distributor. Salary was N8,000 monthly. Scope of job? Driver salesman- you'll pick up goods from the warehouse, load into your bus, sell along an allocated route and meet specific daily targets.

I needed a job badly. I was tired of sitting at home. So I picked up the offer. I couldn't drive well then but I wasn't going to fold my hands and do nothing. I wouldn't allow what I couldn't do well interfere with what I could do. At least, I can try. I still recall the first time the key of my bus was handed over to me. It was a branded bus, with images of items sold all over- from shampoo to sanitary pads, confectionaries and other items. A lady was paired with me on that first day. The bus was a manual drive and I started the ignition with the vehicle in gear. It lurched forward. My partner was scared and the look on her face was as if she doubted if I could actually drive. I told her I was used to driving cars and not buses. Sometimes, all you need is just courage.

My assigned route was Ring Road to Ojoo in Ibadan. I prospected stores on that axis. I pitched to clients and demonstrated the benefits of our products. I recall that a particular brand of sanitary pad came out and I was at the University of Ibadan to demonstrate how that pad worked better for ladies. I took one out and poured ink to show the absorbent qualities. Some laughed at me. I must admit it took guts to do that. But I was willing to succeed at sales. I had a daily target to meet. It was a very difficult job- loading cartons of goods, driving, selling, helping prospects and customers arrange their shelves and so on. I remember I had a pack of multivitamins in the glove compartment of that bus which I took because of the stress.

It was while I was driving that bus that I got a bank offer- I resumed on May 30, 2000, a Tuesday. 20 years after I was a driver salesman, I've worked for 7 banks. I've won awards. At one time when I was a Branch Manager, my team sold the highest volume of a particular product and I was rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Dubai for 2 weeks. I was lodged at the Four Points by Sheraton at Bur Dubai. I went on the desert safari and had a great time. That was my first ever visit to the UAE. At another time, I consummated a transaction which was the biggest of that type that year all over Africa. I was over the moon when MDs of various countries of that bank sent me congratulatory messages. I've supervised Regions and worked across various geographies. I've met people I thought I could only meet in my dreams many years ago. But it started from that driver salesman job. No experience is ever wasted.

So don't be discouraged. Work hard at whatever you're doing at the moment. Give it your best shot. The take home may not actually take you home but go for the experience. Give value and be outstanding. There is dignity in labour so don't think any work or job is beneath you. Sometimes, you need to start very low so you'll be able to last when you rise. Don't despise the days of little beginnings. Little beginnings often make super endings.

Look ahead with joy. You may not know for sure what the future holds but if you know Who holds the future, you're safe. Keep moving. Keep developing yourself. Open your eyes for opportunities. Be ready to take risks. Build relationships. Get ready to fail. If you don't know the sadness of failure, you can't really appreciate the joys of success. Failure is a good teacher. It teaches far more brilliantly than success. Just make sure you don't give up. If you don't give up, you'll certainly go up.

Then 20 years after or even less, you'll be ready to share your own story. Like I'm doing. If my story could change, yours can also.

© Bayo Adeyinka

Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquaio: Make Each Punch Count & 5 Other Lessons I Learnt By Bayo Adeyinka

I still don't remember ever staying up all night for a boxing match except for this one. Not even when Mike Tyson was at his 'baddest'. I was fascinated by two things: the hype surrounding the event with the possibility of the two fighters taking home a pay of about $100m each and the person of Manny Pacquiao. To me, he is quite an interesting character. He is a politician, having been elected to the Phillipines House of Representatives, a basketball player, an actor and a musician. He is the head coach of a basket ball team as well as oldest rookie drafted and the shortest player in the Phillipines Basketball Association. He is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve Army of his country. He is the first and only eight division world champion in boxing. So I rooted for him as I usually do for the 'under-dog'.

As for Floyd Mayweather, I didn't think much of him except that he is a 'showman' through and through. My heart was with Manny Pacquiao all through the match but there's no denying the fact that Mayweather won fair and square.

So what are my take-aways from this match and how can we apply it to real life situations? Here we go:

MAKE EACH PUNCH COUNT
Mayweather threw 435 punches to Pacquiao's 429. Out of these, 148 punches connected for Mayweather while Pacquiao could only connect 81. Implication is that while both fighters threw almost equal amount of punches (Mayweather threw only 6 more punches than Pacquaio), the rate of connection for Mayweather was almost twice that of Pacquaio with the former having a 34% success rate while the latter had 19% success rate. Success in life goes beyond mere efforts. Nobody rewards you for efforts but results. Anyone can throw punches but only the truly successful will connect. The reward never goes to the one who made more efforts. The difference between success and failure can simply be the fact that you throw a bit more punches than competition.

Mayweather threw 267 jabs to Pacquiao's 193- out of which he landed 67 with Pacquaio managing to land a paltry 18. Success rate for Mayweather was 25% while Pacquaio's was 9%. In big things as well as in small things, Mayweather was ahead. He even took the small things more serious as he achieved almost thrice what Pacquaio achieved. Life is a combination of the big things as well as the little details. Don't ignore the little jabs- the little details- if you want to go far in life. Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Amazingly, Pacquiao threw a very significant number of power punches during the fight- 236. For a man who usually throws about 100 power punches per round, this was still far below his usual standards but it was much better than that of his opponent- Floyd Mayweather- who threw only 168 power punches during the fight. Ironically, Pacquiao only landed 63 to Mayweather's 81. That means Mayweather landed twice as many power punches as Pacquiao on the basis of their efforts. During the fight, Manny did things right but Floyd did the right things. And effort isn't worth a thing unless it achieves results. No one pays for efforts- they pay for results.
Don't just count the punches- make each punch count.

BE METHODICAL
The goal of any fighter is to win first. Hit and run if you must. Be clinical in your approach. Success doesn't usually come from breakthrough innovation alone but from flawless execution. You must be methodical if you want to be a champion. Champions are not arbitrary. Champions don't just swing punches anyhow. You can't afford to be care free or careless. Challenges must be approached in an organized and systematic manner. Methodical work brings results. Life must be approached in a very systematic manner in order to get tangible results.

BRAWN IS GOOD BUT BRAIN IS BETTER
In boxing, like in real life, IQ rules. 90% of boxing is mental while only 10% is physical. There is a difference between working smart and working hard. There is a way strategy thumps aggression. The man with the brain will always be ahead of the man with only brawn. The man who thinks will always be the master of the man who can only do. There must be something to Floyd Mayweather that he's not being given enough credit for. A dummy cannot be 48-0. John Tuskin said, "Quality is never an accident. It's always the result of intelligent efforts". Boxing is not just about physical strength but about anticipating the next move of the opponent. You must be able to pre-empt your competitor's next move. Better still, you must be able to be one step ahead and dictate the pace. Dictate the pace. Don't ever fight at the opponent's level. Take them out of their element and ensure they fight in yours. It takes brain power to do this.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
One thing Mayweather did was to take away everything that Pacquiao does well away from him. Mayweather made Pacquiao fight his own fight. Amir Khan, who hopes to be Mayweather’s next opponent, told Sportsweek: “The mistake Manny made was drop to Mayweather’s pace. To fight Mayweather you have to stick to your own pace, and that’s something a young fighter would do."
Pacquaio usually throws an average of 100 punches per round but he only got to throw an average of about 30 punches in this fight. According to expertboxing.com, if you want to fight a southpaw (and Pacquiao is one), "do not stand still. You will need stamina to keep moving the entire fight". That is why Mayweather was accused of dancing in the ring. Mayweather also exploited the weakness of his opponent. Still quoting from expertboxing.com, "You can also put him in a head lock. Just hang your arm over him, don’t close your arm or you’ll get penalized". This is because the southpaw always has his head leaning forward.

Mayweather has fought 8 southpaws in his career and he defeated each one of them. Manny Pacquaio was the ninth one. During his preparation for the match, Mayweather turned to DeMarcus Corley as his sparring partner. Corley is a southpaw with a body frame that resembles Pacquaio and whom Mayweather had defeated via a unanimous 12-round decision in 2004. He was also his sparring partner when Mayweather trained for the bouts with Sharmba Mitchell and Zab Judah who are also notable southpaws.

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote, "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle". Know your opponent and you have the battle well defined. Knowing your competitors in your industry or sector will place you at an advantage. Exploiting their weaknesses will give you guaranteed success.

NEVER CHANGE A WINNING STRATEGY
Boxing is all about strategy. Muhammed Ali had the 'rope-a-dope'. Floyd Mayweather is a counter- puncher. Mike Tyson was a 'slugger'. Find what works for you and improve on it. Mayweather adopted the same strategy in beating Mosley. He used the same approach in canceling out Ortiz. He didn't change the strategy when he defeated Canelo. He employed the same tactics to trump Hatton. Both Maidana fights went down owing to the same strategy. There's no point changing a winning strategy. If it works, use it. Re-use it. Then use it some more. It may look dull and boring but victory is the main goal. There's no point playing to the gallery. Everyone cares more about the results than about the strategy it takes to achieve the results. So, it's results first- we can examine the strategy later.

UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF YOUR GAME
The objective in boxing is to hit while not getting hit. That's the simple rule of the game- every other thing is just an icing on the cake. The more you hit, the more you score. The more you avoid getting hit, the better your chances of winning. Follow the rules of the game or you will either be defeated or disqualified.
Life has rules and guiding principles. You defy them to your own peril. Some of the rules are so basic that they tend to be ignored. There are rules guiding career, marriage, health and other areas of life. Like loving your neighbour as yourself. Like being diligent at work. Like having a perfect work-life balance. Like eating healthy. Simple but yet profound. When you understand and follow the rules, it makes for a happier and more successful life.

Written By Bayo Adeyinka

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I never met him personally. The closest I got to meeting him was watching him on the AY Show just a few weeks back. Looking back now, that interview was his signing off. He was full of life and energy and went down memory lane on how he took a business widely feared and regarded with superstitious beliefs to another level.
Yes, he was an undertaker. But he was a different kind of undertaker. He was an undertaker who chose to be different. He was an undertaker who dared to stand out. He took a 'pariah' business and turned it into an art. He was not the first undertaker to do that kind of business. So many came before Tunji Okusanya. But the business of undertaking will never remain the same after him.

Watching him carrying coffins, throwing them up, dancing and even doing some gymnastics with dead bodies leave so many in awe and respect of a man who lived true to his name- Okusanya. Okusanya means 'death has rewarded my labour '. And did death reward him? He buried the high and mighty. Almost anywhere a 'big' man died, you were sure to see him. However, he was at home as much with the low and rejected of the society. He offered free services and picked up dead bodies on the streets of Lagos in conjunction with the Ministry of Health. I read earlier today when Oludare Ogunlana wrote that he offered free services for the burial of a former students leader. He even bought the suit and panache hat for the body-all free of charge. For him, it was not all about money. It was about passion.

Like me, he was trained as an engineer but veered off to follow his passion. In a way, he demystified death. Instead of mourning, he turned death into a reason for celebration. He handled death in a very dignified manner. He laughed in the face of death. He danced in the presence of death. The very essence of his life was death. He was an unusual man who lived in unusual times. He was an exceptional leader.

He led from the fore front. That explains why he was on the ill-fated plane with the coffin of the man he was meant to bury. He was a leader who lived by example. He put his money where his mouth was. He was a man who lived true to his calling. That explains why he had his son with him on the flight. His was a case of 'do as I do'. Why didn't he leave out his son from this trip of no return? Why didn't he just send his staff to go ahead without him? More questions than answers. But there is no denying the fact that he walked his talk. He was extremely proud of his career and it reflected in his gait. Like the late Otunba Ghaddafi, another Nigerian who turned a pedestrian job into an art, he wasn't given to half measures. He loved his career so much his career literally killed him. He was consumed by his passion. He died doing what he loved. He died living his dreams. You have to read his interview in the Punch last March (possibly his last newspaper interview http://www.punchng.com/spice/personalities/i-wear-black-because-of-my-job-tunji-okusanya/) to appreciate this enigma. How I wish he wrote an autobiography before he passed on!

For Tunji Okusanya, the music has stopped. No more gyrating, twisting and throwing up coffins. He buried others and now he must be buried also. He was a truly great Nigerian who deserve to be honored. Adieu! - Bayo Adeyinka

I love writing about Ibadan. In fact, I am always nostalgic about Ibadan. Maybe because I was born and raised in the city and also had my early working life there. No City moves me like Ibadan. By the time I approach the Guru Maharajji end of the Lagos Ibadan Expressway, the atmosphere suddenly changes. Believe me, there is no City like Ibadan in the world- so authentic, so real, so alive! Or maybe I'm exaggerating. While Lagos is hard and fast, Ibadan goes on its own pace. You never lack serious side attractions in Ibadan. Everything in Ibadan is unique- from the way the taxi drivers ply their trade to the way butchers sell their meat. A warning- if you are driving in Ibadan, watch out for the taxis. Don't be fooled by their traffic indicators- that is if they have. Watch their hands! A typical taxi driver will put out his hand as his indicator and if you make a mistake to run into him,the next thing you will hear in a thick Ibadan drawl is ' O lo rowo mi?' loosely translated as 'Didn't you see my hand '? But then this is one place where the people are very friendly and always ready to help. Stop to ask for direction and they will rush to assist you. They are not afraid you may hypnotize them just by talking to them. Unlike Lagos. I remember I was at Alausa a few weeks back and while waiting for my driver to pick me at the entrance, a man approached me to ask for directions. Immediately, he spoke to me, I just looked the other way and ignored him. Inadvertently, I grabbed my crotch right in full public glare (afraid of missing Instruments?). It was when the man left that I realized two things: I was a child of God so Instruments cannot disappear. At least, God has that covered. Secondly, I might have just ignored someone who actually needed help. But not so for Ibadan people. They can even enter your car to take you to where you are going. Very good natured people. I am passionate about anything Ibadan so you must pardon me for writing about Ibadan so soon again. So much for preamble!

Okay. So I'm in Ibadan again and I decided to go round the City yesterday. My first port of call was to visit my mother and when she offered me Amala and worowo vegetable( I don't know the English name for that vegetable) at 8am, I knew she already caught me. I don't eat early but this is one temptation I was happy to succumb to. Maybe you don't know but worowo is the best and sweetest vegetable in the world. Worowo goes with Amala, pounded yam or even Eko (solid pap). Worowo has a very soothing effect of the palate. The best way to cook it is to add snails and a sprinkling of fish. You can even eat efo worowo without any carbohydrate. I never fail to buy from Oje Market anytime I visit Ibadan because I haven't seen worowo in Lagos. A measure goes for around N50 in Ibadan. Please taste worowo if you haven't and you will see that The Lord is good.

So after my culinary desires had been satisfied, I set off into to visit Heritage Mall. I had driven around it before but now I decided to actually enter and see things for myself. I drove in and got a ticket at the entrance for just N100 for 1 hour. Immediately, the ticket vendor gave me an offer that was out of this world. He pointed at a car wash right in the parking lot of the Shopping Mall and told me if I washed my car I could stay for as long as I wanted and still pay only N100. What a bargain! If I visit Alausa Shopping Mall, I am always in a hurry because of the ticket. Not so with this place. Not one to miss a good deal, I drove straight to the Car wash and dropped my car.

Now, Heritage Mall is currently the largest shopping Mall in Ibadan and is the brain child of Alhaji Adebayo Jimoh, the Group Managing Director of Odua Investment Company Limited, an investment outfit jointly owned by the South Western States ex Lagos. I walked round and I saw Shoprite, Mr Price, PEP, Cash and Carry, Slot, Samsung, Us Polo Association, The Filmhouse and many indigenous outfits at the Mall. About 50% of the shops were were yet to be opened but you will see masons working feverishly all over. I decided to stay a while around where popcorn and fizzy drinks are sold. I chuckled as I observed young girls and young boys holding hands and milling around with packs of popcorn in their hands. You would have been excused if you think you were at the Silverbird Galleria or Ozone at Yaba. I almost burst out laughing when I saw two elderly women in what is referred to as 'anko' ( uniform made from Ankara). I also observed some people talking about whether to take the escalator or the stairs. They settled for the stairs. So many people must have fallen on the escalators as you have boldly written warnings all over not to run on them and to hold the railings properly. I felt very delighted watching and going down the escalators as the last time I stepped on one in Ibadan was Christmas Day 1980 when my mother took me to the popular Leventis Stores. Coincidentally, the former Leventis and Heritage Mall are around the same location. Now, with this Mall, there is more competition. I looked out for my favourite shop where I used to buy clothes years back- Emporium- but I couldn't see it in the Mall? How will he ride with competition now? What will it look like if some local contents were added- an Inastraight Eating Centre located right at the Mall or Iya Ope? I believe this will draw more traffic.

Lest I forget, while I was talking about my experience yesterday, I was informed that there is so much hype about Shoprite in Ibadan that people will take a bike of about N500 all the way from a long distance just to buy bread of N340. Furthermore, because of the level of education of quite a number of shoppers, you see people often wandering looking for pay points. There was quite some traffic when I was there yesterday and this is commendable.

One major snag I observed at the Mall was that the shops are not easy to locate. I had to go round many times before I could locate Mr Price. There has to be directional signs to guide shoppers. The tiles are also slippery. I thought they could have use tiles with tracks to prevent accidents. Beyond that it is a place you should visit when next you visit Ibadan.

After a few hours of window shopping, I left. I decided to go to Mokola and drive on the newly opened Overhead Bridge for the first time. I don't know what the hullabaloo is about but Governor Ajimobi sure deserves commendation for this. I slowed down on the bridge and I could see brown rusty roofs as far off as Oniyanrin and Abebi. I could even see Oniyanrin Hills and what once used to be a fearful forest where P&T was located. It was quite a sight! If you want to see ancient Ibadan, please just stand on that Mokola Bridge. I used to think the bridge would have been better as double lane but I think the single lane is just fine.

I went to Ring Road and saw another huge Shopping Mall coming up. I understand it will be similar to The Palms at Lekki. I was also told another Mall has been completed at Idi Ape and it has been fully occupied. Serious road construction works went on at Magazine Road Jericho up to Aleshinloye. I was amazed at the speed because I was still here a few weeks ago. At the Toll Gate, I observed a new Motor Garage/Park had been constructed for taxis and buses. They have been moved further off the road towards British American Tobacco Road and this is a welcome relief to travelers on that route due to the gridlock that the former Park causes. I also observed all those people selling banana and bread in the middle of the road were gone.

At the State Secretariat, I saw the newly constructed Gates with the drum insignia at the very top. It is a beautiful work of art! Very visually appealing. I also drove right up to Osuntokun Avenue in Bodija and saw the Bodija Bridge that was constructed to resolve the issue of perennial flooding at that place. I went to Ashi and I also observed the Ashi-Bodija Road that was full of gullies and potholes had been patched. I watched the BRT buses as they drove round Ibadan picking up passengers. I was very delighted when I saw the posters advertising Holy Ghost Convention of Bishop Wale Oke's Ministry on those buses. Now, Ibadan is coming up!

After I visited my Pastor, I went straight to InaStraight. Now, Inastraight is the foremost eatery located on Mokola Hills. Nobody in the world makes Amala and Abula like InaStraight. Abula is a mixture of Gbegiri ( soup made from beans ) and ewedu vegetable. This is one business that is truly generational as InaStraight was founded by a woman who is now late and is now being run by her daughter. Her daughter has gone ahead to open additional branches in Ibadan and modernize their operations. I remember years back when we used to wash our hands in open bowls but now there are sanitary washing hand basins all over. I settled down to a plate of Amala and Abula and it was a great culinary expediment!

There is sufficient reason to be optimistic at what is happening in Ibadan, especially with the infrastructural developments and when you consider the City had gone comatose for years. One major reason responsible for this spate of development is security. Ibadan was once notorious for the likes of Adedibu, Elewe Omo, Tokyo, Sunday Igboho, Auxiliary and the rest. Now the City is at peace and you wonder if Tokyo still lives there! This is one major reason why I believe we should do all that is possible not to let that City and State go back to the dogs. This level of development must be sustained.

For today, I'm off again on sight seeing. God bless Ibadan!

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