EP. 18 From Corporate to Construction: Oare Ehiemua-Ochui on Finding Value in the "Unglamorous"

Oare Ehiemua-Ochui left a successful corporate career at major firms like Total and African Capital Alliance to dedicate herself to an unlikely sector: construction. She joins us to discuss why she believes this "unglamorous" sector holds significant potential for young people. We explore her journey from launching OPL Academy to the tech-driven solution, LaborHack. We also discuss why she prioritizes professional ethics and soft skills over just technical training, and her advice for women in 'safe' jobs who feel called to solve real-world problems.

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Hi everyone, it's great to be here. Welcome to the WeWin podcast powered by Accelerate Her Africa and the Human Pattern Institute. I'm so glad you could join us today. Our guest today is Oare Ehiemua-Ochui, founder and CEO of OPL Academy and Labour Hack, and the winner of the prestigious MBA Leadership Award at the AMBA and BGA Excellence Award. Oare is changing Nigeria's construction sector by giving blue-collar workers what they've been denied for too long: professional training, digital career identities, and pathways to financial inclusion. From leading external relations at African Capital Alliance to building technology that breaks down barriers for everyday workers. Oare is proof that real impact happens when innovation meets inclusion. I'd like you to join me in welcoming Oare. Oare, welcome to the WeWin Podcast. It's such a great pleasure to have you here with us today.

Speaker 1 1:21

Happy to be here, thank you.

Speaker 1:24

You built a very successful corporate career at major firms like Total and African Capital Alliance. What was the specific observation or frustration you experienced in that world that made you decide to leave and dedicate yourself to solving the skills gap in the construction industry?

Speaker 1 1:45

Yeah, great question. Thank you. So I've always been very passionate about youth employment. I grew up in a poor neighborhood, but we were from a middle-class family. So the dichotomy was something that really bothered me of just seeing uh really poor kids not going to school, you know, just hawking or trying to jump on like windshields of cars to like clean them. And I just felt it was so dangerous. And these were children my age, you know. I'll be on my way to school in the morning in primary school, and I'm seeing all these things happen. And I remember one day distinctly I cried in the car. My mom was like, Oh my gosh, Wari, what's wrong with you? And I was like, No, this is like, why is this child risking their life to clean our windshield? Like, what's going on? Like, this child should be in school. So I was the child that would go to school and come back without shoes, and my mom would be like, What happened to your shoes? And I'll like, I'll be like, Oh, there was this girl, she has no mother, no father. So I gave her my pair of shoes. So I've I've always been that way. I've always been very, very frustrated by young talent going to waste. I was privileged to go to uh Jays with Secondary School where we had a service program. And so from JSS 1, we would go to the village and get village kids and uh bring them back to school and teach them math and English. And for me, that was truly transformative because I realized then in my formative years that yeah, there's a lot of wrong in the world, but I can actually play a part in correcting that wrong. And so for me, just growing up, going through school and then joining, like you said, Total, an African Capital Alliance, I started to see how, first of all, how skills and talents can be used to make a difference. Um, in Total, I was able to work in human resources and just help guide young people along their career paths. And then in African Capital Alliance, which is a private equity firm, I realized that capital can be used for good, right? I saw large-scale projects that, you know, were only made possible through the influx of like capital. And I was also able to see how people were disciplined with money and were basically serving as fiduciaries of other people's money to bring about transformative change. And so at a point I decided that I wanted to actually go out and start a project of my own. I was privileged in African Capital Alliance to lead the foundation, the African Capital Alliance Foundation. And we're dispersing capital every year to NGOs. And I also got a chance to help these NGOs think through strategy and operations. And at a point I said, Oh, I want to start an NGO of my own. So, yeah, so I left and started OPL Academy. Wow.

Speaker 4:34

Your inner core has always been about helping people, even as a child, and so there's there's no wonder that you had to leave that corporate sector and move into something more impactful. You've said the construction workforce is aging and there's a huge housing deficit. No surprise there. But you didn't see a problem, you saw an opportunity. Why did you believe that this unglamorous sector was the one that held so much potential for young people?

Speaker 1 5:06

I mean, this aging population uh situation is very real. In Nigeria, most of the really seasoned construction workers are much older. They're like a generation ago. And there's a big gap between them and younger people who find the space to be fairly unglamorous, as you've said. It's usually seen as a last resort. So I couldn't get into a university, so I'm going to go to a technical college. Um, it's it's very rarely a first option for young people to decide that they want to go into the trades. And so I think for me, it was just realizing that with all the problems in the construction industry, especially in the building construction industry, talking about building collapses, um, talking about, you know, just constant complaints about the quality of work done by artisans. But at the same time, seeing that the construction industry is actually one of the largest employers of labor. And even as our population continues to grow and expand, there's going to be an increasing demand for infrastructure, right? There's going to be an increasing strain on existing infrastructure, whether housing infrastructure, road infrastructure, whatever the case may be. So we really need to be grooming young people to be able to handle this. But unfortunately, these tradesmen, these construction workers who really are the backbone of any economy are often underserved. They're unrecognized. They're never treated with the sort of value that uh white-collar professionals are when it comes to training, when it comes to equipping them with skill sets, when it comes to access to opportunities. And so for me, it was a space that really intrigued me and one that I wanted to play a role in, shedding some light into and also just trying to help impact young people and get them into successful careers within the trade.

Speaker 7:01

Yeah. So what I'm hearing is we have a housing deficit, and we need a construction workforce to address that problem. But unfortunately, those people are being underserved and marginalized, and then the problem remains.

Speaker 1 7:20

Yeah.

Speaker 7:21

Okay, so your first solution wasn't a tech app, but OPL Academy, which focuses on a professional ethics program. Why did you decide to start with mindset and soft skills rather than just the technical hard skills?

Speaker 1 7:38

No, no, that's a great question. So when I first started out, I was looking for data which I couldn't find. I was trying to understand okay, so what are the numbers of, you know, skilled workers in Nigeria or across Africa in the construction space? It was data that was very difficult to come by. And it's largely because there's still a lot of work we need to do around regulation and certification to really be able to define someone as a trained um tradesperson or yeah. And so for me, I decided to go the route of qualitative research since I couldn't find a lot of quantitative research to go by. So I ended up interviewing about 10 CEOs of construction companies to just try and understand the issues that they faced in the space with regards to talent, what frustrations they had with young construction workers being able to hit the ground running on construction sites. And strangely enough, a lot of the feedback that I got leaned more towards attitude on the work on the job. Consistently, I heard, well, we know that the education system is broken. We know that we're not going to get, you know, a trade worker that's trained at the same level as someone in Europe. But if we could just get someone with the right mindset to work, then we could train them, we could upskill them, get them to the level that they need to be, and we could invest in them so that they can grow within the organization and contribute for the long term. But these people, they don't follow instructions, they they have a one-track mind to work, they're unethical. So these were you know softer issues. And so we decided to build a curriculum around that instead and use that as a pathway to guide us into this issue around upskining talents within the trade sector.

Speaker 9:26

I really like what you're doing because you are ensuring that they have the psychological fit to the opportunities that OPL Academy will present to them at the end of their journey. In a PWC interview, you mentioned the assumption that blue-collar workers wouldn't have smartphones, but you discovered that 90 to 95% of your trainees did. How did that single on-the-ground discovery shape your entire tech strategy and lead to the creation of labor hack?

Speaker 1 10:04

Yeah, so I think it all boils down to segmentation. So I should probably state that the work that OPL Academy does is to partner with public schools where we run like a job readiness program for final year students studying construction trades. And so most of these workers, either directly or through their mother or father, have access to a smartphone or a smart device which they can use to communicate, get on WhatsApp, you know, do a bit of research and all that. And so it was through our trainings that we discovered this, especially because we needed to be able to organize our community and we're trying to do this through WhatsApp groups. So it would probably be one or two people that would then say, Oh, sorry, I don't have a smartphone that can connect to the WhatsApp community. Most people could. And so we started to see the possibility for building laddered services on top of our trainings to increase their access to more opportunities digitally. So this includes access to even more training opportunities outside of the initial training that OPL Academy offers, including access to technical training through our technical training partners, access to job opportunities, finding ways to use our technology to be able to notify workers of opportunities as they arise and enable them to be able to apply for those opportunities and just manage them through that uh job application process in a seamless manner. Lastly, of course, being able to link them to finance, loans, tools, and the likes. So technology just opens up a whole new world to these people who traditionally have been kept in local spaces for lack of a better word. So typically, if you've schooled in Ikorudu on the outskirts of Lagos, the only opportunities available to you would be opportunities around Ikorudu because you know your local community knows that you're a plumber and then you can you know fix things so they will call you. But then nobody on Victoria Island or elsewhere knows that you exist. But yeah, through technology now and through this access, we're able to notify them. Oh, there's a job on the island, are you interested? And they can actually, you know, take on those roles. So it increases mobility and access not just to trainings but also to jobs and other uh benefits as well.

Speaker 12:33

Yeah, it's it's a good one. Uh, technology does help open doors to opportunities for people and for it to be available to blue colour workers, that's an added bonus. With Labour Hack, you partnered with international bodies from the UK and the US to certify local workers. This is a brilliant strategy move to build trust. Why was it so important for you to bring in global standards rather than just creating our own OPL certificate, for instance?

Speaker 1 13:07

Yeah, again, it goes back to the idea of just opening up opportunities for these workers. There's already a gold standard out there that's been built. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Nigerians and Nigerian businesses, particularly those that existed in the 60s or 70s, would recall when uh the UK City and Guild had a strong presence in the country. And the UK City and Guilds is a certification body that certifies construction workers. Um, so they certify electricians, plumbers, masons, carpenters, and the likes. Once you get a UK City and Guild certificate, you are more or less sure that the worker can do the work that they've been called to do. And certifications such as the UK City and Guild continue to exist till this day. And so for us, it was important that we give them access to a certificate that would give them respect at home, but also would open up doors for them abroad if necessary. So we strongly believe that just the same way an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer can find opportunities globally, there's no reason why skilled workers cannot find opportunities globally as well, and why that should not be the case. And so we wanted to open up more doors to them, and we felt that by linking them with global certifications, we'll be able to achieve that. So for us, that's the reason why we decided to go that route. We do offer local certifications through OPL Academy, and these are more like uh assessments of prior learning, which can just help guide an organization into finding talents that meet industry demand. So going back again to the issues with our educational system, there's a disconnect between the curriculum and what industry actually needs. So, what you find sometimes is that people graduate, but then they don't actually have the skills required to be able to hit the ground running in an organization. So, with the assessment of prior learning, we verify that they have those skills required prior to them getting hired on the job. So OPL Academy offers those certifications as well locally. Right.

Speaker 15:18

Okay, so that sounds like a great idea. I can understand the logic. But do you find the construction companies you deal with are demanding more of the international standard over the local standard, or is it the other way around? What's the uptake like?

Speaker 1 15:32

So interestingly, it's a mixed bag because oftentimes the people who are certified come at a premium rate, right? And it boils down to the construction company's um budget, appetite for quality work. You'll be surprised that for some companies, the quality of the workmen is not as important. And so, yeah, some companies are willing to compromise on the quality of workmen in order to be able to retain uh higher revenues. So basically, I would say that our model has also helped us figure out companies who place a premium on quality, right? And those are our main clientele. And so they are willing to pay a premium for workers who have global certifications or have assessments of prior learning. Other times, it also just serves as a way of being transparent about the skill levels of the workers that we have so that the companies can just make an informed decision based on their own internal processes or budgets or whatever to be able to hire the talent that best fits into their needs at the time. So, yeah, that's that's how we've used the certifications to place people in in jobs.

Speaker 16:47

Right. Okay. You've stated that using certified skilled talent can help companies reduce financial and material wastage, which you report can be as high as 50% of their profit margin. For the leader listening, can you expand on how investing in a skilled blue-collar workforce is not a cost, but a direct and massive boost to their bottom line?

Speaker 1 17:14

Yeah, I think this is like the same conversation for talent anywhere, right? You really want to work with good talent on your projects because it saves you time, number one, it saves you cost. With blue collar workers in particular, it's such a hands-on trade that you really can't afford to not have people who can get the job done and get it done well. Companies are investing millions of naira into projects. And so it's important that the output or what they promised to their clients is realized. Um, and that can only be achieved by having the right blue-collar talent to work with. And so what we found is when you do not have the right blue-collar workers, you're repeating jobs, right? You're doing mediocre work, which sometimes leads to building collapses. We've we've heard of multi-story buildings collapsing, even in ICOI, which is like rich neighborhoods, right? Um, because people compromise on materials, people compromise on tools, people compromise on workers. So, really, that shouldn't be the case. And also, if you invest in talent, this is talent that can grow with you, grow with your organization. And that's one of the things that we are working on through Labor Hack is to ensure that continuity because we realize that sometimes companies are afraid to invest in blue-collar workers because they feel that, well, their projects are cyclical. So once a project ends, they have to disband everyone. And then once a new project starts, they have to then assemble a new team. Sometimes the old team members are no longer available, they've gone on and moved on to other projects. But, you know, like working with companies that recognize that to be a problem could be useful because what we are able to do, for instance, at Labor Hack is to build a network of workers around your projects. And our own responsibility is to ensure that you constantly have the workers that you need and that there's no gap, there's no interruption to your projects. So you don't necessarily need to worry about shortfalls. So there are organizations out there that realize that that's a challenge and are actively working to bridge that gap. So we like to encourage leaders to seek out such organizations and to work with them and not to be afraid to invest in training this blue-collar talent because at the end of the day, it's only in your best interest to do so. Foreign companies looking into investing in Nigeria, whether building hotels and schools or whatever, they have to worry about can we really bring in this sort of project? Because do we have the manpower on ground to execute? And sometimes the answer is no. I know even a real estate company that developed a golf course along the Lekyek Bay Expressway, they had to fly in workers from Thailand to do the thatch roofs for their um accommodation because they couldn't find local workers to do that. Thatch roofs. So you can imagine some buildings that require, like, you know, hundreds or thousands of workers, they're not going to be able to fly in those workers to execute. So sometimes that even affects the quality of the buildings that you see within the country. It's really just a direct correlation between the quality of the buildings you see, the designs you see, and the quality of the local workforce, because it's really only the local workforce and their capabilities that they're able to use to execute on some of those projects. So it's really important that we take this seriously and that we're building our local workers.

Speaker 20:51

What you just said hurt me, hurt me deep. Thatch roofs, importing workers from Thailand to build thatch roof because we don't have the skill. I think also organizations need to look at business from a place of abundance and not scarcity and lack, because that sort of behavior, they're not only losing money, but in the long term, they are also building a culture of poor quality, and there's no way forward after that. So you're a woman founder in two male-dominated spaces, construction and tech. In that interview with PWC, you mentioned people questioning how you would control the male workers. But you found your experience was exactly the opposite. What have you learned about leadership and earning respect in these environments?

Speaker 1 21:48

So, yeah, this was a big issue when I was studying OPL Academy. A lot of people were very concerned, particularly because not only was I moving into a male dominated field, but then I was also going to be Working with construction workers, which they consider to be even sort of like lower class of professionals, in a sense. So the assumption was that they'll they'll be crass, they might be crude, you know, how are you going to manage them? And yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. One of the things that shocked me was how excited and grateful they were to just be given access to opportunities that other people they've seen, you know, have been able to access, but they felt was out of reach. You know, just something as simple as quality training was was missing from their experience. If you go to their schools, their schools are ill-equipped, their trainers or teachers have not been upskilled in years, their curriculum is outdated. So that's what they're used to. And the next thing, you're bringing in professionals who speak well, who use a projector and a screen, who give examples and play games with you to drive learning, who do case studies, and you know, it was just mind-blowing to a number of them. And it immediately also lifted or boosted their confidence because now they felt, oh, so we're worth this level of education or training as well. This sort of professional can come here and speak to me and teach me, I'm worth that. So there was a mindset shift that we didn't really anticipate. But other than that, our training is geared towards um rewarding good behavior. So we actually reward for the behavior we expect these professionals to execute on the field. So we reward for things like punctuality, reward for things like you know, leadership, uh being open in class, willingness to learn new things. And it's all merit-based. So we we like to tell them before we leave or close our trainings that listen, it's it's Excel that's going to determine who you know gets prized at the end of the day, because we have a point system and we use that grading system to determine who the top candidates are. So it's not because I like you or because you know you got along with this trainer that you're going to get this uh opportunity. Again, that's something that's very new to them. Um, they're used to a system that works based on who you know. And for many of them, because they come from the lower class in society, they often feel like you know those opportunities are out of reach or that their other people would bypass them or step on them and get those opportunities. So all of a sudden, someone in Ikoto who who's never been able to, you know, come to the island or to own a toolkit or whatever now has those things. And it's not because they knew the trainers or they knew anyone, it's just because they did well and they were rewarded for doing well. And so it's because of the quality of our training and also the experience that they have that referrals remain one of our biggest sources or channels for getting new trainees into our programs. Uh, so these people are very excited to tell their schoolmates, oh, we did this program, you should try it out, you know. And it gives us a lot of joy to be able to hear their testimonials and to see that happening.

Speaker 25:26

You're building a system of not only gratitude, but also of fairness, inclusivity. So it you have your point-based system which doesn't show any favoritism. Okay. As a tech star, Alam and the CEO of a tech company, what is your perspective on robotics and automation? You've mentioned 3D printers for homes. Do you see these as a threat to your mission or as another tool to be integrated?

Speaker 1 25:58

I think the world is moving forward and it's either we catch up or we don't. And I feel like there are a couple of levels that we've probably missed already, unfortunately, as a country. So, of course, there was the whole industrialization. We think about the Asian tigers and how they were able to build their economies and how Africa was probably started out at the same level with them, but you know, they've they've gone like, you know, grown by leaps and bounds, and we're still, you know, grappling with basic infrastructure at home. And now with the advent of AI, you know, it's just like, wow, the world is moving so quickly, and where are we in all of this? So I don't really consider it a threat. I think that we're just becoming more efficient as a society, we're just becoming more efficient and in how we do things. But unfortunately, we need to we need to catch up and we need to catch up quickly. Otherwise, we're going to be left behind. And I actually am a proponent for creating almost like a global talent competitiveness index or something. It's like, I feel like as we try and figure out who we are, what our workforce should be, and what role we should play, we shouldn't be comparing ourselves with domestic standards anymore. First of all, we've not even been able to do that. But just because of how quickly the world is moving, we need to anchor our goals and our objectives on global standards at this point for us to be able to catch up. And going back to the whole thing about the aging population, there's an aging population in Europe, there's an aging population in America, and there's nobody to fill those gaps. Whereas in Africa, you have a growing young population. So the supply is on this side of the world, but they lack the knowledge of the technology. So we need to bridge that gap and we need to supply the world, essentially. As AI continues to grow, they're going to need AI data centers, they're going to need warehouse infrastructure, they're going to need robotics facilities, and those need to be built by skilled workers. The very same skilled workers that we've looked down on are about to become, you know, some of the most successful types of professionals in the world. I think it was BlackRock's CEO that said that over the next 10 years, America is going to need 100,000 electricians, you know, just for the data centers that need to be built to support AI. So there's a huge opportunity. I actually foresee possibly a situation where people start to voluntarily choose the trades because it's so lucrative. And yeah, so I do believe that it's not a threat. I just believe that there's a growing opportunity for these people who've, you know, traditionally been overlooked to now shine. And we just need to recognize that opportunity and help them to succeed.

Speaker 29:01

I like that mindset because it is the way forward. We need to embrace technology. But not only that, we are at the advantage. We have the younger population, so it's about skilling up to address the needs of the future. Okay. So in that same PWC interview, you said something so powerful about change in Nigeria. That it's about creating your own oasis of sanity. How do you personally apply that philosophy to your work and life to avoid burnout while tackling such a massive systemic problem?

Speaker 1 29:40

That's a deep question. That's a great question. So I like to tell my team, it all begins with your why. I spent quite a bit of time figuring out what my why was, like what my purpose was. And you you can there's so many ways you could do that. If you're spiritually inclined, you can do that through prayer. If if you can meditate, you can reflect, whatever. But just it's it's important to figure out and some great ways to figure out your why. Um, one is you know what really frustrates you about life. To give a very practical example, you could be driving down the road and you see someone throw something out the window.

Speaker 30:20

Right.

Speaker 1 30:20

Right? For you, it might not bother you at all. You're just like, oh, that's you know, can you imagine what this person did? But for someone else, it might bother the person so much that they stop the car, get down, pick up the trash, you know, maybe even try and alert the police that that person just in that situation I'll tell that person, really look into this. There might be something, there might be something there, right? You might have a passion for, I don't know, recycling or cleanliness of the environment or whatever, but you know, there might be something there. So it's usually the things that really frustrate you that are a strong pointer to your why. Yeah. And you really need to figure out what that why is. Why were you created? Why do you exist? And for me, once I figured out my why, and then I got into this work, it was a no-brainer to continue even when things got difficult, because at that point, purpose was higher than reason, right? Um, so even the days where things were really tough, you know, I I had something to lean back on. I also had a community to also anchor on, particularly when there were days I felt completely burnt out or felt or couldn't even remember why I was doing what I was doing. I had other people to remind me and to, you know, cheer me on. And so it's important to also, if possible, uh build a community around your work. And as I've grown, you know, I started this work single. I'm now married, I have two children, you know, where I have four businesses. I have two children, I have two companies, I'm running everything, you know, at the same time. And so it's important to also figure out how you delegate. What can you reasonably do on your own? What can you outsource to other people to help you with, especially as a woman? It's important to figure that out. I had to outsource things like I mean, and these things could be seasonal, you know. For a season, you might need to outsource cooking, you might need to outsource cleaning, right? Or whatever it is, but yeah, you just need to figure out what you can reasonably do as a human being and what can be yeah, what can be delegated to someone else. I I think that's important. And all this is geared towards building that oasis of sanity because it it is a it's a pretty uh challenging world out there. And coming back again to, you know, just being a builder, um, especially in Africa, you know, unfortunately, unlike the Western world where, you know, it's easy to find a problem and to hone in on that problem and just, you know, figure it out. In Nigeria, unfortunately, and other parts of Africa as well, you need to build the rails around your problem. It's not just about the problem you see, it's about the infrastructure, it's about backward integrating, it's about, you know, doing all these other things to support the solution that you're coming up with. And so it's also important that you figure out what your boundaries are. Like what are you willing to do and what are you willing not to do? Yeah. And for the things you're not willing to do, you then need to build the partnerships around you, right? To create that ecosystem to support your solution. So, yeah, so those are some of the things that I've done in a bit to build my own oasis of sanity as I build in Nigeria.

Speaker 33:44

I love that. I love that term oasis of sanity because we're living in a world of noise, of busyness, of you know, strife, and you really need that place that you feel anchored. And you're talking about having that support community to help you and delegation of your daily tasks so you can just focus on being you. So we've talked about anchoring, and so I want to talk about faith. How has faith anchored you? And how does it help you to navigate this world in terms of your personal life, your business, your family? How does it work for you?

Speaker 1 34:27

So, my faith is everything. So when I spoke about figuring out my why, it was literally me spending a year on my knees in prayer, asking God what He wanted me to do with my life. And over time the revelation came, but then as I've come to realize with my walk with God, the answers come in bits, and so you know, it's through obedience that, you know, you get to see the light for the next step on the ladder, you know, and to be able to keep progressing. And that really has been my reality. Um, I've had to lean very heavily on faith in this journey to just keep going, and it's really just remembering his promises, what he's told me about my life and about the work that he's called me to do, and just holding on to that, even when things get extremely difficult or it looks like there's no way forward. And it's in those moments of leaning fully in faith that you completely surrender, right? And realize that you know it's not about you, it's just about him, and you know, you're just the hands or the feet that he's using to do this work. But it's he's the source, he's the provider, he's the strength, and he's the guide, he's the person that's doing it. So I think one of the most intimate ways of building a relationship with Christ is to almost be like a Christian entrepreneur because yeah, you then get to see all facets of him, you know, him as the father, him as the good shepherd, him as you know, the provider. You know, there's so many facets to God, and it's a beautiful way of realizing that. Um, and then it's also a beautiful way of building alongside him, bringing heaven on earth, um, recognizing that there's certain issues in society that he doesn't approve of, that he doesn't like, that he's trying to change, and you being willing to be a vessel that's used to bring about that change is something so powerful. But with it also comes the humility to realize that you're not the only one that's been called to this work. Others have been called even to your the same sector that you operate in, and it's ensuring that there's no God complex feeling that, oh, it's if it's not me, this doesn't get done. To realizing that I need to collaborate with other people that have been called just as I have been called to get this work done. It's about the work, it's not about me. All right. And yeah, and I think probably the last thing I'll say about this is just realizing as well that at the end of the day, you really just want to hear well done, good, faithful servant. Like, and that can come in your lifetime, it might not come in your lifetime as well, and that that that has to be something you're okay with as a Christian entrepreneur. When you think about impact, it can be yes, the loud bang, like instant success, instant recognition. Or sometimes it can be a quiet whisper, but it's felt through generations, and that could be deeper, that could be more powerful, but it doesn't come with any form of applause in your lifetime. But going back to your why, you need to figure out if that's okay with you. Because if it is, then you keep going even when things are tough, you keep going, even when you're not recognized, you keep going, even when things don't go according to your expectations. Some people, you know, fizzle out when the going gets tough, and it's usually because maybe their why was not really well centered, yeah. Or maybe they were looking for things that they didn't immediately see. But God is looking for stewards that are willing to go the long journey, the hard way for a long time, yeah. Right, and that takes faithfulness, then that takes yeah, resilience.

Speaker 38:39

Thank you so much. Um, you said so many things in there, and you even reminded me of Prophet Elijah, who was looking for God in the in the wind, in the fire, and it was just a quiet whisper. We need to be in that state of mind to even hear what God is trying to tell us so that we are aligned and in obedience. Thank you. So finally, for the woman listening who has a safe corporate job, but like you, sees a massive real-world problem she feels is called to solve. What is your single piece of advice on how to take the first brave step?

Speaker 1 39:22

So you certainly just need to be sure. Right? And I hesitate as I say that because really there's so few things in life that you can be completely sure about. But if, like I said earlier, if the passion for your purpose outweighs the reasons to hold back, then it's probably worth looking into. And if you must do it, please by all means go for it. It might not be what you expect, but you probably learn a lot along the way that would make you a better professional, a better human being. Anyway, right? Um, there's so many people that go the entrepreneurial route and succeed, and there's so many that go that route and fail. But it doesn't mean that their life is over. Even if it doesn't work out, you've gained experiences that just make you much better for the next job opportunity or whatever that you get. But if you do succeed, then yes, you can create that uh systemic change that you've hoped for. But again, also remember that um even that change you're looking for could take different forms. So be willing to give yourself grace for if things don't pan out exactly as you wanted, doesn't mean that it's been any less impactful or necessary. It just means that God is playing by a different set of rules from what you probably um expected, and that's okay. Yeah, so yeah, so for me, I would say if if you feel very, very strongly that this is something you want to do, definitely do it. Try not to do it alone. I really, as I grow older in this work, I uh become increasingly more appreciative of community and mentors and coaches and just building an ecosystem of support around your work because you're just one human being and your body itself could fail at times. You need people that can stand in and support you and help you. Mentally, you could burn out, you need people that can stand in and support you. Um, so also as you build, I would say please remember to build your ecosystem of support around your work as well. That could mean, in practical terms, a board. It could mean getting advisors, it could mean getting mentors, it could mean going for some coaching sessions here and there, uh, to refine your skill set for the journey ahead. Yeah, so personal development is definitely something that you also need to pay attention to. But yeah, and that's that's probably what uh what I would say. Sorry, it wasn't one piece of advice. It never is.

Speaker 42:35

I doubt you could have put it any better. Oh, I mean, I just want to say um this has been a great session, an eye-opener. It gave a lot of insight into a world I know nothing about, but it all links into the greater systems of life and especially our economy uh in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole. So thank you for being our guest. Thanks for taking the time joining us here on the We Win podcast.

Speaker 1 43:05

Thank you so much, Lolita. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 43:13

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that session with Oare. I found it extremely informative. And O'Reilly is an example of a faith-based entrepreneur who's driven by purpose. And how wonderful is it that purpose and economy can come together. She's building an ecosystem of people who are undermined, underserved, but can solve a major problem in our country today, the housing deficit. So when you see a construction worker, perhaps you should refer him to the OPL Academy, where he can learn how to build things the right way through formal training and be part of an ecosystem that is. Driving quality. I'd like to say a huge thank you to all of you for joining us today on the WeWin podcast. Have an awesome, rewarding day. Goodbye.