Cycle of Life’s Sweetness and Pain

Amidst all my activities and lack of time to keep up with regular updates on my blog I try to at least once every year write a piece just to capture some of my feelings and share them with anyone who feels like reading.

I like to use my experiences as a touch point to inspire anyone who might be interested in my point of view on life.

It’s amazing how life serves us with different dimensions of feelings and it’s even more amazing how we as humans never get to understand and celebrate life – pretty complex isn’t it?

The Cycle of Life’s sweetness and pain is something I coined out of my2011; both from personal experiences and experiences of others close to me. This Cycle is present in our everyday lives in different aspects. It is the way life spins around us and drops off things that make us both happy and at the same time bring us pain.

Imagine that one of the most beautiful and systematic creations of life is procreation; look at the process of mating (sweet), the pain of pregnancy and child bearing (painful process) and ultimately the sweetness of raising your own child (sweet). Isn’t that interesting?

In another view It is the way we celebrate the things that make us happy and the way we cry about the things that make us unhappy – some of us are only able to be in our fullest when life is sweet and in this time we channel our energy where it most benefits us but when things are opposite; when we are in a down state of mind we tend to express very low energy and our demand for a complementary energy sources to sustain us increases.

The notion of always expecting the ideals and always forgetting the reality doesn’t always end well, because reality mostly always wins.

It doesn’t take an extra eye to see that all human beings are selfish and in every situation thinks of them self either first or last because there is always a self fulfillment somewhere in the process undermining what that means.

Life is beautiful and we humans are beautiful. Life has a way of taking care of us and giving us what we want and showing us who we are, showing us where to go, undermining what society has made us think we are. Life has very interesting ways of showing us where we have been lost and helping us find ourselves.

We cannot undermine all of these and not celebrate life. At any point of the cycle you find yourself, celebrate life because it’s a constantly changing cycle. Just open your eyes and watch out.

As you go into the New Year my simple message to you is. Free yourself and celebrate life, respect your life and respect those of others.

I wish you a much more celebrated life in 2012.

Once every Year

Almost Six months ago, on my birthday I wrote a piece about how so many things come only once in a life time.


Today is the last day of the year 2010, the end of another decade and its only going to come once in our life time…Its usually a day when people stop to think of the last 364days of their lives, a day when people stop to ask themselves how the next 365 days of their lives would be, a day when people make tonnes of new resolutions considering all the changes they want to make in their lives and a day when people bla bla bla…

Amidst all these reflections it is usually a time for intense celebration and enjoyment with friends and families; a lot of kparakpoism and night time fire-working on the streets, the clouds are lightened like the triumphant entry of angels into heaven.

After all these celebrations, It’s hard to say what the New Year has in stock for us but the more modest our expectations, the more room we will have to surprise ourselves with amazing things in the New Year.

What is easy to say is that people will always be a part of your New Year just as they have been a part of your last years. The good and bad experiences that shape us are created daily with the people we come across in life, with the people we spend our time with, with the people we have those wonderful conversations with, with the people we care for, with the people who care for us and with the people whom we love and those that love us.

Our lives will ultimately be meaningless if we were to spend these 365 days without such experiences. So it’s actually worth dedicating this piece and this day to all those who have been part of my life in every single way good or bad. You have thought me something that can only contribute to making me a better, more resourceful, more flamboyant and more fruitful person. And I thank you all for that.

While I say thanks, I will also say in the New Year, simply keep your head up and stay focused, it’s not always easy to be right but always strive to do good, think about yourself but consider others.

Happy 2011 and wish all the best.

God Bless

The Social Diary of A MANbrand™

The Social Diary of A MANbrand™

Watch this space closely... and stay tuned for some very interesting insights coming your way !!!!

Experiencing Outdoor Subculture

Our lives are a continuous journey of experiences that are bound to inspire and shape us, make or mar us. For me, intense experiences have been the strongest tool for personal development and my perception of life.

The last 3 days in Chamonix have been abundantly enriching for me, introducing me to the way of life of the outdoor subculture.

It was an ULTRA TRAIL mountain marathon called the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) with over 6000 runners from different parts of the world who came together to run for 168km through the Mont Blanc across 3 countries (France, Italy, Switzerland). It started on Friday,6pm, and ended on Sunday, 6pm. (Yes, the athletes were expected to run all through the night without sleeping.)

However, the race was cancelled after 31km due to outrageously bad weather conditions. There were mixed feeling about this decision, but i was most overwhelmed by the strong feelings of despair displayed by the athletes. Some cried and you could see in their faces just how much this race means to them..

I don't want to go on and on about the race but I got thrills from the passion and emotions that I saw from athletes of different ages, old and young, in these last days, all wanting to do what they are passionate about: running in nature. (Mind you, these guys are ordinary people like me and you). It made me realize that no matter how some things - like running for 48 hours straight - might feel strange to some of us, it feels perfectly right for others.

The amount of fulfilment these people get from running in the mountains cannot be overemphasized. I truly respect them and I truly have learnt something from them these last days, seeing them out there in the middle of nowhere, in the rain, under the sun, pushing through, enduring every single pain, avoiding obstacles on the way and most ultimately enjoying themselves, the determination to reach the finish line, the feeling of fulfilment on their faces as they cross it, the outburst of emotions from friends, families and loved ones as their dads, mums, husbands and wives come running in with all stain of muds over them... Guys, it was just an awesome moment to celebrate.

What I take away from this is the message that you can do anything, you just need to be prepared, physically and mentally. So, don't stop pushing those limits. You can always make it to the finish line...

"...and as for brands, try to always understand deeply the motivations of your consumers because this is the point where you can provide the right solutions for their needs and engage them with the right activities to create that meaningful brand experience; a fundamental principle for gaining the needed equity to keep the brand alive and relevant for a very long time".

-Kenoma Agbamu

Chamonix, France. August 29th, 2010

On top of all this, the Scenery in Chamonix is amazingly fantastic ...

Africa Unites the World - A Message to Africans

The spirit of the World Cup brings different people different feelings and emotions, and as I was watching the final celebration tonight, I couldn't help but think to myself how proud I am as an African that this was happening on African soil.

The first World Cup in Africa, SUCCESSFULLY hosted, shows how much we as a continent can do, shows the potential we have despite our challenges challenges, shows the difference that positive will can make where there is the determination to succeed.

For the last 30 days, Africa has been on the lips of over 3 billion football enthusiasts worldwide, in all types of media, TV, Radio, internet - not because of poverty, HIV/AIDS, war or other negative activities, but as a continent that unites the world.

This is an amazing feeling for me because it shows me that when I look into the future I can see a continent that will lead.

I hope our leaders can learn from this as a progressive symbol of truth and hope for the continent. It is time we show the world what we are really capable of.

Today I am so proud to be African, and I feel reassured. I want to say THANK YOU to South Africa for taking the lead in making this big difference for the continent.

There is so much more we can do to reposition the perception people have of us. Let's not allow this momentum die - young or old, male or female, leader or follower, this task in our hands.

Do your part and make us proud!!

It only comes once in a life time

July 10th, 2010: 2:50am, Lugano, Switzerland

Life only comes once...

A baby only takes its first step once...

A baby only speaks its first words once ...

A baby only has one first tooth...

A child will have only one first birthday...

A child will have only a one first day at school ...

A teenager will become 18 only once...

A woman/man will only have their first child once...

A man will only drive his first car once...

A student will only get his/her first degree once...

A couple will only have their first kiss once ...

(this list can go on....)

There are so many "only once" in in a life time. Cherish those moment, love those moments, celebrate those moments, give thanks to God for those moments because they will only come once..

It's the 10th day of July 2010. It's a special day to me, my birthday, and it only comes once in a year. The next time it comes it will be a different age and a different day of the week, a different time in my life.

Enjoy today, celebrate, give thanks to God and cherish today with me.

God Bless...

Virgin Nigeria Becomes Nigerian Eagle Airlines

With this new strategic change for the nation's airline carrier, there are so many questions to ask ...

What should we hope for?

Will the withdrawal of the known Virgin brand have a negative effect on the airline?

Is the new airline 100% Nigerian owned or who is the new strategic partner?

In a highly competitive industry, what would be the competitive advantage for Nigerian Eagle Airlines?

What would they be known for?

I hope we can find answers to some of these questions over time.

Haiti - Another Time for Reflection

Since Tuesday, 12th January 2010, I have been following the news on the catastrophic earthquke that happened in Haiti, a country that is suffering from an unstable political situation, a poor economy, civil war and immense poverty.

As I watch different news stations, from Aljazeera to CNN and BBC, and read different internet websites, the images of dead people on the streets, injured people, and those mourning their dead children, brothers, husbands, wives, and families breaks and bleeds my heart.

Today, I watched a man trying to dig out his three children from under the debris of his home with a little hammer, while his wife cried bitterly and rolled on the ground - of course those children have been dead under that collapsed building since Tuesday. There is no heavy machinery for emergencies to help rescue people.

Three days later the international community has begun to arrive with aid, thanks to the United States, France, China, UK, Cuba, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Qatar, etc. The United Nations, and other non-governmental and individual volunteers on ground assisting those people.

This is a time in my life where I wish that I had the resources to go to Haiti to join the thousands of volunteers there, to play a role in helping those people through these dark times. But as I don't, I can only call on you as you read this post to join me in praying for those who suffer in that country, that God will give them the strength to go through these tough times.

It is reaassuring to see the world come together amidst all the chaos from terrorism, religious, racial and cultural conflicts to help the Haitian people, but I keep asking myself some questions

• If there never was an earthquake in Haiti, would we have ever seen this kind of aid mobilization for all those who have already been suffering in that country?
• If Haiti had a more developed economy as a country, wouldn't it have had a better emergency response portfolio that could help even before international aid arrives? (This is a lesson for all those unscrupulous and callous leaders who would rather fight for politcal positions than provide for their people.)

May all those who have lost their lives in this catastrophic event rest in peace.

Switzerland and the Minaret

Nearly 58% of Swiss voters on Sunday cast their ballots in favor of banning the construction of new minarets in the Alpine republic, a surprise result that led at least one Swiss member of parliament to declare that "the foundations of Switzerland's direct democracy have failed."
That is clearly wrong. Swiss direct democracy shows its merit when Swiss voters use it to stand up to their political elites. Having said that, Sunday's vote, for all the hand-wringing leading up to it, was a decidedly mild-mannered sort of protest. The construction of new minarets is banned, but the building of mosques is unaffected, and the vote does not affect the four existing minarets in the country. Nobody's freedom of worship is threatened, but a symbolic message has been sent.

But what message, exactly? The vote betrays an undercurrent of fear among the Swiss—a fear that is not without cause. There is no denying the connection between radical imams and terrorist acts. Nor should anyone look away from the fact that too many European Muslims flatly reject the norms of their host countries, sometimes in ways that are criminal: honor killings, child brides and the like.

Yet banning minarets does nothing to address that fear. It merely makes it less likely that the average Swiss will be confronted by a visible symbol of Islam upon his skyline. Thus, even as a symbolic gesture, it seems to encourage a head-in-the-sand approach toward the 5% of Swiss who are Muslim. In much of Europe, this is the norm anyway, the result of political correctness and cowardice.

Rather than being a blow against that attitude, Sunday's vote seems only to reinforce it. Banning minarets won't do anything to assimilate Switzerland's or Europe's Muslims, or to ensure that economic opportunity is available to everyone of whatever creed, or to deal with Western Europe's demographic problem of too few newborns.

The ban, in other words, does too much and too little at once. Too much because it becomes a very visible and easily exploited symbol of supposed European intolerance. But it accomplishes too little because it seeks merely to hide from view the problems that gave rise to the fear of the minaret in the first place.

Source:

My Bad Experience with an Airline Brand

You don't even have to be on board an airline to have a bad experience ...

Last Saturday I had to purchase a ticket for my brother to London, and I was very lazy, being in bed and not wanting to get up. Anyways, I reached for my netbook and went on the internet to book and pay through my online banking. I was lying down there on my bed feeling very cool with myself, having found a way not having to drive all the way to the airline office. I booked the ticket and paid for it. (By the way, it was an Emirates ticket.)

This was my first direct interaction with services of the brand Emirates, with obviously very high expectations from this very premium brand. At this moment those expectations were still being met. I paid for the ticket and got my receipt sent to my mail box. However, there was no e-ticket sent. 1 day went by, 2 days, 3 days, still no e-ticket. Only for me to receive an email from the airline that my booking had been cancelled... For God's sake, my account had been charged 4 days ago and someone is telling me that my booking has been cancelled?! That was only the beginning of my frustration.

I call the airline, but no one picks up. I go to the bank and they call the airline, but no one picks up. I go to the Emirates office at the airport and no one can help. They say I have to go to the their head office in Victoria Island. For those of you who have no clue where that is... just imagine at least 1 hour in traffic and probably another 2 hours when returning.

Now I am back to where this all started. This was the reason I wanted to avoid going to the Island and pay for the ticket online but now it turns out that I end up having to do that anyway.

I make my way to the Island yesterday and the security guy at the Emirates office passes me on to this guy who offers to assist me with my problem. I am standing there waiting, the guy takes my payment receipt and says "I will be with you in a short while". 30 minutes later he returns to say "They are working on it". I say thank you ...

Now it's 1 hour 30 mins and I am still waiting for these guys to just print a ticket I have already paid for. Then I am there for 2 hours and I am getting calls, I have to attend to pressing issues at the office. This guy seems to have forgotten me. I am angry and no one there will even look at me. The security guy say to me that they can't give this guy a call because they don't have his desk phone number (this is an office, for God's sake - how much flimsier can an excuse be?) i ask them to go in to remind this guy that I am still here, but they say no they can't go in. (Who has the responsibility of attending to people at the counter when those who are stationed there don't even know their jobs?). Now I am completely over the edge, angry, furious, just name it...

Then to my greatest surprise a young lady walks in with her kids and she has the same challenge as I do ... paid for a ticket online which was never delivered.

I mean, why do you have to start an online service when you know you are not ready to provide the services excellently and professionally? It's completely rude to your customers. Lots of brands destroy their perception in the minds of their customers and prospective customers by simply rendering some shitty services

Well, the long and short of this story is that after almost 2hr 30mins a lady asks me in to attend to me, and you know what?! The ticket had been printed for over 2hrs and that guy just forgot about me outside and made me wait for nothing!

I know some of these brands are built on very strong propositions to their customers/ consumers, but then it's especially important that when people interact with your brand the kind of experience they get from the people they talk to and the ambiance of your office leave a lasting impression that will continue to help reinforce that proposition. But in this situation that wasn't the case and i am sure that there are thousands of consumers out there that suffer similar experiences from brands they interact with.

Finally, the key question: Are brands aware of this? Or there are just not able to properly implement internal branding exercises that will ensure a structured way of dealing with customer issues. Well, if you read this and you have had a bad experience from any brand, please share...

More Than Just the King of Pop

"If you want to be a street sweeper then sweep the streets like Beethoven played music..."

Tonight I saw the biggest memorial service I have ever seen. The memorial for Michael Jackson. It made me wonder who this man truly is, beyond being Michael Jackson, an Entertainer, the King of Pop.

I never knew him beyond his songs, but after hearing all the testimonials tonight from people who have experienced him, it felt like I had experienced him from a completely different perspective. I saw not just that legendary Michael Jackson anymore, but a humanitarian who used his gift to give people hope, direction, love, peace of mind, fulfillment.

I saw a man who, beyond the colours of his skin, at different times in his life has been able to unite people, touch people's lives and send a message to the world with words as simple as PEACE & LOVE. He taught the world that all of us - young and old, male and female, black and white, Asian and Latino, all races and all kinds of people - are one world and that we can live in peace.

The question then for me is: Does God care about how you change the colour of your skin or about how you use your heart for the goodness of mankind?

I am truly touched, and for me this is both an inspiration and a further reinforcement that I can be who I want to be by doing it the best way I can, I can change peoples lives, I can put smiles on peoples faces and ultimately I can be there for the good of mankind.

There is a Michael Jackson in every one of us, let's find it and spread the message of LOVE & PEACE amongst our brothers and sisters.

Rest in Peace, MJ.

Ideas Rule the World…

What happened to the United States of America last week was felt across countries globally and it has kept me thinking about how much more change this world is going to experience in the coming years. I remembered writing a certain piece over a year ago, which I think was just proven right. So I am sharing this one with you as an honour to a man who has demonstrated extreme determination and shown all of us that you can achieve anything if you only believe.

Congratulations, Barack Obama

Ideas Rule the World…. By Kenoma Agbamu (10/22/2007)

Looking at how society has changed and evolved in the last centuries, one constant has been the fact that every change in society starts with an individual.

From past to present, from the richest economies to the poorest, from the most peaceful territories to the most disturbed, ideas have played a crucial role in shaping leadership styles in public, private and civil societies through different times and space.

When you look at the evolution of the world of technology, science and business, it is however clear that there is an element that has strongly influenced the core of innovation and creativity in these areas. This element is the way that ideas are configured.

Some of the greatest minds of recent times have leveraged ideas to make different impacts in society. The Google duo Larry Page and Sergey Brin out of mere curiosity challenged the way search engines work and with their idea to integrate a page ranking formula they ended up changing the way people use the internet. Today the word Google has almost taken over the word "search" all you hear is "google this, google that".

The likes of Mohammed Yunus have changed the way people see poverty alleviation by simply starting a small loans bank to give micro loans to women. Today this has changed the lives of thousands of women and families in Bangladesh.

All these changes in society, be it in development, technology or businesses, find their origin in one idea or the other.

Using the concept of leadership and looking at some of the most successful rulers who have shaped the world, we see clearly that they were not followed as leaders because people liked the shape or color of their faces, but rather because people liked the ideas behind their visions. That was how they built their followership, be it good or bad.

When I imagine the influence of ideas in the world, I can only imagine to what extent the absence of ideas would leave the world in a perpetual state of stagnation and, in the long run, regression. Luckily that will never happen because idea creation is a core part of the human existence.

In summary, there is absolutely no limitation to the argument that ideas rule the world. It has been a constant and will continue to be a constant in the way human being do things.

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I am now curious to see how the Obama idea of "Hope and Change" will manifest itself in the lives of the American people and, through ripple effect, in the rest of the world.

Thank You.