The shocking
truth about Olamide… plus his 5 shortcuts for using street cred to become
an authority in life and in business.
I just want to remain on top of my
game. I know I have what it takes to run the show for as long as God permits
me. But time will tell. I am growing by the day and I am enjoying every bit of
my moment in the industry”-Olamide
I have met a lot of people like you
who have got it going on….filled with vigour, incredible
vision, cute business ideas and ready to change the world, but
are sadly not living on life’s hall of fame. They are like me when I started
out blogging. I have decided to lay it bare and tell you the
truth in this piece. When I started out as a blogger, I just
had the passion to share my expertise with people without learning the
rudiments of blogging.Then something changed. I got my eureka moment when I
deliberately started studying successful bloggers and what makes them tick
,like a musician would study the music greats in his field.
Let me ask you a question? Do you think people would pay
Olamide like a 100,000 to fix the pot holes on their streets? Of course they
would. Because he’s Olamide. Nobody
cares if he knows about fixing street pot
holes . As long it’s Olamide .A lot of people
would pay simply to have him hangout with them. They’d pay because he is famous
and fame makes us like people. If those likable people have products and
services, we would love to patronize them.
You want to win in business, have street credibility like
Olamide and become an authority in your field, then you ve got
to play the game like Olamide spits punch lines in his raps. Now your goal as
an entrepreneur , or whatever you are isn’t to grace the cover
of Forbes magazine .Your goal is to become famous in your craft. Like the
Linda Ikeji’s of blogging, the Genevieves of Movies, and the
Tuface’s of music. “Famous” doesn’t have to mean, flashbulbs, Paparazzi, and
being married to Kim Kardashian. In this case, it can mean a modest amount of
recognition in your field. You want to be just famous enough that when people
who are interested in your niche talk amongst themselves, your
name pops up…And when it does; others in the group will nod
and say:” Oh yes! I know him .He is an authority on interior
decoration.”Or whatever your expertise is.
To make this happen for you, you need to……
Build Your Own Tribe
According to Seth Godin, a tribe is
a group of people connected to an idea. In clear terms you
need to have your own fans. Fans are fanatical about the things they love.
Which is what “Fan” is short for .
Fans tell everyone about you. Have you tried having an argument with a diehard
Olamide fan on Twitter? It usually ends in a
“Tweetfight” . Every successful artiste has fans. Dbanj
has fans, Tiwa Savage has fans. Wizkid has fans. People don’t just listen to
their music, they from attachments to them. People don’t just say:” I listen to
Olamide “.They say:”I like Olamide”. They tell their friends
about Olamide, and those friends tell their other friends and suddenly a street
wise kid from Bariga passionate about the streets becomes a celebrity. Little
wonder he has over two hundred thousand followers on Twitter. If you want to
become renowned in your business niche, you have to lose sight of seeing it as
a business and start thinking of it as a stage. Yes! a
stage. Stop thinking of your products
and services as a medium to reach
your customers/clients.
When you are out there in the business stage, see yourself in the light of
Olamide, a superstar who is going out there to wow the crowd
(customers and clients).Be sensational.
He calls himself Badoo- “Baddest Guy Ever
Liveth, YBNL, Young Erikina…”
You’ve got
to Differentiate or become extinct
Olamide always tells anyone who cares to listen that he
is not a regular rapper. He is cut from another coat. He is not just different,
he is the difference. How do you differentiate yourself from the maddening
crowd in your business?
Authenticity
Olamide has no issues with letting his genuine fragility
and past experiences bleed through his verses. His honesty and street
credibility connects him to his audience in a way that can’t be manufactured.
They see him as one of them and one from them. In his words,:”Everybody knows my story or let me
say I try to make people know my story with the way I sing .When I compose my
song I always try to bring my rough days into retrospect. I remember how I
waited for many years for my singles to be promoted. I always sing about the
story of my life in my songs”
Your originality and open mindedness will not only take
you far in business, it will make you go far in life. Your authenticity is the
autograph that separates you from the pack.
Keep evolving
Heavy repetitions and little innovation lead to
diminishing returns. From ‘Eniduro’ , Voice of the
street, Omotoshan, Durosoke, to Yemi my lover’ , Olamide
is dedicated to upping his game. He sees it this way:”I am
an ambitious young man .I love to always push myself to the limits. We have a
lot going on in the industry right now that will make you sit tight and buckle
up.”As an artiste or entrepreneur it is important to keep grooming
yourself and growing your game. No matter how good you are at what you do, you
ve got to keep growing. Never rest on your laurels. Little
wonder the baddest guy ever liveth Olamide,
was the biggest winner at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards 2013 edition (NEA)
Sell what people want to buy
The key here is not just to tell a story, but to tell a
story people want to hear. It’s not just about writing another
song, but a song that can resonate with the audience. It’s not enough to
release another product , but releasing a
product that connects with the needs of your
customers. That is the key to success in business. Passion ain’t just enough.
You can be passionate about your new cute product, but it might not resonate
with what the market needs. Olamide is a master when it comes to using his
street credibility to connect with his fans. He blends punch lines, slangs, and
analogies that create that wow factor in the hearts of his fans. You should do
that too.
Embrace the greatness within you. You too can replicate
this success story in your life and business. You are a star. Admit it.”
Celebritize you” .Go out there and strut your stuff.
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