HOW TO BE POOR

Be very good at something, but do it for free!!! 

One of the reasons some people are poor is a serious lack of appreciation for their own value. There is a vast majority of youth in Africa with diverse and amazing talents. In fact, some of the poorest people you will encounter are very talented. However, for as long as that talent is not monetized, those young people will painfully grow into talented old men and women with nothing to show for it. Hard truth, but truth nonetheless. Talent does not automatically lead one to wealth. The fact that you know how to dribble a ball in your neighborhood will not take you to the English Premier League. So what is the nexus between talent and financial success? 

When setting legal fees, lawyers draw guidance from the tariff of the law society, which spells out the amount of money a lawyer is entitled to for every hour they work on your case. In terms of that tariff, even the time you spend on the phone with a legal practitioner is subject to billing. This system of pricing dates as far back as the 1960s and stems from the appreciation that when time meets skill, the outcome is value. Sadly, a vast majority of African youth are yet to accept this truth. A huge number of them are still languishing in poverty because they do not have the tenacity to demand value from their talent. 

Talent is big business. In 2015, the British Premier League amassed an astonishing 4.8 Billion Euros.  This figure is higher than the Zimbabwean national budget for the same year. This is because the participants of that system appreciate that soccer is much more than twenty-two men chasing a leather sphere for ninety minutes. It is broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, fan clubs, accessories, and sports-wear.  Massive potential. 

The reason why that large retail shop is called Pick’n’ Pay is that you do not just pick, you pay. You cannot negotiate on a tin of beans in a supermarket. The price is displayed for you to see. The talented African youth will allow people to just pick from his or her talent without paying. The system he exists in is not willing to negotiate, yet in the narrative of the talented youth is a lot of negotiation. When we negotiate on our value too much, we are really just negotiating on our futures. We are in effect just bargaining on our success. 

Not so fast. Maybe the African youth needs the next dollar he can get for the next meal. Perhaps he is forced by the factual circumstance of tough living conditions to charge the lowest price for a logo design or to cut half the price for the dance coaching that he does. Whilst this may be true, the reality is that there are people in the same city who will pay five times more for well-packaged talent. All that the young person needs to do is start playing on that turf. All he needs to do is start branding himself and showing up in places where he is valued. He also must work on his mindset. Pray, fast, work, hustle, grind; whatever you believe in and whatever works. The mind needs to be cured, and the mind must be dealt with. It will take your own belief in the value you possess for you to confidently put a price on your gift. After all is said and done, remember, you are priceless!

Let’s keep walking the talk……..