Boxing Day Gift to Women (Be A Risk Taker in 2010)

Happy Boxing Day to you all. Hope you all had a great time yesterday? I did, I went visiting (ate lots of meat, though I know it’s not good for moi, but how I for do J ?). As we approach 2010, it’s time to do another stock take of where you are and what hope to achieve in the coming year and before you start wandering why I am writing about women today, don’t lose any sleep over it; let’s just say I feel led to do so plus I just finished reading an insightful book written by a woman “The Mary Kay Way” Mary Kay Ash: founder of Mary Kay female cosmetic products.

You may have heard of that name before (but I can say with a sense of certainty that a lot of women do) but just in case you have not let me introduce her to you:

At the time of Ms. Ash's death in 2001, Mary Kay Cosmetics had over 800,000 representatives in 37 countries (including Nigeria), with total annual sales over $2 billion from retailing. As of 2008, Mary Kay Cosmetics has more than 1.7 million consultants worldwide and excess in wholesales of $2.2 billion. Mary Kay herself was honored as leading female entrepreneur in American history. Thank God for the internet.

Am not sure even some of women are aware of this little fact (except that they like her make up)? More so most of the business examples they are given are mostly about men. As my boxing day gift therefore. I am writing to all women (my wife, sisters and of course my little daughter (though too young to understand)) to push the frontier in 2010. The opportunities are many.

Women are our future, If you don’t agree with me, just observe the number of female that are going to school (they are gradually outpacing men). They are a very important buying group (like I am telling you something new). Remember they gave birth us; they help raise our kids and whether we like it or not they are the spice of this world we live in (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise).

Back to the subject matter at hand which is taking risk: women are not really known to take risk could be and due to many reasons. For one they face a myriad of challenges and social obstacles (from sexism to financial empowerment), but the truth is that in 2010 many people (especially women) will start their own businesses. However the first obstacle they would have to surmount is their own FEAR, fear of failure, fear of rejection and lack of working capital.

They need not allow these fears hold them back. I would recommend the book to all women (of course men that are not too proud to admit some women are good in business) to read this lovely book. The print is nice and language is straight American English. I would enjoin the women to read Chapter 16: Be a Risk Taker!

To be honest, live itself is a risk, am taking risk writing about women in this article. Imagine a man who thought one of the surest ways of eliminating risk completely in his live is to stay awake throughout the night (continuously) since he couldn’t take a chance of falling asleep (since he does not know what would happen to him and was fearful of losing control!). Imagine was happened to him after 3 days, you guessed right, he was hallucinating from sleep deprivation (he lost touch with his environment).

2010 would be better than 2009 (if you don’t agree, just look at the numbers, its two digits at the end, meaning double promotion). Go out and live your life. Do something you have not done before. Call that old lost friend. Forgive someone you have begrudged for years. Learn a new language; Hausa, Yoruba and English are not the only language in the world.

If you are known for not commenting on issues, please do this one, the earth would not fall. Have a lovely Boxing Day ladies (ok and guys too). Just checked under my white brown (brow) beaten Christmas tree. No GIFTS. Santa did not come this year. Don’t mind him; Santa doesn’t take risk anymore (He does not want to be kidnapped!) Hummmm. Xman