WHEN YOUR MONEY CALLS, WHAT’S THE RINGTONE?

Okada riders do something a lot in this Ilorin; you can probably relate. You’ll be standing ‘jejely’ waiting to cross the road, maybe even crossing the road or just caught up in a beautiful moment and then…  “mwtsiaaahhhh!!!!”, the dog call! Chai, very few things get to me like it does. I used to spend energy getting pissed at them until I admitted that, putting myself in their shoes, I would most likely act the same way. Truth is, it’s the hustle; it’s their call to their money. It’s exactly how I’d expect anyone to call out to his or her thing, his or her money. It has plenty to do with hunger, desire, want for something… it’s fire inspired something. If you ever hustled something, chased a contract, followed up a bargain, marketed something, you can definitely relate to this. The question today though is, “When your money calls you, what’s your ringtone?

This question crossed my mind the first time one morning, when I was sitting in a park, waiting to board a vehicle, on a journey. In the midst of the usual bubble around the park, I heard someone call out to a trader. I don’t remember exactly what she was selling, but it was something like ‘Iya oni Buredi!’ (Bread seller, in Yoruba), she answered promptly of course, attended to her customer, and got paid (most importantly). My mind, though, stayed on the name; I sat there, and wondered what her birth name was, how it didn’t matter in this transaction and how it has probably never really mattered to her or anyone in this environment. As far as she and her market were concerned, her Identity had everything to do to the service she was rendering.

And it holds true in our world; change of names, for whatever reason whether choice, baptismal or reputation’s sake, matters little really, as one’s true identity is determined, among many others, by these three attributes:

1. Your Offering:

What you bring to the table is key. Show up at the table empty handed and you’ll have a hard time getting people to look your way.

2. Quality:

That you have something to offer at all is worthy of note, but then beyond your offering, a quality offer is why people will come again.

3. Values:

Your Values are the true makeup of your offering. Believe it or not, who you are and what you give, consciously or unconsciously are born out of the underlying values upon which you run your life.

So today, take intentional steps to scrutinize the ‘goods’ you’re offering; in your business, your workplace, relationship circles and everywhere you have a platform to make an offering; your values and  character will shine through. And when your money will be calling, your offering has a big say in how that call sounds.

Wen your money calls, what’s your ringtone?