The Hustle|| You can't build a business or brand out of compassion.
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We usually have consistent 6 hours electricity daily. 6am-9am and 9pm-12am. BEDC follows through with it religiously. And this is perfect for me. I never get to move around knocking at doors to beg to charge(I hate that thing).. Or rush to fuel the generator to power up my devices. I'm always gallant.
However, yesterday it didn't come as usual. It didn't come this morning too. I had a trailer load of work to do for clients, and the generator was bad. Double wahala! I donned up a red T-shirt on a pair of brown Vickers trouser, and set off for a fast food. Got there, plugged my phone, and got a bottle of Guinness Malt.(You know the scope😂)
After a while of struggling to motivate myself to work, and finally beginning to, this young guy walked in. He had this many colour socks in a flip flop.. Or maybe a funny shoe.. I can't quite recall. He had shorts on, T-shirt, a round funny pair of glasses hanging on his nose. I observed him walk to the couple some tables away from me. I overheard words like, "upcoming artist" and "support me".
When he talked with the strict looking man drinking Hero a table from me.. I could hear the conversation. He had some CDs of his at hand, asking the man to purchase to support him. Strict-Faced-Hero-drinking-man wouldn't have that. He told him to get a sponsor, and spoke plenty English. I'm not sure he gave him a dime.
Bros walked up to me, and I dismissed him with a wave of a hand. His eyes met mine as he moved off.. Compassion welled up in me, and I called him back, and handed him a naira note. He stretched to give me his CD. I protested. He said thank you, and moved off.
But that's as far as compassion can get you. You can never build a profitable business that depends on the compassion of people. "Buy to support me" kind of thing.
People buy value EVERYDAY. Then support out of compassion, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
Don't build on their ONCE IN A WHILE.
You get the gist?